Traveling along the Coast of Kenya

Published in

Living Being

3 min readNov 24, 2012

(Scroll down for photos)

Whenever I thought of Kenya I imagined lions, zebra’s and other wild life roaming the Savannah. My mind conjured up images of Masai and other tribes dressed in traditional regalia performing dances and other rituals. I was thrilled about visiting and exploring the our roots as a species in the Rift Valley where we first appeared according to latest scientific data. While I have still to explore those sights and landscapes, I have developed a completely different, wonderful image of Kenya having spent over 2 weeks on the coast.

Kenya’s coast is far from the image of wild Africa. It’s an agora, a historic meeting place of great traders and cultures from as far as the tip of Europe to the corners of Asia. It’s the site of beaches most of us have only seen in exotic travel magazines and in dreams of escaping to white sandy beaches, lush tropical forest, and incredible marine life.

I’ve been from Tiwi, just south of Mombasa, all the way up to Lamu, a beautiful archipelago immersed in culture and lost in time. It’s been a rewarding experience volunteering in Malindi where my schedule has been to start the day with a run, yoga, or meditation on a golden beach, a swim to wipe off the sweat then followed by a breakfast of delicious fresh mangoes, papaya, or pineapple. The climate is hot and humid but it’s hard to complain when I look in to the endless blue horizon, climb rocky islands in low-tide, sip on fresh coconut milk, discover historic world cultures and monuments and work with an incredible community organization. I haven’t put on closed shoes in 2 weeks! No need in this weather and laid back culture.

Here’s a small collection photographs I have taken all along the coastal areas in Kenya that are sure to impress — and I am talking about the magic of the landscape, culture and people here.