Following the south west of the capital, one finds the Omo River, which crosses the southern part for almost 1000 kms. It passes different environments; alpine, rainforest to savannah and finally to desert lands.

The southern part of Ethiopia is the place where one finds the most remote tribes whose way of living is truly African. These tribes, who lived in complete isolation for years include; the Karos, the Gelebs, the Hammers, the Bumes, the Mursis and many others, each having their own distinctive and unique features. Of their various distinguishing features, the Mursi and Surma people are famous for their lip plates, the Karos and Hammers, for the amazing paintings on their body and the Konsos, for their attractive terracing system and the Gurages, known for their false banana culture, where the same applies for the several unmentioned tribes.

The south is also home for the Dorze people, where the Old Dorze village of Chencha glimpses the ancient Ethiopia in their beehive shaped houses made from bamboo and the leaves of enset, false banana. Moreover, the Dorze people are famous through out the country for their unique weavings.

The land offers a unique unpolluted culture, ceremonies, incredible life styles, astounding sceneries where views vary from one tribe to the other.

The southern part is home for several parks with suitable camp sites and prolific wild life where one can find large herds of buffalo, cheetah, leopard, giraffe, Bruchell’s Zebras, hartebeest, topi, Oryx and lions, the animal which is symbolically associated with Ethiopians.

National Parks