Ethiopia Photo Tour
January 5 - 18, 2027
This very unique and exciting photo tour consists of four parts. First, we will visit the Omo River Valley for an extraordinary cultural experience and outstanding photography. It is truly like going back in time 20,000 years. We will visit the Mursi, Surma, Karo, and Hamar tribes, and you will have up close and intimate portrait opportunities that you’ll treasure forever.
The second part of the trip consists of visiting the Christian north of the country. We fly into Gondar and then drive to the beautiful Simien Mountains. Here we will photograph wonderful landscapes and, in addition, we will have close encounters with wild and exotic Gelada baboons. You can take stunning portraits and even use a wide angle lens because they allow such a close approach.
The third part of the trip is visiting Lalibela, the location of the amazing rock-hewn churches that date from the 11th century. These churches are what's left after the surrounding rocks were cut away. It's brilliant architecture, and with the Ethiopian priests as models, the photography here is fabulous.
Finally, we will drive to the parking area at the base of Erie Ale volcano. From there, it is a 30 minute walk (1.8 miles one way) to the rim of what can realistically be described as the 'Gates of Hell'. You can look down into a caldron of molten lava -- i.e. rocks on fire -- and this is something you'll never forget.
We arrive in Addis Ababa, the capital of Ethiopia, where you can rest and overnight. If you have enough energy after the long flight, you can visit the National Museum of Ethiopia and photograph the skeleton of Lucy, a hominid that dates from 3.2 million years. The next morning we will take our first charter flight south to the tribal area. The photography on this tour is second to none. You won't believe the incredible pictures you'll be taking, and your friends back home will be incredulous. This is an experience of a lifetime.
Please note: This trip is not for everyone. If you need and expect creature comforts when you travel, do not sign up for this photo tour. Two nights on this itinerary are camping simply because there are no hotels in one of the tribal areas. It will be hot and dry, but we won't have any rain. This is the real African bush, and you are far from civilization. That's what makes this experience so compelling. You are provided a tent that can be zippered shut, a mattress on a frame, bedding, and the meals are simple but tasty and well prepared. To be honest, everyone in Jim's past groups have been amazed the food is so good. A bush shower is set up in camp (this consists of a 5-gallon container of warm water that flows through a shower valve in a private enclosed area), and hygiene is a top priority. We will have electricity to charge camera batteries, laptop computers, and a light in the tent thanks to the generators provided by the local tour operator.
Our drivers set up and break down the camp when we change locations.
The dirt and gravel roads in Ethiopia are not good, the dust is ever present, and in this kind of rugged environment, you have to have a sense of humor as well as patience and understanding. In the last several years, Chinese companies have built hundreds of kilometers of paved roads and this is a big relief. Still, many of the roads on which we travel are pretty bad
If you are a complainer, if you have a low tolerance for things that don't go your way, or if you don't handle unexpected challenges when you travel well, please do not sign up for this tour.
If this is the kind of tour that appeals to you, however, and you are ready to take the most incredible travel pictures of your life and to experience cultures that few outsiders have the privilege of seeing and photographing, then you'll be thrilled with this photo tour.
You will be required to have medical evacuation insurance (just in case) plus the required vaccinations recommended by the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta, Georgia. If you need to stay in touch with business associates, friends, or family back home, you will need a satellite phone. Cell service is available in the cities, but in the bush, a sat phone is required to make and receive calls in many of the areas we visit. A caveat to that is our local guide has a hotspot that usually works, making an Internet connection possible even in tribal areas. Jim has used this and it's consistently good.
There should be no rain during our time in Ethiopia The temperature will vary from very pleasant to hot, depending on where in the country we'll be and at what elevation. In some of the tribal areas, high temps could reach 104 degrees F or 40 degrees Celsius at this time of year.
About the charter flights: Charter flights in Ethiopia are expensive, but they save several days of driving on roads that can only be described as brutal. The roads that extend from Addis Ababa south to the tribal areas of the Omo River Valley are to be avoided if possible because it takes two full days of driving on rocky, gravel roads each way to get to the areas we need to go. Your experience in Ethiopia will be much more pleasant with the least amount of wear and tear on you with the addition of charter flights in the itinerary. This makes the trip more costly, and I'm sorry about that because I try to keep my prices as reasonable as possible.
