12 DAYS TOUR SURMA & WESTERN ETHIOPIA

 

12 Days Cultural Tour in the Surma Tribe territory. The Surma tribe is the most ornate tribe on the African continent. They are also one of the most remote tribes, which make them one of the least photographed tribes in the Omo Valley. This special trip will be a true adventure and a rare unique opportunity. You will hike to different villages of the Surma Tribe located around Kibish town a center of the Surma Tribe. Inspired by their environment of wild trees, exotic flowers, and lush vegetation these tribes use colorful make-up of bright yellows, startling whites, and rich earth-reds created from the clay soil. They wear flamboyant accessories and brilliant head decorations to become a walking body of art. As a celebration of themselves they paint each other’s bodies and make bold decisions about their outfits motivated by the sheer fun of creating and showing off to other members of the tribe. The Surma pride themselves on their scars and how many they carry. Women perform decorative scarification by slicing their skin with a razor blade after lifting it with a thorn. After the skin is sliced the piece of skin left over is left to eventually scar. On the other hand, the men used to traditionally scar their bodies after they killed someone from an enemy group. You will also visit Jimma, the famous Old palace of King Abba Jiffar and Bonga and its coffee and tea plantations.