Exploring the Arba Minch
If you want to see a fleet of crocodiles in one place both in the water and on the land, Arba Minch is the best place to do this while on a visit to the Ethiopia. It is 500 kilometers away from the capital city of Ethiopia Addis Ababa. Arba Minch can loosely be translated to mean forty springs and the city was named after that many springs that are found in the city. The springs supply water to the whole city and you can see the springs during day. Arba Minch as a province does not have a lot people living there but all these belong to different religious affiliations that is 5% are Moslems, 40% are Anglicans whereas 55%belong to the Orthodox Church. All these live together in harmony and as you head out you should respect each of their beliefs to have a good trip to Arba Minch.
Arba Minch is filled with many tourist attractions that make visiting Ethiopia a fun experience with the many activities that can be carried out while in those tourist destinations.
Explore the Nechisar National Park
The Nechisar National Park is found in the Arba Minch city and its one of the many places that you can visit when you visit the city. The park was established in 1974 and has a wide range of wild life that you can view and others activities that can be carried out in the Park. The different activities that will make your trip worthwhile in Arba Minch include the following:
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Birding
The Nechisar National Park is filled with different bird species that can be seen in their different habitats and some of them include the podica senegalensis, the kingfisher, pelicans, the flamingos, storks, eagles and many more others.
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Wild life viewing
The National Park has many animals that make it the perfect get away for all tourists like crocodiles, bush pig, the black backed jackal, the Anubis baboon, a bush buck, hippos, monkeys and many more others that you will find in the park when you visit the Arba Minch.
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Trekking
Trekking can also be carried out in the Nechisar Park and it is one of the best activities that tourists love. The park has good trek trails that you can traverse as you enjoy the view that has been provided by the animals in the forest and the numerous trees that provide a good scenery.
Visiting the Dorze tribe
The Dorze tribe is part of the group of people who live in the Omo valley and they are still some of the few that have kept all their traditional practices intact. They live in a village which is commonly known as Chencha and the beauty of how they live is what you do not want to miss. They have these beautiful houses that they live in that are constructed in form of bee hives and not forgetting their tasty food.
Explore the Chamo Lake
The Chamo Lake is located in the highlands that make part of the Great Rift Valley in the Arba Minch town and it has the largest number of crocodiles. It is 15 kilometers wide and for all visitors to the Lake, there is a warning for all to be careful of the many crocodiles that habitate around the park. The various activities that you can carry out when you visit the Chamo Lake include the following:
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Birding
The lake is a home to a number of birds which amount to over 350 recorded species which tourists can easily view from the Lake shores and some of the bird species include the yellow billed stork, flamingos, eagles, the African king fisher, marabou storks and pelicans.
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Animal viewing
There are many animals that habitate around the Chamo Lake and some of them include crocodiles, Zebras, elephants, different types of fish and other aqua life like hippos.
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Picnics
The picnics are always had on the shores of the lake Chamo where various people hang out and relax as they watch the crocodiles swimming within the water and basking in the sun after the swim. You will find a lot of tourists doing the same thing with a few locals carrying out their businesses.
Visit the forty springs
The forty springs that are located in the middle of the city Arba Minch is where the city got its name from. These can easily be seen as you pass through the city and even though at the moment there are many constructions happening within the city, you will still find that they are worth visiting and you can also relax while having a picnic there as you stare at the numerous springs that are all located in the same area.
Enjoy the crocodile market
The crocodile market is where you will find many locals selling off all products that are got from the Lake Chamo. And although it is illegal to sell the meat products some locals still do that but that is all not you get to see when it comes to the crocodile market. Many locals who are brave enough to capture the crocodiles also showcase the different crocs and this is mostly done at the banks of the Chamo Lake where the Lake meets the River Kulfo. While at the crocodile market, you will also be able to see the different bird species in the area and some aqua animals.
Walk through the Omo valley
The Omo valley is right next to the Arba Minch and you can easily visit and enjoy all that the valley has to offer. The Omo valley is known for a lot of things but the most important is the ethnic history that can be felt by anyone who visits the valley that is there are numerous tribes in the Omo valley that have kept with their tradition despite the oncoming traditions from the western world. Some of the tribal experiences that you get from the Omo valley can be got from the following tribes that live in the area:
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The Daasanach people
These are the smallest ethnic group of people that live in the Omo valley along the banks of the River Omo. These live in houses that can easily be folded or collapsed and re built in a matter of minutes. They construct their houses that way because of the River bank that sometimes over flow when it trains heavily.
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The Konso tribe
The Konso people live in the Konso village which was declared a UNESCO heritage. It is visited by many tourists who come to experience the unique stone walls that surround the whole village and get to also participate in the many festivals that are organized by the locals. The legends that are told of how the old stones were built and these are told by the elders of the Konso tribe.
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The Karo people
These live in the Eastern part of the Omo valley and the different traditions that are practiced by the Omo people include painting of their bodies using paint that is not harmful and different designs are drawn on the body and you are free to join in the painting ceremony.
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The Harmer people
The Harmer people also have their traditions that they carry out for example in order for the boys to be regarded as men, they first undergo the bull jumping ceremony where they have to jump over a line of bulls without falling and the ladies paint their hair with red clay so that they look good and attractive towards the men.
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The Mursi people
The Mursi people also have their own traditions although most of them are carried out by the women. When a girl is born, she gets a plate fitted into her lip and as she grows, she gets the lip plate fitted according to her size. They also get their ear lobes extended to increase on their beauty and the bigger the lip plate the more beauty that one gives off.
The local people in the Omo valley that is found in the Arba Minch has landscapes that provide a good scenery that you can enjoy on your ride through the Arba Minch.
Best time to visit the Arba Minch
The best time to visit the Arba Minch is during the dry season. The wet season makes it hard for most tourists to actually get to the various destinations that are found in the Arba Minch because during this time, many of the roads are always cut off due to heavy flooding from the rains and if they are not floods, most of them are impassable because of the mud in the road. And therefore if you want to enjoy your stay in the Arba Minch you should visit during the dry season when the rains have stopped.
Getting to Arba Minch is quite easy due to the presence of the airport that connects the province with the capital city and there are also good accommodation facilities.
