- Kenya
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Inside Nairobi can be a good companion to a guidebook, as the information is entered and kept up to date by the community.
Before the drought in Kenya (bit.ly/kenya-drought) causes this famous river to dry, find out where and when.
Asha Cottage at Diani, south of Mombasa is a mini-paradise. Built right on the beautiful white beach the ever-changing sea is the back-drop to a small hotel which is more like a family home. The owners, John and Dominique, are highly aware of the responsibilities of tourism and can advise guests interested in supporting the local people or environment in a practical way. They are attentive to detail and comfort and have provided an atmosphere in which their guests can relax - whether by the pool, in the small health spa or in the lovely gardens surrounding Asha Cottage where you are likely to see the rare Colobus monkey. As frequent visitors we could not recommend it more highly.
Asha Cottage, Diani Beach, Ukunda, Kenya
www.ashacottage.com
+254727624626
Asha Cottages is a small hotel right on the glorious sandy beach an hour south of Mombasa. Run on eco-friendly lines and set among a veritable arboretum of native trees and shrubs, it offers a relaxing tropical seaside holiday with plenty of activities for those who prefer snorkelling, SCUBA-diving, sailing or fishing to sunbathing. There is also bird and animal life aplenty. We were well looked after and entertained and the facilities are excellent and family friendly. Strongly recommended!
Asha Cottages, Dinai Beach, Ukunda, Kenya
www.ashacottages.com
+254 727624626
I spent two weeks in Asha Cottage and I can confirm it's really an incredibly beautiful place owned by a very nice family. John, Dominique and Anthony Owen, their cute little boy, are the type of people who are not easy to find. I spent days snorkelling (the reef is wonderful with a lot of incredible fish) having massages, drinking fresh fruit juices on the nice beach terrace watching the beach. The food is good and the location is wonderful, very romantic during the night with candle light. In Diani the beach is white and very long and wide, and I was able to take long walks every day.
Asha is a family owned and run boutique hotel with a socially responsible heart in Diani Beach, Kenya. It’s an incredibly beautiful place, where you totally relax in an intimate setting (only five rooms), eat great food, read loads of books, and pamper yourself. But of course if you really must do something more active snorkelling, diving and safari are also very close at hand.
As far as I know, if you want to go snorkelling you will have to take a boat. I did at Watamu. There is some snorkelling in large rock pools (Tiwi beach, south of Mombasa), which can be better than it sounds, but the reef is (as usual) a way off shore.
You may want to try Watamu beach between Malindi and Kilifi. Kilifi also has a yacht club that may point you in the right direction too!
Very simple and beautiful, go to Watamu, near Malindi in the north. It has the best easily-accessible marine park in the world, which you can swim out to from the beach or take a small boat. The reef is not far and you can swim beyond if your a good swimmer, the rest you just flow with the current.
There are great reasonably priced hotels and resorts and white coral sand beaches, no chavs from down south and you can get in a short safari as well. Should cost about £1,000 for ten days. Family friendly.
If you want something at medium cost, family friendly, snorkelling from the beach (or from plentiful cheap boats). Simple. Turtle Bay Beach Club, Watamu. Don't ask me, ask my kids! It's like their second home.
There are several places that offer great snorkelling opportunities along the Kenyan coast. Choose your time of year carefully though, to avoid the rainy seasons, which can adversely affect conditions and visibility.
My first ever experience of reef snorkelling was at Watamu; a small, laid back and relaxed village about two hours drive north of Mombasa. The snorkelling here is excellent. There is a nice hotel on the beach called Ocean Sports, or for a more Swahili feel, try Marijani Hotel in the village itself. It's less than two minutes walk from the beach.
Alternatively you could head south of Mombasa, to either Diani or Tiwi. Diani is a bit more developed, whereas Tiwi is very chilled out. It may be tricky to get to Tiwi Beach without your own transport, but there is snorkelling available off the beach there. There are various accommodation options in the area.
Near Tiwi and Diani there is also a Colobus monkey conservation project and a very large, community-run elephant sanctuary, which are also well worth a visit.
Snorkelling is also pretty good in some spots just north of Mombasa. There are some big hotels in this area, but they are generally quite expensive.
You could also try scuba diving while you're in Kenya, with it being one of the top-rated dive destinations in the world!
A picnic-esque, Afro-based music festival which has already had rave reviews from Capital FM Kenya, the next jazz-soul fusion collective featuring rising star Valerie Kimani, Hellon and Muthoni.
Nairobi on 07 December - at the Tayiana Stables, from 12:00 noon to 6:00pm (www.facebook.com/pages/MUTHONI/11760652297)
Manda Bay is a beautiful luxury lodge in an idyllic setting just 20 minutes boat ride away from the main Lamu Island.
We left our shoes on the beach when we arrived at the island and had no cause to put them back on until the day we left!
Fishing and water sports are their speciality, and the waterskiing and fly-fishing was a great experience.
The wonderful friendly hosts make you feel so welcome and part of the family, and the food is superb.
It's an amazing experience and well worth it for that bit of island paradise luxury.
Not a place you ever want to leave!
A glorious niche hotel on an almost deserted beach. Personal but discreet attention and superb seafood. A place simply to relax. About two hours south of Mombasa airport.
Why not get friendly on your trip by learning a few key Swahili words!
I visited prisons in Kenya in 2005 and addressed the prisoners there in regards to their human rights and court cases.
To cut the tension (which one will need in this current political climate) start your introduction with 'mambo vipi'! The prisoners loved it because they thought it was funny coming from a Mizungo (white man). Basically, it means 'whats up?', but it worked everytime and had them rolling on the ground!
Captain Shallo and Sail Kenya run sailing safaris along the Lamu archipelago. Captain Shallo also runs sailing safaris from Kalifi between Mombasa and Malindi.
I went on the four-day Lamu sailing safari last September and would truly say it was one of my best ever holidays. Captain Shallo and the crew really make sure you have a great time - swimming in clear, warm, blue water, walking along the most powdery of white sands, visiting tiny villages along the north-eastern coast and eating great super-fresh food.
It's not a luxury comfort holiday, but a bit of an adventure combined with a lot of pleasure.
Grace of New Jambo Taxis is a female taxi driver; as a woman travelling alone she made me feel safe and was very helpful generally.
She has an office at the airport, but give her a call and she'll pick you up.
Office at JKI Airport, International Arrivals
PO Box 00514989
Tel +254-722-700127/ +254 20822011 Email gracewanderi@yahoo.com
Kibera is the largest slum in the whole of Africa. Do not go there by the local taxi because you won't see much of it. A local who lives in Kibera should be your tour guide, that's what I did when I visited it in August 2007. Kibera is definitely a fascinating place. I have lots of pics from inside Goma, Soweto and Kibera.
Kibera
Small B&B (only two double rooms) run by British/Kenyan couple. Close to Nyali beach and cinema complex. Smart apartment, very comfortable and secure. Local knowledge, private parking.
e-mail: umoja_bb@yahoo.co.uk
tel:+254.733890423 (mobile)
+254.202073721
A green and pleasant oasis, acres of gardens, country house architecture, and good food. Family-run proves far better than the usual chain product. Just ignore the rotary club gatherings and remember it's the 21st century.
Just west of the city centre in colonial residential area,Fairview Hotel,Bishops Road,PO Box 40842,Nairobi
www.fairviewkenya.com/index.htm
Kenya
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