Just did a five day trip with Haile to the Omo valley. Tribes, Markets, Trekking around Jinka. Decided to go during my trip to Ethiopia and at first reaching out... read more to tour guides from
On the road seemed tough as there are many companies around and you have no idea who might be good. He was one of the tour companies that came up on
My google search. From all the companies i contacted from on the road Communication with him was great from the first contact. Quick feedback. Good information. Totally ok with my asks and changes for the trip an very accommodating to my not fixed travel times. Trip down south was great. Reliable car, good camping gear, amazing driver. And he is from the area!! Seems everyone in every town and village knows him.He has great contacts in the villages and to local guides. I decided to go a bit more budget as for a solo traveller its quite expensive. So camping and more basic (but completely fine) Accomodation. But you if you have a bit more money to spend he can arrange everything else that is availble here too and provide whats high end down here. Last 5 days were one of the best travel experiences in my life.

Ulf

  Haile is one of the few guides I’ve had after visiting 76 countries who actually had personal connections with the people who could make a trip more than just a... read more tourist experience. I spent several days with Haile and he made sure I saw everything on my list and introduced me to real people all along the way. We visited a tribe way off the path that rarely sees outsiders with children who had never seen a white person!
I really enjoyed my trip and my time with Haile!
Great experience and value

  We spent 2 days in Arba Minch area visiting Donze Village and Lake Chamo. The tour was great and our driver is helpful.
Haile is a kind person and... read more he is superb! He speaks good English and answered quickly upon our inquiry. He is very helpful on your requests, and keeps following up on your situation even after the tour. Thank you very much, Haile, for giving us a great experience in Ethiopia!

  Haile and his company are very good for clients because he is always on time and respect his customers. I really appreciate his service with maximum respect. Trust me Haile... read more Ethiopia Tours is highly recommended .

  I did a three day tour (in reality two and a half day tour + half day for driver to go back to Arba Minch).

I flew to Arba... read more Minch on Day 0 and was received at the airport by Haile, and taken to the Arba Minch Tourist Hotel and settled in. The hotel was OK but no WiFi on the third floor at all.

Day 1: at the breakfast, Haile told me he had a death in the family and needed to stay back but he included my breakfast and dinners and promised I would have local guides everywhere. He also gave me his WiFi card with 100 Birr a day loaded. We started off with China who is an excellent driver. We visited Komso tribe (local guide took me around and showed things but no home visits). Then we continued on to Turmi where we had late lunch at the Tourist Hotel and visited a Hamer village with guide Gale - Gale was excellent and we spent close to two hours at the village and had lot of excellent interaction with the Hamer village people. This was an excellent experience. Back to Turmi and overnight in Dobo Hotel.

Day 2: we started early at 7, had breakfast at Touirist Hotel and continued to drive down to Omorate which is a border town with the Northwest Kenya to visit the Dasenetch tribe - had a river crossing in a dugout canoe and visited a Dasenetch village which was also another excellent experience. Returned to Turmi to attend the Hamer Market. Continued drive to Jinka - en route we also visited a Bunna tribal people at their farm and had great interaction with them. Continued to Jinka and visited the museum and the Ari Tribe. Overnight at the Jinka NASA hotel, which was excellent - so was the restaurant in Jinka.

Day 3: again we started at 7, had an excellent breakfast and drove down to see the Mursi village (popularly known for their attractive culture, women wearing large clay plates into their lower lips) with an escort as well as army convoy. This was another excellent experience, though very dusty drive! Drove back to Jinka and was transferred to Airport for flight back to Addis Ababa.

All in all, this was a very enjoyable and informative tour and everything Haile said we will do, we did. China was helpful and courteous thru-out as well as very punctual. Haile kept in constant touch twice a day to ensure everything was taken care of.

I highly recommend to do this tour with Haile and China - if possible add a day or two to visit a few more tribes. This is an experience you are not likely to forget anytime soon.

  Haile was an excellent guide. As some other traveller said, his connection with the peoples and tribes you visit is genuine, and that makes the trip a totally different experience.... read more He engages with the communities and finds the most interesting local guides. Like Franco, an amazing and knowledgable guide for the Hamer People.

The only small recommendation to Haile it's to try to prepare a little bit more information about the itinerary, the costs and the activities on the trip. But I wouldn't recommend anyone else for this area, and I am sure we will be asking for his services again!!