AFRICA EXPLORED

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KENYA

After a week or so on safari, the somewhat laid back attitude to life at the coast makes a welcome change of pace. It's the place to switch off and soak up the sun; time to take off your watch, unwind, read a book, walk the beach, forget newspapers. Relax and enjoy yourself; have lunch on a dhow, buy fish on the shore, drink the juice of a fresh, young coconut. But there is plenty to see and do, should you feel the urge.

With history and culture to be explored in Mombasa, Lamu or many of the other small sites along the coast. You can explore beneath the warm waves of the Indian Ocean, there is just as much going on under water as on the surface. Seven marine parks off the coast of Kenya are host to a wonderful world of sea life. A pair of fins, snorkel and mask are all you need to see superb coral reefs and exotically tinted tropical fish that come so close you can almost touch them. It takes only a few days to become a qualified scuba diver and many take advantage of the opportunity to learn in the warm, clear waters of the Indian Ocean.

The beaches are of white coral sand and mostly fringed with coconut palms. The Indian Ocean is warm all year round and for great parts of it the shallows are protected by a barrier reef which protects you from large waves and keeps the sharks at bay.

Baobab Beach Resort

Baobab Beach Resort is Mombasa’s leading all-inclusive resort that has recently been renovated to a very high standard. Built along fine gently-sloping sands that stretch for almost 10km, it is perfectly located in a quiet corner of the southern end of Diani. Overlooking a safe beach lined with palm trees, its gardens are lush with colourful shrubbery and buzz with the sound of birdlife all day long.

There is an extensive activity programme here that includes volleyball, archery, aerobics and aqua-aerobics, shuffleboard, football, basketball, darts, tennis (three courts), table tennis, open air jacuzzi, swimming pool, a dive-centre and a golf course nearby. There is even a wellness centre. The cuisine is excellent and there are several styles of bar to relax in.

There are 180 spacious sea-facing rooms tastefully decorated and spacious. Link to Hotel site

Kiwayu

Kiwayu Safari Village is a barefoot luxury retreat on a deserted stretch of white beach. Kiwayu is located on the Kenya mainland in the most remote Dodori National Reserve some 30 miles north of Lamu Island, in a breathtakingly beautiful bay opposite Kiwayu Island. The eighteen cottages are built in the traditional "Bajuni" style using local materials. Each cottage is set well apart ensuring complete privacy. The bedrooms are large and are open to the sea with an en suite bathroom with running water and flush toilets. The cottages have a large verandah complete with hammocks and Lamu beds for lounging.

Approximately 3 kilometres from Kiwayu Safari Village lies "The Baobabs of Kitangani". Nestling between the enormous ageless Baobabs, this is the perfect setting for a couple who want total privacy and comfort. There is a living room perched graciously under a baobab, leading to a dazzling bedroom with en suite facilities. Staff and boatmen are at your service and there is over a kilometre of beach exclusively yours

Southern Palms Resort

Some 35 kms drive across the ferry and south from Mombasa, Southern Palms Beach Resort is situated on an ocean front of sultry tree fronds swaying gently on the sea breezes over a wide swathe of brilliant white sand. Behind, interlocking cascading swimming pools abuts an al fresco restaurant and bar area with panoramic views of the Indian ocean. The property spreads over 10 acres of mature tropical gardens and coconut palms.

There are 298 air conditioned rooms, 2 "luxury suites"; and 2 free form swimming pools, adding a unique feeling of space and majesty to the Resort. The rooms are fully air-conditioned and feature a locally carved "Pili Pili" four-poster double bed, a standard size day bed that can convert into a second bed. Tiled ceramic floor throughout the room and bathroom. The bathroom is well designed with a very spacious shower. Every room is fitted with a "mosquito net" that covers the entire double bed to ensure a peaceful night.

Activities available at the resort include a floodlit tennis court, volley ball, squash court, fitness centre, pool games, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, petanque, tables tennis, darts, snorkelling, water aerobics, windsurfing, catamaran sailing, pool tables, bird watching please note some may cost additional payment.

At night, you will be entertained with a selection of African Shows such as traditional dancers, African music, Acrobats, local folklore a At night, you will be entertained with a selection of African Shows such as traditional dancers, African music, Acrobats, local folklore and dancing music will take over to carry you to the late hours of the evening.

Indian Ocean Beach Club

The Indian Ocean Beach Club is located 25 miles south of Mombasa town. It is situated in a prime location on a quiet stretch of white sandy beach, bordering a marine park on the Indian Ocean. The hotel is designed in Swahili architecture, and is adjacent to history --next to a 16th century Mosque. The pounding of the surf, the background rasp of cicadas and the rhythmic waft of your ceiling fan all conspire to make you let go and relax.

