Tanzania has a wide range of authentic, indigenous traditions to be shared with the rest of the world. Proudly boasts of being enriched with 120 tribes and traditional culture. From the Banana eaters and Arabica Coffee growing enterprising Chagga’s of Kilimanjaro, to the colorful Maasai’s of the Ngorongoro highlands, the hunter gatherers, Hedzabes and Ndorobo “bushmen” of lake Eyasi, the Hiraqwi people of the 500 years old mysteriously abandoned lost city of Engaruka, the Mbulu’s of Mt. Hanang (2,800 m) and the coast “sahil” Swahili people who habitats along the 804 km stretch of the Indian ocean coastline. Undoubting there is surely something you’ll find in common, amongst this vast range of cultures and traditions of the Tanzanians.
Cultural Excursions:This enlightening excursion involves visiting inhabitants of remote areas different from the common touristy routes. They are meant to provide the individual involved the insight of the local community’s cultures and traditions.
You will get a chance to learn about the natives foods and alcohol and their preparations, houses and local construction methods of schools, “you might even find yourself engaging in trying to assist to build one”, teaching, hunting using local hunters tools, the local music and equipments [manufacturing] and traditional dances and compositions, ritual and initiations ceremonies like circumcision and weddings. Handcrafts and costumes making besides attending the cattle and goats, are amongst the daily village activity’s.
Visit traditional herbalists who’ll be happy to share their knowledge or demonstrate by treating your blood pressure, diabetes, piles, tummy or a headache from a root, A aphrodisiac, seed, leaf or bark of a mysterious looking plant will amuse you. etc.
The Maasai:
These spectacular groups of Bantu people are tall and slender cattle and goat herders, living off blood meal, meat and milk. Men wear distinctive red garments and have elaborately decorated beads or tattooed faces, bodies and clean Rasta braids.
The Moran (young warriors) carry spears, a club and a dagger wherever they go while the women shave clean baldheads and often wear lots of coiled colorful beads as well as copper and silver rings around their necks, arms and legs, they are also the home builders and ornament makers besides children raising.
LTS organizes cultural excursions to the Maasai villages of Ngorongoro, Ngaramtoni, Monduli, Longido mountains (2660 m) and Sanya juu – Ol’doinyo Muruwa, Marangu’s Kinukamori waterfalls, Mambori waterfalls and Mfirra Nungun at Machame, Uru Materuni waterfalls, Pare and Usambara Mts. These excursions show the insight of the lifestyle of this genuine nomadic Bantu tribe.
The Hadzabe, Hi, Sandawe and Datoga people:
This hunter – gatherers live on the South Western shores of the shallow alkaline Lake Eyasi in the Rift Valley wall escarpment. They speak in unique click – cluck tongue sounds that make a very interesting rhythm to listen to when been spoken, even though you don’t understand. The four clans live close together even though each looks down on the other.
They wear no cloths and live not in houses and don’t tilt land, they live on hunting small mammals like dik-dik’s, klipslingers and duiker’s, rabbits mongoose, hyraxes wild pigs and rats and eat and drink honey wine for booze and dig out roots and wild fruits for food, while all despite of age smoke the holly weed or “ganja”.
They are the last indigenous tribe of a people who chose to live the Stone Age lifestyle, they will amaze you by making a fire in seconds with ought any lighters! (Adams way). Even the women go topless and just a small leather hide or bead strings suffices to cover their most private. Unlike the Maasai’s, the women don’t have to do the un necessary house building labor. what for! The most valuable property’s are their ornaments of copper, brass and colored bead wear they decorate with besides tattooing there faces and bodies.
The Chagga’s:
The Chagga people are found around the Southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and constitute the third largest group in the land. Living in a fertile, watered region, they are greatly advantaged for its idealistic coffee production, which also meant a higher level of income and involvement in various community based activities under there Mangi (chief).
It’s due to the attraction of the mountains, which caused its early affects by the first Europeans/ missionaries, which meant that the initial provision of western education in the area progressed ahead of the rest of the country.