Watamu holidays

If snoozing under a palm tree, snorkelling pristine reefs, and eating fresh lobster on the beach is your idea of heaven, then holidays to Watamu are your ticket to paradise.

Kenyan paradise

Tropical getaways don’t come much better than Watamu. This remote but cosmopolitan village on Kenya’s south coast is shrouded by coconut groves and mangrove creeks. It has a clutch of thatch-roofed hotels dotted along a breathtaking 7-kilometre stretch of white sand. And lying off the shoreline is Watamu Marine National Park, East Africa’s answer to the Great Barrier Reef.

The beaches

On either side of the village are the cashmere-soft white sands of Watamu Bay and the Blue Lagoon. Both beaches have gently shelving water and a long list of watersports, from windsurfing to kite-surfing. And just 300 metres from the shore is arguably Kenya’s finest coral reef, home to over 600 species of rainbow-coloured fish, as well as 5 types of turtle. Past Blue Lagoon Bay are the less chartered sands of Turtle Bay, stretching 5 kilometres to the mangroves of Mida Creek.

The village

Drag yourself away from the beach and Watamu is every bit the authentic Kenyan village. It has makuti-roofed stalls selling handicrafts, no-frills bars where villagers sip Tusker beer, and family-run restaurants that are experts in all things seafood. A strong Italian influence in the village means great coffee, pastries and pizza are easy to find. And just outside the village, buried in the jungle, are the mysterious ruins of the 500-year-old Arabic village of Gedi. These days, monkeys are its only inhabitants.

Close to Tsavo East National Park

Tsavo East National Park is Kenya’s largest game reserve. Prides of lazy lions snoozing after a big kill, and elephants drinking at Aruba Dam are just some of the jaw-dropping scenes you’re likely see on your wildlife adventure. It’s a 5-hour drive away, but 2- and 3-day safaris can be booked in the village.