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Surma - The Remote Tribe - 12 Days Tour Package
Surma - The Remote Tribe - 12 Days Tour Package
Western Ethiopia is one of the off-the-beaten-track offered by Sunlust Ethiopia tours and it takes visitors through the middle of Oromia, passing first through the Gurage region southwest of Addis Ababa and then through the Gibe river valley to Jimma, an evergreen region of Ethiopia steeped in culture and history. Experience nature & people in the Omo valley, tribal villages, beautiful people and customs, colourful markets, traditions, ceremonies, safaris, National parks, wild life, boat trips, crater lakes and rift valley lakes ,Trekking in true wilderness areas, Visit with the Dezi and the lip-plated Surma people , Drive through some of the most lush areas of the country and the beautiful Omo national park.
On arrival in Addis, check into your hotel. This will either be on day room basis or overnight depending on your international flight times.This evening, we will arrange for a farewell dinner in a restaurant with Ethiopian music and dance, or in a good city centre restaurant.
Day 2 – Drive South West Of Addis To Jimma Through The Scenic Gibe Gorge
Jimma
Drive to Jimma passing through Wolkite on the way we will visit the Gurage ethnic group with their big circular grass hat house and beautiful scenery over view the Gibe valley and Gilgel Gibe hydro-electric.
Day 3 -Drive To Mizan Teferi, Passing Through Coffee Plantations
Mizan teferi
After breakfast drive to Mizan Teferi, passing through coffee plantations. The area is known historic for strong Kingdom Kaffa, the birthplace of coffee, which the term coffee came from. Historic continues that the Arabs who brought first to the world, since then it is known as coffee Arabica
Day 4 -Drive To Kibish On The Way Visit The Bebeka Coffee Plantation
Mizan-Kibish
Morning drive to Kibish on the way visit the Bebeka coffee plantation, where they cultivate organic coffee trees, tea, spice as well as rubber trees. Short break for visit coffee farm from nursery to the coffee processing techniques. Lunch stop at Dima, the Town of Anuak tribe. Then proceed to Kibish
Day 5 – Today We Will Have Full Day Visit Of The Surma Village
Surma Village
Today we will have full day visit of the Surma Village, in meantime we organise our trekking equipment and get ready mule and Mule attendant for tomorrow adventure Surma trekking
Day 6 -Trek To Magologne For Body Scarification
Magologne – Kolu
In the morning hike/ walk to Magologne area and visit a few villages en-route. In addition, if there are cattle in the area, there should be time to visit the herders and perhaps witness how they tap the livestock for blood and body scarification in the river on the way pass by natural mineral water anybody who wish it taste powerful, proceed to Kolu,. Overnight Camping at Kolu.
Day 7 – Trek To Yella
Yella
Trek to Yella which is situated on the top of the Hill the Village give us panoramic view of the Omo National Park as well as over view of Kibish Town. Overnight camping at Yella.
Day 8 – Morning Visit The Wildlife In The Park
Wildlife in Omo national park
Morning visit the vast expanse of true wilderness, adjacent to the Omo River, which flows southwards into Lake Turkana and is one of the richest and least-visited wildlife sanctuaries in eastern Africa. Eland, oryx, Burchell’s zebra, Lelwel hartebeest, buffalo, giraffe, elephant, waterbuck, kudu, lion, leopard and cheetah roam within the park’s boundaries. Trek to the Omo park head quarters have our lunch and rest. Late Afternoon we will have games drive as we meet our drivers after trekking days. Camp at the headquarters.
Day 9 – Drive To Tum Via Magi On The Way Visit The Dizi Tribe
Tum-Maji
Morning after breakfast setoff for Tum via Magi on the way visit the Dizi tribe. The Dizi people are hereditarily very short people who have beehive-like houses, similar to the Dorze. Magi, Saturday market where you will meet with the Dizi, Surma, and the Nyangatom tribes. Overnight camping in Tum
Day 10 – Drive To Mizan, Visit A Small Market And Coffee Plantations
Coffee Plantations
Today we retrace north to Bebeka, where we will stay for an overnight guest house at the Bebeka Coffee Plantation.
Day 11 – Drive To Jimma
Jimma
Returning back, we continue to Jimma via Mizan Tafari.
Day 12 -Drive To Addis And End Of Trip
Addis Ababa-Departure
Surma - The Remote Tribe - 9 Days Tour
Surma - The Remote Tribe - 9 Days Tour
Surma Trekking: Visit the untouched culture — 9 days
Ethiopia is home for numerous ethnic groups and tribes, more specifically there are about 80 ethnic groups and more than 250 languages and dialects are spoken within the country. Unlike other parts, the Southern Omo Valley is known for its ethnic diversities and it is uniquely isolated from modern Ethiopia. There are 16 nomadic and semi-nomadic people inhabiting the Omo Valley without any influence from the outside world. The lower Omo valley is also one of Ethiopian world heritage site (some old hominid fossils were discovered around Lake Turkana near Ethio-Kenya border)
SURMA (SURI) is one of the tribes in the Southwestern side of the Omo River living in the evergreen deserted mountains and hills. The Surma belongs to the Nilotic—speaking group and are gatherers of wild fruit and pastoral cattle herders numbering more than 21,000 people.