However, I feel most people would agree that it's the better option. You will be able to see and photograph a lot more because of the wise use of our time in Ethiopia.
ITINERARY:
Day 1, Tuesday, Jan. 5
Depart from your home city and you arrive in Addis Ababa on January 5 at any time. You will be met by a local representative and transferred to our hotel. Overnight Elilly/Capital Hotel and Spa (4 stars).
Day 2, Wednesday, Jan. 6
After breakfast, we take a morning charter flight to Jinka in the Omo River Valley and then transfer to a Mursi village. The Mursi women are famous for wearing lip plates and painting their faces. The women first started using lip plates as a way to disfigure themselves so black slave traders would be appalled by the way they look and not take them into slavery. Later it became a sign of beauty and a way to get a husband. Overnight at the Eco-Omo Safari Lodge.
Day 3, Thursday, Jan. 7
We have another photo shoot this morning in a different Mursi village, and then we head toward Turmi. Depending on our time, we will proceed to a Hamar village for an evening shoot of these proud people. They have high cheekbones and make for striking portraits. Jim will bring a large piece of black velvet for those who want to take dramatic portraits using this technique.
The incredible photography in this part of Ethiopia captures the ancient world of people who live peacefully and close to nature in one of the most far-flung, yet beautiful, parts of the world. It is a special opportunity to photographically document their daily lives, capture enthralling portraits, and photograph timeless ceremonies. Overnight Paradise Lodge Turmi or similar.
Day 4, Friday, Jan. 8
After breakfast, we have an early morning shoot at a Karo village on an elevated bank of the Omo River. The Karo tribe excel in face and body painting that 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 guinea fowl. The men create highly decorated clay hair buns which can take up to three days to complete. Their ornate body scaring, where a cut is made with a knife and ash is rubbed into the wound to produce pronounced keloid scarring, is also a known characteristic of the Karo. Overnight Paradise Lodge Turmi or similar.
Day 5, Saturday, Jan. 9
Today we return to Jinka and take a charter flight to Mlzan, the gateway to the Surma people. Another crew will be waiting for us in the airport and they will transfer us to Kibish, which is Surma territory. We drive to our camp which is about 4 hours on mostly good road, and we visit a nearby village of a people that until 50 or 60 years ago was totally isolated from the outside world. Only because of a government road were outsiders able to visit these unique people. Highly decorated and with the women wearing lip plates, the Surma people make incredible subjects. They are friendly, welcoming, and happy to pose for our cameras. They also enjoy seeing themselves on the LCD screen. Overnight in our comfortable campsite.
Day 6, Sunday, Jan. 10
We have another day to photograph a second village with more outstanding portrait potential. Many Surma come to our camp just to watch us because we are pretty strange to them, too. This gives us additional opportunities to take great shots. We overnight in our camp by the river. We will have electricity to charge our batteries and laptops, etc.
Day 7, Monday, Jan. 11
Before breakfast, we visit a Surma cattle camp to witness them taking blood from a cow and then drinking the warm, fresh blood. This is one of their staples; it's how they survive. The cow's puncture wound is patched up and the cow returns to the herd. We then have breakfast and drive back to Mizan where we take a charter flight back to Addis Ababa and overnight at the Capital Hotel and Spa.
Day 8, Tuesday, Jan. 12
This morning we take a commercial flight to Lalibela, the most renowned of Ethiopia's historical destinations. It is here where the 11th century rock-hewn churches were built. Eleven churches were built over 23 years and 40,000 people provided the labor. Rock was removed from a plateau and the churches, consisting of bedrock, are what's left -- all done with hand tools. Priests dressed in colorful clothes are happy to pose for our cameras. Overnight Mesena Lodge.
