In the late afternoon, we joined the famous Hamer ceremony (🎟️ 2,000 ETB, local guide 1,000 ETB) at the usual place, just a few kilometres behind Turmi. The “Hamer bull jump” is a rite of passage for young men in the Hamer tribe of Ethiopia’s Omo Valley, where they must...
On our way back to the Hamer tribe, we stopped at Turmi to visit the lively market, a weekly gathering of the Hamer people in southwestern Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. It is known for its vibrant atmosphere, social significance, and traditional trade. During the market, which typically...
It took us about 2 hours to get from Turmi to Omorate. The first thing we did after arrival was to obtain a permit from the Immigration office to enter the area and interact with the tribe. We woke up the officer, who was sleeping on a mattress outside the office, showed him our...
Very late in the afternoon, just a few minutes before the heavy storm, we made it to Dimeka market. We arranged a local guide (800 ETB) and rushed to a lively and vibrant market in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley. It is known for the weekly gathering of the Hamer people (photo / 50 ETB) and...
Our last visit today, with our guide (1,000 ETB) from Key Afer, was to the village of the Banna tribe (1,000 ETB). The Banna (or Benna) are an ethnic group in Ethiopia’s Southern Omo Valley region, known for their semi-nomadic lifestyle, distinctive traditions, and close...
After arriving in Key Afer, we had a coffee and found a local guide (1,000 ETB) who knew where the Mursi tribe (entrance 2,000 ETB) was located at the moment. We couldn’t visit them in their original location because their presence conflicts with other tribes. The Mursi tribe is an...
After Ari’s visit, we continued to see the Mursi and Banna tribes around Key Afer. The road from Jinka to Key Afer is a scenic and relatively fast journey, taking about 6 hours over a 245 km stretch that is primarily tarred. This route is known for its changing landscapes, including...
The Ari tribe is an indigenous agricultural and skilled craft-producing group in Ethiopia’s Omo Valley region, known for their fertile land, extensive livestock herds, and unique cultural practices like body painting and scarification. They are the largest tribe in the area, with a...
We continued our drive from Konso to Jinka, which is an approximately 245 km scenic, tarred route, passing through the Rift Valley and crossing the Weyto River. The road goes through Konso, Tsamai, Banna, and Ari areas and is a gateway to the Omo Valley. We made our coffee break in Woito...
First, we stopped in town to pay our entrance fee to the village (1,700 ETB) and hire a local guide (1,000 ETB). Then, we slowly drove to the village, where we usually paid 20 to 100 ETB for a photo of adults, and the children received a lollipop. The Konso are a Cushitic-speaking ethnic...