Ethiopia to Kenya via the Omo Valley
Holiday Itinerary
Day 1: Rendezvous at the group hotel in Addis Ababa. A complimentary group transfer from the airport is provided. KE Land Only package services begin with a city tour. We have dinner and stay overnight at the group hotel.
Day 2: We have a fascinating drive on a good road, travelling via Welliso to Jimma, stopping off to visit villages of the Gurage people en route. Arriving in Jimma we check into a hotel. 6 hours of driving (350 km).
Day 3: Today's drive takes us through a varied landscape of tropical forest, coffee and tea plantations to the town of Bebeka. Here, we stay in a small guesthouse on a coffee plantation. The road condition is not as good today as we move further away from the capital. 7 hours of driving (270km).
Day 4: We continue on rough roads through the plantations and forest to the Surma village of Tulgit where we make camp and have time to meet the local people. 5 hours of driving (180km).
Day 5: We will take a break from the vehicles today and do some exploring on foot amongst the nearby Surma villages. A chance to learn a bit more about their remarkable way of life. Approximately 3 hours of walking. We spend a second night at our camp close to Tulgit.
Day 6: Leaving Tulgit we drive through the jungle and enter Omo National Park. There are no roads as such but we should arrival at the Park headquarters by late afternoon, in time for a short gamedrive. Overnight camping. Up to 6 hours driving (130km).
Day 7: We have a game drive in the morning and then head towards the Omo River, arriving there by early afternoon. We cross the river, change vehicles and meet a new crew. We then visit the Mursi people and set up camp by the river. 5 hours driving (130km).
Day 8: We spend the morning with the Mursi people in the Mago National Park and then drive on to Jinka, where we stay in a basic lodge. 4 hours of driving (180km).
Day 9: The road conditions are much better for today's drive via Key Afar to Turmi. En route, we visit the Hamar and the Banna people who are known for their 'bull-jumping' ritual. 6 hours of driving (200km).
Day 10: We make day excursions to visit villages of the Karo and Hamar people. The Karo are known for their ornate body art and intricate headdresses, and like the Hamar they also have a rite of passage where young men jump over oxen. 2 hours of driving (60km).
Day 11: We drive south to Oromorate, a small village on the border with Kenya. There are border crossing formalities to undertake here, before we can proceed into Kenya and the the town of Ileret. 7 hours driving (200km).
Day 12: Today, we drive south to our lodge at Alia Bay, in the Sibiloi National Park and alongside the northern end of Lake Turkana. We explore a fossilised forest and vist the 'Cradle of Mankind' museum at Koobi Fora. 3 hours of driving (100km).
Day 13: Another scenic drive to reach Loiyangalani on the south-eastern shore of Lake Turkana in the Great Rift Valley. We overnight in a simple guesthouse in the town. 5 hours of driving (170km).
Day 14: Lake Turkana is the world's largest permanent desert lake. We take a boat trip to the island home of the Elmolo, a tiny tribe of primitive fishermen, who hunt Nile perch and crocodiles from log rafts. Overnight at Loiyangalani.
Day 15: Leaving the rockiest land behind, we head south into savannah country. Arriving at the Samburu Game Reserve, we have our first chance to see some of the park's wildlife on our drive out to the tented camp. Lion, cheetah and leopard, can be found here. 6 to 7 hours driving (250km).
Day 16: We have early and late game drives today, with a spell of rest and relaxation at our camp during the heat of the day. We may also see the semi-nomadic, pastoralist Samburu people. Overnight at the tented camp.
Day 17: Leaving the reserve, we follow a reasonably well surfaced road to Lake Nakuru where we check into a guesthouse. If we arrive in time, we will be able to have a quick visit to the park before dinner. 7 hours driving, (300km).
Day 18: We have a final game drive at Lake Nakaru, with the pink flamingoes being an obvious highlight. After lunch, we drive to Nairobi, where we check in at a hotel and enjoy a final celebratory dinner on completion of our epic journey. 3 hours driving (180km).
Day 19: We have breakfast and an easy morning at the hotel, before transferring to the airport to check in for the homeward flight. KE Land Only services end on arrival at Nairobi Airport.
