Masambweni has nothing to offer in terms of nightlife and restaurants, but its charm makes it a famous destination for foreigners.
A new trend is emerging where people are moving away from the traditional makuti roofed cottages to modern styled designer villas. One beach villa, ‘glass house’, owned by a Dutch, strikes you as unusual. Its minimalistic design and internal sparse dÈcor, visible through the large glass windows, fits in with the environment.
The few hawkers here are friendly and not aggressive at all. After a few days rest at Msambweni it was time to visit Diani Beach, the place were most of our tourists readily spend their hard earned cash. Sometime back, I wrote that Watamu Beach was regarded by international tourist magazines as one of the world’s ten most beautiful beaches. These magazines need to check out Diani Beach, as it deserves a place among the top ten also.
There is a big difference in ambiance, atmosphere and shopping culture between Diani and other holiday resorts. Here you find small shopping centres, but with a difference. They are all classy and well decorated in a modern international set up. The irony is that I never saw anyone in the shops.
We had to celebrate something and what better place than to have lunch at the Nomad Beach Bar and Restaurant? It is situated right on the beach, giving it a range of beautiful scenery. There are only a few places on the Coast where you can have a meal right on the beach with your feet touching the sand.
Value for money
The Austrian owner must be a perfectionist whose motto is optimum service to clients given the excellence of the staff. Charles Mumba, the supervisor greeted us warmly and arranged for a place for me to work on my laptop. In the meantime, my companion had a chilled white wine with some bitings. The a la carte menu is extensive, while the ambiance and service are good value for money. It is a good starting place for anyone seeking a leisurely meal. Those who want to stay overnight can check in at The Sands. The rates for the festive season here are Sh30,000 to Sh70,000 per room with breakfast.
A few days later, I visited 40 Thieves, also on the beach. The buffet lunch here cost me Sh550, a friendly sacrifice given the locality and beauty of the place. A jazz band was playing softly in the distant.
All in all, Diani Beach is a winner.
