3-Day Diani Retreat

You will be welcomed and taken to Southern Palms Beach Resort upon arriving at Ukunda Airstrip or by car from Mombasa. There, you will check in and be given a cool welcome drink. Enjoy a leisurely lunch at the resort’s Restaurant while taking in the coastal atmosphere. Sample delicacies like grilled prawns, coconut fish stew, and traditional Swahili pilau. Take part in a cookery demonstration in Swahili led by the resort’s chefs in the late afternoon. Traditional coastal foods like chapati, maharagwe ya nazi (coconut beans), and samaki wa kupaka (grilled fish in coconut sauce) will be taught to you. Dinner will be a relaxing and flavorful affair as you enjoy the meal you helped prepare under the stars, with the sound of the ocean as your backdrop.

Start your day with a hearty breakfast, then head out on a guided tour to Ukunda’s vibrant local market. Here, you’ll explore stalls bursting with tropical fruits, fresh seafood, and aromatic Swahili spices. Learn about local ingredients like cassava, coconut, pilau masala, and tamarind, and discover how they form the base of the region’s cuisine. In the afternoon, return to Southern Palms for a beachside barbecue. In the early evening, take part in a seafood grilling masterclass with the resort chefs, learning to marinate and grill fresh prawns, calamari, and snapper to perfection. As the sun sets, unwind with a coastal cocktail like a tamarind mojito o and enjoy the ocean breeze with your freshly grilled creations. Dinner and overnight at the resort.

Begin your final day with a cultural culinary twist—enjoy a traditional Swahili breakfast featuring mahamri, viazi vya karai, coconut pigeon peas (mbaazi), and sweet chai, spend your midday hours relaxing by the pool or enjoying a spa treatment. For lunch, sample more Swahili-style street food such as kachumbari, bhajias, and samosas, prepared by the resort. As your time in Diani comes to an end, check out and be transferred to the Mombasa SGR terminal back home.