Tribes of the Omo Valley, Ethiopia - September 13 - 24, 2022
Located in the far southwest of Ethiopia is the Omo Delta, one of the last great tribal regions left in the world. Living in this remote but accessible area are a vast number of tribal groups all within driving distance of one another. Living in voluntary isolation, their culture, dress and language has remained intact. Some 45 different languages are spoken, and tribes range from the many thousand strong Borena to the smaller Karo Tribe. . To anthropologists, the Omo Valley is a living museum; to photographers the Omo Valley is a visually breathtaking experience.
ItineraryDay 1- Tuesday, September 13th Addis Ababa
Upon arrival at the airport you will be driven to the hotel which is 15 minutes away. The hotel has internet, a nice lounge area, good restaurant, wonderful staff, a money exchange and is a comfortable place to start the trip. The group will have a meet and greet dinner that evening. O/N Jupiter Hotel Day 2 - Wednesday September 14th: Addis Ababa We will start the day with a photo shoot in the Entoto hills, the highest point in Addis where the women wood carriers walk, donkeys roam and people pray at St. Mary's Church. From there we will walk the local Shiro Meda market where people shop for shama cloth and traditional clothing. The group will photograph the pilgrims and priests at the ornate Holy Trinity Cathedral. Women in shama- traditional white shawls, and men deep in prayer are both inside this second most important place of prayer in Ethiopia as well as in the expansive courtyard. Lunch at the Lucy restaurant which is adjoining the Ethnological Museum which houses Lucy, the most complete skeleton ever discovered it, being 3.2 million years old. O/N Jupiter Hotel Day 3 - Thursday, September 15th: Fly to Jinka We will take the 10:25 am flight to Jinka arriving at 11:35 am. The afternoon will be spent walking the packed village lanes of the Ari village. These very rural people are friendly, some homes are brightly painted, they do pottery, grow sorghum and daily life is easily photographed. Chickens in the yards, kids wanting to hold your hands, women cooking by fire all make for a great introduction to the Omo Valley. These people are not painted, pierced nor decorated but an excellent representation of rural southern Ethiopia. Past photography groups have visited the school and donated school supplies. The classrooms are visually compelling and great to document. We will walk up the main road visiting the houses and meeting the people. We will be spending the night in the Eco Omo Lodge which is on the banks of the river where people bathe, clothing gets washed and cars get cleaned. O/N Eco Omo Lodge Day 4 - Friday, September 16th : Jinka – Mursi - Jinka Early morning we will take the two hour ride through Mago national Park to reach a Mursi village. As they are nomadic it is impossible to name the settlement we will visit. The women wear circular clay lip plates, the men are garbed in large towel like wraps. Photographing women grinding sorghum and breast feeding while making their morning coffee which they drink out of gourds is possible. Our local guides handle the photo fee payments so you can shoot with abandon. For protein the men bleed a bull in the early morning and drink its blood. The homes are thatched straw and sticks, and these people are illiterate and their traditions are very much intact. many of the men have body adornments. A sense of humor is needed to fully appreciate the Mursi photographic experience. The afternoon will be spent wandering the dirt street and markets of Jinka. The market is colorful and vibrant with many bars, stores selling plastic woven baskets, and day to day items. Splitting into small groups a guide will help you with translation, setting up shots if desired and see to it that you can photograph freely. O/N Eco Omo Lodge Day 5 - Saturday, September 17th : Jinka - Turmi 9am after breakfast departure to Turmi, on the way stop in Dimeka Town for colorful Hamer tribe weekly market day. After the visit and lunch break arrival in Turmi afternoon, we will be spending the night at the Paradise Lodge which will be our base for the next few days If you like shooting star trails this is your mecca as there is little light pollution. On this the day we will be visiting local Hamer village next to our lodging for sunset. Leaving the lodge at 5:00 pm the short walk will get us to the Hamer village as the people get ready for the end of day. Goats getting back to pasture, sorghum being ground, kids milking goats. The Hamer women have high cheek bones, wear thick copper necklaces which indicate first wife status and elaborate custom beads. The Hamer are very outgoing and easily engaged. Many of the men wear feathers in their hair and dress in dark green blankets. another trip favorite photo shoot is that of silhouettes. O/N Paradise Lodge Turmi Day 6 - Sunday, September 18th: Turmi – Nyangatom - Turmi Starting off from Turmi at 5am we will be heading to Kangaten, home to the Nyangatom tribe that historically are said to be a split group from the