Oli Cutter

In the far south of Ethiopia lies the market town of Turmi, a remote and dusty settlement, located deep within miles upon miles of dry scrubland. We drove to our campsite and pitched our tents on the bank of the Keske River, the perfect setting for four nights stay with the Hamar. We had come with the hope of being invited to a bull jumping ceremony, one of the most incredible rituals in the valley. Colobus monkeys dashed and chatted amongst the fig trees, their long white tails, drooped low from the canopy. Vultures swooped silently over the baked riverbed before…

Curiously emerging through the wild bushes were the tall, masculine forms of naked warriors. White paint and cow dung was smeared across their dark bodies. They looked strong and fearsome, heads shaven and scarification swirled down their arms marking the kill of an enemy tribesman. Everyone of them, gripping a Kalashnikov. After leaving the small town of Jinka, we drove for over three hours, over the mountains and down into the dense grasslands that make up the Mago National park. This 2162km2 region situated between the Omo River and its tributary the Mago, is one of the most isolated regions of the…

I had finally made it to Africa’s heart. Rwanda: a stunning country built on “a thousand hills” where tiny mud villages hug the steep fertile slopes. We headed for the breathtaking Virunga Mountains in the north of the country where the Parc National des Volcans borders the DRC and Uganda. A group of six volcanoes draped in 125 km2 of lush mountain forest, and of course home to some of the last remaining Mountain Gorillas.

Sat on the runway at Maun’s Airstrip was our GA8Airvan, a tiny eight seater aircraft waiting to take us up, for an hours flight to view the magnificent delta from the air. We climbed on board, and set off down the runway, our seats only a few inches above the hurtling tarmac. As we rose out of Maun, high above its busy streets, it wasn’t long until dusty roads turned into winding rivers. Our little plane bobbed on the warm air, floating above incredible views of a flooded world, at a height where its vastness and great diversity can be…

The Kalahari grass swayed gently in the warm breeze, its fair golden colour, brushed against a pastel sky.  Set in a small clearing in the heart of this wilderness was the simple grassy, temporary shelters of the san tribe. Often described as “the first people”.  This tranquil setting. The origin of humanity. The chief hunter, similar age to me, greeted me with a graceful smile. All he wore was a simple loincloth and a symbolic jackal skin that decorated his head. The rest of the tribe sat grouped together, fourteen of them, their faces similar, thin eyes that accompanied welcoming…