12 Days Surma And Omo Valley Tribes
Day 1. Addis Ababa – Jimma
We leave Addis Ababa and drive to Jimma. It’s about 350 kilometres west of the capital. We shall visit the palace of the former king Kaffa King Ras Abba Jifar II. The palace has great views of the city and the nearby coffee farms. The palace will give you a glimpse into the former glory of the Ethiopian empire. The area remained strong economically till the 1930 mostly due to the coffee trade.
Overnight: Awetu international Hotel.
Day 2. Jimma – MizanTeferi
Today we shall go to the heart of the Kaffa region, west of Bonga. This area is within a very beautiful mountain rainforest. After exploring this area , we shall then head to MizanTeferi. We shall make a stop to a local coffee farm and we shall be taken through the process of growing coffee till it reaches or cups. This area is among the most green and fertile area in Ethiopia.
Overnight: Salayish Hotel or Similar
Day 3. MizanTeferi – Kibish
Our safari will continue to the area of Kibish. This area is also home to the Surma people. They are known for their nomad ways which influence their daily lifestyle. The area is located between forests, savanna bushes and grasslands. The women in this tribe are also known for the plates they carry on their lower lips, body scarifications and painting their bodies white.
Overnight: Camping in Kibish
Day 4. Full Day in KibishSurma
We shall have a chance to visit one of the Villages of the Surma people. We shall a closer insight of the norms and traditions of this group of people. It gets really hot in this are area and therefore we shall make sure all our activities here are done by mid morning. In the afternoon we shall head to the river which is about 5 minutes from here. We may have a chance to watch a ritual fight by the Donga people where they fight using sticks. Most of these ritual fights take place in the month of November.
Overnight: Camping in Kibish
Day 5. Kibish – Nyangatom
Wes shall have breakfast and go through the Omo National park as we explore its beautiful fauna and flora. This is the oldest national park in Ethiopia and it was established in 1959. Here you may see the gazelles, elephants and Buffaloes. We shall visit the Nyangatom villages in the southern sector of the park. This is home to one of the minority tribes in the country.
Overnight: Camping at the Nyangatom tribe
Day 6. Nyangatom – Turmi
Today we shall head to Turmi which is in the Omo valley on the southern side. This area is known for the many traditional events. Depending on the day, we may be lucky to see a local Hamer wedding. The other function you may see is the bull jumping ceremony. Later in the afternoon, we shall experience the local Hamer village life experience. There is also the moonlight dance that they will perform for us.
Overnight: Emerald Lodge, Turmi
Day 7. Karo Tribes and Omorate Excursion
Today after our breakfast we shall trek to the Murrulle which is a very short distance from here. This is the home to the Karo tribe of people. They are famous for their body painting. They usually do this for most ceremonies here like the weddings and cultural festivals. We shall head back to the lodge for dinner and overnight.
Overnight Emerald Lodge.
Day 8. Drive to Jinka Visit The Mursi Tribe
We shall visit Jinka area which is not very far from the Mursi village. The Mursi are one of the most sought after tribes due to their unique lifestyle. The Surma and the Mursi people both have their woman use large plates around their lower lips. We shall visit the ethnographic museum which is a place where you will see history of most Omotic people culture. Jinka is also known as the capital of most ethnic groups in this area.
Overnight Nasa Hotel.
Day 9. Jinka – Arbaminch Via Konso
We shall have an early morning breakfast and then head to Arbaminch. We shall make a brief stop at the Konso tribal village. This is a world Heritage site with a lot cultural significance. The village is built on hills to protect the people here from the low land tribes. The Konos village are surrounded by walls. This village will fascinate you with its unique architecture. There way the people have preserved their culture amidst the changing trends in the world. The Konso people are agriculture based and they use a lot of terracing to make sure they farm well on the hills.
Overnight Arbaminch Tourist Hotel
Day 10. Visit Dorze Village and Boat Ride on Chamo Lake
We shall take a boat on lake Cahmo as we look for the largest crocodiles in Africa. There is a place called Arba Minch in between Abaya and Chamo lakes with green hills, this is great scenery you will have to look out for. After our cruise we shall set out to the Dorze people. These people are known for their beehive like houses made out of bamboo. These houses area movable and can be moved in some cases like a termite infestation.
Overnight Tourist Hotel.
Day 11. Arbaminch – Lake Langano
We are going to drive towards Lake Langano and will make several stops on the way. On arrival we shall check into our accommodation and we use the rest of the afternoon to sun bathe, swim, bird watching as you watch the sun setting over the beautiful Lake Langano.
Overnight Sabana Resort
Day 12. Langano – Addis Ababa
We shall have a late morning breakfast and then drive back to Addis Ababa for our flight back home.
End of the tour//
