The best accommodations Omo Valley

3 km from Turmi, this community campsite, shaded by mango trees, is an alternative to hotels. Three very simple tukuls are also available, with two sanitary facilities (shower and toilet) and a communal kitchen with water, fridge and generator. The site, on the banks of a river (usually dry), attracts monkeys and birds. The well, at the entrance to the camp, is crowded from morning to night with women and hamer children on water duty. Tent rental available.

This ecolodge (the best in the region) offers 25 round, comfortable and well-decorated tukuls, with straw roofs that let in the fresh air and private bathrooms. There are also 10 camping pitches, raised on a slab and sheltered under a roof, and 5 communal toilet blocks and kitchens. The restaurant serves high-quality dishes, including vegetables from the garden. The local Hamer communities are involved in the camp. Friendly fireside gatherings in the evenings and a very welcoming team. Spa with massages.

In a quiet, secluded spot, this very modest hotel (it's not a resort) offers simple rooms (bed with mosquito net), but they are sometimes dark, damp and of more than random cleanliness. Hot water is intermittent. Ask for the slightly more expensive back rooms: they're airy and quiet. However, compared with other addresses, it's really too expensive given the lack of maintenance and equipment. The restaurant serves Ethiopian and international cuisine and has a pleasant terrace. Camping possible. Wi-fi available.

The new rooms in the modern two-storey wing are clean and quite comfortable. They have a small TV, a mosquito net and a shower with hot water in a private bathroom. Good Wifi. On the other hand, the old ones are really to be avoided. The address is popular with travel agencies, but remains spartan and very basic. A decent bar-restaurant, given the supply difficulties, in a flowery garden shaded by mango trees, with a pizza oven and good background music to set the mood.

An emergency address, as hotels in Jinka are very rare and often full. For backpackers with little regard for comfort and cleanliness. The 40 rooms are rustic and equipped with mosquito nets. No hot water, but Wifi. Those in the right wing are acceptable, better kept, but nevertheless expensive for comfort, and those in the left wing are dark, dirty and noisy, with altered shared bathrooms, prized by drivers and guides. Fairly good Ethiopian bar-restaurant in a nice garden. Closed parking lot.

The nicest lodge in town, with 16 heavy safari tents and 4 bungalows. Located in the heart of nature, on the banks of the Neri River. The tents, set on wooden platforms, are equipped with private bathrooms and terraces. The bungalows are more rustic and share bathrooms. Generator provides constant electricity. Limited WiFi, hot water, mosquito net, fan. The restaurant serves fine Italian and Ethiopian specialties. Warm welcome from Federico, the Italian owner. Hiking and horseback riding.

Located on the banks of the Omo, this lodge offers eight bungalows, comfortable and equipped with hot-water bathrooms, but rather outdated for the price, even if their presence here is a miracle. They have a terrace overlooking a garden visited by monkeys and birds. Good Italian cuisine. Activities: game drive, boat trips on the Omo, hiking and village visits. Self-catering camping possible.

Turmi Lodge is located close to the market, within easy walking distance. It comprises 24 hard-standing rooms furnished and decorated with local materials. All have mosquito nets and showers. However, they are under tin roofs and very hot, not very pleasant, and lack authenticity. The restaurant, far from the rooms, offers only passable dishes. The staff seem sad. It's also a shame that at this price there's no wi-fi (which is available in more modest hotels).

A small, unpretentious, rustic address, with 15 mosquito-screened rooms furnished in the local style and arranged around a courtyard with mango trees. Cleanliness is good, and the shared or private bathrooms (depending on the room chosen) are very pleasant because they are fairly modern, even if they use cold water. Strengths: its excellent restaurant serving traditional Ethiopian cuisine, an amazing WiFi network, a friendly welcome and low prices compared with other, more expensive Jinka addresses that don't offer better services.

For those who prefer to camp rather than stay in ultra-low-cost, not-so-clean guesthouses, this shady camp by the river offers tents for rent, all equipped with rudimentary beds, and shaded camping pitches for those who arrive with their own equipment. This is definitely an option we'd recommend, as camps are ultimately pleasant when you arrive well-equipped, even in the farthest reaches of Ethiopia! It offers the option of ordering meals in advance, but there's nothing to cook on site.

The latest local guesthouse in Jinka offers rooms that are fairly recent and therefore potentially better kept and cleaner than its neighbors. Locally furnished, they are relatively reasonable for the price and compared to what the town has to offer, with private bathroom and hot water, Wifi, what more could you ask for? A generator provides welcome permanent electricity (but avoid the room next door because of the noise). No restaurant, but it's central and close to good places to eat.