What Do Kilimanjaro Porters and Guides Eat? | Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris
Discover the meals enjoyed by Exuberant’s Kilimanjaro crew, including ugali, rice, beans and vegetables, and the role of food in mountain life.
Discover the meals enjoyed by Exuberant’s Kilimanjaro crew, including ugali, rice, beans and vegetables, and the role of food in mountain life.
Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris
What Do Kilimanjaro Porters and Guides Eat? | Exuberant Kilimanjaro Safaris
Mountain Life
What Do Kilimanjaro Porters, Guides and
Cooks Eat?
The foods described here are examples from Exuberant’s crew arrangements — not a fixed menu for every team, and not a claim about every Tanzanian person.
You’ve watched your porters pass you on the trail, carrying equipment while you concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.
A cheerful greeting, a steady pace—and they’re heading towards the next camp.
“What are these people eating?”
Food is an important part of every Kilimanjaro expedition, for the crew as well as the climbers. Here’s a look at some of the familiar meals our teams enjoy on the mountain.
Familiar food for demanding days
Crew members have their own tastes and preferences. Meals often include familiar Tanzanian staples such as ugali or rice, served with beans, vegetables, fish or meat, depending on the arrangements and supplies available.
The crew’s menu may differ from the clients’ menu. Different dishes reflect preferences and practical planning—not a reason to give crew members inadequate food.
At Exuberant, providing food and water is part of our current porter-welfare practices.
What is ugali?
Ugali is a firm staple commonly made by cooking maize flour with water until it becomes thick enough to hold its shape.
It is often eaten with a stew, beans or vegetables. Rather than being strongly flavoured on its own, it accompanies the other parts of the meal.
For many people, a satisfying plate of ugali is familiar comfort food. After a long day on the mountain, familiar can be very welcome.
What accompanies it?
Examples include:
- Maharage: beans prepared as a stew.
- Mchicha: leafy greens, often prepared as a vegetable dish.
- Other cooked vegetables.
- Fish or meat, according to the menu and supplies.
Rice is another option and may be prepared plainly or as a seasoned dish such as pilau.
Menus vary between expeditions. These are examples of foods the crew may enjoy, rather than a promise that every dish appears on every trek.
What about breakfast?
Breakfast preferences differ too. Options may include tea, porridge or familiar snacks.
Examples from Tanzanian food culture include:
- Uji: a drinkable porridge.
- Mandazi: fried dough.
- Chapati: flatbread.
- Vitumbua: small rice-based cakes.
Exuberant crew members receive an allowance to purchase breakfast snacks according to their preferences before the trek. These arrangements complement the crew’s planned mountain meals.
Do crew members eat the same food as clients?
Sometimes there is overlap, but the menus do not have to be identical.
Clients may request particular dietary arrangements, while crew members may prefer familiar meals. What matters is that the crew has its own planned food provision.
Crew meals should not depend on clients leaving food uneaten. Food provision is part of supporting the team throughout the expedition. Read our client food page for the sample climber menu.
Who carries and prepares the food?
Food and cooking equipment are distributed among the team’s loads. The cook and supporting crew manage meal preparation and kitchen work. Read our guide to the Kilimanjaro crew for what each role does.
Exuberant also arranges fresh-food resupply during treks. The timing and logistics depend on the itinerary.
Camp meals involve planning, carrying supplies, collecting and treating water, cooking and washing up. It’s a substantial part of the work happening while you enjoy the mountain. Our daily-routine article shows how this work fits into a day on the mountain.
Can I ask the crew about their food?
Absolutely. Showing interest in someone’s food can open a conversation about everyday life and personal preferences.
Ask your guide when it is convenient to speak with the cook or visit the kitchen area. It is a working space, so follow the team’s directions and avoid interrupting meal preparation.
You may learn something new—and discover a dish you’d like to try after the trek.
Respect the work behind the meal
Good food supports the whole expedition, not just the people hoping to reach Uhuru Peak.
The next time you sit down to dinner at camp, remember the people who carried the ingredients, prepared the water, cooked the meal and will wash everything afterwards.
Their work is part of your Kilimanjaro story.
Want to know more about life on the mountain? Contact our Moshi team or explore our guide to the Kilimanjaro crew.
Frequently asked questions
Do Kilimanjaro porters eat ugali?
Does Exuberant provide crew food?
Do crew members rely on clients’ leftovers?
Can I request dietary arrangements for my own climb?
Keep reading & plan your climb
Meet your Kilimanjaro mountain crew
Porter welfare on Kilimanjaro
A typical day on Kilimanjaro
What do you eat on Kilimanjaro? (client menu)
Plan your climb / enquire