Nech Sar, The True Natural Forest Park This park is the most accessible of the parks, with impressive or beautiful natural scenery, at an hour flight distance from Addis Ababa. The area is reputed for its abundant local springs, lakes, groundwater, and thick natural forest. Here you will find amazing kinds of insects, birds and wild animals that dwell in this forest: from cutest to the monstrous; from commonest to the rarest; from rollers to the dancers; from tunnelers to the hungers. Science has never been so wrong in differentiating a tree from a vine. Would you like to assert this? See the picture. If you want to see real-time drama of prey and predator or the chasing and the fleeing, this is the place. I once saw two 'police monkeys', armed with sticks, escorting a convicted monkey off their territory. The poop-hoarding insects, Dung Beetles, have an amazingly advanced internal GPS that allows them to navigate while rolling poop balls heavier than them. Here is the job description of a Dung beetle in this forest: find a poop, pack it, roll it, chill on it, eat it, or store it for the offspring. The dance of death by a praying mantis: the male praying mantises perform a seductive dance to attract a mate, who will later bite their heads off. When a male praying mantis starts the dance, they do it well because it is always their last dance.

A crocodile market around the edge of chamo lake (arbaminch) Erhiopia you can visit via shot south Ethiopia on instagram or here

I loved our trip and the kids loved it too. However at the park, I did not wear long sleeves and got bit by insects I was told live on some of the wild animals. Can someone please share the name or what it is? Now I have developed severe itching and a bad skin reaction. Just learned that those are poppy seed ticks!!!

Wonderful Nature and wonderful place go and enjoy it Arbamich town.

I highly recommend Mr Kureman (+251984666623) as a guide for Nechisar National Park Park, for Arba Minch and for any other place in the area! He was honestly the best guide I have ever encountered, we fixed a very reasonable price in the beginning and then there was no further negotiation, no addons and we could relax and be friends. He is extremely knowledgeable and honest, nothing was an issue. I will trust him with all my travel needs whenever I'm back in the area.

Crossing the mighty lake chamo full of huge crocodile and Hippos with many aquatic birds, trekking through the national park see the smaller zebras and other wildlife

This park is a highlight of Arba Minch and should not be missed! You can no longer just walk in - a paid guide is required, as is an entry fee and an armed escort. Most tour guides try to limit your visit to an hour or so, although nature lovers could easily spend several hours. While there is an area where swimming/bathing is possible, it is not advisable. In addition, note that the 40 springs are now just PVC pipes protruding from the dirt.

Had a boat trip to the crocodile market and it was wonderful

It was a great trip through the Omo Valley, arranged skillfully by our guide Banti. He responded to all messages quickly and clearly; was always on time; things happened exactly as promised; everything was done in a courteous, respectful, and friendly manner - no drama of any sort, only good professional guiding and arrangements. Two big extras was helping us choose a better hotel in Jinka than the one we originally considered, saving us a lot of money too; and filling the last afternoon in Jinka (when Banti had already gone back to Arba Minch) by arranging a very nice hike up to the Ari village led by a local guide for which Banti paid himself and which was not part of the agreed itinerary. That’s what “exceeding expectations” means in practice. All in all, Banti is an excellent guide/trip arranger who’s local, knows the area inside out, and is highly trustworthy in terms of fulfilling promises, being on time, and going the extra mile. Couldn’t recommend him more highly.

I had a disappointing experience with my guide Banti. Here are the issues I faced: 1. He asked me to change 500 euros to local currency from him, claiming his friend needed it for a trip to Belgium. I suspect he intended to sell my money on the black market for a huge profit. 2. He only completed half of the program he initially offered. Despite promising to visit the Mursi tribe, he lacked the necessary information about their situation, which even I had. Due to conflicts between the Mursi and the government, we couldn't visit them, so he took me to see farmers instead. While that was interesting, the initial plan was to see four tribes, but I only saw one in a village and two together at a market. 3. He promised hot water in every hotel, but one hotel didn't have it. He booked cheap hotels for $10-15, which he knew didn't meet the promised standards. 4. At the market, I had to negotiate with the "boss of the market" for video rights, because Banti failed to handle it for me. 5. He expressed offensive views about LGBTQ+ people, making the trip uncomfortable. 6. After the trip began, he told me to pay for my own food, which wasn't mentioned before. But it’s ok, I didn’t ask separately about food. Also driver drank beer a few times while we was on the way. 7. He often complained about his business and asked me to tip the driver in the final of trip, despite the high cost of the tour. 8. He provided little information about the region and tribes, with limited English skills for guiding. This level of service is unacceptable, especially given the cost and expectations for a guided tour in such a challenging region.

unfortunately not recommended at all 👎 Reply to owner(Bante Wosen): No, don’t tell lies. Of course I booked a trip

Banti was an exceptional tour guide. Together with our driver, Getahun, they made us have an amazing 2-day tour in Arba Minch. I truly recommend him!

