Western and Southern Ethiopia (13 days)

Included in the travel price

• 10 nights with breakfast in simple to good hotels and lodges according to the program
• 2 nights camping in the Kibish with full board (upon agreement at the time of booking more camping nights are possible on this tour)
• Road transfer in Toyota 4x4 Landcruiser
• Professional tour guide (English, German, French, Italian and Spanish-speaking available)
• Cook and camp assistant from Addis Ababa for the camping nights in Danakil Depression
• All local guides, rangers and scouts as required
• All entrance fees
• 1 liter of mineral water per day
• Traditional dinner on the last evening before departure

Day 1: Arrival in Addis Ababa and City Tour

Upon arrival at Bole International Airport, you will be transferred to your reserved hotel. Depending on your arrival time, we have various sightseeing options:

• Mount Entoto with 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.
• 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

Accommodation: Hotel, Addis Ababa

Day 2: Addis Ababa – Menagesha Suba National Park – Wolliso (215 km)

We start our journey from Addis Ababa westward to Wolliso.  Our first stop is the Menagesha Suba Forest National Park, 20km west of the capital. Menagesha comprises 25km² of juniper, African redwood and yellowwood trees, as well as Mount Wechecha, an extinct volcano that rises to 3,385m and is the highest mountain in the Addis Ababa area. The forest can be explored along a network of stunning trails that extend from the national park headquarters. Wildlife includes the striking black and white Colobus monkey, the endemic Menelik bushbuck and the bold Anubis baboons, all of which are frequently seen by hikers. Menagesha is also a particularly important site for endemic forest birds. We’ll take a pleasant hike here before continuing out journey to Wolliso.

Accommodation: Negash Resort, Wolliso

Day 3: Hiking in Wenchi Crater Lake

From Wolliso it takesus  approx. 2 hours to reach the rim of the Wenchi crater. The views are breath-taking here and we undertake a pleasant trekking (optionally also on horseback) through stunning nature. From the rim of the crater, we descent into a beautiful valley abundant with rivers. We may also cross the crater lake in a traditional boat and explore the nearby hot springs. In the afternoon, we return to Wolliso where we spend another night.

Hotel: Negash Resort, Wolliso

Day 4: Wolliso – Jimma – Bonga (345 km)

After breakfast, we continue westward via Jimma to Bonga. On the way, we will visit the palace of the former Kafa king Ras Abba Jifar II overlooking the town and the adjacent coffee forests. The palace is a relic of a glorious past when coffee trade gave the king wealth and power. The then economically strong region remained independent from the Ethiopian empire until 1930. After our visit in Jimma, we continue to Bonga (120 km). We will reach the small town of Bonga located in the heart of the Kafa region and surrounded by fantastic mountainous rain forest in the afternoon.

Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse, Bonga

Day 5: Full Day in the Kaffa Region

Today we start with an excursion to the Alem Gonna wetlands. An early morning visit not only pays off because of the many bird species and De Brazza monkeys, but also because of the mystical atmosphere created by the landscape shrouded in mist. We walk through the wetland during sunrise and enjoy a freshly prepared breakfast picnic. After a short stop in Bonga, we will go on a short trek to the Barta waterfall (approx. 1h). The waterfall is over 70m high surrounded by basalt walls in the middle of the rain forest. On our way back, we will stop at the house of Mirutse, a local bee-keeper producing here organic forest honey. He will give us some interesting information on bee-keeping and local plants. For those with plenty of energy left after lunch, we have an option of another interesting walk to some hot springs located in the middle of the rain forest (10 km walks back and forth). However, there are also less strenuous options in this incredibly diverse area.

Accommodation: Hotel or Guesthouse, Bonga

Day 6: Bonga – Mizan Teferi – Kibisch Surma (280 km)

After breakfast, we continue our journey to Kibish. On the way, we will shortly stop at the Bebeka coffee plantation, where coffee, tea, spices and rubber trees are cultivated and we may learn about the local coffee production. Between riparian forests, grassland and bush savanna we are approaching the land of the Surma. The Surma are pastoralists, and the number of cattle they possess determines their everyday life in many ways. The tribe is also well-known for the plates used by their women, and their white ritual body painting and decorating scars.

Overnight: Camping in Surma Kibish

Day 7: Full Day in Kibisch Surma

Today we will visit several villages of the Surma and gain some insight in their way of living and traditions. Since it can get very hot during the day, we undertake our visits either early in the morning or in the late afternoon. We may enjoy our time in between at the river, only five minutes from the camp. We also hope to become witnesses of ritual stick-fight (Donga). Donga fights often take place in September.

Overnight: Camping in Surma Kibish

Day 8: Kibisch Surma – Omo National Park – Omorate – Turmi (140 km)

Morning:
Early in the morning, we depart and cross the Omo National Park with its fascinating flora- and fauna towards South. The park was founded in 1959 as Ethiopia’s first national park and has he the densest population of animals in the country. With a little luck we will spot buffalos, gazelles and even elephants.

Afternoon:
We should reach Omorate around noon. Here we will visit the Dassanech people famous for their nomad lifestyle and very interesting decorations and scarification on their bodies. We also enjoy great views of the Omo River while crossing in a dugout canoe. We then have 70 km left until Turmi, where we will reach in the late afternoon.

Accommodation: Lodge or Camping, Turmi

Day 9: Full day in Turmi

Turmi serves as a base to explore various tribes of the Southern Omo Valley. The whole region of the Southern Omo has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site since 1980. Turmi is also well known for its traditional events and with some luck we may even participate in a Hamer marriage ceremony, with its bull jumping ceremony and more! In the late afternoon, we will visit a nearby Hamer village and encounter the tribe in its daily life surroundings. With some luck, we may witness a moonshine dance (Evangadi), a traditional dance of young Hamer men and women.

Accommodation: Lodge or Camping, Turmi

Day 10: Turmi – Dimeka – Jinka (122 km)

After breakfast, we visit the colourful market in Dimeka near Turmi (Saturdays only), frequented by several tribes of the Omo valley. We then continue to Jinka where we will reach in the afternoon. Upon arrival in Jinka, we will visit a village of the Ari tribe.

Accommodation: Lodge or Camping, Jinka

Day 11: Jinka – Mago National Park – Konso (268 km)

Morning: Mago National Park
We enter the Mago National Park and proceed to visit to the Mursi tribe and their villages (travelling time approx. 2hrs each way). The Mursi are certainly one of the most unique tribes in Africa. Here women use huge round lips plates for beauty reasons.

Afternoon: Jinka – Konso (128 km)
After lunch, we continue our way to Konso (approx. 3.5 hrs.). Konso is another UNESCO Cultural Heritage site. We will visit the village compound and 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.

Accommodation: Lodge, Konso

Day 12: Konso – Arba Minch (90 km)

Morning:
We continue to Arba Minch located in a wonderful setting between Lake Abaya and Lake Chamo with lush green hills surrounding the Rift Valley lakes. We will go on 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
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.

Accommodation: Lodge, Arba Minch

Day 13: Arba Minch – Addis Ababa (465 km)

After breakfast, we drive back to Addis Ababa (approx. 8 hrs), 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 45 stones of up to 2-3m in height. We then continue to Addis Ababa, where we will arrive in the late afternoon.
In the evening, you are invited for a traditional Ethiopian dinner and dance show at a renowned restaurant of Addis Ababa. After dinner you will be transferred to the airport for your departure or, if you are staying in Addis Ababa overnight, back to your hotel

Departure or individual Extension