- 1km from Bole airport, Addis Ababa
- +251-930-034920
Trip Code
ZET 044
Duration
16 days / 15 nights
Any date departure
Group Size
1- 20 Participants
Transportation
Surface (4WD)
Discount
10% OFF
This adventurous Ethiopia tour takes you to the deep southern Ethiopian to Omo valley and Surma, where you will be introduced to the many animistic tribes that Ethiopia is known for, such as the Konso, Mursi Hamar and Surma. The imaginative hairstyles, clothing crafted from goatskins, body decorations and huge clay lip plates will surprise you at the very least. The colourful weekly markets of Turmi and Key Afar are sure highlights. You’ll travel by bus and by jeep away from the ‘civilised world’ through bird-rich lakes and the vast rugged savannah to a region where very few foreign visitors have been.
Omo Valley :- A true adventure, in every sense of the word. If you can cope with difficult roads and an at times challenging meeting of cultures, then the Lower Omo Valley offers an incredibly rich insight into the traditional and diverse tribal life in Africa. The Lower Omo Valley in the South of Ethiopia is perhaps one of the most ethnographically diverse regions in the world. It served as an ancient meeting point as tribes migrated from all corners of Africa and now plays host to many different tribes each with unique and fascinating customs. If you can handle the challenges of travelling in this remote region, then the rewards are immense. Whether you are watching the traditional ceremony of Hamer people Jumping the Bulls or gazing incredulously at the site of a Mursi’s lip plates, this is a place unlike anywhere else on Earth.
Surma Trekking:- Ethiopia is home for numerous ethnic groups and tribes, more specifically there are about 80 ethnic groups and more than 250 languages and dialects are spoken with in the country. Unlike other parts, the Southern Omo Valley is known for its ethniical diversities and it is uniquely isolated from modern Ethiopia. There are 16 nomadic and semi-nomadic people inhabiting the Omo Valley without any influence of the outside world. The lower omo valley is also one of Ethiopian world heritage site (some old hominid fossils were discovered around Lake Turkana near Ethio-Kenyan border). SURMA (SURI) is one of the tribes in the Southwestern side of the Omo River living in the evergreen deserted mountains and hills. The Surma belongs to the Niloticspeaking group and are gatherers of wild fruit and pastoral cattle herders numbering more than 21,000 people.
They are uniquely known for their donga, a ceremony which involves stick fighting among boys and considered to bring heroism, pride, and prestige. The stick fight enables the winner seek his bride against his rivals. The Surma men are often shave their hair as adornment with their earlobes and they are usually half necked and totally nicked during stick fighting. The Surma Women wear lip plates inserted in their lower lips and have different hair adornments made by using razor blade. In a typical Surma village live more than 1000 people leading the common life.
The Surma are animist who worship spirits and gods. They have also œmedicine men who acquire healing responsibility from their forefathers hereditably.
Welcome to Ethiopia!
On arrival in Addis Ababa, you are met and transferred to your hotel. The rest of the day is at your leisure. Please note this is an arrival day, so you may arrive at any time. If you arrive early, an optional visit to the National Museum can be arranged. Addis Ababa is a bustling city, dotted with Italian architecture, interesting churches and friendly inhabitants. It is also a city of immense contrasts the Addis Sheraton, with its ˜singing fountain’ is one of the most luxurious in all of Africa, yet you only need to travel a few streets away to find yourself among busy markets. The city is relatively new established by the Emperor Menelik II in 1887, and at 2,500m has the distinction of being the third highest capital in the world. A visit to Entoto hills offer a beautiful view over the city. Take a walk through the area covered with Eucalyptus or visit the Entoto Maryam church.
Meals: B, L, D
Overnight: Hotel
There is a long drive to Arbaminch via Hossana (450km). This is the region inhabited by the people of the Guragie, who were once nomads but are now farmers.¨A long section of the road offers magnificent views of Lake Abaya, surrounded by mountains. The lake has volcanic origins and is almost pink in color.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Lodge or Hotel
This morning we enjoy a boat trip on Lake Chamo – one of the best in Ethiopia. There is a chance to spot many hippos and large concentrations of giant crocodiles. Water birds abound and the scenery is truly unforgettable. The lake is about 32km long and provides a lush wetland habitat for many species of flora and fauna.
