Three days in Paradise

By Stevens Muendo

Whether it was the pavilion spa heated Jacuzzi treat, dive and snorkelling, water games or the exotic treat at the Luau Shelter he had been treated to that evening, my friend Tom was an elated man.

We were sampling an Italian cuisine at the ocean front bar with a variety of Italian wines at the Paradise Beach Resort at the lost end of North Coast, Mombasa. Occasionally, Tom would lift his glass and make a toast to his partner, a 26-year old lady working with the armed forces. Their faces radiating with romantic impulses, they would down the sweet substance and exchange hearty glances simultaneously. His words were unusually toned down and few. His emotions and actions communicated more.

"Life has never been this good," Tom remarked, taking another sip from his glass. His attention had shifted from the woman to the blue moonlit Indian Ocean waters ebbing some meters away.

"What is the true joy of living? Isn’t it happiness? I am feeling over the moon," he went on, reaching out for his lover’s left arm before he extended a passionate kiss. I felt a bit lonely but a steaming ship deep down the ocean drew my attention away.

There are some things in life one never seems to have enough of.

"Paradise must be what this is," I whispered to myself loudly, perplexed by the awkward silence of the moment.

We all nodded.

Endless coastline

The memories of the action-packed day were still fresh on our minds.

The spa treat had bubbled me delightfully into relaxation as I bonded with new friends. And this must have been the same pleasure Tom and his partner had experienced.

As the ebbing waves and whistling palm trees blended into music — creating the kind of atmosphere perfect for holidaymakers like us — one thing was for sure, we would love to be back here some day soon.

"No wonder the East Coast of Africa has been described as the envy of travellers by many," the thought races through my mind. Millionaires, celebrities and dignitaries, they all come to roost here.

In my humble way, I was joining the cluster of visitors who have been privileged with an experience of a lifetime — endless coastline with white sandy beaches and the beautiful Indian Ocean stretching along. This was the first of our three days’ maiden visit at the heavenly Paradise Beach Resort and there was no doubt this would be one of our most memorable and treasured get-away.

Early that morning, we had checked into our suites before taking a walk across the lush garden of palm trees to the 600-metre stretch of clean private beach.

With swaying palm trees and clear warm azure blue ocean, we had experienced the wide and nice out of the water fun as the fine sand squeaked between our toes.

The enchanting tranquil waves, the seclusion of the beach, the picturesque beauty and the wide-ranging water sports were a sure signal that our holiday would magical. Not that I was seeking solitude, but what peace this moment provided for a fresh soul search adventure.

Marine parks

Paradise, 26km from Mombasa International Airport, is not your everyday or ordinary holiday place. The beach has fascinating coral reefs that can easily be explored on foot as one bonds with nature in the wake of a new day and the spectacular gardens around it makes it phenomenal.

A terrace overlooking the beach.

Keen to help us enjoy the adventurous wild deep, our tour guide Mathew Katoto had organised an excursion to the deep ocean marine park famous as a dive and snorkelling site where a variety of ocean critters and other species commune.

From the oceanfront, one can opt for a speedboat provided by the hotel at a small fee or hire the services of traditional boatmen and beach boys who are usually on standby to take visitors through the 25-minute ride.

The boats are spacious. They come equipped with first aid kits and oxygen tanks. These sounded like a real deal, as opposed to speedboats that can be a nightmare at times.

Neither diving nor snorkelling is for the faint hearted. It takes lion-seizing courage to plunge into the depths. For Nairobians like Tom and I, it took mountain-moving faith for the underwater adventure. But it all turned out to be a fun affair as more visitors joined us, making it all lively.

After the excursion, we rolled back to the hotel and headed to the swimming pool, which happens to be the largest in North Coast. Besides having a relaxing swim in the turquoise water, we opted to outdo each other over a game of volleyball with other holidaymakers joining us.

"I don’t remember the last time I had such playful fun. It must be over 15 years," Tom remarked that evening as we were having dinner.

"It is high time Kenyan’s took advantage of their great heritage. Most locals imagine all these things are meant for the foreign tourists," quipped our tour guide, adding that most Mombasa hotels were working on special packages for local tourists especially to be factored during the tourist low seasons.

Exhausted after the long day, we retired to bed early that night.

The accommodation at Paradise has been designed with Africa in mind. The authentic African accent is created by the use of natural materials. Luxurious suites with a sea view are available. There are a variety of self-contained suites, tailored to meet individual needs.

There is an apartment-type accommodation ideal for families with luxurious double suites and fully furnished, air conditioned singles, with kitchenettes and luxurious bedding, all the comforts you need to ease you into the Kenyan holiday spirit.

Reconstruction

"I hope you enjoyed your night," said Leon Ndubai, a simple man who asked to join our breakfast table, only for us to learn that he is the resort’s CEO. And shortly, Maya Mitrovic, the Managing Director joined the conversation.

Unwinding at the Pool Bar that afternoon and seeing the hundreds of tourists enjoying their swim, I could hardly believe this is the same place that had suffered a bomb attack eight years ago.

I took a sober walk, making a scrupulous view on the landscape of the fast park. A renowned artiste was remodelling the park, working on original paintings and completing the numerous destroyed drawings and oil sketches.

His silence, poise and perfection on the brush said it all. Like a myth, his illustrative work gave birth to memories of the once grounded facility.

But that was then. It is all in the past. The hotel changed hands and after years of reconstruction, Paradise is back on full operation with no signs of its painful history.

In fact, the new Kenyan owners — who also run the Sandalwood Hotels and Resorts are optimistic that in a few months, Paradise will regain all its past lost glory.

The three days just passed unnoticed and even when our driver came to drop us back to the airport that Sunday evening, none of us wanted to leave.

It had been fun and amusement, adventure and soul searching.

Inside the plane, my mind kept drawing pictures of an innocent Giriama youth holding star fish at the Paradise ocean line, I could hear the Giriama dancers singing, dressed in traditional lingerie in display of Kenya’s rich heritage.

So could I hear the rich words of an old Italian man I had met during my stay; "Always, be proud of who you are, be proud of your country." Someone said that we brand Kenya?