A Great In The Southern Region

About Turmi Lodge, Turmi

Turmi Lodge named for the town in which it’s located: Turmi, home of the Hamar people. The lodge is owned and operated by Splendor Ethiopia Tours.

Turmi Lodge has 34 en-suite rooms, in several blocks spread about the large compound. The spacious rooms all have cupboard, mosquito net, table, chairs, luggage rack, and two beds. The restaurant serves some Ethiopian dishes, a selection of pasta and rice dishes, and some soups and salads. The bar has wine and beer. The lodge also offers laundry service.

The Hamar people can be recognised by their ochre-tinted skin and hair. They are known for their unique custom of bull jumping, a ceremony during which a young man proves he is ready for marriage by running over the backs of a row of bulls. At the same ceremony, the women of the tribe demand to be whipped by young, recently initiated men, taunting them should they not whip hard enough.

The local Hamar market is where the Hamar gather to buy, sell and socialise. Goods on sale include ornate woodcarvings, statues, chillies and spices, and the ochre paste that the Hamar use to adorn their hair and skin. Some of the other tribes of the Omo Valley, including the Karo and the Dassanach, also live in the vicinity and can be visited from here.