Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
THE LOWER OMO VALLEY
The villages of the Lower Omo Valley are home to some of Africa's most fascinating eth-
nic groups and a trip here represents a unique chance for people to encounter a culture
markedly different from their own. Whether it's wandering through traditional Daasanach
villages, watching Hamer people performing a Jumping of the Bulls ceremony or seeing
the Mursi's mind-blowing lip plates, your visit here will stick with you for a lifetime. This
is quite a beautiful region, too. The landscape is diverse, ranging from dry, open savannah
plains to forests in the high hills and along the Omo and Mago Rivers. The former mean-
ders for nearly 800km, from southwest of Addis Ababa all the way to Lake Turkana on the
Kenyan border.
South Omo, as it's also known, is not a land frozen in time as many visitors with visions
of
National Geographic
articles imagine it, though ancient traditions still form the back-
bone of daily life. But perhaps not for much longer. Outside factors such as huge hydro-
electric dams, sugarcane and palm oil plantations, road construction, oil exploration and
laws aiming to 'civilise' the people (like outlawing stick fighting) are forcing rapid change.
Tourism, though not without its problems, is about the last stabilising influence on the tri-
bal culture because tourists are generally interested in and respectful of it.
