Although Kenyan food doesn’t carry the fame of Nigerian, Ethiopian, and Moroccan dishes, Kenyan dishes have a claim in the best African food contest. Drawing influences from over 50 tribes and different cultures worldwide, Kenyan dishes have been perfected over the years to make staples enjoyed throughout the country.
Beyond the rich wildlife, breathtaking landscapes, and vibrant cultures, Kenya offers various flavors through its dishes.
Here are the 10 best Kenyan foods you must sample when you visit.
Don’t leave Kenya before you try Ugali. It’s the staple Kenyan food made by adding maize flour to boiling water and stirring until it hardens with a sweet aroma. Kenyans mostly pair ugali with sukuma wiki (collard greens) for lunch or dinner. Often, eggs, beef, or goat stew are added for a more balanced meal.
Githeri is probably the most well-known Kenyan food in East Africa. Githeri is a simple dish made of corn and beans. To ensure the corn and beans absorb each other’s flavors, the two are boiled until ready then fried with oil, onions, and tomatoes. Sometimes potatoes are added to the stew. Avocado is also a favorite side dish.
Chapati is unleavened flatbread inspired by Indian cuisine. Chapati is more of an East African dish rather than Kenyan, you will find that it is also a main staple in Tanzania and Uganda. Unlike Naan, chapati is thicker and cooked till brown with several layers.
It is commonly served with stew such as beef or lentils. Chapati is considered an elite food for many Kenyans.
One of the most delicious Kenyan foods, Pilau is Kenya’s version of rice and meat also inspired by Indian cuisine. It is a Swahili dish, common in the coastal areas of Kenya that has been adopted and loved countrywide.
Pilau is packed with a flavourful blend of spices including cumin, cardamom, and cloves. Since it is a Swahili dish, Pilau is also a main dish in Tanzania. The harmony of the flavors and spices easily makes Pilau one of the best African foods in Kenya.
Bhajias are popular street food made with thinly sliced potatoes dipped in flour batter seasoned with herbs and spices such as ginger, cumin, parsley, coriander, and chili powder. It’s cooked until brown to make a delicious crunchy snack.
It’s common in urban areas in Kenya and originates from the Swahili. This is one of the rare Kenyan foods that is taken both as a snack and a full meal.
Aside from bread, mandazi is the most common breakfast treat. This delicious pastry is made with leavened dough cut into triangular shapes and deep-fried until brown. It pairs deliciously with milk tea or coffee. Mandazi ranks pretty high in the list of the most popular Kenyan foods.
Matoke refers to unripened bananas before and after cooking. Kenyans have it either as a stew with onions and tomatoes or boiled for breakfast with tea. Matoke is quite filling, nutritious, and easy to cook. You will find that although this is a Kenyan dish, it is more popular in Uganda and serves as their staple even more than in Kenya.
Besides rice and ugali, mukimo is a beloved starch in Kenya. Originating from the Agikuyu community in Kenya, this dish is made with mashed potatoes, corn, and greens. It is a great side for stews and grilled meat. It is one of the lesser-known Kenyan foods which you most try. The dish packs fiber, starch, vitamins, and others making it richly nutritious and great for digestion.
Kenyans will swear this is the Kenyan national dish. Nyama choma is Swahili for grilled meat, a Kenyan dish associated with celebrations and holidays. The preferred meat is mainly goat though beef also acts as a substitute.
It’s served with a side of ugali, mukimo, roast potatoes, and kachumbari (a mix of raw tomatoes, onions, and pepper). Nyama choma is best enjoyed by large groups of people whether it’s families celebrating holidays or groups of friends on a trip. It is the designated Kenyan food for celebrations.
One of the most popular street foods in Kenya and a must-have. Mutura is the intestines of either goat, lamb, or cow stuffed with fatty meat, animal blood, onions, herbs, and spices. It’s an acquired taste but you are bound to enjoy it if you give it a try.
Is there a Kenyan dish that is similar to your local cuisine?
Traveling is considered an expensive venture and rightfully so. The experience involves going away from home to places you might not be familiar with. That in itself means you will have to dig into your pockets to get around.
Budget traveling has been the new shiny thing everyone is talking about. There are many articles, blogs, and newspapers suggesting that you don’t need to have that much money to travel. How valid are these claims? Is budget traveling legit? How can you travel on a budget and what is a reasonable travel budget?
Budget traveling is actually a legitimate way to travel. It is possible to travel with a shoestring budget and have an amazing experience. There are several tips to travel on a budget that you need to put into practice for a satisfactory trip. Let’s examine them one by one. Let’s assume your trip is to Kenya, a place considered a very expensive destination.
Plan Ahead
Spontaneous traveling on a budget is not wise. You need to plan ahead in order to save money. One of the first must-dos of budget traveling is booking your flight months in advance. It is much cheaper and you won’t be pressed on prices and time. You can shop for the best and cheapest flights to your destination. A typical round-trip flight to Kenya costs $2416 from the U.S. However, if you book off-season and in advance, the flight can be as cheap as $600-$700.
Planning ahead will also allow you to check locations to visit. You can organize your trip to locations that are not too hard on the pocket. Discover hidden charms only known to locals and spend as little as possible.
Choose Your Destination Carefully
Depending on where you are traveling from, there are destinations that will be cheaper than others. If you are traveling on a budget, you need to find destinations that are the cheapest. This can depend on the cost of the flight and also the cost of living at the destination. The best places are the ones that have a good currency value. It should have a cost of living that is cheaper than home.
