
Maasai Village Visit
Maasai Village Visit : The Maasai people are arguably the most incredible and iconic tribal group in Africa and the whole renowned for being one of the few tribes with whose traditions and cultures haven’t been affected by technology and modernity, the Maasai people reside in the vast areas of the Southern areas of Kenya most especially around protected areas such as Masai Mara National Reserve, Amboseli National Reserve among others.
The Maasai are nomadic warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still they retain most of their traditions as they lively largely unaffected by modern day civilization.
Visiting the Maasai People is a one-hour cultural experience to a Maasai village offering visitors a chance to interact with the Maasai people and get a glimpse into the culture, unique way of life and see first-hand some of the customs and practices.
The Maasai Visit is typically an excursion included into a longer Masai Mara Safari tour and usually happens along the fringes of the main Masai Mara National Reserve boundaries, most of the tourists on a Kenya safari to Masai Mara wish to have this experience included in their safari experience.
For visitors interested in eye-opening activity, its cost varies between USD 25 TO 50 per person and is normally included in your Masai Mara Safari Package together with road transfers from your lodge or camp in Masai Mara to the Masai Village.
Normally the fee is often lower that is when you are on a road safari with your own Driver-Guide who will make the payments/fees upon entry.
Visiting the Maasai Village is a way of contributing to the livehood of the Maasai people living around Masai Mara National reserve and once in the Village, you may be expected to buy some curio or souvenir from the villagers (though this is not mandatory having paid an entry fee).
Nonetheless, be prepared for determined efforts from of the Maasai villages trying to see you some of their inexpensive and beautiful hand-made craft items. For some travelers, this can be an unpleasant part of the Maasai village visit though in its totality, it is a minor negative that has become part of the experience. The positive part of the visit outweighs the negative.

The Maasai people are widely renowned for their many unique cultural practices and traditions, some of these originate from their normadic way of life.
The meaning of a Maasai Village
The Maasai people live in structures known as the “Manyattas” which are low height dwelling, essentially huts made of mud, cow dung and wood with a single entrance and minimal side windows.
Clusters of these manyatta huts which form a homestead or village are known as Maasai “Boma”, several Bomas can be joined together to make a larger village. The individual huts themselves – the Manyattas have small windows so small that it can be very dark inside a manyatta even on a sunny day.
In the Manyattas, there are no piped water, electricity or Gas, cooking food is done on the earthen stove and firewood. Though there is power and piped water in Masai Mara National Reserve and the more developed part of Narok district where the Manyattas are found, the very traditional Maasai villages still exist in this manner.
A status of Moran is very much celebrated in the Maasai community, Morans are warriors of the Maasai tribe and are initiated into their status by rites of passage which are given much importance. The morans entertain visitors by their jumping skills and most visitors often take this as a chance to find out how high they can jump compared to the Maasai Morans.
