The Maasai

The Maasai are known worldwide a fierce tribe of warriors, who own all the cattle in the world and drink their blood. I met a warrior who had battled a leopard and survived and have the scars to prove it. Never once in their company did i feel anything other than friendship and respect, but then that is what i offered them.

Far too many "tourist" bomas have been set up on the roads to the National Parks where the Maasai will dance for you, show you their homes and then try to sell you stuff.  Such theatre is great on a superficial level but one sees nothing of the real life. In addition the majority of the $50 per car fee that you pay usually gets returned to the car driver as a tip or else he will not bring more tourists back. 

The Livingstone Tanzania Trust does not want to have that kind of relationship going on. We have set up a scheme with an off the beaten track group of Maasai Bomas where you bring your own food, your own tent, you join them as equals, human to human and in return for this interaction you donate $30 per night per person to a fund to help them with their community development programmes (school building, borehole drilling and health care, all of which are 20km away).

To get there  you can walk, go with donkeys or go by car, the choice is yours. We will provide a guide who will show you the way and help with translations. You can pitch your tent in their boma for safety. The maximum stay is 3 days. If they dance and sing, it is because they want to, if they slaughter a goat it is their choice. If our relationship is to be one of equality then this is the way is must be. Their life is not a circus or a film show. If you want to visit them, come and join their life and participate in it. If you want a hotel and a Maasai slide show, this is not the trip for you.

This is a walk on the wild side. Wild animals are there and there is no protection from them other than the Maasai themselves, mostly you will see giraffe, zebra and assorted antelopes and impalas.