01. Arrival in Addis Ababa. Transfer to the chosen hotel. Have a free morning. Afternoon (1400 hrs from the hotel) tour of the capital: visit the Ethnographic museum, view from Entoto mountain and the Mercato, biggest open air market in Africa. Meals free. ON (overnight) hotel
02. Start your fantastic trip by driving to the Wonchi lake with its amazing views and very relaxing nature. Have also a boat trip on the lake. Lunch box on the way; dinner & ON camping (start your first camping and adventure, with a nice night under the skies !)
03. Drive to the Guraghe people and walk to one of their very interesting local village. You will spend the afternoon and be able to understand their way of life, working days at the village, culture, food and traditions. Overnight will be sleeping next to the village. Lunch on the way; dinner with nice barbecue and ON camping
04. Walk back to the vehicle/s and then drive to Jimma, the Kaffa coffee region capital (from which the name of the coffee derives), and proceed to Bonga, visiting coffee and tea plantation. You will visit and walk among a plantation, participate to a traditional coffee ceremony & taste the real local organic coffee. Lunch box on the way; dinner & ON camping
05. Proceed to Mizanteferi and to ShoaGhimira to visit the Dizi, Menit and Surma people. Each of them have very interesting and particular cultures and traditions. Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping in Tum.
06. Have a full day to visit the Surma people. The Surma are famous for their traditions, women wearing plates into their lips and men different scarification all over their body. With luck you could find a donga: the Surma people stick fighting game. Lunch box; dinner & ON camping.
07. This day drive to visit other two very interesting cultures and their villages: a Nyangatom people village, then cross the famous Omo river and proceed to a Karo people village. They also have very particular traditions, hairstyles, decorations and unique way of life. Visit also the Kortcho village, with very nice view over the Omo river. Finally proceed to Turmi. Have lunch on the way; dinner & ON Emerald lodge Turmi www.emeraldresortandlodge.com
09. Morning drive to Omorate, at bank of the Omo river, to visit the Dassanech people. Are very colorful villages and interesting culture. We are at border with Kenya. Afternoon relax and make walks around Turmi for the Hamer people and villages. Have meals & ON Emerald lodge Turmi
10. MON. Morning walk with the Hamer people to the colorful Turmi’s village weekly market. This is the Monday’s market of Hamer, Dassanech, Karo and Tsemay people. Enjoy this vibrant market, meet different people and see how they merchandise. Afternoon visit a Hamer villages and understand their way of life and culture. With luck we’ll try to participate to ceremonies as the bull jumping and the Evangadi dances. The Hamer are known for their unique custom of “bull jumping” which initiates a boy into manhood. First, female relatives dance and invite whipping from men who have recently been initiated; this shows their support of the initiate, and their scars give them a right to demand his help in time of need. The boy must jump back and forth twice across the backs of a row of bulls or castrated steers, and is ridiculed if he fails. Have meals & ON Emerald lodge Turmi
11. Drive to visit an Erbore people village and their traditions. Drive then to the Weyto river, cross it and proceed to visit a Konso people village, famous for being the first in Africa to start the terracing agriculture. Visit their culture, lifestyle, way of counting the age of the village, the community works and much more. Note well that this is a UNESCO heritage site! Have spectacular view over the hills too. Lunch on the way; dinner & ON hotel in Konso.
12. After breakfast drive to the Arbaminch. Ones arrived, check-in and lunch at Emerald Resort Arbaminch. Emerald Resort is a beautiful Resort with a spectacular view over the Rift Valley lakes of Chamo and Abaya which are divided by a mountain called in Amharic “Yezghier dildi” which means “Bridge of Heaven” and the Netch Sar National park, in Amharic meaning “white grass”. www.emeraldresortandlodge.com Afternoon drive to Chencha mountain to visit the Dorze people, with their unique culture, houses and traditions. The Dorze are famous for their elephant truck shaped houses, their cultivation of the false banana (from which root they extract their traditional bread called Kotcho), the weaving works, cultivation of sorghum and more. Meals & ON Emerald Resort Arbaminch
13. Morning have a boat excursion on Chamo lake to admire the biggest crocodiles in Africa (reach 6 meters of length), hippos and many birds. Afternoon free enjoying the facilities at the Emerald Resort Arbaminch & relax. Lunch Emerald Resort; dinner & ON Emerald Resort Arbaminch
14. Drive back to Addis Ababa. On the way back visit a Wolayta people village with particular houses and make a stop to visit another UNESCO heritage: the Tiya steles. Late afternoon reach Addis and time for final visits or souvenir shops. Evening Green Land Tours will invite you a fare well dinner in one of the Ethiopian restaurant for cultural dances from the different ethnic groups. Then transfer to the airport for flight back home.
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