The small town of Chencha is the home of the Dorze, a tribe of only a few thousand individuals. You can visit a village, where you will see huge beehive huts, made of wood and bamboo. Take a look at one of those Dorze houses and marvel at how humans and animals can live together in harmony. The Dorze are known throughout the rest of Ethiopia for their weaving. The tribesmen also travel over land and sea to sell their highly sought after clothing and blankets. The women spin the cotton and men operate the loom. The Dorze have settled in the Guge Mountains, where they are mainly engaged in agriculture. Terraced hills are developed in order to prevent erosion. A look around the market is a great end to your visit.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Lodge or Hotel
This is the home of several intriguing groups, each with its own culture and traditions. Animism and belief in the ancestors play a major role here. Most tribes live a semi-nomadic life where agriculture and animal husbandry are the main means of livelihood.
Turmi is the home of the Hamar, a people known for its emphasis on appearance. The women spend hours every day on their hair, smearing it with butter and clay. Sometimes the hairstyles are decorated with shells or pieces of tin. Bodies are greased with oil and clay and decorated with necklaces and bracelets. The men have a similar ritual. Some carry an ostrich feather in their hair as a sign of bravery, signifying defeat of a dangerous foe.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Lodge or Hotel
The weekly market in Turmi is a fascinating spectacle. From far and wide the Galeb, Arbore, Hamar and Karo arrive at market with their merchandise. It is an ideal place to meet! In the market you will find tea, honey, milk, Hamar coffee, butter, bananas, goats, cows, but also beads, necklaces and other jewellery. Aside from consumption the butter is also used to lubricate hair and skin with. Around the market you can find several “drinking premises” where the Hamar sell their own brewed mead. There is a vibrant atmosphere here and you can quite easily spend a whole day exploring.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Lodge or Hotel
Today you make your way towards Mago National Park, one of the most secluded natural areas of Ethiopia and with a variety of beautiful landscapes such as savannah interspersed with desert, mountains, rolling hills and rivers. It is the domain of birds, crocodiles, hippo, fish, kudus, gazelles and monkeys, although most animals reside deep in the park. Naturally, a certain amount of flexibility and your sense of adventure are both required!
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Hotel
The 4 wheel drive vehicles set off into the rugged landscape of the Mago National Park. The trip to Mago is very dependent upon the state of the ‘road’. During and just after the rainy season, the area is less accessible. Even in the dry season, the ride through the park can be heavy and adventurous. Along the way you’ll visit the Mursi people. Mursi women wear large round clay discs in their lower lip which according to some, symbolises beauty or social status. Mursi men decorate their bodies and faces with white paint as a sign of strength. A visit to the Mursi is complicated and the people are not especially friendly. We strongly recommend that you listen keenly to all agreements that the guide makes, including those regarding the taking of photos in the village. In the afternoon, you return to Jinka.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Hotel
Not far from Jinka is Key Afar, where the landscape is characterised by dry savannas with termite mounds, acacias and some scattered shrubs. Key Afar is the home of the Ari and Banna peoples who meet weekly at the bustling market. The women stand together in groups to get some business going, making lots of chatter and gestures. The weekly market gives you the chance to enjoy the ingenious costumes, exquisite jewellery, beads, body decorations, ostrich feathers and goatskins, for one last time. The smell of butter, ocher and oil complete the picture. After the market, you’ll continue to Arba Minch.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Lodge or Hotel
On the way we cross the magnificent and picturesque Gibe gorge and the Gibe River. After driving through coffee and chat plantation. Jimma was the capital of the former Keffa province. It is in this region that the coffee beans originated for the first time by a shepherd. Now Oromo, Kefecho and Kulo people inhibit Jimma.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Hotel
en-route we will visit coffee plantation, the Ethiopias largest old coffee plantation. On the way visit the Menit tribe. After crossing the Akobo River you experience the African Savanna grass land and on the way visit Orom, Kefecho and Bench tribe in their village.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Camping
Drive to Tulgit, the settlement for the Surma people. The Surma or Suri women are majorly known by having a culture of lip-plating and the men are also famous in stick fighting ceremony called œDonga. In the plains of south-western Ethiopia where the Suri herd their highly-prized cattle, competition for land is always fierce and they pride themselves on the scars that they carry. Village discussions are led by elders and the komoru – a ritual chief. The komoru all come from the same clan and are chosen by consensus. Each household is run by a woman. The women have their own fields and dispose of the proceeds as they wish. Money they make from selling beer and grain can be used to buy goats, which they then trade for cattle. Cattle are enormously important to the Suri. They bring status; when two Suri meet they’ll ask each other how many cows they have. Cows are a store of wealth to be traded, and a source of milk and blood. Bleeding a cow is more efficient than slaughtering it for meat, and blood can be drawn during the dry season when there’s less milk. An animal can be bled once a month, from the jugular.
