Explore The West – 15 Days

01. SAT. Arrival in Addis Ababa. Transfer to the chosen hotel. Have a free morning. Afternoon (1400 hrs from the hotel) tour of the capital: visit Entoto mountain with views over the capital, the National & the Ethnographic museums, St George church and the Mercato, biggest open air
market in Africa. Meals free. ON (overnight) hotel.

02. Drive to the DebreLibanos monastery, about 2 hrs drive from Addis Ababa. Visit the monastery and very nice views over Jemma river. Visit also the Old Portuguese Bridge and spot the endemic Gelada baboons.
Continue then the drive to Bahirdar, crossing the spectacular Blue Nile gorge, to reach late afternoon.
Lunch on the way, dinner & ON hotel in Bahirdar

03. Morning drive approximately 1 hour to reach the Blue Nile falls & then walk to the falls. Are really spectacular falls. Enjoy and you can walk back crossing the falls. Drive then back to Bahirdar for lunch.
Afternoon make a boat excursion on lake Tana to visit the monasteries over its islands, as Ura Kidane Mehret and Asua Mariam.
Dinner in a restaurant in town or at the hotel. ON hotel

04. Drive to Gondar. It takes about 2 hrs driving, visiting on the way very nice landscapes, lake Tana and Amhara people villages. Afternoon visit the castles, the Debre Birhan Sellasie church (light of Trinity) with wonderful murals, King Fasiladas bath and Empress Mentewab palace.
Have lunch at your hotel. Dinner in a restaurant in town. ON hotel

05. This day proceed to the Gumze people region, with very traditional way of life and cultures. Drive back to Bahirdar & proceed then to Chagni, where you start visiting the Gumze people. Then proceed to Mandura & reach the Zengena lake. On the way visit different Gumze people villages.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping near to Zengena lake.

06. THU. Drive to Beles, admiring on the way the Agew & Gunze villages. Proceed then to a traditional Shinashia people village (120 km from Beles). Being Thursday enjoy the colorful Gumze market at Beles village.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camp at Shinashia next to an Agew people village.

07. Drive to Asosa, the capital city of the Benishangul & Gumze people (the population reach around 1,000,000 people including also the Berta, Shinashia, Mao & Komo). Visit the town and the old palace of Dej Asmach Jemal, built during Emperor Menelik reign (19th century). Proceed then to
Janaga, where you can admire the blue Nile, before entering in Sudan, called here as “sirba abay” (189 Kms from Asosa, which take about 4 hrs).
Continue to Sherkole, where you can admire the Berta people. Drive so for overnight in Asosa.
Lunch on the way; dinner &ON camping or local hotel at Asosa.

08. SAT. Drive to Bambasi (40km from Asosa) & Ye’amsera villages (54 km from Bambasi) to visit the very interesting Mao and Komo people. The Mao & Komo are semi-nomadic & hunters people with scarification all over their body & different tradition. Being Saturday we’ll visit the very colorful market of the Mao, Komo & Berta people at Bambasi. Late afternoon drive back to Asosa Lunch on the way; dinner &ON camping or local hotel at Asosa.

09. After having breakfast set on to drive to Gambela, which is 365 km from Asosa (115 km of paved road). The town of Gambela is the regional town of the Gambela peoples, where different tribes live together such as Anuak , Nuer and more. So this day you will have a full day drive, to
reach Gambela late in the afternoon.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON hotel in Gambela.

10. Drive to the Baro river (which was a very important navigable river for commerce between Ethiopia & Sudan in the 19th century) and visit different villages of the Nuer and Anuak people. They are very colorful and you can see men and women with different scarifications, paintings and ornaments all over their body. See their day life in the villages and families. Late afternoon drive back to Gambela. Lunch on the way; dinner & ON hotel in Gambela.

11. Drive to Jima, which is 465 km from Gambela (6-7 hrs). Jima in the capital of the Kaffa region, famous for its best production of coffee. Ones in Jima visit also the Aba Jifar palace (19th century) and the museum, with all the artifacts of Aba Jifar.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON hotel in Jima.

12. Drive to Cheberra Churchurra National park, which is one of the new established park in Ethiopia. Visit different animals as antelopes, and also elephants & buffaloes. Have the game drive in the afternoon.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping in the park, with very nice views.

13. Morning have your game drive. Then drive then to Woliso, visiting on the way the Oromo & Guraghe people, with very interesting culture. Stop to visit one Guraghe village, famous for their production of their traditional bread, the Kotcho, produced by the roots of the Ensete, the
false banana tree. Have camping near to a Guraghe people village, to enjoy their culture and friendship.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON camping

14. Have further visits of the Guraghe village. Then walk back to your vehicles.Drive then to Woliso town (called also Ghion) and proceed to Negash lodge, where you can relax in a beautiful nature and can enjoy also the swimming pool.
Lunch on the way; dinner & ON Negash lodge

15. SAT. Drive to Wonchi crater, for spectacular views over the lake down to the crater. Optional can visit also the church on the island. Then back to Addis Ababa. Have a free afternoon in Addis for souvenir shop & other.
Lunch on the way. Dinner in traditional restaurant with folkloristic dances.
After dinner transfer to the airport for departure.