Loita Hills, Nguruman Trek: Experience the wonders of Loita Hills and Nguruman Escarpment on a hiking safari in Kenya. Learn about Maasai culture, and traditions, and explore the diverse wildlife along the way.

Loita Hills, Nguruman trek. Walking through scattered bushes and exploring the beautiful Loita Hills onto the Nguruman escarpment, hiking safaris in Kenya.

Overview

This safari will take you to Maasailand. The trip is organised for you to sample and learn about the Maasai culture. Their traditions, day-to-day lives, homes (Manyatta), and more. Chances are, as you explore the natural forest surrounded by near-barren land, you will encounter wildlife as you cross-cruise to Nguruman Escarpment. The local Maasai guides from the Loita area are eager to share their customs and culture. While on the trek, they will be teaching you the bush’s lore. They will lead you on the trails that are reputed to be the most conservative of their community, dedicated to their traditions, ceremonies, and rites of passage.

As a people, the Maasai have struggled over the years to maintain their culture. They have shied away from large-scale developments and lodges that comprise other parts of Eastern Africa, thus the beauty of the trails. There are small, low-impact camps, and mobile camps are sustainable. These methods bring income to the local people. This is practical while protecting the natural surroundings of the Loita Hills, the sacred forest, and their culture!

The trails can vary in the number of days, and many people can join from one onward. The trails stay the same and all begin from a base camp. The luggage to be carried by donkeys is weighed and packed. Whether one wants to walk into the sacred Loita forest to a hidden waterfall, to the edge of the Great Rift Valley, or find a way of combining various trails.

Day 1: Maji Moto

Drive from Nairobi via Narok to Maji Moto, located at the northern foot of the Loita Hills. Maji Moto means hot water in Kiswahili and a steaming spring oozes clear hot water out of the rocks. The afternoon is used for leisure, exploring the surroundings, and watching the sunset from a hillside viewpoint. After dusk, you can take a bath in the natural hot water, as locals have done since immemorial. Dinner served as campfire chats about the Maasai culture. You will then retire to your tent at will.

Day 2:  Motorok

After an early breakfast, our hike will cover savanna grasslands with views of the magnificent landscape and the traditional Maasai people in Loita Hills. Over the grassland, you may see zebra, gazelle, giraffe, gnu, wildebeest, hartebeest, baboons, many species of birds, and more. “Motorok” in the Maa dialect means Egyptian goose, which is likely to be seen at the salt lick spring. Overnight camping at Motorok.

Day 3:  Oltulelei

Walking through Maasai land, we pass through the Maasai town of Narosora, an agricultural hub where we will stop to add to our supplies of food and water. We will have lunch along the way and camp overnight at Oltulelei.

Day 4:  Nchorroi

Walking through thick forests and crossing rivers, we enjoy the beauty of the landscape, seeing many birds along the way. We have lunch en route and camp overnight at Nchorroi.

Day 5:  Nairobi

After rising early to see a beautiful sunrise over the Great Rift Valley, we make a final steep descent to Nguruman village at the bottom of the escarpment. We meet our vehicle to return to Nairobi via Lake Magadi.