All Things Maasai

Recently my husband and I spent two weeks in Kenya as part of a group tour. Having been obsessed with the Maasai from a young age he knew he wanted to spend some one-on-one time with a local family and do something to give back to the local community. One Horizon Africa was the perfect opportunity. We selected the Maasai Magic tour and were picked up at our hotel by our guide and Colin the CEO of One Horizon Africa. We drove for about 45 minutes and arrived at the home of Daniel, his wife Rispa and their son Emmanuel. The cold not have been more warm and welcoming. We spent time with them as a family exploring the property and learning about their lives, but we also spent time with each individually chatting and asking questions about a herding life in Kenya. We sat with Rispa and made our own (very basic) beaded bracelets. We enjoyed a lite snack and had the opportunity to purchase some of Rispa's beadwork and crafts. Not only did we support the family, but they were WAY more affordable than anywhere else on our trip. STOCK UP WHILE YOU ARE THERE! One Horizon was responsive during our planning, one time for our pick up, a wealth of information during our travel to meet the family and the vehicle was clean and comfortable. We could not have asked for a more amazing experience.

Although most of our trip was organised by our tour operator the communication in the days beforehand was smooth. One Horizon was flexible, understood the needs of our toddlers and adjusted the tour however needed during the day. Not only insight was gained into the specific project we visited (the grandmothers “Go Granny, go”, which is definitely a recommendation with young kids), we also got a glimpse of life in Kenya. One Horizon is a professional operator with high service level but it doesn’t lose sight of the warm, welcoming spirit we know from our travels in Africa. The day definitely lived up to our expectations. Our toddlers are still talking about it and will not forget this easily which is what travelling is all about for us: making good memories. And what better way to do this than also supporting communities at the same time?

I met my host at the hotel and it was a fantastic journey all the way through. We had a scenic ride to the Ngong Hills in Kenya, 15KM SW of Nairobi where she gave me a breakdown of the day, the history of the Maasai people and everything in between. After arriving, she gifted me a with a pair of Wellington boots which were a god send, to trek through the muddy terrain before arriving at their camp. I spent a say with the Maasai, I ate, jumped and sang with them, and bought some nice jewellery to take back for my family. This was an altogether unforgettable experience and I couldn't have chosen a better tour company than One Horizon to do it with.

My husband and I were always admirer of Africa and especially of the Masai people! We have read all existing books and have seen all movies again and again. The dream of my life was one day to be able to get a bit closer to this amazing culture. And thank of one horizon this happened, and we will never forget the one day in February 2018 that we spent together with Colin in the house of Masai women. We are very seasoned Travelers and have seen almost the entire world from Kiribati to Vladivostok, but I’m not exaggerating saying it that this tour, this one day will remain the highlight not only of my traveling, but also personal life. The moment the friendly smile Colin picked us up from the hotel we felt comfortable and safe in the middle of a country to which we have arrived just an hour ago. He was taking care even of the smallest things for us, which were really important, when you are at the end of a tour having visited 13 countries in two weeks. Colin was so attentive and so sincerely interested to hear from us that we felt like meeting an old friend. During our trip to the countryside. He and his colleague starting telling us about the amazing lives of the women we were going to meet. These stories of forced marriages, rapes, drugs, physical assault were stronger than any movie or any book we have ever seen or read. My husband and I were listening and became silent. How are we going to face these people, we're coming from the comfortable life in Europe? How is something like this still possible in the 21st century? I have to be honest and tell you how scared I was! And then we arrived in the village and three most beautiful Masai women invited us in their houses and during the following hours we felt like we are part of their families. It was a protected house for indeed women, who have survived things that can not be even imagine! Thanks to "one horizon" they got a second chance for a second life. And what is the most amazing thing, even having survived this horror, they had a smile on their face and were full of love! How strong must these women been to be able to live with the wounds, but still have hope for their future. We were dancing with them the rain dance and we’re crying and in a moment like this, you feel really enlightened and you understand what is really important in life! "One horizon" is an amazing organization trying to help. Even if some of their steps may look small, for the Masai families they mean the return to life! They mean pure survival. This one day entirely changed my life and I hope that as many people as possible will make this amazing tour. It’s not tourism, it’s life experience.