This was the first trip I did in Kenya, back in 2011, when I set foot here for the first time. We were a group of volunteers joining the two-day trip starting from Mombasa. Arriving in Shimoni, my first memory is having lunch in a simple local restaurant, where I had my very first tamarind juice. I immediately loved it and since then always drink it whenever it's available. We continued to the Slave Caves, an informative historical exhibition about the East African slave trade that reached South Africa to the Middle East of Africa. A guide will accompany you and tell you more about the history. This is one of the reasons most people come to Shimoni. And since it's a community project, all proceeds go to several community projects such as sponsoring education and supporting needy people in the village.

 

Another attraction Shimoni has to offer is the Kisite Mpunguti Marine National Park, where you can go diving within or outside the protected marine areas. We went with a big dhow, a wooden traditional sailing vessel, which can accommodate a bigger group of people. The dhow takes you to the spot where you can find dolphins swimming, although you're not allowed to swim with them so as to not disturb their natural habitat. Then you go further where you can enjoy some snorkeling time. At first, I was a bit disappointed because we found the corals were not very nice anymore, not colorful but brownish and some of them looked "broken". Later I learned about the sad fact that this condition was mostly caused by climate change and the corals were slowly dying. After snorkeling, you will be taken to Wasini island, where a local restaurant straight at the sea is already waiting to serve you fresh seafood (I ordered crab), where you can relax for a while and enjoy the views.

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Wasini island was the place we stayed overnight back in 2011. There was no electricity on the island, no cars, the pathways are sandy and the 3000 people there live quite a simple life. There are some beach cottages on the island, but we slept at a local place in someone's house as part of a community project. Not only did the locals offer us their house to sleep in, but we also enjoyed an authentic Swahili cooking lesson with them, which was fun, and later on ate a delicious meal together. I remember that we enjoyed the view of the sky full of stars at night, everything was so peaceful and silent.

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All in all, it was an interesting experience. Wasini is generally quiet and the local experience was worth it for me. Shimoni is more lively with a few bars but also not as active anymore as it used to be. At times, when it's available, you can enjoy fresh seafood in Shimoni. I had the opportunity to have a whole lobster in a local restaurant for USD 10! Lastly, if you're lucky, you can spot some humpback whales during specific times (August - September and late January), when they pass the Shimoni channel. I hope I'll get the chance one day!

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Major animals spotted:

dolphins, vervet monkeys, sykes monkeys, bush babies

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Location:

southern Kenya, 80km south of Mombasa

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My accommodation:

local house on Wasini island, KWS banda (cottage) in Shimoni

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Visited:

September 2011, November 2016