50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
An incredibly accommodating private tour experience.
We arranged a private tour for three friends and were accompanied by our guide Lamesgn and our driver Abel. Overall both were excellent. We toured the tribes of the Omo Valley, which is pretty off the beaten path from other tourist areas of Ethiopia. With that came less infrastructure and less than comfortable accommodations, which was to be expected. We visited several tribes including the Dorze and Hamar tribes. The Dorze visit was the most engaging and interactive and fun, though having us dress up in tribal clothes was unnecessary. We spent a night camping with the Hamar tribe, which was a truly authentic experience (not so comfortable) but authentic nonetheless and the type of experience we asked for. Since it was Christmas night (Jan. 7) we experienced the sacrificing of a goat, and had dinner with the tribe before hunkering down in individual tents. We also visited the Karo and Mursi tribes which were interesting visits though more organized for tourists. One of the best experiences was a visit to the Hawasa fish market, where we learned about how the locals live off of the river and learned to make Ethiopian sushi. This experience happened because Lamesgn listened to our wanting more authentic experiences not built for tourists. We also got to watch a Hamar tribe bull jumping ceremony.
We were not thrilled with the food options for most lunches and dinners as these were at hotels. The menu was always the same, with mostly westerner options. That might be what many want but we wanted authentic Ethiopian, which we got on the last night in Arba Minch - a fun local place with a great vibe!
Most hotels we stayed in were ok - maybe a level 2/3. Electricity and water were spotty, which was to be expected in such a non-touristy area. The last night in Arba Minch we asked to change hotels to the Haile Resort, which was heaven on earth after 6 days of “roughing it”.
At all times Lamesgn did his best to make sure we were happy and comfortable and made changes to the itinerary as needed. Southern Ethiopia is dusty, bumpy, and filled with flies but as a well traveled group we could not have asked for a better guide and driver. This area of Ethiopia is very interesting and beautiful in areas. Overall a good experience but it’s not going to be for everyone.
65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Responsive and Helpful
Our safari experience was quite wondrous. The Shamwari Reserve is a marvelous place. Other than some relatively minor issues regarding transportation, our experience was quite satisfying. We would happily and certainly use and/or recommend Safari.com again.