Maasai Tribe, Ngorongoro

When you think East African tribes, it’s more than likely that the first one to come to mind will be the world renowned Maasai. The total population of the Maasai that live in southern Kenya and northern Tanzania totals approximately half a million people, with a near 50,000 living in and around the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. These nomadic people arrived in Ngorongoro about 200 years ago, an area which despite pressures from the Tanzanian government, has now been established as a Maasai region. 

A visit to one of Ngorongoro’s Maasai communities is a cultural insight into East African heritage like no other. Traditional bomas – made from mud, sticks, grass and cow dung – are configured into circular villages which are then enclosed by a fence fashioned from thorned Acacia branches to protect their cattle from any roaming lions. Some Maasai people prefer to get on with their pastoral lives without interference from the modern world, but a few welcome guests into their fold, eager to teach the world about their way of life – these are very proud people with fascinating stories to tell.

After all, the vast plains and incredible wildlife may define East Africa’s landscapes but it’s the Maasai people that give this part of the world its distinctive cultural flavour. Here, you will meet a tribe that is well and truly at one with nature – a rarity in this day and age. Known for their strength as warriors and hunters, as well as their striking clothing and jewelry, meeting the Maasai people is a once-in-a-lifetime experience.