OVERVIEW

The Southern Omo Valley is Africa’s last remaining true wilderness. All the tribes of the valley are transhumant pastoralists speaking an Omotic language. On top of their love and care that they give to their cattle, both men and women of this wilderness give special importance to their personal beauty.

With their economy depending on cattle-keeping, and the cow being central l to their culture, the Hamer have 27 words for describing the colors of their cows and bulls, and each Hamer has several names which are a so-called ‘cow’s name’ and a ‘goat’s name’. Cattle being central in the Hamer’s sense of survival, it is not too surprising that their vanity is often expressed by an effort to look more like cows. Women wear skirts made of cow-hide along with imitation cow-tails which, as they walk, sweep gently to and fro with the movement of their hips.

Of all the tribes, the Hamer are the most elegant ones as both men and women pay great attention to the styling and decoration of their hair. The women are beautifully attired in their beaded skins and iron jewelry. They wear their hair in dense ringlets smeared with mud and clarified butter and topped off with a head-dress featuring oblongs of gleaming aluminum. To symbolize courage, clay hair buns are worn by Hamer men who have killed either an enemy or a dangerous animal such as a lion or a leopard.

Click here to read more about the peoples of the southern Omo Valley.

 

ITINERARY
Cultural Heritage Tour/Southern Omo Valley Tribal Safaris
Durartion: 11 Days / 10 Nights (By Car)
Destinations: Addis Ababa - Chencha (Dorze Village) - Arba Minch – Jinka/Tsemay and Benna tribes - Mursi village - Mago National Park – Jinka –Turmi/Hamer people – Omorate/ Dasenech people – Murulle/ Karo tribe – Elbore villages - Konso/ the cultural landscape of the Konso people - Arba Minch / Netch Sar National park/ Lake Chamo - Langano - Addis Ababa

Day 1: Arrival to Addis Ababa. Be met at the airport by our guide, transfer to your hotels. Start with a relaxing Addis Ababa City Tour, the view from mount Entoto, the National Museum, the Trinity Cathedral Church and Mercato. Hotel

Day 2: Drive to Arba Minch through the fertile land of southern Ethiopia on the away visiting the interesting village of Chencha (Dorze Village). Hotel in Arab Minch

Day 3: Drive to the region of Omo Valley where many ethnic groups live in harmony and on the way to Jinka, visit the Tsemay and Benna tribes. Overnight hotel in Jinka

Day 4: Drive to Mursi village via Mago National Park and get to know the famous Mursi people whose ladies wear lip plates on their lower lips for decorative motive. Hotel in Jinka

Day 5: Market visit to eastern Omo Valley at the small village of Turmi with a visit to the villages of the most beautiful Hamer people around Turmi. Camping in Turmi

Day 6: Drive to Omorate to discover the culture of Dasenech people and get back to Turmi with more visits to the Hammer ethnic group. Camping at Turmi

Day 7: Drive to Murulle and visit the colourfully pained and adorned Karo tribe; heading back to the Konso people via the villages of the Elbore people. At Konso, view the cultural landscape of the Konso people, which has recently been inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage Site list, is so much inspirational and fascinating. Hotel

Day 8: Drive to Arba Minch and take a view of the town and the 40 springs, which the town is named after, Hotel in Arba Minch

Day 9: Morning, have a visit to the Netch Sar National park to spot different wild life with
breathtaking landscape. In the afternoon, excursion on Lake Chamo to view the crocodile market. Hotel in Arba Minch

Day 10: Drive back to Langano and have a pleasant beach stay in the Rift Valley Lakes Region. Resort Hotel

Day11: Most of the day at leisure on your own. In the evening, be our guest for a farewell dinner with traditional music and dance. After the cultural night, transfer to the airport for departure.