Southern Zone Potential Tourist Attractions

• Soyama
• Kele
• Gidole
• Laska

Soyama

Soyama, the capital of Burji Special Woreda, is located 240km from Hawassa town, 60km from Kele and 70km from Konso (Karart). The town is among the growing towns found in the Region. Much need to be done to develop the town and give proper services for traveler. The area is rich in cultural and natural attractions. One of the paleo-antroplogical & anthropological sites( which is unstudied Miocene period formation), Segen Wildlife Controlled Hunting Areas and rich cultural practices of the Burji people are among others that potentially attract many national and international tourists. Specially, the Burji Cultural Dance exercised during the circumcision time is one of the most attractive events for many visitors.

Market: The most interesting market in Burji Special Woreda includes Soyama (Saturday)

Address
Burji Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0463312123/ 0463313656
Soyama

Kele

Kele, the capital of Amaro Special Woreda, is located 180km from Hawassa town and 90km from Dilla town to the south. Kele is an old town established in 1934. The town is a growing town, with access for clean water, better telephone service and 24hours electricity power supply, schools of different level( from elementary to preparatory), health center and different small-scale industry. Oil stations, market centers and other investment areas are ready for investors who are willing to invest their resources in the locality.

The people depend on mixed agriculture both live stock and crop production. Enset (the root like plant of false banana) is the main product and staple food for the people. Amaro is known for its quality Bulla (food extracted from Enset plant). Amaro Bula is as white as milk and quality one and have a great demand in the market. In addition, in the different agro ecology of the Special Woreda wheat, barely, peas, beans and cabbage, maize, teff, sorghum, cassava, banana, avocados, lemon, caster bean, sugar cane, oil seeds and chat produced. Amaro coffee is the major supply to the market (have good taste, flavor and quality) these indicates that Amaro Special Woreda is have conducive environment especially for Agro-tourism development. Tourist who has the interest to visit rural cultural agricultural practices need to come to Amaro Special woreda. The Special Woreda have diverse cultural, historic and natural attractions. The chained Amaro Mountains, different culturally protected forest, different waterfalls, hot springs, part of lake Cahmo and Nec-hSar national Park, the people traditional practices(handicraft, music & song) holiday and rituals ceremonies, the ancient Yero Medahnialem Churches are some of the attractions among other in the special Woreda.    .

Investments on tourist service rendering facilities would be highly profitable and important, as there are no available hotels and restaurants in Kele town except some smaller hotels providing traditional food for locals and bed services. The Special Woreda admin has arranged land for investor in the town: 22332 m2 .of land for hotel investment, land for two oil stations, land for shop and market center, 

Market: The most interesting market in Amaro Special Woreda  include: Kelel (Saturday )

Visitors who come to Amaro Special Woreda can have information about the attractions of the area from the Amaro Special Woreda State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found at Kele.

Address
Amaro Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0463312091/ 0463312114
Kele

Gidole

 Gidole, the capital of Derashe special woreda, is located 330km from Hawassa town and 55km from ArbaMinch town to the south. Gidole is an ancient city established half a century ago, had been served as capital of the then Gamo-Gofa Province and Gardula Awraja as well. The Gidole town serves as a base to visit the cultural traditions of the different nationalities living in the Derashe Special Woreda. .

The Derashe Special Woreda holds five nationalities found in between Woito and Segon Rivers. These include Derashe (largest population), Dobase, Kussume, Moseye, Mashole. Although these different ethnic groups live integrated to one another, they have their own language, values, and culture. The language groups of these ethnic groups are Cushitic.

Currently, Asphalt road running from Arba-Minch to Jinka through Gidole town is under construction, making the town one of the tourist destinations. The special Woreda has different attractions: Natural (forest, hot springs) and living Cultural assets of the five Nationalities.

Investments on tourist service rendering facilities would be highly profitable and important as there is no available hotels and restaurants in Gidole town except a few coffee and teahouses. 

Market: The most interesting market in Derashe Special Woreda include: Gidole (Thursday),
Visitors who come to Derashe Special Woreda can have information about the attractions of the area from the Derashe Special Woreda State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found at Gidole.

Address
Derashe Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone::046774005/ 0467740010
Gidole

Laska

Laska, the administrative center of Basketo Special Wereda, is located 585km from Addis Ababa and 200km from Sodo town via Maze National Park & Sawla town (administrative center of Gofa district in Gamo-Gofa Zone). Basketo Special Woreda is rich in cultural, historic and natural attractions. It is surrounded by rugged topography and mountains covered with dense forest and rich in wildlife resources (mammals, birds). Some of the common wild animals known in the area include African buffalo, warthog, bush pig, lion, and cheetah and species of primates.

There are different cold & hot springs, which are important as medicine for all sorts of disease by local people.  Beautiful landscape which is rugged and Mountainous, traditional foods, various social practices like traditional court or arbitration, marriage types, and traditional knowledge (medicine,), traditional musical instruments, ceremonies (Maskal and other Holidays,).among others are features of the Sp.Woreda. 

 Market: The most interesting market in Basketo Special Woreda include: Laska ( ),
Tourist can get information about the attractions from Special Woreda Tourist can get information from Derashe special woreda State Communication, Culture, and Tourism office at Laska,

Address
Basketo Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0468840536
Laska