Mida Ecocamp

Website: www.midaecocamp.com
E-mail: felicityfowkes@aol.com (for enquiries other than bookings)
Phone: +254 729 213042 or +254 701 018320 (for bookings)

Community

The Mijikenda Tribe is made up of nine sub-groups, occupying the coastal region of Kenya from Lamu in the North to the Tanzanian border in the South. One of these groups are the extremely peaceful Giriamas, who reside in the Malindi/Mombasa surroundings.

They live in homesteads of around 7 to 70 people, most of the time made up of three or four generations. Their huts are made from dried grass, which cover the wooden framework and are surprisingly cool the inside. Within the homesteads, one can find a ‘coma’, a place where ancestors are remembered and honoured. Each dead person has a stick carved in their memory. These sticks are different in height, depending on family rank. Should some bad luck come over one family, they place coconut-wine and food in front of these sticks, trying to please the ancestors.

Who they are

Mida Ecocamp is a brand new project that has been built from the vision of Felicity Fowkes and her family, with the aid of private donations, to assist a small Giriama community on the Kenyan coast to help themselves.

The camp can now sustain itself and Felicity was able to use charity funds to build a classroom for the local Mzizima Primary School in December 2009. Mida Ecocamp also equipped the school with cooking pots, which means the children can receive one meal a day at their school – even during the holidays. This is only a start as the school is lacking teaching staff, materials, further classrooms, etc. There are a lot of plans for further development and a brighter future!

All the profit from the camp will be diverted into further community projects within Mida Creek, in sectors such as health, schooling and agriculture. The camp will open a subsidised dispensary, help with families’ crippling schooling-fees and will make sure people can eat a regular and more balanced diet. Also, it creates multiple employment opportunities, opens a market for local farmers and last, but not least, it will help to conserve the threatened environment of Mida Creek, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.

Mida Ecocamp employees have been chosen from various homesteads in Mida. This guarantees that more families can gain a small income, and enhances a greater interest of these families in conserving this amazing enviorment.

What they offer

Away from most places over-run with tourists, Mida Ecocamp offers a platform bar/restaurant with scenic views, overlooking the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the mangrove coast and an amazing bird-life.

There are 7 excursions that can be undertaken from the camp that offer you the opportunity to:

- Explore the historic ruins of Gede,

- Weave through the mangrove paradise,

- Immerse yourself in the traditions of Giriama village life and culture, while sipping on some fresh mnazi (coconut-wine) tapped from palm trees.

- Take a canoe ride to the beautiful island of Kirepwe.

- See the mangroves and bird hide from the suspension bridge

And much more!

Another highlight are the Giriama dancers and drummers, that can be booked for a performance in the camp.

Location

The camp is a short stroll (about 5-10 minutes walk) from the Malindi – Mombasa Road. It is 20 km South of Malindi and 100 km north of Mombasa. It is well sign-posted. The camp itself is nestled in between Mangrove coast, the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and the friendly surrounding community.
It is served by matatus – the local mini-buses. A tuc-tuc from Malindi should be around 800 to 1000 KSH.

Postal Address:

Mida Ecocamp
PO Box 81
80208 Gede
Kenya

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What to bring

- Mosquito repellent
- Hat & Sunscreen
- Torch

Accommodation & Amenities

There are three traditional coastal huts to be chosen from: The Zanzibar Hut is the most popular one, because it offers amazing views from the first floor seating area over forest and coast.
The Giriama Hut is built after Giriama traditions. The bed is located on a platform, that in old days would have been used to store maize. The furniture for the seating area has been made by town elders in the traditional way.
The Swahili Hut is the smallest, but definitely offers some comfort with its four-post Swahili bed.
All huts have concrete floors, white, clean sheets and mosquito-nets.
There are also 2 campsites.
One offers 5 small secluded sites that can be reached along a sandy path through bushes. For over-landers and large groups, there is a separate site with an extra 8 showers and 2 toilets.
Solar powered toilet & shower system
By powering the refrigerator and lights in the kitchen and the toilet/shower with a solar system, there is no need for electricity. There is no electricity in the whole of Mida, which definitely adds to its charm. There are millions of stars in the sky and at full-moon, the sand reflects the light and the huts throw shadows. The bar/restaurant is lit by kerosene lights and candles only. As more travellers come to visit, Mida ecocamp hopes to replace the kerosene with a more eco-friendly natural version. The courtyard is lit by a large campfire.
Menu sample: Seafood catch of the day with Pilau rice: KES 650 (£5.40). Garlic brandished fillet steak and Swahili potatoes: KES 650 (£5.40) Grilled chicken with Banana sauce & coconut rice: KES 650 (£5.40). Vegetarian option: KES 500 (£4.20). All mains are served with a choice of Mchicha or Kachumbari, the local tomato salad. Fresh fruits are offered for dessert and are included in the price.
Giriama House: KES 850 (£7.00) pp/night incl. breakfast
Swahili House: KES 1000 (£8.20) pp/night incl. breakfast
Zanzibar House: KES 1400 (£11.50) pp/night incl. breakfast
Camping: KES 200 (£1.70) per person
(Campers can rent a tent sleeping 2 people for KES 100 per night. A mattress is KES 100 per person per night).
Excursions:
Boardwalk & Birdhide incl. entry fees (2 hours): KES 1000 (£8.20) pp
Kirepwe Island Run Away incl. seafood lunch & cold soda (8 hours): KES 3500 (£28.30) pp
Village Culture & Lifestyle incl. local food & coconut-wine (2 hours): KSH 900 (£7.50) pp
Gede Ruins with canoe via the Mangroves incl. entry fees (4-5 hours): KES 2500 (£20.70) pp
Little Creatures for Little People incl. a refreshment drink (2 hours): KES 800 (£6.60) pp
Creek Fishing incl. fisherman’s lunch (8 hours): KES 3200 (£26.50) pp
Walk through Mangroves (2 Hours): KES 800 (£6.60) pp
Giriama Drumming and Dancing (1 hour): KES 2500 (£20.70) for up to 10 people; above: KES 250 pp.
(You can also book a canoe trip by itself for:KES 500 per person per hour at a minimum of 2 hours. An additional tourguide (optional) costs KES 300 per group per hour. Trips are also available to guests not staying in the camp).