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Christmas in Lalibela and Omo Valley

$700
Duration
3 days
Max People
100
Min Age
10+
Reviews
No reviews yet

Description

Orthodox Christians in Ethiopia call Christmas Genna/Gena or Ledet. Christmas celebrations in Lalibela begin on January 5th and continue until Christmas morning January 7th. During Christmas celebrations you will seeing hundreds of thousands of pilgrims, monks and priests, you will joined the pilgrims in their candlelight vigil for their Christmas celebrations and prayer.

The atmosphere of this religious spectacle is extraordinary and seeing the devotion of the faithful can have a profound effect on those that are fortunate to visit. It is an absolute honor to be in Lalibela for Christmas, sharing the experience with the Ethiopian Orthodox Christians and learning about their traditions and culture. The true meaning of Christmas being celebrated in the same way as it has here for over 800 years is truly a sight and feeling to experience. Words cannot express this unbelievable and unforgettable religious holiday in Lalibela. Timeless traditions, full of symbolic and significant moments of importance. After the morning church celebrations their fasting period of 43 days ends and they are provided with food prepared for thousands.
All these make it our top portrait photography destination (Christmas in Lalibela)

Omo Valley tribes: The extraordinarily diverse country of Ethiopia is home to some of the last true tribal people in all of Africa and has become famous for its extraordinary tribal photography potential. Omo Valley Photo Tour” will explore one of the most ethnically diverse places on Earth – the Omo Valley. This is a cultural photo experience during which we will interact with several tribal communities who still live much as they did hundreds of years ago. This harsh and inhospitable place has over ten distinctly different tribes existing within a 65 km range each with its own unique language, clothing, hairstyles and bodily ornamentation.

Our photo tour focuses on 5 of these tribes: the Arbore, Hamer, Karo, Dassanesh, Mursi tribe; these unique peoples of the Omo Valley are the most colorful and bizarrely-adorned tribes on this planet

Highlights
  • Photograph thousands of Pilgrims
  • Explore the rock hewn churches of Lalibela
  • Photograph five tribes in Omo Valley
  • Admire the Dorze culture
  • Experience the Mursi Tribe
  • Visiting colorful open market

Tour Plan

Expand All
DDay 1: January 04: Arrive Addis Ababa and city Tour

You will be met at the airport and transferred to the hotel. Addis was founded in 1886 by Menelik II, and situated at an elevation of around 2438m, which makes the third highest capital city in the world. If time allows you will be visiting; Markato the open market, National Museum, and visit the church of the Holy Trinity.

Overnight: Hotel Addis Ababa

Day 2: January 05: Fly to Lalibela

This day after breakfast you will fly to Lalibela with the flight number Et120. After check in to your hotel you will start your portrait photography; many pilgrims will come to celebrate Ethiopian Christmas.

Overnight: Hotel -Lalibela

Day 3: , January 06: Lalibela

Today is the eve of the Ethiopian Christmas so you will have many pilgrims coming from each corner of the country. You will go to each church to photograph pilgrims and priest. At night you will go to Bete Mariyam church to see the church mass, when the priests chanting and dancing.

Overnight: Hotel Lalibela

Day 4: , January 07: Lalibela

It is a day of Ethiopian Christmas where the priest and deacon dance on the edge of Bete Mariyam church, which called “Beza Kulu” Redeemer for us.
In the afternoon you will drive 42km to see the cave church about 100 years older than the rock hewn churches of Lalibela.

Overnight: Hotel- Lalibela

Day 5: January 08: fly back to Addis Ababa

You will drive to Lalibela airport to catch a flight ET121 to Addis Ababa.

Overnight: Hotel Addis Ababa

Day 6: , January 09: Drive from Addis Ababa to Arba Minch

You will drive to Arba Minch, before you reach to Arba Minch you will stop to visit Dorze village. The Dorze are known for their tall beehive-like houses and fine cotton weaving.

Overnight: Arba Minch- Hotel

Day 7: January 10: Drive from Arba minch to Turmi

This day in the morning after breakfast you will drive through the Omo Valley region to Turmi via Dimeka for visiting the Hamer tribes. The Hamer tribe is one of the largest groups in the Valley.
Overnight: Lodge –Turmi

Day 8: January 11: Photograh Karo, Dassanesh and Hamer Village

This day you will photograph three tribes; In the morning you will driving to visit the Karo ethnic group, experts in body painting. Then drive back to visit Dassanesh tribe. The Dassanech tribe is a Semi-nomadic tribe numbering approximately 40,000.
Late afternoon you will go to anther Hamer village you haven’t been at the first day.
Overnight: Lodge- Turmi

Day 9: January 12: Visit Arbore and drive to Jinka

This day early in the morning you will drive to photograph Arbore tribe; The women of the tribe cover their heads with a black cloth and are known to wear very colorful necklaces and earrings.
Overnight: Hotel- Jinka

DDay 10: January 13: Visit Mursi tribe and flight back to Addis Ababa

This day early in the morning you will drive via Mago National Park to photography the Mursi tribe; are known all over the world, for their decorative lip plates that adorn the lower lips of the Mursi women.
Then after lunch you will be drove to Jinka airport to catch flight ET 270 to Addis Ababa.

In the evening we will have a farewell dinner party in one of the best traditional restaurants with traditional Music and live dances over the stage from different ethnic groups of the country.

***** Departure*****

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$700

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General price: $600
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