a young man, not sure what he was up to

a young man, not sure what he was up to

A small town in Hamar country, with little reason to stay, except for the hotels.

A sign announces “Welcome to Turmi”, and that is just as well, otherwise one might even pass through the town without noticing. Turmi is some 2.5 hours drive from Key Afar and in those 2.5 hours very little changes outside. We are in bush and savannah landscape, a bit like the Mago National Park, with plenty of trees, but mostly not very high, and interspersed with shrubs. What is most noticeable, is the total lack of traffic – despite that, major work is ongoing to upgrade the road -, and the total lack of people. Here and there some cattle scurry around, some goats, too, but compared to the rest of the country, there is really very little here.

Turmi centre

Turmi centre

Turmi distinguishes itself by having superior accommodation in the area, compared to what is available in Jinka, for instance, or Dimeka. There is the Evanglide Lodge, the Hamar Village Lodge, and – perhaps best of all – the Buska Lodge, all around 100$/night per person, incl food. For those that find this too expensive, there are tents for 15 US$/night – perfectly comfortable.

 

aloe plant

aloe plant

a lone walker along the road

a lone walker along the road

Turmi is also the heartland of the Hamar people, which is a separate entry.

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