The 2020 winter in Europe was getting more and more real. Conquering the cold waters, like some seem to do effortlessly, is not really our favorite thing.. but, where do you go then, when you want warm waters, wind everyday, when most countries are in lockdown? (We know; at home.)

Since sometimes staying home is no option (no house, no work, my partner in another country), the search began. 

The goal? Finding a spot for flat-water freestyle with medium to light wind & ideally nice warm water. 

My first options and ideas for January were Australia (borders closed :(), Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (awesome, but a bit expensive to live for 2 months without a big income), South Africa (beaches closed due to covid), Sri Lanka, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, etc etc. 

Many beautiful places, but in my big hunt for really really flat water, non of the places was an option & reachable. But then there was KENYA! 

 Africa wasn’t really on my wishlist (how stupid though) but a friend was there and her photos looked amazing. A variety of spots, a proper wind season, perfect wind for freestyle tricks & some waves on the reef for the boyfriend. Could this be it?

We decided to go for it. Packed with 9,11,12m kites, a wing, foil board, 2 twintips and a freestyle strapless board, we were ready for 2 months of awesomeness. 

FLIGHTS
First stop, Nairobi. Flying to Kenya only takes about 9 hours from Europe and since there’s just a small time difference, the travel is not a biggie. 

From Nairobi you take a flight to Mombasa, Ukunda (closest to Diani) or Malindi (closest to Watamu), to arrive to the beach. We didn’t really know the differences before flying, but you should definitely choose your spot based on your preferences. And if you plan in advance, choose your wind season wisely!

The 2020 winter in Europe was getting more and more real. Conquering the cold waters, like some seem to do effortlessly, is not really our favorite thing.. but, where do you go then, when you want warm waters, wind everyday, when most countries are in lockdown? (We know; at home.)

Since sometimes staying home is no option (no house, no work, my partner in another country), the search began. 

The goal? Finding a spot for flat-water freestyle with medium to light wind & ideally nice warm water. 

My first options and ideas for January were Australia (borders closed :(), Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (awesome, but a bit expensive to live for 2 months without a big income), South Africa (beaches closed due to covid), Sri Lanka, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, etc etc. 

Many beautiful places, but in my big hunt for really really flat water, non of the places was an option & reachable. But then there was KENYA! 

 Africa wasn’t really on my wishlist (how stupid though) but a friend was there and her photos looked amazing. A variety of spots, a proper wind season, perfect wind for freestyle tricks & some waves on the reef for the boyfriend. Could this be it?

We decided to go for it. Packed with 9,11,12m kites, a wing, foil board, 2 twintips and a freestyle strapless board, we were ready for 2 months of awesomeness. 

FLIGHTS
First stop, Nairobi. Flying to Kenya only takes about 9 hours from Europe and since there’s just a small time difference, the travel is not a biggie. 

From Nairobi you take a flight to Mombasa, Ukunda (closest to Diani) or Malindi (closest to Watamu), to arrive to the beach. We didn’t really know the differences before flying, but you should definitely choose your spot based on your preferences. And if you plan in advance, choose your wind season wisely!

The 2020 winter in Europe was getting more and more real. Conquering the cold waters, like some seem to do effortlessly, is not really our favorite thing.. but, where do you go then, when you want warm waters, wind everyday, when most countries are in lockdown? (We know; at home.)

Since sometimes staying home is no option (no house, no work, my partner in another country), the search began. 

The goal? Finding a spot for flat-water freestyle with medium to light wind & ideally nice warm water. 

My first options and ideas for January were Australia (borders closed :(), Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (awesome, but a bit expensive to live for 2 months without a big income), South Africa (beaches closed due to covid), Sri Lanka, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, etc etc. 

Many beautiful places, but in my big hunt for really really flat water, non of the places was an option & reachable. But then there was KENYA! 

 Africa wasn’t r

Our first stop: Diani Beach (fly from Nairobi to Ukunda) 

Probably the most touristic beach of Kenya, but as we were there during the COVID year, it was nice and quiet but with enough people on the water to have a great time.

