Dorze Village
Dorze
A Dorze village on highland at about 2,800 m, known for its tall bamboo-woven houses resembling elephant heads and for fine hand-woven cotton textiles.
The Dorze people live in the Gughe highlands north of town. They weave bamboo and enset leaves into beehive-shaped houses more than 10 m tall, shaped like elephant heads, which can last for decades. When termites eat away at the base, the houses shrink and are then moved. A village visit usually includes a talk inside a house, a look at spinning and weaving, and a taste of enset "false banana" bread and local honey wine. It is about an hour's drive from Arba Minch on winding mountain roads, and is often combined with a half-day trip to the Chencha market. Home visits and photography usually require payment.
Opening hours
Daytime
Nearby sights
- Chencha Market
- 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")