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Western Ethiopia

Benishangul

Asosa and Bambasi on the Sudan border: Berta music, bamboo hills and the Blue Nile.

  • 1 tour
  • From USD 1,295

See Benishangul for yourself

Overview

About Benishangul

In Asosa the Berta play the waza, long trumpets of gourd and bamboo, each sounding one note that joins the next in a moving chord. Muslim sheikhdoms once ruled from Asosa and Bambasi, and traders crossed with gold and salt.

Further down, the Blue Nile fills the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, inaugurated in September 2025, and Gumuz villages farm the hot lowlands.

Region
Western
Best time
October to April
Tours here
1
Tours from
USD 1,295

Highlights

What makes it worth the journey

Highlights

  • Berta waza music
  • Sheikh Hojele’s palace in Asosa
  • Bamboo hills near Bambasi
  • The Blue Nile lowlands

Things to do

  • Walk the Asosa market
  • Visit a Berta village
  • See the Blue Nile lowlands

Plan your visit

Before you go

Best time to visit

October to April

Getting there

Flights from Addis Ababa to Asosa.

Getting around

By 4x4 with a local guide; carry your passport for checkpoints.

Good to know

  • A malaria area; bring repellent.
  • The region is under official travel warnings; tours are paused.

Journeys

Tours that reach Benishangul

Length 04 days

Paused Cultural

Benishangul

Benishangul: Asosa and Bambasi

Bamboo hills, mango groves and Berta music on the Sudan border, then down to the Blue Nile and Africa’s largest dam.

See all tours

Keep exploring

More places to see

Gambela

Hot lowlands on the Baro River and a vast dry-season migration of white-eared kob.

Addis Ababa

Ethiopia’s capital: museums, markets and the birthplace of many a coffee ceremony.

Lalibela

Eleven medieval churches carved down into solid rock, and still in use today.

Plan with us

Let us plan your Benishangul trip

Tell us when you want to travel and what you love. A local specialist will reply with a suggested plan and a clear price.