Omo Tribes/Duration 7 days and 6 Nights
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Overview
The beautiful culture and way of life of the KONSO, HAMER, BENA, DASSENECH, KARO, MURSI and all the other tribes, will disappear in a short while due to the urban way of life and encroachment of Christianity and other religions.
Included/Exclude
Tour Plan
On the way visit two different villages, Alaba village and one of the Dorze people who live on the Guge Mountain; they are famous for their beehive bamboo houses and weaving skills. In their society, only the women do the spinning of the cotton, while only the men are allowed to weave the traditional cloth.
In the morning, take a boat trip on Lake Chamo to visit the “crocodile market”, and the local hippos. Afterwards, depart from Arba Minch to Turmi. On the way you will pass through the village of Weyto (market day Saturday), which is home to the Tsemai tribe. Continue through the Weyto Valley to Erbore, where you will have a brief visit to a local Erbore village (market day is Saturday). Finally, proceed to Turmi, home of the Hamer tribe. At night, you can see the traditional night dancing of the Hamer tribe, known as evangadi. Overnight in Turmi (camping, hotel or lodge).
In the morning, take a day trip to Omorate to visit the Dassenech tribe. Here you will cross the Omo River by local boat and enter a Dassenech village. Afterwards, return to Turmi (Monday is market day) for a visit to a local Hamer village. If there is Jumping of the Bulls traditional Hamer coming-of-age ceremony, that will be visited. Overnight in Turmi (camping, basic hotel or lodge).
After breakfast drive to Weyto via the town of Key Afer. On the way visit the Konso village, where the people wear colorful costumes, and use their steep land through impressive terracing; through annual wooden grave marks they express their status. Their three-storey community house called Mora is impressive; all the young boys above 12 years old stay there every night inside till they marry. - Have lunch in Weyto and continue driving to the town of Jinka.
Drive to Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people in their village. The Mursi are well known for the large clay discs their women wear inserted in their lower split lip. The Mursi women start cutting their lips between the age of 12 and 16 and thereafter, they put small wooden plugs into the hole and change it every night with the bigger one to stretch the lips till it can hold a 6 inch (15cm) round clay disc. The Mursi men wear very little, although a cotton wrap is becoming more common now. After lunch drive to Turmi via Dimeka. If the day is Saturday or Tuesday, you will have a chance to see the colorful weekly market at Dimeka.
After breakfast, depart from Jinka to Arbaminch via Key Afar and Konso. Thursday is market day in Key Afar, where you will see the Benna and Tsemai tribes trading goods. This is another very popular market in the region. After the visit, proceed to Konso (market days are Mondays and Thursdays). The Konso people are known for their wooden statues, known as wakas, which are erected in honor of dead heroes as well as their innovative agricultural terracing. Today you will have a brief opportunity to visit a local village and the cultural museum displaying many waka statues. After the visit, proceed driving to Arba Minch. Overnight in Arba Minch (camping, hotel or lodge).
Early in the morning, depart from Arba Minch for a full day’s drive back to Addis. Time permitting, you may visit any of the archeological sites not visited on the first day.
END OF TOUR
The program can be customized upon request.
