How Kenya is reimagining hospitality for the Indian traveller

For a long time, European and American guests formed how Kenya marketed itself. Rajay Thethy, CEO of Safari Trails, says the focus was at all times on that market. “Resorts emphasized fine dining, continental cuisine, wine lists featuring European labels and spa facilities tailored to Western tastes.” But Kenya’s historic ties with India run deep. The British introduced near 35,000 Indian labourers to construct the Kenyan-Ugandan railway in the Nineties, following the abolition of slavery in the British Empire. While many labourers perished and others returned residence after the finish of their contract, a number of stayed behind and made Africa their residence. “This history is a part of Mombasa and Nairobi, and can enrich an Indian visitor’s journey,” says Monika Solanki, who runs Lofty Tours and Safaris, a sustainable tour firm in Kenya. Mombasa, as soon as the place to begin of Indian migration to Kenya, is residence to Hindu and Sikh temples, mosques and a thriving Goan group.

Chef at Enchipai making Aloo Gobi

Chicken tikka with naan in NairobiRaksha Nagaraj

Bengaluru-based journey blogger Raksha Nagaraj visited Kenya in September 2025 seeking Indian historical past. Thousands of Indian troops served in East Africa throughout World War I and II. Nagaraj visited the Nairobi South Cemetery, which homes the British and Indian memorial and the Nairobi War Memorial. Both locations pay tribute to fallen Indian troopers from the world wars. “It was powerful to see this piece of shared Indian and Kenyan history, and I could see the Indian influence in Kenyan hospitality too,” says Nagaraj, who stayed at the Western Plus Meridian Hotel in the Nairobi City Centre and located aloo samosas, hen biryani, masala chai, buttermilk and masala dosa in her lodge and neighbouring eating places. “It was my first time in Kenya, and I was definitely not expecting to find familiar food here. It was a happy surprise.”

Food is a cornerstone indicative of Kenya’s evolving hospitality scene, tailor-made to a various viewers, significantly the Indian market. Tour operators and cooks agree that Indians will be picky about their meals, and in an effort to cater to this market, institutions are going a step additional to be inclusive of dietary wants and meals restrictions. Kenya’s lodges are studying the nuances of Indian consolation and delicacies, like the heat of aloo puri after a time out on a safari, and the kick of a kadak chai to wake you up in the morning.

Shahi PaneerSarova Hotels

Lotus Root Galouti KebabSarova Hotels

When Anubhav Goel, an IT skilled primarily based in Mumbai, visited Africa for the first time together with his household in August 2025, he was stunned to search out the meals and catering suited to his desi vegetarian palate. “I ate mostly Indian food, and it was made really well. The locals here in Kenya are extremely welcoming, which feels very different from our vacations in Europe or North America. The chefs here were accommodating of my vegetarian preference,” he says.

Nairobi South CemeteryRaksha Nagaraj