The animals aren’t generally sold or killed for meat, though they are slaughtered for certain ceremonies. They are treated with reverence. Fires are lit to keep them warm and to protect against insect bites, they are covered with ash. Every boy is given a young bull to look after, and his friends call him the name of his bull. The Suri sing songs in praise of their cattle, and mourn them when they die. One theory goes that it was meant to discourage slavers from taking the women. It’s undoubtedly painful. Once a girl reaches a certain age, her lower incisors are knocked out and her bottom lip is pierced and stretched until it can hold the clay plate.
When it comes to religious beliefs, the Suri have a sky god, Tuma, an abstract divine force. There is no real veneration of the earth or earth spirits.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Camping
We will arrange you mules for your personal equipment’s and for your self also. And you will experience a walk through Savanna grass land. if there is any Donga (Stick fighting of the Surma people) we will attend it otherwise we walk around the old kibish village (14kms round trip) for the visit of more of the Surma villages-to visit and appreciate the very attractive culture of Surma tribe, they are renowned for the strange custom followed by their women who, on reaching maturity, have their lower lips slit and circular or rectangular clay discs inserted The rest of the day you finalize the arrangement of the team for the next trek to the next site.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Camping
After breakfast we walk with in the Surma territory for about 4-5 hours. The walk will have gentle slope ascending and descending. Upon arrival at Tulgit we will walk for about 40 minute to visit the Surma Village.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight: Camping
Morning we walk through the beautiful country side for about 3 hours to visit the Dizi tribal village and the spectacular Maji Falls. We Walk back to Maji. The rest of the day we finalize the arrangement of the team for the next trip to Jimma.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight: Camping ( Maji altitude 2400m)
Drive to Jimma, with a stop to waterfalls on the way, for short walking too. Reach Jimma and visit the AbaJifar palace, old king house + the museum of all his artifacts and more, in town.
Meals: B,L,D
Overnight Camping
Heading to Addis Ababa we will be driving 330 kms to Addis . we will stop at Walkite for lunch. En route we will be visiting the Gurage and Oromo people and their beautiful villages. On the way we cross the Gibe gorge and the River. Evening you will have a fare well dinner in one of the Ethiopian restaurants for cultural dinner and dances from the different ethnic groups. Transfer to the airport departure to home and the tour will be end.
Meals: B, L, D
This trip can be tailor made at a time to suit you and can be adapted to suit your interests, budget and requirements as necessary.
Date and Availability = All the year This trip can be tailor made throughout the year to suit your requirement and itinerary can be adjusted according to your time, budget and interest. Price: , if you want quotation or any other tour information about this trip we are very happy to help. Request a quote
suit your requirement and itinerary can be adjusted
Essential information
Plan your trip
Getting around Ethiopia
Road: The best way to experience the variety of scenery Ethiopia has to offer is travel by road. Ethiopia’s road network has improved substantially in the past decade or so thanks to an extensive road maintenance programme and many roads are become an asphalt.
There are a several highways in Ethiopia, majority of the roads are in good condition:
The major roads leading out from Addis Ababa are tar-sealed, all-weather roads along all (or most of) their routes. Many minor roads are paved and traversing them can be comfortable.
By car: -A good way to tour Ethiopia is by car. They can take you off the beaten track so you can see the beauty and attractions of Ethiopia.
We use reliable and well maintained Toyota Landcruisers, Buses and minibuses throughout the entirety of this tour and our drivers are chosen by us for their skills, their safety, their experience and their good nature. The main roads in Ethiopia are often newly tarmaced and facilitate comfort and efficiency. But this tour frequently goes off-piste to explore much more unusual areas, making the comfort and quality of our vehicles of utmost importance.
Vehicles /Transport: During the course of your trip, we will use a variety of vehicles, all which are fit for purpose and the conditions encountered. We will be using a 4WD Toyota land cruiser, mini buses or coater buses depending on the condition of the road and the size of the group.
These land cruisers can accommodate four to five participants. Travelling in Ethiopia is a great adventure and needs much patience and flexibility. The quality of the bus is not always comparable with the standards that you are used to in the West
Travel documents (Passport and Visa requirements)
Your passport should be valid for at least 6 months after having left Ethiopia. Also keep in mind that your passport needs at least 2 consecutive blank pages. A photocopy of your passport is a great idea (keep it somewhere separate in your luggage).
