Enchanting Kenya

Trip start date: 13 October 2008 Trip end date: 21 October 2008 Destination: Watamu, Kenya Tour operator: Eden Viaggi

We left Rome around midnight with Air Italy; the flight was rather tiring, since the plane was rather cramped and we had a 2-hour stopover in Zanzibar with no air conditioning. Once we arrived in Mombasa we reached our hotel Aquarius after about two and a half hours by minibus. The structure is very nice and clean and, unlike many villages that are isolated like fortresses, it rises directly in the town, so for anyone who wants to, it's enough to step out for a short walk to be among the local people. It's about 300 metres from the sea and you can reach the beach from outside or through a bridge and a garden inside the village. The rooms are furnished in local style, small and very romantic with lovely terraces with a little sofa to relax on, perhaps after dinner. The food is good and varied and generally Italian dishes are served since there are no foreign guests in the village.

As for the sea, the tide phenomenon is very evident, the water can recede by kilometres too, leaving little islands reachable on foot and populated by little crabs. In the period we were there there was a lot of seaweed so it wasn't possible to swim but we didn't mind because we had gone to Kenya for the safari and the beach stay only served us to relax before and after this fantastic experience. The safari prices offered by the agency inside the village are very high; to visit Tsavo East and West they asked us 450 euros, adding that departure wasn't certain because only my husband and I were interested. We were a bit demoralised but fortunately a couple from our hotel introduced us to two "guardian angels": the beach boys Tony Manero and Ali Gi.

With them we did the three-day safari to Tsavo East and Amboseli Park (which is the only one from which you can see Kilimanjaro), the trip to the mangroves with a lobster lunch, the excursion to Malindi and the island of love, spending 350 euros in total. Our beach boys were also at our disposal throughout the holiday, helping us even with practical matters, such as taking us to change money or to the supermarket. The transfers during the safari we did in a comfortable six-seat jeep with a pop-up roof; the hotel agency instead uses the minibus and it's not exactly ideal on the rough roads of the parks. We stayed in two beautiful tented camps, the Kibu Camp at Amboseli and the Voi Wildlife at Tsavo.

The first is a lovely place at the foot of Kilimanjaro, with few tents where in the evening you can see all the stars of the southern hemisphere and the only noises are those of the nocturnal birds. The Voi Wildlife is bigger and more elegant and has a terrace w... [continues] After this fantastic experience we relaxed by the sea and did the trip to the mangroves, a day of sun and sea with a mega lunch of prawns and lobster. The excursion to Malindi was also nice, with a visit to the wood factory and to a little market where you can buy souvenirs at unbeatable prices; you just have to haggle and you get better deals than at the stalls on the beach. Finally the excursion to the island of love, a little island reachable on foot from the beach during low tide where you can relax or take a dip in the surrounding lagoon.

This trip was truly a dream and I'm sure we'll always carry it in our hearts. To all those who decide to set off I strongly recommend turning to the beach boys Tony Manero and AliGi for all the excursions because they're truly serious, reliable guys and they know their work and Kenya well! Don't let yourselves be intimidated by what the hotel agencies tell you about the beach boys, because they only do it to get you to do the excursions with them! I'll leave AliGi's and Tony's contact details for anyone wanting to contact them directly from Italy. e mail: tony_m85@yahoo.com