MAASAI VILLAGE VISITING
A lot of us have grown up watching documentaries about the African wild on National Geographic or Discovery channel. Whenever the cameras descend into the plains of East Africa, one warrior tribe dressed in brilliant reds and blues, almost always pops up on screens – the Maasai.
These semi-nomadic pastoralists live in/around the rift valley region of Northern Tanzania and Southern Kenya. On your safari trip, as you drive towards the national parks in this region, you will see the colorful maasai herding their cattle or trying to sell you their artwork.
But did you know you can also visit their village on your safari tour and interact and get a glimpse into their unique culture, customs and practices ? If that sounds interesting, read the entire article to know more about what to expect on a Maasai village tour and see if you would like to add one to your itinerary.
Where Can You Visit The Maasai Villages in Tanzania
Ngorongoro Crater Rim This is the most frequently visited Maasai village Easily accessible by tourist visiting Ngorongoro for crater tours or just passing through Ngorongoro to get to Serengeti. Also the most scenic of all, given its location on the crater rim. However this can feel more staged and the Maasai here have more pushy sales approach compared to other villages
The region near Lake Natron has its own Maasai village, and the tours here are accessible for clients visiting Lake Natron as a part of their itinerary. The maasai villages you visit here are permanent (while at many other locations, Maasai tours happen in villages where people rotate from time to time to share revenue earned from doing these tours for clients) and this visit feels more authentic compared to other locations. You will get a chance to see how the cows are milked, witness the mudding of Maasai houses, see how they construct their stoves and get a chance to take part in these activities too. You can also spend longer hours (like upto 6 hours) on Maasai village tour here.
Other Maasai villages can be found near Mto Wa Mbu, Tarangire, Arusha, Mikuni National Park, Serengeti-Ngorongoro border, and Moshi. These villages are mostly located on the way to important sites such as Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park etcetera. If the clients cannot find the time to visit the villages in the crater rim or near Lake Natron but still desire to see a Maasai village, they can visit these locations.
