November 3-15, 2024
Deep in southern Ethiopia live some of the most beautiful tribes on the African continent. Inspired by their environment of wild trees, exotic flowers, and lush vegetation, these tribes use the clay soil of bright yellows, startling whites, and rich earth-reds to paint each other’s bodies. They make bold decisions about their outfits’ hand-crafted from animal skins and decorated with beads, feathers, and shells. Known as a living museum to anthropologists, they become a walking body of art; to photographers, they are visually breathtaking. However, more than the photograph is the epic journey of discovery in a place so uniquely different than any other in the world. These tribes live side by side, each with their own traditions and unique appearance, making the Omo Valley one of the most ethnically diverse places on Earth.
Rarely offered in other trips is the intimate experience with the Kara, Daasanach, and Suri. We are sending special teams ahead to assemble proper mobile-tented camps – traditional walk-in canvas safari tents, each with a camp bed, mattress, linens, small table and light. You will not need to worry about keeping your batteries charge because there will be a generator in each camp! – to say nothing of the delicious meals and cold beverages! Staying near each of these villages and far from the tourist lodges will allow you to fully immerse yourself with the tribes and photograph them in the most beautiful light of sunrise and sunset.
2 CHARTER FLIGHTS – while most itineraries spend several days driving you down into the heart of the Omo, we fly you from Addis by private charter directly into the heart of the Omo Valley and back out at the end of this magical journey. This allows us to maximize the quality time we spend with the most exotic of these tribes.
Throughout this life-enriching journey, you will be given in-depth insight to the tribe’s lifestyle, beliefs, and ancient traditions to gain a deeper understanding of their world and embrace the true spirit of the people. While visiting the villages, you will not only have the opportunity to document their daily lives photographically, capture stunning portraits, and possibly witness some of their timeless ceremonies, but embrace the experience by spending time with them in their huts, join them in a cup of coffee, or try the local drink.
In true expedition style, the program has flexibility to ensure you will be able to take advantage of any photographic opportunities that may arise. The precise time spent in each village will depend on what activities are taking place and the goals of the group. It is likely we will also meet several other tribes in route.
This trip is limited to ONLY 7 GUEST to ensure that the photographers joining this expedition will have a higher quality experience with the best group dynamics.
Your Leader-
Ben McRae spends 3-5 months of the year in remote African tribal areas. His connection with the people traverses the cultures he visits and allows him to build mutually respectful relationships with the tribes and people he stays with. His images are brought to life by the time he spends living with and learning about his subjects and their cultures. His images showcase these people, their stories, their daily lives, and the spectacular landscapes in which they live. His eagerness to share his knowledge and outgoing personality ensures a participant a wonderful experience.
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.
Itinerary
Day 1, November 3, 2024
Upon your arrival at the Bole international airport in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, you are met by a member of our ground team and transferred to the Radisson Blu by private vehicle. After your long flight/s you will enjoy a relaxing evening in a modern, upper market hotel, which is the perfect way to rest up for the amazing journey that lies ahead.
Accommodation: Radisson Blu
Day 2& 3, November 4 & 5, 2024
You will rise early in the morning to the smell of Ethiopia’s famous Coffee. Meet the group for breakfast and a briefing about your upcoming adventure. Ben will share his philosophy and ideas during the meeting on creating stunning, intimate images of the tribes.
You will then depart for your scheduled flight to Jinka. Upon arrival, you will be met by your incredible team and driven to our private mobile tent camp right on the banks of the Omo River in the heart of the Kara territory.
The Kara excel in face and body painting; this is practiced daily in preparation for 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 scarring, 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.
Over the next two days, you will spend quality time in the Kara villages, documenting their daily lives, creating beautiful portraits, joining them in song and dance, watching them herd the livestock across the dusty plains, joining them for morning coffee, learning about their ancient traditions, and learn about how their world is changing with the pressures of the modern world.
Accommodation: Private Mobile Safari Camp BLD
Day 4 & 5, November 6 & 7, 2024
After one last sunrise village visit and breakfast along the Omo River you will continue your journey south to the land of the Hamar tribe. The Hamar women are striking, wearing beautiful colorful beaded skins, ornate necklaces, and metal bangles around their wrists 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. During the next two days, hopefully there will be word of a bull jumping ceremony, a rite-of-passage tradition whereby a young Hamer man passes from boyhood to adulthood. This is an actual ceremony, so there is no guarantee you will be able to see one, but your trip is timed during the season for these ceremonies and parties.
Should the road access be good and time allows you will visit the Abore tribe.
Accommodation: Buska Lodge BLD
Day 6, 7, 8 November 8-10, 2024
You will have one last beautiful sunrise visit with the Hammer before heading into the territory of the Daasanachtribe.Cousins to the Turkana tribe in Northern Kenya, the Daasanach, are a semi-nomadic tribe numbering approximately 50,000. Their clans stretch across southern Ethiopia, Sudan, and down into Northern Kenya. They are very tall and slender, wearing red and yellow jewelry and leather headpieces lined with bottle caps; they are also known for their unique and ornate hair buns.
