Welcome

Welcome to Forty Springs Hotel in Arba Minch.

Arba Minch – ‘Forty Springs’ – derives its name from the many springs which emerge from the base of an escarpment on the Western side of the Great Rift Valley.

The hotel is named after the Springs in appreciation of the role they play in the life of the town, the forest growing around them and in contributing to the waters of Chamo Lake.

Arba Minch

Arba Minch and the Surrounding Areas

Arba Minch is the capital of Gamo Gofa Zone, located in Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples Region. It is located 460 Kilometers from Addis Ababa and 270Km from Hawassa the Regional capital, at an elevation of 1,300 meters above sea level. Located at the base of the towering Guge Mountain chain on the western side of the Great Rift Valley, Arba Minch consists of the uptown administrative centre of Shecha and the downtown commercial area of Sikela.

This is one of the fastest growing towns in the country mainly due to the expansion of Arba Minch University. There is a good flow of national and international visitors in the area. The town is a tourist destination in itself as well as being the base for exploring the nearby natural and cultural attractions.

Arba Minch is known as a source of fruit, particularly banana and mango and is also appreciated for its fish from Lake Chamo.

Vistor Attractions in the environs of Arba Minch

• The Forty Springs – visitors can clamber over rocks and trees in search of the many springs and have a refreshing dip in a natural pool in a clearing in Arba-Minch natural forest.
• Nech-Sar National Park – with a diverse combination of ground-water forest, savanna acacia forest, open savanna, escarpment walls, highland acacia forest, hot springs and lakeshores. While small at 514 km², the park contains diverse habitats for the endemic Swayne’s hartebeest and a large population of crocodiles in Lake Chamo.
• Crocodile Farm – visitors can get up close to view crocodiles being raised for their prized skin which is turned into high quality leather products.
• Crocodile Market – where crocodiles congregate on the shore of Lake Chamo as if it were their market.

There are boat trips available on Lake Chamo, and day trips to the highlands of Dorze and Chencha area.

The Dorze people are famous for their beehive shaped huts which are constructed with vertical hardwood poles and woven bamboo. This towering, re-locatable, structure can go as high as 12 meters and last from 60-80 years. Traditionally the bamboos that are used as frames for the huts are cut during moonlight. For insulating the roof of the hut a thatch of false banana (Enset), grass and sheath of the bamboo stem are used. Through time when termites destroy the base of the huts, after cutting above the rotten part of the base, the whole structure can be lifted and relocated within the compound. This practice explains why the hut is first built so high. The older the house the shorter the height. Inside the main hut, you will find a fire place, a seating area and bedrooms.  Smaller huts can include guest houses, a workshop, a kitchen and even a cattle shed.  In their farmlands, the Dorze grow barley, wheat and potatoes.  They also grow spices, vegetables, fruits and tobacco within their compound. Apples and plums Grown in the Chencha area supply markets as far as Addis Ababa.

Weaving on hand looms is practiced by Dorze people and their products can be bought at one of the many colourful stalls that line the road.

Arba Minch is a good base from which to visit other tourist destinations including two of the eight world heritage sites in Ethiopia: the Omo Valley, and Konso.