The Maasai culture is intricate and fascinating. Roles are determined by age, wealth, and position in the community. Men are warriors and herders, and cattle play a central role in their lives. The more cattle, the wealthier the warrior which enables him to have more wives. Herds are large and the warriors constantly wander on the mountain and surrounding plains seeking pasture for their animals.

Maasai families live in small traditional bomas which the women make from mud, sticks, grass and cow dung. Bomas are scattered over the area and are just large enough for sleeping and cooking. Women leave at dawn each day to fetch firewood and water. Children spend their days playing around the boma and are taught to tend livestock while still very young. To help the children grow strong, they are given a mixture of cow’s milk, blood and urine.

Women create colorful beaded jewelry for body ornamentation, which is worn by all Maasai people. The patterns are determined by age. It is a symbol of their culture all over the world. Young men often smear their bodies with ochre and can spend hours working on ornate hairstyles which are ritually shaved as they pass into the next age.

The most important person in Maasai culture is the medicine man. The nomadic healers move between villages providing remedies for the sick or injured, making predictions.

A stop at a Maasai Boma can be incorporated into any trip that visits The Ngorongoro area or the Serengeti. You will be able to watch a traditional welcome dance and if you are feeling the beat you can join in the dance. You will observe their traditional way of life and unique culture, tour inside a boma, and see how they teach the children.

Note: A Maasai Boma visit is US $50 per truck paid directly to the Tribe’s Elders upon your arrival. It can be incorporated into your itinerary during the initial planning process or added on later with your guide.