Watamu – the erstwhile stomping grounds of Ernest Hemingway

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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Ernest Hemingway’s life and East Africa in general and Kenya in particular are closely linked and some of his award-winning novels, later on turned in to equally-award winning films, were surely ins

Ernest Hemingway’s life and East Africa in general and Kenya in particular are closely linked and some of his award-winning novels, later on turned in to equally-award winning films, were surely inspired by visits to this part of the world. It is to Kenya where he came for his big game safaris and for big game fishing, spots which were then and continue to be today some of the deep sea fishing hotspots of the world.

Enter the last part of the 20th century when Watamu was even more laid back than Malindi in those days and when the bay was home to less than a handful of resorts, most of them specialized for clients coming to fish and expecting to have their boat charters organized by the resort.

The Seafarers Hotel in those days was largely a hangout and weekend or holiday getaway for the local crowds and never did make it into the big league of tour operators with charter operations into Mombasa, although I remember tourists from the UK taking a fancy to it in the early 1980s when British Airtours was for 2 ½ years allowed to fly from Gatwick to Mombasa before being axed by the Kenyan Department of Civil Aviation, leaving hotels to struggle for occupancy.

In 1988, Seafarers, then sitting on a 23-acre plot, was finally sold to a group of hospitality developers, closed down and completely remodeled before re-opening as a 5-star beach and fishing resort. Renamed “Hemingways,” the resort was quickly making inroads into the market and excellent food combined with Kenya’s renowned hospitality and some of the world’s richest fishing grounds to put the resort on the map of the big leagues. I recall visits to Seafarers just before it closed, to Hemingways soon after it re-opened, and now, ahead of some major redevelopments, again a visit just before the resort shuts down for nearly 8 months to allow for construction to go ahead without impacting on clients. From the present 76 rooms and suites, the “all new” Hemingways, when it reopens in December, will then come back on line with the North Wing’s 26 rooms spruced up while the South Wing’s 50 rooms will have been turned into 18 apartments.

Just before my arrival, the season closing the final major fishing tournament took place, this year with some 26 boats participating which came from as far as Dar es Salaam. Locals said the number of participants, while significantly down from the boom years of Kenya’s coast tourism, nevertheless showed some high level of resilience and that deep-sea fishing remained a high-profile activity, and one which brings in substantially more money per visiting tourist than those on package deals. The overnight tournament allowed those out at night to fish for broadbills, and the bright moonlight must have made it special for those who had come to be part of one of Kenya’s great traditions.

Hemingways maintains three boats under its own flag and also sub-charters when larger groups come to stay. However, boat charter operations are found not just in Watamu but also along the coast from Malindi via Kilifi, Mombasa, and all the way down to the Kenyan side of the Pemba channel, perhaps this year not as busy as they would like to be but hanging in and waiting for better times to return.

Here, as in the hospitality business in general, it is evident that the draconian anti-travel advisories have taken a toll on the tourism industry, and what a price it is that Kenya pays as western countries play politics with the livelihood of people and the investments made by businesses.

Melinda Rees of Hemingways, though, preferred to stay upbeat about the future and focused on the positive side when she parted with some added information about the level of fishing that visitors can come to expect at Hemingways in particular and in Watamu in general: “The main fishing season runs from November through March, in the Kaskazi season. Sailfish are the first to appear generally, in November and early December, and we run the Sail University competition in early December. This is a combination competition and training session for anglers. The black and striped marlins start to appear in December and run through to the end of the season in March. The big blue marlins normally start to appear in February and run through March. In 2014, Roger Sutherland on Ol Jogi, with skipper Stuart Simpson, got Kenya’s second ever ‘grander’ – a beautiful big blue.

“In general, Kenya does not get huge fish, but we do get them all. We do also have good broadbill for those who want the challenge of fishing at night. There are three ‘Fantasy Slams’ in Kenya – in a 24-hour period, one each of sailfish, black, blue, striped marlin, and broadbill. At present, I believe there are less than 10 fantasy slams accredited in the world.” This is surely news which should make fishing aficionados sit up and take notice that Kenya is one of those countries they just have to put on their bucket list and come and fish the blue waters of the Indian Ocean.

The food at Hemingways was as delightful as I ever remembered, and with Melinda gone to Ol Seki Hemingways in the Masai Mara just days earlier, Agnes was standing in to provide hospitality and coordinate my visiting program and did a fine job for that matter.

But there is of course more to Watamu than just 5-star-rated resorts and deep sea fishing.

Evening sundowner sails with dhows on the nearby Mida Creek are popular with tourists and apparently some of the locals, too, and provide a perfect setting at the end of a day. The notorious “Dawa” is offered when stepping on the dhow, made of Kenya cane, or if not available, vodka, honey, crushed ice, and lime, and while the mood visibly improved among the “wagenis” after two or more of those high-octane drinks, there is no telling of what waking up must have been like for those who overindulged.

Delicious finger food is served onboard, from fresh oysters to deep-fried calamari rings, grilled prawns, and more, and after full dark, all the lights go out so as to drift on the water and enjoy the star-studded sky above. On clear nights, myriads of stars twinkle down at the star gazers, and of course all major star formations can be identified with ease without even using a telescope.

There is more still to tell about Watamu, not just about their “WOW” campaign, standing for Wonders of Watamu, a local marketing initiative triggered by Kenya’s e-marketing guru Damian Cook of e-Tourism Frontiers who is a long-time resident in Watamu, but also about conservation activities for which the area has become equally famous.

A number of conservation NGOs are active in the area and there was just enough time to get acquainted with two of them – the African Billfish Foundation’s local office and the local turtle conservation trust.

The “Local Ocean Trust” has, over the years, helped to rescue and release over 12,000 turtles, including many of the most critically-endangered species, and provides educational and outreach services to the communities including the fishermen, many of whom now take advantage of getting paid a token when they hand in injured turtles or call the staff of the trust to come and collect them. Veterinary care is provided for those brought to the center, and in some cases rehabilitation has taken months before the turtles were fit to be released again. All turtles are measured and weighed and tags found are recorded while those without are tagged to ensure proper ID when seen again at some point in the future. Additionally, over 650 nests were protected, leading to the successful hatching of over 52,000 turtle babies which have a chance of growing to adulthood of only 1 in 1,000 hatchlings.

Founded in 2002, the trust was born out of a 1997 initiative of local residents who got increasingly concerned about the future of the turtle’s breeding grounds and the survival of the species. As a result, East Africa’s only turtle rehabilitation center was established in Watamu. Project Director Casper van de Geer was happy to outline the center’s accomplishments over the years, and while LOT’s main PDF file content would be too extensive to showcase here, details can be accessed via the center’s website and other social media sites.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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