Read Stories About african adventure

I see it as it looked one afternoon In August,-by a fresh soft breeze o’erblown. The swiftness of the tide, the light thereon, A far-off sail, white as a crescent moon. The shining waters with pale currents strewn, The quiet fishing-smacks, the Eastern cove, The semi-circle of its dark, green grove. The luminous grasses, and the merry sun In the grave sky; the sparkle far and wide, Laughter of unseen children, cheerful chirp Of crickets, and low lisp of rippling tide, Light summer clouds fantastical as sleep Changing un-noted while I gazed thereon. All these fair sounds and sights I made my own.
-Emma Lazarus, “Long Island Sound” .

Emma’s poem is more than a century old, but within the young American poet’s prose lies the magic that coastal destinations have always possessed. The allure of a bewitching breeze. The caress of sea waves and the soothing sounds of tides breaking ashore. All these; a potent mix that slowly grows on you and enchants you to submission. This description washes ashore with Lamu Island, on one of the most southerly ends of Kenya. After years of experiencing a slump in visitor numbers, the island is slowly rising from its slumber and reclaiming its position as one of the top beach destinations in Kenya. Once again stirring chatter of children taking dives at the main jetty can be heard seaside. The songs of fishermen returning from a cold hard night pierce through the evening air and light clouds rush around clear blue skies to give way to the golden rays of the sun. If you just close your eyes for a few minutes, clear your thoughts and open your other senses to everything else around you, Lamu Island can be the true definition of magic. And, if you were to walk it like a local, island life can be your very own cirque du soleil, leaving you to marvel at the wonders that its people, cultures and locations have to offer.
There are two main ways to get to the island. By road, or by air. Road travel is for the more adventurous. From Nairobi to Mombasa then all the way to Malindi. From Malindi you continue heading north to Garsen before taking a sharp right onto the Garsen- Witu road. Proceed past Hindi, Pangani, Mpeketoni then onto the Mokowe Jetty. From Mokowe, you have the option of taking a slow sail boat or a speed boat across the narrow channel to the island. Slower boats that spur conversation are more fun. Here you will involuntarily eavesdrop on conversations. Conversations about an impending wedding, a failed political bid or banter on who makes the best biryani every Friday.

Chances are all these will be covered in one paragraph full of unfamiliar phrases and sporadic laughter. You may not understand everything that will be said but you will, by guarantee, burst out into laughter every so often.The islanders have a way of speaking. They have a tendency of not pronouncing every syllable in familiar words.“Waenda wapi?”, becomes “Waendaa?”, “Juu” becomes “yuu”, “shilingi ngapi” becomes “shilingaa”. All these with a particular prolongation of the sounds at the end of the words.If you take a speedboat though, none of this will matter. The sound of the 75horse-power engine and the speed at which the boat hits the waves plus the sound of your heart beating against your life jacket makes it hard for any conversations to go on.

If, like me, swimming is not second nature, you may be preoccupied with the little matter of hanging on to the boat for dear life. An audit, after you embark on the other side might reveal nail marks on the side of the boat from your constant gripping. The fear though lifts off as soon as your feet touch the warm water to discover a brand new world. To the far south of Lamu Island is Shela Village, an enclave of holiday homes and hotels laid out in neat rows from the sea front, backwards to what seems like an endless background of sand and palm trees. Accommodation options are too many. The famous Majlis Resort lies across Shela island on Manda. The known Forodhani House will be a crucible for your memories. The Moon Houses, set on a slope with every unit boasting a better view than the next will get you thinking about life while sipping on a drink, half-immersed in the infinity pool. The majestic Honey Moon house will make you feel like royalty, inside a fort of luxury with a steep private access route to the pristine beaches down below.
If you like to fully experience island life like a local, book your accommodation away from the glitz and glamour that Shela offers. Modest accommodation, such as Tawfiq’s Bahari Hotel will open you up to a whole new world of island life. Almost every backpacker’s haven, this will give you an opportunity to fully explore.
Shela should make it to the bucket list for beach heads. Not just for the sun and sea, but for the many more attractions it has to offer. If you wake up very early (7am for Shela), you can go on an incredible jog along the undisturbed beaches that stretch for kilometres. The jog will see you go past the built-up area to the open beach. The only sound that you will hear will be that of the waves and your breath as your feet sink into the sand, sending crabs scattering for safety.

