Cultural Tour
On the route less traveled with Rina-Tours
Maasai Cultural Tour
During a walk through the village, your personal Maasai guide is explaining the life, past and today & rsquo;s life of the Tanzania Maasai.
Day 1 – 2 Arusha – Maasai Village ‘Olpopong’
In the morning we will pick you up from your hotel in Arusha. Afterwards you will undertake an approximate two and a half hours scenic drive along the slopes of West Kilimanjaro up to the Maasai land near Tinga-Tinga. After arriving at „Olpopongi“ Maasai Village a group of pleasant Maasai and the Village Chief welcomes you with a chilled welcome drink.
During a walk through the village, your personal Maasai guide is explaining the life, past and today’s life of the Tanzania Maasai. Get more information about the culinary culture of the Maasai while tasting a traditional tea (chai) prepared on the wood fire. A tasty lunch with a variety of local food highlights will end the activities inside the village.
The afternoon starts with an exciting & very educational walking safari across the nearby bush. Maasai warriors will guide you along their paths and explain your typical medicinal plants, extraordinary trees, tracks and the local wildlife. In addition to that, the usage of local tools, hunting techniques and fire preparation is a part your unforgettable bush excursion.
Coming back to the village, the well-deserved break is accompanied by freshly brewed coffee & cake. During the sunset a group of Maasai men and woman gathering around for the traditional singing & dancing performances. A great BBQ-Buffet right at camp fire and the „get together “with your already known Maasai friends, will provide you an unforgettable evening under the (mostly) starry sky. The evening will find the end at your private Maasai house on traditional beds with comfortable mats & blankets.
After hearing the rhythm of the bush drums next morning, the breakfast with freshly baked rolls, jam, fruits and an omelette of your choice is waiting for you! Later, during the still early morning, the tour is over and it’s time to say good bye with many new impressions in your mind. Your driver will bring you back to your hotel in Arusha.
Lunch; BBQ-Dinner; Breakfast
Our Package Includes
- All transfers as mentioned in the itinerary
- Experienced English speaking Masai guide
- Museum tour and Bush walk
- Welcome drink, traditional hot lunch, BBQ dinner, breakfast
- Overnight stay in a traditional Maasai clay house
- Sleeping mat, sleeping bag and blankets
- Separate European style toilets and washrooms with hot water
- All entrance fees
Hadzabe Tribe
This tour can be added to any safari that is near Ngorongoro Conservation Area
The Hadzabe are one of the few true hunter-gatherer tribes left in the world. They live in simple temporary shelters and live by hunting by bow and arrow, using poisoned arrowtips for large game. They hunt for anything from mice to giraffe, with baboon being their preferred game. If they are successful in killing large game such as giraffe, often the tribe will simply relocate to the kill site rather than transport the game. They also forrage for roots and berries and are experts at herbal medicine. They create fire by rubbing sticks together in an amazingly short time. Their clothing is also based on availability, wearing animal skins, nothing or donated clothing. Attempts to bring the Hadzabe into a more modern existance and give education to the children by the government has failed. They truely love their way of life but their hunting grounds are diminishing making their existance tougher.
They reside near the shores of Lake Eyasi as do the Nilotic-speaking Datoga tribe.
A tour will include the opportunity to go along on a hunt, experience their singing and dancing. This is an amazing tour of a vanishing lifestyle.
Other Cultural Areas
Marangu Village
Come and experience an exciting mix of cultures. Meet friendly people and discover beautiful scenarios which are not to be found anywhere around Africa. Visit the most excited areas for cultural and recreational walking as Marangu village. Also this walking is very important for acclimatization before and after hiking the Mt.Kilimanjaro and those from long safari.
A day at Marangu village your lifetime adventure!
Time, starts at 9am Ends 3.30 or 4.00pm
Waterfalls
Explore the natural beauty of the slopes of Mt.Kilimanjaro.
Enjoy and rest in the nature beauty and peace of this magnificent natural site. The music from the waterfalls and radiant colors of the valley transform our inner and outer environment.
Chagga Live Museum
The Chagga culture and history can be explored by visiting the Chagga live museum site. Several exhibitions include a reconstruction of a thatched chagga house with a complete livestock inside. The museum also has a display of traditional chagga tools, farm equipments, rope made from the balk of the mringaringa (Cordia africana)) tree, a genealogical look at the history of the chagga, some drums and a “bugle” made of kudu horns.
Local Market
There are colorful local markets in different location within walking distances held twice a week in where “bananas” selling takes place. Marangu is the largest market for the sale of bananas in the country and attracts buyers from all over Tanzania.
Coffee and Banana Farms
From the blessed presence of the fertile volcanic soils on the slopes of Mt. Kilimanjaro majority of villagers are subsistence farmers, practicing cultivation on crops like coffee, banana, beans, yams, etc.
Traditional meals (hot lunch) and drinking water
Experience local life.
Enjoy a delicious, home – cooked meal in Chagga house. Learn how to cook Chagga food especially cooked plantain bananas “Machalari”.
Celebrate
After the successful of hiking Mt. Kilimanjaro, safari or gentle walking, relax and enjoy the exotic country gardens. You can also drop at the local bars (Chagga bar) drink the traditional “mbege” a local chagga brew made from millet and banana wine.
Mt. Kilimanjaro Viewpoint
Depending on weather condition, on clear day you can get the gorgeous views of Mt.Kilimanjaro.
Underground Tunnels (Chagga Bolt Hole)
These were used by the Chagga people to hide themselves from the enemies, in which inside the tunnel it comprises of different partitions/galleries like kitchen, sleeping room, mortuary, livestock pattern and ambushing chamber.
Chagga Blacksmiths
Various indigenous tools are made using iron. These are made for farming activities like hoes, machetes etc. And also chagga people gets job opportunity by being self employed. The products which are made they sell to earn income for their daily survival.