Eco Omo Lodge — Hotel in South Ethiopia Regional State

We stayed here with a group of 17 people. I was really expecting the worst but was so relieved once we arrived and quickly got our "room" (platform tent, more specifically), that all my worries really were for nothing. Our tent was super clean although very sparse (it's a tent afterall) and the bathroom, though small, was actually leaps and bounds nicer than quite a few of the other places we stayed at. It was clean, had a nicely working toilet and sink, a rack on the wall so you actually had somewhere to put your toiletries and thankfully a nice shower, with plenty of hot water that stayed in the shower and didn't flood the room! I admit that, like other reviews have mentioned, there is a church very close by and yes, the whole country is very devout and you seem to hear this chanting everywhere you go at all hours of the night and it is no different here. But we were all so used to it and we were so tired at night that it really didn't even affect us at this point. But it is something to consider although we heard this chanting in almost every other hotel all over the country except in Turmi, so good luck finding a place where you don't hear it! We were also pleasantly surprised by the really cozy and charming restaurant and the good food that was on the buffet. All the other places we stayed seemed to offer the exact same thing, but there were actually different choices here like pizza (that was really good) and some pasta dishes and tasty desserts ... along with some traditional dishes as well. We were really happy with the food and the whole experience here. The only negative was that no one in our group, that I was aware of, was able to connect to the wifi here, but again, this is not a rare occurrence in Ethiopia. I would highly recommend this as a clean and comfortable place to stay in Jinka. But remember, you ARE in a tent so you need to be careful how loudly...

My partner and I stayed here for two nights in a safari style tent. We got off to a bad start with a local bajarj driver offering to take us to the lodge from the airport for 100 birr. When we arrived at the lodge, he demanded 400 birr (150birr is what the lodge advised a typical price is). The lodge staff said they knew this man and that he had done this before, but they did not offer to help us at all and just told us to pay him. We were very disappointed that despite saying this man has done this to guests before, they offered no support. To warn people to look out for this man in the future, I have attached a photo of him with his bajarj number plate (14450). ||The tent and bed were comfortable and clean (good mosquito net around the bed). However, we struggled to sleep on the first night as very loud prayers blasted on a nearby loud speaker from around 2am. The second night this started at around 5.30am. This is often the case in Ethiopia so we are somewhat used to it, but where we live in Addis does not have it so loudly. It would be nice if the lodge offered earplugs as it really is noisy. In terms of security, even when you lock the tent doors with the padlock they give you, the doors can be pushed open. ||We thought the restaurant food was good but there are lots of flies and mosquitoes around, so make sure you cover up.||For $80 a night, this is the most expensive place we have stayed at in Ethiopia and we were not sure what this lodge offers to make it warrant...

I am a bit surprised to read so many negative reviews. I stayed there for 3 nights and found it to be pleasant and comfortable.||||The room was night and comfortable. The shower had plenty of hot water and good water pressure. I accept that isn't always the case in rural Ethiopian lodges. ||||The electricity was on 24/7, there was a backup generator on site as well. Again though, I think it is best to prepare for limited electricity, so I travel with a rechargeable flashlight and power bank. 24/7 electric goes beyond expectations for the conditions.||||There was a nearby church, but in the mudhut, the church was not too loud. I heard it at 5:30, but I naturally wake up early, and did not find the church disruptive. ||||The food, while not 5* was pretty good. ||||The lodge set us up with an excellent guide who took us on two different hikes on our two full days at the lodge.||||Comfortable, competent, and in good working order. I highly...