Cultural Immersion Safari

Design your own East Africa safari, with the focus being - the heart of Kenya - the people. Read below about some very special areas and people and tell us what you would like to include in your own personalised safari. 

The result is a safari for the traveller who wishes to actually live in a village and experience some of Kenya’s many cultures.  As you enjoy the beach and the savannah or forest and the wildlife you will be the guests of the indigenous people, staying in their homes or camping on their land.

Kenya offers every type of terrain - desert, semi-desert, forest, mountain, lakes, open plain and tropical coastline.  This incredible variety has allowed a huge diversity of wildlife to flourish, making Kenya justly famous for its animal safaris.  But this diversity has also helped tribal cultures to develop, from the coastal Swahili people who are a mixture of Arab, Bantu and Indonesian, to the Nilotic tribes, the most famous of whom are the Maasai, and the full Bantu tribes such as the Kikuyu, Kamba and Abaluhya.

You could start your safari by living with the relaxed Giriama tribe on the Kenyan Coast in the village of Watamu. From here you could be exploring the wilderness and cultures of the Great Rift Valley, then maybe the rainforests of Mount Elgon and Kakamega and the final destination should be the rolling plains and Maasai culture of the famous Maasai Mara.

Suggested Itinerary

Days 1-5

You will be met at Nairobi International airport and transferred to the domestic airport for your flight to Malindi, on the Indian Ocean coast.  On arrival in Malindi, you’ll meet your group leader for your Watamu sojourn. In Swahili, Watamu is known as the “Place of the Sweet People”. This is exactly what you’ll find in Watamu from the Giriama people, one of the friendliest people in the world.

Watamu is a small village located on the coast of Kenya, approximately 120 km north of Mombasa and 25 km south of Malindi.  it's a 5-mile long peninsula, with the Indian Ocean on one side and Mida Creek on the other. It has been designated as a World Biosphere area.

You will be living on the Mida Creek side of the Watamu peninsula, in the home of the Bashora family. Here you spend five days and will enjoy the traditional foods with this local family, learning about the Giriama culture as well as benefiting from the natural wonders of this beautiful coastal area.

Your house is built of stone, with mosquito-proof windows in the bedroom and a lockable door to your bedroom.  There is no electricity in this village and you will learn to use the paraffin lanterns like the villagers.  Your shower is outside, under the stars, as is your toilet, a traditional long drop style pit latrine. Clean and comfortable, the Bashora family’s village will provide a wonderful introduction to a traditional Coastal culture.

While you are with the Bashora family, you can work with the local villagers on their coconut plantations, visit the local medicine men, help at the primary schools, explore Watamu Marine Park, visit the Snake Farm, explore Mida Creek, discover the mysterious ruins at Gede, as well as relaxing.

A visit to the traditional medicine man is a must.  The local “witch-doctor” is a powerful force in the Giriama culture.  Today many Giriama are of Christian faith, but the witch doctor is still consulted, as are the ancestral spirits in their home, the Jimba Caves.  Local medicines are used to treat disease such as arthritis, eczema and asthma with great effect.

Watamu National Marine Park has over 600 species of fish in just 10 square kilometers, although the reserve area itself spreads out over more than 32 sq km in total.  It is virtually impossible to snorkel without seeing at least a few dozen species inside the main reef; divers outside the fringe reef stand an excellent chance of viewing the magnificent whale shark and manta rays that are seasonal visitors.  We’ll spend a leisurely morning or afternoon exploring this underwater world. Some of the more commonly seen fish include the parrot fish, whose digestion of the coral reef over the millennia, have produced the white sand beach itself.  Angel fish, groupers, file fish, lion fish and snappers are just a handful of the easily seen species within this superb, brightly colored underwater world.

The Bio-Ken Snake Farm is literally a lifesaver for the Watamu and Malindi area.  The owner, James Ashe, is one of the few experts on the deadly green and black mambas and the large collection of Mambas at this snake farm produce nearly 90% of the world’s anti-venom for this highly poisonous African snake.  The farm is also an excellent introduction to some of the other dangerous snakes, such as the cobra and puff adder.  The puff adder in fact is Africa’s deadliest animal as unlike most snakes, it relies on camouflage rather than flight to escape notice, and villagers clearing land or gathering firewood are frequent casualties.  Snakebites in this area of Kenya are treated immediately with anti-venom from the farm, a luxury not extended to the majority of the country!  

Mida Creek Reserve is an extensive mangrove forest, with warm shallow waters and large areas of mud flats at low tide. Small islands separate channels of water in this large inter-tidal creek.  The area is known for its amazing bird life, such as greater flamingo, yellow-billed stork, great white egret and malachite kingfisher; it is also the winter home of many migrants such as the crab plover, curlew Sandpiper, whimbrel and sanderling.  The osprey and African fish eagle are often overhead.

