Location: Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region Map
Area: 4068 km²
Omo National Park is one of the last regions in Ethiopia untouched by the activity of civilization. It protects natural reserve around Omo River valley. Omo National Park is a protected biosphere reserve that lies on the West bank of the Omo River Valley, what gives its name. The terrain of the protected reserve is uneven and covered by savannas and mountainous areas. It is covered by Sai and Sharum plains in the North and West parts of the park. Maji Mountains, the highest part of the Omo National Park, lie in the North part the reserve. The highest peak of the Omo National Park reaches an elevation of 1541 meters.
Archaeological digs within the boundaries Omo National Park discovered several sites of ancient human fossils. Humans inhabited these lands for at least 200,000 years. Today, their descendants, the indigenous tribes of Dizi, Me'en, Mursi, Nyangatom and Suri are still inhibiting their traditional lands within the Omo National Park despite government attempts to move them elsewhere. Little here reminds of civilization other than Kalashnikovs so be prepared for a rather rustic facilities.
The Omo National Park is a protected area in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region in South West Ethiopia. It covers an area of 4068 sq km and in 1980 it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site. You can get to the Omo National Park by bus from Addis Ababa, capital of the country to Jimma, one of the largest cities in the region. It takes about 6-8 hours to get here and there is no air conditioner so brace yourself. Alternatively, you can rent 4 by 4 in the city, but fuel stations are scarce. It would be a good idea to find out their exact location along the road.