Learn Kenyan Cooking with Giriama Family in Coastal Kenya

You cook on a campfire with traditional tools, using mostly homegrown ingredients from the family's land.

Learn to cook Kenyan coastal dishes at Mida Creek Nature Camp in a hands-on class with a Giriama family, where you prepare an authentic meal using traditional techniques and then eat it together. The class runs about two hours and meets a couple hours before lunch or dinner, depending on what time suits your group. Pickup is included, and children from age 3 are welcome. You can request specific dishes or mention allergies ahead of time.

The experience

You arrive at Mida Creek Nature Camp a couple hours before the meal service you've chosen (lunch or dinner), and start cooking right away with the family. The wife leads the instruction while other family members join in, and you work together chopping, stirring and simmering over a campfire. The menu rotates through Kenyan staples: Ugali, Githeri, Kenyan Pilau, Wali Wa Nazi, Sukuma Wiki, Mchicha, Kenyan Stew, Nyama Choma, Matoke, Mandazi and Grilled Maize. Most ingredients come from the family's own garden. Anything missing is sourced from the small shop at the camp.

The setting itself is part of the class. You're cooking in nature, using traditional tools and techniques, surrounded by the sounds and rhythms of the coast rather than in a kitchen removed from where the food grows. The family can work with you on special requests before you arrive, and they take allergies and intolerances seriously. Contact them ahead to arrange what you want to cook and eat.

When the food is ready, you have a choice: take the dishes home with you, or stay and eat them together at the table with the family. Most groups choose to eat there, turning the meal into the natural end of the class. A guide speaks English throughout, and pickup from your accommodation is included in the booking.

What’s included

• All kitchen wares and equipment.
• the meal you cook together.
• pickup from your accommodation.
• a guide who speaks English.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery day

AgesAdult (21 and older) · Youth (12 to 20 years) · Child (3 to 11 years) · Under 3: can't be booked

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup is optional; you can also go straight to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 13 days ago

Good to know

Stroller-friendlyPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by Mida Creek Nature Camp

Is this one for you?You cook the whole time alongside the family rather than watching a demonstration, so this suits anyone who wants to learn by doing and leave with the skill to make these dishes at home. The class is shared with other guests, which builds the community feel the family emphasizes. If you prefer to cook alone with them, contact them before booking to discuss a private option.

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Top questions

Can children come?

Yes. Ticket types: Youth (12 to 20 years); Child (3 to 11 years). Children under 3 can't be included in the booking.

What Kenyan dishes will we cook?

The menu changes each class, but favorites include Ugali with fish or chicken, Kenyan Pilau, Coconut rice with shrimps and vegetables, Chapati with beans or lentils, Githeri, Matoke, and Mandazi. You can request specific dishes when you book and mention any allergies or intolerances so the family can plan ahead.

Is this class hands-on, or do we watch the family cook?

You cook the entire time. You work alongside the family, chopping ingredients, stirring pots and seasoning the dishes yourself over the campfire using traditional tools and techniques.

What happens after we finish cooking?

You eat the meal you've made together with the family at the table. Some groups take the dishes home instead, but most stay and share the food as part of the experience.

How long is the class, and when does it start?

The class runs about two hours and starts a couple hours before lunch or dinner, whichever time you choose. You decide which meal service fits your day.