After the drive on Easter Sunday, I continued another 7.5 hours down Mombasa Road to the coast, and had 6 days of relaxing, reading, walking, kayaking, swimming, snorkelling, …… It was wonderful! It’s quite a bit warmer than Nairobi (which sits at a lofty 5,200ft elevation), and the perfect place for some R ‘n’ R. Whilst it was great for us that we had been able to book at fairly short notice, this was not good news for many of the locals. The lack of tourists was very noticeable at a time that should have been pretty busy with the Easter holidays. A number of hotels have had to close, and there’s a huge impact on all the small businesses, such as people selling kikoys on the beach, that rely on tourism. The effects of the violence at the beginning of the year are still very evident, though here it’s not in burnt-out buildings and cars as it is in western Kenya, but in the decimation of one of Kenya’s main industries. In both cases, those who suffer most are those completely uninvolved in the violence, and the issues that led to it.
For anyone thinking of a holiday in Kenya, it really is a beautiful country and well worth a visit!
No comments:
Post a Comment