Our photo tours focus on taking you to places, which have a unique appeal to photographers. We seek the beauty of landscape and seascape, the heritage of cultural diversity and the bustle of street and marketplaces. Effectively, photography through geography.
Our tours will seek the best moments, light and opportunities to compose shots, which reflect upon those inimitable moments. We feel it is of value to immerse ourselves in local culture through, not only people and landscapes, but also, where feasible, through culinary experience and accommodation, which is culturally sympathetic. Interaction and understanding and, where feasible, spending time with people, makes moments and images more meaningful.
Our tours will have a ‘hands on’ approach, which enables clients to avail of sessions in which there are photo critiques and a chance to reflect on images captured whilst on tour. It is recommended that all participants bring laptops or tablets so that we can benefit from interaction and discussion, and ways of editing our images to get a result reflecting your own unique style.
‘It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see’. Henry David Thoreau
Alternative Visions
‘Tribal traits and traditions tour’ – Upper + Lower Omo Valley, South West Ethiopia and the Danakil desert (Ahmedila and Dallol)
Duration : 13 Days 28 February – 10 March 2021
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The Danakil desert (accessed from Mekele) is the hottest place on Earth and we intend to visit Ahmedila for its ancient trade in salt using camel caravans and the Dallol volcano which manifests itself through geothermal activity at the surface creating bizarre solfataras, small geysers and bright yellow and green sulphuric acid pools on the surface. At dawn and dusk, when it is cooler, this is a photographers paradise.
The photography. With tribal peoples photography is different. A very good local guide is necessary but here the precedent of paying villages and/or individuals is almost universal. This was something the tour companies seem to have instigated decades ago when tourism was in its infancy. We always try to give to the village instead of the ‘person’ because it is less discriminating, and we get our local guides to deal with payment to take pressure off the ‘photographers’.
We are sensitive to the impacts that tourism can cause, hence, we try to make visits sustainable and avoid promoting ‘zooification’! It is all a delicate balance and the local guides are often best in deciding which strategy to adopt. In some cases when we have stayed in a ‘Suri’ village, for example, we wander around the village without a camera just to become a familiar sight. It is interpersonal skills, which make the moment count. And in that moment we want to capture light, colour, emotion, insight, character and spirit. We try to shoot in the golden hours or at least where there is shade from the intense African sun. In the right light, at the right time the ordinary becomes extraordinary and that is something to strive for. Extraordinary portraits, tribal life and street markets. Arbore, Hamar, Kara, Nyangatom, Banna, Ari, Suri, Dassenech (Daasanach), Tsemai – names of some of the tribes we will encounter.
Villages are sometimes remote and this is what makes the photography rewarding. We travel in comfortable 4X4’s (Toyota land cruisers or similar) to get to some of the very best locations. There is always a plan B if plan A has to be abandoned due to the occasional downpour, for example, making unsurfaced tracks impassible. It is also possible that we change the itinerary spontaneously if we hear of a local festival or celebration (bull jumping – hamar tribe, Stick fighting – Suri tribe).
Camping is in good quality tents with thick roll mats, a toilet tent and a cook to cater for all our meals. A bucket shower is also available. Ethiopia isn’t like Kenya or the countries to the south where ‘luxury tented camps’ are the norm, but the camping is comfortable and good. And you get to places others so not see!
You do need a sense of adventure for this trip. A good first aid kit with Malaria prophylaxis. I will send out a ‘things to bring’ list later. We will be off the beaten track but will not be doing any arduous ‘treks’ except to walk around, and to, some of the villages, which are short distances.
I first travelled to the Omo valley in 2000 and lived in Ethiopia from 2006-2010, hence I know the country well and love it. In the last few years, since living there, I have been back once every 12-18 months to capture those inimitable moments in the Omo and elsewhere.
Day 1 – Thursday 28 January : Addis Ababa
Group members gather in the lobby of the Capital Hotel and Spa. Tour overview, briefing and Q&A session at 5:30pm. Overnight stay at the Capital Hotel and Spa
Day 2 – Friday 29 January : Addis Ababa – Jinka > Turmi
Flight (ET171 12.00 – 13.10). Drive from Jinka to Turmi (2.5 hours). Overnight at Buska Lodge. Plan B. Drive to the Mursi tribe and camp overnight. https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/mursi
Day 3 – Saturday 30 January Turmi to Kibish
We start early as this is a long journey through the Omo National park, heading to Kibish one of the larger villages of the Suri tribe. We arrive at Kibish in the late-afternoon. About 3/4 hours driving. Camping overnight. Evening photo shoot if there is time.
The Suri tribe are divided into three clans – Zilmamo clan settled around Tulgit, Chai clan around Kibish and Tirma clan around Jeba. The Tirma are more urbanized and have lost some of their traditions so we stay in Kibish, which is more convenient and has great access to the surrounding villages. The Suri are renowned for their facial and body painting, stick fighting (Donga) and the woman often have lip plates. https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/suri
Plan B. Visit the Mursi tribe, drive to a Banna tribal village. The Banna are closely related to the Hamar and Kara tribes. Overnight Camping
Day 4 – Sunday 31 January Kibish – Koka cattle camp
At 6:00AM, we depart for the Koka area where there are a couple of cattle camps of the Chai clan. Cattle are integral to the life of the Suri tribe. We see the herders, young men, taking the cattle to water, milking and perhaps blood letting. Kibish is a village of the Chai clan. In the late afternoon we will visit a village and photograph life as they know it – body scarification is common. Occasionally we witness their renowned stick fighting (Donga). We camp overnight.