In the late afternoon, you will enjoy your first village visit of the Daasanach. However, people from this beautiful tribe will most likely be in your camp as you are in the heart of their territory.
The following two days will be spent exploring the region of the Daasanach by vehicle, on foot, and by boat. We have special permission to boat down into the deltas of Lake Turkana, where life is as it has always been, and few ever have the opportunity to go.
Accommodation: Private mobile tent camp BLD
Day 9 – 12, November 11, 12, 13, 14 2024
This morning, you will have one last shoot with the Daasanach, have breakfast, and a short drive to the airstrip to catch your charter flight to the Suri. Upon arrival, your new team of drivers will meet you. The group will stop in route to have a simple packed lunch, and should arrive in the private mobile-tented camp along the Kibish river in the late afternoon. As word gets out about your arrival, the Suri will come down to the river and near camp for a beautiful first introduction and afternoon shoot along the river. You will have four incredible days at this location.
The Suri tribe is known to be one of the most beautiful and ornate tribes in the world, and is thus one of the most desired to photograph. The elaborate body painting and unique, flamboyant headpieces, made from natural materials, 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 via acacia thorns and razor blades.
The Suri are pastoralists. 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’s 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. You will have an opportunity to visit these traditional cattle camps, which is always the trip’s highlight for participants.
Accommodations: Private mobile tent camp BLD
Day 13 November 15, 2024
If time allows, you will have one last early morning visit with the Suri before driving to Mizan to catch our private chartered flight back to Addis. This flight is from deep in the southern region, where no commercial flights are available. This will save us from two long days of driving over rough roads and a one-night stay in local accommodations. Once in Addis, you will be met by our ground team and transported to the Radisson Blu, where you will have a dayroom to rest up and clean up before being transferred to the international airport for your late flights home. Should you prefer to stay overnight in Addis to rest up from your incredible expedition, we will be happy to make these arrangements. Flights should be booked after 10:00 PM. Most international flights depart after 10:00 PM.
Accommodations: Day rooms at the Radisson Blu BL
Important Details
The Price
The cost of this incredible photographic adventure is $12,590.00 per person. The price is based on double occupancy in hotel and loges – everyone will have a private tent in the mobile tent camp
We would be happy to arrange a private room for you if there is availability. The supplement for a private room is $1,295 (if available, as single rooms are limited)
If a solo guest is unwilling to share and requests single accommodations upon registration, then a single supplement will be charged. If you are a solo guest, who will share accommodations, we will do our best to match you with another guest of the same gender. If we cannot match you with another solo guest of the same gender, then the single supplement will be charged, up to, but not exceeding the fee of the single supplement. In this case, whenever possible, we will try to discount the single supplement.
A USD $3,500 non-refundable deposit is due at the time of registration to secure your spot.
You may purchase travel insurance that will refund your deposit if cancel your trip.
***The cost of this safari is based on a minimum of 6-7 participants. If there are less than 6 participants a small supplement fee of $695.00 will apply.
Payment Terms
- USD $3,500.00 non-refundable deposit to confirm your place on this trip
- 2nd payment of USD $4,500.00 + single supplement fee, is due January 30, 2024
- Final payment/balance is due July 1, 2024
- We highly recommend proper trip and trip cancellation insurance to protect your investment
Included in the trip
- All in-country travel in 4X4 Land Cruiser vehicles
- All accommodation, as specified on the itinerary.
- All meals as listed on the itinerary. B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner, beginning with Breakfast on November 4, 2024 through Lunch on November 15, 2024
- Gratuities for local guides, porters, lodges, and camps.
- Drinks- coffee, soda, beer, wine (if sold by the glass) and bottled water are included with lunch and dinner
- Laundry services are included in the private mobile tent camps only and available at the lodges for an extra fee.
- All entrance fees to villages and village activities as listed on the itinerary and in the included activities.
- Basic photo fees
- Airport facilitation, meeting & greeting, private transfers upon arrival and departure.
- Two In-country private charter flights as stated in the itinerary.
- VAT and local taxes.
- All activities listed as included.
- One main, English-speaking guide
What’s NOT Included
- International airfare and/or between your home and Addis Abba
- Visas
- Travel Insurance
- 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
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REGISTRATION AND DEPOSIT
If you are excited to join this safari now is the time to secure your spot. Use the buttons below to fill out your online e-registration form and to make your deposit. We must receive both your completed registration form and your deposit/s to confirm your spot.
Registration form –
Please complete all the required fields. At the end of the form you will be asked to confirm your email address, which will complete the registration. A copy of your registration will be emailed to you and to Piper Mackay Photo Safaris.Deposit–
Click the deposit button, under the registration button, to make your deposit. You do not need to have a Paypal account to use this payment service. You may make more than one deposit at a time by changing the quantity on the purchase details that will come up once you click the deposit button.
