Comments on: Maasai in Tanzania: Sharing Fears, Killing a Cobra

By: Alex Gibson

Alex Gibson — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 13:27:46 +0000

We did a similar visit to a Masai village but in Masai Mara and I truly loved the activities we engaged in: spear throwing, throwing clubs, jumping with the morans and learning so much about their culture. Later that evening we slughtered a goat and had dinner with them…so much fun

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 09:33:51 +0000

@Alex: Glad you had a great time. My favorite part was watching how the community handled the cobra. No laughing matter, and it underscored that fear is human. A Masai village is certainly worth a respectful visit if you happen to be in the region of Tanzania or Kenya.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Tue, 17 Jul 2012 14:01:56 +0000

@Maeva: Thanks for stopping by our blog and commenting – glad you find it interesting! Our visit to the Maasai village was in coordination with our G Adventures tour. You might be able to contact G Adventures directly to see if they know whether you can contact this village. Another idea would be to contact the community based tourism program in Mto wa Mbu Town – they may have contacts in nearby Maasai villages: https://www.expertafrica.com/tanzania/excursions/mto-wa-mbu-village-walk

Good luck and hope it works out!

By: Maeva

Maeva — Wed, 04 Jul 2012 10:39:23 +0000

I have found this blog randomly and found it really interesting.
I will go to Tanzania end of October and beginning of November. I would like to spend one night or two in a Masai Village. However, I do not want to go with the tour or as part of a safari. I was wondering if during your travels, you have met some cummunities that I could contact directly to organise a stay in their village please?
(I have managed to do it in Kenya finding a person who has volunteered in a community and who gave me their email address – surprisingly they live in a very traditional way but still use internet when they go to a city – and I would love to do it again in Tanzania)
Thank you!
Maeva.

By: Lucinda Fagan

Lucinda Fagan — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:42:47 +0000

Love this tale of visiting the Masai Village!!
This is a dream of mine that I am hoping will come true later this year as we will be in Kenya around July.
I am currently on an overland adventure with my boyfriend driving from London to Capetown (in Lebanon at the moment).
We would love to visit and experience all the Masai have to offer just as you did.

Did you guys use a tour company? Did you have a guide? We have already sorted out a visit to the Serengeti and the Ngorogoro Crater so this visit would be separate again.

Any assistance/advice would be much appreciated.

Thanks!
Lucinda

By: Daniel Noll

Daniel Noll — Sun, 06 May 2012 16:24:00 +0000

@Lucinda: If you hadn’t already booked your Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater safaris, I would have highly recommended considering going with G Adventures. However, if you already have that portion of your trip booked, you might be able to do something a la carte by going to Mto wa Mbu. It’s a town near to Lake Manyara (which we also visited). From there, you might be able to arrange a local visit to a nearby Masai village (perhaps even the one above).

I hope that helps. If you have more questions, just let us know. Safe and fun travels.

By: Travel4Souls

Travel4Souls — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:28:11 +0000

We love all your pictures from Tanzania. We have a team there right now!! Check out our pictures at http://www.facebook.com/travel4souls You can see the sweet smiles of the kids as they get their first pair of shoes!

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:00:54 +0000

@Kristen: Thanks so much for sharing your experience staying with Maasai in Tanzania and Kenya. Although our visit to this village was short, our guide (half Maasai himself) talked about the challenges of the culture meeting globalization – like you said, there’s both good and bad.

He also mentioned how land usage laws have also changed the nomadic lifestyle. Tanzania protects more and more areas for National Parks, so the Maasai have less land available to use for grazing and they have to walk longer and longer distances to find water. Some are trying to learn agriculture, but it’s not an easy transition.

I can imagine that sleeping in one of those huts was rather nerve-racking — space was tight (by our standards) and I’d be anxious about critters around.

By: Kristen

Kristen — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:04:06 +0000

I spent a few months staying with Maasai in Tanzania and Kenya, and it’s so interesting how their culture is meeting globalization. Some changes are good, like education, women’s rights, and the ending of lion-killing traditions, but others will be tougher for people to deal with, like theft and corruption. I slept in one of those huts for a night: it was a bit nerve-racking, to say the least! I showed some of the village teenagers some videos of a concert in New York, and they loved it! I had to play it over and over again.

By: Audrey Scott

Audrey Scott — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 03:49:22 +0000

@Kirk: I was about to write in this piece that other things are universal…like men tearing apart stuff without thinking of consequences and women keeping a cool head to get the job done. But, thought that might ruffle a few feathers 🙂

I don’t have an exact answer for why the leader lives on the hill, but I believe it has something to do with his position as protector of the village. Will let you know if I find out the exact reason though.