Ethiopia's Omo Valley and Bale Excursion;
10 Days / 9 Nights

Tour Itinerary OV09

Arrival Bole International Airport

If you are arriving the day before your tour, Awaze Tours will meet you at the airport regardless of arrival time. We can book this hotel night for you upon request. If you arrive in the morning on the first day of the tour, you may begin after checking into your hotel.

The order of sites visited in the Omo can change depending upon lodge availability and weekly market days.

Adadi Maryam

Day 01 Addis Ababa - Arba Minch
Drive to Arba Minch via Hoseana. En route visit Melka Kunture, a stone-age archeological site; Adadi Mariam, a 12th century rock- hewn church; and Tiya, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its mysterious stelae, thought to be grave markers, dating from the 12th century.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Lake Chamo

Day 02 Arba Minch
Take a boat trip on Lake Chamo and view some of the largest crocodiles in the world sunning on the banks of the lake; hippopotami and beautiful aquatic birds are also abundant. Visit Nechisar Park, known for its “white grass” which is only accessible via boat.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Woman of the Arsi tribe

Day 03 Arba Minch - Jinka
Drive to Jinka via Key Afar and visit the weekly market (thursdays only) and wander among the various tribes such as the Benna and Ari that have gathered to barter their goods. Continue to Jinka.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Mago National Park

Day 04 Mago National Park
Early morning drive to the Mago National Park to visit the Mursi people. The Mursi women are known for the clay plates they insert into their lower lips. Time permitting, visit the Omo Valley Museum in Jinka.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Hamer boy milking his goats

Day 05 Jinka - Turmi
Drive to Turmi to visit the Hame eople who are well known for the scarring of their bodies, using clay to shape their hairstyles, and the unique practice of "bull-jumping" which every young man must accomplish prior to marriage. En route to Turmi, visit the Benna and Ari people.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Crossing the Omo River

Day 06 Omorate Excursion
Excursion from Turmi to Omorate. Crossing of the Omo River via a traditional canoe (a recently built bridge now also allows for optional crossing via tour vehicle.). Visit a village of another Omo tribe, the Dasanech, a semi nomadic people who are one of the more numerous (about 30,000 people) tribes in the Omo. Return to Turmi in the afternoon.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

Compound in a Konso village

Day 07 Turmi - Konso
Drive to Konso, designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. A highland people, the Konso are known for the ancient and intricate terraces that encircle their well-planned villages. Each Konso village begins on a hill top. As the population grows a new “ring” of homes are built around the hilltop. When the final “ring” reaches near the bottom of the hill, a new village on a different hill must be built. Look for the “generation pole” located in each village. Every 18 years and new pole is added to the others making it easy to calculate the age of the village.
Overnight Lodge (B, L, D)

View of Lake Chamo

Day 08 Konso - Hawassa
Drive to the lakeside town of Hawassa. En route, visit a Dorze Village in the Guge Mountains. The Dorze are known for their tall, beehive- shaped bamboo houses. If the base becomes infested with termites, the entire house can be lifted and moved to another location.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Gebre Guracha in the Bale Mountains

Day 09 Hawassa - Bale Mountains
Drive to the Bale Mountains National Park and meet with park guide. Arrive at the park headquarters in the afternoon, in time for a leisurely afternoon hike, possibly spotting two endemic mammals that frequent the area: Menelik's Bushbuck and the Mountain Nyala. Birds in this area include the Blue-Winged Goose, the Spot-Breasted Lapwing, the Abyssinian Long Claw, the Wattled Ibis, the Black- Headed Siskin, Rouget’s Rail, and numerous other species.
Overnight Hotel (B, L, D)

Day 10 Bale Mountains - Addis Ababa
Drive to Addis Ababa. Optional souvenir shopping if time permits. Enjoy a Farewell dinner at a traditional Ethiopian restaurant featuring dancers and musicians representing some of the country's many ethnic groups. Transfer to airport for late night departure if needed.
(B, L, D)

End of Tour
(Awaze Tours will arrange additional hotel nights in Addis Ababa upon request.)

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