Shiver under moonlight in the splendid Bale Mountains, swelter politely, slack-jawed in a Mursi village or silently savour the spotting of a rare bird. Known for its rich natural attractions, southern Ethiopia proffers captivating wildlife, scenic landscapes, great trekking possibilities and some of the continent’s most diverse and fascinating people.

 

The south west’s Omo region has been called ‘ Africa’s last great wilderness’, and is home not just to Ethiopia’s few remaining large mammals including lion and elephant, but also its last isolated tribes, including the famous Mursi lip stretchers and body-painting Karo.

Africa’s renowned Rift valley cuts through the south and hosts lakes, astounding birdlife, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.
East of the rift, the Bale Mountains tower over the surrounding pastures of the Oromo people. Within these peaks is one of Africa’s largest mountain park. The Bale Mountains National park is the best place in Ethiopia to see endemic wildlife, including the endangered Ethiopian Wolf. Trekking in the mountains, in the rain, among the heather, is fantastic.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SOUTHERN ETHIOPIA

PEOPLE’S OF OMO VALLEY

Tsemai
The Tsemai, the dominant people of Weito village on the Konso-Jinka road, are regarded to be among the least known ethnic groups of Ethiopia. Estimated to be a total of some 5000 people, their territory extends along the western bank of the Weito River, known in Tsemai as the Dulaika River. They are mixed subsistence farmers who practice flood cultivation, with the major crops being sorghum and maize. They also rear livestock, especially cattle, and keep beehives for honey. The Tsemai speak an Omotic language with an influence of Eastern Cushitic language that is closely related to the one spoken in Konso, which, according to oral tradition, is from where their founding chief Asasa originated. The present chief, who lives at the long-standing Tsemai capital of Ganda Bogolkila, is claimed to be the ninth in line after Asasa, suggesting that this migration might have happened between 150 and 250 years ago.
Although their appearance and dress style is similar to that of the Omotic Ari people, the Tsemai share closer political and spiritual affiliations with the Erbore, who speak a similar language, and whose territory lies adjacent to the Tsemai chief’s village. The Tsemai also frequently and openly intermarry with the Hammer, whose territory lies immediately west of theirs. In common with many other people of southern Ethiopia, society is structured around and age set system. Four fixed age sets are recognized, with every set graduating in seniority once a decade, when a new generation of boys between the ages of about 11 and 22 is initiated.

Erbore
Although relatively large, Erbore is far more rustic and unaffected than many similarly sized towns in South Omo, with the police station on its outskirts more-or -less the only building that isn’t constructed along traditional lines.
In common with their linguistically and culturally affiliated Tsemai neighbors, the Erbore migrated to their present homeland from Konso perhaps two centuries ago. Because they have ancestral and cultural links to Konso and the pastoralists of the surrounding lowlands, the Erbore traditionally played an important role as middlemen in trade between the Omo River and the Konso Highlands.
The town of Erbore lies in and area where several tribal boundaries converge, and because the Erbore people routinely intermarry with other ethnic groups like the Guji and Borena Oromo, The Hammer and the Tsemai. It is also inhabited by a substantial number of Hammer and even Borena women – adding a cosmopolitan feel to the worthwhile Saturday market.

Dasenech
The Dasenech, alternatively known as the Geleb or Galeba, Marille and Reshiat, live just north of Lake Turkana, the region where Ethiopia borders Kenya and Sudan. These names all concern the same people, in total 24.000 souls. The Dasenech are neighbored by Turkana and Bume and are Ethiopia's most southern people.

The Dasenech can however be divided in eight clans. These are the Elele (ca. 6,000 people), Inkabelo (8,000), Inkoria (3,000), Koro (700), Naritch (3,000), Oro (1,000), Randal (1,000), and Ri'ele (600). Two of them (Inkabelo and Inkoria) come forth from the same ancestors: the Nyupe tribe in West-Kenya, also called the Pokot. These have more or less assimilated the Naritch (probably a splinter group of the Murle of Western Ethiopia) and the Oro. The Oro historically probably have had the dominating language and are solely responsible for the Kushite language now spoken by all Dasenech. The river people Ri'ele seem to have Borena background but have been Dasenech as time went by. The Randal are connected historically with the Rendille of Northern Kenya, whereas the Koro are related to the Maasai of Lake Turkana's west coast. Having contemplated this information it will not be hard to understand that the Dasenech aren't a united people, but more like a cluster of small groups with shared language, land, and rituals.

