In the landlocked depths of southern Ethiopia, betwixt verdant forests, rugged hills, rolling grass plains and countless fields of plantations, sits the town of Arba Minch. The dual centres of Sikella and Shecha that form Arba Minch as a whole open up into a haphazard array of dusty roads and single-storey buildings, crowned by a flourishing university and hemmed in by the wild vistas of the Gamo Gofa Zone.

For a more off-the-beaten-track exploration of Ethiopia, Arba Minch tour guides direct travellers straight to the wealth of natural attractions that abounds throughout the countryside. These range from the Forty natural springs and the alligator-dotted shores of Lake Chamo in the Nechisar National Park to picturesque treks across God’s Bridge connecting the lakes Abaya and Chamo. Visitors can even take a peek into the cultural landscape of the region at the curious tribal Dorze village with its beehive huts high up in the Guge Mountains, or the traditional village of Konso a day trip away.