Although the Kenyan destination tourism market has commercialized the Masai name, I was pleasantly surprised to find the traditions and heritage of the Masai people thriving and vibrant in the Masai Mara. In Nairobi, you will find merchants and craft markets collectively selling Masai blankets, beaded jewelry, artwork and more. I would contend the Masai name is an over-utilized marketing tool, a clear indication it’s moving dangerously close to holding a “tourist trap” reputation. Although my position on the matter remains unchanged, the innate beauty of the Masai culture should not be dismissed. The Masai Mara may be best recognized as Kenya’s wildlife mecca, but the region is also home to over fifty authentic Masai villages of tremendous character and unique local charms.

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After our concluding full day safari game drive, our guide gave us the option of visiting a Masai Village near our camp. Indicating that the venture would cost us an additional 15USD, I immediately believed yet another “tourist trap” pitstop was in store. Nevertheless, faced with the alternative option of sitting in my non-electrified tent, I succumbed to the sales proposal and scrambled together 1500 Kenyan Shillings to visit this so called “authentic village”. The entrance fee granted us a traditional Masai welcome dance, entry into the villagers’ homes, a guided tour of the community, and complimentary photo opportunities. With my skepticism still intact upon entering, I anticipated some sort of lazily executed, artificial village re-creation of primitive Masai Mara life, à la Plymoth Plantation or some cheesy Renaissance Fair. While the community has certainly optimized their culture’s tourism appeal, I was happily surprised to find that what we witnessed wasn’t just for show or to indulge us “muzungus” (foreigners); conversely, it demonstrated how the native Masai currently lived day-to-day.

The lively dance that greeted us was a spectacle – a sea of men wrapped in colorful blankets, chanting in a huddle at first, then breaking into a frenzied ritual manifested by lots of jumping, grunting, heavy breathing, and jogging around in a circle. While enjoying the spectacle, I  reminisced about my high school football team’s pre-game pep rituals and realized this was not all that divergent. As a finale, the men held a contest to show who could jump the highest. Supposedly, as a dowry payment for his wife, a man must give ten cows; however, if the man can jump above waste height, his payment is halved. Given these lofty stakes, it’s not surprising that the Masai men can jump very high, perhaps even rivaling the likes of Michael Jordan.

Next, we saw traditional methods of sword sharpening and fire-making. To start a fire, our guide rapidly twisted a soft-wood dowel against a piece of hard wood on top of the blade of a knife. This friction caused little sparks to fly and a slight mound of ash to form. After a few gentle blows, smoke began to form.  The villagers opt for this method over using matches.

What I found most interesting were the Masai’s traditional dwellings made of sticks and cow dung! Similar to mud architecture, the Masai pack cow dung around a structure of wooden sticks to build their homes.  The organic material is ideal for keeping out heavy rains and is both economically and environmentally sustainable. Even grass grows on top of some of the homes, reminding me of William McDonough’s cradle to cradle design! The dwellings themselves are quite small, about 25 sq meters. Two thirds of the homes’ available square footage is dedicated to living space for the family. In the center is a small fire pit for cooking, sandwiched between two small square-shaped beds.  The remaining third is the living quarters for the family’s calves. This shows just how important cows are to the Masai culture.

In terms of the layout of the Masai village, there are about 20 dwellings surrounding a circular cow pen, large enough to comfortably accommodate 200 cows. In the center of the pen stands a tall wooden stick holding the mane of a lion. This is a symbol of the village’s strength and bravery.

All in all, I’m happy I didn’t let the “I’m too cool for the touristy stuff” get the best of me! I can now report the Masai heritage is very much alive.