CNDB (
http://www.cndb.com/phpBB2/viewtopic...=8849&start=15) states that it's the Himba tribe from South Africa. It certainly does look like the Himbas / Ova-Himbas / Ovambos, and they are all in the north western parts of Namibia (NOT South Africa) !, which is just a hop, skip and jump from where we live. I've been there many times with my own vehicle. Areas are called Damaraland, Ovamboland, Kaokoland, etc.
This area is also an extremely popular route for the overlanders, sticking to the main roads and doing the tourist thing. We go in with maps and GPS into areas where you need to be self contained for at least a week. If you happen to reach a "village" , it rarely consist of more than 5 or 6 mud huts.
In the northern parts closer to the Kunene river (Angola border), a few of these tribes have gone commercial, realizing that there's money to be made from tourism. What they offer varies from hair braiders next to the gravel road in the middle of nowhere to areas offering a more in depth experience as these photos suggests. Some even offer overnight facilities in a trditional Himba mud hut, with possibly a traditional show in the evening. You are welcome to dress up (or down !!) !
Kudos to her and her friends ! Very few does the whole dress up/down !!
(The remote areas where we go, the tribes just want to be left alone. You see much more true traditional dress and behaviour. You also show great respect towards them and their property. Always go straight the the chief. Learn to greet him in his language before you meet him. A sixpack cold ones and a pack of Chesterfields and a Coke-a-Cola for his grandchildren will earn his respect and ensure friendly and safe passage accross his land)
Traditional dress for women are as you will see in some of her other photos. All topless , allways. And covered in the red mud to protect against the seriously harsh African sun. Most women only settle for the braids in the hair, but one can go all the way...your choice.
The photos on
rm.net/rtw/v.php?g=africa_overland
shows miss Koch on an overlander trip and these topless photos of her form part of that trip. So they probably only stayed one night at a commercialised tribe, which was part of the overland route/package.
The photos:
The first photos of the vast open spaces are typical of the southern Namibia with the Canyon being the Fish River Canyon at Hobas look-out point.
The small canyon she's walking through is the Sesriem Canyon at Sossusvlei (Central Namibia). The 2 night photos with the local are taken at the Sesriem campsite.
The dune they are climbing is Dune 45, 45km from Sesriem on the way to Sossusvlei.
From there they seem to have headed north, visiting Etosha Game Reserve, then the tribe (probably Ovambo) in the exreme north on their way to the Caprivi strip, linking Namibia with Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Then onto Victoria Falls on the border of Zim and Zam.
Coastal pictures is probably Mozambique.
Really a worthwile trip !!