Plan B – Drive to the Dassenech tribe who live in the fertile Omo delta region and close to Kenya and Lake Turkana where they hunt crocodiles. Camp overnight https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/daasanach
Day 5 – Monday 1 February : Kibish – Kakuta
An early morning village visit while the team breaks camp. At 8:30AM we drive to Kakuta/Kangaten (6-8 hours), a remote and rarely visited tribal area which is home to the Nyangatom, who are said to be descendants of the Topossa tribe in South Sudan. In the evening we arrive at Kakuta and visit a village of the Nyangatom tribe (time permitting after the journey). Here, we will have opportunities to photograph the tribe, who live in a climatically challenging area of the Omo (very arid). The women wear numerous strands of beads, which they build upon during life. Tribal adornment is an integral part of their culture. The area is semi arid and water has to be collected from rivers each day. Camp overnight in Kakuta. Lunch boxes are provided to create time to photograph in the villages.
Plan B Visit the Dassenech in the early morning light and then drive onwards to Kangaten/Kakuta and the Nyangatom. Camp overnight
Day 6– Tuesday 2 February Kakuta – Dus (via Kangatan)
A visit to the Nyangatom at sunrise then departing Kakuta we drive to Dus, the second of three village settlements of the Kara tribe. Sited on the banks of the Omo River, the Kara known for their creative and decorative body chalk painting. Many of the Kara women have pierced lips and insert nails, flowers and pins. In addition to various photographic opportunities in the village and on the banks of the Omo River. We may be able to photograph the ceremonial, communal dance performed by the people of Dus or early morning goat herding. This is dusty and very atmospheric – photo opportunities abound. Overnight camping.
Day 7 – Wednesday 3 February : Dus to Turmi
We break camp, after an early morning visit to the Kara, and proceed to Turmi in the Eastern or Southern Omo. Visit Turmi market but if there is a chance of a Hamar bull jumping ceremony our itinerary will change. The Hamar women have high cheek bones, wear thick copper/metal necklaces, elaborate beads, goat-skins and their hair is often coloured with red ochre and butter. The men often use coloured clay on their hair and take real pride in their appearance and culture. Like all the tribes, they are very photogenic. Overnight at Buska Lodge www.buskalodge.com https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/hamer
Day 8– Thursday 4 February
We drive to Chew Bahir (Lake Stefanie) to visit an Arbore village. Here, we visit their villages and photograph daily life. After our visit to the Arbore we stop at a Hamar village to get the best of the light in the golden hour. Overnight in Buska Lodge www.buskalodge.com. https://www.atlasofhumanity.com/arbore
Day 9– Friday 5 February – drive from Turmi to Jinka
Today we fly from Jinka to Addis and onwards to Mekele (Flights ET170 13.40-14.50 and ET180 16.10-17.35 Overnight at Planet Hotel, Mekele.
Day 10 – Saturday 6 February
We drive from Mekele to Ahmedila in the Danakil desert. Here we will see the Afar tribe and the camel caravans collecting salt from the Danakil desert which was once an extension of the Red Sea. The Afar control the salt trade and the caravans of camels and donkeys. We will also visit the Sulphur fields of Dallol which are a spectacle to the eye. It will be hot here but we try to photograph only at dawn and dusk to get the best light. Overnight camping
Day 11– Sunday 7 February
Photograph the extraction of salt by hand and the camel caravans in the morning light before driving from Almedila through the Afar town of Berhale to Hawzien and Gheralta lodge. Here we will spend time visiting some of the rock hewn churches of this beautiful area of Ethiopia.
Day 12 – Monday 8 February
Visit a few more of the Rock Hewn (cave) churches of this part of Tigrai and relax at Gheralta lodge.
Day 13 – Tuesday 9 February
We drive from Hawzien to Mekele (Flight ET109 20.00-21.20) 13 day photography tour of the Upper and Lower Omo Valley in South-West Ethiopia and to the Danakil desert in NW Ethiopia (Afar). Transfer to Bole airport and departure
Services included
Meals – breakfast, lunch and dinner for the time of the tour. Meals may occasionally be local depending on location but for the most part the food is unsophisticated western fayre. Meals will also include water and soft drinks.
Entrance fees/permits for villages. Transfer to and from Bole airport to the hotel. Accommodation as stated but the nature of the destinations that we operate in
may sometimes mean that we need to change hotels, but we’ll always endeavour to keep the same standards. Please be aware that in countries where tourism is in its infancy, hotel standards may not be the same as you’re used to elsewhere.
Photo tour leaders and local guides. Travel by Toyota land cruisers (4×4) or similar.
The cost of the tour is US$6980. To reserve a place there is a deposit of US$1000
The single supplement is US$250 and there is a surcharge of US$180 for domestic flights when flying to and from Ethiopia with Ethiopian Airlines ( it is highly recommended to fly with ET as ET discount internal flights substantially when flying long haul with them. With other airlines there is an additional cost which will be added). Payment is possible by Bank Transfer and also by PayPal, in this case an additional 5% will be added to cover the transaction fees (PayPal). The final balance is due three months prior to departure.
Services not included / additional costs.
Alcohol and paying for photographs if there is a special ceremony – eg Bull Jumping or Stick fight. We will try, where negotiable, to pay a lump sum to the village but sometimes this is not possible. I recommend approximately $200 per person for ‘photo fees’. This needs to be converted to small notes (Birr) on arrival in Addis Ababa (I will try to do this in advance so that you can get the momeny directly from me in new notes). Some photographers take thousands of photos!!! The local guide/s will handle payments. You will also need some extra money for tips for drivers, cooks, guides etc. Approximately US$20 per driver/guide/cook per day. This shared between all participants.
I will send out medical forms, gear lists, additional information on the tribes, travel liability forms at a later stage.
If you have any questions please contact me by email or telephone trevcole1@me.com +353872825851
