▷ Ethno-photographic trip to Angola with Last Places

Trip to Angola from 15th - 30th August 2023 (16 d. / 13 n.) / TRIP COMPLETED

Ethno-photographic trip to Angola, one of the most interesting countries in Africa and also one of the least visited. Its landscapes, Portuguese colonial heritage and traditional tribes make Angola a kind of 'new Ethiopia'.

The trip is designed to explore the remote southwest of the country, live with the different tribes and thus be able to photograph all its beauty. The first part of this trip will be along the Atlantic coast of southern Angola. The first contact with the tribal communities will be around Namibe and Tombwa. We will visit both cities in search of beautiful and interesting Art Deco architecture. We will have the opportunity to meet the Cuepe, as well as the Cubal. On the way to Lubango, we will visit a village of the Ngendelengo group, famous for their Mohawk hairstyles and geisha-style headdresses.

The second part of this trip will continue through the interior of the country. The landscape changes radically, as well as the tribes that we will visit. We will learn about the culture of the Handa and their relatives, the Plain Muila and the Mountain Muila. We will continue our route to the south. Along the way, we will stop at San and Humbi villages to learn about their way of life. We will settle in Oncocua. There we will learn about the socio-cultural reality of the area, where the Tua, the Hakaona, the Himba, the Gambue and the Cui live together.

Do you want to know more about the tribes of Angola? You have available for sale the book "Last tribes of Angola", the result of the joint work of the anthropologist Joan Riera and the ethno-photographer Aníbal Bueno. Written in both English and Spanish (bilingual edition), and enriched with a wealth of photographs, illustrations, and maps, the book is a unique visual guide to the most remote tribes of southwestern Angola. Click here if you are interested in buying it.

The trip is designed for lovers of nature, tribes and photography. Since the route runs through remote areas, we will camp in tents most nights to be able to live with the ethnic groups. Throughout the trip we will travel in 4x4 vehicles. In the trip itinerary you will find all the details. Download it using the form that you will find below. Click here to easily reach the form.

Tribes that we will meet along the trip

Handa
They are artisans and farmers. Currently, only older women wear the traditional white bead necklaces.

Plain Muila and Mountain Muila
After introducing ourselves to the soba (traditional chief) we will visit the the Plain Muila village. The women of this ethnic group are the ones who decorate themselves the most with colored necklaces and complex hairstyles. We will also meet the Mountain Muila, who are more traditional than those of the plains.

Gambue
The Gambue have similar customs to their Muila and Handa neighbors. One of them is the use, by women, of bead and clay necklaces. They also have complex hairstyles, which indicate the marital status of each woman.

San
The San are distinguished by their fair complexion and Mongoloid features. Because of their semi-nomadic way of life, the San have preserved a unique language, based on clicks, and much of their ancestral customs.

Dimba
The Dimba are a cattle-raising society that inhabits the savannah around Cahama. The women keep the typical hairstyles that have an air of Melanesian headdresses. We will spend some time with them to learn aspects of their daily life. We will have the opportunity to learn about their music, since they are famous for being great lovers of religious songs and dances.

Tua
They are an ancient people. They dress in a similar way to the dominant tribe in the region: the Himba. They speak a Herero dialect and their economy is based on hunting and gathering. Some men are great metalsmiths, making arrowheads, hoes, and bracelets for neighboring tribes.

Hakaona
They are mainly goat herders, their heads of cattle being a marker of social status. They tend to take charge of the herds of the Himba as a sign of social submission. The Hakaona men are renowned traditional doctors and the women are valued as excellent craftswoman. The women wear a striking headdress and they usually removed some of the lower teeths.

Himba
The Himba are a semi-nomadic ethnic group native to southern Angola and northern Namibia. They are the representatives of the highest rank in the society of the region, because of having the largest number of heads of cattle. They has a strong identity of themselves that is reflected in the large number of ornaments, hairstyles and on its epidermal coating based on ocher, butter and herbs.

Cuepe
They are the smallest tribal group in Angola. They are reputed medicine men and this activity gives them the necessary income to survive in the Curoca Desert region.

Cubal
They are a semi-nomadic group, whose economy is based on livestock and agriculture It was the last ethnic group to succumb to the Portuguese in colonial time. Cubal women wear an original and unique headdress, called ‘ompota’ and they also use belts to tighten their breasts, as a bra, called ‘oyonduthi’.

Ngendelengo
They are semi-nomadic subsistence herders, hunters and farmers. Their ecosystem has lately allowed them to create a small business based on the sale of coal. The machetes are an essential part of their clothing, which is complemented with large crests as a hairstyle for unmarried youths and multiple bows for women.

Do you want to know the detailed itinerary of this ethno-photographic trip to Angola?

This trip to Angola is specially designed for lovers of cultural diversity and human contact. Click on the button below to easily reach the itinerary download form.