Loita Hills – Nguruman trek. Walking through scattered bushes and exploring the beautiful Loita Hills onto the Nguruman escarpment, hiking safaris in Kenya.
This safari will take you to the Maasai land. The trip is organized for you to sample and learn the Maasai culture, their traditions, their day-to-day life, their homes – Manyatta, and much more. Chances are, as you explore the natural forest surrounded by near-barren land, to 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 teaching you the bush’s lore. They will lead you on the trails that are reputed to be the most conservative of their tribe, dedicated to their traditions, ceremonies and rites of passage.
As a people, the Maasai have struggled over the years to maintain their culture and have shied away from large-scale developments and lodges that comprise other parts of Eastern Africa… thus is the beauty of the trails. This small low impact camp and mobile camp are sustainable methods to bring income to the local people whilst protecting the natural surroundings of the Loita Hills and sacred Forest and their culture!
The trails can vary in the number of days, and many people can join from one upward. The trails stay the same and all begin from a base camp where the donkeys who carry the camp are 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 have a bath in the natural hot water as locals have done from 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 Hill. Over the grassland, you may sight zebra, gazelle, giraffe, gnu, wildebeest, hartebeest, baboons, many species of birds, and more. “Motorok” in 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 bottom of the escarpment. We meet our vehicle to return to Nairobi via Lake Magadi.
Options are of course many and varied and in many cases, we can be flexible about the itinerary for accommodation facilities and the extension of the safari destinations.