Arguably the most iconic tribal group in all of Africa, the Maasai, who populate vast areas of Southern areas of Kenya are the dominant ethnic group surrounding the Masai Mara. This nomadic, warrior tribe which once held vast swathes of pre-colonial Kenya, still retains many of their traditions as they live largely untouched by modern-day civilization, in areas surrounding Masai Mara.

The Maasai are known for their many unique cultural practices and traditions. Some of these originate from their nomadic way of life.

The Maasai live in structures known as ‘Manyatta’, which are low-height dwellings, essentially huts, made of mud, cow dung, and wood, with a single entrance and minimal side windows. Clusters of these manyatta huts, which form a homestead or village, are known as a Maasai ”Boma”. Several Bomas can also join together to make a larger village. The individual huts themselves, the manyattas, have windows so small that it can be very dark inside a manyatta even on a sunny day. The image above shows a typical Manyatta hut with a Maasai woman standing in from of the rear of the manyatta. The image below shows the inside of a Manyatta. There is no piped water, electricity or Gas. We should point out that these specific manyattas or villages are right in the interior of Narok, close to the reserve. While there is power and piped water in the reserve itself and in the more developed part of the Narok district, the very traditional Maasai villages still exist in this manner.