BEYENARIS & TJAZZ
Includes all
transport & transfers, Toyota Landcruiser, driver's expenses &
fuel hotels/camping/guide's fee/entrance fees to parks. It includes all
meals while camping and hotel stay. When camping you also have a cook with
your driver.
DAYS:
- Addis Ababa: Arrival
Day. Rest from the flight, shopping for some special provisions if needed
and then take a brief viewing tour of the ENTOTO Mountains. After lunch
drive to Lake LANGANO to the BISHANGARI Eco-lodge resort for a relaxing
night and views of the lake in a peaceful forest setting with attractive
lakeside and views of Rift Valley. Take a tour of the Lake by boat and
Islands. You will see Lakes ZIWAY, ABIATA and SHALA. There are flocks of
flamingoes, the ostrich farms and other bird life available. This depends
on time.
- Drive to ARBA MINCH
overlooking Lake CHAMO. Stay at the SWAYNE’S Hotel or the BEKELE MOLLA.
Relax on the terrace restaurant of the BEKELE MOLLE Hotel with scenic
views of the Lake and hillsides.
- ARBA MINCH: In the
morning visit the GUGE Mountains with the DORZE people in their huge
beehive hunts and cloudy landscape. It will be cold and cloudy. These
people are famous for weaving a pure white cloth, which is well watching
them weave. They have good, terracing skills, which has helped to stop
erosion and makes the landscape attractive. If the road conditions do not
permit we may have to abandon the trip, especially after heavy rains.
- In the morning continue
the tour of NEICHSAR PARK with its scenic white savannah lands. In the
afternoon, visit the springs, Crocodile Farm and also take a boat ride to
see crocodiles from Lake CHAMO. The park is a very scenic savannah land.
You might see zebra, gazelle, species of antelopes, SWAYNE’S Hartebeest.
Lions officially inhabit the park, but are not easy to spot. Tribes around
this area include the GUJI and KOIRA. Domestic cattle and people foraging
for firewood is common.
- Drive from ARBA MINCH to
KONSO. Visit the local people, famous for their stone terracing, WAGA
wooden sculptures, House of Mummies, GADULA project with their ancient
fossils by arrangement. People wear colorful cotton cloth and you are free
to wander around the KONSO villages. There is also an option to visit
GESERGIO with its strange wind blown sand pinnacles if time permits.
Overnight camping or KIDDUS MARYAM Hotel if preferred.
- We drive from Konso to
TURMI visiting the WEYTO and ARBORE people. We can also deviate to stay
at the MURULLE Camp on the OMO River – place of scenic beauty with good
shady camp. TURMI. Murelle to Omo Rate - Visit villages of Bume people &
Galeb civilization.
- Full day towards
visiting the HAMER people, with their famous dancing ceremonies,
hairstyles and body decoration and jewelry. The HAMER territory stretches
across plains towards the Kenyan border.
- TURMI to MAGO National
Park. On route, we visit the KARO people, similar to the HAMER people in
having ornate painted body decoration. They use chalk to imitate wild bird
feathers in decorative effects. We stay overnight in Mago National Park
- Day in MAGO National
Park. You might see Zebra, waterbuck, gerenuk and kudu; occasionally
hartebeest. We camp at the Buffalo Camp by the NERI River. We drive to
visit the MURSI with their lip plates and fierce stick fighting.
- Drive from MAGO to JINKA
to KYE AFER, visiting on the way visiting the ARI Village with their
livestock and mock-banana plant made skirts, BANNA tribes –an agriculture
and hunting tribe who use clay for decoration. Overnight camping in KYE
AFER a red soiled landscape.
- Drive from KYE AFER
via WEYTO visiting the TSEMAY area on route to YABELO. Option to visit
the wildlife sanctuary at YABELO with its acacia savannah with varieties
of antelope, zebra and good bird life The singing wells at DUBLOCK village
in Borena country. Overnight at YABELO.
- YABELLO to WONDO GENET
stopping off at LAKE AWASA then evening late to Addis Ababa.
- Departure day.
Notes:
You could do this journey
the other way round I guess. Some roads are impassable in the region at
certain times of year. Some times freak heavy rainfall occurs. Some areas in
high altitude regions will require rain clothes and warm clothing.
The Lonely Planet Guide is again up-to-date so please check its health
section. In the region there are tropical diseases prevalent. With the
tsetse fly around this area, ‘sleeping sickness’ is a possibility.
Anti-malaria tablets are required. This region can sometimes have political
instability. Please check your embassy’s advice. We check the British and
French Embassies web pages for advice. It is worth reviewing this advice in
consultation with us. We would rather cancel a tour if we feel there are
risks involved. |
