Wasini Island

You would think that one wouldn’t or couldn’t get lost driving down a simple, straight road... but it is possible, especially when you end up just a few kms from the Tanzanian border! My family and friends were driving to Shimoni where we would proceed to get on a dhow to Wasini Island. Wasini Island is a small Island off of the South West Coast of Kenya; it is approximately 5kms long and 1km wide. This location is one of the earliest of Swahili Civilization and neither roads or cars, nor electricity exist on the island. After over an hour’s rocky boat ride to the marine park, we all (apart from a poorly mama) put our flippers, goggles and snorkels on and dove into the cool, deep waters.

Another world exists beneath the water, an array of different colours, and countless amounts of different fish. The coral gardens here are amazing and undamaged because of the protection of KWS and they are definitely worth investigating. Although the Captain of the dhow said there was a 90% chance of seeing dolphins, unfortunately we were not lucky enough that day. We were taken to two different snorkelling sites, although after the first one the majority of our group decided to lie on the front of the dhow and tan. What started out to be an ominously, cloudy and potentially stormy day turned out in fact to be a beautiful day. Unfortunately my poor mum who was sick (although who insisted on coming due to her stubbornness) was hidden away under numerous kikoys trying to keep the sun off her, but also keep warm as she had caught a chill.

Following our searching for Nemos’, we headed to the other side of the island to the restaurant where we enjoyed crab for starters and chicken for mains. Crab is not my favourite type of seafood- I prefer Lobster, and up until today I had never eaten crab out of its shell. I saw this whole, huge crab on my plate accompanied with a piece of wood to hit it with, and started to panic. I stared at it, and although dead I felt its eyes were staring straight into me. I was completely freaked out! I just managed to crack its claw, but its body was another story and my best friend had to help me out (I’m sure he was thinking all the while what a woose I was!). 

 

 

After lunch the guests were invited to go on a village walk or to lounge by the lagoon pool for two hours- the latter was definitely more preferable. It was a salt water pool, with the perfect temperature just cool enough that it was a relief from the heat. While the two love birds conoodled in the shallow waters, and mum lay asleep under the baobab tree, I spent my time exploring the little pathways around the lagoon taking photos and extenuating my suntan. When it was time to leave, I think everybody was ready. It was a quick 20 minute or so ride back to the mainland and then an hours’ drive back to our accommodation. By the end of the day everyone was exhausted!