Africa

There’s nowhere like it on the planet for wildlife, wild lands and rich traditions that endure. Prepare to fall in love.

BOORANA TRIBE

After the overnight in Konso, we continued our drive towards Yirga Chefe. On the way, we stopped at the Boorana tribe (📷 50 ETB / person), a semi-nomadic, Cushitic-speaking ethnic group and a major Oromo subgroup, primarily residing in southern Ethiopia and northern Kenya. They are known...

THE KONSO KING

We met the 20th reigning King of Konso, King Kalla, who acts as the traditional leader of the Konso people in Ethiopia. While a council of elders governs each village, the king serves as the ultimate authority on major disputes and decisions affecting the entire tribe, which is estimated...

DRIVE TO KONSO

After the visit of the Arbore tribe, we continued our drive from Turmi to Konso through southern Ethiopia’s varied landscape with a mix of paved and unpaved sections. The journey took us through the land of the Hamer people and then towards the distinct, terraced highlands of Konso...

ARBORE TRIBE

We made a brief stop to visit the Arbore tribe, who live in an area with a hot, arid climate, bordering the Woyto River in the southwest Omo Valley of Ethiopia, near Lake Chew Bahir. They are pastoralists, primarily known for their livestock, and their name translates to “Land of...

WEYTO

Early in the morning, we set off on an off-road drive from Turmi to Konso, following a rough gravel road with most sections under construction. We followed the dry Weyto River through the Weyto Valley, which is part of the Rift Valley. The river is prone to seasonal flooding and flows...

HAMER TRIBE

In the late afternoon, we visited the friendly village of the Hamer tribe, just a few kilometres outside Turmi. It’s an Omotic ethnic group living in the Omo Valley of southwestern Ethiopia. They are primarily semi-nomadic pastoralists and are known for their distinct cultural...