Visit the Omo Valley tribes without a tour (and save hundreds)!!

Good for you - great report!

ScotchAmaretto thanks very much for posting this. Some really good info in your report. Just wondering what were the highlights of your trip? Any hasstles/ problems/ areas you didnt like?

I am thinking to do similar in the last 2 weeks of december. If anyone is thinking of going around that time please send me a pm and maybe we can get a group together.

The tours of OMO valley that are quoted by tour operators for 1300-1500$ are not per person but by 4x4( up to 5 person per car) and also includes,Karo people,Omorate people and Dorze peoples and Borana.
Also the bull jumping is not a wedding ceremony.It is a ceremony about the coming of age.
If you had a tour you would have had proper info.
I have nothing about individual traveling ,actually I encourage it.
But when you try to convince others that you found "Shambala" type of thing,make sure that you pass on the right info.

Hi there

I will be in Ethiopia from 28.01 till 27.02.2012. Would love to try to do it on my own, becouse i travell on a very tight budget. If someone want to join would be great. Just drop me a msg

Hey letsgo1,

I would say the ultimate highlight of my trip would be the entire whipping and bull jump ceremony. After the ceremony, all the other tourists got into their jeeps and drove away while we walked the 5km back to the village with the tribal people, an experience nobody else really gets. I feel like it was much more hands-on for us, rather than the tour people who just came and left everywhere by jeep.

One big hassle is when you arrange everything yourself, you have to be careful and confirm everything. For example, our Mursi guide tried to save money by throwing us in a minibus at the last minute, but we insisted on the jeep for the same price. You have to be very firm.

The hotel conditions are also pretty bad in some places (Kayefour for example), but that's pretty much for everyone. Washing yourself in the dark (no electricity!) with a bucket of water sucks... a lot.

As for michelholi's comment, to say that the $1300-$1500 is per car is very misleading, because that gives people the impression that they can just split that money, which is not true. The truth is, if you add more people, the operators increase the "shared costs." I got a breakdown from one operator that went something like this:

1 person - $1400
2 people - $1000 per person
3 people - $900 per person
4 people - $850 per person

No tour operator I talked to would allow more than 4 people.

@ScotchAmaretto
The price I gave 1300 to 1500 $ depending on operator is by 4x4 or if you prefer by car.So total cost divided in between occupants.
I just did it early October and I am not an exeption.Now as for the # of occupants it depends on the 4x4,some have up to 6 seats (rare I will admit but still) so one for the driver and the remaining for the travelers.
I have been to Ethiopia twice now,each time for one month.I had time to go around on my own and in 4x4 for 2 different trip.Nothing as changed you simply split the cost.
Now if you got that type of breakdown and took that as a standard too bad.
But reality ain't what you write.

If you put info's on the forum make sure you know what you are talking about.Many rely on this information for the trip of "A lifetime".

Hi there!
Awesome info You provided! Thanks a lot!

I'm travelling with my cousine from Addis Ababa to Omo valley around 19/20. november, for about 7-9 days.
We're both 26 y.o.

Anyone wanna split costs? :)

You can make without tour operator!

Hi, having read the post about doing the Omo Valley independently (many thanks, ScotchAmaretto, for the excellent info), I am sending out this message to see if anyone is interested in joining me for a similar trip between 25 Jan (leave Addis) and 3 Feb (be back in Addis). Happy to share more details about myself, once I hear from any interested travellers.

Hey Betty,
my boyfriend and I would like to go from Dec 20 to 27 ish. Have you found others yet? Are you in Addis now? We'd like to try and do it backpacker style, not booked tour. Are you still going?
Swenada24