Cultural Safaris
Cultural safaris involve visits to local tribal communities in rural areas. There are large number of
tribes with very different historical background and cultures within easy travel distance of our Arusha
office, including the pastoral Maasai and Barabaig, the
athletic Iraqw of Mbulu highlands, and the agricultural Bantu tribes like the Chagga, Meru and
Shambaa on the slopes of the mountains.
A typical cultural tour includes calling at a tribal village in a remote rural setting, entering a
traditional homestead or kraal, walking across farms, fields and settlements, visiting local
historical sites, visiting community development projects and even dining with local families.
Simultaneous with this, the visitor gets a chance to speak to local people, listen to tribal
storytellers, meet traditional healers, greet school children and other such interactions. The
excitement of such a visit culminates with touring the attractions of the country and so could
include paddling a primitive fishing boat, participating in a social activity, watching a craftsperson
make traditional pottery or metalwork, and so on.
These visits aim to allow the visitor to experience real African daily life. Local guides accompany
the visitors and help interpret and show interesting details of life to the guest.
All visits are made with the permission of local communities, who benefit from an agreed fee for each visit.
However, guests should behave appropriately and ask for permission before taking photographs. Similarly
visitors should wear appropriate clothing; this usually means covering legs and chest.