Cultural Tours in Africa, Cultural Safaris in East Africa

(African Culture, Cultural Tours in Africa, Eastern Africa Cultural Safaris, People of Kenya, Maasai Cultural Practices, Tanzania Cultural Adventures, Uganda Cultural Tours, The African People and their Culture, African Tribes and Ethnic Communities)

Africa, a continent of drums is a cultural continent among the six continents of the world. Travelling into Africa has always been about discovery, and it is through visiting other continents that we learn about the world. Tourism is not just a financial exchange; it is about the exchange of experience- learning about new places, faces and people. The best way to understand another culture is to experience it firsthand, and this is the true value of the tourist trade.

World over, tourists seek cultural experiences, from the cosmopolitan streets of Washington DC, from the cathedrals of Europe to the Egyptian Pyramids and London to remote villages in the country side of Kenya. Cultural tourism is one of the fastest growing and most popular niche markets today.

Africa has over 700 tribes, each of whom has its own culture, all together combined create a complex of cultural behaviours and norms. Africa is the most visited continent of the world as far as cultural tourism is concerned. Tourism being a dynamic and complex industry, cultural tourism is currently superseding world life tourism. The west is changing their interest from wildlife tourism to cultural and community development tourism. It is important for the current tourists to know the cultures and norm of various tribes wherever they visit in Africa in order to understand the day to day livelihood of the people in Africa. In view of this, Niche Africa Holidays, being a tour operator in East Africa has developed different packages for it’s clients to visit the rural and the urban citizens of East Africa, South Africa and the Northern Africa including Egypt for them to immerse in the African culture.

 A trip to East Africa is about more than just wildlife or scenery; the real face of East Africa is found among the combined faces of its peoples many cultures. It is the people who bring the destination to life, each of our landscapes has a different cultural significance to a different community, and the wildlife has long been an essential part of our peoples' traditional cultures. When you consider the importance of cultural tourism around the world, it is easy to see that East Africa offers more than any other destination

East Africa currently has five countries thus forming the East Africa community. These countries include: - Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania which combines Zanzibar and Pemba islands. Out of the five countries of East Africa, different tribal activities take place in these countries since each tribe has its own cultural beliefs and norms. There are over 150 tribes in East Africa, some of whom have not been exposed to modern English life, the likes of the Maasai, Dorobo and the Bush men of Lake Eyasi in  Tanzania. Even the most elite tribes of East Africa some of whom still practice cultural norms, these include, the circumcision of men, the female circumcision (Genital Mutilation) among the African tribes, the naming of the children after birth - ceremony which is being practiced by the Bantus among others. The tero buru of the Luos after the death of a village elder, the burial ceremonies which are being conducted and pre and post burial day rituals. The wife inheritance among the Nilotics. All the above scenarios are still being practiced by many tribes in East Africa. Niche Africa Holidays has prepared cultural packages which take into consideration, the cultural immersion by a visitor who has visited Africa for the first time; these are being taken into consideration when planning cultural tours and safaris in East Africa.

Cultural tourism is not just about foreign visitors coming to ones country. Kenyans can learn a great deal about themselves and their country by experiencing the broad cultural diversity that surrounds them. Exposing themselves and their families to other cultures teaches them and future generations to respect others and live in peace. For anyone interested in cultural tourism, there are endless opportunities available in Africa and Kenya in particular.

Travelling through Kenya is to experience a unique cultural mosaic as old as creation. At the Coast, meet the Swahili sailors of the coastal region and the Mijikenda community; visit the thorn-enclosed villages of the Maasai in the South, and walk alongside Samburu warriors in the Northern wilderness, or fish with the Luo, master fisherman of Lake Victoria in the West. Anywhere you travel in Kenya, you will find new and fascinating cultures, and cultural events. Some may argue that many tourists visit Kenya to experience only our famous wildlife, or our beaches, the truth is that for these visitors it is the experience of our culture that makes their stay so special.When we conduct exit polls with our departing guests at our airports, we always receive one common compliment- an overwhelming vote of thanks for the warmth and welcoming spirit of the Kenyan people.

Kenya’s heritage stretches back longer than most, and the depth of our history can be seen in the three UNESCO World Heritage sites in Kenya. At Koobi Fora, some of the earliest evidence of human habitation on earth has been found, while the streets of Lamu echo with the history of centuries of sea trade, and Mt Kenya is a biosphere reserve that combines respect for a traditional symbol of creation and the need to conserve Kenya’s environment for the future.

Cultural tourism shows us the great value of our traditions and our community spirit, and by encouraging and celebrating culture, we ensure it is preserved and protected for the future. Increasingly, more and more communities are turning to tourist projects as means of sustaining and enriching their lives. The success of many community tourism projects, supported by the Ministry of Tourism and the Tourism Trust Fund, is a testament to the great value of culture in Kenya.But there is a greater value in cultural tourism. At a time in history when racial and religious conflict threatens to divide and conquer the world, it is only through a better understanding of all human cultures and beliefs that our global community will come together and achieve lasting peace. From the annual Maulidi celebrations in  Lamu to the bullfights of Kakamega, the Maasai Eunoto to the Mombasa cultural carnival, there are enough festivals, events and ceremonies to fill a calendar and ensure that there is always something new and exciting to experience, anywhere, anytime.

Kenya with its 42 tribes have different cultural activities and norms, these include the following ethic groups; Bantu, Nilotics, Nilo Hamatic, Kalenjin, Hamitic. Equal to its number of tribes, kenya has 42 cultures with countless languages and dialects and one of the most richly diverse social tapestries on earth. Yet the tribes respect ones culture and remain a peaceful nation united by a common Kenyan culture; a strong, proud people who warmly welcome the world to its beautiful country

The Ethnic groups of Kenya
Kenya occupies unique position in Africa as a crossroad of major ethnic groups. In very broad terms, these can be divided into the following;

1. Nilotic The only large Nilotic group in Kenya is the Luo tribes on the shores of Lake Victoria in the Western Kenya.
   
2. Nilo Hamitic The major tribes are the Maasai, Samburu and the Turkana, nomadic people who inhibit plains and semi desert areas from the from Southern to Northern Kenya.
   
3. Kalenjin Similar to the Nilo Hamitic, the major tribes are the Kipsigis, Nandi and Tugen from the Central Rift Valley.
   
4. Hamitic The major tribes are the Somali, Boran, and Rendile who tend cattle and camels in Northern Kenya.
   
5. Bantu the major Bantu tribes are Kikuyu, Meru, Embu the Mijikenda (the nine coastal tribes of which the larges are Giriama and Digo), Luhya, Kamba, Kisii, Taita and the Kuria. They are the most widely distributed group ranging from the coast to the Southwest and around Mt. Kenya.