Maasai Cultural Tour

MAASAI CULTURAL TOUR

Wherever you go on the East African safari circuit of southern Kenya and northern Tanzania, the Maasai people are a near-constant presence. You’ll see the brightly colored reds, blues and purples of their Shúka (sheets worn wrapped around the body, one over each shoulder, another on top of it inversely) standing out vividly against the landscape, whether in small mud-thatched villages, more modern towns or the vast open spaces on which they continue to graze their cattle, as they have for more than 500 years.

Tanzania has over 120 tribes each with its own culture. The Maasai in northern Tanzania are among the most popular ethnic groups in the area, a proud people fervently attached to their cultural values. Northern Tanzania is the home of the pastoral Maasai, who have been allowed to live in the conservation areas, a pioneering experiment in multi-purpose land use where people, their livestock and wildlife coexist and share the same protected habitat. The Maasai move widely with their herds of cattle, sheep, goats and donkeys in search of pasture and water. In recent years the Maasai have been encouraged to work on the land to supplement their traditional staple food of milk and meat.

While it may be the region’s prodigious wildlife that draws most nature travel lovers to East Africa, it is the Maasai people who provide its distinctive cultural flavor. So it’s worth learning more about these semi-nomadic pastoralists before you visit, and visiting one of their traditional villages if at all possible while you’re there.

Highlights
Visiting an authentic Maasai village the Ewang'ani village on a day trip you will have the chance to experience the following

Learning the history of the Maasai people and observing what they are doing on daily basis

Meeting the Maasai community, the seniors, the Maasai warriors, children as well as the mamas and take part of the famous Maasai sing and dance known as Adumu, normally done altogether with the whole group, 20 – 40 Maasai and yes you will be a part of it.

Witnessing the traditional fire making using Ulindi and Uwimbombo as fire Kits

Experiencing in depth the Masaai culture, traditions and lifestyle

Learning and experiencing about their traditional herbal medicines

Visiting their bomas and having insights of how they are made

Learning a in depth about their hunting techniques

Visiting the Maasai mamas local culture markets to appreciate the local ornaments they made themselves

Maasai warriors would challenge men to engage in a spear throwing match or perform a tribal dance, and ladies may choose to participate in beadwork.

This is intended to expose visitors to the Maasai culture though briefly and enrich them with some authentic African experiences.