Ngorongoro Maasai Boma Cultural Tour

Ngorongoro Maasai Boma Cultural Tour : The Ngorongoro conservational area, best known for the world’s largest crater and wildlife populations, was gazzeted as a multiple land use to conserve wild animals within the area and to support the local people, who were already present there before the area was designated as a conservational area. The Ngorongoro conservation area was previously part of the Serengeti national park, which had maasai people living there, so to avoid chasing them out of the park, the Serengeti was divided into two parts: the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro conservation area, with the formation of the Ngorongoro conservation area primarily for wildlife conservation but also to house the local maasai people living there.

The Maasai, or Ngorongoro people, are a pastoral group that has kept much of their traditional lifestyle. Other tribes occupied Ngorongoro before the Maasai, some as cattle herders, such as the Datoga, and others as hunters, such as the Hadzabe, and then moved on, occasionally forced out by other groups. The Maasai people colonized the area in large numbers thanks to their traditional way of life, which allowed them to coexist with the wildlife and the environment peacefully. Today, some 100,000 Maasai reside in the reserve area, practicing their cultural such as grazing their livestock without endangering wildlife.

Visitors to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area can learn about Maasai culture, take photographs, and purchase authentic Maasai handcrafts at authorized places known as “maasai cultural bomas,” in addition to watching animals. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority supports and develops community-based projects within the conservation area, such as ecotourism in the form of these traditional bomas, in order to protect these people’s livelihoods while also conserving the area’s flora and fauna. The Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, in collaboration with the Maasai council known as the Ngorongoro Pastoral Council, oversees the progress of these cultural bomas and also allows Maasai guides to conduct walking safaris and other part-time work at the lodges and the conservation area’s headquarters.

How to Access the Ngorongoro Maasai Cultural Boma

Visit a Maasai boma, where you’ll be able to see (and participate in) traditional Maasai dance, see a genuine Maasai hamlet, and even do some souvenir shopping at the local market.

After landing at the Kilimanjaro international airport, you have to take a few kilometer drive to the Ngorongoro conservation area entrance gate. Or if you landed at Dar es Salaam Julius Nyerere international airport, or Zanzibar Abeid Ahmed Karume international airport, you have to catch a domestic flight to Kilimanjaro international airport or Arusha airport, from where the Ngorongoro conservation area is just a few kilometers.

The Ngorongoro conservation area’s Maasai cultural boma is only a few kilometers from the conservation area’s entrance gate and headquarters. You will need to take a 4 x 4 safari vehicle from the entrance gate to the Maasai boma crossing within the crater after paying the Ngorongoro conservation area admission costs. Varied sights, such as wild animals and different vegetation, can be seen along the trip to the Maasai boma.

The Maasai cultural boma costs

In comparison to other tourist activities such as the balloon safari, the Maasai boma in the Ngorongoro conservation area is inexpensive: after paying the Ngorongoro conservation fees, which are USD 71 per day per person, you must also pay the entrance fee permit to the Maasai boma, which is USD 20 per vehicle.

Some of the rules and guidelines for the Maasai boma cultural tour

The Tanzanian government decided to implement some laws, standards, and regulations for cultural Maasai boma visits in order to conserve and preserve the local people’s culture.

Also this aids in preventing unwelcome conflict between inhabitants and tourists and maintaining peace between them, making a visit to the Maasai Cultural Boma much more enjoyable. Some of the norms, guidelines, and/or regulations that tourists should be aware of when visiting the Maasai cultural boma include:

Be aware of your surroundings and who is in your immediate vicinity.
Be mindful of hidden threats such as dangerous animals, insects, and plants.
It is best to always have a tour guide with you during the Maasai boma visit and roaming around.
Store your valuables, particularly money, in a safe area so as to avoid lost and other unexpected bad behavior.
Dress modestly (to prevent overexposure of the body).
Be courteous to locals (exchange greetings, “habari” and “nzuri” as appropriate). “ASANTE” (thank you) is a key greeting and response.
When snapping photos, get permission first.
Do not toss waste into the environment; instead, use trash cans, Pits or buckets
Do not give begging people, especially youngsters, gifts.
Do not go into areas that are off-limits.
Even if security is promised, you should take your own precautions when you’re in the area.