Travel Guide Dorzé

8 km before Chencha, on the road to Arba Minch, the small village of Dorzé, perched at an altitude of 2,800 m, has been transformed into a tourist project of major interest. In the mountains, surrounded by fir trees and green fields, it's like being in African Switzerland. You won't regret coming here, as life is authentic and tourism is well managed. Visiting the markets in the village on Mondays and Thursdays is a matter of course. A larger market is held in Ezo, a more remote village, where local guides can take you on Tuesday and Thursday.The Dorzé kingdom. This ethnic group belongs to an omotic family isolated in Cushitic Oromo country. Reputed to be the best weavers in Ethiopia, the Dorzé are also skilful farmers and, above all, ingenious carpenters with majestic dwellings. In the village, each family has an acre of land, planted with enset, spices, vegetables and tobacco, and in the middle of which stands a distinctive hut in the shape of a huge beehive. The huts are designed to last for three generations, for even though termites eat away at the base, gnawing away at its height little by little, they are built so high and so vast that they end up thirty years later at child height! The family home includes the main house with its built-in stable, as well as a truncated house used as a kitchen, and the little chabul bet, a small house reserved for three months for newly-wed couples. A king and queen rule the community.