Page 27 - Off The Tourist Trail - 1000 Unexpected Travel Alternatives (Part 2 of 2)

195

Turtle Bay BEACHES

vs Mombasa’s Beaches

Clear turquoise water, fantastic coral gardens, lush jungles stretching inland, and a minimum
of hassle make Turtle Bay East Africa’s most complete beach experience

This breathtaking underwater landscape teems
NEED TO KNOW
with more than 600 fish species, including brightly
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LOCATION Just south of the colored parrot fish, butterfly fish, surgeonfish,
fishing village of Watamu, 62 miles -BLF
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(100 km) north of Mombasa and snappers, which dance around the corals
BEACH FRONTAGE 6("/%" giving a dizzying performance, and making Kenya’s
About 4 miles (7 km) legendary landlubbing wildlife seem positively
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KEY WILDLIFE Reef fish, drab by comparison.
-BLF
marine shorebirds, golden- 7JDUPSJB
rumped elephant shrews /BJSPCJ Unsurprisingly, the bay is a snorkelers’ paradise
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ACTIVITIES Snorkeling, 5"/;"/*" 8"5".6 and suitable for nervous novices thanks to nearby
scuba diving, bird-watching, *OEJBO protective reefs, which ensure reliably calm water
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exploring ruins .PNCBTB
conditions. Meanwhile, the deeper reefs farther
offshore support healthy populations of whale ABOVE Sokoke scops owls on a branch, Arabuko-Sokoke National Park
Picture a classic tropical paradise, all soft white sand, sharks, giant sea bass, and green turtles, and boast
swaying palms, and glittering aquamarine water, superb scuba-diving conditions. Deep-sea game bizarre, twitchy-nosed, golden-rumped elephant
enhanced to spectacular effect by a succession of fishing is popular in the open water beyond the shrew, and several unique bird species, including
fantastic ragged coral outcrops that explode from reefs, where anglers can try their hand at catching the endangered Amani sunbird, East Coast akalat,
the water like surrealist mushrooms. This is Turtle tuna, sailfish, marlin, and wahoo. Sokoke scops owl, and Sokoke pipit.
Bay, one of the most glorious spots on East Africa’s From the sea to the land, the exploring Hidden in the park’s tangled forest is Gedi,
long Indian Ocean coastline, where stunning continues with a day trip to Arabuko-Sokoke a “lost city” and Kenya’s most important and
natural assets and a peaceful atmosphere upstage National Park, which lies only 3 miles (5 km) inland. impressive archaeological site. Its broodingly
Mombasa’s more famous beaches at every turn. This park, which can easily be enjoyed on foot, enigmatic mosques and palaces and eerie tombs
The extraordinary coral formations that adorn protects East Africa’s largest remaining tract of and archways are all that remain of a medieval
this stretch of coast are above-surface extensions coastal forest and presents great opportunities for Swahili city-state, thought to have been home
of Kenya’s finest and most accessible coral garden, wildlife observation – scores of monkeys, baboons, to 2–3,000 people in its heyday.
which lies only 328 yards (300 m) from the shore. antelopes, and elephants live here, alongside the
PRACTICAL INFORMATION

FORGET MOMBASA’S Getting There and Around Where to Stay
Watamu village has a good
The closest international airport
BEACHES? is in Mombasa, from where there selection of budget accommoda-
are domestic flights to Malindi, tions, and the main beach
THE BUILD-UP The beaches that stretch either side of the ancient which is 9 miles (15 km) north running south of this is serviced
of Watamu. Shared taxis head by four medium-sized resort
island-bound port of Mombasa – Nyali and Bamburi to the north,
into Watamu from both Mombasa hotels. The best is Hemingways
Diani and Tiwi to the south – are the stuff of brochure-writers’
and Malindi, and private taxis (see Where to Eat), which has a
dreams. Here you’ll find idyllic arcs of white sand, calm blue waters, are also available. Most sites superlative setting and offers a
offshore reefs swirling with fish, and beach after beach refreshingly around Watamu can be reached great range of marine activities.
uncrowded by comparison to their Mediterranean counterparts. on foot or by a short taxi ride.
When to Go
Where to Eat Visit at any time except the
THE LETDOWN In a nutshell: beach boys. One of the reasons There are no stand-alone wettest months (Feb–May).
the beaches around Mombasa are so uncrowded is that most restaurants of note in Watamu,
Budget per Day for Two
visitors step out onto them once, and – having deflected a swarm but all the resort hotels serve US$200–300 – far less than this
of pushy hustlers and chancers – opt to spend the rest of their good meals, with seafood being if you’re prepared to rough it in
holidays lounging around the hotel swimming pool instead. the specialty. Particularly a local guesthouse, but a lot
ABOVE A local trying to sell his wares to tourists on a recommended are the à la carte more if you want to charter a
Mombasa beach lunch menu and sumptuous
GOING ANYWAY? The hotel swimming pools are mostly very boat for game fishing.
themed buffet dinners at
nice, and there’s usually a good range of other activities to keep things interesting – everything from table Hemingways (www. Website
tennis and diving excursions to day trips to Mombasa’s old town or the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary. hemingways.co.ke). www.watamu.net

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