Southern Ethiopia (9 days)

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa and City Tour

Upon arrival at Bole International Airport you will be met by a Ruba Tours representative and be taken to your reserved hotel. Depending on your arrival time, we have various sightseeing options:

• Mount Entotowith the best views over the capital.
• Institute of Ethiopian Studies, where you can see a variety of artifacts from all the different regions reflecting the history and culture of the country
• National Museum which among other exhibits the 3.5-million-year-old bones of Lucy.
• Saint-George Cathedral, where paintings by the famous Ethiopian artist Afework Tekele and other ecclesiastical wealth and cultural heritage of the past are displayed.
• Trinity Cathedral: this is the burial place of members of the imperial family and noted patriots; the cathedral is the most magnificent of its kind in the country, ornamented with carvings, mosaics and other artistic works.
• The Mercato, the largest open-air market in Africa
• Unity Park, located within the National Palace of Ethiopia , embodies generational legacy of Ethiopia And Ethiopians.Prime minster Dr Abiy has announced that The park will be open to the public as of October 11, following the October 10th launchThe National Palace was Built under Emperor Menelik II over a century ago, the Palace rests on 40,000Sqm of land. For generations, it has been viewed as the epicenter of political power, where the most powerful family in the land resides. The renovated compound incorporates several sights of interest to visitors, including an arena, a playground, a zoo,three churches,House of Royals and an imperial banquet hall.
• 

Day 2: Addis Ababa – Arba Minch (465km) via Butajira

After breakfast, we drive to Arba Minch (approx. 7hrs.), with a stop on the way at Tiya (80km from Addis Ababa) to explore the Stelae field of Tiya, listed as UNESCO world heritage site. Mysterious engraved stelae stretch across Southern Ethiopia. The field comprises some 45 stones of up to 2-3m in height. We then continue to Arba Minch with some fantastic scenery, including the best spot to view the two rift valley lakes, Lake Abaya to the north and Lake Chamo to the South. We will arrive at the lodge in the late afternoon.and you may relax at the lodge with stunning views from the terrace.

Overnight at Hayle Resort

Day 3: Arbaminch – Lake Chamo – Arbaminch

Morning:
After breakfast,

We undertake a boat cruise on lake Chamo and search for Africa’s biggest crocodiles (up to 6m long), hippos and a large variety of bird life.

Lake Chamo

Afternoon:we will visit Dorze people with some fantastic scenery, including the Wolayta farmlands, with views of the lush green hills and valleys. The Dorze village is found high in the Guge Mountains overlooking lake Abaya and lake Chamo.

DAY 4:  Arbaminch – Konso 

After breakfast, we drive to Konso approx. (travelling time 3.5 hrs.). Konso is another UNESCO Cultural Heritage site. We will visit the village compound and the the local museum, and usually we are also welcomed in the Konso chief’s compound, which includes the family graveyard and house mummies. The Konso people have a rich agrarian culture and construct ingenious terraces and walls that encircle their fields and villages for protection against livestock damage and flooding.

DAY 5 Key Afer Market – Jinka (240 km). (THURSDAYS ONLY!)

From Konso we continue our journey to the colourful market of Key Afer (Thursdays only) frequented by several tribes of the Omo valley, such as Derase, Tsemay, Benna and Ari, before reaching Jinka in the late afternoon.

Key Afer market is one of the best Market in Omo Valley – Picture of Key Afer, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region.

Night at Jinka Ecomolodge

Day 6: Jinka – Mago National Park (Mursi) — Turmi (160 km)

Morning:
We enter the Mago National park (travelling time approx. 2hrs), admiring different animals and birds on the way; and proceed to visit to the Mursi tribe and their villages. One of the most unique tribes in Africa. Here women use huge round lips plates for beauty reasons.

The Mursi (or Mun as they refer to themselves)^[1][2] are a Surmic ethnic group in Ethiopia. They principally reside in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region, close to the border with South Sudan. According to the 2007 national census, there are 11,500 Mursi, 848 of whom live in urban areas; of the total number, 92.25% live in the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region (SNNPR).^[3]

Surrounded by mountains between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, the home of the Mursi is one of the most isolated regions of the country. Their neighbors include the Aari, the Banna, the Mekan, the Karo, the Kwegu, the Nyangatom and the Suri. They are grouped together with the Me’en and Suri by the Ethiopian government under the name Surma.^[4]

Afternoon:
After lunch, we continue our trip to Turmi (approx. 3 hrs), where we will meet the fascinating Hamer tribe. Turmi is our base to explore the Southern tribes of the Omo Valley. The whole region of the Southern Omo is UNESCO world heritage site since 1980.

Overnight Evangadi Lodge

Day 7: Turmi – Dimeka Market – Turmi (SATURDAYS ONLY!)

Morning:
After breakfast, we visit the colourful market in Dimeka near Turmi (Saturdays only), frequented by several tribes of the Omo valley.

Hamar people (also spelled Hamer) are a community inhabiting southwestern Ethiopia. They live in Hamer woreda (or district), a fertile part of the Omo River valley, in the Debub Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region (SNNPR). They are largely pastoralists, so their culture places a high value on cattle.

Afternoon:
Turmi is well known for its traditional events and with some luck we will even participate in a Hamer marriage ceremony, with its bull jumping ceremony and more! In the late afternoon, we will also visit a nearby Hamer village and encounter the tribe in its daily life surroundings. With some luck, we may even witness a moonshine dance (Evangadi), a traditional dance of young Hamer men and women.

Overnight at Evangadi Lodge

Day 8: Turmi –Karo – Konso

Morning: Turmi – Karo

Today drive west towards the Omo river to meet the Karo known for their body paintings. There are also great views of the Omo river when crossing in a dugout canoe.

Karo^[2] (also Cherre, Kere, Kerre) is a South Omotic^[3] language spoken in the Debub (South) Omo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities, and People’s Region in Ethiopia. Karo is described as being closely related to its neighbor, Hamer-Banna, with a lexical similarity of 81%,^[1] and is considered a dialect of Hamer by Blench (2006),^[4] but as a separate language belonging to the Hamer-Karo subfamily in Glottolog. The Karo people, who live close to the lower Omo River, use colorful bodywork, complex headdresses and body scars to express beauty and importance within the community. 2,400 speakers^[5] are using the Karo language.

We will have lunch in Turmi before heading back up to Konso.

Afternoon: Turmi – Konso (180 km)
After lunch, we drive back to Konso (approx. 3.5 hrs.). We will reach the well-kept Qanta Lodge in the late afternoon.

Overnight Qanta Lodge

Day 9: Konso – Arba Minch – Addis Ababa (flight)

Morning:
We drive  in the morning from Konso to Arba Minch (2 h).
Afternoon:
We fly back to Addis Ababa with flight ET134 at 13.35. Arrival at 14.30h. You will be picked up at Bole Airport and be transferred to your reserved hotel (day room)
Evening:
In the evening, you will be invited for a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dance show at a renowned restaurant of Addis Ababa. Then you will be transferred to the airport for your departure.
 
Departure or individual Extension