Two days in Diani Beach
Two days at Diani Beach
When the Safari had finished we travelled to Mombasa/ Diani Beach resort on the East Coast of Kenya. We said goodbye to our intrepid driver for five days – Johnstone – “John”. Kennedy, the owner of AfricaChallengeSafaris met us at the airport to take the oversize bags and wish us well for the next two days.
Diani Beach is South of Mombasa and is a ‘holiday’ place. The hotel was 80% full when we arrived and it appeared that it was a haven for Europeans – mainly Germans and Dutch people. However it was going to a place for us to unwind from the constant travelling in the Toyota from place to place. In fact it was a four hour ride back to Nairobi (Wilson Airport this time) and an hour flight to Mombasa. Expecting to be on a twenty seater plane it was a surprise to be on a Dash 8 with 50 people on it. Arriving at a single runway airport and everything hand driven we stepped out to be told “go around the side of the building and pickup your baggage.” We did and were met by two cars for eight people. A big shoutout to AfricaChallengeSafari.com for the superb and meticulous organisation of this trip. Not once did we feel lost or abandoned. Kennedy and his Staff had come through again.
The first sight that greeted us was a that of mischievous monkeys running all over the place “don’t feed the animals!” We enjoyed the ‘all-inclusive’ resort and just hung around the beach and ate good food and took advantage of the free beverages. We did ask, and received another room as the spotty wifi was non-existent in the first one. The resort was most accommodating even letting us keep the bands on our wrists, which indicated we were all-inclusive for the lunch after check-out time.
The highlight of this stay was a walk on the beach and being coaxed into a Camel Ride. Three camels were sitting on the beach just waiting for riders and knowing that these camels had a “two handed” saddle we agreed to a ride. Lots of enjoyment all around and we didn’t go far. The $20usd fee was worth just being able to sit on the animal and experience the mount /dismount.
After we checked out we explored the are outside the hotel and to be expected it was full of stalls and vendors catering to the Tourists. This part of Diani Beach was the hotel strip so there were plenty of vendors to explore. Back to the small airport, which fitted the stereotype of an African Airstrip. Scanned the bags and then sat and waited for the plane. Kennedy was waiting at the Wilson Airport, which was much more relaxed than the International one, to take us the Crowne Plaza hotel for eight hours and a meal. Arriving back at the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport we were scanned at the entrance, checked in at the counter, moved into Immigration and then away to the gate, where our papers – passport, yellow fever cards and the Egyptian visas were all produced and passed inspection.
Goodbye Kenya – a wonderful and friendly Country. Unfortunately this place with a 50% unemployment rate and no ‘welfare state’ the locals are in a sad place. We wondered how the people we came across could be so friendly and helpful but they were.
We cannot say enough about the organisers of this part of the trip – AFRICACHALLENGESAFARIS.COM – WELL DONE