8-Days Upper Omo Valley
Starting from Addis Ababa through Jimma, Gibe Gorg, Tulgit, Bonga, Mizanteferi to Kibish a trip that will give you the chance to experience the true nature and cultures of Upper Omo valley of Southern Ethiopia
Overview
Tour : Upper Omo Valley
Duration : 8 Days
Group Size : One
Day One
Addis Ababa – Gibe Gorge – Jimma
At 7:30AM, you will be starting off for Jimma via Woliso, Welkite and the scenic Gibe Gorge where the Gibe river flows further downstream to become the Omo River. En route, you will be visiting local Oromo villages with their purely traditional settings. Arriving Jimma early afternoon, you will be visiting Abba Jiffar Museum. The museum displays most of historical materials of King Abba Jiffar whose Kingdom was established in 1830. Here, you will be able to see cultural objects of the local Oromo people, the first set of collection of the King’s personal household furniture that includes beds of Abba Jifar, armchairs, utensils, religious manuscripts and others. End of the day, you will spending overnight at Central Jimma Hotel
Day Two
Jimma – Bonga – Wushwush – Mizan Teferi
At 7:30AM, you will be proceeding to Mizan Teferi, en route visiting the largest tea plantation at Wushwush and the scenic primary forests. Arriving Mizan Teferi late afternoon, you will be spending overnight at Salayish Hotel.
Day Three
Mizan Teferi – Bebeka – Tulgit
At 8:00AM, you will be driving to Tulgit, one of the two settlement areas of the Surma tribe. En route, you will be visiting the largest coffee plantation at Bebeka. Further ahead through Dima, you will be arriving Tulgit mid afternoon. Through the rest of the afternoon, you will have a brief introductory village sighting in the surroundings of Tulgit. End of the day, you will be camping overnight.
Day Four
Tulgit
The Surma tribe are divided into three clans – Zilmamo clan settled around Tulgit, Chai clan settled around Kibish and Tirma clan settled around Jeba.
In Tulgit and its surroundings, you will spend the day visiting the Zilmamo clan of the Surma tribe. End of the day, you will be camping overnight in Kibish.
Day Five
Tulgit – Kibish
At 7:30AM, you will be proceeding to Kibish, where you will further proceed to visit Kormu village, a village settlement of the Chai clan where you will likely be able to meet the photogenic village chief of the Chai clan. Through the day, you will be seeing their daily activities inclusive of cattle milking, farming, dressing patterns of the men and women and of course the lip plates of the women that differ by shape from the Mursi tribe of the Lower Omo Valley. Mid-afternoon, you will be returning back to Kibish where you will be camping overnight.
Day Six
Kibish
At 6:00AM, you will be proceeding to Koka, one of the largest cattle camps in the Surma territory. Cattle being the daily life-stream of the Surma tribe, you will start off the by seeing their activities in attending to the cattle for water to river beds, feeding, milking etc. Mid-morning, you will be returning back to Kibish where you will have roughly a 2 hours walk to Magoloni village, one of the authentic villages of the Surma tribe’s Chai clan. Here, you will be spend the day seeing how they run their day to day lives, their lip plates that differ by shape from the Mursi tribe of the Lower Omo Valley. Late-afternoon, you will be returning back to Kibish where you will be camping overnight.
Day Seven
Kibish – Mizan Teferi – Bonga
At 8:00AM, you will be proceeding to Bonga via Dima and Mizan Teferi. En route at Dima, you will be seeing the Nuer and Annuak tribes, best identified by their tall figure and stripped foreheads. Proceeding further and stopping at Bebeka Coffee Plantation for lunch stop, you will be continuing on to Bonga, arriving late afternoon and spending overnight at Coffee Land Hotel.
Day Eight
Bonga – Jimma – Addis Ababa
At 7:00AM, you will be proceeding to Addis Ababa via Jimma and the Gibe Gorge. Arriving Addis Ababa late afternoon, you will have completed your 8-days-tour of the Upper Omo Valley of South West Ethiopia.
