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For memories that will never fade, spend a few days in the Great Rift Valley of East Africa learning about Maasai culture or climb Longido Mountain with a Maasai warrior as your guide.
Most tourists in East Africa dash from animal viewing safari to beach resort and do not give time to authentic cultural experiences and yet these interactions can be so rewarding. Longido is easy to get to and yet it is infrequently visited, so it is still a special experience.
You can drop in anytime, but for the richest experience and choice of accommodation you need to make prior arrangements. An essential ingredient of the experience being a knowledgeable guide - ask us about George, our multi lingual (Latin inc.) Maasai naturalist guide (fully qualified and experienced to international standards) who will teach you about the birds, animals and flora as well as Maasai culture. Please note that most of the guides at Longido are still in training and by 2004 we expect to have a pool of local guides available (George is not resident in Longido).
Experience - Sipping tea (chai) inside a Maasai mud hut... joining in the frequent celebrations (maybe you would dance with the warriors like our boss Mo)... or walking in the mountains with your warrior guide as he shares his skills and knowledge with you, identifying the animal tracks and useful vegetation (a certain cool leaf under the armpit is very welcome)... These are rare life experiences and the warmth of the people makes it extra special.
The
guest house - one of 3 options in the area.
1. The Guest House
2. Camping - budget through to luxury
3. In a Maasai hut (boma)
Price Indication Per Person:
From GBP34 / USD72 per person per day to include a guest house stay, all food, village development contribution and guided tours with a local Maasai guide.
A service fee of GBP65 / USD130 per group may be levied if no other services (i.e. a safari or beach accommodation) are booked through Muir's Tours.
The Guides
Our usual guides are young Maasai who grew up in the area (we
refer to them as "local guides"). They speak
some English and with the use of hand signals and gestures they
can show you the beauty of the area. They know all the attractions
and dangers in the area and have received initial training as
a guide. We are commited to improving the quality of the local
guides and further training is planned. On walking safaris in
the Longido area our Maasai warriors know how to avoid confrontations
with wild animals, but should you meet the unexpected thay are
armed with knives and spears and are able to protect you. Our
local guides are able to make your stay very enjoyable.
We can also provide Maasai naturalist guides, who are fully trained and experienced in such things as ornithology. Our Maasai naturalist guides also have excellent English as a result of training and their experience of leading tourists on safaris. We need to make special arrangements, well in advance, as our Maasai guides who have these skills are not living locally. These guides are full time professionals and there is an additional charge involved.
Accommodation Options
The guest house provides basic accommodation and washing facilities
with good food. It is not for the pampered tourist, being more
suited to the seasoned traveller familiar with remote locations
in undeveloped locations. There are a number of established areas
suitable for camping and the equipment and staff we can provide
can be tailored to your needs and budget. Do it yourself camping
is an option but it is wilderness style camps so you need to be
experienced in such situations. To complete your experience you
may like to consider staying in the home of a Maasai family in
the traditional boma (mud / cow dung covered hut) which
is enclosed inside the engang (protected village).
Find out what life is like for a Maasai family
in their traditional
home - a boma, which is made
from mud and cow dung. In the early
morning,
women leave the boma to fetch water and
collect firewood.
Young children play outside
their homes and at a very early age
take care
of goats, cows and lambs.
What wildlife is there to see in the area ?
There is an abundance of unusual birds in the area - brightly coloured starlings, the red and yellow barbet, the masked weaver, the silverbill and the secretary bird are some of the species to be seen. Longido is also well known for certain rare mammals as the plains and the slopes of Longido mountain form a refuge for the gerenuk, the lesser kudu and the klipspringer. Among other animals that live around Longido there are elephant, giraffe, zebra, gazelle, buffalo, mongoose and silver jackals.
Can we hike up Longido Mountain ?
Take a guided hike from Longido to Kimokouwa, along a Maasai cattle trail, that winds over the slopes of Longido mountain or if you are energetic to Longido's summit. Guided treks up Longido mountain with Maasai warriors who protect you from the elephant and buffalo take one day (about 9 - 10 hours) or 2 - 3 days if you take in the various ridges. Follow your guide along narrow footpaths from the savannah up through dense forest, with occasional rocky outcrops giving great views.
After a few hours you arrive at "dawa ya supu" (soup-medicine) viewpoint. From here you will follow trails created by buffalo and elephant (how do they cope on the steep sections ?) to reach the top in another two hours or so. On clear days you have views of Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru. To the north you can oversee the Maasai plains deep into Kenya.
On Wednesdays you can visit the bustling cattle market and every day the local crafts stall gives you the chance to buy Maasai beadwork and souvenirs. It is better to buy from a stall like this as some of the young people who are selling at the tourist hot spots should be in school.
How will our stay in Longido benefit the community ?
Cattle herding was all the Maasai needed until they lost land to the National Park system. They now need to supplement cattle herding with something that brings in cash, so that is where you can help. Some of the money raised from tourism goes towards community projects such as maintaining the cattle dip. This is an important matter as cattle diseases are one of the main problems the Maasai are faced with in Longido. Each year many cows die prematurely, mainly because of tick-born diseases. A reduction of the herd size means less work, less income and less food. Also a part of the income will be used for cattle medicines, so that the dipping fee can be kept low and will be affordable for all Maasai families.
