Best of the Omo Valley – Photo Tour

BEST OF THE OMO

October 12 – October 25, 2014

 This is a true photographic expedition to experience some of the most beautiful tribes in remote areas on the African continent.

Young Suri Girl, Ethiopia

Young Suri Girl, Ethiopia

 

In October, I will lead a very special photographic expedition to southern Ethiopia’s Omo Valley; going to both sides of the Omo river, including spending several days visiting the most ornate tribe; the Suri. This will be a very small group of just 7 photographers, which allows for a more intimate experience and better photographic opportunities. Not only are the Suri the most ornate tribe, they are the most remote in the Omo; making them one of the least photographed, but most desired tribe to photograph. This is one of the only photographic itineraries that include a visit to the Suri tribe. The “Best of the Omo’, takes you to visit the best of the 15, tribes that live in the Omo Valley.

Inspired by their environment of wild trees, exotic flowers and lush vegetation the tribes in the Omo Valley,  use colorful make-up of bright yellows, startling whites and rich earth-reds created from the clay soil, to paint each others bodies motivated by the shear fun of creating and showing off to other members of the tribe.  The suri take this a step further by adding flamboyant, artistic head pieces made from nature. They make bold decisions about their dress and colorful accessories, to become a walking body of art.

For generations these tribes have been shielded from the modern world in a place that is still raw, natural, and timeless. However, change is happening quickly in this region, which is impacting their traditional clothing, body painting and way of life. The west side of the river, home to the Suri, is more fragile due the government leasing of land in surrounding areas; access to this region could be closed off in the near future. This is not a trip to put off.

Suri Tribe, Ethiopia

Suri Tribe, Ethiopia

HIGHLIGHTS

 

  • Visit one of the world’s most remote tribal areas that few have photographed
  • Visit to a traditional Suri cattle camp
  • A small group limited to 7 participants, most tours are 10+ making it more difficult to photograph in a village setting
  • Comfortable 4X4 vehicles with air-conditioning.
  • Private charter plane to fly us out of the remote suri region back to Addis
  • Very experienced local guide, whom I have work with previously and who are experienced working with professional photographers and in negotiating with the tribes.
  • Photograph a way of life that will soon be lost to the world and that most people will only experience through the pages of a magazine

THE ITINERARY

 

Day 1  – October 12,  2014 Arrive Addis (1 night)

Arrive at Bole International Airport, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. You are met and transferred to our hotel by private vehicle. Meet the tour leader for drinks and orientation this evening. Overnight at the Beautiful Blu Hotel and spa.

Day 2 – October 13,  2014 Arba Minch (1 night)

We rise very early this morning for Ethiopia’s famous Coffee and a quick breakfast. We depart for Abra Minch, which is situated in the Great Rift Valley. The drive will give us time to decompress from modern life and sink into the ambience, the beauty, and the rhythm of Africa.

We pass by tall thatch roof huts fantastically painted in African style art with an ornate piece of pottery crowning its top. The local people are going about their daily lives in the village, working the fields, carrying large Jerry cans of water, and creating pottery and handicrafts that will be sold in the local market. Private vehicles are sparse on these roads, which are used more for driving herds of livestock, public transport, and walking from the villages to town. We arrive in the early evening as the sun begins to descend and the road changes to dirt stirring up the rich red African soil creating a golden orange glow over the landscape.

On the Road to Arba Minch

 

Day 3,   October 14,  2014 Turmi (3 nights- Buska Lodge)

This morning we head to the Omo Valley arriving in Turmi, home of the Hamar tribe. The Hamar women are striking; wearing beautiful colorful beaded skins, ornate necklaces, and metal bangles around their wrist and ankles. Famous for their hairstyle — a crown of long dread-lock braids covered in ocher — the Hamer women are the most decorated of the Omo people. We will arrive in time for a late lunch, get settled in and then have an afternoon visit at a Hamar village.  We will over night at Buska Lodge. This will be our home base for the next three nights, which will give us a better chance to be invited to a bull jumping ceremony or rehearsal and also give us access to the Arbore and Dassenech tribes.

Day 4  October 15,  2014

Today we will rise early and drive to the Arbore tribe.  Each tribe of the Omo valley has a specific way of dressing and decorating themselves as a way to visually associate themselves with their unique customs and values. Arbore women are well known for their long headdresses. The girls shave their heads to indicate virginity, and only start growing hair after marriage.

