Watamu’s BLUE BAY COVE takes the cake

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I reside on one of the highest points overlooking the capital marked by red soils and an indigenous forest. You can understand then why a low altitude holiday, consequently, often bags the vote with my clan.

Picking a vacation destination, as you may relate, is never too much of a hassle as is picking an establishment to put up in. With a weekend to spare, Papa bear was tasked with picking a spot with plenty sun, sand, and sea.

Even though the working budget was humble, I was still determined to make it pick magical somehow. I quickly ticked of the 'big' coastal towns in favour of a rarity that won my admiration. It was easy if you must know. Lamu lost for its distance, Diani for its ferry troubles that I am still pissed at, Malindi for its chocking Italianness, and Mombasa, well, for its commonness. The bore, conversely, actually ensued when it was time to settle on one of the numerous lodges possible. Being the emerald season, the rates were welcoming, but I was especially keen on getting the best from my constrained budget.

As I spun in my dilemma, a colleague drew me from my line of search by suggesting that I opt for a holiday home instead. Now, I was a little hesitant as I had always imagined holiday homes to cost a pretty penny. This, after all, involved renting an entire property as opposed to the norm-renting a room and sharing common areas like bars with other residents.

Well, turns out that nothing could be further from the truth if my experience is anything to go by.
Now, when walking into unfamiliar territory, especially where my dough is involved, I tend to be cagey and prefer working with tried and tested mavens. After a directed search, I bumped into an agency called Langata Link Holiday Homes that had what seemed an impressive array of holiday homes spread across the country.

What hooked and sunk me, though, was the pledge on their website that promised that with a villa holiday, I could 'have it all' without breaking the bank. Very thoughtful of them I reckoned and when I reached out to them, they fit my budget to Blue Bay Cove whose three bedroom penthouses that accommodate six sell for an average of Sh12, 500 while the two bedroom units garden suites, ample for four, go for Sh9, 500 depending on the season.

Watamu is a small peaceful village 105 kilometres north of Mombasa and 15 kilometres south of the town of Malindi. The area has developed an international reputation for its pristine white-sand beaches, reef-protected lagoons, and a lush tropical rainforest.

This hotbed of paradise (tongue in cheek) was even named by Cable News Network's travel segment, back in 2012, as the best beach in Africa second only to Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt's resort area between the desert of the Sinai Peninsula and the Red Sea city. Despite all this attention, Watamu has remained a haven of peace and tranquillity and is still proudly one of the coast's most undeveloped and natural areas. Getting to Watamu from the capital is easy.

One could opt for the easy 45-minute flight to Malindi airport via the daily scenic flights, which pass over the expanse of Tsavo Parks before savouring the breath taking descent by the Indian Ocean. You might know Malindi as the town where explorer Vasco de Gama landed in 1499 and erected one of the continent's oldest monuments, the white bell-shaped pillar he left at the end of Casuarina Beach. One could also bus, drive, fly or take the train to Mombasa.

From Mombasa International Airport, an equally scenic 90 minutes-drive passing through spread-out sisal plantations and crossing beautiful Kilifi creek drive yields the same results. With only a weekend to spare, the former was expedient. This baton was picked up by the timely Massud, Blue Bay Cove's cabbie who ensured that we acclimatised to the coastal weather quickly enough by getting us to from the dainty aerodrome to base in the same time it takes you to prep and down a sandwich.

Location, location, location. Just like you would expect from a beach house, Blue Bay Cove is tucked in a prime plot in Watamu Village, at the furthest end of Watamu Beach Road. Upon arrival, concierge Lilian Waithera orients residents on what is expected of them, and has them sign the indemnity form before leaving them to their own devices. We were in luck as we came in just after a large booking had exited.

This meant that we, in theory, had the privacy of all the 12 apartments and best, the option to upgrade to any unit we deemed superior. It wasn't necessary. Each individual house is built to the taste of its individual owners and all are furnished to a level of good comfort. This means that they boast all basic amenities of a contemporary 21st Century home. A heavy intricately carved wooden front door secured our unit whose master bedroom was a floor up while the rest of the rooms including the lounge and American styled kitchen were on the second floor.

This floor opened out to a balcony enclosed by balustrades that had a most impressive view of the different shaded ocean. Standing out was the admirable use of wood art for light hangings that gave rooms a life of their own when darkness reigned. This was further amplified by the Arabic styled lanterns and dug out walls holding décor pieces.

Speaking of decorative pieces, jutting out of the dark mahogany dining table was a huge hard-to-forget fish carved from soap-stone that I feared I would shatter to bits as my fingers repeatedly kept being drawn to its artistry. This was mostly true as we shared sumptuous meals whipped up by the resident chef, Meshaak, who proved accomplished in seafood dishes.

It was my maiden visit to Watamu and I would learn that it is something of a Janus – it has two faces, both completely different. The prettiest looks out over the ocean and is plastered with soft white sand and blessed by a soft breeze. The seven-kilometre beach that ticks off three enclosed bays – Watamu Bay, the Blue Lagoon, and Turtle Bay – is the star attraction. An equally stunning long blanket of sand that idles south towards Mida Creek flanks this.

The 32km2 broad-water tidal creek lined with palms has wide, healthy beds of seagrass and coral and as a result hosts many species of fish and sea turtles. Surrounding it are extensive mangroves that provide a refuge for crabs and birdlife. The water stays warm all year round making it a haven for water sports fans. To top all this off, there are two protected areas: The 10 km2 Watamu Marine National Park and Arabuko Sokoke National Park that covers over 229 kmsq.

The latter is the largest and most intact coastal forest in East Africa, with 20 per cent of Kenya's bird species, 30 per cent butterfly species and at least 24 rare and endemic bird, mammal and butterfly species. It is in this forest just outside town, where the ruins of Gedi – a village built by 14th-centry Arab merchants who disappeared just as mysteriously as they arrived-rest.

Oddly, however, all this beauty remained to be savoured another day. The entire weekend was spent experiencing the other face of Watamu, the visage strewn with litter, stores, and tourist haunts that look out onto the main road. Touring the idyllic village on foot haggling for souvenirs and trying out pizzerias just about made for our stay. Well, not entirely.

Cooling off in Blue Bay Cove's pool, taking walks on the private rocky cliff looking out to sea, and sinking into cushions sipping sundowners also made for cherished moments. All in all, the holiday home experience was well worth it.

Lilian put it best, "when you rent a private home on a self-catering basis, you get an exclusive getaway, with the advantage of house staff to take care of your housekeeping requirements, giving you the time to simply enjoy.

You have infinitely more freedom than you would find in any hotel; you can eat what you want to, when you want to, you can relax, unwind, and escape the world; all at a fraction of the cost of a hotel".