Travel Out Of Season
This is the golden advice when it comes to budget traveling. Always travel out of season. The costs of accommodation and flights will be as low as a third of the usual prices. In Kenya, holidays are in April, August, and November/December. There is also the annual wildebeest migration which runs from Mid July to October. At this time, prices have been hiked with tourists, both local and international flooding destinations.
The best time to travel then is January-March, June, September, and early November. In February for instance, you can pay as low as $40 for a double room in Lamu, a tourist hotspot. In peak tourist season, the same hotel would charge you $250 – $500. You can also find months with weather that is similar to the peak seasons. So you will find your destination just as warm but at a fraction of the cost.
Sign Up For Group Trips
One of the best ways of traveling on a budget is joining group trips. The costs are cut down compared to individual trips. The accommodation is also much lower and you get to stay in good accommodations. Safaris are the most expensive trip you can take in Kenya. The entry fees, accommodation, and safari vehicle hire can clear up your travel budget and then some. However, if you join a group, you can actually pay a tenth of the cost. Trips are usually organized between 5 to 10 individuals. The organizers will book the best hotels to stay in and organize the vehicle you will use to traverse the national park. Maasai Mara is one of the most expensive destinations in Kenya. Usually, a trip can cost up to $1750 per night. A group trip can be as low as $400. These dedicated organizers have a permit to operate in the Mara. They also book tourists from all over the world. So you can join your trip with guests from other parts of the world and Kenyans.
Eat At Local Spots & Cook
Food is a great expense when traveling. If you can figure out a way to lower your food expense, you will hack budget traveling. So how do you go about this? The first is to find local eating places that are not targeted toward tourists. Don’t be afraid to ask the locals. You can trust that they are not paying the same for food as the tourists. Those are the places you want to go.
Another great option is to cook your own meals. Cooking saves you so much money. You also get to sample the fresh ingredients in your destination. In Kenya, groceries are easily accessible as you walk the streets. You will find someone selling everything you need to cook. Don’t be afraid to walk around.
Learn a few local phrases to help you converse with the locals. The common greetings in Kenya are “Habari yako”, “Asante”, “Pole”, “how are you”, “thank you” and “sorry” respectively. You don’t need to learn the entire language. This alone will show Kenyans that you appreciate Kiswahili and improve your interactions.
Use Public Transport
Budget traveling cannot be done on expensive taxis. Your best bet is public transportation ranging between trains and buses. It is an adventure but isn’t that the whole point of traveling? Learn the name of your destination and find the public transport that serves that route. The cheapest way to travel in Kenya is by using “matatus” which basically translates to buses and minivans used for public transport. The best thing about matatus is that there is no destination in Kenya they don’t go to. Even the most remote parts will have a matatu serving them.
The fare you will pay for matatus is so much lower than for taxis. For example, a trip from Nairobi to Naivasha is $2 as compared to $200 if you were to use a taxi. The time of arrival is the same.
Even for short locations, matatus are the best way to get around. There are buses and minivans to choose from. You can cut down your travel costs and get to your destination just as safely.
Visit Local Hidden Gems
Avoiding tourist traps is a good way to travel on a budget. So where do you go if not the most recommended places? Well, worry not. Every destination has hidden gems that tourists hardly know about but are loved by locals. Ask around about great places to go and get recommendations from the locals.
In Kenya, Karura forest, Kerio valley, Lake Turkana, Naivasha, and Safari Walk in Nairobi among others are local favorites. These are not locations you will hardly find recommended to Kenyan tourists. These hidden gems are just as breathtaking as the tourist traps but with half the population.
Remember, budget traveling just doesn’t have to be restrictive. What you are looking for is alternative ways to experience a destination but at a friendlier cost. Finding and visiting hidden gems will make the highlight of your trip. There are many times in which tourist traps are hardly worth the money.
Explore Your Destination By Walking
Walking is your best mode when traveling on a budget. It also makes for great exercise and you get to truly experience a place. You can plan to visit some locations that are a walking distance of your destinations. Ask the locals for great places nearby you can walk. You can sample some restaurants or even pub crawl on your walks.
Sharing Is Caring
Be ready to share your accommodation with other people when traveling on a budget. This way you can find the best accommodation at half the price. The cheapest accommodations tend to require you to share a room with other people. It can be a dorm, hostel, or Airbnb. There are also owners who rent out their houses to tourists which when split up between 5 to 8 people, is very cheap.
Use Rail
For destinations with rail, always choose rail. Not only is it a safer mode of transport, but it is also cheaper. Get rail passes in cities that require them to further save money. Remember, your goal when on budget traveling is to find cheaper alternatives.
Use the Standard Gauge Railway when visiting Kenya. It has express trips to the coastal parts of Kenya from Nairobi. You will spend $12 on the trip compared to $120 on a flight. The route is also picturesque. Get to enjoy the landscape and maybe catch up on your reading.
Pack Well
Packing light is a rule of thumb for any traveler out there. You won’t need half of the things you are packing. However, remember to also pack well when traveling on a budget. Anything you miss packing means an extra expense at your destination. The best way to ensure you don’t forget everything is to pack early. Don’t pack the night before your trip.
Book With The Owner
Always find the contact information of the owner and book with them directly. Going through a company or middle person will be an extra cost. There are usually many vacation homes available to stay in at a fraction of the cost of hotels.
In Kenya, there are many vacation homes that are available for your stay. The best way to get them is to search through social media. Whether on Twitter or Facebook, the owners put up their houses for booking.
Traveling on a budget is as fun and adventurous as you want it to be. Don’t be afraid to plan your trip and visit your dream destinations because you are low on money. There are cheaper alternatives that will ensure you enjoy your trip to the fullest. So go ahead and prepare a travel budget and choose a location now.