White sandy beaches, clear blue waters, sunny days and palmtrees full of coconuts everywhere. In the afternoon, or some weeks even around 11AM, the wind picks up and it’s time to get going. There’s all the space you need, all-in services at the kite schools for when you want to store you gear and very beginner-friendly conditions. 

Spot: The spot is protected by a reef, which stretches about a kilometer from the beach, and goes from the north of Diani beach all the way down to the south of Kinondo. The result is a massive lagoon style kite spot, with a little bit of everything for all riders. 

One of the best things about the spot is that a lot of the hotels, guesthouses and resorts are beachfront, so within a few minutes you are ready to ride! If your accommodation is on the other side of the main beach road, you can easily store your gear at one of the schools for a small (or bigger) fee. 

Freeride: For beginners, cruisers, foilers and everyone in between, the spot offers everything you need. It’s windy almost every day, you can ride with all tides (foiling from mid to high), no real hazards and all the space you need. The atmosphere is relaxt and you can find kiters enough, but not too many and a few schools for those still learning. It’s choppy with all tides, but great to cruise.

Waves: We didn’t chose the right season for the waves, but that being said; the reef has nice waves to ride, everyday. Usually around 1 meter high, but with the wind being a bit stronger there and the water being super smooth and flat in between the waves, it’s a pretty cool spot. The reef is quite far out, so my advice is to buddy up!

The turtles like to hang around there too, so you might have to share the waves 😉

Want bigger waves? Go for the Kuzi season!

Foil: When you don’t like the chop, but love the lighter wind, warm waters and the great scenery.. Start foiling! On mid to high tides it’s a great place to learn. You can go to Diani Kite Club for a lesson, Daniel will get you on the board!

 Freestyle: During low tide, there’s a nice sandbank in front of the ‘Beach bar’ and Neptune Palm Beach Resort. It’s not flat flat water, but it’s good enough for most riders to work on their freestyle. Upwind, close to Nomads, you find a small reef just a few meters in, creating a nice flat area there too. It’s not a freestyle heaven though.
(For me personally it was too choppy, as I am very spoiled with my home spot ;))

Hazards: You may find some sea urchins in the weeds on low tide, there’s an occasional boat passing through and if you lose your board, a local fisherman might take it with him. There’s a small finders fee to pay there, but nothing crazy. 

 Wind: between 15 and 20 knots on average. With the hot air, you need to size up a bit though. In our 5 weeks in Diani, we had around 5 days of 20-25 knots. But it all depends on the season!

The wind blows from brunch time on and creates a nice breeze in the evening to cool off a bit. 

Kite size: 7 to 14 meter, depending on your weight and riding style. The most used kite size in Diani is the 12 meter.
My weight is just under 60 kilo’s and I’ve used my 12m almost every session in Diani.
But I could have used a 10 or 11m too. If you are big, you might wanna bring a bigger kite or a foil with you 😉

Wetsuit: No need. I would advice you to bring a lycra, legging or maybe a summer suit to protect yourself against the hot Kenyan sun. Need a lycra? We have a cool one in our shop soon!

If you plan on teaching here, you might wanna bring a shorty for the colder days. 

Next stop: Watamu (3 hrs by car from Mombasa or 1 hour from Malindi)

Watamu is a real village, where there are not just tourists, but mainly many Italians. If you don’t like pizza’s or local food, you shouldn’t go here 😉 But since everybody loves pizza, go!
The spot is a bit harder to reach, where as only the more expensive hotels and resorts are beach front and there are not too many public roads to the beach. 

Downwind, in front of JC Kitehouse, there’s a sandbank that creates a nice flat water playground on low tide. 

Third stop: Jacaranda (40 minutes by car from Malindi airport)

My personal favorite, but a bit more remote and best for die-hard flatwaterlover kiters and those who like a more basic stay.
A beautiful beach, with again a reef in the back to protect the spot from waves (and sharks, HA). But this time with a very low, low tide and many sandbanks. 

If you time well, you will LOVE this spot for all your freestyle tricks. Shallow, blue water. A few sandbanks to choose from and we haven’t seen more then 10 kites on the water at the same time. (but, in the midst of COVID, so yeah). 

