Kenya Cultural Safaris- The Experience of a lifetime!
Kenya Cultural Safaris
For a unique and special African Safari, nothing beats a Kenya Cultural Safari, visiting the Maasai in their element is an experience that is honestly difficult to describe. We recently went on a tour of the incredible Maji Moto Cultural Camp to experience an authentic Maasai cultural safari. The camp is located on the foot of the Loita hills a 1.5-hour drive from the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The camp is owned and run by Salaton Ole Ntutu– the chief of the Maji Moto village (meaning” Hot Water”), Salaton is an authentic, Maasai leader who ensures all guests at the camp receive a genuine cultural experience, that is not exploitative or “faked” like many other Kenya cultural safaris are.
A Manyatta Cottage built in the traditional Maasai style.
The camp
It has an authentic design with accommodation options like camping, staying in one of the 4 Manyatta cottages or for the adventurous, sleeping under the stars in the Olpul Bush Camp where you get to experience a night in the bush on a traditional Maasai bed made of soft branches with a beautiful campfire that keeps wild animals away (wildlife are terribly scared of fire). We got to watch as a goat was slaughtered in the traditional Maasai way and enjoyed a delicious meal of fire-roasted goat that was a truly unforgettable experience, sadly we couldn’t spend the night under the stars due to heavy rains which Salaton was able to accurately predict before any sign of rain.
Traditional Maasai Bed made of soft branches
Maasai Guide spit roasting fresh goat over an open fire
Maasai Guides Drink warm blood from a freshly slaughtered goat
The Experience
Staying at Maji Moto brings you closer to nature, guests we took there described their visit to Maji moto as “the highlight” of their trip to Kenya, and the best part is we got an opportunity to see firsthand the positive impact of staying at the camp. Which includes exclusive employment of local Maasai at the camp. Enkiteng Lepa Primary School which is funded by proceeds from the camp along with a community health centre and widows village which helps local widowed Maasai women earn income by caring for livestock, performing traditional singing and dancing for tourists, crafting and selling beadwork, and running a solar cell phone charging business for the many locals who use cell phones.
Students at the Primary School
What Next?
A one-night cultural safari experience can easily be added to a luxury Kenya safari experience to ensure you get the best of both worlds. And for the more adventurous traveller, you can combine the Maji moto cultural safari with other cultural experiences in Samburu National Reserve included in our 12 Day Utamaduni (culture) Safari .
After an unforgettable day at Maji Moto Cultural Camp, what better way to end it than enjoying sundowners in the Maasai Plains enjoying cocktails as you watch the classic African sunset. Get a no-commitment quote to experience all this for yourself.
A Sundowner box with everything needed for a classic African sundowner
