Malindi & Watamu Island

“The Golden Mile”

Historically, Malindi dates back to the mixture 9th Century,with Arab occupation from the 13th Century onwards.

It has been a rich trade center with the near East and this influence can be seen characterized in its Arabic architecture. It is now a popular beach resort and the 1980s brought in a lot of Italian investment with many building their summer villas here, thus the recent Italian influence in the restaurants and shops.

Gedi Ruins

Now a historical site situated 18km south of Malindi, this was a flourishing Arab town between the 14th and 17th centuries before being mysteriously abandoned by its inhabitants.

Watamu & Malindi Island at a Glance

Situated on the North Coast of Kenya, Watamu is a place unlike any other holiday destination in Kenya or beyond. The beach itself is a haven for breeding turtles and borders the Watamu Marine Park set up to protect them as well as the countless coral and fish life between the beach and the reef. The snorkeling and scuba-diving opportunities are not to be missed.

Nature abounds in Watamu. If it's not the incredible variety of birdlife, it's the monkey population, making their rounds of the coast. The nights are filled with the sounds of cicadas, bush babies and other night creatures. All over Watamu there is the opportunity to discover more about the local wildlife. The Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Bio-Ken, Watamu's internationally renowned Snake Farm, The Bird walk in Mida Creek and Turtle Watch amongst others.

Watamu is also one of the best places to experience the great struggle between man and fish - Deep Sea Fishing. Plenty of fish have been caught in these waters and these days most are tagged and released - free to fight another day.

Watamu has not allowed itself to become too commercial and when you stay here you become part of the Watamu Family, whether in the hotels or in the ultimate self-catering accommodation, private homes. Here you can let the staff take care of everything do the shopping - just sit back and relax.

What to do while visiting Watamu 

There are so many things you can do while in Watamu, that enjoying a relaxing lie-on-the-beach holiday can be difficult!

Snorkeling in Watamu 

Exceptional snorkeling and diving conditions in Watamu Marine National Park allow all visitors easy access to the spectacular undersea life. Whether a newcomer to the sea, or an experienced diver, you'll be able to find some exciting things to do.

The Marine Park is about 5 miles from North to South and several hundred meters - up to a kilometer - from the shore to the fringing reefs. Snorkeling conditions are ideal at low tide, and especially good at spring low tide.

The North part is where the main hotels are situated and during high season it is the main mooring spot for fishing, diving and leisure boats. Here you find the Larder and Turtle reef and the Pothole.

The central part is the main Coral Gardens, where there is a string of buoys where snorkeling boat operators can tie up, while the snorkelers go snorkeling.

The South end of the park is by the mouth of Mida Creek. These waters can be treacherous due to the tidal wash from the creek, both in and out. However, here is where the famous Rock Cod Caves are. They used to have some resident Grouper - huge 200lb fish that would look you in the eyes and dare you any closer. However, it seems they have sadly been poached. In order to snorkel here you must get permission from the Park Warden in writing, and specify when you intend to snorkel there. Best times are during neap tides at low tide.

The main coral gardens are concentrated in a small, 500m long area. There are thousands of fish here - some of the boat operators feed the fish! - and you will not be disappointed, but explore beyond this, and you will find quieter waters with unusual fish - especially the shy ones that do not like the commotion around all the glass-bottomed boats! If you are really lucky, you may see a turtle, a guitarfish (huge - up to 9 feet long!), or a large grouper

Watamu's beach has a reputation for being quiet. So quiet, in fact, you are often not within a kilometer of the nearest sunbather or other beach walkers. Although it may seem a little busy at its northern end, the four and a half miles of pristine, white, sandy beach is, for the most part, deserted.

During the migratory months - November through to March - many birds can be found walking the beach and feeding in the shallows. At low tide, and especially spring low tide, a number of eroded corals protrude from the surface. Resembling giant Swiss cheeses - more the holes than the cheese - these are home to innumerable fascinating flora and fauna of the sea.

