The Omo River Valley

Ethiopia, located between Eritrea, Somalia, Kenya, and the Sudan, is undoubtedly one of the most impacting destinations in Africa. It's a land of contrasts, both in terms of geography as well as culture and traditions. While we visited the north and south, this post is about the south. Many of the peoples of southern Ethiopia, especially around the Omo River Valley, are considered among the oldest peoples on Earth and still maintain some of their original identity, lifestyle, and customs from a distant age. To visit is to enter a life that's totally different from anything else in the world. You can't help but feel strange at first, but you'll be lulled by the locals' grand hospitality and disarming kindness.

Wedged between Ethiopia, Kenya and Sudan, the Omo River valley presents travelers with an amazing world frozen in time. Away from any capital city and home to an extreme climate, it's one of the wildest places in Africa and where around 15 nomadic and semi-nomadic tribes live. Mursi, Karo, Erbore, Hamer transform their bodies into authentic canvases and I tried to capture their unique beauty.