DEC25. 01. SUN. 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
26. 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!)
27. 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
28. 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
29. 05. Proceed to Mizanteferi and to Shoa Ghimira to visit the Dizi, Menit and Surma people.
Each of them has very interesting and particular cultures and traditions.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping in Tum
30. 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
DEC31, 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
Celebrate new year eve at Turmi, with the Hamer people.
JAN01. 08. 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
02. 09. 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 is 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
03. 10. 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
04. 11. 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
05. 12. 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
06. 13. Drive to Awasa lake. On the way visit a Wolayta people village with particular houses.
Afternoon have a boat trip on lake Awasa.
Evening visit the Ethiopian Christmas eve ceremonies in a church in town.
Dinner & ON hotel
07. 14. Drive to the town of Shashamanne, home of the famous Rastafarian.
Proceed then to the Rift Valley lake of Langano for lunch with beautiful views.
Afternoon drive back to Addis Ababa.