All clans have a more or less defined territory, except for the Koro and Oro, who are semi-nomadic. The Inkabelo are the wealthiest Dasenech and occupy the best land (Oro and Koro actually travel around in Inkabelo land). One other thing worth mentioning is that all Dasenech seem to have natural antipathy against fish. Eating fish is really a last resort in times of crises. The most important ritual of the Dasenech is the so-called dime. Taking part in the dime ritual are those men who have daughters that have already reached puberty. After the ceremony, which takes six weeks, the participants are upgraded to 'great men', or those that may engage in politics. The dime ritual is directly connected to the upcoming marriage of the daughters and consists for the larger part of slaughtering large quantities of cattle (per participant: 10 cows, 30 sheep and/or goats). By the end of the ceremony the participants are extremely well-dressed, with ostrich feathers in their clay hair, oxtails around their arms, leopard skin over their shoulders, as well as the same skirt they wore during their circumcision many years earlier. In their hands they will carry wooden shields and a stick with a fallus symbol.

The nomadic roots of the Dasenech are most clearly seen today in their traditional villages, comprised as they are of small, flimsy, domed huts strongly reminiscent of the impermanent structures built by other African desert pastoralists, from the Tuareg of the Sahara to the Nama of the Kalahari. One such village lies on the west bank of the Omo, practically opposite Omorate, and can be reached by utilizing the flat-bottomed boat that serves as a ferry across the river (police escort mandatory) Another similar village lies about 20 minutes’ walk south of the town center on the east bank of the river.

Bome
The Bume are also known as the Nyangatom. the Bume live west of the Dasenech people, south- west of the Karo people, south of the Surma people and North of the Ethio- Kenyan boundary. They occasionally migrate into the lower regions of the Omo national park when water or grazing is scarce.
Numbering around 6,000 in population, the Bume speak one of the Omotic group languages - Nyangatom. They are agro- pastoralists, relying on cattle herding and flood-retreat agriculture (consisting mainly of sorghum harvesting on the Omo and Kibish Rivers). In other words, they are semi-nomadic hunters and cattle-herders by custom, measuring their wealth in terms of the size of their herd, though flood agriculture now plays and increasingly important role in their subsistence. They tend to indulge in honey and frequently smoke out beehives to get the honey inside the nests.
The Bume are known to be great warriors and, quite frequently, active warmongers. Although they are peaceful and welcoming, they conflict with the neighboring tribes including the Hammer, the Karo and the Surma.
Kangate is the get way for accessing the habitation of the Bume from the east of Omo River. The crossing of the Omo river, although need to have time to do that) to the west enables one to see their small hat villages well.

Mursi
The Mursi number about 5,000 and are primarily pastoralists categorized in the Nilo-Saharan language family. The Mursi are Known for their lip plate tradition; an unmarried woman's lower lip will be pierced and then progressively stretched over the period of a year. A clay disc indented like a pulley wheel is squeezed into the hole in the lip. As it stretches, ever-larger discs are forced in until the lip, now a loop, is so long it can sometimes be pulled right over the owner's head. The size of the lip plate determines the bride price, with a large one bringing in fifty head of cattle. The women make the lip plates from clay, color them with ochre and charcoal, and bake them in a fire. Stick fighting or "donga": At a fight, each contestant is armed with a hardwood pole about six feet long with a weight of just less than two pounds. In the attacking position, this pole is gripped at its base with both hands - the left above the right, in order to give maximum swing and leverage. Each player beats his opponent with his stick as many times as possible with the intention of knocking him down and eliminating him from the game. Players are usually unmarried men. The winner is carried away on a platform of poles to a group of girls waiting at the side of the arena, who decide among themselves which of them will ask for his hand in marriage. Taking part in a stick fight is considered to be more important than winning it. The men paint their bodies with a mixture of chalk and water before the fight.

Benna
Broadly speaking, the Benna belong to the Hamar-Bashada cultural group. Numbering about 35,000 they are primarily settled farmers living in the highlands to the east of the Mago National Park. They enter the Park to hunt during the dry season; if they manage to kill a buffalo they adorn them with clay and have a celebration.

Dorze
Dorze is a tribe of skillful cotton weavers and potters who live in the mountains just outside Arba Minch. Their houses, standing up to 6 m tall and built in a shape of elephant's head, are the most unique traditional structures in Africa. Staple food of the Dorze tribe is enset or false banana. The Dorze dwellings are entirely organic: they are built using bamboo, grass, and false banana leaves. A visit to the Dorze house is a pleasant and memorable experience for the tourists.

Hamer
Hamer is a tribe which occupies the large territory of South Omo. They speak a language which belongs to the Omotic group of languages and display an elaborate and unique style of body decorations and clothes. Women wear leather skirts decorated with cowri shells. Their braided hair is painted with ochre, and their arms are decorated with 15 or more copper bracelets. The most important event in the Hamer society is the Bull Jumping Ceremony, the rite which marks a passage of men from one age group to another. This ceremony can be attended by tourists visiting the Hamer territory. Two principal settlements of Hamer are Dimeka and Turmi, especially colorful and interesting to visit on the market days.

