Day01. Sunday. 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

Day02. 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!)

Day03. 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

Day04. 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 or local hotel

Day05. 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

Day06 & 07. 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

                                         

Day08. 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

Day09. Monday. 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 are 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

Day10. 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

Day11. Very early morning drive to Jinka town (about 2 hrs driving); then enter into the Mago National park, cross it to proceed to visit the Mursi people and their villages. Here for beauty women use to put round plates into their lips and men different scarifications all over their body. Their villages and way of life is very unique.  Have a lunch box before or after the Mursi village visit; dinner & ON in a hotel in Jinka.

Day12. Thursday. Drive to visit one Ari people village with very interesting traditions. Then proceed to KeyAfer village to visit the weekly market of the Tsemay & Erbore people. After the market’s visit, proceed to Arbaminch Have lunch on the way; dinner & overnight Emerald Resort Arbaminch

Day13. Morning visit Chamo lake, with the biggest crocodiles in Africa (reaching 6 meters length), lot of hippos, birds and more. Afternoon (if road condition permits) visit Netch Sar National park, sanctuary of endemic Swaynes Hartbeest and home of numerous zebras and other animals. Meals & ON Emerald Resort Arbaminch

Day14.Saturday.Drive back to Addis Ababa, through Wolayta and Guraghe people villages. Dinner in a traditional restaurant with folkloristic dances. Then transfer to the airport for departure