Toposa tribe of South Sudan. Settled on the other side of the Omo River, we will be crossing the Omo River where we will be able to access and visit remote tribal villages. The teenage boys are lively and like to play much of the day. The women are topless and wear many strands of heavy beads, the girls are playful and love to have their images taken. Mid-afternoon, we will return to Turmi where we will be spending another night at the Buska Lodge. We can also photograph the Hamer tribe digging for water, smoking out bees or do another local village sunset shoot. O/N Paradise Lodge Turmi Day 7 - Monday September 19th: Turmi This being Monday we will attend the Turmi market. The Hamer people will be selling honey, snuff, foodstuffs and local wares. The group will be be split up and wander freely shooting the many stalls. Of note the stores have some artistic designs and the crafts market is the best in the Omo. The grain mills are amazing and many stores are great backdrops for street photography. The ritualistic bull jumping ceremony usually takes place on Monday. The women dance, the bells on their ankles making a distinctive noise that blends in with the bugles they blow. The age group (16-25) of men called Maza whip the women as a sign of devotion a as they will be responsible for the women as they grow old. 8 bulls are lined up and the nude guy will run across them numerous times. Once completed he is able to marry. O/N Paradise Lodge Turmi Day 8 - Tuesday September 20th: Turmi - Dassanach - Turmi Departing Turmi at 5:00AM, we will be heading to Omorate, home of the Dassanach tribe who are said to be descendants of the Turkana tribe in North Kenya. Like many of these tribal groups they use chain links and other western ‘cast offs’ as decorative objects. Crossing the newly constructed Omo River bridge and driving further for 12kms, we will be able to photograph a remote Dassanach tribal village, just 11kms from the shores of Lake Turkana. We will photograph the women cooking by fire, grinding corn meal and the men with their flock. We will try to continue further south to Lake Turkana to see and photograph the small wooden fishing boats and Dassanch people. O/N Paradise Lodge Turmi Day 9 - Wednesday, September 21st: Turmi - Arbore - Turmi Departing Turmi at 4:30 AM Proceeding further into the scenic Weito lowlands, we will be visiting an Arbore tribal village located at the northern edge of Mount Buska. The Arbore women are absolutely stunning, they have extremely dark skin and strong features. Prior to marriage the women have their heads shaved. They wear dark robes, colorful beads and their huts are fabricated from tree branches. We will work on our portraiture skills in this village. After the visit drive back to Turmi O/N Paradise lodge Turmi Day 10 – Thursday, September 22nd: Turmi - Kara - Turmi Departing Turmi at 5:00 AM, our photography group will head to Dus,the friendliest villages of the Kara tribe. Settled on the banks of the Omo River, this tribe is known for their creative and decorative body chalk painting. Many of the Kara women have pierced lips and insert nails and pins. Photographing on the bank of the Omo River can yield images of the kids diving into the water The group will shoot a cattle and goat drive which is iconic. Dust swirling, men with guns and long herders stick driving their herd to the water. The group will photograph the ceremonial, communal dance performed by the people of Dus. We have a special relationship and they will invite us in to their huts for coffee to be had out if a gourd. The Kara of Dus pride themselves as the best dancers in the Omo. We will also photograph these warm and inviting people on the banks of the Omo and in the shade, under the large umbrella like trees. We will be bringing a picnic breakfast and lunch with us. O/N Paradise Lodge in Turmi. Day 11- Friday, September 23: Fly Back to Addis Ababa Today we will fly back to Addis Ababa from the Jinka airport. Departure 13:05 arrival in Addis 14:15 and here go to a Fair Trade home goods store that has the highest quality fabrics/ shawls/ linen. Those leaving on late night flights will be driven to the airport. There will farewell dinner. O/N Jupiter Hotel Day 12 - Saturday , September 24th: Addis Ababa- Homeward Bound Transportation to the airport provided. |
ExperiencesVisit Ethiopia and photograph the lip plate wearing Mursi Tribe and visit them in the Mago National Park.
Shoot the Hamar bull jumping ceremony. A truly unique cultural event. Visit the Kara Tribe who paint their bodies with chalk. Photograph this friendly tribe. Photograph the Arbore Tribe. The women wear black shawls and colorful beads. Trip Fee: $7,600 $7,800 if not flying on Ethiopian Airlines Single supplement $160 Couples: $200 discount per person Group Size: 7 Included:
2 internal flights All photography fees All meals/cold drinks/coffee/water Hotel porters Airport transfers Not Included: International Airfare Wine/beer Laundry service Trip insurance/required Gratuities drivers/guides Dates: September 13 - 24, 2022
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