For many tourists, Mombasa is what comes to mind when you talk about the Kenya coast. However, the Kenyan coast is so much more than Mombasa. There is Watamu, which is roughly 105km north of Mombasa, Diani in the south coast with the most beautiful white sands and clear beaches. Diani feels like paradise on earth. There is Malindi sometime referred to as “little Italy” because of the thwarts of Italians tourists who flock the Malindi beaches.
Malindi is such a famous vacation sport to many tourists. Some of the villas in Malindi are built in Italian and European style architecture. The huge number of tourists have greatly influenced the way of life and even the architecture of Malindi.
Watamu is such a beauty. I recently had the pleasure of visiting the Kenyan coast. I started off with Diani, then Mombasa and rounded up my trip with Watamu, and my oh my, I was in for such a pleasant surprise. Beautiful is an understatement for describing Watamu.
Watamu
My journey started off from Mombasa. After an early breakfast at traveler’s hotel Mombasa. We set off for Watamu. We used Safari vans. The journey from Mombasa to Watamu was filled with beautiful scenery of the Kenyan coastline. It lasted roughly 2 hours.
We got to Watamu and my oh my, I was awed, it’s like stepping into a totally different country. We were warmly welcomed by the dedicated staff of Hemingways hotel Watamu.
Hemingways is such a beautiful hotel, it has the most beautiful beach front view I have ever been to, the meals were professionally prepared and very delicious. The menu was top notch. The rooms have such a breathtaking view, and they are spacious, clean and uniquely beautiful.
Watamu as a whole is cozy, its beautiful, its calm, its exotic! When driving through it, it feels like you’re entering an exotic fortress of Italian villas. Just like Malindi, Watamu infrastructure has also been greatly influenced by European style architecture. Almost all the hotels have a beach front view, and all are located on huge chunks of land thus most of them have very spacious rooms. Infact it’s an amazing uniformity that i noticed, all the hotels we went to had really spacious beautiful rooms.
Activities in Watamu
Our second day in Watamu, we headed off to the ocean for snorkeling. In our snorkeling gear. (swimsuits etc.), we boarded our boats and off we went. The snorkeling experience is one of the best, the waters are so clean and clear. I saw the most beautiful fish that day.
The waters have all types of fish in different colors and patterns. I had never seen so many different beautiful colorful fish.
Snorkeling is very soothing and such a fun activity and the beautiful part about it, is that you do not have to be a very good swimmer in order to go snookering.
There are professional trainers to help you with all the necessary gear like floaters and eye wear and snorkeling gear. These well-trained trainers will help you to do a little amateur snorkeling while holding onto you in the water. This ensures everyone has some fun.
Garoda Beach Waters
After snorkeling, we got back into our boats and headed off to Garoda beach waters. Garoda waters are famously known as the clearest waters in the entire Kenyan coast. They are the best for swimming and just lazily walking around. The water was warm, cozy and comforting. They give off this rich silverish golden color when you look at it. It is so beautiful, and it is a hotspot for many tourists as they head to caterpillar Island.
Caterpillar Island
This is a famous island in Watamu famous for the best seafood restaurant in Watamu. Caterpillar island is secluded, quiet, serene and untouched. There is this makeshift restaurant that specializes in seafood. You will be treated to delicious seafood delicacies like shrimp, octopus, prawns etc. All professionally prepared to cater to your taste buds.
After our delicious meals at caterpillar island. We got back on our boats and set off for our designated hotels. My hotel for the nigh was the lovely the Crystal Bay Resort Hotel.
This is one of the most beautiful intimate hotels I have ever been to. The moment I entered my room, I was blown away. it had this beautiful rustic theme set up. The entire room set up made me feel like I had just stepped into an exotic ancient Roman empire castle. It was so unique and lovely. Not your ordinary everyday hotel. It was unique and authentic.
The bathroom was uniquely designed, the wardrobe was just rustically beautiful. I ended up double checking with my hands to make sure everything was real ha-ha. It was such a surreal moment. I took a long bath and headed up to the eating area for dinner. A five mela course with a mixture of some very exotic Italian dishes was waiting was served.
A glass of wine was served alongside dinner, and it was complimentary. I mean what more can one really ask for! After the meal, as was done for the day and off I went to bed well satisfied and fulfilled with the day’s activities.
Papa Remo Beach (Night Life in Watamu)
The following day was spent relaxing at the beach, doing a little shopping as I prepared to indulge in the night life of this charming coastline of Watamu.
As evening approached, I put on my dancing shoes and best dancing outfit, which in my case was jeans and a tank top. Off we headed off to Papa Remo night club, one of the best in the area. It was a 15minutes drive from my hotel.
So, Papa Remo has an open roof dancefloor which is utilized during big theme nights and celebrations. I have never danced that much; it was like I was dancing all my years stress away.
The designated DJ’S were fantastic, i later learned there was a Ugandan and Kenyan Dj mixing the jams. They played everything from hard rock to soft rock, Rumba, Afrobeat, Jazz, dancehall, R&B and some slow jams. They had something for everyone. It was such a lovely night. One to remember forever.
We danced until late in the night. One thing about dance clubs in Watamu-music plays until morning, so you can literally party all night long.
Music was lit, the drinks kept flowing both alcoholic and non-alcoholic. At around 3 am we retired to our hotel.
The following day after a late breakfast, we checked out of our hotel and got into our safari vans and headed back to Mombasa.
Whether you seek relaxation on pristine beaches, thrilling adventures on the water, or encounters with Kenya’s incredible wildlife, Watamu promises an unforgettable escape. So why wait? Book your dream Watamu vacation today and discover a paradise unlike any other. Don’t miss out on this chance to create memories that will last a lifetime! Get in touch with one of our travel experts at [email protected]