Our cultural tours are unique and we’ve tried to make them unforgettable for all our guests. In the beginning, we grappled with the guilt of commoditizing a culture and peoples’ ways but after much reflection, we realized that it was a necessary evil to preserve the culture and heritage of the Masai people.
Kambu Mara Camp is located in Mara West Constituency which is part of the larger Narok County occupied by the Maa People. In the hospitality business, we thought hard about how we can present the cultural heritage of the Masai people without commodifying it.
How we’ve structured our cultural tours:
Adumu Dance:
Our foremost component in our cultural tours is showcasing the traditional Adumu Dance of the Masai people. This dance is considered to be a very sacred event and is performed as an offering prayer to ancestral spirits and God in order for them to provide protection, fertility, and plenty of rain for their herds.
We also make sure that this dance goes beyond showing guests how it looks like by allowing them to take part in it as well. We take our guests to areas where they can observe and learn how the dance is done, its history, background and significance behind each move of the dance.
Tour of Homesteads:
On this tour we show our guests a glimpse of what daily life looks like for the Masai people. Our guide will take them around their homesteads and their manyattas (homesteads) which are circular in shape, made of cow dung and mud.
Our guides will also explain to them about the various responsibilities of the men and women as well as other aspects of Masai life such as how they practice polygamy; the elaborate jewelry and beaded clothing worn by both sexes; their traditional uses of herbs for medicinal purposes; their beliefs in ancestral spirits, and how they still practice traditional forms of animal husbandry and cattle herding.
Visit to Local Markets:
This part of the tour gives our guests a chance to see what life is like at the local markets or “enkangs” as they are known in Masai language. Here, they can observe the hustle and bustle of people trading items such as cow milk, honey, jewelry, fruits and vegetables. We provide a guide to explain how all this is done in the traditional way by bartering for goods.
Our cultural tours are designed to be informative and educational while still allowing guests to enjoy their outings with us. All our tours are done with the respect and support of the local communities and we make sure that any money earned goes back into supporting these communities. We believe this is one way to help preserve their culture, traditions and heritage for future generations.
Bead-making:
Our tour also includes a short class on bead-making. This is an important traditional art form for the Masai people and our guests learn the techniques of stringing, beading and tying beads. They get to make their own jewelry that they can take home as a souvenir from their cultural experience at Kambu Mara Camp. As a guest, you can opt to visit the beads museum located near Sekenani Gate.
Where we provide cultural tours:
Sekenani Gate area:
This is located at the furthest end of Masai Mara National Reserve and offers some of the most pristine landscapes and wilderness. We stop for a picnic lunch in this area before heading on to visit local homesteads and markets. There are at least 5 homesteads to visit here and our guide will provide all the necessary background information about each one.
Kambu Mara Camp:
This is our home base which provides great views and scenery of the Masai Mara National Reserve. We make sure that we give our guests an extensive tour of Kambu Mara Camp as part of their cultural experience. Our guides will show them around our manyattas (homesteads) and explain the history behind these structures.
Ololaimutia Valley:
On this tour we visit the breathtaking Ololaimutia Valley which provides stunning views of Mount Ololaimutia and the Laikipia Plateau. We take a long walk in this area which allows our guests to get up close with some of the wildlife that can be seen in this region such as elephants, zebras, and gazelles. We also provide an informative tour on the flora and fauna found in Ololaimutia Valley.
At the end of each tour, we incentivize our guests with a certificate to show that they have completed our cultural tour. We take pride in offering a unique and culturally immersive experience to all our guests. Our goal is to help preserve the culture and heritage of the Masai people for many generations to come.
Sekenani Beads Museum:
The Sekenani Beads Museum is a great place to learn about the history and art of bead-making. This museum showcases traditional beaded jewelry from different tribes in Kenya, as well as some contemporary pieces. We provide our guests with an educational tour on the background behind each piece of jewelry and how it was made traditionally by centuries old techniques.
This is a great way to appreciate the beauty and skill of African artisans.
Kambu Campers is proud to offer special cultural tours of Masai people for our guests. We make sure that we provide an
Artisanal Shopping:
Kambu Mara Camp also offers our guests the opportunity to shop for artisanal items crafted by local artisans. Guests get to take home with them beautifully handcrafted items such as baskets, stoles and jewelry made from Masai beads. These are all unique pieces that cannot be found anywhere else and support the livelihood of the local community.
We strive to make sure that our tours are not only educational but also fun and enjoyable for all our guests. From the moment they step foot into Kambu Mara Camp, we aim to provide them with an unforgettable experience that they can cherish for many years to come.