A short journey by dugout canoe and on foot takes you to a small community where you’ll have the chance to try fresh coconut milk, learn how to husk coconuts and cook the meat, collect oysters (if in season) and crab, try your hand at traditional hand-line or net fishing and visit the local school.

Gede Ruins, an archeologists delight, was one of the ancient Arab towns, which dotted the East African coast, dating from the late 13^th or early 14^th century. Excavations have continued since 1927 and many areas have been revealed, including the Great Mosque, the Palace, several residential houses and pillar tombs.  Surrounded by tall shady trees, a walk through Gede is a must for anyone interested in Kenya’s history and provides an amazing insight into the development of the coastal culture.  

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is the largest remaining area (420 sq. km.) of indigenous coastal forest in East Africa.   The forest contains six species of globally threatened bird, including the clarke’s weaver, which is found nowhere else in the world. Rare mammals are also present, including the golden rumped elephant shrew, bushy-tailed mongoose and Ader’s duiker. 

A walk through the forest with your guide will generally provide sightings of all these rare birds and mammals. The elephant shrew has the shape of a rounded pig, with a bright gold-circled bottom and a long elephant shaped nose. A nighttime walk provides views of the famous Scope’s Owl.

Rarely seen but also found in the forest are elephant, buffalo, leopard and hyena. The forest is also home to over 260 species of butterflies, including the large and highly coloured (yellow, purple, red and black) swallowtails and Charaxes species.  These butterflies are now being bred as a community conservation project, to help protect the forest, whilst benefiting the outlying forest communities.  You’ll enjoy a morning spent in the forest, learning about the traditional medicine plants, carving woods and other cultural uses for this fertile area.

While there is a set rhythm during your stay in Watamu village, following the equator sunrise and sunset from 6AM to 6PM, there are no set rules that must be followed. You are welcome to join us at a wedding or similar ceremony that may be taking place when you are in Watamu. In Africa, a patient and flexible attitude is always welcome! This open attitude helps you learn more about the local culture first hand, in ways you never thought possible.

Day 6

Next we have brief visit to Nairobi for an evening only. After flying from the coast to Nairobi, you’ll meet your Nairobi leader at the airport and spend the evening enjoying hot showers in a hotel and traditional East African Indian curry dinner. Contrary to popular opinion, most curries are not chili hot, but simply filled with a myriad of different spices such as cumin, coriander, cinnamon, cloves and ginger.  Kenya’s large Indian population has introduced the curry to the country; in fact a curry lunch on Sunday has become traditional in most of the larger towns.

Days 7-8

An early start takes you up through the foothills of the Aberdare Mountains to the edge of the Great Rift Valley.  Stunning views open out in front of you as the ground literally disappears, only reappearing more than a thousand feet below!  After your descent into the valley, you’ll pass through the busy vegetable and flower growing areas of Kenya on your way to Lake Baringo, your base for the next two nights. 

The Rift Valley is more than 5,400 miles long and a sight not to be missed! In Kenya, seven lakes are found in this valley:  Magadi, Naivasha, Elmenteita, Nakuru, Bogoria, Baringo and Turkana.  Only Naivasha and Baringo are fresh water lakes, with the other lakes draining through volcanic rock, collecting minerals and alkaline soils.  None of the lakes have an obvious outflow and evaporation has deposited so much alkaline soil and minerals in the other five lakes, that the waters are highly saline and undrinkable.  This is a bonus for posterity though, as the highly mineralized and alkaline soils around these lakes, both past and present, are a superb medium for turning bones into fossils and are one of the reasons so many ancient archeological sites are located within the Rift Valley. 

A spectacular fresh water lake, Baringo is home to the Njemps fisher poeple whose livelihood depends on their skill in building boats made entirely out of reeds. The Njemps are a sub-group of the Maa speaking Nilotic language group.  Their closest cousins are the Maasai and Samburu, yet isolation has turned them from nomadic cattle herders to sedentary fisher people. 

Their boats are made from the long reeds found growing on the edge of the lake.  Related to the Egyptian papyrus reeds, these reeds soak up water without sinking, providing a damp but floating platform.  Virtually unsinkable, these tiny and unstable boats are used to land the daily catch.  The fish in this land-locked lake are a clue to the past as well, as they are closely related to the Nile River and lake Victoria fish species.  It seems that at one time, Baringo must have been connected to the Nile.

Enjoy an afternoon bird watching along the base of the 100 ft cliffs that provide stunning views of the lake, after setting up camp in an Acacia glade. You’ll have a good chance of seeing hippo, crocodile, and fish eagles before you head back to camp to try your hand at traditional open fire cooking with your camp chef. 

