Last Places

Name: Last Places
Address: Barcelona, ES
Telephone: +34647829042
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We have the knowledge, we have the passion and we have the logistics.
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05/09/2026

📢 Gerewol Festival and historic cities

This trip to Niger has been designed to experience the mythical Gerewol, one of the most iconic ethnographic festivals in Africa. This is the courtship ceremony of the Wodaabe nomadic herders. This rite is a kind of beauty contest between the most beautiful boys, the jury of which is represented by the girls of the clan.

Previously, the participants underwent a meticulous make-up session, in which natural pigments were applied to enhance the whiteness of their teeth and eyes. Under the effect of natural stimulants, the boys begin to dance with slow and hypnotic movements. The dance is accompanied by grimaces that highlight their teeth and eyes, reaching a kind of trance.

On this trip to Niger, we will be able to live with this nomadic people and with other ethnic groups from the Sahel, such as the Tuareg and other Fulani groups. We will enrich this visual experience by exploring the winding streets of Agadez, Tahoua and Dosso, which will take us back in time to Africa’s medieval past.

► Trip to Niger
🗓️ From 23 Sept to 1 Oct 2026
ℹ️ More info at lastplaces.com

©️ Photos by Angels Ferrer

04/09/2026

In Quito’s Historic Center—one of the best-preserved historic centers in Latin America—Baroque churches, colonial convents, wooden balconies, and open plazas coexist, shaping urban life for centuries.

The city blends Indigenous influence, Spanish heritage, and adaptation to the Andean landscape, with architecture characterized by volcanic stone, interior courtyards, and domes that dominate the city skyline.

Photos by

03/09/2026

Times change among nomadic tribes.

Education among nomadic people of the Sahel is more than the acquisition of literacy; it is a transformation of cultural consciousness.

Traditionally, knowledge is transmitted orally through elders, family, movement, pastoral life, religion, and close observation of the environment. The school introduces another system: written knowledge, fixed schedules, examinations, and teachers from outside the community. The child therefore begins to inhabit two systems of knowledge.

The use of a foreign language makes this transformation even deeper. Learning English gives children access not only to new words, but to new ideas, values, professions, and ways of imagining the future. The child may become a cultural intermediary, translating between the community and the wider state or global society.

This can also change the balance between generations. Traditionally, knowledge flows from elders to children; with schooling, knowledge can increasingly flow from school to child to family. Young people may acquire forms of institutional authority that their elders do not possess.

Education therefore creates a tension between belonging and individual possibility. Children may begin questioning inherited customs, imagining urban lives, or choosing professions outside pastoralism. Yet education can also help them preserve and reinterpret their culture—by writing their language, documenting oral traditions, or defending nomadic rights.

©️ Photo by Angels Ferrer and video and text by

25/08/2026

Chipaya women traditionally wear their hair in two long braids on each side of the head. These braids are usually very tight and carefully arranged, sometimes tied with colorful wool cords or ribbons.

The hairstyle is not only decorative; it is also an important symbol of cultural identity within the community. In some Andean societies, similar braided styles can also indicate aspects of a woman’s life, such as her age or marital status, giving the hairstyle social meaning beyond appearance.

The Chipaya are an Indigenous people who live in the high plateau of the department of Oruro in Bolivia. Their way of life is adapted to the harsh conditions of the Altiplano. Despite the social and environmental changes that have affected the Altiplano in recent decades, the Chipaya continue to preserve many of their traditions, their language, and their cultural identity.

Book one of the few remaining places for this trip in our website.

🗓️ From 7 to 18 September 2026
ℹ️ More info at lastplaces.com

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24/08/2026

📢 Following nomadic footprints in the High Steppes

On this ethnographic trip to Kyrgyzstan, we will delve into the nomadic way of life and the untouched landscapes of Central Asia. From the mountains of Kilemchi to the majestic Lake Son Kul, we will live alongside shepherd families, getting a close look at their daily life, their customs, and their craftsmanship. The route continues toward the remote Lake Kel Suu, a place where nature reveals itself in all its splendor.

The experience will culminate in participating in traditional activities characteristic of these itinerant communities. In addition, we will have the opportunity to attend Kok Buru, the classic and thrilling equestrian sport that will undoubtedly leave a lasting impression. With a bit of luck, we will witness a transhumance, a unique activity that allows us to connect with the true essence of Kyrgyz nomads.

