Potential Tourist Destinations
Actual Tourist Destinations
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Western Zone Potential Tourist Attractions
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Mizan
Mizan, the administration center of Bench-Maji Zone, is located 800km south west of Ethiopia  from Addis Ababa along Addis-Jima road and 1050kms from Hawassa, the capital of the Regional State. It is is on of the oldest town in the region but need great attention for its development by encouraging investments in the area.
Amharic is the official language of the Benchi-Maji Zone. There are different nation nationalities in the zone living harmoniously respecting one another with good understanding. These includes: Dizi, Surma Shekicho, Sheko, Keficho, Amhara, Oromo and Guraghe and the first three are earlier settlers. These people do have their own culture, language, norm, and life styles. The people in the Zone economically depend on agricultural products including; Coffee, vegetables, Enset (root plant), fruits (orange, banana, avocados, mango, jackfruits….), spices of different types (Ginger, pulses) and cereal crops and animal husbandry. There are also exclusively pastorals in the lowland area the Surma people. The Surma people are known for their lip plate like Murssi.
Apart from the untouched native cultural and natural tourism attractions, the area is potential for rural Agro tourism development similar to the nearby Kafa and Sheka Zones. Some of the attractions of Benchi Maji Zone: Omo National Park (it is one of the highly biologically diverse wildernesses in Africa and managed by Federal Wildlife Conservation Authority), the beautiful Adicaus Rain forest., Adicus area Bridges of God, Genta Hot Spring (Guraferda Woreda), Uluqa holly hot and cold springs, Aaku & Tum waterfalls(Maji), Red color water fall( Shkobench) Sala cave holy water(Sai kebele), Diabtan cave (Benchi- Ginci Kebele), Bani Cave(Meenit) and Geltin Stelae(Bench), are some of the zone attraction among others. The attraction in western parts of the region extremely rich but it is the list to be visited by any types of tourist due to various reasons including poor infrastructure (road) and promotion. The area is also not very well exploited in terms of ecological, sociological and other filed of research which is very important to have the knowledge of the area and to undertake proper planning and management.
Market: The most interesting market in Benchi-Maji Zone include: Maji , Mizan.
Place to Stay and eat: Salai-Zemilinium hotel, family hotel, Eiden hotel, Fitsum hotel,
Visitors who come to Benchi-Maji Zone can have information about the attractions of the Zone from the Benchi-Maji Zone State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found at Mizan.
Address
Bench-Maji Zone State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone: 0473350640/ 0473350075
Mizan
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Masha & Tepi
Masha, the administration center of Sheka Zone, is located 676km south west of Ethiopia from Addis Ababa along Addis-Jima road and 950kms from Hawassa, the capital of the Regional State. The Zone has two town administrations namely, Teppi & Masha which consists of 57 rural and 6 urban kebels( the smallest administrative unit). Amharic is the official language of the Zone. There are different nation nationalities in the zone living harmoniously respecting one another with good understanding. These includes: Shekicho, Sheko, Megzenger , Keficho, Amhara, Oromo and Guraghe and the first three are earlier settlers. These people do have their own culture, language, norm and life styles in which the Shekich & Sheko omotic origin and Megzengere Nilotic. The people in the Zone economically depend on agricultural products including; coffee, vegetables, Enset (root plant), fruits (orange, banana, avocados, mango, jackfruits….), spices of different types (Ginger, pulses) and cereal crops and animal husbandry. Apart from the untouched native people cultural attractions, the area is potential for rural Agro tourism development any where in the world.
Place to Stay and eat: Atsedu hotel, Tigist hotel, Alem hotel, Andinet hotel (found in Teppi Town)
Market: The most interesting market in Shaka Zone include: Tepi , Masha
Visitors who come to Sheka Zone can have information about the attractions of the Zone from the Sheka Zone State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found at Masha.
Address
Sheka State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0475580322/ 0475580209
Masha |
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Bonga
Bonga, the capital of Kaffa Zone, is located 450km from Addis Ababa and 722km from Hawassa, via Jima. Bonga is one of the developing towns in the region serving as an administrative center  for 10 Woredas of the Kaffa Zone.
The status of the town indicates much need to be done in terms of development to satisfy the needs of tourists. At present, the area gets great attention for development (infrastructure) as other parts of the region. The area (all the 10 Woredas) has automatic telephone services and most of the rural Kebele have wireless telephone services.