Karo
Karo is a small tribe of perhaps 1000 people or less. They live in the area of two small villages - Kolcho and Dus. Karo are best known for their elaborate body paintings, special for important ceremonies. Colorful face masks are prepared using chalk, charcoal, iron ore, and yellow rock. Hairstyle of both men and women is also very unusual. Foreign tourists are always welcome to attend Karo traditional ceremonies if they are lucky to visit their villages at such times.

Konso
Konso is a tribe which inhabits the area of basalt hills about 85 km to the south from Arba Minch. They speak a Cushitic language. Konso live in villages usually located on a top of a hill and surrounded by a 2 m stone wall. Konso are famous all over Ethiopia for their advanced methods of land cultivation, ehich include irrigation and building of terraces. Also very famous are the Konso's waqa - carved wooden monuments erected on the graves.


NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SANCTUARIES
Offering splendid trekking, the rarest of mammals and hundreds of bird species,
BALE MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK: the park stretches over 2400sq km and ranges in altitude from 1500m to 4377m. The Bale Mountain National Park is known for their endemic wild life, particularly the Ethiopian Wolf and the Mountain Nyla It’s also a home for Over 60 mammal species and 260 bird species. Features steep ridges, alpine plateaus, Ethiopian wolves, mountain Nyala and 16 endemic birds and its best area for trekking and bird-watching.

LAKE ABIATA-SHALA NATIONAL PARK: west of Lake Langano lies the twins lakes of Abiata and Shala, which form part of the 887sq km Lake Abiata-Shala National Park. Identical twins these lakes are not. Shala’s 410sq km surface sits within a collapsed volcanic caldera and depths exceed 260m in some areas, while Abiata’s highly alkaline waters rest in a shallow pan no more than 14m in depth. Traditionally, fish thriving in Abiata’s waters fed storks, cormorants and pelicans that bred in safety on volcanic islands dotting shala’s surface.

MAGO NATIONAL PARK: not for the pusillanimous, a visit to this 2162 sq km park is a two-footed leap into true African wilds. Its more adventure than you can shake a stick at! You will also have the chance to visit Mursi villages along the Mago River and spot some animals too. one thing is for sure, you will never forget your time here.

OMO NATIONAL PARK: if Mago national park is for the adventurous, Omo National Park is for the masochist’s. to state the obvious, travelling in Ethiopia’s most remote park is incredibly tough. Travelling to this park you have also to visit the villages of Mursi, Dizi and Surma who lives in the park.

NECHISAR NATIONAL PARK: Spanning the narrow, yet mountainous ‘Bridge of God’ that separates Lakes Chamo and Abaya, Nechisar National Park ranks among the most scenic parks in east Africa. Although only 514 sq km, the park contains diverse habitats ranging from wide-open savannah and acacia woodland to thick bush and sections of riparian forest. The bleached savannah grasses actually spawned the park’s name, which means ‘white grass’ in Amharic. And you have a chance to see savannah, acacia woodland, Burchell’s Zebras, Swayne’s, hartebeest, crocodiles, great kudu, and 320 bird species.

SENKELE WILDLIFE SANCTUARY: Originally established to protect the endemic Swayne’s hartebeest, the open acacia woodlands of the Senkele Wildlife Sanctuary also hosts Bohor reedbucks, greater kudus, spotted hyenas, serval and civet cats, caracals, warthogs, common jackals and oribi antelopes. The globally threatened Aquila clanga ( greater spotted eagle) is one of 191 bird species documented.

With a population of approximately 450. The Swayne’s hartebeest is the most easily spotted species in this 36sq km.

YABELO WILDELIFE SANCTUARY: Covering an area of 2496 sq km, the Yabelo Wildlife Sanctuary was originally created to protect the endemic Swayne’s hartebeest. How over, it’s now better known for two truly unique range-restricted bird species. Although commonly seen within the sanctuary, the Stresemann’s bush crow and white-tailed swallow are not found anywhere else in the world. Why they never stray more than 100 km from here is still anyone’s guess. The semi-endemic brown sawing is also found here.
The 25 mammals species inhabiting the acacia woodland and savannah grass include Burchell’s zebras, dik-diks, greater and lesser kudus, gerenuks, and grant’s gazelles, all quit commonly seen. The golden jackal and ostrich are sometimes spotted.

RIFT VALLEY LAKES
With mysterious ancient stelae fields, numerous hot springs and five unique Rift valley lakes hosting everything from historical island monasteries to endangered birds, this 275km-long corridor is more than just a gateway to southern Ethiopia.

