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Life is uncertain - eat cake!
Explore Southern Ethiopia with us and discover a fascinating array of different tribes. We mingle with the locals and learn about their traditions, customs and culture.
Explore Southern Ethiopia and discover a rich array of tribes!
Day 1, Feb 18, Addis Ababa
Arrival, transfer to hotel and welcome dinner with the group! Let the adventure begin!
Day 2, Feb 19 / Addis - Arba Minch flight
Visit of the crocodile Ranch of Arba Minch, check in to Tourist Hotel.
Day 3, Feb 20, Wed/ Arba Minch
( Boat trip on Lake Chamo and Visit Dorze Village), Tourist Hotel.
In the morning we board a boat to make a short excursion on Lake Chamo which is famous for giant crocodiles and hippos. The area of the lake is also very good for aquatic birds and acacia land birds. Back to hotel for lunch and continue to Dorze tribe village, known for the amazing mountain top village of weavers and colorfull market.The Dorze tribe live on the top of mount Goge, which has a view of the two lakes and the town of Arba Minch. The Dorze are known for their Beehive like houses made of bamboo.
Day 4, Feb 21 / Arba Minch - Key Afer( Market day ), Jinka, Resort Hotel.
Start to drive to the remote south of Ethiopia and to see different peoples and their culture. Around Kons you will see the people of Derashi, Gidole and Gewada wearing traditional short skirts. Admire their house style and village complex, and farming style. Konso people are known for their intricately terraced hills.
Konso is a UNESCO World Heritage site. Around Woyto river the people of Tsemay and Benna, with their animal skin clothes and bodies decorated with beads, quarry shells and metals and unique hear styles. After short stop at Woyto village continue to Key Afer. On Thursday market day the males of Ari, Benna, and Tsemay people meet to exchange their products.
Continue to Jinka and check in to Resort Hotel.
Day 5, Feb 22/ Jinka - Mursi tribe village- Back to Mursi, Jinka, Resort Hotel.
We leave Jinka after breakfast and heading West to Mago park to see the Mursi people. They mostly live in separate villages of small groups. The famous Mursi women sport remarkable lip decorations, flat slabs of dried clay which can be the size of a small plate, inserted into the lower lip. The men are renowned warriors; very slender, they rarely cover up their body which proudly bears the scars of their combats. Drive back to Jinka
Fascinating traditions, customs, clothes and houses
Day 6, Feb 23 / Jinka - Key Afer - Dimeka( Market Day ) - Turmi, Turmi Lodge.
After breakfast we drive to Turmi, the center of the Hamar people. The Hamar are a fine looking people, both men and women take great pride in their appearance, shaving and coloring their hair, oiling their bodies and decorating themselves with beads and bracelets worn around arms and legs. They are also famous for their annual celebration of initiation of boys to transform to adult hood, a ceremony called Bull-Jumping. Bull-jumping is a precedes marriage. June up to September, which is after harvest time in the area, is a time for bull-jumping. They rarely do the jumping in other months.
En-route to Turmi we stop at Dimeka village for the weekly market of the Hamar and Benna people. This market is very colorful and one the vibrant markets of the area. Here the Hamar and the Benna people meet to exchange their products. The tribal people walk to this market from all over the area to buy and sale.
Continue the drive and reach Turmi, Turmi Lodge.
Day 7, Feb 24 / Turmi - Karo Tribe village, back to Turmi, Turmi Lodge.
After breakfast we drive to Karo which is a local village located on the valley of Omo River. The Karo or Kara is a small tribe with an estimated population between around 2,000. They are closely related to the Kwegu tribe. They live along the east banks of the Omo River and practice flood retreat cultivation. The crops that are grown by them are sorghum, maize and beans. Only a few cattle are kept because of the tsetse flies. These flies are large and consume the blood of vertebrate animals. Like many of the tribes in the Omo, they paint their bodies and faces with white chalk to prepare for a ceremony. The chalk is mixed with yellow rock, red iron ore and charcoal to make its color. Face masks are worn at times and they have clay hair buns with feathers in them. Red clay mixed with butter is put into their hair and clothing is made from animal skin. The women scar their chest believing it makes them beautiful. The mens scars represent an enemy or dangerous animal killed. They also wear clay hair buns which symbolise a kill. A man in the tribe can have as many wives as he wants, but must be able to afford them. Most men will only marry
two or three. Today we visit one of their villages and we drive back to Turmi.
Day 8, Feb 25 / Turmi - Key Afer - Konso village visit, and continue to Arba Minch,
Tourist Hotel. After breakfast drive to Arba Minch via Konso. We stop in Konso to see one of the UNESCO registered villages. After the visit and lunch we continue to Arba Minch for the night.
Day 9, Feb 26/ Arba Minch
Free morning, lunch, check in to the airport and fly to Addis Ababa, final fun dinner together
Day 10: Feb 27 Addis Ababa
Fly home from Addis with lots of enviable tales to tell!
Leigh, NZ
