A visit to a Maasai village is almost inevitable when travelling to the Maasai Mara. The Maasai (or Masai) are mostly known for the colourful garments and jewellery they wear, their warriors and high jumps, which continue to fascinate tourists.
The Maasai is one of the 43 tribes that make up Kenya’s population, but it can also be found in Tanzania. In fact, the Maasai people know no borders and they can travel freely between the two countries. Many of the Maasai are still semi-nomadic, so they don’t have permanent settlements and move wherever the pastures are better for their cattle where they live in small villages made up of 20-30 mud huts.
While most of their lives haven’t been impacted much by modern civilization, they have adapted to the constant influx of tourists to their native lands and have opened up their villages to tours and visitors.
We weren’t sure whether to visit a Maasai village as part of our safari trip since such experiences often tend to be tourist traps. But after passing by some of these villages along the road to the Maasai Mara National Reserve, which seemed quite authentic, we decided to stop at one on our way back to learn more about the Maasai culture. What we found left us with mixed feelings. Here are some things to consider before visiting.
Read Also: What to pack for a safari in Kenya
Be ready to pay an entrance fee
As soon as we parked in front of the village, which was just outside the entrance to the Maasai Mara reserve, the family chief and their guide greeted us with a big smile. Whether they were genuinely happy to welcome us or just glad to get some money is anyone’s guess. Our Maasai guide was fluent in English and after welcoming us he requested the entrance fee of 25 USD per person, which includes the village tour with welcome dances. We were also allowed to take photos and videos and ask as many questions as we liked.
We came to know that other villages ask for donations above 10 USD per person. The price is somehow related to the popularity of the village. Those next to the road and Maasai Mara’s main gates are usually more expensive.
The money paid is usually used by the village to buy cattle or vegetables from the local market or to pay for other services and commodities.
Forget the BBC documentary
We were expecting something like a BBC documentary, with warriors returning from a successful hunt and women busy with their daily routine. What we found instead was a well-organized show. The men welcomed Andre with warrior songs and dances, showing their jumping skills outside the village fence. In the inner courtyard, the women welcomed Mara with their own love songs.
Curiosity: Andre is 193 cm (6’4″) tall and since he was taller than the tallest family member he was the real attraction!
Afterwards they showed us how to light a fire the old-fashioned way, with wooden sticks which they then tried to sell us for 40 USD. They also allowed us to enter one of their huts, made up of a two small rooms where a family of 6-8 live at a time. One of the rooms is used sleeping and cooking, while the other shelters the calves at night.
At the end of the visit, a quick walk in their souvenir market is mandatory. You are not forced to buy anything but they may put some pressure on you. The basic rule we learnt while negotiating prices in Kenya is the basic principle of Hakuna Matata – no problem. If you show respect while refusing an object or negotiating a price, no one gets upset. The same principle was applied in the village we visited.
The Maasai guide told us plain: “our family members will ask you to buy stuff. If you don’t want to, hakuna matata”. And that was respected. We refused several items and after the first “no thanks”, they didn’t ask again.
Bits of Maasai Culture
Our guide from Explorer Kenya had already introduced us to some of the most significant tribal customs, but hearing it from the Maasai themselves is somehow different. The Maasai culture is quite peculiar as we learnt during our visit.
- Women do all the hard work, while men only attend to the animals
- Men are allowed to marry as many wives as they like (or can afford); women can have only one husband
- Men have to pay 10 cows dowry for each wife to her family
- Wives shall come from a different village and move to the husband’s village after the wedding
- They used to be carnivore with a diet based on a milk and blood mixture and grilled meat
- Recently they introduced vegetables in their diets but they do not cultivate any
They usually live in the village less than a year because the termites eat the wood structure. Once the huts start degrading, they move the village a little and burn down the abandoned huts to prevent the house spirits to be freed.
Is it worth visiting a Maasai Village?
We enjoyed the company of the Maasai people and their willingness to share with us their culture. They live without electricity and internet and made fun of us when we told them that for many of us westerners “no internet” is a tragedy.
We would recommend seeing this experience as educational, keeping in mind what to expect. Take as much out of your visit to a Maasai village as possible as there is much to learn from different cultures.
What really should make you think is the impact of mass tourism. Families that used to be nomadic turned to be more permanently settled because of the cash income. Whether this is an improvement or an impoverishment of local traditions, it’s hard to say.
It is however saddening to see that modern civilization has exported the urge to gather and possess cash also to tribes that hardly had the need to use it in the past.
You may want to ask your tour operator or tour guide to take you to a more genuine village. However, you should know that they all have agreements with specific villages so it may end up being the same experience.
Share with us your experience
We would love to read about your experience and how you felt while visiting a Maasai Village, whether in Kenya or Tanzania. Leave your thoughts in the comment field below.
