Most people visit Kenya to go on a safari to see the fantastic wildlife. However, there are other things to do there that are completely off the beaten track of regular tourism. On a recent visit, I went to visit a new golf course development 30 miles north of Mombasa, then went on to stay in an exclusive beach house on the island of Lamu, even further north. Finally, I went up-country to the central highlands for a night-stop in Nanyuki in the heart of several vast wildlife ranches. Going anywhere by road in Kenya is time-consuming and often a very uncomfortable experience as the roads are notoriously bad. However, there is a highly-developed light aviation industry with daily scheduled flights operating to most towns and game parks in Kenya. If their schedules don't suit you, you can always charter your own light aircraft or, even better, a helicopter to take you from door to door. After arriving in Nairobi on a Saudia flight, we flew to Mombasa. The new 18-golf course at Vipingo Ridge does not, as yet, have a hotel or anywhere to stay but there are numerous beach hotels a short drive away. It is the first project of its kind in Kenya and is in a secure, walled residential development covering 2,500 acres with its own airstrip. The ultimate plan is for two 18 hole courses, with a club house, hotel, and apartments and houses to buy or rent. Vipingo lies half way between Mombasa and Kilifi, and the ridge is about 4 kms from the sea and rises 500 feet above sea level. The benefit is the wonderful views towards the Indian Ocean, as well as hills inland, and a constant breeze to keep you cool. The course, designed by David Jones, is undulating and challenging and built to international standards. Full details are available on their website, including details of properties available to purchase: www.vipingoridge.com. There is also another excellent 18-hole golf course nearby at Nyali where they have an unusual rule: if a monkey takes your ball, you have a free drop! If a few days at a secluded beach in your own exclusive house is more your scene, it is time to head to Kizingoni Beach on Lamu Island. This is a development of 10 houses on a remote 20-acre beach plot, all built using traditional Lamu materials and methods. To get there, you fly to Manda Island, arriving at the tiny, palm-thatched Arrivals Terminal complete with its quaint duty-free shop. There is a walk of a few hundred yards to a jetty where you are met by the Kizingoni staff and boat. It is then a 30-minute boat ride to Kizingoni Beach. When we arrived, all the house staff were on the beach to meet us and because I have a walking disability, the gardener picked me up in a fireman's lift and carried me to dry land! Building houses in such a remote spot is not easy because all the building materials and staff have to get there the same way that we did – by boat. There are no vehicles on Lamu Island, save for the District Commissioner's Land Rover, an ambulance, a donkey ambulance, and a tractor. Building materials are off-loaded from dhows (boats that have been on the East African coast for centuries) by a chain of workers, and then carried to the site by men or donkeys. Everything about the houses is eco-friendly: electricity is generated by windmills and solar power. If you can't live without air-conditioning or your hair dryer, this might not be the place for you! Water is from their own bore hole. We stayed in Kazkazi House, named after the northerly monsoon trade wind that blows in the summer months. For centuries, it has blown trading dhows from India and Oman down to the East African coast. The house is built in a “U” shape around a central 16-meter pool, and has six en-suite bedrooms. The style of all the houses is the simple, coastal open-plan style, yet luxurious and with some beautiful furniture that has been imported from Java by the designer, Leslie Duckworth. You sleep under a ceiling fan and mosquito net, with open windows to let in the sea breeze. There are concessions to modernity in that there is Wi-Fi connection and satellite television in a discrete TV room. Mobile phone signal is there if you wander to find the right spot! Among the resident staff is an excellent cook and most meals include fresh seafood and a variety of exotic home-made ice-creams. Once you have swum up and down the pool, relaxed on your sun-lounger and unwound, there are other activities available: walks on the beach, fishing, kayaking, snorkling, and scuba diving being among them. There is also a traditional dhow for hire to take you for a “sun-downer” sail. A visit to Lamu town (by boat!) is a must and Kizingoni will provide you with a well-informed local guide. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and over the years has not lost its unique atmosphere, and new buildings all conform to the old style. The port of Lamu has existed for at least a thousand years and it is worth reading up its history. The area is predominantly Muslim, so it is important to be properly covered and not wear revealing beach clothes. The quayside has constant boat traffic bringing people and goods to the island. Streets are very narrow and bustling with activity with lots of donkey traffic. There are two museums and several cafes, restaurants and hotels (if Kizingoni is too pricey for you!). On the other hand, if money is no object, you could buy Kazkazi House which is for sale. Enquire via www.kizingonibeach.com. After Lamu, we flew back to Nairobi and then continued up to Nanyuki in a brand new Eurocopter, recently flown up from South Africa. Nanyuki is in the up-country Kenya highlands at an altitude of 6,500 feet and is close to some privately owned and very large wildlife conservancies. In complete contrast to the heat and humidity of the coast, it is a cool 22 degrees celcius, dropping to a chilly 10 degrees at night when you need roaring log fires. We landed on the front lawn of Mukima House, a farmhouse that was built in the 1940s. Surrounded by 360 acres of land, the house faces directly towards Mt. Kenya, Kenya's highest mountain. It has recently been refurbished and now has eight en-suite bedrooms and is fully staffed. It is the sort of place that you could go to with two or three families and completely unwind in your “home from home”. There is a swimming pool (rather chilly!), table tennis, sauna and massage room, a tennis court, walking, bird watching, and a dam where you can go boating and fishing. Other activities, such as golf, horse riding, trout fishing, and visits to the wildlife conservancies can be arranged. And for those who can't live without their mobile phones, computers and TV – that is all there too! If you fall in love with Mukima House, it is for sale – at a price! On the next-door 150-acre plot, there is a development of 10 bungalows, designed to be in keeping with the environment, surrounded by an electric fence for security. These are on the market at around 380,000 pounds. Enquire via www.mukimakenya.com. How to get there Saudia flies twice weekly to Nairobi's Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. Flights to Mombasa, Lamu and Nanyuki are available on Kenya Airways, Fly540 or JetLink, from Jomo Kenyatta Airport, and Air Kenya flies to the same destinations from nearby Wilson Airport – websites can be found via google. Helicopters can be booked through www.flyladylori.com Mombasa accommodation and transport for golf can be arranged through Mike Kirkland at [email protected] or www.southerncrosssafaris.com.
