Maasai Market

The Maasai Market is not one place but a travelling market that pitches at a different Nairobi location on each day of the week, moving between shopping centre car parks and open grounds across the city, so the first task is finding out where it is on the day you want to go. The goods are the standard East African craft range: beadwork, sandals made from strips of leather and beading, soapstone from Tabaka, wooden carvings, kikoi and kanga cloth, baskets, masks and jewellery, sold by traders who are not all Maasai despite the name. Bargaining is expected and enthusiastic, with opening prices often several times what a piece will actually sell for, and the whole transaction is conducted with good humour. It is the most convenient place in Kenya to buy crafts, and prices beat the hotel shops considerably.

What you actually see

• Beadwork and jewellery - the largest category, in every colour and form.
• Soapstone and carvings - pieces from Tabaka and the carving workshops.
• Cloth - kikoi, kanga and printed fabrics.
• The bargaining - the expected negotiation over every purchase.

When to go

Year-round, but check the current day-and-venue schedule since it changes. Mornings are cooler and less crowded. Weekend markets are the largest and busiest.

Honest expectations

Pressure from sellers is intense and several traders may work you at once; a firm friendly manner is needed. Opening prices are wildly inflated and bargaining hard is expected, not rude. Much of the stock is repeated stall to stall. Keep bags secure in the crowd.

Nearby

Nairobi city centre venues rotate; the Karen attractions lie southwest.