"Baboons crossing!" shouts our guide Tesfa. Our driver Danny slams on the brakes. We grab our cameras and get out of our vehicle. The baboons take their time crossing the road and slowly make their way up large flowering red Poinciana trees. Curious locals crowd around to see what is going on. Young entrepreneurs hurry away only to come back with bunches of bananas, "Local price of 5 Birr to feed baboons!"

We are on our way to Omo Valley in Southern Ethiopia. It is a rarely visited area with some of the most colorful tribes and ethnic groups. It is an eight day round trip from Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia. Contrary to the image that people have of Ethiopia being a dry, famine torn country, the south is tropical with abundant wildlife and a birdwatchers paradise. In Ethiopia poverty and a food shortage still exists but there is another part of the picture. In some areas the locals are doing quite well for themselves. It is fertile land and many crops grow here. We pass camel trains and endless sparkling lakes filled with pelicans, flamingos, herons, storks, crocodiles and hippos. Lush mountainsides are planted with crops. Villages made of mud brick huts scatter the countryside. Roadside stalls sell sun ripened bananas and juicy mangos that grow everywhere.

The trip is slow as the road is full of activity and a meeting place for the locals. It is congested with people, donkey carts, cows and improvised wheelbarrows made out of wood and any other materials that can be found. Wistful eyes of scrawny donkeys peer out from enormous loads. Children fall about laughing as they stand in the middle of the road doing rehearsed dance routines in the hope we stop. Ladies with golden hoop earrings and white smiles, balance baskets of bananas and mangos on their heads and wave animatedly when they see our vehicle.

At lunch we stop at cafes with balconies that overlook the lakes. At times there is a limited choice of food, apart from the mainly carnivorous national dish of wat a hot spicy stew accompanied by Injera (a large spongy traditional pancake made out of teff flour and water). Our option is usually pasta for dinner and scramble eggs for breakfast.

We stop at Wondo Genet for the night. It is basic accommodation in a small village in the green hills overlooking the Rift Valley. Surrounded by crystal clear streams and hot springs the birdlife is immense. As soon as we arrive we see two silvery-cheeked hornbills high in the tree, one is asleep and one is on guard. Vivid yellow weaver birds pick apart nests in trees. Scarlet-chested sunbirds pursue each other in hibiscus trees. We have the place to ourselves and at dinner the waiter stands solely at our table as we enjoy a tasty meal of spaghetti in eggplant sauce.

In the morning vervet monkeys peek at us through the window from our balcony. One sits cross-legged eating wild ginger and a mother holds her baby possessively as she stands on tiptoes to get a better look in. Vervets follow as we walk to the restaurant and imploring eyes look at us from outside as we have breakfast. We see rare colobus monkeys with human-like faces and white silk fur that hangs down past their feet.

As we make our way down the valley the landscape changes to dry mountainous terrain which is quite striking in its arid beauty. Trees are covered in hanging pendulous bird nests. We drive through Mago National Park to visit the Mursi tribes, the most famous of the indigenous Ethiopian tribes. Zebras run along beside our four wheel-drive and when we stop for breaks we see elephant dung. "There are about 100 elephants in the valley," says Tesfa.

Mursi tribesmen stop us at the checkpoint of their territory. Men with jet black skin in loin clothes and covered with white body paint stand around and negotiate with Tesfa and Danny. "They want you take their photo for 10 birr," translates Tesfa. We willingly oblige as the only modern accessories they have is machine guns, which have replaced spears. Indigenous they may be but the Mursi are a warrior tribe and tribal warfare is a fact of life.

Women with clay disk plates inserted in their lips greet us. The plates are a symbol of wealth and beauty. When they reach maturity the lower lip is slit and the disc inserted. One theory for the plate is it made them less attractive to the slave traders. To see it in the flesh is overwhelming and I feel a little faint.

Ladies make flour outside their huts by grinding sorghum using two flat stones. They are quite friendly but get aggressive at anyone who points a camera without paying; which is fair enough. I go to photograph two children, "5 birr 5 birr!" they yell. I line them up for the photo; they holler, "10 birr 10 birr 10 birr!" I walk away to find less business-minded children and they run after me, "5 birr 5 birr!"

We arrive in Turmi, a small town with no electricity; this is our base to see the local Hamar tribes. There is no accommodation here, so we camp for three days. The camp is set on the river bank with enormous mango trees for shade. Keen locals greet us and hastily rake up the leaves and set up our tent. Tesfa hires a local cook and guard from one of the local tribes for $US20. Our cook Assefa turns out to be a whiz and we enjoy many more never-ending pasta dinners in an assortment of sauces cooked over the fire, washed down with bottles of local Saint George beer. The atmosphere is warm and congenial as we sit around the camp-fire talking with our crew throughout the nights.

