Omo Valley

You will be transferred from the airport to your hotel. Addis Ababa, Ethiopia’s sprawling capital in the highlands bordering the Great Rift Valley, is the country’s commercial and cultural hub. The National Museum exhibits Ethiopian art, traditional crafts and prehistoric fossils, including replicas of the famous early hominid, "Lucy." The burial place of the 20th-century emperor Haile Selassie, copper-domed Holy Trinity Cathedral, is a neo-baroque architectural landmark.

This morning fly to Arba Minch, the largest town in southern Ethiopia, set amongst lush green hills near Lakes Abaya and Chamo. Arba Minch is named for the numerous local springs that produce a groundwater forest. The town is divided into two distinct areas, the uptown admin centre and 4 km away the downtown commercial-residential areas of Sikela, connected by a paved road. You can buy fruits here, including mango, banana, orange, apple, guava and pineapple, and also known for its fish farms. Elijah, [15.06.20 02:52] Day 3: Boat Ride on Lake Chamo, Konso Village & Drive to Jinka In the morning, a one-hour boat ride on the lake to Azo Gebeya, the so-called “crocodile market”, a gathering place for crocodiles and pelicans. Visit Konso village famously known for their Waga sculptures, unique carvings celebrating deceased men. Their elaborately stone walled terraced hillside grows some of the country's best coffee. They have a living cultural tradition stretching back 21 generations (more than 400 years) adapted to its dry hostile environment.

In the morning, a one-hour boat ride on the lake to Azo Gebeya, the so-called “crocodile market”, a gathering place for crocodiles and pelicans. Visit Konso village famously known for their Waga sculptures, unique carvings celebrating deceased men. Their elaborately stone walled terraced hillside grows some of the country's best coffee. They have a living cultural tradition stretching back 21 generations (more than 400 years) adapted to its dry hostile environment.

The Mursi are one of the most original ethnic groups. They live in very low huts made of straw and the women like to wear terra cotta on their enormously stretched lower lips and earlobes. The men are famous for their hairstyles. Stay at Buska Lodge, an unpretentious eco-lodge, overlooking the plains of Buska Mountain. The Lodge offers also the rare opportunity to learn about and experience the culture and traditions of the local Hammer community.

This day you will take an excursion to Omoratte where you will have a cultural experience with the Geleb/ Dassenech people inhabitants of lower Omo River Valley. Later, you will venture to Murulle to visit the Karo people, who reside along the banks of the Lower Omo River. The Karo incorporate rich cultural symbolism into their rituals and use ornate body art, intricate headdress, and body scarification to emphasize beauty and status within their community.

You will visit Hammer peoples and experience a bit of their culture before making your way back to Arba Minch. The Hammer are known for their unique custom of "bull jumping," which initiates a boy into manhood.

You will drive back to Addis. En route you will visit Tiya, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, one of eight such sites in the country. It highlights the widespread presence of mysterious engraved stelae stretching across this region of southern Ethiopia.

Begin your city tour of Addis with a drive to Mount Entoto, the highest peak around Addis Ababa. Visit the National Museum, housing the most precious archaeological finds, the fossilized remains of "Lucy," visit the Trinity Cathedral Church, the Ethnological Museum set within Haile Selassie’s former palace and surrounded by the beautiful gardens and fountains of Addis Ababa University’s main campus, one of the finest museums in Africa. and Mercato, the largest open market in Africa.