► Ethnographic trip to Kyrgyzstan
🗓️ From 6 to 17 September 2026
ℹ️ More info at lastplaces.com

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23/08/2026

In several regions of West Africa and the Gulf of Guinea — Togo, Benin, Ghana, and Nigeria — there are “fetish markets,” where traditional religious practices, informal trade, and tourism converge.

These spaces are associated with belief systems such as Vodou, but also with other local cosmologies in which natural objects — bones, skins, skulls, or animal parts — are incorporated into rituals of protection, healing, or divination. The markets function as hubs where traditional priests, healers, and clients negotiate over objects.

The presence of dead animal parts in these markets has generated controversy beyond their borders. Remains of commonly hunted species — such as reptiles, birds, or small mammals — can be found alongside fragments that sometimes come from protected wildlife. An important distinction should be made: not all of the material comes from endangered species. Many times it consists of by-products of local hunting or remains that have been reused within rural subsistence economies. Nevertheless, there is a problematic dimension related to the trafficking of protected wildlife.

From an anthropological perspective, reducing these markets to “macabre exoticism” distorts their complexity. In many cases, they are part of long-standing local economies and living religious systems in which the relationship with nature is not strictly divided into the symbolic, medicinal, and utilitarian. At the same time, this complexity does not prevent us from recognizing the conflicts: pressure on wildlife, government regulation, tourism, and globalization.

For some visitors, they are places of cultural or spiritual interest; for others, they are controversial settings because of the presence of animal remains and concerns about conservation. In reality, they are both at once.

Photos by

22/08/2026

📢 Kok Boru, the nomadic sport

Kok-boru is a traditional Kyrgyz and Central Asian horseback competition rooted in nomadic culture. Teams of riders compete to capture and carry a goat carcass into a scoring area, requiring speed, strategy, strength, and exceptional horse control.

The sport developed from the needs of ancient herding societies, where horses were essential for survival, transportation, and livestock protection. Beyond physical skill, kok-boru represents the close bond between rider and horse and reflects values such as courage, endurance, and mastery of horsemanship.

🖊️ Read the full blog article written by at lastplaces.com or clicking the link in our bio

► Ethnographic trip to Kyrgyzstan
🗓️ From 6 to 17 September 2026
ℹ️ More info at lastplaces.com

©️ Photo and videos by

20/08/2026

📢 Cave people and Sepik crocodrile ritual

Papua New Guinea remains one of the world’s last truly wild frontiers, offering an unparalleled journey into the heart of ancient tribal traditions. For intrepid travelers seeking an adventure far off the beaten track, this expedition promises a profound encounter with cultures virtually untouched by the modern world.

Our journey begins along the winding, misty waters of the mighty Sepik River, where you will witness the intense and sacred crocodile scarification ritual—a grueling rite of passage where young men embody the strength of the revered spirit crocodile. From the dense river basins, the expedition ascends into the rugged, mist-shrouded Papuan Highlands. Here, hidden within dramatic limestone valleys, you will trek to meet semi-nomadic cave-dwelling communities, sharing stories by the fireside and learning ancestral survival skills. This is not just a vacation; it is a rare, raw immersion into the living history of humanity.

This coming September, anthropologist Joan Riera will travel to Papua New Guinea with a very small group, of which there are still 4 places available to join the trip. It's an expedition for those who want to get closer to cultures and rituals that still retain an extraordinary power.

► Trip to Papua New Guinea
🗓️ From 15 to 26 September 2026
ℹ️ More info at lastplaces.com

©️ Photos by Juan José Reina

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19/08/2026

Along the Sepik River, in Papua New Guinea, among the Chambri people, there is one of the most powerful initiation traditions we have ever witnessed: the sacred crocodile scarification ritual. During this ceremony, scarification is carried out on the body with patterns evoking the scales of the crocodile, an animal of great symbolic importance in the region's culture. The resulting scars represent the initiation process and the young men's transition into adulthood.

To witness a group of young men going through this initiation — the scarification itself, the chanting, the preparations, the elders’ involvement and the entire ceremony surrounding it — is an experience that is difficult to put into words. Beyond the physical ordeal, what makes it so fascinating is understanding that this is not simply a test of endurance, but a profound moment of transformation, identity and belonging.

©️ Photos by Juan José Reina.

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18/08/2026

Testimony of a father who lost his son, devoured by a crocodile in the Sepik River (Papua New Guinea).

©️Video by Aníbal Bueno - Travel Photography

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