With over 42 tribes, Kenya is truly a country with diverse people and culture. The most popular and dominant being the nomadic people. On this tour you visit The Maasai, a fierce pastoralists tribe that once dominated Kenya. Learn about the Samburu, cousins of the Maasai that have common customs and language (Maa) however they are graceful people, charming, beautiful and witty. Discover the Rendile, nomadic people ranging from Lake Turkana to Marsabit always on the move with their camel and cattle. Explore the villages of the Pokot both in the hills and the plains. Tribal Tour Kenya is a unique journey in discovering the faces of this Africa region.
Day 1 – Nairobi/Isiolo
After breakfast, we shall pick you from your City hotel at 0800 hrs and start our journey to Isiolo town. We shall pass by beautiful pineapple, coffee, tea and maize plantations along the highway and if weather conditions permit we shall be able to see the peaks of Mount Kenya from a distance.
Check in at a town Hotel. After lunch visit the Rendile community. They were forced to migrate southwards into Kenya due to frequent conflicts with the Oromo tribe (from Ethiopia) over pasture and water for their animals. The Rendile people living in the northern and less dry part of the region have had a good relationship with their Samburu neighbors where intermarriage with the Samburu has led to the emergence of a hybrid culture.
Dinner and overnight stay at a town hotel in Isiolo. Meal plan-full board.
Distance Nairobi to Isiolo approx. 270 kms
Day 2 – Isiolo/Samburu
Today after breakfast, visit Samburu village where we will have made prior arrangements. At the village we shall learn more about their culture & bead work with lunch break at a town hotel.
The Samburu are a semi nomadic pastoralists who herd cattle, camel, goat & sheep which are the utmost importance to the Samburu way of life.
They live in groups of about five to ten families where men look after the cattle and are responsible for the safety of the tribe.
Later return to Isiolo town for dinner and overnight stay at a town hotel. Meal plan-full board
Distance Isiolo to Samburu approx. 60 kms
Day 3 – Isiolo/ Nakuru
Wake up to an early breakfast as we prepare to leave Isiolo for the long journey to Nakuru.
On our way to Nakuru we shall criss-cross the equator several times as we make a stop at one of the designated points along the equator. Continue with our journey as we make a second stop at Thompson Falls, which are named after Joseph Thompson, one of the first European explorers who walked from Mombasa to Lake Victoria in the 1880’s.
Arrive in Nakuru for late lunch at a town hotel. The rest of the day will be spent at leisure. Dinner and overnight at a town hotel. Meal plan-full board
Distance Isiolo to Nakuru approx. 240 kms
Day 4 – Nakuru/Baringo/Nakuru
After breakfast, we shall carry picnic lunch and drive to Baringo to meet the Pokot & Njemps community with the help of our guide. They are to be found in both Kenya and Uganda.
In Kenya they live in West Pokot county and Baringo county. In 2009 census, the Pokot were believed to be around 620,000. The Njemps are the second smallest group in Kenya and are regarded as a minority group in the world. They are to be found along the shores of Lake Baringo within Baringo central constituency. Their population is estimated to be around 50,000.
At 1600 hrs drive back to Nakuru for dinner and overnight stay. Meal plan-full board Distance Nakuru to Baringo approx. 120 kms
Day 5 – Nakuru/Masai Mara
After breakfast, leave Nakuru for Masai Mara with scenic views of Lake Naivasha and Mount Longonot.
You will stop at Narok town (Major Maasai administrative center) Later continue with our journey to Mara as we check in at lodge / camp for late lunch. After lunch visit a Maasai Village to get to interact and learn more about their way of life. They are a Nilotic ethnic group who are among the best known of African ethnic group due to their residence near the many game parks of East Africa and their distinctive customs and dress. They speak “Maa” a member of the Nilo – Saharan language family. The Maasai population has been reported numbering 841,622 according to the 2009 census.
Later return to the lodge / camp for dinner and overnight. Meal plan-full board Distance Nakuru to Masai Mara approx. 240 kms
Day 6 – Masai Mara
After breakfast, this will be a day of game viewing where you will carry packed lunch.
Blessed with an outstanding concentration of animals and panoramic views of across the plains and dotted woodlands, the Masai Mara provides an experience unsurpassed. As the northern extension of the great Serengeti grassland, the reserve is host to the annual migration of over a million wildebeest –the most awesome wildlife spectacle on planet earth.
The Mara covers an area of about 1,500 square kilometers in the south-western corner of Kenya, is not fenced and bordered on the west by the Olooloo escarpment and in the east by the Ngama hills. The word Mara means spotted –referring to the clusters of bush which dot the plains. In addition to the wildebeest and hordes of zebra which join them in their annual pilgrimage for pastures, the Masai Mara supports the lion, cheetah, elephant, kongoni, topi, Thomson’s gazelle and the Defassa waterbuck, as well as eight species of primate. Picnic lunch will be at the hippo pool where with luck you may spot hippos and crocs basking in the sun.
Later return to Camp for dinner and overnight. Meal plan-full board
Day 7 – Masai Mara/Kisumu
Today after breakfast, we drive to Kisumu city where we shall meet our guide to take us to the village to interact with the Luo community.
The Luos are the 3rd largest tribe in Kenya and makes up close to 13% of the entire population. They made their way to Kenya around 500 years ago and established settlements around Lake Victoria – Africa’s biggest fresh water lake. We will learn more about them in the village. They belong to the river lake nilotes.
All meals will be at a town hotel. Overnight stay at a town hotel. Meal plan-full board Distance Mara to Kisumu approx. 300 kms
Day 8 – Kisumu/Kakamega
Leave after breakfast for a short journey to Kakamega town to spend the day with the Luhya community.
They are Bantu ethnic group and number about 5.3 million making them the second largest community in Kenya. About 10 to 15 families traditionally made up a village headed by a village headman (Omukasa). We will spend the whole day in the village learning about their way of life.
All meals will be at a town hotel. Overnight stay at a town hotel. Meal plan-full board Distance Kisumu to Kakamega approx. 55 kms
Day 9 – Kakamega/Depart Nairobi
Depart for Nairobi after breakfast.
The drive to Nairobi passes through highland farms of the Luhya and Kalenjin communities before stopping in Nakuru town for a complementary lunch. Thereafter, continue with our journey to Nairobi reaching in the afternoon marking the end of our memorable cultural safari.
You will be transferred to the airport for your outbound flight. Distance Kakamega to Nairobi approx. 395 kms
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