Banti really went out of his way to show us ceremonies, markets and beautiful nature. He was always helpful with restaurant recommendations and ready to drop us of wherever we wanted to go. The whole experience was very unique and truly amazing. Personally, we would have enjoyed a bit more nature and maybe one less day visiting tribes. Banti was our age and it would have been cool to connect a little bit more, but in general, I would definitely recmmend booking a tour with him, he is a great tour guide who makes sure you get to discover the beauties of Ethiopia!

We've had a very nice excursion at Arba Minch with the best guide we could imagine! He knew everything about the place and he guided us very well throughout the day. Overall a must-do for everyone visiting Arba Minch. Go Banti!

We had a nice experiance visiting arba minch , dorze, and conso . Banti and his driver mamusha are really helpful and experianced for the tour. for everyone who want to visit the place I really recommend them.

My friend and I visited Dorze village expecting a cultural experience, but sadly it turned out to be quite the opposite. On the way there, we were constantly stopped by children asking for money. It wasn’t just once, they followed us along the road, which made the journey uncomfortable. When we arrived, a group of young lads greeted us and one of them gave a short tour. The history and culture of the Dorze people were genuinely interesting. But halfway through, things took a turn. They pressured us to drink their strong local alcohol, and if you refused, they demanded you buy them a bottle for a ridiculous price. Once you had the drink, they invite you to dance and then demanded unreasonable amount of money at the end. You’re left feeling scammed and with little choice, especially as a stranger in the area. It’s a shame as the culture deserves better. I wouldn’t recommend visiting unless things change. Don’t fall for it!

Dorze was our first tribe we visited in Ethiopia. In the meantime we were there 2x with our family and unfortunately we can not recommend it. At least not this village where we were. You get a brief overview of how weaving is done, how it looks in the huts and how fake banana bread is made. We always had the impression that we are not welcome and it is only done because it must be done. Almost no friendly faces, no smiles. At the end of the tour you can dance with the singing women and dress up on traditionalDorze clothes. If you want to be involved, you can have fun. Apparently it's a tradition to drink some shots and sing loud toasts. Once we didn't want to drink liquor because it was still morning and we were scorned for it. Why can't a non-alcoholic option be offered? However, what bothered us extremely was the constant request to buy something or even more to support the village and give the woman big donationd for singing. Of course I understand that the people are dependent on donations. Here, however, it took place in such a penetrance that we really felt uncomfortable. No recommendations from us if this intrusiveness is not changed. Really a pity. And one last point: on the way up and down to the village, kids jump in front of your car to get some Birr for dancing. Please be super careful!

a bit more than a one hour drive from arba minch you will find this dorze mender (village of the dorze people) which is absolutely worth a visit! if ever you should visit arba minch, take the chance: hire a local driver and visit the village. after leaving arba minch you will drive 20 minutes alongside lake abaye in the plain of the main ethiopian rift. from there, the street climbs about 1100 meter (with an amazing view over the valley) to the village of chencha. the dorze village is an „open-air museum“. you will be welcomed by a tour guide, who will introduce you to some main aspects of the dorze culture, such as housing and construction (the elephant-shaped bamboo houses), food (enset, kocho), weaving and dancing. the whole trip will take you at least half a day. some may say, the guided tour is a pure performance of the village people. my opinion is: yes, it is an open-air museum. but it is definitely an impressive experience, which teaches a lot about the beautiful dorze culture. and it was a feast for the eyes to see the beautiful handicrafted textiles (shemane). many things you will see there, you can also find in the ethiopian culture (e.g. kocho). and last but not least: the dorze village is a cooperative. by taking the tour, you will support the whole cooperative. all in all, it is a very worthwhile experience!

The village itself is interesting, and the traditional songs performed by the women are a nice. However, the experience is overshadowed by the aggressive behavior of the guides, who push visitors to buy traditional clothes at prices nearly 10x higher than what you’d find in the local market. The entrance fee is also quite high (3000 birr), which doesn’t feel justified. I highly recommend supporting only the women through direct donations rather than purchasing the overpriced clothing.

Dorze Village is a traditional settlement of the Dorze people, nestled in the highlands of southern Ethiopia, approximately 30 kilometers north of Arba Minch. Situated at an altitude of around 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), the village offers breathtaking panoramic views of the Rift Valley . Cultural Highlights Beehive-Shaped Huts: The Dorze are renowned for their distinctive, towering beehive-shaped huts made from bamboo and thatched with false banana leaves. These structures can reach up to 12 meters in height and are designed to be both durable and portable, allowing them to be relocated if necessary .

Great place to learn more about the Dorze Tribe

Dorze village felt somewhat commercialized — while it serves as a cultural center showcasing local traditions, the experience came across as more performative than authentic, and the people didn’t seem particularly engaged or enthusiastic about the activities they were presenting.