Ethiopia has more than 80 ethnicities living in its borders, all speaking different languages and practicing different customs. VET Southern Cultural Route takes travelers to the heart of the most remote tribes, whose animist beliefs strike a chord with the true African experience.

We start in Addis Ababa and drive south to visit the Gurage people and visit various archeological sites and a rock-hewn church. We continue south and visit the Dorze people who live in the largest city in the region, Arba Minch, from where we will visit the Nechisar National Park. From Arba Minch we journey towards the town of Jinka and the surrounding tribes that have lived in complete isolation for many years, including the Karo, Hamer, Erbore, Surma, and the famous Mursi. Here we will spend three nights camping in the bush under the starry skies of Africa.

Each tribe has its own distinctive characteristics and traditional ways of life. The Mursi and Surma people are famous for their lip plates, the Arbore and Hamer, for the amazing paintings on their bodies. The southern part of Ethiopia is also home to several national parks suitable for camping and viewing wildlife such as the buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, Bruchell's zebra, hartebeest, topi, oryx and even the elusive lion.

Vast Ethiopia Tours attitude to the people and wildlife of Ethiopia is to treat this wonderful natural resource with the utmost respect in an attempt to preserve what has existed for so long. Tour companies like VET allow travelers to see first-hand the changing lives and landscapes of the indigenous people in Africa. We therefore believe that through park conservation and respect for tribal traditions, we may enjoy the Omo Valley for many years to come.

Itinerary

*Lodges can replace camping upon request.
*Camping gear can be provided upon request.