Day 9, Wednesday, Jan. 13
We have a full day in Lalibela to photograph the 11th century rock-hewn churches. They have been the focus of pilgrimage for Coptic Christians for a thousand years. We will walk through several of them, photographing the unique interiors and taking portraits of priests in their traditional robes. You'll also be able to see pilgrims who've walked great distances barefoot to come here. Overnight Mesena Lodge.
Day 10, Thursday, Jan. 14
After breakfast we transfer to the airport to take a scheduled commercial flight back to Addis Ababa. We'll have lunch, and you can download images taken thus far. Jim will be happy to conduct a
critique session if you'd like feedback on your photographs as well as ideas of how they can be improved in Photoshop. Overnight Elilly/Capital Hotel and Spa (4 stars).
Day 11, Friday, Jan. 15
This morning we transfer to the airport where we'll a scheduled flight to the city of Semera. We meet up with our 4x4 jeeps and drive on an asphalt road to the foot of Erta Ale volcano. This is the Afar region, and occasionally we'll come across nomads with camels. We stop for lunch at Lake Afdera, and then drive on where the asphalt becomes gravel. By sunset we arrive at the camp and then we begin the ascent. The walk is about 30 minutes, 1.8 miles, and about 1000 feet elevation gain. There are only a few places in the world that afford the opportunity to such an incredible site. You will never forget the
moment you stood above a window into the core of the Earth and looked down on a seething, splashing, churning mass of molten lava with a night sky above. You'll feel sorry for friends and family back home who weren't able to experience this! Jim will help you with camera settings in this challenging, but awesome, photographic situation. After taking unbelievable pictures, we return to our camp where a delicious dinner has already been prepared. Overight in our comfortable camp.
Day 12, Saturday, Jan. 16
At dawn, this who wish, together with a guide, will be able to climb the volcano trail again to see the fiery caldron again in daylight. It's very, very impressive. After breakfast, we drive through lava fields to the small village of Hamad Ale where Afar women will treat us to traditional coffee.
We then drive to Lake Afdera where we witness harvesting of salt from this very bizarre lake. Overight in our comfortable camp.
Day 13, Sunday, Jan. 17
After breakfast we drive to one of the most unique, bizarre, and beautiful areas in Africa, the Danakil Depression. It is 410 feet (125 meters) below sea level, and the mineral deposits make this place special among all the great landscapes in the world. Bring your drone if you have one for aerial shots; from the ground you'll want both wide angle lenses and telephotos to fill the frame with the other-worldly scene before you. You'll be totally captivated by this place.
From here, we'll witness camels being loaded with salt bricks for their long trek to market. We then have lunch and then proceed to Mekele. Overnight LiBanos Hotel, Mekele.
Day 14, Monday, Jan. 18
After breakfast, we transfer to the Mekele airport to take a scheduled flight back to Addis Ababa. We have lunch and there is time for last minute shopping before our farewell dinner in the best restaurant with traditional live music and cultural dishes. We then depart Addis for our flight home, knowing we've had the most amazing travel photography ever.
Land cost: $9585
Plus: Charter and domestic flights within Ethiopia: $2810
TOTAL cost of this tour including land cost and charter flights: $12,395
Single supplement: $1150
Tour price includes: 9 nights hotel lodging, 4 nights camping, all meals throughout the tour, all ground transportation in comfortable 4-wheel drive vehicles (or larger minibus), all camping gear, photo fees to local tribespeople, all tips to drivers, local guides, cook, camp crew, and porters. Also includes photo instruction and critiques on demand.
Not included: Visa fee, international airfare, alcoholic beverages, travel cancellation insurance, medical evacuation insurance, items of a personal nature, and tip to our primary local guide.
PLEASE NOTE: There is an additional fee only if you do not fly Ethiopian Airlines from North America or Europe to Ethiopia. This is a fee by Ethiopian Airlines when you fly on an Ethiopian domestic flight and you haven't flown with them internationally: $385 (this is subject to change)
Charter and domestic flights include:
flight from Addis to Jinka
flight from Jinka to Mizan
flight from Mizan to Addis Ababa
flight from Addis to Lalibela
flight from Lalibela to Addis
flight from Addis to Semera
flight from Mekele to Addis.