african adventure schaffhausen watches
African adventure
Gasping for air in the glistening infinity pool of Kenya’s Mnarani Beach Club, I decided clear scuba diving was not my bag
Unable to get a mouthpiece between my lips without gagging, there was little hope of going under the water – let alone “diving” in the Indian Ocean off Kilifi creek, near Mombasa
Relaxing poolside with a gin and tonic in the 35C heat – in early December – would be my concession to the waves
Or, so I dreamed for a few seconds as a childhood fear of the water got the better of me
I was in Kenya as a watersports virgin keen to dip my paddle for the first time. Wholesale Jewelry Shop . (Balenciaga Wallet).
Watersports Neilson, an operator specialising in winter and watersports holidays, found an absolute gem with the Mnarani
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The three-star hotel, 50km north of Mombasa, is an idyllic beachside retreat – complete with sailing, diving, windsurfing, canoeing, waterskiing, wakeboarding, snorkelling and mountain biking
Every sport is on offer for the experienced and, like me, the totally inexperienced But it wouldn’t always be like that as my introductory pool session continued
Tim Nderito-Rendell, Buccaneer Diving School manager, based on the hotel’s beach, didn’t seem too worried
Eventually, after learning the rudiments, I was chugging out to sea and nervously thinking what to do if I lost my airpipe or got a mask full of the ocean’s turquoise finest
We sailed out to Bofa Lagoon It seemed in the middle of the Indian Ocean, but was only 20 minutes out and, thank God, only seven or eight metres deep
I held the anchor chain as Tim reassured me and monitored my descent Calming down, I was privy to the hidden world of the sea bed
I saw wrass, chocolate dips, lion fish, seaslugs, golden leaf fish and plenty more as well as a carnival of coral, psychedelic in its colours
There are 4,600 species of fish living in Kenya’s diving waters – the Red Sea has half that and the Caribbean just a quarter And the coral is intact and untouched, like so much of Kilifi
Fifty minutes exploring the seabed passed in a flash of neon fishes amid the bubbly, veg-like coral, and I emerged from the water feeling elated that I’d overcome my fears. (Miu Miu).
After lunch on the Mnarani’s secluded and private sandy cove beach bar – where I could have lazed for days – it was time for dinghy sailing
Sailing I had notions of Gucci deck shoes, pristine white linen trousers, a cap and a pastel jumper tied round my shoulders as I commanded the seas with a drink in my hand But sailing involves muscles and learning to capsize as I learnt with a splash
In a new three-man Laser Bahia dinghy, Neilson resort manager Jo Roberts had me criss-crossing the creek for an hour, learning to tack and gyb – turning up and down wind – and learning to say: “A flappy sail is not a happy sail”
Despite no experience of sailing, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed it – and what I learned in a short period
Neilson includes Royal Yachting Association tuition and courses whether you’re a novice aiming for your RYA level one certificate or an expert working on performance sailing
I also sampled Kilifi’s windsurfing, yet another debut The tuition was excellent with a bit of theory to reinforce the practical An hour of wobbling was punctuated by shouts of “I’ve got it!” before another headfirst plunge
After the watersports the Mnarani is an ideal place to sit, eat, drink and talk The hotel’s excellent food was plentiful, varied and very tasty
Entertainment Most nights entertainment is provided too – I especially enjoyed the Mozambique Boys, a group of acrobats from Kilifi with the kind of talent that would win any of Britain’s prime- time shows
For one meal at Kilifi Boatyard, we rode on mountain bikes through shanty villages Kenya is achingly poor, and we cycled through sandy alleys where communities existed in ramshackle huts
Our 10km bike ride took 40 minutes The lazier option, a tuk tuk – a motorised rickshaw – costs about 1,000 shillings (Pounds 
for a return trip
After lunch I kayaked against the current and wind, 3km back to the hotel At last, I had found something at which I seemed to excel
I loved the feel of the sun burning my arms as I fought against the water – muscles in my back and shoulders introducing themselves to me for the first time
Renewed and feeling proud I relaxed in my room before heading off to see out the afternoon in the infinity pool
Worries of the world vanished as I rested my chin in the edge of the pool and gazed out at the ocean, the dhows coming back from a day’s fishing, their stained sails billowing against a backdrop of hillside houses
The creek is dotted with large, handsome homes – owned by rich Kenyans and ex-pats. replica handbags The hotel, South African owned, was originally bought by Lord Delamere nearly 100 years ago and was an English officer’ club
For us, one great African adventure still remained We left Kilifi to go on safari in Tsavo East national park
We stayed at the luxurious Galdessa camp on the Galana river As well as seeing an array of animals – the highlight was two cheetahs – Galdessa looks out onto the Yatta Plateau – the world’s oldest fossilised lava flow. (Marni).
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