Omo Valley Tribes & Lalibela

International flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Night on board

After completing the entry formalities for the country, we took an early flight to Jimma.
There our 4×4 vehicles await us, ready to take us into the highlands of southwestern Ethiopia, heading towards Bonga , considered the world capital of coffee.

The road reveals a vibrant, mountainous landscape, where green blankets everything and the air smells of damp earth and promise. It’s a region still relatively untouched by tourism, where nature blends with history and the aroma of wild coffee wafts through the trees and mist.

Night at Hotel de Bonga. Half board.

Early in the morning, we set off towards Kibish, in the heart of the Surma territory — also known as Suri — considered by many to be the most striking and visually powerful ethnic group in all of Ethiopia.

During the journey we crossed mountainous landscapes dotted with large coffee and tea plantations, while Ethiopian daily life unfolded before us: makeshift markets, children walking through the morning mist, and villages that seemed frozen in time.

If we are lucky, we may spot baboons and colobus monkeys high in the trees, leaping among the branches like guardians of the forest.

In the afternoon we will arrive at our camp in Kibish, where we will live with the Suri people, living witnesses of one of the most fascinating and resilient cultures on the African continent.

Night in camp with the Surma. Full board.

The Surma, or Suri, are undoubtedly one of the most striking, authentic, and visually spectacular ethnic groups in Ethiopia.
The complex orography of their territory, along with their legendary bravery, have been key factors in their historical isolation, keeping them out of contact with the outside world and preserving their identity intact.

Visiting the Surma is one of the most profound experiences one can have in Ethiopia, both on a human and photographic level.
Its cultural purity and stunning physical aesthetic—with nude bodies decorated with geometric designs in white and ochre clay, faces adorned with flowers, leaves, and natural pigments—creates an image that blends harmoniously with the natural environment. It is a true visual and anthropological ecstasy, a direct connection to the essential, to the ancestral.

We will travel through this remote region, venturing into several Surma villages, sharing moments of community and documenting their body art:
symbolic scarifications, the ritual use of pigments and plant elements, and the amazing lip plates that still survive as an emblem of identity and beauty.
Here, where time seems suspended, one can sense the origins of humankind and understand that there are still cultures that resist, creating art with their own bodies and their own lives.

Night in camp with the Surma. Full board.

In the morning we visited a Cattle Camp , one of the traditional Surma cattle camps.
There, dawn has a different flavor, slower, denser… as if the world were awakening from another time. Today, moreover, the full moon still hangs in the sky, giving the landscape a magical, almost ceremonial light.

If luck and conditions are on our side, we will be able to witness one of the most intense and breathtaking spectacles not only in Africa, but in the world: the Donga .
This is a ritual combat between young warriors from different Surma communities. Naked, armed only with long, flexible poles, they face each other in a mixture of fighting, dancing, and rite of passage.
It’s more than a sport. It’s pride, identity, courage, and a way to channel tensions between clans.
A tradition deeply rooted in the soul of this people, which transforms violence into beauty, and pain into art.

Night in camp with the Surma. Full board.

Today we will dedicate the day to traveling along the trails that wind through the beautiful jungle landscape of the Omo Valley.
A dirt road, with red dust and endless greens, will take us to the other side of the valley, where other ancestral communities live that are part of this unique human mosaic in the world.

At the end of the day, we’ll set up camp with the Nyangatom , one of the most remote and fascinating peoples of southwestern Ethiopia. There, on the border between the known and the ancestral, we’ll spend the night enveloped by the silence of the savanna and the proud gaze of those who still preserve their identity intact.

Night in camp with the Nyangaton. Full board.

Dawn breaks at our camp next to the Nyangatom.
The golden light of dawn filters through the huts as the village begins to awaken. It’s the perfect time to observe—and photograph—the daily life of this community: the women preparing the fire, the children running through the dust, the men organizing the day around the livestock.
Sharing these first hours of the day with them will undoubtedly be an authentic and enriching experience, a unique opportunity to get to know their rich culture and way of life up close.

After breakfast, we will say goodbye to the village and continue our journey towards the Karo villages, located on the banks of the Omo River.
This town is famous for the extraordinary beauty and expressiveness of its body paintings, true ephemeral works of art that transform each face into a living canvas. A new visual and human universe awaits us by the river.

Accommodation at Hotel de Turmi, A.D

Our adventure through southern Ethiopia continues.
Today will be a special day. We’re going to embark on one of PhotoTravel ‘s most unique and daring tours, a proposal that very few agencies dare to undertake.
We head to a remote and barely traveled area, on the border with Kenya, at the southern end of the Omo Valley: the territory of the Dassanech , one of the most fascinating and resilient peoples in the region.

