9 Days – Lower Omo Valley – II (Dep Wednesday)

Staring off at 7:30AM, you will be proceeding to Jinka via Konso and Weito. Driving through the magnificent lowland scenic landscape around Weito, you will be arriving Key Afer shortly before mid-day. Here, you will be able to visit the weekly Bena market that attracts other tribes like the Tsemai from Weito area, Hamer tribe from Alduba and Ari tribe from Kako. Late afternoon, you will be proceeding to Jinka, arriving and spending overnight at Eco-Omo Lodge / Orit Hotel / Eyob Guest House.

At 7:30AM, you will be heading into Mago National Park. En route to Mursi tribal villages in the Park, you will be able to see the scenic Mago lowlands as well as a bit of wild life – Dik Diks, Greater and Lesser Kudus etc. Arriving at Mursi tribal villages, you will be able to see their farm fields, huts and general life style. Returning back to Jinka shortly after lunch time, you will be visiting Ari tribal villages in the surroundings of Jinka. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at Eco-Omo Lodge / Orit Hotel / Eyob Guest House.

At 8:00AM, you will be visiting the South Omo Research Center (SORC) which will give you a good insight into tribal lifestyle, an institute that does research on the different tribes of the Lower Omo Valley. Mid-morning, you will be visiting Omo Child Center www.omochild.org, an NGO that cares for 44 Mingi children of the Kara and Hamer tribes. Additionally, you will also be able to visit an Ari tribe village in the surroundings of Jinka.
Proceeding to Turmi at about noon, you will be visiting the weekly Hamer market at Dimeka which will allow you to see their dressing patterns, hair decorations, ornamentations and their market activities. Proceeding further and arriving Turmi late afternoon, you will spend overnight at the Buska Lodge / Turmi Lodge / Kiso Lodge or alternatively camping overnight at Keske Campsite.

At 7:30AM, you will be heading to Korcho to visit this first of the three Kara-tribe settlements. Settled on the banks of the Omo River, the Kara tribe are known for their body paintings, same done for beautifying purposes. From this particular village, the view of the Omo River is magnificent, a high ground view seeing off the Omo River flowing down South into the Turkana Lake. Returning back to Turmi at noon, you will be visiting a Hamer tribe village in the surroundings of Turmi. End of the day, you will be spending overnight at the Buska Lodge / Turmi Lodge / Kiso Lodge or alternatively camping overnight at Keske Campsite.

Starting off at 7:30AM, you will be heading to Omorate. Home to the Dassanach tribe, Omorate is a small town settled on the banks of the Omo River. Crossing the river with a wooden canoe boat, you will be visiting one of their villages. Their huts and lifestyle much different from the rest of the tribes in the Omo, the Dassanach tribe are said to be descendants of the Turkana tribe in North Kenya, semi-nomadic lifestyle. Returning back to Turmi at noon, you will spend the afternoon visiting the weekly Hamer tribe market where you will be able to see their dressing patterns, hair and bead decorations, etc. End of the day, you will spend overnight at the Buska Lodge / Turmi Lodge / Kiso Lodge or alternatively camping overnight at Keske Campsite.
*In any of your days around Turmi, you may have the opportunity to see the ritual bull-jumping ceremony of the Hamer tribe.

Starting off at 8:30AM, you will be heading to Arbaminch. En route you will be visiting a Konso village whose community has recently been registered as the 9th UNESCO-registered World Heritage Site. Villages to be recommended are Gesergio/Mechekie, their ‘Wakas’ (wooden totems) and the closeby massive rock formation dubbed as ‘New York’ as it resembles the sky scrapers of New York. Proceeding further and arriving Arbaminch mid-afternoon, you will have a 2.5hrs boat trip on Chamo Lake where you will be able to see the largest and oldest Nile Crocodiles, Hippos, Pelicans and a variety of birdlife. End of the day, you will spend overnight at te afternoon, you will be proceeding to Arbaminch, arriving and overnight at Paradise Lodge / Tourist Hotel / Forty Springs Hotel.

At 8:00AM, you will be proceeding to Dorze Haizo located in the Gughe Mountain chain North of Arbaminch. Here, you will be visiting a Dorze village, their bamboo-made tukuls, cotton-weaving skills, ’Kocho’ preparation – their traditional staple food and day-to-day life. Mid-morning, you will be heading to Hawassa via Abaya Lake – one of the Rift Valley lakes and further on at Halaba Kulito, you will be visiting their grass-thatched colorful huts and life style. Arriving Hawassa mid-afternoon, you will spend overnight at Pina Hotel / Gebre Kristos Hotel / Lake Side Hotel.

At 8:00AM, you will be visiting Amora Gedel, the daily fish market on Hawassa Lake – one of the Rift Valley lakes in the region. Here, you will be able to see locals engaged in daily fishing activities and fish sales market, a variety of birdlife including Marabou Storks. If daring enough, you can taste freshly cooked Tilapia fish in one of the many booths by the lake shore. Mid-morning, you will be heading back to Addis Ababa via the Rift Valley line. Driving through the lake region, you will be able to see Ziway, Langano, Shalla and Abiatta lakes and additionally  the crater lake region of Debrezeit. Arriving Addis Ababa late-afternoon, you will spend overnight at a hotel of your choice, thereby ending your 9 days tour of the Lower Omo Valley of South-West Ethiopia.