Watamu: Kenya's 'Sweet Peoples' Beach Village
Watamu is a small but famous tourist resort located behind several white-sand beaches on Kenya's north coast. It is indeed a beautiful place to visit!
Watamu Beach is not one, but many beaches rolled into one. These include Garoda, Turtle Bay, Blue Lagoon, Watamu Bay, Ocean Breeze, Kanani and the presumed jewel of them all, Jacaranda.
The name 'Watamu' means 'sweet people' in Kiswahili, Kenya's national language. The joyful and relaxed atmosphere that greets visitors and the homely feelings Watamu exudes help it live up to its name tag!
Watamu Marine Park is the other. It is Kenya's first marine park and one of the oldest in the world having opened its (water?) doors in 1968. It boasts thrilling eye-catching under-sea wildlife and features.
Snorkelling, scuba diving and kite surfing keep water-sport lovers busy at the Park. Many say it is the best snorkelling and diving area on the coast of East Africa. For the less active, riding in glass-bottom boats to view under-sea life into view is all the thrill they are willing to commit to.
Game fishing is another of Watamu's tourist assets. Intense contests among game-fishing professionals occur most of the year. Paddleboarding, swimming with dolphins and whale watching add to the count of attractions that draw visitors to Watamu. The latter includes spotting humpbacks from July to September.
Walks and jogs on the long beaches are popular too. Bird watchers love to gather on the beach's edge at the forested Mida Creek to do their thing: They spend hours gazing at and counting a wide variety of local and migratory bird species that dwell here.
Away from the Beach
Watamu's location in the middle of the North-coast tourism circuit works in its favour. Tourists can explore several other attractions within the northern beach safari circuit and beyond.
Among these is Gede, a 12th-century abandoned settlement located 12 kilometres behind the beach of the way from Mombasa.
A little further inland is the Arabuko Sokoke Forest. It is famous for its forest monkeys and rare mammal species. A unique community-led conservation project in the forest breeds butterflies for export abroad.
Also close to Watmamu is Bio-ken-Snake Farm, a renowned snake research centre. You will find here many of the snakes common in East African. The deadliest among these are milked for anti-venom to save lives in the region and beyond.
A visit to the Farm would be unlike any other farm visit you may have made before! Moreover, if you feel like stomping on your fear of snakes, you can join the farm team in handling the harmless reptiles; or go on a snake safari: You could go out with the team in the dead of the night to track snakes in the wilderness, or release captive ones to freedom!
Several wildlife parks and other Kenya tourism sites are all within your reach from Watamu. One can fly or visit the sites by road through Malindi or Mombasa. Choosing the rail-travel option from Mombasa to Kenya's hinterlands would make an even more spectacular journey.
Marine Conservation in Watamu
Its attractions aside, Watamu is a renowned marine conservation site. Work on mangrove restoration, cleaning and protection of habitats goes on all year round. Indeed, a group of volunteers built the world's first recycled plastic sailing boat here in 2018. Local communities, foreigners and the government inspire and drive the conservation efforts. One popular programme protects turtles. Tourists are welcome to join in and may choose to live here for months working among the conservationists.
Watamu hotels
Watamu has many tourist hotels. Their services are as good as, or may even surpass, those offered in Mombasa and other tourist hotspots.
Turtle Bay is home to some of the most luxurious tourist hotels in Kenya. It is a protected ecosystem located only five kilometres (three miles) away from Watamu Village. 'Quiet and serene' describes the feeling that visitors to the Bay enjoy.
Hotels for budget travellers are abundant too. In addition, those who prefer homely or private vacations may choose from the many holiday-home rentals on offer.
How to get to Watamu
Watamu village lies 120 kilometres (75 miles) north of Mombasa City and 30 Kilometers (18 miles) south of Malindi Town.
You access Watamu by road through Gede Township along the main highway from Mombasa to Malindi. The beach is about 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) off the road.
When using public transport from Mombasa, alight at Gede and connect to the resort by car or motorbike taxi. The boarding stage in Mombasa is at the Buxton Bus Stage. Public transport by Matatu shuttle service will get you to Gede in two hours at five hundred Kenya shillings ($5), or less! Alternatively, get one of the taxi-hailing services in Mombasa to drop you off at your hotel or holiday rental in Watamu Village!
You may as well fly to Malindi from Nairobi by commercial or charter flight and thereafter connect to the blissful resort by public means or taxi.
That is Watamu, Kenya's 'sweet peoples' beach village, in a few words! Have you been to Watamu before? What was your experience?