Omo Valley Tour
Description:
DST 002 - 14 nights and 15 days
 
Discover with us the Omo Valley and Harar within 15 days. The Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia is a little visited area of Ethiopia containing some of the most colorful tribes and ethnic groups. The fascinating costumes, colorful ceremonies and celebrations, arts, crafts, music and dance of the Benna, Hamer, Mursi, Karo, Dessanetch, Arbore and Borena people are very special. In the Omo Valley region many of the tribal groups have changed only very little over the last hundreds of years and they offer the visitor extraordinary insights into their traditional cultures. On this trip you get truly off the beaten track, exploring little visited villages and vibrant tribal markets of Southern Ethiopia and Harar, which is considered as the fourth holiest city after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem.

 

  • Program: OMO VALLEY
  • Tour Code: DST002
  • Duration: 14 nights (15 days)
  • Transport: Surface (4WD) and Air
  • Tour Start: Addis Ababa
  • Tour End: Addis Ababa
  • Escorted by a professional English speaking guide
  • Best season to travel from September to June
  • Temperature: 20-35 degrees in most of the places
  • Tour Type: Culture and nature
  • Difficulty: Moderate
  • Highlights:
    • Visit the colorful markets of the Omo Valley
    • Game view in Awash and Nechi Sar National Park
    • Visit Harar, the fourth Muslim's holiest city in the world after Mekka, Medina and Jerusalem
    • Cross the Omo River to visit the village of the Dessanech people

 

