The Maasai in the Highlands

They came over two centuries ago - and stayed.

Today, more than 89,000 Maasai live with their immense herds at the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, in the heart of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in northern Tanzania. At 2,300 meters above sea level, they wander the breathtaking highlands with their cattle, goats, sheep, and donkeys—guardians of an ancient rhythm in harmony with the land and its creatures.

When the rains fall, the Maasai move through the vast, open savannah, a landscape that seems to stretch beyond time itself. In the dry season, they follow the paths of their ancestors to the forested slopes and hidden springs nestled in the mountains.

Now and then, their graceful figures appear within the crater itself, wrapped in vibrant, traditional shukas—a flash of color against the green and gold of the wild. Here, where the earth holds memories of fire and life, they bring their animals to drink and graze, as they have for generations.

But to live within this UNESCO World Heritage Site is no longer allowed.

Still, the Maasai remain—woven into the soul of the land. With their quiet presence, timeless knowledge, distinctive villages, and striking beauty, they cast a gentle spell across the plateau, like a living echo of the past.

Travelled for AFRICAN - The Fine Art of Travel and published in Edition No 1