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A
12 Day Tour to Southern & Western Ethiopia
Brief Description:
This
12 day travel to the fascinating tribes of southern
Ethiopia
starts with a drive to Arba Minch, overlooking the Abaya and Chamo
lakes. We will reach Mago in the 6th day, after passing Jinka
town, and will camp on the edges of
Omo
River. Driving within the forest with no real driving track,
meeting fascinating tribes along the off road tracks are some of
your travel experiences. We will drive through Turmi and get back
to Arba Minch on the 10th day. The tour also includes a visit to
Awassa, and Lanagano lakes and
Africa
’s best spot to see pelicans – the Abijata Shall lake. The
trip ends with a tour of
Addis Ababa
.
Itinerary
 Day
1: Upon
arrival in
Addis Ababa
,
Ethiopia
, You will be greeted with the traditional Ethiopian hospitality
at the airport and transferred to the hotel. (Depending on your
arrival time we can arrange afternoon or after hour city tour)
 Day 2:
Arba
Minch BY Surface: Early morning Drive to Arba Minch through rift
valley lakes of Ziway, Langano, Abjata and Shalla. Lunch at Walyta
sodo, Bekele Molla Hotel. Continued driving and arrive Arba Minch
for overnight (510 Kms from
Addis Ababa
).
Day 3:
Chamo and Abaya Lakes BY Boat: After breakfast drives to
Nech
sar
National Park
, which is situated in the rift valley 2000 meters above sea level
between lakes Abaya and Chamo in the central
Ethiopia
. Although
 mainly open grass lands, it also contains sparse areas
of savannah woodland and highland forest. Drive back for lunch to
the hotel.
Afternoon, drive for
boat trip on lake Chamo to the Crocodile market and bridge of
heaven, where one can find Hippos, Crocodile and variety of birds.
overnight at Bekele Molla Hotel.
Day 4:
we
visit the
park
of
Nech Sar
, located between lakes Chamo and Abaya, We will have dinner and
stay in Arba Minch Bekel Mola Hotel
 DAY 5:
Arba Minch – Jinka. The road crosses soft rolling
hills with dark red soil and plentiful crops and woods. The Dorze
people, famous for their textiles, inhabit the territory. Their
bamboo houses are each surrounded by a small garden. Moving on, we
meet the Konso people, excellent farmers who erect totem poles on
the tombs of their dead. Southeast of the Konso village are the
Borena, who are semi-nomadic shepherds. Overnight stay and dinner
in Jinka, a large town on the edge of the southern savannah
 DAY 6:
We start our day with a drive to Mago which will
take 33 kms.
Mago
National Park
is located on the east bank of the river Omo with an altitude
ranging from 450 to 2,528 metres. After 2 hours drive we will
arrive at the camp where we will spend the night. The campsite is
in a beautiful clearing among towering trees, which provide shade,
and near the river Neri. Later we will visit the Mursi village,
whose women have the custom of expanding their lower lips using
disks that gradually get larger and larger. These are people who
live in almost complete isolation from the rest of the world. On
the night time we will be able to hear sounds coming from
thousands of spices which makes the night one of the nights which
will be remembered for quite some time. Overnight and dinner is in
a camp.
DAY 7: Early morning we will start driving to Murile which
is a 50 km drive, no real driving track, traveling through
the savannah in a typically African landscape, frequently meeting
herds of oryx and gazelle. We arrive at Murile Lodge: bungalows
and campsite right on the river Omo and surrounded by huge trees.
This is the land of the Karo tribe and it is possible to meet them
along the river. We spend the night in Murile in a tent.
 DAY 8:
Early drive to Turmi through the savannah along
tracks that is barely visible, passing through a vast meadowland
with shrubs acacia trees. We will pass through the
village
of
Omorate
on the
Omo
River
seeing the Galeb people. Later we will arrive at Turmi and camp.
We will be able to see The Hamer people. Dinner and overnight stay
in camp.
DAY 9: Early Monday morning there is a spectacular Hamer
market in Turmi. The Hamer is one of the most beautiful and
dignified people of the Omo basin. The women colour their hair
with red earth and butter, and wear elegant leather skirts
festooned with tiny pearls. The road continues into the savannah,
running alongside the mountains of Men, then raises up the
Karkerte
Mountains
– providing splendid panoramic views – until it reaches the
soft, terraced hills of Konso. We camp for the night in Konso,
sleeping in tents.
DAY 10:
Early morning we will start returning northwards,
towards the lakes of the Rift Valley, Arba Minch. The Rift Valley
is a deep fission that extends for over 6,000 km from the Middle
East to
Mozambique
. The rift valley contains a marvelous series of lakes, which are
teeming with fish and provide a habitat for hundreds of species of
birds. We will travel along the side of
lake
Chamo
and arrive to Arba Minch towards lunchtime. In the afternoon, we
visit the
park
of
Nech Sar
, located between lakes Chamo and Abaya, We will have dinner and
stay in Arba Minch Bekel Mola Hotel
 DAY 11:
In the morning we will make a boat trip on lake
Chamo, which is populated by crocodiles and hippos, and
afterwards, we will take the road back to Awasa, crossing fertile
land planted with bananas, cereals and tobacco, and inhabited
first by the Oromo people and then by the Sidamo. All kinds of
fruit are sold along the roadside.
Lake
Awasa
is surrounded by mountains and populated by countless species of
birds. Overnight stay in a hotel and dinner in the pleasant town
of
Awasa
 DAY 12:
Awasa –
Addis Ababa
(250 km). Afternoon free to explore
Addis Ababa
; We stay overnight in the same hotel as before and have dinner in
one of the many restaurants of the capital Early
evening, we will have a coffee ceremony to show our appreciation
for touring with us, Fest Ethiopia Travel & Tour. Late at
night transfer to the
Bole
International
Airport
and depart for home.
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Rena,
Oded, Uri & Ariella from Israel
I
will never forget Lalibela and the people we met there ...the sweet
children that adopted us and followed us all around.
We arrived in Lalibela on a Saturday and saw the long March to the
Market and it was so beautiful and also sad because we understood
how far the people had to work and carry. learn
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