Northern Africa and the Middle East - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 121

151 MEET THE MAASAI, TAnzAnIA
On a walk with the village's herbalist, the parched
plains of northeastern Tanzania soon appear
less bare than when you first looked across their
expanse of wiry plants. Every few minutes he
bends a different branch down from a tree, offering
a leaf to rub between your fingers to smell. Or he
crouches down to the ground, digs away with his
fingers and pulls up a gnarled root. For every such
root or leaf he explains, by motioning to a part
of his body, what ailment the particular plant is
used against, such as the pepper bark tree, whose
rough, black bark is used to treat malaria.
People2People's cultural safaris are made up
of countless intimate experiences like these.
Accompanied by a translator, guests embark on
customizable tours to visit and stay with members
of four different tribal groups in Tanzania. You
might join a Maasai warrior bringing his cattle in
at dusk, help gather the harvest on a Bantu farm,
or hunt for spring hares and grapple with the
curious clicking languages of the Khoisan.
No specifics are guaranteed, however, as these
aren't displays put on for your benefit but a rare
chance to interact with local villagers, observing
and taking part in whatever they're doing. In
rural Africa time is fluid, and you may well spend
several hours simply sitting under some welcome
shade chatting with the elders. Then again, you
may be lucky enough to be there for a special
occasion such as a wedding, where distant family
members will assemble from across the region
and beyond, gathering for days of celebration and
feasting. Whatever you see, it will be a different
Africa from the one seen through binoculars from
the back of a jeep.
Need to know People2People will customize a
safari to suit your needs, which can also include
more traditional activities such as wildlife-watching
and trekking. In general allow a little over US$100 a
day per person. Most safaris start in Arusha, which is
well connected by bus with Dar Es Salaam, Dodoma
and Nairobi. For typical itineraries and reservations
see W www.p2psafaris.com; T [phone].
A Maasai tribesmen in Ngorongoro, Tanzania