You absolutely must…
Must Eat:
The food is all about the sea. Try the crab with fresh basil (grown in their own kitchen garden) or the chargrilled lobster with tarragon, or the homemade papaya, mango and passion fruit sorbets.
Must Shop:
Take an excursion by boat or travel to Kiwayu via the 14th century trading port of Lamu – a journey of an hour and 40 minutes – a brilliant place to buy handcrafts, jewellery, textiles and decorative pieces.
Must Visit:
Take a boat trip in the Kiunga Marine Reserve for a chance to see dolphins.
• Pure, untouched paradise served with an Italian twist
• Simple and stylish and still owned and operated by the family that started it
• Unspoilt coral reef, mangrove channels and a marine sanctuary protecting many species including Green Turtles and Dolphin
The Whole Story
Nothing has been done to ruin the exquisite beauty of this sheltered bay at the edge of the Indian Ocean. Hidden by dunes and sheltered by Kiwayu Island, Kiwayu is a collection of bandas, built according to Swahili tradition out of dried palm fronds and mangrove poles, spread along a kilometre of powdery white sand and turquoise water completely unspoiled by any building or structure.
There is no concrete at Kiwayu. None. There are no decorative walls, no hidden industrial bits and no elaborate villas. There are just bandas built of palm fronds, decorated with colourful local fabrics and somehow touched with the magic dust that only Italians seem to be able to sprinkle on pure simplicity to make it stylish and special.
It has been this way for thirty five years because Italian founder Alfredo Pelizzoli (from Venice) and family created the camp and still manage it on a day-to-day basis. Since the very beginning there has always been ice for the gin & tonic, so it may be secluded but it’s certainly not uncivilised. Lobster, mangrove crab, red snapper, rock cod, tuna and rock oysters constitute a menu that specialises in very fresh seafood. Dining is in a communal banda on the beach and the Italian influence sees fresh pasta, handmade lasagne and risotto added to the moveable feast.
There is infinite pleasure to be had from walking along isolated beaches and dunes, and there is snorkelling on coral reefs, sailing the turquoise water and windsurfing and waterskiing amongst the many things to do.
The Rooms
There are 18 Beach-front Bandas, each with a spacious en-suite bedroom, dressing area and sheltered veranda. There is also one family banda that consists of 2 connecting bandas. The floors are made of dried palm fronds, so are the walls and the ceilings. The floor in the bathroom is sand, and the only timber comes from poles from the mangroves. These are Robinson Crusoe huts on the beach – a stylish Robinson Crusoe. Authenticity is the key. There is no AC or television, nor is your bathroom tiled, and that’s what makes the place so special. Everything is focused on the exquisite beauty and seclusion of the beach, and anything that takes away from that has been purposefully left out.
‘Baobabs of Kitangani’ is the ultimate in privacy and romance. The standalone suite designed for honeymooners or families is located 2kms across the beach under the shade of a Baobab tree on Kiwayu Island.