Maasai Market

I went to buy souvenirs. As a tourist, they give me good price. They have so many beautiful & colorful. Handmade wood crafts, bracelet beads, bangles, Keychain, T-shirt, bags, purse and so many.

The market was intense and honestly overwhelming. The men were really aggressive, insisting on walking with me from seller to seller. This is what they do to tourists. The prices were ridiculously inflated, I even had to explain that I’m not working with euros or pounds and I’m at the end of my holiday. Then when it came time to pay by card, they added an extra 500, claiming it was “for the government.” On top of that, women and children were chasing after me. The whole experience felt uncomfortable and exhausting.

Great deals if you have the appetite for bargaining! The market shifts so be sure to check before heading out. Walk the entire market and choose your favorites to go back to.

Buying direct from table sellers will get shoppers a fairer price and better experience then using the shopping "helpers."

This was the place where I found all of the souvenirs that I was looking to take back home. My only gripe was when two sellers attempted to sell me T-Shirts for the USD equivalent of $60 and the shirts were normally the USD equivalent of $9. If you are a foreigner, PLEASE make sure you go with a local to this place so you do not get fleeced.

Sure, might be a good place to get your souvenirs, if you're mega rich and don't mind getting ripped off. Even before I step my foot into the market I was surrounded by men who'd want me to have a look on what they're selling. They are passive aggressively insistent. I paid too much here for a Kenyan bracelet and I really just wanted to be left alone to browse. They won't allow you the privilege of space even after you telling them look, I just want to be left alone. So what to do? I was out of here by ten minutes. These merchants really should learn how to leave tourists alone instead of pushing, pushing, pushing. Besides, you can get a lot of this stuff cheaper and some supermarkets like Carrefour, funnily enough. No need to bargain there.

We went there thinking we would buy all our souvenirs, one stop shopping. It was thee worst experience. They followed us, harassed us, even put their hands on us. All in less than five minutes. We left and spent nothing. It was a terrible experience. Perhaps if we weren’t white or women it would have been different.

There is some beautiful arts and craft. Everyone's doing their best to sell an item. However - it's an experience. Middleman exist that claim to make deals on behalf of the sellers - can become an overwhelming and tiring experience of back and forth bargaining. Go with others, the hassle is less.