Attractions in Southern Ethiopia

History

Omo Valley

The region is named after the river Omo which rises in the highlands south west of Addis Ababa and runs for over 750 kilometers, emptying into lake Turkana. It has been declared a UNESCO world heritage site after the discovery of the earliest known fossil fragments of homo sapiens were discovered here in 1980. The river has recently become very popular with white water rafters. The Omo National Park is located on the west bank of the lower reaches of the river and is Ethiopia’s largest nature sanctuary; it is one of the richest areas for viewing game and bird watching. The Omo valley is also home to over 50 extraordinary and diverse tribes, each with their different language, customs and dress (see ’Culture’ section). A visit to their villages and colorful markets is a must.

CULTURE

People of the Omo Valley

The south Omo region is inhabited by colorful, culturally diverse tribes who continue their traditional lives, little changed by the outside world. The major tribes are the Hamar, Mursi, Karo, Bena, Tsemai, Ari and Surma, each with their different languages, customs and dress. Some are masters of face and body painting, some have body scarification and stretching their lower lips with clay and wooded ‘plates’, whilst others have intricate hairstyles, using red earth and butter.

The Hamar are pastoralists who practice the famous bull jumping ceremony as a rite of passage for the young men of the community. The unmarried women of the Hamar tribe wear a cow skin ‘tail’, embroidered with brightly coloured beads (to attract the men !) and all Hamar women plait each other’s hair with a mixture of red soil and butter. The men use clay to create a hair ‘bun’ which is topped off with a feather. These indicate status and bravery, such as killing a dangerous animal. A visit to a Hamar market or village is an amazing spectacle

The women of the Mursi tribe wear white body and face paint and earrings of local fruit dangling through cut and stretched ear lobes. They are most famous for inserting a lip plate (a clay disc) inserted into their cut and stretched lower lip. The Karo are known as the expert face and body painters of all the tribes, some individuals mimicking the marking of the guineafowl. They also use handprints in white, yellow and ochre colours to decorate themselves. They also use body scarification and make intricate headdresses using fruit and vegetables. Both the men and women of the Suri tribe shave their heads but leave thin lines of hair in different patterns. The women have ear plates and lip plates and both sexes have body scarification. The young men take part in stick fighting contests between villages to prove their manliness to the girls. The children decorate themselves by face and body painting almost daily and decorate themselves with elaborate ‘hats’ made from various fruit and flowers.

NATURE

Rift Valley Lakes

The Great Rift Valley runs from north to south down the length of Ethiopia and contains a chain of seven beautiful lakes teeming with wildlife and birdlife. They are some of the oldest, largest and deepest lakes in the world.

The Omo and Mago National Parks

The Omo and Mago National Parks are located adjacent to each other on the west and east side of the Omo river respectively. The unspoiled savanna grass land of these National Parks is home for many species of large mammals including herds of Antelope, Buffaloes, Lions, Zebras, Giraffes, and Leopards.

Bale Mountains National Park

Located at Ethiopia’s second highest mountain range, Bale has the largest tract of high moorland area in Africa. Bale Mountains National Park contains Juniper and Hagenia woodland, Afro-Mountain forest and Afro-Alpine moorland. The park contains many animals, some of which are endemic, such as the Mountain Nyala. Menelik’s Bushbuck and Simien fox and plentiful birdlife. It is an ideal place for mountain walking and horse trekking. The largest cavern network in Africa, called Sof Omar cave is also located in the Bale region.