After an early breakfast, you will leave Jinka and drive to Mursi village to visit and appreciate the very attractive culture of Mursi tribe. They are renowned for the strange custom followed by their women who, on reaching maturity, have their lower lips slit and circular clay discs inserted, The Mursi people are primarily pastoralists. They reside in the western regions of the Mago National Park, and move between the lower Tama Steppe, where they spend the wet season, and the Mursi Hills sector of the Park, where they spend the dry season. They have a population of around 5,000 and they speak a language that belongs to the Central Surma-East Sudanic branch of the Nilo-Saharan language family. Like the Bume, they practice flood retreat agriculture on the Omo River, and hunt occasionally. They also smoke out the hives of bees, found all over the National Park, in order to consume the rich honey. The Mursi women wear lip plates that they make from locally derived clay. The plates are considered an important aesthetic asset. Based on our visiting date and time we drive to Key-Afer Market to attend the weekly colorful market of the different tribes. Then continue drive to Turmi for overnight. 

This morning we start driving south to Omorate to visit another tribe, the Dasenech (formerly known as Geleb), and one of their villages. These people inhabit the areas bordering with Kenya, north of Lake Turkana, and they live on the east and west bank of the Omo River. The Geleb Covering a large territory, the Geleb live along the western banks of the Omo River, having been forced out of the Turkana region by conflict in the 18th century. Originally nomadic pastoralists, the more fertile surroundings of the Omo River has caused them to put down more permanent roots based around fishing and agriculture. The Geleb live in small huts that befit their nomadic origins, as they could be easily and quickly dismantled. Women wear a pleated cow skin skirt with necklaces and bracelets. Men wear a checkered cloth around their waist only. We drive back Turmi and we have lunch in our lodge.

After lunch, we continue through the savannah along tracks that are barely visible, passing through a vast meadowland with shrubs and umbellifers (‘umbrella’ acacia trees) for an excursion to Morulle and Kangatan Village. The Nyangatom live south of Omo National park and occasionally migrate in to the lower regions of the park when water or grazing is scarce. Numbering around 6,000-7,000 in population, the Nyangatom are agro pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and floor- retreat agriculture (consisting mainly of sorghum harvesting on the Omo and Kibish Rivers). The Nyangatom tend to indulge in honey and frequently smoke out beehives in the park to get the honey inside the nests. The Nyangatom are known to be great warriors and quite frequently, active warmongers, they are often at war with the neighboring tribes including the Hamer, the Karo and the Surma. Here you will cross the Omo River and take a short walk through the local fields to visit a village of the Nyangatom tribe. The elders of both sexes wear a lower lip plug, the men’s being made from ivory and women’s made from copper filigree.

After the visit, return across the river and proceed to the Karo village of Korcho, with a stunning location look in over the Omo River. The Karo people, while the smallest tribe of the Omo Valley in number, are also known to be the most decorated. After the visit, return to Turmi for another opportunity to see Jumping of the Bulls

In the morning, we drive back to Aribaminch via woita road on the way visiting the Erbore people. Relatively large, Arbore is far more rustic and unaffected than many similarly size towns in south Omo, in common with their linguistically and culturally affiliated Tsemai neighbors, the Arbore migrated to their present homeland from Konso perhaps two centuries ago. Because they have ancestral and cultural links to Konso and the pastoralists of the surrounding lowlands, the Arbore traditionally played an important role as intermediaries in trade between the Omo River and the Konso Highlands. The town of Arbore lies in an area where several tribal boundaries coverage. In addition, the Arbore people routinely intermarry with other ethnic groups. It is also inhabited a substantial number of Hamer and even Borena women – adding a cosmopolitan feel to the worthwhile Saturday market.

After breakfast this morning, we will commence another long yet scenic drive to Hawassa via Wolatya Sodo. On the way, we will also pull over to visit the Dorze Village high up in the Guge Mountains, 17kms northwest of Arbaminch to Gughe Mountains to visit the Dorze villages. Once warriors, the Dorze have now turned to farming and weaving to earn a living. They speak an Omotic tongue and the Dorze name is synonymous with the best-woven cotton cloth. The “elephant huts” of the Dorze are unique and worth seeing. In addition, the Dorze beehive-shaped houses are constructed entirely of organic material and has its own small garden surrounded by beds of spices, cabbage and tobacco. Some of Ethiopia’s best-woven cottons come from Chencha Town, which is located 8 km northwest of Dorze Village. Men weave and women spin. Continue your drive pass through land, which produces the best banana, papaya, apple and mango in Ethiopia for the world market. The Alaba people are very famous for their beautiful home painting style. After lunch, drive to coffee farm to spend the day surrounded by coffee plantations that produce Sidama coffee, one of the three coffee brands of the well-known Arabica coffee.

On this day we leave Hawassa, drive to Awash National Park by road. Visit “Amora Gedel”-the daily fishing market on the shore of Lake Hawassa and get really close to pelicans, storks and other birds very much used to human company. On the way, we visit Abijata and Shall National Park.

After we visit drive to Addis Ababa. Early in the afternoon, we arrive in Addis Ababa and have time for souvenir shop anything you want to do before departure. This evening we enjoy a traditional Ethiopian buffet dinner and local drinks, celebrating our journey through this culturally rich and fascinating country. After dinner, you will have transferred to the Bole International Airport in Addis Ababa for your onward flight, bringing this unique Ethiopia South Omo Valley Tribes Nine Days Tour an end. Thanks for booking our tour package.