Tour Code: ATTA 021
Duration: 40 Days and 39 Nights
Means of Traveling: By Surface
Tour program of western Omo South OmoValley tribal safari, Northern Historical sites, the Semien & Bale Mountains, Danakil Depression and Harar
DAY 01 ADDIS ABABA
Arrival at Bole international airport and be meet with Alpha staffs and transfer to your hotel for check-in and city tour in Addis. O/N Addis in a hotel.
DAY 02: ADDIS--JIMMA
Drive to Jimma visiting the Wonchi Crater Lake and Guder Falls. O/N Central Jimma Hotel or similar.
DAY 03: JIMMA--GAMBELLA
Drive to Gambella via Metu along the scenic road. O/N at Ethiopia Hotel or similar.
DAY 04: GAMBELLA
Full day visit the Anuak and the Nuer people with their respected village along the Baro River.
Anuwak and Nuer: are two Ethnic groups living in Gambella who their lives are depending on fish and agriculture.
There language are under the category of the Nilo-saran and they are strikingly very tall people and very dark skinned for Ethiopians. However, there is slight difference between them.
Nuer men are marked with six cuts across their forehead as a rite of passage where as Anuwak don’t. O/N at Ethiopia hotel or similar.
DAY 05: GAMBELLA--JIMMA
Drive to Jima via Matu along the scenic and attractive high land. Have lunch at Matu and then continue to Jima O/N at Gibe Hotel or similar.
DAY 06: JIMMA---ARBAMINCH
Drive to Arba Minch via Sodo, crossing the Gibe Valley and along the beautiful Sceneries and enroute visiting the tribal village of Chencha. This tribe is known for its art of weaving and unique house building. Here you will see also the preparation of false banana how it is scrapped and used to be bread and porridge. Then drive to Arba Minch. O/N at Paradise lodge or similar.
DAY 07: ARBAMINCH--TURMI
Drive to Turmi en route visiting of different tribal villages and their way of life, more over visit the Village of Konso, with their astonishing age old terracing practices.
On the way, you meet the tribes of Giddole, Konso, Tsemay, Elbore and Hammar. O/N Buska Lodge or similar.
DAY 08: TURMI---Murule—TURMI
ARBAMINCH--TURMI
Drive to Murulle to visit the Karo village at Korecho.After a picnic lunch, you will cross the Omo River to visit the Bume people at Kangate. Then, drive back to Turmi. O/N Buska Lodge or similar.
DAY 09: TURMI--Omorate—TURMI
Morning drive through the lush forest to Omorate. Then, crossing the Omo River with wooden ferry to visit the Dasenetch tribal villages. Then drive back to Turmi to attend one of the most Unique & colorful market of Monday market of Turmi dominated by Hammar people. O/N Buska Lodge or similar.
DAY 10: TURMI---JINKA
Day drive to Jinka, en route visiting Tuesday Dimeka Market where more than three tribes congregated for marketing. O/N at Jinka Resort hotel or similar.
DAY 11: JINKA--- Mago National Park--JINKA
Drive to the Mursi people by crossing the Mago National Park. The Mursi are the people mostly known by using clay and wooden lip plate on their lip and ear lobes. Then drive back to Jinka Resort hotel or similar.
DAY 12: JINKA--- ARBAMINCH
Drive to Arba Minch enroute visiting the village of Konso villages and their age old astonishing terracing practices. Then, drive to Arba Minch. O/N at Paradise Lodge or similar.
DAY 13: ARBAMINCH----ADDIS
Drive back to Addis via Butajira road along the scenic route. O/N in Addis. O/N Addis in a hotel.
DAY 14: ADDIS ---KOMBOLCHA
Drive to Kombolcha, and you will stop at the north east escarpment called TARMA BER, here where you can see Afar low land. When sky is clean you can watch the Awash River which stared or originated from Central high land little far from Addis. The Great East African Rift started from Syria goes all way to Red See and dividing Ethiopia in to North West and South East high land and continue to Kenya up to Mozambique.
Therefore, it is the right place to see the drop of the rift valley than the other high land, and here also where you can see the endemic mammal Gelada Baboon. More over you will attend one of the colorful markets called Senbete if Sunday which is dominated by the Oromo people, and then continue driving to the cultivated land and enjoying the high land culture and see their life style. O/N Kombolcha at Sunny Side hotel or similar.
DAY 15: KOMBOLCH—Bati—KOMBOLCHA
Drive to Bati market if Monday, where the Afar, Oromo and Amara, Argoba people congregate for marketing with handcrafts where you the can be identified with their colorful dressing and hairstyle present. Then drive back to Kombolcha for over night. O/N at Sunny Side hotel.