Afternoon – we will hope for word of a bull jumping rehearsal or ceremony- if not we will visit with the Hamar tribe.

Abore Tribe

Abore Tribe

 

Day 5  – October 16,  2014Turmi  

This morning we will rise early and drive to the edge of the Omo River. We will cross the river by canoe to the villages of the Daasanech tribes (a motor boat or a ferry maybe available but is not guaranteed).  The Daasanech are a semi-nomadic tribe numbering approximately 50,000. Their clans stretch across Sudan, Kenya and Southern Ethiopia. The are known for their very unique and ornate hair buns.

Afternoon – we will hope for word of a bull jumping rehearsal or ceremony- if not we will visit a Hamar village and try to arrange something special.

Hairbun, Daasanach Tribe

Hairbun, Daasanach Tribe

 

Day 6 – October 17,  2014 Turmi   Murulle (3 nights- Murulle Lodge)

This morning we will have our last visit with the Hamar at sunrise and shoot in the soft morning light. We will head back to the lodge for a late breakfast and to check out. We then head to Kara territory where we will settle into our lodge on the banks of the Omo River.

The Kara excel in face and body painting that is practiced daily in preparation of their dances and ceremonies. They pulverize locally found white chalk, yellow mineral rock, red iron ore and black charcoal to decorate their bodies often mimicking the spotted plumage of a guinea fowl. The men create highly decorated clay hair buns, which can take up to three days to complete. Their ornate body scaring where a cut is made with a knife and ash is rubbed into the wound to produce a raised welt is also a known characteristic of the Kara. This afternoon will be our first visit with the Kara

Day 7 -8 October 18-19, 2014  

I find the Kara to be one of the friendliest tribes along the Omo. I have sent a lot of time with this tribe building lifetime friendships and love spending time with them.

We have two full days to photograph this amazing tribe. We will be able to photograph them in their villages, along the river, set up individual and group portraits, see how the men make their elaborate hair-buns, experience tribal dancing, visit the main village in Dus, and just immerse ourselves into their culture.  I find the Kara to be one of the friendliest tribes along the Omo. I have sent a lot of time with this tribe building lifetime friendships. Visiting the Kara is one of the highlights of the trip. We may also be able to plan a visit the Nyangatom tribe across the river.

Kara Tribe on the Omo River

Kara Tribe on the Omo River

Day 9 – October 20,  2014 (4 nights- Kibish mobil Camp)

This morning we will have one last sunrise photo shoot with the Kara before continuing our journey. The real adventure begins as we load up our boats and cross the mighty Omo River. We will have our own boats, brought down from Addis, to ensure we have working boats that get us across safely.

We will have a new team of drivers and cars, meeting us on the other side of the river, who will drive us to our new location in Kibish.  The west side of the river is still so remote there are no accommodations, which keeps most tourist away from

this area; having little impact of the western world. Most of the tribe continues to wear their traditional clothing and living as they have for hundreds of year. We are staying in the heart of Suri land and many of them will come and sit in our camping area. Our camp, rustic but comfortable, is a very short walk to the river’s edge where we will spend a lot of time photographing these beautiful people.  When you are able to immerse yourself with a tribe, such as we will in kibish, you have fantastic opportunities to create stunning and compelling imagery. The intimate experience is one you will never forget. We will have our first afternoon photo shoot with the Suri

Day 10-12 – October 21-23,  2014

We have three full days to spend with the Suri. The suri tribe is known to be one of the most beautiful and ornate tribes in the world, thus one of the most desired to photograph. The elaborate body painting and unique flamboyant headpieces, made from nature, truly make them a walking body of art. The women still practice one of the most extreme forms of body adornment in the world- wearing large lip plates. The tribe still practices the art of body scarification created with acacia thorns and razor blades.

The Suri are pastoralist. The men still go off to live in the cattle camps, which are under constant threat as cattle raids are a relentless part of Suri life. The men live their traditional lifestyles drinking the blood and milk of the cow, covering their naked bodies with ash, and giving thanks for their good fortune, in song and dance. We will have an opportunity to visit one of these traditional cattle camps and it was the highlight of the trip for last year’s participants.

 

Cattle camp, Suri tribe

Cattle camp, Suri tribe

 

We will be shooting in a variety of locations in the area; villages, streams, town, cattle camps, and where ever we see a photographic opportunity.

