Travel

A Four-Day Jeep Drive to Diani

travel

Amani luxury apartments. PHOTO | COURTESY

Like most Kenyans, my holidays to the Coast involve hopping on a direct flight to Mombasa, Watamu or Diani. This time, however, I decided to take the scenic route, get off earlier and explore Taita Taveta and its environs whose attractions and culture I was not very conversant with.

Tawi Conservancy

The plan was simple; we would get on the morning SGR train, get off at Emali then head off to Amboseli National Park through the Eastern gate. I have been to Amboseli several times, but never through this gate.

We missed the morning train and had to get a 4x4 Jeep which we drove to Tawi Lodge, an intimate luxurious eco-camp within Tawi Conservancy— only 10 minutes away from Amboseli. At this time of the year, it offers stunning views of Mt Kilimanjaro’s snow-capped peak.

We decided to check out a local Maasai village and meet locals. The thing about exploring the wild at this time of the year is that the vegetation is greener than you’ve likely ever seen it but the roads are very muddy and slippery.

Unsurprisingly, we got stuck and several villagers came to our rescue as we wandered off into a nearby Manyatta. There, we learnt about each other’s cultures, played with goats and unsuccessfully tried to start a fire because we didn’t have a matchbox and the wood was wet.

We then bought souvenirs albeit at double the prices, but no one complained because they had happily entertained a bunch of strangers. Finally, when the Jeep had been pulled out of the mud, we made our way back to the lodge for a warm supper and even warmer bed.

Tsavo West National Park

On our way to Tsavo the next morning, our car kept skidding in the mud and slid into a small ditch, but the driver kept charging on at top speed with the car tilted at almost 180 degrees until we made it out. This is the point where you get to appreciate good drivers!

Tsavo was another first for me, a place I’ve only visited as a child through ‘The Man Eaters of Tsavo’ documentary which haunted me for weeks. Attractions here include the clear Mzima Springs as well as wildlife like leopards, cheetahs, wild dogs, buffaloes and antelopes.

I was more fascinated by the elephants in various watering holes, they were a beautiful shade of red, the colour of the soil they go mudding in.

Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary

We spent the first night at Sarova Taita Hills, and a second night at Sarova Salt Lick, a unique property, oblivious staff, with rooms elevated on stilts and overlooking a watering hole which attracts wildlife.

Taita Taveta is home to what is now referred to as battlefield tourism. Here you can visit and see the remnants of that war, which involves touring memorials, cemeteries, battlefields and any other related historic sites.

2

Sarova Salt Lick, one of the hotels that we slept in. PHOTO | COURTESY

According to our guide, some of the most brutal wars during World War I were fought in this county between German forces from Tanzania and British forces.

To end things on a lighter note, the hotel set up an incredible sundowner for us atop Taita Hills with a group of widowed women who played drums so enchanting that everyone was dancing wildly.

Diani Beach

When we finally made it to Diani, the goal was to explore a side we’d never seen before. Rather than go to a five-star hotel, we checked into Amani Luxury Apartments, hired a chef, then headed off to Kwale to learn more about Mijikenda culture at Shifoga Cultural Forest. We had our first encounter with a Kaya elder, a chosen spiritual leader of the surrounding community at his shrine.

We then visited a homestead to learn about the Digo and Duruma, drank palm wine then watched the elders heal a patient. The next day, we rented bikes and in the scorching afternoon heat, biked seven kilometres across Diani to Mwamanga village where we drank madafu and shared a meal of ugali and shark meat with local families before visiting a bush doctor out of curiosity.

Very unsettling, especially if you watch Nigerian movies. But all this was forgotten when we headed out to explore night life in Diani.