Building Manyattas with the Maasai 1 Day Cultural Tour

Building Manyattas with the Maasai <span>1 Day Cultural Tour</span>
  • Hotel

    Hotel

  • Meal

    Meals

  • Transfer

    Transfer

  • Staff Guide

    Staff Guide

  • $265 pp

    Adults 17-65 years

  • $199 pp

    Children 7-16 years

  • $245 pp

    Senior ≥ 66 years

  • Free

    ≤ 6 years

    Family Rate

  • $729 2 adult + 1 child

  • $927 2 adult + 2 children

  • $1127 2 adult + 3 children

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Overview

Building Manyattas is a cultural tour in the Magical Kenya Signature Experience Collection – curated, unique, authentic and exceptional once-in-a-lifetime Kenyan travel experiences accredited by the Kenya Tourist Board (KTB)

Ever built a hut before?! Well, you will find out how to do just that on this tour, picking up tips from the Maasai masters themselves. You will spend the day in the beautiful Kenyan countryside, getting to know some of the friendly members as they teach you how to build manyattas; mud and thatched homesteads usually surrounding a cattle enclosure. All built by female family members. A traditional lunch is included on the tour, which will offer another chance to chat to your hosts and compare life stories. This is a unique opportunity to spend a day immersed with the Maasai and a cultural tour where you are part of village life and old traditional cultural practices and rituals.

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The International Ecoturism Society

We are a proud member of
The International Ecotourism Society

Which brings together individuals and organisations committed to helping local
communities and the environment.

itinerary

Build a home the Maasai way

Your One Horizon guide will pick you up from your hotel for a scenic journey to a Maasai village in the hills around Kiserian, a settlement in the Great Rift Valley southwest of Nairobi. You will be introduced to the elder Maasai women who will be supervising the day’s events and will also meet the women of the family whose home you will be helping to build. Over a cup of tea, they will share with you what it's like to live in a village, Maasai tribal values and how the Maasai manage their environment. Building a Maasai home or manyatta is a community event and signals a cultural tour like no other.

Once we're all acquainted, it's time to get stuck into your project for the day—building a manyatta. You'll be shown all the skills that are required including how to replicate the intricate weave of the branches, sticks, and thatch, and make walls and ceilings out of mud. These instructions are very special as you will see and take part in traditional home-making skills that have survived for centuries and are passed down through generations.

After also building up an appetite, enjoy a hearty lunch of local ugali, (a maize flour porridge), vegetables and fruit, eaten with your hosts, giving you more time to get to know them and find out more about their way of life and how it might compare to your own. The afternoon continues with the building of the manyattas, and while a home like this can take up to three weeks to build to wait for the materials to properly dry out, you helping the women can reduce this time significantly. Before returning to Nairobi, they will dress you in traditional Maasai-style in a red shuka cloth or 'African blanket' and you will be treated to an infectious display of singing and dancing. So irrespective of where you are from, this day is steeped in tradition and a cultural tour which few can say they have ever been involved in.

Inclusions

  • Air-conditioned hotel transfers - we'll collect you at from your Nairobi hotel at a prearranged time and drop you back late afternoon.
  • Please note that your vehicle has charging facilities for your mobile phone and internet for your convenience.
  • A personal guide who is also your driver and a One Horizon staff member for the day whose task is to ensure that you enjoy every moment of the day.
  • You will also receive up to 50 images of your adventure as well as videos that capture the moments you will treasure for life.
  • A Maasai wristband as a memento of your visit
  • In addition to lunch there is unlimited fruit, tea, coffee and water available.
  • There are modern toilet facilities at the venue for your comfort.
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Your Stay In Nairobi

Your Stay In Nairobi

We are happy to recommend alternative accommodation options that meet your
requirements during your time with us in Nairobi. Our preferred hotels
are Palacina and Hemingways - If you would like us to explore other options please contact us.

Testimonials

Kesi & Fergus (UK)

star rating

Our favourite day from our holiday

Review : We got to visit a family of Masai outside Nairobi, who were repairing their manyattas.

We were picked up at our hotel by two lovely staff of One Horizon, Solomon and Mary. We enjoyed their company and talking politics as we were given a lift to the village. When we arrived, we met Colin (one of the founders), Reesa and Daniel (family). We were given a warm welcome and it was clear that Colin and the family have a lot of respect for each other.

After walking to the village, they performed a traditional dance and got us involved, which was good fun. Then we tried to help with the manyattas (emphasis on tried). Manyatta building is a skill and it took us a while to learn to apply the mud without if falling off later. Still, there was a lot of laughter and we enjoyed it immensely. We also spent a good amount of time talking and learning about the differences between Masai and UK culture, some of the uses of different plants and how things have changed for Daniel and his family, they are great people. Before we left, we bought some hand made jewellery and a belt, which we felt was fairly priced. It felt like we had really made some friends by the time we were done and both of us were sad to leave. We will definitely pay another visit if we are ever back in Nairobi. It was such an enriching experience and a day we will always remember.

After we drove back, Mary and Solomon drove us to some curio shops, so we could pick up a few souvenirs, as it was the second to last day of the holiday. They were very kind to do this, as they did not have to. We felt so welcomed by everyone involved and honestly had the best day.

David Aug 2021,

star rating

A TripAdvisor Reviewer, Nov 2021 - 5 STARS

This was a wonderful experience as you are immersed directly into the real world these people live in. You really get the feel and understanding of the traditions and culture that you never get from a book or TV documentary. My wife as well as I feel this is a must do before you go to Game Camp Safaris etc. You gain the added knowledge and base background needed for properly experiencing all other aspects of Africa. The Maasi especially! Most importantly is the help One Horizon is giving to make life better for so many people! Colin is a man with a heart for these people and is a true blessing for them. You will feel that when you meet the Maasi. They are a happy, hardworking, positive group!

Inspirational

One Horizon has established a great program to help women who’ve endured a great deal get back on their feet to try to break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families. The stories you’ll hear are compelling and listening to the rationale of the program itself provides a lot of insight into certain parts of Kenyan life. My children enjoyed the chance to make chapati and feed the pigs as well, so the whole trip works on multiple levels.

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