Day 13 – October 24, 2014

If time allows, we will have one last early morning shoot before heading off to Mizan to catch our private charter (there are no commercial flights to this area)  back to Addis. This will save us from two very long days of driving over rough dirt roads and one night stay in very local accommodations. We will stay one last night in Addis to have the time to relax from an incredible journey and rest up before our long flights home.

Day 14 – October 25, 2014

Enjoy sleeping in and have a leisurely breakfast.

Transport to the airport for your flight home.

Is this trip for you?

This expedition is for anyone who wants to experience some of the most remote and beautiful tribes on the African continent. This expedition is focused on producing high quality images of extraordinary subjects so we will be rising very early in the morning for the best light; a few mornings we rise well before sunrise. These tribes are remote; there will be some long drives and there will be driving on dirt roads, but in comfortable 4X4 utility vehicles. When the tarmac roads begin to take you directly to these tribes, the mass tourism will have begun to change their appearance and traditions forever.

This expedition was created for experienced photographers with a good working knowledge of the basics of photography, composition, and equipment.  Depending on your vision, some experience working with flash is a bonus. Having experience working with indigenous cultures is recommend as this can be a more challenging experience photographically, but will provide you with some of the most extraordinary photographic opportunities of a lifetime. This is a rigorous trip and more challenging than photographing other tribes in Africa, such as the Maasai and Samburu. Although this is NOT a workshop there will be a lot of informal instruction and I am always available for any question you may have.

The tribes live in a remote location. Although we start out at a beautiful 5-star hotel, there is no five star lodging in the Omo Valley, but we will be at the best accommodation available. In some locations the electricity is not on 24 hrs a day, but it will be on for several hours every morning and even, giving us plenty of time to charge up all our batteries and electronic equipment. Our camp in Kibish is basic, but the tents are large enough to stand up in, have cots, tables, and electricity. A crew and cook travel for several days from Addis, in a large truck over extremely rough roads, to bring the camp and all our supplies.

 

Kara Trbe

Kara Trbe

 

The Price

The price of this unique photographic expedition is  $9,350.00. This price is based on double occupancy.

Single supplement is $900.00 ” if available”. Single accommodations are  limited.

Due to the limited number of spaces available, if a solo guest is willing to share and we can match with another guest of the same gender, we will do so. If a solo guest is unwilling to share, then a single supplement will be charged. If we are unable to match a solo guest with another guest of the same gender, then the single supplement will be charged

What’s Included

  • Accommodations
  • All the 3 meals of the day with mineral water (except on arrival and departure days)
  • Tourist standard 4X4 utility vehicle with air-conditioning
  • Entry scout fees, villages fees, and road fees
  • National English speaking escort guide and local tribal guides
  • Gratuities for local guides
  • Water, beer, soda, coffee (wine is not included as it is usually served by the bottle only, premium alcoholic drinks are not included)
  • Gratuities for Camp and Lodge staff  (outside of Addis)
  • Photography fee’s
  • Private charter from Mizan to Addis

What’s NOT Included

  • International airfare and/or between your home and Addis Abba
  • Visas
  • Travel Insurance (REQUIRED to participate on this trip)
  • Personal purchases (including shopping, spirits, laundry, telephone calls, etc )
  • Gratuities for our main guide and drivers
  • Optional extra activities not included on the itinerary
  • Extra photo fees
  • Pre- and Post- expeditions tours
  • Meals or accommodations before or after the expedition (except as noted in the detailed itinerary)
  • Meals and beverages on the day of arrival, this is considered a travel day

Please Understand

Traveling in remote locations can present challenges that may require slight changes to the itinerary. I put my heart into each and every itinerary and will always try to run the tour as written in the initial itinerary. In the event of situations beyond my control, such as political unrest, natural disasters, overbookings by the lodge, where a change is required, I will do my best to keep us close to the original shooting location. It is my intention for you to have the best possible experience. I will try to notify you of any changes as soon as I am made aware of them. If, however these changes cause an increase to the price, the increase will be passed onto the participant.

Interested in joining us?

The group size for this extraordinary photo tour is limited to just 7 participants. Due to the size of this group and the popularity of the location, this trip could fill quickly. To secure your spot, please complete the On-line registration form and make the $2,100 non-refundable deposit. Both a completed reservation form and deposit must be done to confirm a spot. Once the tour is full, I will accept request for the wait list by email.

Sign-up Now

Fill out and e-sign the registration form (Ecosign)