They are uniquely known for their donga, a ceremony which involves stick fighting among boys and is considered to bring heroism, pride, and prestige. The stick fight enables the winner to seek his bride against his rivals. The Surma men often shave their hair as adornment with their earlobes and they are usually half naked and totally nicked during stick fighting. The Surma Women wear lip plates inserted in their lower lips and have different hair adornments made by using a razor blade. In a typical Surma village live more than 1000 people lead the common life.
Day 1- Arrive Addis Ababa-City tour
Upon arrival in Addis Ababa, you will be accompanied by a Sunlust Ethiopia tour representative and transferred to your hotel . ‘Addis Ababa’ translates as ‘new flower’ in Amharic – the beautiful local language you will hear sung throughout its chaotic streets. Chosen for its verdant setting and wonderful climate this was not always Ethiopia’s capital —the (rather romantic) story tells that it was a love gift, the choice of the consort of Emperor Menelik II who preferred the location to the country’s original capital Entoto.
The flower has most certainly bloomed and the second you step out of the airport you realize you are opening the door into an ancient, mystical, and deeply religious world fighting strongly to keep its presence amongst high rises and shopping centers. A city of immense contrast, its chaotic streets are a hotchpotch of Menelik remains and dizzying investment. Before heading into the country’s rural splendor, strike out into this colourful metropolis with your charming local guide. Visit the former palace of Emperor Haile Selassie, now a fabulous Ethnographical museum, St George’s Cathedral, and a panoramic view of the capital from the Entoto Mountain.
Overnight at Hotel
Day 2: Drive to Jimma
Morning after breakfast, drive 345 km to Jimma. On the way we cross the magnificent and picturesque Gibe gorge and the Gibe River. Jimma was the capital of the former Keffa province. It is in this region that the coffee beans originated for the first time by a shepherd.
Overnight at Hotel
Day 3: Drive to Mizan Teferi
Today, we will be continuing our south-west routing as we make our way to Mizan Teferi. The 240km drive is made up of a mosaic of forest and cultivated land dominated by coffee, tea and various spices, and we will have ample opportunity to stop and take advantage of any photographic opportunities we may encounter.
Overnight at Hotel
Day 4: Drive to Bebeka
En-route we will visit the coffee plantation, Ethiopia's largest old coffee plantation. On the way visit the Menit tribe. After crossing the Akobo River you experience the African Savanna grassland and on the way visit Orom, Kefecho and Bench tribes in their village.
Overnight Camping
Day 5: Drive Kibish
We will arrange you mules for your personal equipment and for yourself also. And you will experience a walk through Savanna grassland.
if there is any Donga (Stick fighting of the Surma people) we will attend it otherwise we walk around the old kibish village (14 kms round trip) for the visit of more of the Surma villages-to visit and appreciate the very attractive culture of Surma tribe, they are renowned for the strange custom followed by their women who, on reaching maturity, have their lower lips slit and circular or rectangular clay discs inserted The rest of the day you finalise the arrangement of the team for the next trek to the next site.
Overnight Camping
Day 6: Drive back to Tulgit
After breakfast we walk in the Surma territory for about 4-5 hours. The walk will have gentle slopes ascending and descending. Upon arrival at Tulgit we will walk for about 40 minutes to visit the Surma Village.
Overnight Camping
Day 7: Drive Maji
Morning we walk through the beautiful countryside for about 3 hours to visit the Dizi tribal village and the spectacular Maji Falls. We Walk back to Maji. The rest of the day we finalise the arrangement of the team for the next trip to Jimma.
Overnight Camping at Maji (altitude 2400 m).
Day 8: Drive back to Jimma
Drive to Jimma, with a stop to waterfalls on the way, for short walking too. Reach Jimma and visit the AbaJifar palace, old king house + the museum of all his artefacts and more, in town.
Overnight Hotel
Day 9 : Drive to Addis Ababa
Heading to Addis Ababa we will be driving 330 kms to Addis . We will stop at Walkite for lunch. En route we will be visiting the Gurage and Oromo people and their beautiful villages.
In the evening before departure, you will be invited to a farewell dinner party at one of the best traditional restaurants in Addis where you taste a variety of Ethiopian meals, and watch the folkloric dancers of the Ethiopian people.
End of Tour. Departure
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