Three Must-Visit Tribes In Asia, Africa And The Middle East

The reason for traveling to some of the most remote places in the world is usually related to splendid nature, majestic wildlife or adrenaline-pumping adventures. This article offers a fourth category that is also certainly worth getting off the beaten track: indigenous communities. Here are three tribes that you might come across when traveling to some of our favourite destinations:

The Bushmen of Namibia

Some of the earliest inhabitants of Southern Africa still live in Namibia: the San people. For more than 20.000 years they have been covering these lands, teaching their kids how to hunt with bow and arrow, to source water from plants and to collect non-poisonous food in the wild. The language they speak seems to be out of this world - the click language is extremely fascinating yet just as difficult to comprehend. If you plan on traveling to Namibia (or one of its neighboring countries), please include a trip to the founding fathers of Africa. You won’t be disappointed!

The Toraja of Sulawesi

Memento mori is not really a saying that fares well in today’s world. However, for the people living in southern Sulawesi, this is a way of life. Traveling the island, we were deeply impressed by the effort they put into their funeral rituals. After keeping the body for months in a traditional Tongkonan, festivities can take up to a week and include bull fights, buffalo slaughtering and several ceremonies, all of which can be attended by travellers. Honestly, this is the closest we have ever felt to death, especially when the bulls escaped and pierced one of our neighbours. Ouch!

The Qashqai of Iran

Imagine taking all your belongings with you and move to your new home 500 km away. Then imagine doing this every six months, by horse. For the nomads of Quashqai, this is reality. Caring for their herds, these people live independently in some of the most remote places of Iran. Getting to them is relatively easy, though. From Teheran, take the overnight train to Shiraz and hire a 4x4 to pass through the highlands and, hopefully, come across their camp. And while you’re at it, check out the rest of this beautiful country as well!