Kenya - Nyali Beach
15 December 2006 dans Kite Surfing Kenya
Kitesurfing Kenya - March 2006
Nyali Beach Hotel:
An old style colonial hotel was looking tired in some areas and needs some tlc to bring it back to standard though this was more than compensated for by the helpful & charming staff. On arrival Chris & Pearce from the Pro Surf centre were there to greet us and even took my kite bag down to the centre for storage. The food was of a good standard with lots of choice and alternative restaurants to choose from which offered a very diverse menu from sweet and sour chicken to lobster!
Beach Hotel facilities:
2 pools were clean and inviting though not too refreshing in the afternoon when the water had heated to bath temperature in the afternoon sun. Sun beds were abundant with umbrellas which you could have round the pool or the lawn area where you had a fantastic view of the beach & sea. Howard took advantage of the massage facilities, a full body aromatherapy massage for about £15, just what you need after a hard days kiting! The gardens were well maintained and had several visitors including lizards, bats and monkeys who had a penchant for pizza!
Nyali Beach Kiting:
I kited for 9 days out of the 14 which wasn’t too bad considering we arrived just before the annual rainy season. I would recommend customers are made aware of the the possible effects of the seasonal changes. Conditions were great for an intermediate kiter and would be ideal for beginners. On a busy day there would be 8 kiters and mostly there would be less than 3.The water was flat and incredibly warm and sea and beach wasn’t busy with other users so you had lots of confidence when you were out there trying new things. The staff at the kite centre were extremely helpful when launching and landing and though they had a rescue boat on hand it was only needed a couple of times during our stay. Chris was particularly helpful in offering advice & instruction as well as being a great beer buddy & disco diva! Most days ended in the shade watching the sun go down with a beer at the Pro Surf bar.
Wakeboarding:
During the second week the wind dropped off for a couple of days so we tried the other Pro Surf centre and went wakeboarding for the first time, this was fantastic and a real adrenalin rush especially when I made my first intentional jump. Chris & Pearce showed us how its done with the wakeboard and mono ski and Chris’ boat driving skills provided an extra thrill.
The iffy bits:
We wouldn’t advise going to town without someone who knows the area though if you know where to go, and there are nice bars & restaurants its absolutely fine. The flight out wasn’t the best, the flight crew were more concerned with selling drinks and goodies rather than letting passengers rest on an overnight flight, they were still selling after midnight, only put the lights down for about two hours and woke everybody up with another drinks service which you had to pay for! On entry to Mombassa you will need great patience getting thru customs and getting your visa. I would recommend these be given out on the plane & an explanation given on the entry procedure. Coming home my kite bag was damaged and covered in diesel, the bureaucracy was unbelievable during check in, you had to show your passport to get in the airport, to check in, to go to departure lounge and finally to get to the gate where you also had a body & bag search which took hours! Then you had to show your passport again before you went thru to the plane!
Return Visit: Yes definitely.
