How to visit the most famous traditional Maasai tribe in East Africa
Those with the honor of visiting one of Africa’s most famous and traditional tribes will want to read this guide before their trip.
The Maasai are one of the most unique and famous tribes in Africa. It is a Nilotic ethnic group that inhabit parts of Kenya and Tanzania, especially around the Serengeti and Maasai Mara National Parks. Going on a Serengeti Safari is a once in a lifetime experience, but there are some things every traveler should know in advance.
The Maasai are traditional and wear their traditional dress and follow their traditional customs. While many other tribes around them seek to modernize and globalize, the Maasai seek to preserve their traditions and customs.
Customs of the Maasai
- Tongue: Mother tongue is Maa, many also speak Swahili and English
They are nomads and pastoralists and are among the best long distance runners in the world. They capture the imagination of tourists with their distinctive attire, diet and lifestyle. In the past, the Maasai were a warrior tribe and frequently attacked and attacked other tribes for their cattle.
Richness: A man’s wealth is measured by the number of children and cattle he has
Cattle are at the heart of the Maasai way of life. Cattle are their main source of food and a measure of their wealth. A man’s wealth is measured by the number of children and cattle he has (he also traditionally pays the dowry price for his wife (s) with cattle to his family).
- Interment: Traditionally, the Maasi are not buried but left to scavengers
Perhaps strange to Westerners, traditionally there is almost no funeral ceremony for the deceased. Instead, the dead are left in the fields for scavengers. As they believed that the burial was bad for the soil, in the past only the great chiefs were buried.
They have many traditional customs, including rites of passage and circumcision. Traditionally, in order for some Maasai to become human, a boy has to kill a lion with a club – although this is not common today. Whereas after circumcision a boy often shaves his hair. Learn more about Maasai customs on Maasai Mara Travel and Maasai Wilderness.
Wealth and Maasai marriage
- Patriarchal: Maasai society is firmly patriarchal
Maasai society is resolutely patriarchal. Men are free to take as many women as they can afford. In Maasai culture (and common in much of Africa), men have to pay for their wives. They have to pay an expensive dowry or the price of the dowry, then the wives are expected to work hard with lots of chores to do around the house (although the husband must have separate houses for each wife).
- Polygamy: The Maasai are polygamous, with men often having multiple wives
It is common to see Maasai with several women, of course this also means that many poorer men find it difficult to afford a woman and often move to cities in search of work. In Tanzania it is very common to see Maasai working as security guards. In Tanzania, they are highly respected and feared for their ability to fight – which is why they are employed as security guards.
- In the towns: It is common to see men in towns in Tanzania working as security guards or selling handicrafts.
Visit the Maasai
It is common for tourists to visit the Maasai tribes in exchange for a fee. Often these cultural tours are part of game drives in the Serengeti and Maasi Mara. Tours will often stop at a Maasai village for about an hour, where locals will put on a traditional show for the rocking visitors.
The Maasai Village is usually an excursion that includes a longer multi-day safari in the national parks. There are many safari packages to choose from, some of which can be viewed at Maasai Mara.com and Safari Bookings.com.
Tours allow tourists to see their lifestyle firsthand and take their selfies for Instagram.
- Visit: Visiting the Maasai is often part of a safari package 4
- To buy: Local Village Crafts
After paying an entrance fee or a compulsory “donation” to visit the village, villagers will often try to sell various handicrafts to tourists. This is often where villagers get their money from tourists, as the “donation” may not go to the village. Handicrafts are often inexpensive and handcrafted – like bracelets, woodcarvings, and necklaces.
For the more intrepid travelers who don’t want a commercial, choreographed tour of a designated village, feel free to visit on your own. Intrepid travelers can simply ask where the various villages are located and pay them a visit. This is more for intrepid travelers as many will not be able to speak English in remote villages.
- Fun fact: In many remote villages in Africa, people have never seen a foreigner before
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