Let’s Go to Omo Valley & Turkana in 2021 (Ethiopia & Kenya)
A Scheduled Trip to Ethiopia, Kenya
Highlights
A safari like no other — from flying over Gambella National Park to travelling to the remotest parts of Ethiopia's Omo Valley. This is Undiscovered Country!
Scheduled group tour from
February 27, 2021 - March 9, 2021
Starting from
US$ 14,245
per person sharing
Duration
11 days / 10 nights
Transport
Fly-in Safari
Accommodation
Tented Camps
Exploring
Gambella National Park, Omo Valley, Turkana
About this Safari
Overview
- Feb-March 2021
- 6-Person Small Group Safari
- Trip starts in Ethiopia on February 27, 2021 & ends in Kenya on March 9, 2021
An “Undiscovered Country” Series Adventure – #SafarisWithSangeeta
Hello Dear Adventurers,
Our Omo-Turkana adventures have been planned to take us through some of the remotest and most ancient landscapes of Africa, where few people live, and even fewer people roam. Our path will follow in the footsteps of famous explorers of yore (except for a few small deviations, such as a couple of nice scenic charter flights that the old-timers would have killed for, hehehe).
Our first scenic flight will be over Gambella National Park, and with some luck, we will fly over herds of white-eared kob that are migrants to Ethiopia from South Sudan at this time of the year. If we are extraordinarily lucky, we may even spot a few Nile lechwe, a very rare sighting of another stunningly beautiful antelope.
From here, we’ll move on to the Omo Valley, which is located in the south-western part of Ethiopia, bordering South Sudan and Kenya. Our first stop will be in a small village in the Upper Omo Valley that is so off-the-beaten-track that Google maps sometimes geo-locates it on the Ethiopian side of the border and sometimes on the South Sudanese side (not to worry though, it is firmly in Ethiopia!)
From the Upper Omo Valley, we will meander southwards, along the Omo River, to the Lower Omo Valley, visiting a variety of hamlets and villages, and fantastically attired tribal people along the way. We will cross the border into Kenya at the little town of Omorate, and from there, head down to Ileret Beach, where we will be collected by boat, and make our way into the heart of the Jade Sea. Here we will visit a Turkana homestead, as well as Central Island National Park.
Last but not least, we will take one last scenic flight over some of the wildest and most rugged landscapes of nothern Kenya – including volcanic craters and soda lakes with magical names like Suguta Valley, Lake Logipi and Nabiyotum Crater. Yes, this is not your garden-variety safari. This is for adventurers and explorers, for people who welcome surprises. This part of Africa is truly an Undiscovered Country, all the way down from Mizan Teferi’s runway (which also doubles as their football) in Ethiopia, to the smoking craters and Nile crocodile colonies on the shores of Lake Turkana in Kenya.
The stunning tribal photos on this itinerary all belong to Latika Nath’s oeuvre. Latika had traveled with us to the Omo Valley in years past, and has very generously shared some of her images with us here.
I look forward to having you join me on this exciting trip,
Sangeeta
Trip Highlights
- Scenic flight over Gambella National Park, for visiting herds of white-eared kob
- Upper Omo Valley for the Surma people, one of the least visited Omo Valley tribes
- The Lower Omo Valley visiting the Nyangatom, Kara, Hamar and Dassanech tribes
- Hopefully a Hamar Bull Jumping ceremony
- Boating down Lake Turkana to Central Island
- Scenic flight over Northern Kenya, including Lake Logipi and Suguta Valley
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Day By Day Itinerary
Day 1: Feb 27, 2021- Arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Our team will meet you at Bole International Airport and drive you to your hotel in the city. Go through immigrations and proceed to the meet greet area outside down the ramp to the parking where you will find a person with your name sign.
Since we expect our group to be coming in from many corners of the globe, it will be a day of R&R at the Radisson Blu and no specific plans. Should your flight come in early and should you want to visit Addis, please let us know ahead of time. Chalo Africa hosted group dinner in the evening to get everyone acquainted and set for our grand adventure.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 2: Feb 28, 2021 – Gambella and Kibish
Start your morning early with breakfast at your hotel and transfer to the airport. The charter service will meet you at the airport and facilitate your check through the airport to the plane. You will fly via Gambella and spend 1 hour flying over the most wildlife abundant parts of the National Park. You will (hopefully) see white-eared kob, buffalo and various swampland bird species.