Freeride: The spot works on mid to high tide, where you have the whole bay to ride on. A bit choppy, but all the space you need.
There are local instructors to have your lessons or coaching from, all the way upwind. They can help you launch and land too. They have some cold beers waiting for you, to celebrate after your great session. 

Freestyle: GREAT for freestyle with the low to mid tide. Beware of the very shallow spots around the sand banks. You have to watch were you are going, with the small reefs in the sand you can hurt yourself quite easily when you crash. So; eyes open and find the best sweet spot for your session. 

During our stay in Jacaranda the wind was a bit stronger than in Diani beach, 20-25 knots. I expect that to be normal there, but we may need to test again 😉

We stayed at Pole Pole beach house, which we can recommend. Good prices for a very welcome and pleasant stay. You do have to walk a whóle 3 minutes to the beach though.. ( I know, right?)

Spots: Since we didn’t travel around so much, we skipped a whole lot of other great spots (so they say), place to google; Lamu Island.

The local schools organize some downwinders every once in a while too, to see more of the beautiful coastline and cruise around some nice islands. You can contact Pijl from Surfari Africa for the more remote downwinders Kite Safari’s. We might organise a trip to Kenya in 2023 too. (Girl’s gotta dream, right? )

I almost forgot about the coconuts! If you are nuts about coconuts (like me), you HAVE to go to Kenya! All around the coast, you will find palmtrees éverywhere. And you know, a coconut a day, keeps the doctor away..  
If you are done with kiting every day, Kenya has way more to offer. We went on Safari, twice. I can recommend everyone to go on safari there. It’s amazing, so beautiful and something you may never forget. We went to both Tsavo east and Masai Mara, different parks with different pro’s and con’s. But both totally special. 

Our Kenya – idea of the year: bring an old kite as a gift for one of the locals. They will love it. They wíll use it. Ripped? Someone will fix it. It’s a great way to give back to the local community 🙂 

Downsides: Yes, there were some challenges too.

Beach vendors
The beach boys come like bees to honey to every tourist they see. The small talk, a friendly face and then a lot of ‘please give me…. ‘.
The differences between rich and poor are a bit confronting at times. The feeling that everyone wants to sell you something (and might think you have a money tree at home) is not my favorite and I couldn’t get used to it. Especially when the people in general are very kind and friendly. It gets easier to negotiate & deal with once you know the real prices. 

Pricing
It’s not ‘cheap’ to be there as a tourist. The price differences between local and tourist prices are big and you pay more or less the same for your accommodation here as in the South of Europe. BUT, you are beach front located!

Sex tourism
There’s lots of old white, retired people, going out with young fit Kenyan boys & girls. This is not my favorite type of tourism. Maybe the trick is not to care too much about other people’s business, but it personally made me a bit sad. 

Bananas
Monkeys steal your bananas! Totally bananas. Beware of the food stealing monkeys!

Conclusion
Go to Kenya! It’s beautiful, it’s warm, it’s windy, it’s pretty, a bit raw. The country and it’s people have a lot to offer.

If you need some more tips or information for your next adventure to Kenya, feel free to contact us!

The 2020 winter in Europe was getting more and more real. Conquering the cold waters, like some seem to do effortlessly, is not really our favorite thing.. but, where do you go then, when you want warm waters, wind everyday, when most countries are in lockdown? (We know; at home.)

Since sometimes staying home is no option (no house, no work, my partner in another country), the search began. 

The goal? Finding a spot for flat-water freestyle with medium to light wind & ideally nice warm water. 

My first options and ideas for January were Australia (borders closed :(), Aruba, Bonaire, Curacao (awesome, but a bit expensive to live for 2 months without a big income), South Africa (beaches closed due to covid), Sri Lanka, Colombia, Mexico, Peru, etc etc. 

Many beautiful places, but in my big hunt for really really flat water, non of the places was an option & reachable. But then there was KENYA! 

 Africa wasn’t really on my wishlist (how stupid though) but a friend was there and her photos looked amazing. A variety of spots, a proper wind season, perfect wind for freestyle tricks & some waves on the reef for the boyfriend. Could this be it?

