Rift Valley

Rift valley is the paradise for birds and nature lover travelers where you will find the different species of birds & the wonderful untammed wilderness of the all Ethiopian landscapes.

The Ethiopian Rift valley is the chain of lakes and parks through it. There are seven lake which run from Debre-Zeit South wards lake Turkana in Kenya. There are many parks in the heart of the Rift valley, the Abiyata Shalla National park is the home of many endemic and other birds.

The Awash National park is one of the part of the Rift valley which is the oldest and most developed wild life reserve in Ethiopia. About 50 species of Mammals and about 400 species of birds have been counted, including some endemic species such as banded barbet, the Golden backed woodpecker, the thick billed raven.

Other parks with in the rift valley region is the Nech Sar this park was created for the protection of the endemic Swayne's hartebeest, this is the best place to see mammals, and the park contains the greatest concentration of Burchell's Zebras in the whole country.
Generally Speaking the Great Rift valley is the home of parks and chain of lakes and the largest portion of the Great Rift valley that traverses in Africa for 2800 kms is found in Ethiopia. The south of Rift valley provides a gateway to the national parks of Nech sar, Omo, Mago, Abiata - Shalla, & Bale Mountain.

The Ethiopian Rift valley is very rich in birds, hot spring beautiful views mammals from the Dascenech /Geleb/ at one end, who are mainly dedicated to cattle grazing and are therefore nomadic, tot eh karo or some of the Nyangatom at the other end, who cultivate sarghum on the flooded banks of the omo river. Between these extremes, the remaining people, to some extent, combine livestock with agriculture although they all primarily consider themselves herdsmen, implying a certain amount of seasonal movement.

Livestock is not only has economic value, but also social value, it is strongly connected to a network of social relationships that comprises their culture. Livestock is a source of food, not only milk but also blood. Blood is drawn off from the jugular veins of the livestock with sharpened darts.

This lack of material culture is compensated for by the exceptional ornamental and symbolic wealth of their decorated bodies. Awide and varied aesthetic culture is reflected in their bodies not only as an expression of beauty, but principally as a demonstration of messages and signals expressed through scarification, paintings, ornamentations and hairstyles.

Each groups has its own unique details & specialties. The karo standout for their body paintings. The Dascenech for their hairstyles, the Nyangatom for their piercing, scarification and collars, the Hammer for their elaborate clothing and ornamentation, and the Mursi for their labial plotes and their amazing hair adornments.

Scarification, widely practiced by all of the groups including geometric motif on the shoulders, arms, stomach chest and back.

The lower omo valley is the home & source of many ethnic groups of Ethiopia either exclusively of in group. Four wind jours will host you in this area.
 

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