Omo Valley · Ethics · ኦሞ
How we visit
the Omo
The Omo is home to people, not a stage. These are the rules we work to, agreed with our local partners. If they don't suit your trip, we are not the right company for it.
Our rules
- ፩
A guide from the area, always
Every visit in the Omo is led by a guide from the community or district you are visiting, paid properly, who decides what is appropriate that day.
- ፪
No paid photo set pieces
We do not take part in the per-photograph economy, where people dress up and line up by the road. It turns people into props and pays them least of all.
- ፫
Ask, then accept the answer
Ask before you photograph anyone, through your guide. If the answer is no, or a fee you think too high, put the camera away.
- ፬
Pay into agreed channels
Village entry and community fees go where the community has said they should go: to the kebele, a committee or the family host. Your guide handles it openly and tells you the amounts.
- ፭
Markets as shoppers
Market days are for trade. Buy something, pay the asking price or a fair one, and do not photograph people's goods or faces without asking.
- ፮
No gifts to children
No sweets, pens or money handed out from vehicles. If you want to give, we can introduce you to a school or clinic that has asked for something specific.
- ፯
Ceremonies by invitation only
Rites like Hamar bull-jumping happen for the family, not for visitors. We go only when the family has invited guests, and we brief you first, including on the parts some people find hard to watch.
- ፰
Small groups, slow days
Never more than six guests with one guide in a village, and never two villages in one morning. Spare days so no visit is rushed.
- ፱
No drones
Importing a drone into Ethiopia needs prior approval, and flying one over people's homes needs their consent. We don't include drones on our trips.
- ፲
Know the context
The Gibe III dam and large sugar plantations have changed the river's flood cycle and people's land. Your guide can talk about it; the South Omo Research Center in Jinka is the place to learn more.
02 · Why it matters
Most tours of the Omo are short visits built around photographs. People are paid per picture; the money rarely stays where it should.
We would rather sell fewer days in the Omo and have them be right. That means longer stays in fewer places, guides who are from there, and visits arranged in advance with the people being visited. It also means telling you when the honest answer is no.
Rules and fees differ from district to district and change. Your guide confirms the current arrangements in each place, and we list them in your final itinerary.
Plan the south with us
The Deep South journey runs through Arba Minch, Konso and the Lower Omo with local guides at every stage.
See the journey