Diani

We returned from Amboseli on a Sunday. I returned to work the next day, albeit at home of course. During this time we had an invitation to join another family who was vacationing on the coast. But we needed to await the announcement from the government as to whether or not we would be re-locked down in Nairobi during August or whether we could at least move about the country. International travel still seems to be a ways off.

Thus my ability to plan my leave from work was hampered by the fact that it was hard to predict when things might be loosened up and for how long. I have to use my vacation days before the end of September so time is running out. We cannot carry vacation days over from one fiscal year to the next so I'll need to take it, regardless of whether or not I can leave the city.

After a couple of delays, the announcement finally was communicated and the lifting of restrictions was renewed for the month. We quickly booked some tickets to go to Diani on the Indian Ocean coast to join friends who had rented a house for a couple weeks. By Thursday we were off.

Given that I didn’t have the opportunity to request time off (and arrange for the coverage of my duties), I would need to continue working while on the coast. It’s the advantage of work from “home” that I could do this but it would mean many hours on a computer while longingly looking at everyone else enjoying the beach. At least I had a stunning view.

This would be the first flight we took during the pandemic. It was an interesting experience and, at least for me, it felt less risky than I was expecting. In Nairobi, masks are more or less the norm. Few people are not wearing them, at least in the heart of the city (masks seem to be worn less the farther you move towards the countryside). For air travel, surgical masks were required and were worn by all the staff at the small, internal flight terminal. We had to walk through a disinfectant “shower”, apply hand sanitizer two or three times, and maintain a physical distance from staff and other travelers. Otherwise the experience was strangely normal. We had time for lunch before being called to board and an hour and a half later we were on the coast.

As we arrived at the tiny terminal in Diani it was raining. We hadn’t really prepared for it but it really didn’t matter. A bit of rain in a warm climate is not a big deal, particularly if you’re on holiday. In any case, it didn't last long and most of the time that we  were there it was sunny. In the fifteen years I’ve spent in East Africa, I have never been here this time of year since we are normally traveling outside the country. This is “winter” just south of the equator and that means that the muggy, hot coast was rather comfortable.

The other first for us was the length of time that we would be there. Normally we would stay for about three nights. On this occasion, we would stay for eight. It was fantastic to be able to settle in and not do the “hurried relaxation”. Due to work, I didn’t get the reading time that I wanted but I still was more or less able to be engaged with the family and take some time to enjoy the coast.

We stayed in a house that had about five bedrooms, a pool, internet and was sitting directly on the beach. The other family had arranged for a cook who would do some of the shopping and prepare the meals. By the way, the guy was amazing. In addition to being a super nice guy, he made some amazing meals. We joked about seeing if he was interested in coming back to Nairobi with us. We had fresh fish a few times as well as local Swahili cuisine. I have to say, that was a trip highlight for me.

The pool was not huge but clean. The kids alternated between playing on the beach and in the pool. There were other kids around so that made it easier to keep them entertained. I did early morning runs on the beach followed by a swim in the cool ocean. There were quite a few hawkers on the beach selling bracelets, fabric, carvings, boat trips, etc. I actually felt sorry for them given that tourism has obviously been almost non-existent. Many of them looked rather desperate. We bought a few things but, other than some fresh coconuts, we normally don’t buy much. It’s a bit different for us than it is for someone who’s visiting for the first time or who comes rarely to East Africa. You can only buy so much of that stuff.

Maintaining pandemic protocols was relatively easy given that the beaches were more or less empty. It was a rare sight to see. Though most places were closed due to the lack of tourists, we did go to a restaurant a couple times. Staff all seemed quite strict about wearing their masks and keeping surfaces disinfected. I suppose they have to or they’ll be shut down. Hopefully, once international flights open up, people will begin to trickle back. The sad part is that it may not be until the northern hemisphere “summer” holidays are over. What would normally be peak season will have passed.

We were analyzing the pros and cons of this sort of arrangement. Being in an all-inclusive hotel is nice since you don’t need to worry about thinking through and buying stuff for all the meals, drinks, etc. In a hotel you just show up and eat. For those of us with kids, a hotel usually offers more potential kids for your children to play with. And, where we have stayed, they have staff who do activities with them (giving parents some down time).

The downside to a hotel is that you have less space. Less autonomy/privacy. Less choice of what you eat. There’s less incentive to try out a restaurant since meals are included in the all-inclusive room cost.

So it’s hard to say what we’ll do next time. I’m cool with either.

 

As I mentioned, it was a rare time to be in such a beautiful place this time of year – a quick flight from home – and not be surrounded by tourists. It’s sad not to be with family like we ordinarily would during this time but this is not a bad second best.