We all secretly admire them ,we even go ahead and try there artifacts on Us and just try see how good we look in them, – adorned with the brilliant red, blue and purple patterns of the Maasai shukas they wear. Men always carry their spears, a Rungu, a pen knife and they are tall and proud. The women bejeweled with bright beaded earrings and scarves.
The Maasai people are believed to be among the oldest people as far as migration is concerned in East Africa. They live in small mud-thatched villages, surrounded by their cattle and smaller livestock. For hundreds of years the Maasai have roamed these lands of Kenya and Tanzania, living a free, nomadic lifestyle. Due to their traditional lands they now comprise much of Kenya’s national parks.
Every moment you go for a Safari at Maasai Mara you always find them at the gate selling their artifacts, this is already a highlight of the beauty of your safari vacation that awaits you. After you are done with your morning Game drive before embarking on the evening drive, spare few minutes or even hours and come and explore the magnificent Maasai Mara Maasai Village.
The moment you arrive at the village you’ll notice as you enter the village is the many vivid colors of the Maasai’s garments. The beautiful bright shukas or sheets they wear strongly compliments the greens and browns of the landscape.
For the women they slightly complementing this looks by adding to this display of color the brightly beaded jewelry – necklaces, bracelets and amulets mostly. This jewelry, while very appealing, has more than just an ornamental value. The women who create it express their identity and social status with these handcrafted pieces. You can buy this pieces for your own beautification too.
Another thing you’ll notice with the Maasai Culture is that they are very friendly people and they welcome you with a lot of singing and dancing… and you might even be able to join in! The Maasai are known for their rhythmic call-and-response singing. Perhaps their most widely known dance is the jumping dance. Here the warriors form a circle with one person entering the center. This dancer will jump higher and higher to the rhythms of the singers. As he jumps higher the singers will raise the pitch of their voices.
After you are done with dancing and having lost some calories in the process, you are going to be given a tour of their homes formerly dubbed “BOMAS”. They always stand in contrast with the colorful villagers, you’ll see the browns and grays of the Maasai’s houses .The structures you see with thatched roofs, it’s what we call “BOMAS” and it’s the work of the women to build them.
The men’s role comes in construction of the homestead fences. It is their responsibility to build the protective fencing around the village to keep lions and other predators away from the livestock.
At Isker Safaris it’s our role to keep you well guided all through this tour, we’ll provide you with opportunities to enjoy the Maasai culture at its best. #KaribuIskerSafaris