The best Masai Mara take-homes include handicrafts, art and beaded jewellery sold in the Masai Mara villages. By buying directly from artisans, you know your money is going to those who need it most. But for many tourists, buying Masai Mara souvenirs in the villages can be stressful, with the haggling making many so uncomfortable they end up purchasing their Masai Mara mementoes from lodge gift shops. With the help of our Masai guide, we demystify the bargaining process and share tips based on our experience.
My husband Terence called me ‘the Queen of Shopping’ when we lived in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and travelled the Middle East and I wrote the shopping chapters of all the travel guidebooks we authored, including countless ‘Bargaining 101’ boxes. But no amount of time spent drinking tea with carpet sellers in Morocco and Turkey prepared me for the mystifying process of bargaining for beads at a Masai Mara village in Kenya for my Masai Mara take-homes edition.
If you’re new to Grantourismo and only just now joining us on our year-long global grand tour dedicated to slow, local and experiential travel – more immersive, engaging and enriching forms of travel, which we believe can also be more sustainable, responsible and ethical – my ‘take-homes’ series is focused on sustainable shopping in the places we settle into for two weeks at a time. Take-home posts cover everything from where to shop to what to buy, and what not to buy.
Shopping was actually the last thing on my mind when we headed to the Masai Mara to get a glimpse of the Great Migration. We were at the Sarova Mara Game Park safari lodge to go on safari with the hope of seeing ‘The Big Five’, especially the elusive leopards. We also joined a Masai Mara warrior on a nature walk and a cultural visit to a Masai Mara village – which is where I unexpectedly found myself doing a spot of shopping for beaded jewellery.
If you’re a lover of beaded jewellery, as I am – if you’ve been following us this year, you might recall that I had some lessons in African beading while we were in Cape Town, while Terence did a drumming class – then you’ll definitely want to take home some colourful beaded crafts from the Masai Mara. Here are my tips to bargaining like the locals in a Masai Mara village in Kenya, based on local advice.
And if you’re heading to Kenya or anywhere in Africa, don’t miss these excellent African safari tips from our Masai Mara guide and top safari photography tips from a pro photographer.
Masai Mara Take-Homes — Bargaining for Beads at a Masai Mara Village, Kenya
At the end of our cultural tour of a Mara village in the Masai Mara National Reserve, I strolled through the village crafts market admiring the vibrant beaded jewellery and other arts and crafts on display at the stalls: bangles, necklaces, earrings, anklets, headdresses, spears, bowls, dolls, you name it, everything was decorated with beads.
I was encouraged by our Masai guide Ben to select whatever I liked the look of, with no obligation to buy at the end. Ben kindly offered to carry my goodies, without a hint of the haggling ritual that was to come at the end. Being a master of bargaining, having lived in the Middle East for so long, even if Ben had have warned me of the mystifying process, I probably wouldn’t have let it deter me.
Everything was so lovely and colourful and I spotted a group of women nearby sitting together making the stunning jewellery, which made it even more covetable. I love buying handmade crafts and art straight from the artisans, especially when I can see them making it.
Just like at any crafts market, there was a subtle invitation to buy from some stallholders, a little pressure at other stalls, and enthusiastic coercion from a few vendors. Feeling a sense of desperation in some sellers’ voices, I accepted a few pieces of beaded jewellery I ordinarily wouldn’t have considered buying.
With my reputation as The Queen of Shopping to hold up to, I tried to only act interested in pieces I really loved, and resist my curiosity to pick up pieces as much as I could. Though I secretly wished I was rich (and didn’t have a few more months on the road!) as I could have gladly bought much more from these lovely talented people to give as gifts.
When the market tour ended, I was led to a patch of ground where Ben spread out the items I’d selected. The Masai merchants gathered around in a circle and a bargaining ritual for Masai Mara take-homes began like no other I’d experienced before…
As much as I wanted to return a few items I hadn’t really loved, there seemed to be no chance to do that now… had I misunderstood something? There was an awful lot of jewellery spread out on the grass…
Much to my surprise, there was no verbal bargaining, as there is in the Middle East. Instead, I was required to scrape my price with a stone on the skin of the inner-forearm of poor Ben, who had been designated chief haggler. Ouch! That was a deterrent to a prolonged bargaining session right there.
