Chencha Market
Chencha
A big market in the highland town of Chencha, where Dorze and Gamo people come to trade cotton cloth, enset, livestock and more in a riot of color.
Chencha lies in the Gamo highlands about 40 km north of Arba Minch and is the traditional trading center for Dorze weaving. On market day, villagers from the surrounding hills arrive wearing hand-woven shawls. Stalls offer everything from Dorze cotton cloth, shawls and pottery to enset dough, spices, cattle and goats, making it a fine window into daily life on the plateau. It is usually combined with a visit to Dorze village. The highlands are cool and often misty, so bring warm clothing, and ask permission before photographing people.
Opening hours
Market day: busiest in the morning
Nearby sights
- Dorze Village
- Nechisar National Park
- Arba Minch Crocodile Ranch
- Bridge of God Viewpoint
- Forty Springs (Arba Minch)
- Lake Chamo Crocodile Market
- Lake Abaya
- Gesergiyo (Konso "New York")