At present, a visa is required for entry as a tourist into Ethiopia. You should apply to your nearest Ethiopian embassy . For some nationalities it’s possible to obtain a tourist visa on arrival into Addis Ababa airport, visitors will need to bring two recent passport-sized photographs. Please check the visa requirements for your country well in advance of travel as they can of course change at any moment.
Upon request we arrange visas for our travellers, or if an invitation letter is necessary then we will arrange this for you.
There are no mandatory vaccination requirements
Climate:- Temperature variations in the lowlands (Arba Minch, Konso,Turmi) are considerable (19 C 30 C). Heavy rainfall occurs in most of the country during June, July, and August. However, average annual precipitation in the south is rare, erratic and a paltry 80 cm (30 in) per annum.
When to go All year round
Accommodation: Currently, Ethiopia is known for its fine and luxurious hotels and Lodges . Reliable hot showers are generally speaking still a luxury and places with genuine charm are available. All accommodation throughout this tour is 2 -4 star (comfortable hotels with en-suite facilities) accommodation is based on twin sharing but single supplements are not compulsory. If you prefer not to pay a single supplement we’ll pair you with someone else of the same sex for you to share with throughout the trip. Single rooms are available (at an extra cost) But these must be booked and paid in Advance.
Wild Camping :On surma trek you’ll be camping in the camp sites. The sites are in beautiful spots and have been built sympathetically with seated drop toilets set well away from the camping area. The facilities are cleaned and tidied every day. You will be sleeping in 2 men tents (you can share or have a tent to yourself) and the crew will erect and take down your tent each day (as well as carrying your gear to the next camp-site). Overnight temperatures are cold so bring a 4 season sleeping bag. Tents will be erected by local staff members, who will also cook and wash up.
All of our group tours are planned and operated on a twin-share basis at standard hotel.
Food: – Hotel meals are generally good and full of variety. Local dishes tend to be very good if you like hot, spicy food although milder versions can be requested.
All food on trek is cooked for you and, although local produce can be a bit limited in the mountains, it is usually of a high standard. Vegetarians can be catered for, though you may find the diet somewhat limited. Clients who have specialist dietary requirements must contact us to discuss if they can be accommodated. you will have a private cook for your trek who will provide breakfast, packed lunch, tea and dinner each day. The food is great, and given most Westerners aversion to the Ethiopian staple Injurra, mostly of the Western variety. t bread and pancakes / eggs for breakfast, filling sandwiches for lunch, herbal teas, fantastic coffee and popcorn at the end of a long days trekking and then a massive meal to end the day with soup starter and a hearty main with plenty of veg to finish.
Small Rucksack/Daysac
During the course of a trekking day, you do not have access to the luggage that is being carried for you by the porters. In any mountain region the weather can change rapidly and you must be equipped for this eventuality. Your daysac should, therefore, be large enough to carry the following: waterproofs, sweater, long trousers (if walking in shorts), warm hat and gloves, sun hat, sun cream, water bottle (at least 2litre), tissues and your packed lunch. Most people normally find that this adds up to about 2 to 3kg. Camera equipment can be heavy so think carefully when deciding what to take. Other optional items in a daysac might be binoculars, a diary or a book to read at lunch time. It is usually more comfortable to carry a slightly larger pack that is not full than to carry a small pack that is overfull or with ‘bits’ tied on the outside. Something between 20 and 25 litres capacity is probably the most suitable. A shoulder bag is not a practical alternative.
Plastic Bags
Luggage:- 15Kg
Difficulty: This tour is not strenuous. Visits to the markets, villages and different tribes are very sedate, calm and relaxed requiring no great levels of fitness. There is however a fair bit of driving on gravel roads.
Private groups: The adventures featured in our itinerary are just a starting point for many of our private group travellers. Working closely with our Groups Department we can organize custom designed itineraries for groups of friends, clubs, charity’s, schools or even work colleagues. Our team will assist you with all aspects of your private group adventure from itinerary design to group flights. For group traveller pledge considerable discount.
Customized tours: On request, this tour can be customized for small groups.
Proceeding / additional days: It’s no problem to add days before or after the expedition and we’ll book these for you. If you bring more time, you could do day trips from Addis or take an extension tour
Group booking discount: If at least 5 people together book this trip, 6% discount is given.
Please remember that all Zagwe Ethiopia tour prices mean NO hidden extras, NO local payments.
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