In the early hours of the morning the ghostly quietness is broken by the whooping and grunting cries of baboons and hyenas, "Wa-hoo Wa-hoo Uh-huh Uh-huh". I poke my head out of the tent and see our 'guard' asleep by the smouldering fire in the darkness. At sunrise, monkeys frolic in the branches above, bombing our tent with mangos and monkey pee. We watch the muddy brown river turn a shimmering gold as if scattered with diamond dust, reflecting the same gold in the clouds.

Today we visit the local market and the Hamar tribes. They sell wares of goatskins, metal arm bracelets, sandals made out of tyre rubber, ochre, tobacco and piles of straw for the animals. They shout at anyone who points a camera without paying. A local boy helps us buy eggs for tomorrow mornings breakfast. "I get you eggs very good local price 30 birr." Back at camp we proudly show Tesfa and Assefa the eggs, and they tell us the 'local price' is 15 birr.

The Hamar women wear nothing but goatskin and beads. Their hair is a distinctive style with red clay through it, which accentuates braids. They have chiselled features with large dark eyes and some are quite beautiful. Beads of green, red, orange and blue tumble around bare breasted chests and large beaded earrings hang from their ears. They are more friendly then the Mursi tribe and are very curious about us. "They want to ask you about your family and what you wear when you are married," interprets Tesfa. The married women in the tribe wear leather rings around their neck and carry babies in goat skin papooses decorated with shells. They invite us into their hut for a Bunna (coffee) ceremony, which is the traditional Ethiopian way of showing friendship and respect.

I notice the women have deep scars on their backs, Tesfa our guide explains, "The women have to prove their loyalty to the tribe by letting the men whip them with reeds. They will push each other out of the way to be whipped the most." I am not disappointed that I have missed the whipping ceremony.

The tribe invites us to a night-time ceremony, where a lot of elaborate rituals take place. The women dance and young children in beaded lap laps stand on the sidelines clapping and chanting. They are hospitable and gracious and want us to join in--feeling very clumsy we do. They march around in a circle then come together jumping up and down while singing.

In the morning we enjoy the sunrise, scrambled eggs cooked over the fire and strong sweet coffee. On the riverbank tribal ladies bath and collect water. A troop of about 50 baboons watch us, waiting for us to leave in the hope we leave something behind for them. We pack up to make our way back to Addis Ababa. Everyone is in a reflective mood and a little regretful it has come to an end. The smell of smouldering coals, smoke flavoured scrambled eggs and strong-sweet coffee is already reminiscent. We will miss Tesfa and Danny and the rest of the crew. With their Ethiopian hospitality, genuine warmth and great sense of humour the Solomon Behre Tours crew have made the trip a fun memorable experience and we all vow to keep in touch.

Many of the 50 tribes in Omo Valley region have changed very little over 100s of years. They offer the visitor an extraordinary insight into a variety of traditional cultures. This holiday is for people who consider themselves reasonable fit and healthy and able to withstand some rough conditions. The remote location which is barely accessible by four wheel- drive has meant that traditional customs and beliefs are very much intact for most of these tribes.

If You Go--Useful Information:

FLY with: Ethiopian Airlines = http://www.ethiopianairlines.com/ or Emirates Airlines = Emirates http://www.emirates.com/ CLIMATE Lalibela has a mountain climate of cool nights and hot days under the African sun. October-May is the dry season and June-September is the wet season. MONEY Ethiopian Birr; 1 United States Dollar = 12.60 Birr. VISA REQUIRMENTS United States citizens require a visa. HEALTH The following immunizations/vaccinations are recommended for all areas of travel to Ethiopia: Hepatitis A, Tetanus- Diphtheria, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Meningococcal and Malaria Prophylaxis. MORE INFORMATION Solomon Berhe Tours http://www.solomonberhetours.com/ Part of Solomon Berhe Tours' philosophy is to encourage clients to support beneficial development to the areas they visit. As a result Solomon has been involved in several school projects and water schemes to provide clean water for remote communities. At present he is fundraising for schools in Lalibela. "Education is the best way for those living in poverty to improve their life," says Solomon.

PHOTO CREDITS: Ray and Sue Udy For Additional Information: www.raynsuephotography.com