Life on a beach is bliss for a runner because the natural pathway of the sand beckons you and there is ocean all the way. I headed south one morning, and then north the next… for an hour along Diani Beach and it is a fabulous run: very wide in areas, with the ocean one side, and villas and hotels the other. There are plenty of stretches that are totally empty, which adds a meditative quality to the experience as you pace your way on the sand.
Along certain parts of the beach are locals selling beautiful, unmistakably African bold fabrics; as the sea breeze picks up the fabrics billow. There are also tiny, primitive shacks amongst the trees, made from the simplest materials at hand, like mud and dried palm leaves. As a foreign passerby, I was continuously asked by the women if I would like a massage but this was no time for relaxing - I was on my morning run which always helps me launch into my day!
Although it is an elite property, life at Alfajiri dovetails with the local community: activities in the surrounding area can be easily arranged while you use the resort as a base. They offer HORSERIDING, JETSKIS, DEEP SEA FISHING CHARTERS and SNORKELING excursions with a local twist - local fisherman take you out to the nearby coral reef in a traditional African boat. Golfers, have an 18-hole course nearby, the home of the DIANI BEACH MASTERS, and green fees are included in the room rates.
For us though, relaxation was the order of the day at Alfajiri: there are countless indoor and outdoor nooks where you can unwind over a whole afternoon simply reading, watching movies or sink back on the giant day beds.
We did as a family take late afternoon walks along DIANI BEACH. We were now a small party of 5 on these walks! We had Zoe’s nanny companion Rebecca along with us, and the beach guard would come with us to once again stop the many hawkers who potentially may bother us. So this is what it feels like to walk around with your own guard? … Impressive !
As a guest at Alfajiri you are naturally drawn to the purity of Diani Beach’s pristine white sands; the sight of the Indian Ocean’s crystal clear water and sound of waves lapping onto shore dominate the senses at the villas. A gentle stroll down the beach is a ritual here, with the jet set touch of a guard who comes along with you to keep away the hawkers!
In either direction there is always a game of football going on or Kenyan teenagers frolicking in the sea; I liked the real life here: this natural playground isn’t cordoned off by resorts… Diani is also a magnet for Italian travelers. The beaches of Mombassa have attracted Italians looking for exotic holiday homes over the last few decades and the trend has taken off.
When I saw camels for rent on the beach I knew that a ride would add fun and adventure to our beachcombing experience! I booked with a local US$13 for 3 camels for the hour, which is so reasonable that I actually felt embarrassed! He was so keen that when he arrived early the next morning, he was 2 ½ hours early and waited while I went for my morning run and breakfast! Although a camel ride is actually quite uncomfortable, there is something larger than life about rising atop nature’s greatest long-haul travelers and swaying from side to side as they lope down the sand. The clusters of bougainvillea attached to the saddles on forked timber made the sight even more picturesque. This is a great way to let your kids never forget there time on Diani Beach…
Sheira thought that Alfajiri was a perfect setting for a massage that she booked one every afternoon. It helps that the daily massage is included in the villa rate. The serenity of the sea breeze rustling the palm trees and the slow pace of life by Diani Beach helps the massage take full effect.
As well as being pampered in high style amongst the luxurious surroundings of Alfajiri there are also many local women who offer massage treatments all along the beach, in charmingly raw little makeshift shacks - just big enough to fit the length of a body - that add real African texture to the already idyllic scene.I am not so sure I know anybody that would be game to try this?!!!
