Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
All up, unless you are prepared for real adventure, some discomfort and a certain
amount of danger, then stick to the easier eastern side of the valley. If, however, none of
the above puts you off then welcome to a place you'll never forget.
KIBISH & AROUND
The main settlement in this area is the colourful village of
Kibish
(village fee per day Bir-
r50, government fee per day Birr100, guide fee per group per day Birr250, compulsory
armed guard per day Birr200)
. Set in a bowl in the forested hills, it is a fascinating place
populated by the striking Surmi people. Photographing the Surmi attracts a fee of Birr5
per photo of an adult and Birr2 per photo of a child. Photographers likely to take a lot of
photos will be better off negotiating a fee for unlimited photos over a set period of time
(Birr30 for 10 minutes per person is fair).
Days spent in Kibish will be filled with visits to small surrounding villages (extra vil-
lage entry fees apply), and evenings bathing in the river. It might not sound like much, but
trust us. It is.
There are few facilities: no mains electricity or water and just a handful of poorly
stocked shops. Most people pitch a tent in the
campsite
(per tent Birr30, guardian fee
Birr100)
on the southern edge of the village. There's a hut with a fire pit in which to cook,
but no other facilities whatsoever. However, camping under the African stars makes up for
a lot!
THE SURMI
Formerly nomadic pastoralists, the Surmi (sometimes wrongly called the Surma) now largely depend on the sub-
sistence cultivation of sorghum and maize. The Surmi have a fearsome reputation as warriors, in part inspired by
their continual search for grazing lands. Fights against the Bumi, their sworn enemies, still occur.
It's believed that the Surmi once dominated the area, but their territory has been reduced to the western parts of
the Omo National Park and surrounding areas. The population of 45,000 is split into three subgroups: the Chai,
Tirma and Bale. Like the related Mursi, the Surmi men stick fight and the women don distending lip plates.
However, stick fighting is now technically illegal - and, as in the main Omo Valley area, you should not put pres-
sure on a guide or driver to take you to one of the illegal flights. Also, lip plates are dying out among the young
generation.
The Surmi are also known for their white, almost ghost-like body painting. White chalk is mixed with water to
create a kind of wash. The painting is traditionally much less ornamental than that found in other tribes (although
tourism is starting to change this and children in Kibish and other popular tourist villages now routinely paint
themselves up like prancing peacocks in order to gain camera attention) and is intended to intimidate enemies in
battle. Sometimes snake and wave-like patterns are painted across the torso and thighs.
