A Great In The Southern Region

About Buska Lodge, Turmi

Buska Lodge is in Turmi, home of the Hamar people. The lodge is owned and operated by Dinknesh Ethiopia Tours.

The 25 en-suite rooms are made up of singles, doubles and twins. The lodge offers laundry and Wifi, and has a campsite, with thatched shade roof and adjoining bathrooms. The restaurant serves Ethiopian dishes and some international dishes. The bar serves wines, spirits and beers, and has an outdoor fire-pit. The lodge also offers a menu of treatments including Swedish massage, manicure and pedicure.

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.