Things to do in Great Rift Valley

After Breakfast at the Hotel we will drive to south of Addis Ababa and our first stop at Adadi Maryam Rock Hewn Church. The site is believed to have been built in the 12th century. Local tradition states that king Lalibela, one of the prominent kings of the Zagwe dynasty commissioned the construction of the church in the 12th century. According to the hagiography of St. Lalibela, Adadi Mariam was one of 76 rock-hewn churches which he had constructed and excavated in his lifetime, including those in Lasta. According to oral traditions, the establishment of Adadi Mariam church is also related to the coming of one of the most prominent saints of the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahido Church, Abune Gebre Menfes Kidus, from Egypt to Ethiopia. Our second stop to Tiya, it’s an archaeological site in central Ethiopia. It is best known for its large stone pillars, many of which bear some form of decoration. The archaeological site was designated a World Heritage Site in 1980, due to the unique nature of these monolithic monuments. The site is relatively recent. It was dated to a time period between the 11th and 13th centuries. The site contains 36 monuments, including 32 carved stele covered with symbols. Our Third stop at Melka Kunture is a Paleolithic site in the upper Awash Valley, Ethiopia. The site became a World Heritage Site in 2024. The Melka Kunture area is made up of valleys whose inner terraces resisted erosion. Later we will have lunch with Ethiopian coffee. Finally drive back to Addis Ababa.

7 am – Depart Nairobi and start of drive to Naivasha, brief stop over at the Great rift valley view point. Arrive at the gate of hells gate at around 9am. Start of the biking tour at hells gate for 2 hours 11pm – Finish the tours and bring the bikes back at the gate. 12pm – Drive to Naivasha lake Naivasha crescent Camp for lunch (at own expense) 2pm – Take a 1 hour boat ride in the lake for bird watching and hippo viewing. 4pm – End of all activities start of drive back to Nairobi drop off at your hotel. Arrive by 6pm

Day 1: Get picked up from your hotel in Nairobi city center or Westland's , then drive to Maasai Mara Nature Reserve. Pass the Great Rift Valley viewpoint for breathtaking views. Arrive in time for lunch after check-in at your camp. In the evening depart for a game viewing drive in the Mara Reserve. Return back to the camp for a sumptuous buffet dinner. Stay overnight in a big, private tent that has a bed, linen, shower, and toilet inside. Mosquito nets and a hot shower in the evening are provided. overnight stay at giraffe hill camp or similar Day 2: Spend the full day exploring Masai Mara in search of the Big Five. Enjoy picnic lunches in the Reserve as you scale the Mara beauty and splendor. This day you will go all the way to the river where the wildebeest cross into Mara from Serengeti. All year round there are lots of resident Hippos and crocodiles sited at the banks of Mara river. After the game drive, you will return back to the camp for dinner and overnight. Day 3: Masai Mara Game Reserve – Nairobi At this day you wake up and enjoy scenic view from your hotel you will be able to capture the early morning sunrise as well and then the climate will be favorable because the sun will not be hot during this hour, later have your breakfast and depart. Our driver can organize for you to visit the Masai Village ($20 per person) where you will be entertained with the Masai Dance, learn more about their life style and then start your journey back to Nairobi, arriving back in Nairobi around 3pm with drop off at your Nairobi city center hotel or wetlands areas .

Skilled driver/guide picks you from your chosen location be it airport/hotel or residence within Nairobi at 6.a.m. You will embark on a trip down to the west with a brief stop over to enjoy and take pictures of the spectacular Great rift valley landscape. Proceed with your drive to Hell's Gate National Park, the only park that allow you to get out of the car comfortably. Here you have three alternatives. You can drive ,walk or cycle through the park. There are a variety of animals that include the Giraffes, Zebras,Gazelles, Buffaloes, Elands and many more. Depending on weather you can have an optional guided walk through the gorge where you will see and touch hot water running naturally and nicknamed as the devils bathroom. Back to the main gate lunch will follow as you will definitely be exhausted.However after lunch a refreshing boat ride will follow at the fresh water Lake Naivasha. The experience here is breathtaking.You will sail past bloats of hippos,fishermen nearby,enjoy the aquatic birds of this lake Naivasha like the fish eagles,cormorants,pelicans and more. An optional walk at the crescent island may be done. After a fun and tiring day of exploration, you'll return to Nairobi in time for dinner

