16 Days Omo Valley Tours with Visiting Surma People
Itinerary |
Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa if your arrival is on the day time. Arrive in Addis Ababa meet and greet, get assisted for transfer to the hotel. Preparation for the city tour. City tour of Addis Ababa that includes; National Museum famous for housing the humanoid fossil Lucy, Holy Trinity cathedral, ethnographic Museum , St. George Cathedral Museum and Mercato, the largest and most vibrant market in Africa. hotel |
Day 2: Drive Addis Ababa to Jimma Via Welkite & Weliso, about 350kms Morning after breakfast, head south west of Addis to Jimma. En-route sees the undulating landscapes and the coffee growing area of Ethiopia and also visiting the Gurage Villages. hotel |
Day 3: Drive Jimma to the town of Mizan Tefari, about 220kms This is a drive through the Kaffa region, generally regarded to be the region from where the Arabica strain of coffee originated, and it is also where this plant was first cultivated. Spend the night in Mizan Teferi.hotel |
Day 4: Drive Mizan to Kibish (Set to the Simi desert southern lowlands roughly 180km south of Mizian) Morning, drive to Kibish (Capila of Surma tribes) En-route enjoying the stunning view which unfolds in front of us every minute of our drive. On the way you will visit different tribal villages including the Diz. camp |
Day 5 &6: Those two days assigned to visit the Surma Tribe and their villages. The Surma tribes are found on the west bank of the Omo. They mostly look like the Mursi peoples of the Omo River, they do body painting and the women wear lip plates. On those two days if there is an availability of the occasional and optional event of Donga (stick fighting) you will attend.(This donga event is somehow unrealistic and bad habit of the tribes). camp |
Day 7: Drive back to the town of Mizan Teferi In the morning drive back to Mizan en-route visiting different coffee farms and different tribal villages.hotel |
Day 8: Drive back Mizan to Jimma. On our todays drive back to Jimma enroute you will meet and visit the village of Kefecho, Yem and Bench ethnic groups We will pass through the dense forest of coffee and tea. You can have a short stop there to buy the Ethiopian tea sachets green tea.hotel |
Day 9: Drive Jimma to Arba Minch. Today’s drive is just as a gate way to the omo valley area from the West of Ethiopia. On your way you will admire nature, birds and farm lands. Spend the night at the beautiful Paradise lodge in Arba Minch.hotel |
Day 10: Drive Arba Minch to Jinka via Konso En route you will visit the Konso tribes and you will visit their ancient villages. Today you will also meet Tsemay and Ari tribes with visiting their villages. Photographing with tribes. hotel |
Day 11: Drive Jinka to Mago National Park then transfer to Turmi Early start for excursion tour to Mago national park to meet the Mursi people and visits their villages. Visit the Mursi Tribes, their women are famous for Lip plates and men for ritual fighting with stick. On the way attend the colorful local market Dimeka (SATURDAY market) You will meet the Hammer, Karo, Tsemay, Banna, Bashada on this market day. Great photographing day. Then proceed to Turmi for overnight.hotel |
Day 12: Excursion drive to Korcho to visit the Karo Tribes Morning drive to Korcho, home of the Karo Tribe. The Karo are best known for their body painting. They use white chalk, charcoal, ochre and red mud to make their body beautiful. Then drive back to Turmi. Up on time you will visit some villages of the hamer people. hotel |
Day 13: Excursion to Omo rate then retrace back to Turmi Boating on the Omo River to visit a Dassanech village on the other side of the Omo River. Then back to Turmi to Attend the most colorful (Monday Market in Turmi Today you will also visit The Hamer peoples and their Villages. Today’s you will attend Tribal dance or Bull Jumping rite, occasional and optional events. hotel |
Day 14: Drive Turmi to Arba Minch via Arbore Morning after Breakfast drive to Arba Minch via. En-route visits the Arbore peoples and their villages. hotel |
Day 15: Full day visit in Arba Minch A.M boat crossing to Nechisar national park for spotting the endemic Swayne’s Heart beast, Burchele zebra. You will also visit the biggest crocodile farm in Africa. hotel |
Day 16: Drive Arba Minch to Addis Ababa – end of the cultural tour in Omo Valley Morning you will visit the dorza people and their traditional tukul villages. The dorze peoples are well known on traditional weaving. Proceed to Addis on the way you will spot numerous common and endemic birds of the rift valley lakes. Moreover in the evening around you will be our guest for a farewell dinner in one of Ethiopian traditional restaurants with folkloric dance. Then get transferred to the airport for your flight back to your home country. |
………….END OF THE CULTURAL TOUR ARRANGEMENT………. |
