Maasai Market of Curios and Crafts — Attraction in Arusha

The Maasai Market of Curios and Crafts is a lively flea market where you can find a wide variety of items: flags, clothes, souvenirs, knickknacks, household goods, and other tourist-focused products. Exploring the shops and wandering through the market is a lot of fun, especially if you enjoy the energy and diversity of flea markets. I’ve been to similar markets across Africa, and this one is certainly vibrant and colorful.

That said, this particular market had the highest level of aggressive selling I’ve encountered. Many vendors will push you heavily to look at their items, pressure you to buy, and sometimes even insult you in Swahili if you decline. It can feel overwhelming if you’re not prepared for it, so be ready to assert yourself and stay patient.

A few important tips for shopping here: • Negotiation is key – All prices are negotiable, and there is always room for bargaining. Never accept the first or last price offered. If a seller is unwilling to lower their price, move on to the next shop. • Be cautious – Multiple shops often carry the same items. Some sellers may claim they made certain items themselves when they did not. Be diligent and aware while shopping. • Tourist pricing – This is a very touristy area, with many vehicles dropping off groups of foreigners. Prices, even for basic items like fruit, are often inflated. For example, fruit here can cost three times what it does just down the street.

Despite the aggressive sales tactics and tourist pricing, I genuinely love this market and plan to return. It’s a unique experience full of color, culture, and interesting finds—but you need to handle yourself...

Unlike some of the other tourists reviews here, we actually got the best deals here (compared to the handcrafts on sale when visiting the local tribes/villages, and Cultural Heritage - next best option with fixed and reasonable prices).

I personally don’t enjoy bargaining, and there was a lot of touting and bargaining here which made for a very stressful experience when I first started. But along the way as I got clearer on what I wanted, and the fixed budget I have in mind, it was a lot less stressful. - I would just be firm, yet polite with the shopowners.

Side note: There was a guy that followed us from our hotel to this market (small talk along the way, throwing in “hakuna matata” when we started looking stress), and followed us almost through every store, mentioning something in Swahili before we reach, where the shopowners would then turn their attention to us. I think he was giving them a heads up on us? Very irritating and terrible way to treat a tourist. But I tried my best to ignore and remain firm and clear on what I want + my budget.

Personal review on Tanzania: I don’t think the locals actually treat their tourists well. I’ve never encountered a genuine conversation very unfortunately. It was always with the ultimate aim of selling a...

We went today expecting a very aggressive selling approach by the sellers. Thankfully, while you do get a lot of attention from each seller as you walk past, it is not overwhelming - in the sense that you can mostly just move on to the next stall without any trouble. But yes, I agree fully with a few other reviewers - if you were allowed a little more space and time to look, you'd spend more time looking at their goods. We did however find a stall we liked and a very nice older man, number 22, and got a few masks which we consider a good deal based on our experience a few days earlier at a similar place in Kenya, which was much more expensive. So all in all, I'd recommend stopping in for a visit if you're in the mood to wheel...