You’ll spend time with the Njemps exploring the local village, trying to build your own reed boat, helping the village ladies with their fish preparation and learning about the culture of this little known lakeside tribe.   If a boat is available, you could even try your hand at fishing before enjoying a trip onto the water in a stable, modern boat to search for hippo. 

Days 9-11

After breakfast it’s time to break camp and leave for Mt. Elgon, via the Kerio Valley, with it's spectacular scenery, to the rich highland farming area. Mt. Elgon is a National Park famous for its elephant caves and web footed antelope.  This rare little antelope is extremely shy and quiet tracking is required to find it.  But the sight of this elegant brown antelope ‘running across water’ is simply magical!

Mount Elgon is a large, extinct volcano that straddles the border between Kenya and Uganda.  At 4,320 meters and extending over 100 km in diameter, Mount Elgon is the largest, although not the highest of Kenya’s mountains.  On the Kenyan side of the border, 340 square km of the mountain has been set aside as a National Park, preserving a wide range of natural vegetation in an otherwise intensively cultivated area.

The mountain invites exploration, as you wind your way through a mixed forest of deciduous and evergreen trees, including magnificent specimens of the East African cedar and the podo, both reaching upwards of 30 meters tall.  Branches are frequently festooned with gray and green lichen and a tangle of purple, white and pink wild orchids.

With luck, you will observe black and white colobus and the blue monkey, as well as the giant forest hog and red forest duiker. The colobus are a very special monkey, being totally arboreal.  Their hands are not adapted for use on the ground, only for gripping trees, which makes them extremely slow and vulnerable on the forest floor.

Many leopards inhabit the park, as do buffalo and waterbuck. Look out for the twitch of a spotted tail dangling down from a branch; frequently this is the only clue to the location of this elusive and beautiful cat. 

A wide range of birds, including the rare 'forest francolin' make Mount Elgon a bird watchers’ delight. The flora of the forest floor is also interesting for botanists where many rare species of flower may be found.  With your campsite located inside the park, you have a good chance of spotting a number of these animals from the comfort of the camp!

Mount Elgon is also well known for its four explorable caves, formed by the action of water on ancient volcanic ash.  These caves play a vital and unique role in the lives of forest animals.  Families and sometimes entire villages of the El Gonyi, a Maasai tribe, lived for centuries in the caves with their cattle. 

The minerals contained in the rocks of the caves are vital to the well being of cattle and other grazing animals.  High rainfall in this area has denuded the soil of natural salts and minerals and the caves provide the only source of salt.  A fascinating area, Mount Elgon National Park is one of the few parks where walking explorations are possible and the area is especially enjoyable for hikers and bird-watchers. Your guide will introduce you to the local flora and fauna and also explain the history and culture of the El Gonyi tribe.

The Kenya Wildlife Service is the official body appointed to monitor and preserve Kenya’s natural heritage.  The KWS rangers patrol the parks and reserves throughout Kenya, preventing poaching on one hand, and helping to develop tourism on the other.  Frequently the KWS rangers are reformed poachers themselves, now providing their superb tracking skills and animal knowledge towards the protection of the animals and land.

On the last day in this area, you’ll explore the Kakamega market as you re-supply your fresh vegetables and fruit.  Practice the traditional art of bargaining as you explore this vibrant market town.  Kakamega is in the heart of Western Kenya, the most populated and most fertile area in the country.  This market is one of the largest in the area and its wares include samples of virtually every produce that is available in the country.  Bright red tomatoes lie next to yellow-green matoke bananas.  Yellow, orange, red and black clad women saunter through the aisles, with huge kikapus (baskets) balanced on their heads.  And all around there are the cacophony of voices bargaining in a multitude of languages. 

Then continue into the Kakamega Forest, the last remaining tropical rain forest in Kenya. Here you go on a guided nature walk of the forest learning about the numerous tribal medicine plants that have developed from this incredibly rich eco-system.  Camp is set up deep in the forest, where you are able to experience the eerie sounds of the forest nightlife from the comfort of your tents.

Days 12-16

After an early breakfast, depart south for the Maasai Mara via the tea growing highlands with a picnic lunch en route, arriving in the late afternoon. This stunning area combines an introduction to what is arguably Kenya’s most famous people, the Maasai, with an exploration of its rich eco-system.

Mara means “contrast” in the Maa tongue, referring to the contrast of fair, savannah land and dark trees in the area. Located to the south of Nairobi, and bordering Tanzania, the Maasai Mara forms part of the huge Serengeti eco-system.  The Mara spreads over 1510 square km of rolling plains, rocky outcrops, and green winding rivers.

Not only is the Mara blessed with this stunning landscape, but also its animal diversity is one of the greatest in Africa.  Surrounded by the grazing lands of the Maasai people, the Mara is a sanctuary for all of the “Big 5” animals, lion, elephant, buffalo, rhino and leopard. The sweet grasses and abundant water ensure a full compliment of animals such as the impala and thompsons gazelle, lion, leopard and cheetah.  The deep river pools provide homes for hippo and crocodiles.

