Travel Destination: The paradise that is Kenyas South Coast

I was seated at my desk one day fantasising about a beach vacation, as most of us do towards the end of the week and the weight of the week was so much you feel the need for a vacation.

I floated the idea to my husband after a hearty meal, to my surprise he agreed. And within days we were off to Mombasa during our leave.

We wanted south coast for the simple reason that the beaches there are absolute paradise. They look like something out of a book.

He had booked Amani Tiwi Beach Resort, both of us had never been there before and we were feeling adventurous. That was a good move.

We arrived at Amani Tiwi after a 9-hour bus ride, a 10-minute ride on the Likoni ferry and 45-minute ride in a crowded matatu in the hot mid-morning sun of Kwale county, to say we were exhausted would be a gross understatement.

We were received at the gate with a smiling middle-aged man with cold face towels. And frankly, we were burning up! We almost hugged that guy.

He ushered us to the reception, a beautiful lobby area with comfortable sofa sets that appeared as though no one ever sat on them, well, except us. We literally collapsed on the sofa and checked in while still seated.

After checking in we walked out of the lobby area towards the rooms. The hotel has a pool that runs from the lobby, with slides and a little cute bridge to the bottom of the property towards the beach. What a beauty!

Our rooms did not disappoint either, spacious with eclectic furnishings and a balcony facing the ocean. Thus far we were happy. The air conditioning comes in handy in cooling the air, but the water in the bathroom is hard water. If you’re planning on staying here better ensure you carry shower gels and detergent because normal soap just won’t work.

The food here is lovely. They give you enough variety to choose from and you can order a la carte if you’re not impressed with the options on the buffet.

During the day a walk on the beach will reveal that there are many beach boys ready to come to your aid as far as showing you around.

The water near the hotel on Tiwi Beach is a bit rocky so you might have to walk to Diani Beach to have a swim in the Indian Ocean.

Not to worry though, Diani Beach is barely a stone throw away. Worth noting is that Diani Beach was voted Africa’s dream tourist destination.

Before you get to Diani Beach there is a river, River Congo, which cuts across a mangrove forest with unique birdlife and passes near a Digo village that you could explore. There are safe boats that will give you the ride of a lifetime for a small price.

Our guide, Swaleh, tells that that most of the beach boys in this area come from the Digo village and have been making a living on the beach for years.

They sell artefacts and provide tours to tourists, but he lamented that since the travel advisories the number of tourists has reduced, leaving them with barely enough money to support their families.

He offers us tens of ideas of activities we could take part in. He tells us that he does that with all visitors because “you can’t miss to buy one thing”.

Back at the hotel, there is a group of young enthusiastic men whose job is to get you off your feet. If all you want to do is lie by the poolside, you might find them a tad annoying, but they mean well. They will invite you the gym, encourage you to learn a music instrument under their tutelage, tell you about activities offered by the hotel etc.

At night, these same young people will put on a show for you, and I guarantee you will enjoy. On our first night they danced and on the second night we were serenaded with beautiful Swahili songs on the piano.

South coast is a beautiful place teeming with culture and scenic views and loads of activities you could take part in with your spouse or your family.

We went during low tourist season and the prices were very friendly, and the place wasn’t crowded. As a local tourist, this will be a nice place to start.