The area is extremely rich in cultural, historical, and natural attractions but it is the list visited in the country. Its unique Cultural and historical heritages, pleasant climate, rich floral and fauna and the hospitable people puts the area among the leading potential tourist destination in the country.. Moreover, among water falls & spring waters the Barta, Ellelo, Adiyo falls, the Dadiben and Gora Hot spring, the ancient Andracha Medahnialem Church, the Tongolla Mosque, the Gurguto natural Bridge, Makiara: the place where coffee Arabica was born are some of the tourist attraction site in the Zone. Like other Nations. Nationalities and Peoples of the Region the Kafa people has their own culture of ceremonial celebration (Maskal), age cycle(Birth, circumcision, Marriage, Mourning), dressing, music, dancing which can attract many national & Domestic tourist. The Bonga transitional Museum displays the various historical and cultural assets of the zone.
Market: The most interesting market in Kaffa Zone include: Bonga (Saturday), Gojeb (Sunday), Wushwush(Sunday), Gimebo(Monday)
Place to Stay and eat: Batiologe National hotel, Misrak hotel
Visitors who come to Kaffa Zone can have information about the attractions of the Zone from the Kafa Zone State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found at Bonga.
Address
Kaffa Zone State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone: 0473310165
Bonga |
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Ameya
Ameya, the capital of Konta Special Woreda, is located 445km from Addis Ababa via Jima or 642km travel from Addis Ababa through Shashemene and Sodo. Amaya is an ancient town established years before Addis Ababa. However, the status of the town indicates a lot to do to  develop the town. The Amaya town serves as a base to visit the cultural traditions of the different nationalities living in the Konta Special woreda. There are four nationalities: Tsersa, Bacha, Manja, and Dogale that have their own culture, language, norm, and lifestyle, within the Konta. Others like Amhara, Wolaita, Hadia, Dawro, and Kafa came to the area and currently living respecting one another intermingled with kontas.
Apart from the living cultural heritages of Konta people, the area have rich biological diversity. The recently established Chebera-Chrchura National Park is found between Konta Special Woreda and Dawro zone. The park is the best wilderness area in the country specially to see the globally threatened African Elephant. Besides the verities of wildlife resources (mammals, Birds) recorded in the park, it has also unique and dramatic natural landscape (rugged, undulating to rolling plains) which is highly eye-catching and always evergreen. A number of attractions available within this wonderful park, Riverine Forest, Mountain Forest, Ground water forest, different perennial rivers including the Omo river(one of the largest river in the country), savannah grassland, wooded grassland, Rivers, different hot & cold springs, are among others that could attract many national and foreign tourists.
Market: The most interesting market in Konta Special Woreda include: Ameya (Saturday), Chida (Thursday),
Place to stay: tourists need to come to the park with their own tent and ration or cooker. There are two suitable camping sites in the park and visitor can use the sites for tenting. There are some available hotels and restaurants in Amaya and Chida (Second town in Konta). .
Visitors who come to Konta Special Woreda can have information about the attractions of the area from the Konta Special Woreda State Communication and Culture and Tourism Office found Amaya.
Address
Konta Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0472270004/0472270010
Ameya |
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Fofa
Fofa, the administrative center of Yem Special Woreda, is located 277km from Addis Ababa and  27km from the highway of Addis Ababa- Jima.. The Special Woreda is rich in cultural, historic, and natural attractions..
Caves: there are more than 50 ancient caves which are filled with human bed, seats & shelves made from drilled wall, ancient cemeteries, Zofkar & Mellissa stelae sites, Wema-hot spring ( the water spring out from a rock and it flows from the rocky mountains(like falls), it is used as medicine for all sorts of disease by local people), beautiful landscape (chained Mountains), historical sites( the Angary ancient palace, defending ditches, traditional foods, various social practices(traditional court or arbitration), marriage types, and traditional knowledge(medicine, Calendar), traditional musical instruments, ceremonies (Maskal, holiday,). There are collections of ancient traditional equipments in the Special Woreda Culture & tourism Office used as a display.
Market: The most interesting market in Yem Special Woreda include: Fofa (Thursday), Deri (Saturday )
Tourist can get information about the attractions from Special Woreda from State Communication and Culture and Tourism office at Fofa,
Address
Yem Special Woreda State Communication and Culture & Tourism department
Po. Box
Telephone:0474640099/ 0474640154
Fofa |
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