A private photo expedition to the Suri Tribes
This new six-day private suri (surma) photography holiday will take you through one of Ethiopia’s most remote and little-known regions. Suri (surma) tribeswomen are among the last tribes to use large lip plates as an esthetic symbol, and they are famous for their intricate self-decoration, which they achieve by painting, scarification, and decorating with flowers and other natural materials.
A three-day homestay with suri (surma) offers an excellent opportunity to immerse yourself in their culture. Photograph the suri as they go about their daily activities, such as cooking, dancing, planting crops, rituals, herding cattle, and so much more.
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Day 1 : Addis Ababa -jimma- mizan teferi ( 230km asphalt 4:00 hrs)
After an early breakfast, we make our way to the domestic terminal in preparation for our flight to Jimma. Upon landing, we proceed to the Centeral Jimma Hotel for a brief freshen up before continuing our south-west route to Mizan Teferi. The 230-kilometer journey takes us through ranges of forest and cultivated areas dominated by coffee, tea, and numerous spices. We will travel through Kaffa Province, which is known as the home of the Coffea arabica, or coffee. We will have plenty of opportunities to stop and take advantage of any photographic possibilities that may arise. Salayish Hotel -O/N MEAL (B,L,D)
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DAY 2 : mizan teferi- KIBISH(CENTER OF SURMA ) (290 KM, 90km asphalt, 200km graveled 4 HRS )
This morning is an exciting travel day as we head deep into the little-visited portion of south-western Ethiopia to Kibish, the heart of Suri Land (surma), relatively isolated and preserved from tourist radar. Arriving by noon, getting settled and ready for the afternoon Suri village and photo session. O/N – tent for camping MEAL (B,L,D)
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DAY 3&4 SURMA (SURI)
We have set two full days to photograph the Suri people because they offer us opportunities to visit more traditional cattle camps for late afternoon light photography, shoot in a variety of locations in the area—villages, streams, towns, and cattle camps, and as they go about their daily activities, such as planting crops, herding cattle, and performing traditional tribal dances in the evening, where there is a diverse mix of photographic opportunities. The Suri (surma) are well-known for their exquisite self-decoration, which they achieve by painting, scarification, and adornment with flowers and other natural materials. The Suri are also well-known for wearing large lip plates. O/N – tent for camping MEAL (B,L,D) MEAL:(B,L,D)
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DAY 5 – suri – Mizan teferi
Following an early morning photo session with Suri, we proceed to Mizan, passing via Bebeka coffee plantation (approximately 30 kilometers outside Mizan), Ethiopia's largest and oldest coffee plantation.
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DAY 6 Mizan teferi- Addis ababa
After breakfast, we transfer to Jimma Airport for our journey to Addis Abeba around lunchtime.
