What a fabulous experience! The itinerary was very well organised and whilst there wasn't much free time, I did find the trip relaxing because there is so much to take in that you totally switch off from reality. We wouldn't class ourselves as seasoned travellers but we managed just fine. So long as you are clued up, read the trip notes and have an open mind, you'll be fine.
- What was the most inspirational moment of your trip?
I still keep thinking back and smiling. Here are a few things that will stay with me:
- The friendliness of the children as we past from village to village. Whilst the people of the Omo Valley have relatively little, it was wonderful to see just how content the children seemed and how they made the most out of every little thing they had.
- The amazing wildlife
- Meeting and chatting with the tribes. One particular moment that sticks with me was when a group of Karo girls learned my name and started following me round singing it!
- The Hamer camp was a brilliant experience: unzipping my tent to see a Hamer warrior walking by with spear in hand, playing frisbee with some of the Hamer boys and hearing the Hamer tribe singing and dancing in the distance whilst on the loo late at night!
- What did you think of your group leader?
- Gebre was excellent. He is an intelligent, kind man who is very knowledgable and passionate about his country. If there was something he didn't know, he would find out! He did a great job of organising things and making sure they ran smoothly. On one occassion he checked the rooms of a hotel we were due to check in to and decided they were not up to scratch so, whilst we were eating lunch, he managed to find another hotel down the road and check us all in with 10mins notice! He was totally professional, right up until the last minute and even waited at the airport until he knew we were able to change our unused birr back to dollars.
- Do you have any advice for potential travellers?
Money: we took about £350 worth of dollars each but ended up having at least a third left over (even though we did buy a fair few souvernirs). Don't worry if you can't get small birr notes at the airport (we were given two 1 birr notes!) as the guide can organise to stop at the bank in Addis before you leave for the Rift Valley if you ask. Since the bank is a proper bank, not an exchange, they should change the money for you. Please note that it was VERY difficult to change the birr back to dollars. The hotels refused and the bank at the airport would only change something like $150 per passport holder.
Health: A few of the group had upset tummys for a few days. Unfortunately, I picked something up in the first week and had it for 12 days. A course of antibiotics when I got home sorted me out fairly soon but I did lose a lot of weight in a short space of time. Immodium is often handy for practical reasons, especially if there are long drives. A big must though are rehydration powders! Take at least several boxes just in case.
General stuff: We took hand-held torches and realised that we may have done better with a head torch. Be aware that some of the villages take turns to get electricity so some days and nights you will be without any. This was sometimes true of the water too. Whilst a bucket of muddy water was always provided for flushing the loo, we sometimes didn't have water for washing for a day or two. When there was water, it wasn't usually hot. Some people did have boilers in some rooms but they didn't always work. I would strongly recommend a good supply of wet wipes and toilet roll too. Other essentials include hand-gel, cereal bars (especially good if you are feeling a bit dodgy and want something familiar to eat) and maybe an umbrella for the time in Addis. Which reminds me....I found it quite cold in Addis, so you may want to bring a thick cardi or jumper and possibly a lightweight waterproof jacket if you have room. Don't take too many clothes. Although things will get quite dirty, the boys at the campsite do a fab job of cleaning them (I don't think my trousers will ever get washed as well as they did!) for very little money. One last point is about gifts. On some occasions, members of the group handed out sweets to the children which usually caused quite a commotion since there were never enough to go round (children would come running from miles away and 10 quickly turn into 30). My own opinion is that it is more responsible to reward incentive and buy things from them instead. The odd gift (such as beads, tobacco etc) given VERY discreetly to elder tribe members, after building up a rapport can be a nice thing though. Generally though, the more you give, the more it is expected and may ruin future visitor's chances of a more genuine interaction.
- Is there anything else you would like to add?
I would second Anita's comments about camp food. The soups were great and the little added extras (snacks and tea waiting for us at camp after we returned from trips) were really appreciated.
The only reason that I haven't given the trip full marks is that whilst I appreciate that Ethiopia is a developing country with little infrastructure, there were times when I felt like some of the hospitality trades should buck their ideas up a bit. Just a few examples: I don't expect sparkling but did feel that some of the rooms could have been cleaned a bit better and general organisation in some of the hotels need work (e.g. bringing starters after the main, forgetting who'd paid for drinks and making us explain several times (this happened on many occassions). None of these comments are a reflection on Exodus or its staff. I expect that these things will improve naturally over time anyway as tourism increases in Ethiopia.
I hope I haven't put anyone off - it certainly wasn't the intention. This is a trip of life time and you will experience things that will stay with you forever. Just go with an open mind and a sense of humour and you will love it!
from 9 reviews.
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