In the steppe of Tanzania: A week with the Maasai

You start in Dar es Salaam and drive about five hours by bus to the northwest, to Handeni. There you will be picked up by our guide Samweli from the bus station. The first thing is a shopping tour: Together you go buy Maasai clothes and possibly even drinking water and toilet paper.

If you arrive on a Saturday, you may be visiting the Massai market. Afterwards you drive by car about 1 hour in the Maasai bush to the Maasai. There you get your accommodation.

Note: If you want, you can spend the night before and after the tour at our transfer house in Dar es Salaam at no extra charge.

During your stay with the shepherd people you will be accommodated in a room with the Maasai, which was specially built by us and has a solar charging station. There is also a toilet and shower, but you have to do without running water. You live properly with the Maasai for a week, so you get to know their everyday life unfiltered.

Our guide Samweli is a Maasai himself and knows the area like the back of his hand. He will bring you closer to the way of life, manners and customs. Samweli speaks English, Swahili and Kimassai and has lived and worked in Germany for two years. He lives with his family in Handeni and is our host, guide and contact person on the tour. Sometimes you will also be accompanied by other Maasai from his tribe. Samweli's wife, who also speaks English, helps him with his work and is primarily the contact person for female tour members.

If you are dressed like a Maasai then you can start!

In the morning you have breakfast together with the Maasai. If a feast is planned for today, help with the preparations. You can also watch the Maasai slaughter and use a goat. The animals are brought to a slightly remote slaughterhouse. The ritual, which lasts several hours, is performed by the Maasai warriors, who enjoy a great reputation in the village community and whose task it is to slaughter animals for special festivals in the traditional way.

Then a fire is made, the meat is smoked and eaten together. Depending on their age and social status, it is customary among the Maasai people to have a different piece of meat each. Be part of this special ceremony and ask the Maasai about their rituals! They appreciate your interest in their customs.

After breakfast, the Maasai show you their village. You watch how the inhabitants prepare their traditional dishes (tasting is absolutely welcome!). Young Maasai women and men will perform different dances for you afterwards. In addition, you will learn more about how the village organizes, who performs which tasks and what materials the Massai use to build their characteristic huts.

This cultural program gives you an insight into the traditional culture of the pastoral people, as you would normally never get. It is not self-evident that the Maasai openly give you access to their culture. Therefore, you should always treat people in the village with respect.

After breakfast, you experience what it means to be a Maasai shepherd. Not only that, you learn how to milk cows. You also accompany the cattle herd together with the Maasai, which includes goats, sheep, cows and other animals. The animals are always looking for grass or edible shrubs and set the tone on this tour. If you arrive at a waterhole or grassy areas where the animals can strengthen themselves, you also have a small breather.

You will also see many wild steppe animals and various plants on the hike. Be sure to bring enough water and a little refreshment on the day trip! The duration of the tour depends on whether it is rainy or dry season.

After breakfast, weather permitting, you can drive to a national park to observe elephants, zebras, gazelles, wildebeests, buffalos, hippos, ostriches, gazelles and different species of antelopes. 

Further excursions and activities are possible by arrangement.

Today, a small hike is on a mountain on the program. Let your thoughts wander while hiking and enjoy the fascinating landscape! Once you have made it to the top, a breathtaking view of the Maasai plain awaits you as a reward.