LAKE ZIWAY: surrounded by blue volcanic hills, south of Addis Ababa, and covering a massive 425 sq km is Lake Ziway, the largest of the northern group of Rift valley lakes. It is an attractive enough place, but its best known for its Birdlife. White Pelicans, black egrets, saddlebill, and yellowbill storks are all seen here, as well as a variety of kingfishers and waterfowl.
The lake is also home to five little volcanic islands, of which three once boasted medieval churches. Tulu Gudo is home to three monasteries. Debre Tsion, the most famous, has long and enigmatic history. According to tradition, it once housed the Ark of the Covenant.

LAKE LANGANO: Lake Langano, set against the 400m blue Arsi Mountains, is a dream comes true for many Brits. They can do their swimming kit and cross ‘doing the back stroke in the world’s largest cup of English tea’ off their list of fantasies- yes, langano’s water is on the brown side. The birding is excellent on some of the more remote sections of this 300sq km lake, and over 300 species recorded.

ABAYA AND CHAMO: Arba Minch meaning ‘forty springs’ is situated at an elevation of around 1300m in the foot hills of the Rift Valley and amid a country with abundant water, on a high, cool ridge overlooking two of the southern Rift’s most beautiful lakes Chamo and Abaya. The town is directly opposite Nechisar National Park entrance. ‘Nech’ means white and ‘Sar’ means grass- and the combination ‘white grass’ clearly describing the broad plains area of Nechisar National Park supporting a good number of mammals including, the large greater kudu, with spectacular spiral horns and white-striped flanks, the tiny Guenther’s dik-dik, usually seen in pairs, herds of Burch ell’s zebra, which mingle with Grant’s gazelle and an occasional Swayne’s hartebeest – an endemic subspecies.

http://www.stoneagetour.com/images/stories/touch/chamo/2.jpghttp://www.stoneagetour.com/images/stories/touch/chamo/4.jpgThe two lakes are divided by a hilly ridge with the delightful name of the ‘Bridge of Heaven’. . Many small rivers empty into both lakes. Crocodiles and hippos abound and hippo hunters from the local Ganjule and Guji tribes carry on a lucrative trade in those parts of the lakes not inside the national park. There is also a crocodile market at the mouth of the small Kulfo River which flows into Lake Chamo. Further north on the shores of Lake Abaya is a crocodile farm, also outside the park boundary.
The birds of this area are many and varied, reflecting the different habitats within the park. Hornbills are particularly striking; the fish eagle is ever-present; kingfishers are numerous along the Kulfo River, and rollers can be seen in the bushes. The shores and islands of Abaya and Chamo are populated by farming peoples such as the Ganjule and Guji, both of whom also have ancient traditions of hippo hunting.

Abyata-Shala Lakes National Park is formed by the twin lakes of Abyata and Shala. It has a total area of 887 square kilometers (550 square miles) in size, of which 482 square kilometer (300 square miles) is water.

Both lakes are terminal lakes but very different in nature. The park was created for the many aquatic bird species that use the lakes, particularly Great White Pelicans and Greater and Lesser Flamingos. The surrounding area is mainly acacia woodland, some of which is very degraded by man.

Lake Abyata is a shallow pan, only 14 meters (46 feet) deep and its level fluctuates periodically. The beaches are unstable and saline, which creates a very real danger of sinking on the vehicles that venture too close. The lake provides the main source of food for the colonies of great while pelicans on the nearby Lake Shala.

Lake Shala by contrast, is, at 260 meters (853 feet), Ethiopia’s deepest rift valley lake, possibly the deepest lake in Africa north of the Equator. Shalla’s islands are used as breeding sites by many birds, and are home to the continent’s most important breeding colony of Great White Pelicans. The color of the water is like cold tea and there is a high concentration f salts, making it feel soapy. Few fish are found in this lake. It is also one of the seven nesting sites of the bird in the whole of Africa.

Apart from the above mentioned birds, some others include White-necked Cormorant, African Fish Eagle, Egyptian Geese, various Plover species, and Herons. Local mammals are not numerous but include Grant’s gazelle, Greater Kudu, Oribi, Warthog and Golden Jackal. Besides, some of the scenery is very beautiful, especially at dusk; the sight of Pelicans dipping into the silver waters of Lake Abyata is unforgettable.

SOF OMAR CAVE
120km east from Goba is one of the most spectacular extensive cave systems in the world. Created by the Web River in the limestone rock, the caves are an extraordinary natural phenomenon and a place of breathtaking beauty. Great caverns have been carved out of the rock creating soaring underground chambers. The caves, now an important Islamic shrine, can be visited with local guides.

SHEIKH HUSSSEIN
Located north of Sof Omar, Sheikh Hussein is southern Ethiopia’s most important center of Muslim pilgrimage and attracts thousands of pilgrims every year. At least 500 years old, it’s dedicated to the 13th century holy man (Sheikh Hussein), who was responsible for the conversation of many Bale and Arsi Oromo to Islam. Pilgrims came here to make wishes and to offer thanks for wishes fulfilled.
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