You’ll spend 5 nights here, spending the nights in your tents at the campsite, with your days spent with the Maasai in their Manyattas (villages), learning how to make the superb beadwork jewelry, weave baskets, thatch roofs, repair mud and reed huts and herd the cattle that form the entire basis of the Maasai tribe’s economy.  If you are lucky, a walk through the plains with a medicine man proves that every plant and bush has a use, but be careful when tasting them, as some of the local plants are highly hallucinogenic! 

The Maasai have a fearsome reputation as warriors, they alone kept the Arabic slavers out of Kenya’s interior, providing a protection that much of the rest of East Africa did not enjoy.  The Maasai are of the Nilotic language group, and descended into Kenya from the northern areas now known as Sudan and Ethiopia.  They spread out over the rolling plains and savannah of the Mara area in what is believed to be the 17^th Century.

The Maasai culture is based around cattle herding.  Their diet consists of fresh and curdled milk, carried and stored in long, decorated gourds, supplemented by blood tapped from the jugular vein of their cattle.  Unfortunately this milk frequently carries bruchellosis, which often causes painful arthritis type pains in the joints and is a frequent disease of the Maasai tribe.  For meat the Maasai will slaughter a sheep or a goat, and will only slaughter a cow or bullock for ceremonial purposes. 

The Maasai traditions, taboos and lifestyle will be explained.  The warriors are the men who herd the cattle through the plains and who live separately from the rest of the tribe.  It is not until the warriors enter the next age group and become junior elders, that they are allowed to take a wife, at which time the average age of the male is between 30-35 years of age.  The girls on the other hand are generally around 14 or 15 years of age when married. 

With the exception of eland and buffalo, the eating of wild game is forbidden by the Maasai culture; therefore the Maasai do not hunt.  Instead their herds of cattle share the wilderness with the wildlife.  Cattle are prime lion bait, which means that the lion is viewed as an enemy, but still only hunted if the lion has killed their cattle. However, the rest of the wildlife is not considered a threat and left alone.  The relationship between the Maasai and the wildlife is therefore one of harmony instead of competition, as they do not clear and fence land for farming, but share the land with the animals placed on it.

While in the Mara, experience time as a warrior, herding the cattle through grazing lands shared with all the wild animals, as you walk across the plains with your Maasai escorts to the next village. You will walk along animal trails through the open bush, with only the Maasai spear for protection.  You are welcome to walk anywhere from 2-6 hours, depending on your enthusiasm! These days are flexible, with time spent exploring the villages and wandering through the wilderness as you experience the relationship between the Maasai people and the wilderness in which they live.

Day 17

It is time to pack up camp for the last time, as you make your leisurely return down the Mau Escarpment, along the Rift Valley and back to Nairobi for a late afternoon shower and snack at a Nairobi hotel, before your international flight home. 

Community Benefits - 10% of all post-tax profits to fund community and/or conservation projects.  Community projects are operated with the local villagers as the operators and managers; Eco-resorts provides advice and guidance when requested, but abides by local beliefs and traditions.

Price Indication Per Person:   GBP1590 / USD3055

No Single supplements.

To run a trip we need at least 2 people and 8 maximum.

You decide when to go on this safari and (in advance) which days are spent on safari (walking or motorised) and which are reserved for relaxing around camp. The final price is in your hands, you set the total number of days and what you do each day.

Email us and give your plans for a quote

What is Included
Joining in Nairobi. All accommodation, all transport, all meals on safari and in Watamu, breakfast and dinner in Nairobi, all park fees, driver/guide, domestic flights, local taxes, one snorkelling trip in Watamu National Marine Park, one trip to Gede Ruins, one Malindi half day excursion, one trip to the Bio-Ken Snake Farm, one Sudi Island trip in Mida Creek, walking visits to the forest, one day trip to Mombasa, water on safari, dayroom in Nairobi and Flying doctor emergency medical insurance.

What is Not Included
International flights and departure taxes, as you join the group in Nairobi. Personal insurance, visa fees, vaccination costs, personal clothing and equipment, all items of a personal nature. All alcoholic and soft drinks. All domestic flights, local taxes, activities and park / conservation fees. Baringo boat trip, lunch in Nairobi, laundry, sleeping bags, tips.

Visa (UK & US residents)
A visa is required for Kenya and this will cost about £30 / $55.

Additional Accommodation
If you need accommodation in the cities you travel through book online or advise your Muir's Tours consultant (always use this option for extra accommodation in remote locations).

Travel Insurance
Comprehensive personal insurance, including search and rescue is required on this trip. We recommend the BMC policies www.thebmc.co.uk