Destination: Kenya
LONELY PLANET'S OFFICIAL ITINERARY INFORMATION
Itinerary: Tribal Tour
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If you’re interested in meeting Kenya’s fascinating tribal peoples, these are some good places to seek them out.
Just outside Nairobi, Bomas of Kenya provides a touristy but interesting overview of various tribal cultures.
Kenya’s most famous tribe is the Maasai; you’ll see them on a daily basis all over southern Kenya, but their true heartland is of course the Masai Mara.
Out west is the domain of the influential Luo, centred in Kisumu; little of their traditional culture remains.
The Pokot, found north of Kitale and the Cherangani Hills, maintain their age-old pastoral lifestyles, including castle rustling!
On the other side of Lake Turkana, the Samburu are just as distinctive as the Maasai, and South Horr is a good place to encounter them. Further north you’ll find the Turkana and Rendille, warrior cultures based around Marsabit, and the tiny El-Molo tribe at Loyangalani.
Back down in the Central Highlands, the Kikuyu are Kenya’s largest tribal group, with their traditional homeland around Mt Kenya.
Of the coastal Mijikenda peoples, the Digo, near Diani Beach, are the easiest to visit. Bombolulu Workshops and Ngomongo Villages, north of Mombasa, showcase various tribes for tourists, and Lamu old town is the best surviving example of Swahili culture.
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