- Location: Bale Province, Ethiopia
- Entrance fee: $ 3.5
The mere fact that you see Ethiopia as a country in which you want to rest, says that you are not alien to the spirit of adventurism. Despite the low standard of living in the country, if you spend time at some distance from the capital, studying the natural sights of this state, then the trip is guaranteed to bring a lot of positive impressions. Making up your tourist itinerary, be sure to include the cave Sof Omar.
Why is this place interesting for tourists?
In the geography of Ethiopia, the cave Sof Omar takes a leading position in length. Its length is more than 15 km. The cave is sacred for both adherents of Islam, and for local pagans. It is located in the south-east of the country, in the province of Bale. Formally, the cave is considered part of the park of Bale , but is at a fairly decent distance from its borders. The nearest major city in the vicinity of Sof Omar is Robe, to which 120 km. Nevertheless, one of the main entrances has the same village, where, if necessary, you can replenish supplies of food or equipment.
The peculiarity of the cave is that it is embedded in limestone rocks, and through it flows the river Web. That, in turn, originates at an altitude of 4300 m, among the mountain ranges of the Bale. In the course of the current, the river forms a picturesque canyon with a quaintly exhausted limestone.
Structure of the cave
Sof Omar consists of many galleries, halls and a network of giant moves. Its structure consists of 42 entrances, of which the main ones are only 4. The tourist route by Sof Omar has no more than 500 m. What is characteristic is that you can not start sightseeing yourself - only accompanied by a guide, after paying $ 3.5 for entrance.
A special thrill of tourists is one of the halls in which you can observe the majestic columns, once flowed by the river current. By the way, due to the peculiarities of limestone rocks there are no stalactites and stalagmites in the cave.
As a rule, all tours for tourists are conducted through the entrance of Holuca. It even carried electricity, although very often there are interruptions to its power. Therefore, to take a lantern on a trip to Sof Omar will be a very prudent act.
How to get to Sof Omar?
The road to the cave is broken in some places, and traffic is difficult. However, from time to time, repairs are carried out on a particular site, which greatly simplifies the task. You can get to Sof Omar only on a rented car or as a part of excursion groups. From Robe the road will take just over 2 hours.