South Ethiopia for Nature Lovers- 11 days

Day 1- International flight to Addis Ababa, our staff will welcome you at the airport and you will proceed to a short city tour of Addis Ababa as time permits.

O/N- Hotel in Addis Ababa                                                                                                

Day 2-Drive from Addis Ababa to Bale Goba (420KM)

Early morning you drive from Addis Ababa to Bale mountains national Park head office in Dinsho, you will arrive in the late afternoon to the reserve to see two endemic animals, Mountain Nyala, Minilke Bushbuck and also common warthog, while hiking for one hour. You then continue driving to Goha for overnight.

O/N-Hotel/Lodge/Camping. 

Day 3-Drive from Goba to Harena forest and Sanetti Plateau (70KM)

Drive to Sanetti plateau situated on an altitude of 4000 meters with the largest concentration of Afro alpine in Africa. Sanetti plateau is the right place to spot the endangered Simien Fox (Red Fox), while driving through the stunning mountain scenery of Harena forest, stop on the road side for a 3 to 6 KM hike to the pick Tullu Deemtu (4377M).

O/N- Hotel/Lodge/Camping

Day 4-Drive from Goba to Awassa (223KM)

Drive from Goba to Awassa, on the way stop at Gessey Valley to hike one hour and also to see mountain Nyala, lunch Shashamane. Sashamene is the capital of RasTafari in Ethiopia. King Hile Selassie permitted RasTeferians to settle in Shashamene from all over the world mainly Jamaica. You will visit their Museum and detail briefing about RasTafari.

O/N- Hotel /Resort                                                                                                            

Day 5- Drive from Awassa to Arba Minch (240KM)

After Breakfast drive from Awassa to Arba Minch on the way you will stop for a house visit of the Halaba people ,who are known for decorating their houses with paintings, continue driving to Arba Minch via the Dorze Tribe.

Dorze people are known for their Elephant shaped houses made of bamboo wood & false banana leafs.

O/N- Lodge/Hotel

Day 6- Safari on Lake Chamo and drive from Arba Minch to Jinka (240 KM) 

After breakfast you will take a boat trip on Lake Chamo where you will have the chance to see groups of hippos & also some of the biggest Nile Crocodiles. Afterwards drive to Jinka. Upon arrival if time permits you will visit the Ari people.                                                                                                                                                               

O/N- hotel/Lodge

Day 7- Jinka to Tourmi (220 KM)

You drive to Mago national park to visit the Mursi People village. The Mursi tribe ladies are known for their lower lip & earlobe Plates.  Upon your return to Jinka visit The Ari people.

After lunch drive for Tourmi, the home town of the Hammer people - known for elaborate hairstyles, body painting using clay and vegetable pigments to make fantastic patterns on their faces, chests, arms and legs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                 Dimeka market on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

O/N-Lodge/Hotel/camping

Day 8 – Excursion to Murille to visit the Dassenech tribe 

Drive to Omoate to visit Dassenech tribe. you will use a traditional dug-out wooden boats to cross the Omo River to get to the other side were the Dassench village is located. There is a 30 minutes’ walk to get to the village each way Dassanech people come from multiple ethnic groups. There are eight clans that make up the Dassanech tribe; each clan is defined by its territory.

The afternoon is for Dimeka market on Tuesdays and Saturdays, Key Afer market on Tuesdays. Possible bull jumping ceremony.

O/N- Lodge/Hotel/camping

Day 9-Excursion to Karo Tribe and Nyangatom Tribe (170KM) 

Drive to Koricho village to visit Karo Tribe. The Karo people differentiate themselves from many of the neighboring tribes by excelling in body and face painting. They paint themselves daily with colored ochre, white chalk, yellow mineral rock, charcoal, and pulverized iron ore, all natural resources local in the area.

You then continue driving to Nyangatom Tribe. The Nyangatom Tribe live south of the Omo National Park, but occasionally move to the lower regions if food or water is scarce. Known to be fierce fighters, they introduced Semi-automatic Machine guns to the lower Omo valley. Different from other tribes, the Bumi tribesmen hunt crocodiles using harpoons and a canoe. Both Men and women wear a lot of multi colored necklaces and May also have a lower lip plug. The tribe practices both agriculture and cattle herding. Flood waters must recede along the river’s banks before they will plant their crops.

Possible bull jumping ceremony. 

O/N- Lodge/Hotel/camping

Day 10 – Drive from Turmi to Konso karate (190 KM) 

Depart Tourmi, on the way a brief stop at Bena and Tsemaye Tribe. Upon arrival in Konso visit the Konso tribe village. Based on the availability of his majesty, king of Konso you will meet the king of Konso to get in-depth explanation about the Konso people way of life. The Konso Tribe is well known for their finest Terrance making tradition. These advanced but old-age traces are one of Ethiopia’s UNISCO registered heritages.

O/N-Lodge/Hotel

Day -11 Short Hike in the beautiful mountain scenery of Konso and drive to Arba Minch for your flight to Addis Ababa (90KM)

After Breakfast drive 5KM to the extraordinarily shaped chain of mountains known by many as New York for its similarity to that of the sky scrapers in New York and hike for one hour. You then drive back to Arba Minch for your flight to Addis Ababa and evening flight back home.