Angola Tribal Expedition 2023

Registration

June 8-21, 2023

ANGOLA is one of Africa’s hidden secrets and the last great travel mysteries. Angola is an incredibly special country, virtually untouched by foreigners because it was closed off to most outsiders for decades due to stringent visa policies, high prices, and the travel warnings that usually keeps away all, but the most adventurous travelers. In return, in such a fast modern progressing world, most of the country is still a land of unspoiled wildernesses and a lost treasure of African anthropology. Angola has beautiful tribes that follow the time-honored traditions and ways of life living in well-designed beautiful thatched roofed huts.

As is my nature to provide an incredible once in a lifetime experience to adventurous photographers I am very excited to extend an invitation to join this awe-inspiring nomadic expedition through Southern Angola; a chance to see a world rarely photographed and before it is forever changed. 

Okakuvale: Beautifully dressed in multiple layers of strikingly vibrant colorful African fabrics that are becoming scarcely visible in modern day life. They are still living a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle. Lush in livestock, due to excellent water access, mornings are magical witnessing them separate out the babies, pushing out the main herd to graze, milking, and going about all their morning activities.

Ovahimba: Known as MoHimba in Angola. Unlike the more commercialized Himba in Namibia, the men are still dressed traditionally proudly sporting their traditional hairstyle. The Himba women are striking, covered in a mixture of ochre and fat, called Otijize. They spend as many as three hours a day maintaining their beautiful appearance. First, she bathes over the smoke of a fire that is laced with natural perfumes made from herbs. Then, she anoints herself with the Otijize, which protects her skin from the harsh desert sun and keeps away insects. She uses another mixture of butter fats, fresh herbs, and black coal to rub on her hair and steams her clothes regularly over the permanent fire.

Ovahakaona: Is actually unexplainable in words; one can only experience this community to understand! The women’s haircut is made with a mix of cow dungs, fat, coal, and herbs for the fragrance. Their traditional headdress is called kapapo decorated with colorful barrettes, beads, leather, and jewelry.

Ovamwila: They are said to be one of the earliest Bantu people to undertake the migration to domicile in their present in Angola. The women are famous for keeping their traditional African culture with some of the most astonishing hairstyles, coated with oncula and decorated with very fancy beadwork and their heaving beadwork around their necks is extraordinary. Their necklaces change as they grow into women, each that are central and meaningful for each period of their life.

Lost tribes: Perhaps not the best description, but several other tribes throughout this region live way up into the hills. It is highly likely that we may come across of few of them when they come down for a mark or are nomadically relocating.

Accompanied by our expert team, we will travel sensitively through these remote communities and settlements. Our proper custom designed safari vehicles with air-conditioning are immaculately maintained for the harsh environment. 

The authentic African bush is exhilarating but can be very exhausting especially after a long day of photography. Thus, having some important creature comforts can significantly help to rejuvenate you and keep up your stamina throughout the entire expedition!!

Once you leave Lubango, there are no tourist accommodations. Therefore, the team will erect a proper mobile-tented camp near all the villages. The camp will provide you with a dinning cabana and proper charging station.  Your tent is large enough to walk into and stand up in with a table for your gear, camp bed with mattresses, and proper bedding. You will enjoy scrumptious home-cooked meals, hot coffee by the fire early in the morning, and sundowners every evening! Our camps will support the local communities along with food donations and installation of a solar pump in one of the villages. 

This exciting expedition is being offered to ONLY 7 participants. This is a specialist photo expedition for the adventurous type who wishes to visit a remote area before the tarmac roads are built, and it opens up to the masses!

YOUR PHOTOGRAPHIC GUIDE

Ben’s photographic journeys have seen him drive thousands upon thousands of kilometers through all of southern and eastern Africa in search of that perfect image; keeping him on the continent 3-5 month each year. His obsession with Africa began when he was picked up by his relatives to go on a surfing holiday down the South African Coast, little did he know that his relatives had something else in mind. He was swept into the fabulous Natal National Parks and after a few hours he was chased by a bull Elephant, he knew then he had a new focus in his life and since then has returned on an annual basis to his mothers homeland.

He has won numerous international awards, most notably runner-up in the National Geographic World Nomads Scholarship 2015, Independent Newspaper/ Wanderlust Travel Photographer of the Year 2013 (UK), Shutterbug Award Winner 2012 (AUS), Canon Getaway Gallery Photograph of the year in 2014, Gett Images RePicture award 2015, Runner up in Australia Sony World Photo of the year 2105, and being a finalist for the past four years in the prestigious Travel Photographer of the Year.

Registration & Deposit

Registration