Continue for an additional 1 hr flight to Mizan where you will be met by your Toyota Landcruiser vehicles and drive to Kibish, center of the Suri people. Your camp is on the outskirts of this town. During your time here you will visit several Suri settlements to learn about these fascinating Nilotic people. Your professional guide will discuss with the Suri to determine each day’s activity as sometimes there are interesting festivals and ceremonies going on.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Days 3 & 4: March 1 and 2, 2021 – Suri (Surma) Villages
Your guide will determine your village visits and cultural activities depending on what is happening in the Suri community on these days. These village visits may involve some moderate hikes, as the villages are often located in the interior, away from the main road, and there may be no road access.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 7: March 5, 2021 - Drive to Turmi – Hamar Villages
Today is our day to visit the Hamar villages, famous for their bull-dancing ceremony. It is a coming of age ritual, when a boy becomes a man and demonstrates his prowess by running across the backs of a line of bulls, and the women literally whip themselves up into a frenzy. Authentic ceremonies are spontaneous, so this cerremony cannot be staged. However, we have had good luck of witnessing both the bull jumping ritual and the donga stick fight of the Suri people on our previous trips. Fingers crossed. But ceremony or no ceremony, the Hamar are certainly one of the most picturesque peoples of the valley, with distinctive headwear and decorations.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 8: March 6, 2021 – Dassenech Villages & Omorate
After an early breakfast, we will drive to Omorate to stamp our passports out of Ethiopia. From there, we will drive further on to the Omo Delta Camp. Boat excursion at Delta to visit the Dasanech people.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 9: March 7, 2021 – Ileret Beach to Lake Turkana
After an early breakfast, we will drive to Ileret beach in Kenya and report our arrival at the Ileret police station before proceeding to the lake shore where a boat will be awaiting us. We will then boat directly to camp, on the shores of Lake Turkana, arriving in the evening.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 10: March 8, 2021 – Turkana Community, Central Island & the Jade Sea
Morning cultural visit to a Turkana homestead, and in the afternoon, we’ll do a boat excursion to Central Island NP coming back to the camp for the night.
Emerging from the blue-green waters of the largest permanent desert lake in the world, Lake Turkana, the Central Island is made up of three active volcanoes that belch sulphurous smoke and steam. Three crater lakes, Crocodile Lake, Flamingo Lake and Tilapia Lake, provide breeding grounds for the world’s largest concentration of Nile crocodiles, against a background of black lava beaches and smoking craters .
Contact us for the full itinerary.
Day 11: March 9, 2021 – Scenic flight over Lake Logipi, Suguta Valley and Central Island - then back to Nairobi
After breakfast, we will board a Cessna Caravan for a scenic flight over some of the most stunning and remote landscapes of northern Kenya. From there, the plane will head to Wilson Airport where we will be formally stamped into the country. Our Chalo Africa trip ends here, but depending on your onward arrangements, international flight timings etc., we’d be happy to organize an overnight in Nairobi and any additional transfers that you may need.
Contact us for the full itinerary.
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Costs & Covid Policy
The cost of this trip is USD 12,950 per person. We have negotiated special rates, so there will be no supplement for a single room , nor any reduction for a shared room.
Please contact us for our COVID policy as well as the full itinerary with inclusions.
Gallery
Suri Tribe, Omo Valley. By Latika Nath. Suri Tribal child, Omo Valley. By Latika Nath. Bull Jumping, Hamar Tribe. By Latika Nath. Mursi Warrior. By Latika Nath.
Omo Valley 2021 Map
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Gambella National Park Office, Gambela, Ethiopia
Omo Valley Tribes gate, Jinka, Ethiopia
Lobolo Camp, Lodwar, Kenya
Lake Logipi, Kenya
Nairobi, Kenya
Best Time to Visit
January
Closed
February
Best
March
Best
April
Closed
May
Closed
June
Closed
July
Closed
August
Closed
September
Closed
October
Closed
November
Closed
December
Closed
This safari tour begins in Ethiopia and ends in Kenya.