In the Middle East, it’s customary for the seller to name a figure and the buyer to at first offer 50% of the asking price. The seller pretends to take offence and offers a slightly lower price. The buyer shakes their head and offers a slightly higher one. The two eventually reach a price that’s mutually acceptable.
Here, the initial asking price was one that I could not afford. We were three quarters of our way through our year-long trip and I was on a budget.
“No problem,” Ben assured me. “The Masai won’t be insulted. Just offer what you can afford.”
Even if it’s (gulp) a quarter of the asking price?
The rest of the process followed a similar pattern to bargaining in the Middle East, except, sadly, I had to stay close to my low asking price – which was insultingly low compared to the merchants’ initial price. But surprisingly high compared to the prices in the Sarova Mara gift shop.
Yet the Masai sellers weren’t insulted. Because, I assumed, they knew their initial offer to be way too high.
“No problem, don’t worry,” Ben insisted.
When I indicated I couldn’t go higher (I didn’t have any more money on me), the Masai merchants huddled together and began haggling with each other!
Hating to see this, I whispered to Ben “I’m so sorry, but I just don’t have any more money. I’m happy to return some things…”
“Don’t worry,” Ben reassured me. “This is normal.” Oh…
As Ben explained, because the Masai Mara villagers work collaboratively together like a community cooperative rather than operate as independent sellers, they were reaching an agreement over the value of the goods they collectively produced, and how they would most fairly divide the final figure.
“Be happy that your money will help a lot of families,” Ben told me, as we walked back to the car where he handed over enough beaded jewellery to fill a treasure chest.
I now had some truly beautiful gifts and mementoes, but even more valuable than the stunning beaded pieces and the bargaining experience was the satisfaction of having helped the Masai families.
Masai Mara Village Bargaining Tips – Based on Expert Local Advice*
Here are some tips to bargaining for Masai Mara take-homes if you visit a village on a cultural tour.
Take Your time
Don’t rush things. If you’re a lover of art, crafts and jewellery, take time to stroll the craft market at the end of your Masai Mara village tour. You’ll find more beautiful things here than you’ll see in the lodge gift shops and you can take satisfaction knowing that your money is going directly to the families who made the products.
Choose Wisely
Otherwise, you might get stuck with something you didn’t really want at the end, and you might be too shy to say so. Ben says this is why many tourists don’t buy anything.
Offer a Price You Can Afford
Don’t faint if the asking price is too high. That is part of the process. Only offer what you know you can afford. As Ben reassured me many times, you won’t insult the villagers.
Do the Right Thing
Having said that, appreciate the work that goes into creating some of these pieces and offer a fair price. It is acceptable to return items at the end if you think your price is going to be so low as to be unfair.
Be Happy
Whatever you ultimately agree upon, take satisfaction in knowing how much your money will benefit the community, and enjoy your purchases! If you over-do things, as I did, you can always give the excess purchases as gifts when you get home.
Spread the Word
Tell your friends that a cultural tour and bargaining session at a Maasai Mara Village is a must-do experience when they visit ‘The Mara’. We think it should be mandatory.
(*Thanks, Ben!)
When we bought some table runners from a lady at a roadside stall, I didn’t have the heart to haggle with her. My cousin, who owned a haberdashery, was with us, and she said they were genuine, hand-made stuff, which must have taken her ages to make. And yet, she only wanted little more than the price of a hamburger for them!
But, when we stopped for a coffee at Thomson Falls, a man approached with some chameleons. He put some on Lorraine’s sleeve, and we watched them turn blue to match her shirt and took some photographs.
I gave the man a few coins, and he said “Not enough!’ and gave me a piece of paper, with a price written down on it. I was just about to utter ‘the unprintable imperative’, when the guide arrived, spoke to the man in Swahili, whereupon he went his way, muttering and glowering.
And, Jacob later explained … he was trying to SELL us the ruddy chameleons!
Hi Keith, OMG I somehow missed this hilarious story all those years ago. But you might recall our crazy pace of work despite it being a year of ‘slow’ travel. I just stumbled across it while updating the post. If you happen to see this, thank you for following along that year and engaging with us here. Appreciated.