I blogged about a trip to Mombasa a little over a year ago,
the last time we visited. In it I devoted a few sentences to the city and its
history. I won’t repeat it here. The only thing I’ll say about it is that it
has so much potential. It’s quite dirty and tired. I’m told corruption is
rampant and crime is bad. But is has the raw material to be an amazing place.
It’s located on an island sitting in a bay extending into the mainland via
bridges. Its interesting location and tropical climate make it what could be
one of the most beautiful cities on the East Coast of Africa. But not yet.
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| arriving in Mombasa |
We flew to Mombasa on a relatively small plane. Given that
it is Kenya’s second city, it wasn’t necessary full of tourists. It felt more
like a commuter flight.
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| the beautiful Indian Ocean |
We arrived and promptly caught an Uber to where we were
staying, about 45 minutes away. Interestingly we were a little over halfway
there and we happened to see a friend of ours in a van, going to the same
hotel. He wasn’t even on the same flight. We even chatted between the vehicles.
It’s probably not coming across as much of a coincidence as it was…
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| one of the three pools |
We’d been to the coast as recently as last September but we
hadn’t been to this particular hotel since a year ago March. We’re still
obviously at the point in our lives where we are seeking child friendly
lodging. It’s unlikely that we would have chosen this place otherwise. The food
is good. It’s a beautiful location. Has three swimming pools. The beach is nice
but not fantastic. It’s a bit rocky and teeming with hawkers. I understand
people need to make a living but it’s exhausting hanging out on the beach with
the constant barrage of people trying to sell you things. Some other places
have guards that keep the sellers at bay. I always think that if they set up a
stand and didn’t stalk the tourists they’d probably sell more. Who knows.
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| Kinaya & Priya |
Officially it’s rainy season and the weather report looked
grim – at least grim for those wanting sun. I’ve spent many a rainy day at the
beach and really enjoyed it. But it’s not for everyone. Also, the country is in
much need of rain and getting soaked would have been better received knowing
that it would be making up for a precipitation deficit. In the end, we had
almost no rain. Good for our weekend but bad news for the country.
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| very cool looking residents of the hotel |
We settled into our room, very close to where we were the
last time. Wonder if they strategically put people with kids in the same wing
of the hotel.
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| Kiran and Priya heading out to go snorkeling |
Within minutes we were in our suits and swimming in the warm
pool. The sun was setting and we wouldn’t have much time before dinner but it
was definitely worth the quick dip. We have a pool in our apartment complex in
Nairobi but the water is chilly and, of course, there’s no water slide.
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| girls taking in the entertainment |
Food at this place is buffet style. It’s basically all you
can eat. Drinks, including alcohol, is included in the price. It’s the sort of
thing that prompts people to overindulge. I swear there were some people who
drank their weight in beer over the course of the weekend. There were a few
conferences/team building things going on (including our friend’s company).
They were the rowdiest of the guests and, other than making some noise and occasionally
taking over the “fun pool” (at the expense of kids who were relegated to the
deep end or not swimming at all), they didn’t really spoil the weekend.
The primary kid-friendly amenity of the hotel is the kids’
club. During designated hours parents can drop off their kids and have a small
team who assist them in doing art projects and various other activities. It
gives the parents a nice break and it introduces children to other children
staying in the hotel.
We stayed three nights and then caught an Uber back to the
airport. All in all it was a nice break. Now back to the grind.