We decided to go for it. Packed with 9,11,12m kites, a wing, foil board, 2 twintips and a freestyle strapless board, we were ready for 2 months of awesomeness. 

FLIGHTS
First stop, Nairobi. Flying to Kenya only takes about 9 hours from Europe and since there’s just a small time difference, the travel is not a biggie. 

From Nairobi you take a flight to Mombasa, Ukunda (closest to Diani) or Malindi (closest to Watamu), to arrive to the beach. We didn’t really know the differences before flying, but you should definitely choose your spot based on your preferences. And if you plan in advance, choose your wind season wisely!

Our first stop: Diani Beach (fly from Nairobi to Ukunda) 

Probably the most touristic beach of Kenya, but as we were there during the COVID year, it was nice and quiet but with enough people on the water to have a great time.

White sandy beaches, clear blue waters, sunny days and palmtrees full of coconuts everywhere. In the afternoon, or some weeks even around 11AM, the wind picks up and it’s time to get going. There’s all the space you need, all-in services at the kite schools for when you want to store you gear and very beginner-friendly conditions. 

Spot: The spot is protected by a reef, which stretches about a kilometer from the beach, and goes from the north of Diani beach all the way down to the south of Kinondo. The result is a massive lagoon style kite spot, with a little bit of everything for all riders. 

One of the best things about the spot is that a lot of the hotels, guesthouses and resorts are beachfront, so within a few minutes you are ready to ride! If your accommodation is on the other side of the main beach road, you can easily store your gear at one of the schools for a small (or bigger) fee. 

Freeride: For beginners, cruisers, foilers and everyone in between, the spot offers everything you need. It’s windy almost every day, you can ride with all tides (foiling from mid to high), no real hazards and all the space you need. The atmosphere is relaxt and you can find kiters enough, but not too many and a few schools for those still learning. It’s choppy with all tides, but great to cruise.

Waves: We didn’t chose the right season for the waves, but that being said; the reef has nice waves to ride, everyday. Usually around 1 meter high, but with the wind being a bit stronger there and the water being super smooth and flat in between the waves, it’s a pretty cool spot. The reef is quite far out, so my advice is to buddy up!

The turtles like to hang around there too, so you might have to share the waves 😉

Want bigger waves? Go for the Kuzi season!

Foil: When you don’t like the chop, but love the lighter wind, warm waters and the great scenery.. Start foiling! On mid to high tides it’s a great place to learn. You can go to Diani Kite Club for a lesson, Daniel will get you on the board!

 Freestyle: During low tide, there’s a nice sandbank in front of the ‘Beach bar’ and Neptune Palm Beach Resort. It’s not flat flat water, but it’s good enough for most riders to work on their freestyle. Upwind, close to Nomads, you find a small reef just a few meters in, creating a nice flat area there too. It’s not a freestyle heaven though.
(For me personally it was too choppy, as I am very spoiled with my home spot ;))

Hazards: You may find some sea urchins in the weeds on low tide, there’s an occasional boat passing through and if you lose your board, a local fisherman might take it with him. There’s a small finders fee to pay there, but nothing crazy. 

 Wind: between 15 and 20 knots on average. With the hot air, you need to size up a bit though. In our 5 weeks in Diani, we had around 5 days of 20-25 knots. But it all depends on the season!

The wind blows from brunch time on and creates a nice breeze in the evening to cool off a bit. 

Kite size: 7 to 14 meter, depending on your weight and riding style. The most used kite size in Diani is the 12 meter.
My weight is just under 60 kilo’s and I’ve used my 12m almost every session in Diani.
But I could have used a 10 or 11m too. If you are big, you might wanna bring a bigger kite or a foil with you 😉

Wetsuit: No need. I would advice you to bring a lycra, legging or maybe a summer suit to protect yourself against the hot Kenyan sun. Need a lycra? We have a cool one in our shop soon!

If you plan on teaching here, you might wanna bring a shorty for the colder days. 

