Lower Valley of the Omo

The Lower Valley of the Omo (popularly referred to as the Omo Valley) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Southern Ethiopia. The river basin is famous for its large number of early hominid fossils and archeological findings such as early stone tools, leading to its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1980. It is even more famous for the various tribes that inhabit the area, which have caused it to become a popular – and controversial – tourist destination.

The Omo River

Over 50,000 fossils have been identified from the lower Omo valley. Fossils belonging to the genera Australopithecus and Homo have been found at several archaeological sites, as well as tools made from quartzite, the oldest of which date back to about 2.4 million years ago. The first archaeological discoveries in the area were in 1901, by a French expedition. The most significant finds were made later, between 1967 and 1975, by an international archaeological team. This team located a number of different items, including the jawbone of an Australopithecus man, estimated at some 2.5 million years old.

A Mursi woman with her lip plate

Perhaps more relevant to tourism, however, is that the lower valley of the Omo is home to a mélange of tribal cultures, renown for their lip plates, body paint and intricate beaded jewelry. These peoples include the Mursi, Suri, Nyangatom, Dizi and the Me'en, among others. The lip plates belong to the Mursi and the Suri, which women begin to wear once hitting puberty by stretching their lower lip over time with a wooden stick. The Suri engage in ritualistic body scarring, as do the Nyangatom. Elaborate dress and ornamentation is important for most tribes in the area.

A Mursi woman without her lip plate

As Ethiopia has grown more popular as a tourist destination, the uniqueness of these tribal traditions and cultures has drawn tourists to the lower Omo Valley. And as tourism in the lower Omo Valley has grown, the tribes have adapted. Souvenir shops have sprung up. Shows are put on. Begging is not uncommon. The Suri have even taken to disparaging their tribal peers in their more touristic villages, accusing them of "looking like the Mursi", as the Mursi are known to wear more flamboyant outfits when tourists are around. Meanwhile, some tourists have reported moral discomfort while visiting the valley, feeling as if they are on a sort of "human safari".

Although much of the lower Omo valley retains, at its core, its "untouched" magic, any potential tourist is presented with an ethical quandary – how to visit the lower Omo Valley without changing the lower Omo Valley by visiting? Certainly of lot of it depends on the tour operator. More intimate, private tours are reputed to tread more lightly in the valley than package group tours. But you should do your research. Ask your tour operator how they tour the region. Will the tribes be putting on a show for you, for example, a ceremony they wouldn't do otherwise? There is authenticity to be had, for sure, but it is up to you, the discerning tourist, to carefully seek it out.

You can visit the valley independently, but it is still recommended to hire a local guide. There is an entrance fee for each village. Villagers do not speak English (nor likely any language you happen to speak). To find a guide, get to one of the larger towns in the region, such as Turmi or Omorate, and ask around. There will be someone from a tribe or someone who knows someone from a tribe willing to be your guide. Jinka is a good base for making day trips to the valley.

More easily, you can arrange a tour from Addis Ababa, Arba Minch or Jinka. Prices for tours will be highest from Addis Ababa, while the lowest prices will be found in Jinka.

Preparing the bulls at the Hamer Bull Jumping Ceremony

• Hamer Bull Jumping Ceremony. A celebration put on by the Hamer tribe.

• Omo National Park
• Mago National Park