What to Expect

Sleeping

Sleeping conditions range from tent floor, to mats on dirt floors in huts, to cots, to beds in hotels or guestrooms. In tents in community compounds, you will be given a cushion to sleep on. A dirt floor may or may not have a mat. A cot may or may not have a cushion. Beds in hotels range from simple springs with mats to box springs and mattresses. The sleeping conditions are not meant to make one suffer, but they may not be perfectly comfortable at times. This is not intended to punish you, but to allow you the chance to experience the way people live in Kenya. We do not provide luxury accommodations, as this is not a reflection of this immersion program or the cost of the program. In the communities we live in, you may be offered any number of these accommodations according to how you interact with the people. It is considered an honor to be invited into someone's home to stay and we try to arrange for these possibilities as much as possible.

Eating

Food ranges from Ugali (oo-golly) - a corn-meal "bread"-like staple eaten with most meal, to roasted meat (goat), to vegetable soups, to roasted chicken, chapati (a type of tortilla also eaten with most meals) to a kind of spicy bean/rice/corn dinner. Cabbage, potatoes and carrots are also staple with meals. The drink of choice is "chai" -tea or "kahawa" - coffee, beer and water. Indian food is also very common. On our trips, we serve a few "western" meals to give your palate a break if needed.

You will also have the opportunity to have other local meals with different members of the community, if you choose - some may be challenging, all are fun!

In Nairobi, you can choose from a wide range of wonderful food from all over the world - we'll show you the places to get these meals at local prices.

Learn more about Kenya at the Kenya Tourism Board.