Next stop: Watamu (3 hrs by car from Mombasa or 1 hour from Malindi)

Watamu is a real village, where there are not just tourists, but mainly many Italians. If you don’t like pizza’s or local food, you shouldn’t go here 😉 But since everybody loves pizza, go!
The spot is a bit harder to reach, where as only the more expensive hotels and resorts are beach front and there are not too many public roads to the beach. 

Downwind, in front of JC Kitehouse, there’s a sandbank that creates a nice flat water playground on low tide. 

Third stop: Jacaranda (40 minutes by car from Malindi airport)

My personal favorite, but a bit more remote and best for die-hard flatwaterlover kiters and those who like a more basic stay.
A beautiful beach, with again a reef in the back to protect the spot from waves (and sharks, HA). But this time with a very low, low tide and many sandbanks. 

If you time well, you will LOVE this spot for all your freestyle tricks. Shallow, blue water. A few sandbanks to choose from and we haven’t seen more then 10 kites on the water at the same time. (but, in the midst of COVID, so yeah). 

Freeride: The spot works on mid to high tide, where you have the whole bay to ride on. A bit choppy, but all the space you need.
There are local instructors to have your lessons or coaching from, all the way upwind. They can help you launch and land too. They have some cold beers waiting for you, to celebrate after your great session. 

Freestyle: GREAT for freestyle with the low to mid tide. Beware of the very shallow spots around the sand banks. You have to watch were you are going, with the small reefs in the sand you can hurt yourself quite easily when you crash. So; eyes open and find the best sweet spot for your session. 

During our stay in Jacaranda the wind was a bit stronger than in Diani beach, 20-25 knots. I expect that to be normal there, but we may need to test again 😉

We stayed at Pole Pole beach house, which we can recommend. Good prices for a very welcome and pleasant stay. You do have to walk a whóle 3 minutes to the beach though.. ( I know, right?)

Spots: Since we didn’t travel around so much, we skipped a whole lot of other great spots (so they say), place to google; Lamu Island.

The local schools organize some downwinders every once in a while too, to see more of the beautiful coastline and cruise around some nice islands. You can contact Pijl from Surfari Africa for the more remote downwinders Kite Safari’s. We might organise a trip to Kenya in 2023 too. (Girl’s gotta dream, right? )

I almost forgot about the coconuts! If you are nuts about coconuts (like me), you HAVE to go to Kenya! All around the coast, you will find palmtrees éverywhere. And you know, a coconut a day, keeps the doctor away..  
If you are done with kiting every day, Kenya has way more to offer. We went on Safari, twice. I can recommend everyone to go on safari there. It’s amazing, so beautiful and something you may never forget. We went to both Tsavo east and Masai Mara, different parks with different pro’s and con’s. But both totally special. 

Our Kenya – idea of the year: bring an old kite as a gift for one of the locals. They will love it. They wíll use it. Ripped? Someone will fix it. It’s a great way to give back to the local community 🙂 

Downsides: Yes, there were some challenges too.

Beach vendors
The beach boys come like bees to honey to every tourist they see. The small talk, a friendly face and then a lot of ‘please give me…. ‘.
The differences between rich and poor are a bit confronting at times. The feeling that everyone wants to sell you something (and might think you have a money tree at home) is not my favorite and I couldn’t get used to it. Especially when the people in general are very kind and friendly. It gets easier to negotiate & deal with once you know the real prices. 

Pricing
It’s not ‘cheap’ to be there as a tourist. The price differences between local and tourist prices are big and you pay more or less the same for your accommodation here as in the South of Europe. BUT, you are beach front located!

Sex tourism
There’s lots of old white, retired people, going out with young fit Kenyan boys & girls. This is not my favorite type of tourism. Maybe the trick is not to care too much about other people’s business, but it personally made me a bit sad. 

Bananas
Monkeys steal your bananas! Totally bananas. Beware of the food stealing monkeys!

Conclusion
Go to Kenya! It’s beautiful, it’s warm, it’s windy, it’s pretty, a bit raw. The country and it’s people have a lot to offer.

If you need some more tips or information for your next adventure to Kenya, feel free to contact us!