This hidden corner preserves an astonishing cultural purity , where traditions are lived without filters or artifice.
If we are lucky, we may witness a Dimi ceremony, an ancient fertility ritual where parents celebrate their daughters’ coming of age.
An intimate and powerful event, full of symbolism and beauty, that will allow us to understand —with respect and closeness— the deep heart of this culture.

A unique experience. A true marvel.

Accommodation at Hotel de Turmi, A.D

After breakfast, we will head towards the lands of the Arbore, a little-known ethnic group but of singular beauty.
Known for their distinctive black headscarves and elegant presence, the Arbore maintain a sober and powerful aesthetic that sets them apart in the human mosaic of the Omo Valley.
We will have the opportunity to live with them, observe their daily lives, and capture the essence of their cultural identity with our cameras.

And, with some luck, the day could give us one of the most intense moments of the trip: the Ukuli Bula , or Bull Jump , one of the most emblematic ceremonies of the Hamer people.
In this initiation ritual, young men must cross naked the backs of a line of bulls, in a demonstration of courage that marks their passage to maturity.
A celebration full of emotion and symbolic power, where the whole community participates, sings, dances and reaffirms its identity through tradition.

Accommodation at Hotel de Turmi, A.D

After breakfast, we will visit some of the local markets, true meeting points between the different ethnic groups of the Omo Valley.
In these vibrant spaces, the Hamer, Banna and Tsemai exchange products, news and customs, in a bustle full of color, rhythms and aromas.
Every gesture, every look, every object has a story to tell.
A perfect setting for those seeking to capture the human and cultural essence of southern Ethiopia.

Our route continues towards Jinka , a small town nestled in the mountains, next to Mago National Park .
There we will stroll through its lively streets, full of life and color, and visit its local market, where the commercial and social spirit of the region is manifested with strength and authenticity.

Accommodation at Jinka Hotel, AD

Today we will get up early to venture into the heart of Mago National Park aboard our 4×4 vehicles.
Our destination: the Bodi and Mursi communities, two of the most emblematic and visually striking ethnic groups in the Omo Valley.

The Mursi are known for their spectacular lip plates , a symbol of beauty, identity and status among women, which has gone around the world for its visual and anthropological power.
For their part, the Bodi women stand out for their amazing body scarifications , true works of art on the skin that tell stories, rituals and belonging.

An intense day, full of memorable encounters, where photography becomes a tool for deep observation and respect for ways of life that still retain their authenticity.

Accommodation at Jinka Hotel, AD

After breakfast, we will head to Jinka Airport to catch our flight back to Addis Ababa.
After intense days of adventure, unforgettable encounters, and in-depth photography, it will be time to rest in our hotel in the capital and let everything we’ve experienced begin to settle.

One last night in Ethiopia, to calmly digest the trip and store in our memories—and in our pictures—everything this country has given us.

Night on board.

We will arrive in our home city early in the morning.
Thus concludes our Photographic Journey to Ethiopia , an intense, profound and transformative adventure that will undoubtedly leave an indelible mark on your memory and your gaze .

Thank you for being part of this unique experience.

International flight to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Night on board

In the morning we will leave early for the airport to catch a flight to Lalibela,
The legendary holy city of the Ethiopian mountains, declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO for its historical, spiritual and architectural value.

In the afternoon we will begin our visit to the impressive rock-hewn churches , a unique collection in the world that seems to emerge directly from the heart of the earth.
In total there are eleven temples, connected by tunnels and underground passageways. Among them all, Biet Ghiorgis stands out as the most iconic, carved in the shape of a Greek cross and surprisingly well preserved.
A true jewel sculpted in stone, a spiritual symbol and pride of the Ethiopian soul.

Accommodation in Addis Ababa Hotel, A.D

Lalibela: where history lives on

Lalibela is a unique place in the world. It alone would justify any trip to Ethiopia.

This magical enclave possesses an atmosphere that transports you to the origins of Christianity. There, time seems to have stood still for centuries. Walking along its rocky paths is like stepping back into the 5th century… or onto the set of a major film production about the early Christians. In any case, the energy emanating from this place isn’t just perceived, it’s felt. And it captivates you.

From a photographic perspective, Lalibela is a dream. It’s the perfect setting for capturing unique images: worshippers draped in white robes, praying by candlelight in mystical silence… It’s an atmosphere that can’t be created in any studio. There, light, faith, and stone combine to offer you the soul of Ethiopia in its purest form.

Accommodation in a Lalibela Hotel, bed and breakfast

We’ll leave the hotel early to take advantage of the first light of day and attend the morning masses in the heart of the rock-hewn church complex. An intimate and awe-inspiring moment, where spirituality permeates every corner.

After this experience, we’ll return to the hotel for breakfast and, with our hearts still filled with the magic of Lalibela, we’ll head to the airport. A flight will take us back to bustling Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where tradition and modernity intertwine at every turn.

Accommodation in Addis Ababa Hotel, A.D