Day  1: ADDIS ABABA
Upon arrival in Addis Ababa meet our representatives and transfer to the given Hotel. During the day, visit historical sites in Addis Ababa including the National Archaeological Museum, where we will view the 3.2 million year old remains of "Lucy", whose skeletal remains when discovered in 1974. You will also visit the Holy Trinity Cathedrals and Mount Entoto which rises up to an altitude of 3,200 meters and offers the panoramic view of the metropolis.
Overnight at a hotel
Day  2: FLY DIRE DAWA - DRIVE TO HARAR
Baskets, Harar / DF Fly to Dire Dawa. After arrival, proceed to Harar and visit the whole day the famous walled city of Harar. Walk in and around the walled city and explore the unique lay out houses, narrow & winding streets, intricate basketry and taste its best coffee. Visit also the beautiful Harar museum and Arthur Rimbaud's House, a fine traditional house dating from the period when the French poet Rimbaud lived in Harer. In the evening, participate the Hyena feeding ceremony.
Overnight at a hotel
Day  3 & 4: HARAR - AWASH NATIONAL PARK (310 km)
In the morning visit the chat market at Aweday and proceed to Awash National park. On the way, visit Kereyou nomad people and their villages.
Awash National Park / AR The Awash national park offers quite good wildlife and outstanding birdlife viewing. It also contains an interesting range of volcanic landscapes. The Beisa Oryx and Sommering Gazelles - in the open areas, Greater and Lesser Kudus - in the bushed areas, the endemic Swayne's Hartbeest - in the grass plains, the tiny salt Dik-Dik - under the dry acacia bushes and Defarsa waterbuck - in the bushy river area and the two monkey species - the Anubis and Hamadryas - can be seen near the river. Among other monkeys, Colobus and Grivet monkeys are found in the riverside and drier areas respectively. Leopards, Lions, Black-Backed and Golden Jackals, Caracals, Servals and Wildcats are also seen in the park very rarely.
During our stay in the park, we drive through the park for game-view and to the "Filwoha" the turquoise-blue pools of the natural hot springs. We also visit the magnificent Awash waterfall where you spot Crocodiles. The park is also ideal for bird watching as there are more than 452 species recorded.
Overnight in a lodge
Day  5: AWASH NATIONAL PARK - YIRGALEM (360 km)
Awash National Park / AR Drive to Yirgalem through the Great Rift Valley lakes, stopping at Lake Ziway and Lake Awassa to enjoy the birdlife on the shores of the lake.
Overnight in a lodge
Day  6: YIRGALEM - YABELLO (270 km)
Drive to Yabello over the beautiful Sidamo Mountains and coffee plantations. On the way, we visit a Sidamo village. We then continue to yabello, which is surrounded by mountains and populated by countless species of birds. The drive this day let you experience the life of the Oromo Borena people who are well known for cattle rearing. You also visit the Oromo Borena village.
Overnight at a hotel
Day  7: YABELLO - KONSO (220 km)
Crater lake / JD After breakfast continue south from Yabello to the local Borena village of Dublock to visit the singing wells where the locals form chanting chains of people to remove buckets of water from the long channeled openings of the wells. Afterwards, continue to El Sod, a crater lake where salt is mined from the lake for sale and use throughout Ethiopia. After the visit, proceed driving to Konso, which has been inscribed as a World heritage site by UNESCO in 2012. You will admire colorfully costumed dress, impressive terracing of the land and unusually engraved wooden statues used as grave markers can be seen. You will visit the Konso's colorful market if it is either Monday or Thursday.
Overnight at a hotel
Day  8: KONSO - JINKA (150 km)
In the morning we drive to "New York" to visit a magnificent formation of sand. Afterwards we visit a village and a museum. In the afternoon we will drive to Jinka.
Overnight in a hotel
Day  9: JINKA - MURSI VILLAGE (MAGO NATIONAL PARK) - TURMI (240 km)
Cars crossing river in Omo valley / DF In the morning drive to through Mago National Park to Mursi village. The Mursi are renowned for thir custom followed by their women who, on reaching maturity, have their lower lips slit and circular clay discs inserted. After the visit, we drive to Turmi.
Turmi is a small town, which is the base to visit the Hamer village. Hamers have remarkable hairstyles made from ochre, water, and binding resin. They rub the mixture into their hair then twist the strands repeatedly to create coppery-colored locks. This is a sign of wealth and welfare.
Overnight in camping or in lodge
Day 10: TURMI - MURELE - TURMI (130 km)
After breakfast we drive to Omo River to visit a Karo Village. The Karo people are considered to be master of body decoration. These designs have no special symbolic significance but are created purely for fun and aesthetic effect, each artist vying to outdo his fellows. Karo men also sculpt and shave their hair into extravagant shapes, with special ochre "caps" of hair usually containing several ostrich feathers.
Moreover, you have there a beautiful view of the Omo River. Drive back to Turmi. In the afternoon, visit a Hammer village. If you are lucky, you may also have the chance to participate in the ceremony of Jumping of the bull.
Overnight in camping or in lodge
Day 11: TURMI - OMORATE - TURMI (130 km)
Hammer youngsters dancing / DF Today we drive to Omorate to visit the Dessanetch tribes, crossing the Omo River by boat. The people of Dessanetch have their own distinctive dress and decoration and villages with interesting architecture. The Dessanetch Covering a large territory, live along the western banks of the Omo River, having been forced out of the Turkana region by conflict in the 18th century. They are originally nomadic pastoralists and live in small huts that befit their nomadic origins, as they could be easily and quickly dismantled. Late in the afternoon, we drive back to Turmi.
Overnight in camping or in lodge
Day 12: TURMI - ARBORE - ARBAMINCH (270 km)
Abore people / JD Depart from Turmi to Arbamintch, via Erbore in the Weyto valley and Konso. On the way, we will visit Arbore village. Friday is market day in Erbore, so if we are passing on this day, the market will be visited.
Overnight in camping or in lodge
Day 13: ARBAMINCH (NESCHISAR NATIONAL PARK) - DORZE VILLAGE
Crocodile / JD Zebras / JD After breakfast we take a boat trip on Lake Chamo. From the boat one can spot many Hippos and the world's most spectacular concentrations of giant crocodiles. In addition, the water birds are great and the scenery is truly unforgettable. We continue with the boat to the park, where we observe Burchell's Zebras, Grant's Gazlle, Swayne's hartebeest ... We have a picnic.
In the afternoon you drive to Chencha and visit the Dorze tribe and village, famous for their bee hive shaped houses and their weaving skills. Weaving is a primary profession for many Dorzes. They are also farmers, who prevent soil erosion by ingenious terracing of the mountainsides. Around their huts they have their own little garden with vegetables, spices, tobacco and enset (false-banana or Musa ensete).
Overnight at hotel or in lodge
Day 14: ARBAMINCH - LANGANO (300 km)
Marabous on Lake Ziway / JD In the morning you will drive to Lake Lanagno, which is free of Bilharzia (Schistosomiasis), unlike all other freshwater lakes in Ethiopia. The rest of the day, you will relax in Langano.
Overnight in lodge
Day 15: LANGANO - ADDIS ABABA - INTERNATIONAL FLIGHT (200 km)
In the morning, after a refreshing swim in the lake, depart from Langano to visit the nearby Abiatta-Shala National Park. Lake Shala is a very deep crater lake (over 260 meters deep!) and Lake Abiatta is a soda lake, which attracts thousands of flamingos. After the visit, continue to Addis Ababa.
After arrival in Addis Ababa, You will have some time to do shopping. In the evening, you have a fare well dinner in one of the Ethiopian restaurants for cultural dinner and folkloristic dances. After the delicious meal, transfer out to the airport for departure back home.
Departure
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Price inclusive of:
  • Accommodation on the basis of sharing twin bed room
  • Meal - full board
  • All transfer in and out services
  • All ground transportation
  • Professional guide accompanying throughout
  • All entrance fees
  • Portage fees
  • Boat and mule hire, where applicable
  • Scout fees, where applicable
  • Domestic airfare, where applicable. It is subject to change
  • Government tax

    Price exclusive of:
  • International airfare
  • Lunch and dinner in Addis Ababa
  • Alcoholic drinks
  • Tips
  • All other expenses not listed in the inclusive part above

 

 

Upon request the above tour program can be modified, differently rearranged, combined with other itineraries and shorten or extended to suit your interest, time, and budget. Please contact us for further details.

 

 

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