DAY 16: KOMBOLCH---LALIBELA
Drive to Lalibela via Dessie through Ranger Mountain to Weldaya town have your lunch there and continue to the scenic mount Abuna Samuel and on the way visit Genete Mariam Monolithic church which is 17kms before Town Lalibela. O/N Roha Hotel or similar.
DAY 17: LALIBELA
Full day Visit of Lalibela brings you to yet more wonder – the rock-hewn churches.
The churches of Lalibela are among the most extraordinary architectural creations of human civilization.
Each church is sculpted, both inside and out, directly from the living bedrock of the earth.
The probable method of construction was for craftsman to first sink trenches directly into the stone, then to slowly chisel away excess Stone to reveal exterior and interior spaces.
Narrow, labyrinthine tunnels connect several of the churches, and the walls of the trenches and courtyards contain cavities and chambers filled with mummies of pious monks and pilgrims.
The churches are still used for worship today and many are filled with richly painted biblical murals and also you will have a visit of the second group of churches(consisting of 4 churches) and the third group consisting only one but the most beautiful and monolithic cruciform church of St. George. It is said to be the symbolization of the Noah’s, in the after noon attend the eve of Timkat which is so colorful with the chanting and dancing of the priests and the pilgrims . O/N at Roha hotel or similar..
DAY 18: LALIBELA---BAHIR DAR
After early morning breakfast drive to Bahir Dar via Worota and Debre Tabor through wet land of Fogera rice field. O/N Tana or Summer Land hotel.
DAY 19: LALIBELA---BAHIR DAR
In the morning drive 35km east of the town to the Blue Nile Falls set in rolling countryside unspoiled by tourism which is a real spectacle. After lunch sightseeing tour of Bahir Dar town that includes the open market, the beginning of the Blue Nile River and a view point by the late Emperor Palace. O/N Tana or Summer Land Hotel.
DAY 20: BAHIR DAR---GONDAR
Morning drive to Gondar through the spectacular Tara Gedam Mountain ranges. Enroute, you will see the 16th c. castle of Emperor Sarsa Dengel and drive further to Gondar.After lunch, you will see the church of Debre Birhan Selassie which is painstakingly decorated by a local monk and historical sites such as the royal palace of emperor Fasiledes, the quesquam enclosure, the bath palace of emperor Fasiledes. O/N Goha hotel or similar.
DAY 21: GONDAR---SIEMEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK
Early departure for Debark (100kms from Gondar), Where the head quarter of the Semien Mountain National Park is found. Here we pay the entrance fees; Scout and Local guide will accompany us. Then we continue driving to Sankaber (37kms) the first campsite of the National park. On this drive you will gain your first impression of the scale and the beauty of this highland region, the extraordinary scenery, enjoying the endemic Gelada Baboon and the bone breaker giant bird called Lammergeyer roaring around, and the endemic Walia Ibex, the breath-taking scenery of Enatye and Imet Gogo Here, the elevation is 3600 meters above sea level and the flora and the fauna is becoming unique. Then drive further to Buahit to see the majestic Ras Dashen-the highest pick of Ethiopia (4543 meters above sea-level). If we are Lucky we might have chance to see mammals such as red Wolf but you will enjoy Walia Ibex and Klipspringer. O/N Simien Lodge or similar.
DAY 22: SIEMEN MOUNTAINS NATIONAL PARK-AXUM
Day drive to Axum through the amazing Tekezze Rift Valley enroute making many stops to see the Semien Mountains from the lower valley which is really “the roof of Africa”. O/N at Sabean hotel or similar.
DAY 23: AXUM
You will see the historical sites in Axum such as the Stele Park, tombstones of king Kaleb, King Gebre Meskal and king Bazen and the churches of Mary Zion, the archaeological museum and the bath and the palace of Queen Sheba. O/N at Sabean hotel or similar.
DAY 24: AXUM---HAWZEN
Drive to Adigrat en route visiting the ancient Temple of Yeha (5th. C.BC) and further drive to the cluster of the Tigray rock hewn churches of Petros Paulos, Mikael Milay Hazengie, Adikesho Medhanialem, Wukro Kirkos and Abrha- we - Atsbeha . O/ N Gheralta Lodge.
DAY 25: HAWZEN---MEKELLE
Morning drive to Mekelle to visit the Easter cluster of rock hewn churches of Michael Imba; Debre Selam Michael and Mikael Barka from the Atsbi cluster. O/N Mekele at Axum hotel or similar.