Day 1: Nairobi to Maasai Mara At 8 o’clock you will be picked up from your hotel within the Nairobi city center/Westland’s and commence the drive to Maasai Mara via the great rift valley view point where you will have a breathtaking view of the floor of the rift valley. Here you will see the semi active Mt Longonot and 2 other dormant volcanic mountains, Mt. Suswa and Mt Margret for 10 mins. You will arrive in time for lunch. Check in the hotel. Later at 4.00 pm depart for a 2 hour game viewing drive in the Mara Reserve until 6.00pm. Return back to the camp for a sumptuous buffet dinner ending with good time for resting at the Camp. Dinner and overnight at rhino tourist camp/similar Rhino tourist camp:/https://rhinotouristcamp.com/ Day 2: Full Day Game Drive in Maasai Mara Reserve Early breakfast at 6.30am and Depart for a full day game viewing. This is the most important day since we are hoping to see the big five, especially the big cats which are extremely illusive. Also we will visit the famous Mara river where the great migration happens, have a guided tour by the rangers to see the Nile crocodiles and hippo families and just to top it off have a picnic lunch under a tree in the park overlooking the vast landscapes. It is in the Mara that perhaps the most spectacular event of the natural world takes place: the great migration. This is the annual migration of millions of wildebeest and zebra from the Serengeti (in Tanzania) in search of water and pasture. Following on their heels are the predators of the savanna – lions, cheetahs, jackals, hyenas and vultures. Dinner and overnight: Rhino tourist Camp/similar Rhino tourist camp:/https://rhinotouristcamp.com/ Day 3: Depart Maasai Mara to Nakuru You will have breakfast at the camp and thereafter commence drive to Nakuru to arrive there in the late evening and Check in and overnight at Lanet Matfam/similar:.http://www.lanetmatfamresort.co.ke/ Day 4 : Nakuru to Nairobi You will have an early breakfast, check out and depart by 7am to straight to the park. Its a small park with magnificent, rare white rhinos which form part of the Big five animals. There is also a possibility to see the pink flamingos . The game drive lasts 3 hours, after which you depart on a 3-hour drive back to Nairobi to arrive at around 3 pm. You will be dropped off at the city centre/hotel within the city centre. Inclusions 3 Nights accommodation All Park entrance fees Mara and Nakuru All meals as per itinerary All Transport in a 4×4 land cruiser with a pop roof for easy game viewing. Our assistance at any point. Bottled water Pickup and drop off to your hotel within Nairobi city centre Exclusions Gratitutes Drinks e.g. alcohol Maasai village at an extra cost Balloon Safari at an extra cost (conducted on day 2 early in the morning and continue with the normal program) Pick up and drop off to airport/ hotel not within Nairobi city centre at an extra fee (maximum people per group is 8)

Begin with 7am pickup in Nairobi, then travel to Lake Naivasha and Hell’s Gate National Park, with a break to get views of the Great Rift Valley from a scenic overlook along the way. Upon arriving in the park at roughly 9am, begin a 2-hour, guided bike tour: watch for herds of Thompson’s gazelle, eland, zebra, and hartebeest as you ride. Keep an eye on the sky throughout the tour, as Hell’s Gate National Park is home to more than 100 species of birds, including Verreaux’s eagles, augur buzzards, vulture, and swifts. Continue on foot into the park’s distinctive gorges, where narrow passageways and caves are sunk into sedimentary rock. After a 1-hour walk, stop by a local Maasai community to learn about traditional life and customs in the Great Rift Valley, then head to Naivasha Fisherman’s camp for lunch (own expense).

Day 1: Addis Ababa - Jinka On your arrival at Jinka airport, meet your guide and drive to Mago National Park to visit a Mursi Village. The Mursi are known for their lip plates, which are worn by women. Enjoy your stay at the Jinka Resort. Day 2: Jinka – Karo - Turmi After breakfast, drive to Turmi via the Kara tribe, who reside on the shore of the Omo River. The Kara are the masters in body and face painting, which they practice on a daily basis. Before their rituals and dances, they carefully paint their faces and body as well as the faces of their friends using various-colored soil, minerals, plant pigments, flowers, white chalk, and black charcoal. Day 3: Turmi - Omorate - Turmi In the cool morning, drive to Omorate to visit the Desanech (Geleb) tribal village after crossing the Omo River by boat. The Desanech are nomadic pastoralists found across the western bank of the Omo River south of Lake Turkana very close to the Kenyan border. In the afternoon, drive to a Hamer Village. The Hamer, display an elaborate and diverse selection of body decorations. Day 4: Turmi - Konso- Arba Minch Early in the morning, drive passed the wonderful African landscapes, seeing the day life of these unique communities passing by on the way to to Arba Minch. Stop in one of the Konos village. The Konos area is registered by UNESCO as one of the world heritage sites. The Konso are famous for their old and unique terracing to cultivate the land. A special tradition are the engraved wooden statues as grave markers. Taste the good flavor of the local coffee. Day 5: Arba Minch - Lake Chamo - Dorze village - Arba Minch In the morning, have a boat cruise on Lake Chamo to see some of the biggest African crocodiles, Hippopotamuses and many beautiful aquatic birds including the lovely Kingfisher and African fish agile. After lunch, drive north to the mountain village of Chencha, located on the southwestern escarpment of the Great Rift Valley, which runs north to south all the way to Mozambique. This is the home of the Dorze people. The Dorze people, once famous warriors in the region, are now renowned cotton weavers whose tall beehive-shaped and bamboo-woven dwellings are among the most distinctive structures to be seen anywhere in Africa. Day 6: Arba Minch - Addis Ababa Early in the morning, drive to Arba Minch airport for your flight to Addis Ababa. Explore Addis Ababa, by visiting the National Museum. In the evening before departure, be invited to a farewell dinner at one of the best traditional restaurants in Addis where you taste a variety of Ethiopian meals and watch the folkloric dancers of the Ethiopian people. Then transfer to Bole, Addis Ababa airport for the flight back home. N:B:- "To ensure a seamless travel experience to and within Ethiopia, I highly recommend Ethiopian Airlines for both your international and domestic flights. Renowned for its reliability, convenience, and affordable services, Ethiopian Airlines ensures a smooth and comfortable journey.