An amazing time – guaranteed: discovering that the humpback whale migration off the coast of Kenya is one of nature’s greatest wonders (while staying in 5-star luxury at a 4-star European price)
At first there is only a fleeting glimpse as someone breaks cover.
A little later it is a whole family. And suddenly, with cries of delight from our children, we are in the middle of the great migration.
Kenya is known for the annual migration of wildebeest and zebras from the Serengeti to the lush grasses of the Masai Mara, avoiding lions and crocodiles altogether.
But we don’t watch that show. We are near a Kenyan beach and see an equally spectacular migration of humpback whales that travel from Antarctica to the Indian Ocean every summer.
Along the way they skirt the Kenyan coastline at Watamu – and are just one of the attractions in this enchanting seaside town.
Robert Hardman visits the Kenyan coast where he watches the spectacular migration of humpback whales, which travel from Antarctica to the Indian Ocean every summer
For many, Kenya is all about going on a safari. Yet the Kenyan coast is much more beautiful, accessible – and affordable – than I thought. It is also ideal for summer holidays, because it is a quiet season here with wonderful temperatures.
So first look further south before paying peak prices in a European hotspot.
The East African country is more of a trek than Spain, but many of the eight-hour direct flights to the capital Nairobi take place at night, there’s no jet lag and there are plenty of connections to the coast at Malindi or Mombasa.
We chose a week in Watamu, where the days were sultry and the evenings wonderfully cool.
From sunrise to sunset we had the full tropical sandy beach experience, jumping from glass bottom boats over a coral reef and laying on the sand eating freshly cut coconut.
While the coastal town of Watamu, just 13 miles from Malindi airport, was far from empty, it was also far from full.
See Hemingways – a beautiful, low-rise property with a huge pool above the beach in Watamu. Robert checks in and declares that it offers five-star luxury at a European four-star price
In the photo: Robert in Watamu with his family
My wife and I, plus our three children (aged 16, 14 and 11) stayed in Hemingways – a beautiful, low-rise apartment with a huge pool above the beach.
It’s five-star luxury at a European four-star price.
Our ocean view apartment had two spacious bedrooms and a huge living room, both with views of the Indian Ocean and access to a balcony that ran the length of our suite.
Two large bathrooms and a large kitchen are located inland. Not that we were cooking.
Hemingways’ restaurant serves a full brunch-style breakfast every morning. Every evening we had the choice of a buffet or an a la carte menu.
Outside, chefs were busy preparing curries or tossing steaks, snapper and stir-fries over fire pits.
Often at lunch we would grab a few tuk tuks and head to the bazaars and restaurants of central Watamu.
Robert bases himself on the beach, from where he watches the migration of humpback whales. Pictured: dining on a terrace in his hotel
The bathroom and master bedroom in one of the hotel apartments
This place is steeped in Swahili history with its Gede ruins. There are also Indian, Arabic and Italian influences. Browse the stalls to find a famous kikoy sarong.
Just before sunset, head to Mida Creek, which flows into a huge inland lagoon.
There you can sit in a bar on stilts above the water with a cocktail and watch the sun set over the dhows and mangroves.
An unexpected highlight was Watamu Snake Farm, a sanctuary for some of the world’s deadliest specimens, including puff adders and spitting cobras.
Robert finds that the tropical sandy beaches of the Kenyan coast are much more beautiful, accessible – and affordable – than he had imagined. In the photo: Turtle Beach in Watamu
Just before sunset, head to Mida Creek (pictured), which flows into a huge lagoon inland, writes Robert
Be there at 11am when the venom is ‘milked’ into serum to treat bites that kill up to 1,000 Kenyans every year.
Another popular spot is the Watamu Turtle Watch Marine Information Center. The area is a breeding ground for endangered sea turtles and when fishermen catch one in nets, they bring it here.
Because Watamu is located in a UNESCO-protected marine reserve, it is not teeming with pedal boats, jet skis and disco boats.
You need a day ticket to enter the reserve in a licensed glass-bottom tourist boat. It costs £12 for a day ticket (£10 for a child) plus the boat ticket.
Because Watamu is located in a UNESCO-protected marine reserve, it is not teeming with pedal boats, jet skis and disco boats, says Robert
The area is a breeding ground for endangered sea turtles, as pictured here in the Watamu Marine National Park
Hemingways’ restaurant (above) offered a full brunch-style breakfast every morning, Robert says
A skipper takes you to a coral reef. All boats have free snorkel sets and life jackets. You can sunbathe on board or jump in to view the marine life.
My fate followed a stingray – at a distance.
The highlight was the afternoon on a Hemingways sports boat, following the great whale migration. It costs £80 each for a four-hour journey (including drinks and food).
Soon we saw a cloud of mist coming from a whale’s blowhole. Then the humpback whales appeared, slapping the water with their tails.
Suddenly a mother with a calf came up, followed by three relatives, so close that we could hear them snorting.
On the way back, our skipper Alfred set out fishing lines. I reeled in as many as a sailfish as long as I had a three-foot spike on its bill. It took three of us to reel it in, hold it for a photo, and then remove the hook. Then we threw it back.
What a day. What a week.