Tour Code: VET030
Duration: 15 Days & 14 nights
Transport: surface
Day 01: Arrive Addis Ababa and Afternoon city tour including the National museum not on Mondays, Entoto Mountains and St Mary church and tour of the capital, at night hotel.
Day 02: Drive morning to visit the crater lakes of Debrezeith and the three Rift Valley lakes of Shala, Abyata and Langano. Visit these lakes rich in birds, such as Pelicans flamingoes, Storks and more. Visit Sidamo people houses and culture. Lunch and dinner at night Wenny lodge or other.
Day 03: Drive to Arba-minch, meaning 40 springs, admire very interesting views and Wolaita people, their villages, culture, the cultivation of the false banana tree ( from which roots they extract their traditional bread, known as Kotcho) and more. Afternoon drive to Chencha, to visit the Dorze people, their particular weaving works for which they are famous, strage houses, cultivation of sorghum and the false banana and more. Dinner and at night Swaynes hotel with remarkable views over the chamo and Abaya lakes and Niche Sar National Park. There is a ntural path to walk down to the springs, admiring many birds, views and more.
Day 04: Morning visit the Nich Sar Park with remarkable views over the lakes and different mammals, as the endemic Swaynes Hartebeest, Zebras, lesser Kudu, and others. Back lunch Arba-minch, afternoon make boat trip on chamo, admire crocodiles and hippos here crocodiles are some of the longest in Africa, with length of 6m and also above, dinner and at night Swaynes hotel.
Day 05: Drive to Turmi, crossing the Konso and Derashe people and village, with particular culture, traditions way of life and more. They are famous on terracing style agriculture. Continue crossing Tsemay and Erbore people and villages. They have colorful hairstyles, way of dressing and lows of the Evangadi living quite peculiar. Continue to the village of Turmi, of the Hammer people. Dinner and at night Turmi camping or at extra cost at the tented bungalows of the Evangadi lodge and campsite.
N.B: As of market days, program can be varied by driving first to Jinka
Day 06: Visit Hamer people, their villages, possible some dance, the unique marriage ceremonies, with women slashing, at Turmi or Dimeka villages. These tribes are famous for their hairstyles, ornaments, scarification, and culture, at night Turmi.
Day 07: Drive to Omorate, at bank of Omo River, to admire the Dassanech villages. Excursion to the Turkana Lake at border of Kenya can be added. Back dinner and at night Turmi
Day 08: Drive to the Karo people and villages, visit Kortcho village with very pleasant views over Omo River, like Duss Village. Dinner and at night Murulle camping, at bank of Omo River or near a village.
Day 09: Continue for the Mago Park and camp of bank of the Neri River, admiring various animals, among which different antelopes and birds, at night camping.
Day 10: proceed to the Mursi people and villages, Admire thse tribes, where for beauty women use to put clay plates in to their lips , men have different scarification and more particularities, visit their way of life in the villages, etc and continue to Jinka village for dinner and at night local hotel.
Day 11: Continue to Konso, admiring the Ari, Benna and Tsemay people. If market days, visit colorful ones on the way. Visit the Konso famous villages and traditions, at night Konso local hotel.
Day 12: Continue for the Borena people and afternoon drive to Elsod crater, from where Borena men extract salt. Visit some of their villages at night Yabelo local hotel or camping.
Day 13: Crossing Guji people and very nice landscapes, drive to the Rift Valley lake Awasa at night hotel.
Day 14: Morning drives to Addis. Lunch at Addis Ababa and at afternoon tour to Merkato (not on Sunday), biggest open-air market in Africa, and different souvenir shops. Dinner we propose a traditional restaurant with folkloristic dances of the different Ethiopia regions at night hotel.
Day 15: Transfer airport for departure
Extended program: Male, Muguji, Bume & others can be additionally visited on request, by adding more days.