Ethiopia Diverse South

Join Addis Ababa (altitude 2355m)

Addis Ababa – Jinka

Following breakfast we fly south to Jinka. After checking in to our lodge we will visit the Ari village. Ari people are privileged to have the largest territory of all the tribes in the area, and the most fertile land for growing coffee and corn. The women are known for selling pottery and wearing skirts made from banana trees. B,L,D

Jinka – Turmi

This morning we visit the South Omo Museum, which contains cultural displays from the 16 different ethnic groups living in the region. After lunch, we drive to Turmi and on the way visit a Banna village. B,L,D

Turmi – Omorate – Turmi

After breakfast we drive to Omorate and visit the Dassanach people. The Dassanach are traditionally pastoralists, but in recent years have become agro-pastoralist, which means they grow crops and raise livestock. Back to Turmi for lunch and in the late afternoon we visit the Hamar village. The Hamar women are striking, wearing beautiful colourful beaded skins, ornate necklaces and metal bangles around their wrist and ankles. Famous for their hairstyle – a crown of long dread-lock braids covered in ochre. These women are the most colourful of the Omo people. The Hamar are known for their unique custom of “bull jumping,” that initiates a boy into manhood. First, female relatives dance and invite whipping from men who have recently been initiated. This shows their support of the initiate and their scars give them a right to demand his help in time of need. The boy must run back and forth twice across the backs of a row of bulls or castrated steers and is ridiculed if he fails. B,L,D

Turmi – Konso – Arba Minch

Today we drive to Arba Minch and on the way visit Konso. Known for its stonewalled village and cultural landscape, Konso society is largely agricultural, involving irrigation and terracing of mountain slopes. It is recognised for it’s communal and sustainable terrace system, which is registered by UNESCO. Staple crops include sorghum and corn, with cash crops including cotton and coffee. Cattle, sheep, and goats are raised for food and milk. Their village is also well known for traditional wooden totems “waka”, used to mark graves of their clan chief and warriors. Although today there are marked differences between the Konso and their Oromo neighbours. B,L,D

Arba Minch – Lake Chamo – Dorze – Arba Minch

Today we take a boat trip on Lake Chamo. Lake Chamo is one of the lakes of the famous Rift Valley with a surface area of 317 km2. The lake is fringed with beds of Typha (Cattail). During the boat trip, we will have the opportunity to spot Hippo, Nile crocodile and aquatic birds. We will also journey to the Dorze Village located in the Guge Mountains. The Dorze occupy the Eastern edge of the Gamo Highlands above Lake Abaya, about 2600m above sea level. The Dorze people are famous for their unique beehive houses built from bamboo tree, dancing, traditional weaving and authentic lifestyle. We take lunch at Dorze Lodge and then take a picturesque walk overlooking the Rift Valley and its lakes. B,L,D

Arba Minch – Lake Langano

Today we journey to the Hara Lodge, located on the shore of Lake Langano, another of the Rift Valley lakes. En-route we stop in Shshamene for lunch and transfer into 4WDs. After checking into the lodge, we can explore this water sanctuary, which is rich in bird and other wildlife. B,L,D

Lake Langano and Chitu Crater Lake

This day is dedicated to exploring more of the Rift Valley lakes. We will take a drive to Chitu Crater Lake. The lake is nestled within a tuff explosion crater that formed some 10,000 years ago due to volcanic activity. The surface of the 20m deep Lake stands a full 80m below the crater rim and its saline algae-rich shallows harbour a semi-resident flock of 10,000-20,000 flamingos. B,L,D

Lake Langano – Bale Mountains (altitude 4000m)

En-route to the Bale Mountains we visit the park’s headquarters and hope to see two endemic mammals, the Mountain Nyala and Menelik’s Bushbuck. We proceed to the Bale Mountain Lodge via the Sanetti Plateau where we spend the next two days. Bale Mountain National Park contains the Harenna forest, a largely unexplored area situated to the south of the mountains and thought to contain many undiscovered species of reptile and a wealth of birds, including the endemic white-backed black tit, Abyssinian catbird and woodpecker. The Park offers some wonderful trekking opportunities and the largest population of Ethiopian wolves is found here. Other mammals we might see are olive baboon, guereza monkey and if we are lucky the Bale monkey. B,L,D

Bale Mountains – Awash National Park

Awash National Park – Addis Ababa

Departs Addis Ababa

The final morning in Addis Ababa before transferring to the airport for your onward flight home. B