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Omo River Expedition
offered by supplier M18756 (view this supplier profile)
Key Information:
Tour Duration: 11
- 23
day(s)
Group Size: 6
- 12
people
Destination(s):
Ethiopia
Specialty Categories:
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
Season: January - December
Airfare Included: No
Tour Customizable: No
Minimum Per Person Price: 2450 US Dollar (USD)
Maximum Per Person Price: 4250 US Dollar (USD)
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The Omo River Canyon remains one of the wildest, one of the most remote, and one of the most scenic places on Earth. Having been explored by only few western visitors, the Omo offers the greatest in all aspects of adventure: challenging terrain, exotic wildlife, extraordinary culture, and breathtaking scenery. Trickling off remote portions of the Shewan highlands in northern Ethiopia, the Omo gains momentum from five major tributaries over its course, dropping more than six thousand feet in just under five hundred miles. Streaming through deep, forested gorges over the most desolate course in the world, tribal members said to have descended directly from the earliest homo sapiens to walk the planet - and still virtually unknown to the modern world - subsist off the river's abundance of flora and fauna. Beasts of all proportions lurk within the corridor's shadows and pools, and some of the most spectacular scenery on the planet remain hidden within the gorge. The river drains into Lake Turkana near the Sudan border. The mystical Omo awaits those who yearn for an adventure of epic proportion!
Tour Itinerary:
Day 1: You arrive in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, a city of 3 million and the commercial and political heart of Ethiopia. Immediately after clearing customs, you meet your expedition leader outside of the airport/customs area. We transfer to our deluxe accommodations in Addis Ababa and get settled after the long journey. Today is reserved for rest and for exploration of the city. Numerous interesting sites await us in Addis Ababa such as the National Museum where you will find, among other archeological artifacts, the 3.5 million year old skeleton of ‘Lucy,’ the oldest human remains ever discovered.
Day 2: After breakfast, we drive 65 miles to the village of Wolisso where we spend the night at the very comfortable Wolisso Hot Springs Hotel. Tonight we’ll enjoy a soak and go over the specifics of the river portion of the expedition.
Day 3: This morning we drive 50 miles to our put-in location at the Gibe Bridge. We’ll spend time rigging the rafts and going over the specifics of river safety and raft dynamics. Not long after putting on the water, we encounter the first of the many Class III rapids so abundant on the upper section of the river.
Days 4-10: We spend these days rafting the Upper Omo River Canyon! This section, which reaches depths of nearly 5000 feet, is filled with abundant wildlife and fantastic Class III and III+ whitewater. Curious hippos will greet us in the deep pools between the rapids; crocodiles bask in the sun on the river shores; troops of Colombus monkeys dance the treetops; and baboons bark from the cliffs. Large, sandy beaches at the confluences of tributaries make for spectacular camps. We’ll have plenty of time for swimming and hiking; and will reserve at least one layover day to visit a tribal village on the rim of the canyon!
Day 11: Today we will raft to the Bele Bridge where we will stop and re-supply for the second half of the expedition. Those only participating in the upper half of the expedition will overnight at their deluxe accommodation en route to Addis Ababa.
Days 12-22: We spend these days rafting the Lower Omo River, one of the oldest canyons on Earth, and the believed origin of humanity. The second half of the Omo River Expedition is an anthropological paradise, where we‘ll encounter numerous tribes of welcoming and curious people; and who will oftentimes beckon us to shore for a chat. The Bodi, the Mursi, the Kwegu, and the Chara, are among the ornately decorated tribal folks that we’ll encounter sporting beaded leather skirts, large clay lip plates, spectacular hairstyles, and earplugs. Spectacular riverside campsites and appetizing meals accompany our daytime adventure. Our trip ends near the confluence with the Mui River, where four wheel drive jeeps will escort us through Mago National Park to the town of Jinka where cold drinks and a grand banquet feast awaits!
Day 23: After breakfast, we fly from Jinka to Addis Ababa and transfer to our hotel or continue with your travel arrangements home or onward to your next great African destination!
Notes:
Airfare is not included in the tour price.
Also see tour packages in:
Africa
Ethiopia
Outdoor: Water Drifter
Canoeing/Kayaking/Rafting
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, ext: 18756