DAY 26: MEKELLE—HAMEDELA
Morning drive to the Dalol Depression with Land Cruisers. Therefore, we will have one Land Cruisers for you and one extra for the cook, armed rangers and for road guides. You will pick two armed rangers and one road guide at Berhaile and enroute will have a chance to meet the Salt Caravans. O/N camping at Hamdela.
DAY 27: HAMEDELA
Morning drive to Lake Asale where you meet people extracting the bar salt from the salt plain. Bar Salt used as a currency in the 18th C. Ethiopia and Asale was the center for curving bar salt as equal to minting coins. In the after noon, drive to the Dalol depression which is the lowest depression on Earth and the landscape covered by colorful phosphate. Then drive back to Hamedla. O/N camping at Hamdela.
DAY 28: HAMEDELA—ERTALE
Drive to Kusrewad. In the late afternoon, trek to Ertale to see the bubbling magma in the night. If the group unable to trek by themselves, they can hire a Camel by themselves. The payment may be from 400-500 Ethiopian birr (35-45 USD) for a day. The group will pass the night at the hill top to observe the active volcano. In the morning at 5:00 am, they will trek down to Kursewad. O/N Camping at Ertale.
DAY 29: ERTALE--AFDERA
Drive to Afdera. Afdera is a salty lake where common salt is extracted. O/N Camping at Afdera.
DAY 30: AFRERA---AWASH
Drive to Awash trough a cluster of Afar Villages in the great East African Rift valley. O/N at Genet hotel or similar.
DAY 31: AWASH---HARAR
After early morning breakfast drive to Harar, enroute visiting scenic eastern highlands and mountains, in the evening entertain the Hyena man feeding Hyenas in the evening. Hyena Feeding is one of the old traditions passed from generation to generation in the Harar and vicinity which you mightn’t find any where else in the country. You will see local people who will do the same, therefore the show will includes. O/N Heritage Plaza Hotel or similar.
DAY 32: HARAR
Full day visit of the walled city of Harar.You will start visiting the site seeing which includes The Old town, museum, Rimbaud’s House, Harari traditional House and visit Colorful multiplication of ethnic groups market which the Harar is known for. O/N Heritage Plaza Hotel or similar.
DAY 33: HARAR--NAZERATH
After breakfast drive to Adma. On your way visit Awaday Chat/ Qat market and then continue to driving to Easter Highland (which is starting from Jijiga to Chercher or Chiro OR Asebe Teferi all the way to Nazerth O/N Rift valley hotel or similar.
Chat or Qat; is a mild stimulant widely used in the East African country (Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia as well) This crop becoming cash crop that the country gain foreign currency exporting to Somalia, Djibouti up to London England.
DAY 34: NAZERATH—DINSHO---GOBA
Morning drive to the Bale Mountains. The spectacular mountain rage begins from Dodola as you ascend the mountains through the natural juniperous forest. Having many stops at panoramic views drive further to Dinsho where you find herd of mountains Nyala, Reed buck and Wrthog in the meadow. Then drive to Goba. O/N at Wabshebele hotel.
DAY 35: GOBA—SOF OMAR—GOBA
Full day excursion to SOF OMAR CAVES: The most spectacular underground cave and important site of pilgrimages for Ethiopian Muslims. O/N Wabi Shebelle Hotel in Goba.
DAY 36: GOBA--YABELLO
Morning drive to Ascend the Senatti Plateau which is about 4000 meters and the only highway in Africa to cross such heights. This plateau is the catchments area for many rivers which end up astwo big rivers in Bale namely, Genale River and Wabi Shebelle rivers. More than this, the plateau is the last refuge place and breeding site of Abyssinian wolf. Then drive to further to the extent of Rira village to see the northern edge of Harena forest and continue driving to Yabello via Negele Borenna along the scenic route where you will see different types of endemic birds along the route. O/N at Yabello Motel or similar.
DAY 37: YABELLO
Drive to the Salt mines of the Borena people which they call it ‘Elsod’ and to the singing wells of the Borena people, Yabello wildlife Sanctuary. Then drive back to Yabello. O/N at Yabello Motel or similar.
DAY 38: YABELLO--HAWASSA
Drive to Hawassa through the coffee forest and enroute visiting the stele of Tutu Fella, the old burial site of the Gedeo people. O/N at Lewi hotel in Hawassa or similar.
DAY 39: HAWASSA ---ADDIS
Morning after traditional fish market visit drive back to Addis Ababa through the Great Rift Valley Lakes and enjoying their scenic beauty along with the different species of birds.There is also the Abiyata Shalla National park that comprises the two soda lakes together with their abundant bird life and the Ostrich Farm that worth a visit on your way. O/N Addis in a hotel.
DAY 40: DEPARTURE
Be transferred the air port to fly back home!