Little moray eels, catfish, octopus and lionfish can all be found preying on the lesser creatures, baby fish and plants. A walk to the very mouth of Mida Creek at low tide is usually rewarded with some little gem or other since it is there that the largest collection of these eroded reefs is situated.

These corals can be very slippery, and some have barnacles growing on them so wear a good pair of beach shoes. The sand can get pretty hot too!

What to do at Mida Creek

Mida Creek is a large mangrove-lined creek, and is part of the Mida Creek Marine Reserve managed by Kenya Wildlife Service. There are lots of things to do at the creek.

Here are some suggestions:

Birdwatching

The Mida birdlife is spectacular. There are 51 species listed in East Africa Birds, although this is by no means an authoritative list. To reach the head of the creek, the best area for bird watching, leave the Mombasa-Malindi road opposite the entrance to the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest Driving Trail and make your way down to the creek's shores. The best time for this is the incoming tide, when all creatures are busy feeding. A scope is very useful.

Likely to see:

Crab Plovers, curlews, sandpipers, stints, terns, spoonbills, flamingos and others.

For a different viewpoint, get hold of a small motorboat and float around the creek.

Explore the Mangrove Forest

Mida is surrounded by mangrove forest, an unusual habitat. The trees have spectacular looking root systems that thrive on the tidal variations. The mangrove forest consists of a few species of salt-tolerant evergreens. Mangroves protect the soft sediment shorelines from erosion, and provide a home for crustacean and molluscs, birds and worms during low tide, and hundreds of species of fish feeding during high tide.

The mangroves are used as nurseries for many fish species, too, and although murky, snorkeling can be rewarded by a sighting of perfectly-formed mini-tropical fish such as a 1 inch long lionfish.

There is an old walkway that may or may not have been rehabilitated on Sudi Island, where there are some sheltered picnic tables. The walk takes you through a few hundred meters of mangrove forest, and is very pretty. Please book your visit to Sudi in advance at the Kenya Wildlife Service office, or ask your hotel to arrange it for you. You'll need to find a boat operator to take you too.

Another visit is to one of the villages on Kirepwe Island. This village is a fascinating insight into the subsistence lifestyle of these people; a fishing and coconut palm economy. Again, ask your hotel to arrange a visit.

Dhows and Sundowners on Mida Creek

A few places arrange sundowners on a large dhow that sails up the creek, and motors back as the sun sets over the mangroves. Smaller dhows are also operated by individuals from Watamu. Visit the hairdresser in the village and enquire about Saidi's dhow.

Gede Ruins and Kipepeo Project

Gede Ruins

Gede Ruins is a 12th Century Swahili village that was mysteriously abandoned some 600 years ago due to unknown causes. It is now a National Museum, and the ruins are heavily overgrown with beautiful indigenous forest trees, baobabs and tamarind. 

Well worth a walk and a visit. Look out for Syke's Monkeys, and the Golden Ramped Elephant Shrew can also be seen here. A quiet, careful look in some of the old wells can turn out the odd owl, too.

Kipepeo Butterfly Project

Right at the entrance to Gede Ruins is the Kipepeo Butterfly Project. This innovative project is aimed at giving the forest edge communities opportunities to get an income directly from the forest, by live breeding the unique butterflies of the Arabuko-Sokoke forest, and sending them to live butterfly display centers around the world.

The project has led to a large increase in household incomes in those households participating in the project, and since butterflies are short-lived and hard to breed abroad, the market is quite reliable

What to do in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest 

With over 400 square kilometers and over 200 species of birds, there's plenty for the nature enthusiast to do here.

Birdwatching

With 5 globally threatened bird species, as well as hundreds of others; the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest is a birdwatcher's paradise. The open brachistegia woodland is ideal for stalking feeding parties of birds during the day, while walks in the dense cynometra forest at night are arranged to see the tiny Sokoke scoops owl.