The only sights will be those of returning fishermen, soldiers exercising at a nearby naval base, and the occasional donkeys carting sand away from the beaches to go to construction sites in the more populated areas.In 1907, the Sultan of Zanzibar outlawed slavery on the Kenyan coast. On the island of Lamu, however, little changed in the lives of the slaves for in the eyes of the residents, only slave masters had the right to free their slaves. Not the Sultan. Not the British Empire that the Sultan served. So slavery endured for longer than many other parts of the world.
Ideally, the run should give way to a hearty breakfast. Freshly squeezed passion juice, vanilla tea, mbaazi (pigeon peas) soaked in coconut sauce with a side of fresh mahamri (Swahili doughnuts). The best part is, this feast is served on the beach, with the sea roaring in its approval.
Take care though as a very small window of opportunity exists between breakfast and the next activity. Enjoy a siesta after your hearty meal and half your day will be gone. Should you triumph over the temptation, take a walk further inwards and explore the village life. Walk east, past the rows of houses all through to the protected sand dunes and take it all in. The shifting dunes are a protected site and have quite a history to them; one of the most important battles of the 19th century.
The date of the battle is uncertain, but historians say it happened between 1807 and 1813. Most of the fighting occurred at Hidabu Hill, one of the largest dunes that stands to date and Lamu gained an unexpected victory over the forces from Pate Island and Mombasa. Legend has it that the tide unexpectedly retreated, leaving the invaders' boats stuck in the mud. The hapless lot was massacred as they tried to float them away. When you walk the dunes you can almost hear the cries of victory and defeat from the whistling wind. The hikes will leave you famished. Take a boat to Lamu Town. Go past the fancy hotels with incredible meals of the day listed on their menu boards.
Before you get to the Lamu Museum, tucked between unremarkable shops is Umalila Ice Cream Shop. Walk in and make your way to the upstairs deck. Order a plate of chicken or beef biryani as you gaze at the busy Lamu Jetty below. Few things in this life can be compared to the bliss of perfectly prepared biryani coupled with the view that the restaurant has to offer. For dessert, order some gelato from the ice cream parlour below.

After lunch, proceed to the Lamu Museum. History is an incredible teacher. Even amidst the beauty that Lamu has to offer, it reminds us of man’s most evil plans and the pain and suffering that those who came before us had to endure. Throughout history, man has had his moments of madness and slavery ranks among the worst. From any point in the island, it is hard to believe that the sailboats that bring back so much joy to those on-board luxury voyages once brought such pain and heartache.

Just before the sun starts its lazy dance to hide behind the dunes, take a sunset dhow ride. A leisurely wind-powered boat ride that will see you leave the island and sail east towards the mangrove-lined channels. Towards the Takwa ruins that speak into the resilience of humanity that no matter what the universe has thrown our way, mankind overcomes all. Even the novel coronavirus. No words can describe the views that you will have when sailing back to the island. The sun, in a golden ball will sink behind the white buildings engraving a surreal, lasting image that will keep popping up every time you are stuck in traffic anywhere in the world. Such experiences will leave you feeling like Shela is in a time capsule. Holding on to the magic of its past in a fast-evolving world.
Undisturbed even with the threat of a coal plant that could ruin the World Heritage Site. Undisturbed even by the life altering effects of technology. Undisturbed by the droves of visitors now back on its beaches. Undisturbed even by time and space. But like many parts of the country, Shela Island has not been untouched by the boda boda. An island with less than five cars-where transport has for years been by boat or by donkey is slowly becoming another boda boda base. Joblessness and a lack of industry have conspired to introduce the much demonised two-wheelers on to the island. The effects are already being felt.

Accidents, some fatal are on the rise. These new changes linger in your mind as you depart the island. As the plane you are on lifts off Manda Island and takes as sharp right, exposing the entirety of sea, sand and humanity below, a certain realisation checks in. The realisation that in spite all, the island will prevail. Prevail and endure. Endure on not just for our sake. Not just for the sake of our children. But for its own sake too, for the Island has seen empires rise and fall. Yet, it has remained there. Stoic. With all its magic in place. From yesterday to forever.