There are a hundred rooms in clusters of thatched cottages and double upper level whitewashed rooms with flat rooms. Each room has its own verandah, en-suite with bath/shower and separate toilet plus they are beautifully designed and have crafted furniture, there is also air-conditioning and ceiling fan, a hair dryer, concealed mini-bar and direct dial telephone.

Activities include a 200-meter freeform pool and three plunge pools. There are 2 floodlit tennis courts; volleyball, croquet, jogging trail and bird watching are available. Windsurfing, catamaran, sailing canoeing, pedalos, 2 windsurfing and scuba lessons are free for all guests.

The Indian Ocean Beach Club is ideal for those who would like a quiet but comfortable resort on the coast.

Leopard Beach Resort

Situated on Diani Beach, 34 km south of Kenya 's bustling port of Mombasa, Leopard Beach Resort enjoys prime position on one of the world's most stunning beaches. Tropical gardens drop onto the white sandy shores of the Indian Ocean below where waters are calm due to the coral barrier reef – a haven for divers.

The resort offers a wide range of high quality accommodation, a choice of dining and entertainment venues – including the award winning ‘Chui Grill' – as well as extensive sporting and leisure facilities ranging from diving to golf.

Dotted throughout the vast 25 acres of magnificent tropical gardens are 155 comfortable and welcoming rooms, excellently furnished and includes a bath, shower and bidet, air conditioning, multi channel satellite television, telephone, tea/coffee making facilities, hairdryer, mosquito nets and a well-stocked mini-bar. There are 78 sea-facing superior rooms, 18 of which are suites and deluxe ‘Chui Class Cottages ' – private, luxury cottages that boast their own private gardens or patios. The Honeymoon, Executive and Superior suites also offer DVD/CD players (and a selection of discs), large living areas and power-showers and/or jacuzzis for those who really want to spoil themselves!

For the active, there are two floodlit tennis courts, a splendid 18-hole golf course next to the resort, volleyball, water polo, table tennis, gymnastics and aerobics. There is a PADI 5 star and SSI Platinum Centre with multi-lingual instructors. The Water Sports Centre also offers windsurfing, kite surfing, kayaking, pedelos and catamarans for hire or tuition; not to mention big game fishing beyond the reef and glass-bottom boats trips. Link to hotel web site. 

Hemingways

Malindi is a small resort. Popular since the 1940's with "up country" expatriate residents, in recent years Malindi has gained international attention, but still remains a small picturesque village with tall, white-washed houses, narrow streets, a few shops and a fish market on the harbour front. Nearby are two Marine National Parks, with wonderful underwater coral gardens and thousands of tropical fish. Just south of Malindi is to be found "the lost city" of Gedi, who inhabitants mysteriously disappeared over three hundred years ago, one of the most interesting historical sites in Kenya.

Hemingways is a small intimate 78 bed resort-hotel on the stunning sands of Watamu Bay, 20 miles south of Malindi. The ambience of the hotel is of relaxed sophistication, with the friendliness of a privately-owned hotel coupled to the facilities and standards of an international resort. The international cuisine is highly regarded, with attentive service to match, and the staff are renowned for their courtesy and friendliness. The beach was voted by the Sunday Times as being one of the top 10 beaches in the world, there being just 4 hotels on as many miles of coast, fringed by the finest of tropical barrier reefs. Three miles up the coast from Hemingways is Mida, a tidal lagoon of mangrove creeks teeming with exotic bird-life, and the venue for sundowner cruises on an Arabic dhow, whilst out to sea there is dolphin-watching, snorkelling and diving.

Add the best big-game fishing fleet in Africa with some of the most productive fishing grounds in the world, and you have a truly unique and exceptional destination for your tropical vacation.

Serena Beach

The Serena Beach Hotel is situated on Shanzu beach about 18 kms from Mombasa Town where the crystal clear water is ideal for watersports such as water skiing, sailing and deep sea diving. The Coral Reef is only a few minutes away in a glass bottom boat from the beach.

Styled to resemble a 13th century Swahili town complete with winding lanes, carved balconies, fountained courts and bustling market squares, the Serena Beach Hotel provides an oasis of tranquillity whilst delivering a unique mix of high-action water sports, sybaritic sun worship, world-class cuisine and vibrant nightlife. Each of the bedrooms have private bathrooms and air conditioning. The extensive coconut-palm cooled grounds offer an exotic mix of tropical trees and bright blossoms and centre on an idyllic sky-blue swimming pool with a thatched ‘‘swim-up’’ bar and crystal waters that cascade into the tiled coolness of the market square below.

AFRICA EXPLORED

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