Walking

There are many kilometers of track in the forest, ideal for walking. For added excitement there is a resident herd of elephant, some buffalo and probably some large cats too.

Cycling

For the fit and adventurous a mountain bike ride in the forest is really exhilarating. Conditions can be tough, though, since many roads are very very sandy.

Running

A popular pastime among the Watamu residents a couple of established routes are used for evening (and morning) runs, and you're bound to find someone who is your level and willing to go for a run!

Overnighting

There are possibilities for camping in the forest, or even overnight in the tree-house. Please enquire at the Visitors Centre at the Forest Station.

Malindi - A Historical Kenyan coastal town 

Malindi is just over 25kms from Watamu, and may be reached easily via the Mombasa-Malindi road, either by matatu, taxi or self-driven. You may need to go there in order to book air and bus tickets to Nairobi, Mombasa or Lamu, so why not explore a bit while you're there.

Malindi is a much larger place than Watamu, and as a result the beaches tend to be more crowded, especially with hawkers and beach boys and girls. Malindi is suitable mainly for four things:

• Shopping
• Historical places of interest
• Wining and dining
• Nightlife

Shopping:

For both everyday needs, such as groceries and booze and occasional luxury items, Malindi may have things not available in Watamu, since most of the supermarkets have a wider range of goods on offer.

There are several supermarkets on Lamu Road, the main road that runs parallel to the beach heading North, including an Italian one with lots of Mediterranean goodies - at a price, of course!!

Malindi is well known for its Halwa, and the Malindi Halwa Shop is one street behind the Town Square, a triangular roundabout next to the local District Commissioner's Offices.

You can also find the ubiquitous curios in a variety of different sorts of establishments, from up market shops selling high value work, to the Malindi Curio Dealers Association, a ramshackle collection of semi-permanent kiosks where you can find many bargains.

Note: Visitors should observe wildlife and conservation ethics and DO NOT buy seashells, corals or wood carvings that are made with endangered local hardwoods. 

Historical Places of interest:

Vasco da Gamas Pillar, on the beach in the middle of Malinidi's long coastal front, is a monument to where Vasco da Gama first set foot in modern-day Kenya in 1498. There is also a Portuguese church nearby.

Wining and dining:

Malindi really comes into its own when you have exhausted Watamu's eating joints after a few days. Top of anyone's list should be a visit to The Old Man and the Sea a wonderful seafood oriented restaurant on the seafront. A number of Italian restaurants serve the usual fare of pizzas and pasta, and there are numerous excellent Swahili cafeterias in the town itself that make a great change from exported foreign foods.

Most of the action is on the Northern side of the town, along Lamu Road. There are a number of bars of varying degrees of popularity where you can while away the afternoon over a cold Tusker. However, at some places you will be harassed by commercial sex workers, especially if you are a single man, or a group of men! You have been warned!! For little or no hassle, choose a place with a vigilant watchman, like Palm Garden. On the other end of the scale, Star and Garter can be quite calm during the day, and has pool tables too.

Nightlife:

As the afternoon fades, and evening approaches, Malindi seems to die out and everywhere empties out. This is because things do not really get going until much later - Mediterranean style!

Of the remaining Nightclubs - the biggest, Stardust, having shut down sometime last year - Club 28 is almost always climax by midnight, and carries on until dawn, even on weekdays in the low season. This is not a club for the fainthearted, and as either a male or female visitor expects to be "chatted up" more times than in the whole of the past year!! Other clubs and discos are only open in the high season, such as Fermentos, a reputed hang-out of Naomi Campbell when she was still dating an Italian with a house here. Prices match too! Other clubs are associated with the hotels in which they take place.

Other attractions, both night and day, include a couple of Casinos, snake parks, a falconry, the fish market, dhow trips, Malindi Marine National Park (stick with Watamu instead!) and plenty of pharmacies, doctors, normal shops and car hire companies.

Bon Voyage!