The Rift Valley and the Cultural Mosaic of the South Route
Misty highland meadows and tall escarpment forests make up much of Southern Ethiopia, but the region is also incised by the gaping kilometer-deep tectonic scar we know as the Great Rift Valley, its acacia-swathed floor dotted with beautiful lakes renowned for their diverse profusion of birds. The ethnic diversity of this astonishing region embraces modern cities such as Hawassa and Arba Minch, but also the walled hilltop warrens of the Konso Cultural Landscape, the remote tribes of South Omo, the singing wells of the desert-dwelling Borena, towering Dorze homesteads and thousand year old island monasteries.
Cultural Experiences
Ethiopia is perhaps the hardest to describe. Ethiopia is an incredible blend of natural beauty, history and culture. The natural beauty of the country is obvious, you can’t escape the sweeping views and mountain peaks. The history is all around you; staring up at a crumbling castle ruin you know immediately you’re standing somewhere with a long and deep history.
The culture is something else. It’s less tangible, but even more powerful.
In some sense, everything you do in Ethiopia could be labelled a cultural experience. Wandering the sprawling markets, visiting the ancient churches and monasteries, hiking across the plateaus, and sampling the local cuisine. Everything you experience in Ethiopia is shaped by its culture, and you’ll be constantly in tune with how local way of life differs to your own, in both positive and negative ways.
There is no separating an experience in Ethiopia from the cultural fabric from which it’s borne. That’s what makes Ethiopia so hard to describe. It’s incredibly diverse, and a single destination can be described a thousand ways.
Natural Experience