Words by Yvonne C Mtengwa

Six nights, three Hemingways Collection addresses and my long-awaited first taste of Kenya’s North Coast.

In brief: Hemingways Watamu is a beachfront resort on Kenya‘s North Coast, facing the reef-protected waters of Watamu Marine National Park, about 30 minutes by road from Malindi. This six-night journey pairs it with two nights each at Hemingways Eden Residence and Hemingways Nairobi, and its highlights are snorkelling from the resort’s own boats, a spa using native African plant products, and seafood at Forodhani Restaurant.

Kenya and I go back a while. Over several visits, I have come to know Nairobi’s energy, the lake country of Naivasha and the endless plains of the Masai Mara. The coast, though, remained a story told to me by others, and the stories didn’t always agree. Mombasa came with reports of safety concerns, while Diani Beach was painted in pristine white sand. Watamu barely came up at all.

That, for me, was the draw. I am a stickler for discovering hidden gems, and a lesser-known stretch of coastline with a Hemingways property on it was an invitation I couldn’t pass up. What follows is the journey I’d recommend to anyone: two nights at each of three Hemingways Collection properties, beginning in Nairobi’s leafy Karen suburb and ending with my toes in the Indian Ocean.

The opening act

My journey began at Hemingways Eden Residence, the artistic sanctuary in Karen whose curated art and personal touches make a stay feel like being a houseguest. A short drive away, Hemingways Nairobi offered a more classic chapter: generous suites, unhurried meals at the glorious patio overlooking sprawling lawns, and the Ngong Hills on the horizon. Lovely as it was, the coast was calling.

Wheels up and onto Malindi

My last Nairobi morning started early, the city still cool and blue-grey as I left for Jomo Kenyatta International Airport for an early flight to Malindi. The flight is short, but the change is total. As we descended, the window filled with colour: bands of turquoise, jade and sapphire, a white line where waves broke over the reef, and palms crowding the shore. After years of hearing about this coast, there it was.

The coast reached my skin before anything else. Malindi’s air was thick, warm and faintly sweet with salt, and within a few steps my Nairobi layers felt absurd. The coast doesn’t hurry, and it gently insists you don’t either. This trip had presented itself suddenly, and turned out to be just what I needed to break the weeks of what felt like endless meetings, deliverables and trips from one country to the next. A pause at this point, was needed.

The 30-minute road transfer to Watamu was a decompression in itself, past roadside stalls and community stores, swaying palms and what seemed like acres upon acres of trees carrying ripened mangoes, and baobabs standing gnarled against an enormous sky.

Hemingways Watamu: where the ocean sets the tone

Arriving at Hemingways Watamu felt like stepping into a postcard, every bit as tropical and scenic as I had hoped. Palms swayed overhead, and I heard and smelled the surf before I saw it. Then came the view: white sand and the reef-protected waters of Watamu Marine National Park, part of a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve.

After a swift check in, the sweet spot for me was seeing my room for the first time, which gave me a front-row seat onto the ocean. From sunrise to sunset, the only reason I knew I would need to leave my space was for the itinerary laid out for me. My room was well situated on the second floor, with a sparkling, quieter pool area a few steps away, and a balcony big enough to work, rest or dine from, for one or two. Yet the beach on the front side was equally glorious to walk on: clean, uncrowded and soft underfoot, the white sand glistening in the sun.

A boat of one’s own

The highlight of my stay happened on the water. Hemingways Watamu owns its own boats, reserved for its guests, so there are no crowded launches, just a few unhurried hours on the azure waters.

What made it for me was the crew. They are locals who know these waters intimately: where the coral is richest, where the current turns, when the water runs clearest. Their experience goes beyond any professional training. It has been passed down and lived daily, and so whether one is an expert snorkeller or beginner, you are in good hands. First-timers are guided patiently from mask to first float, while confident swimmers are pointed to the richer coral gardens. Then you put your face in the water and the world falls silent, alive with shoals flashing silver and sapphire and corals in every shade. After spending about three hours out on a Monday morning, I came back salt-kissed and already wanting to go out again. But the spa treatment awaited me; one I certainly wouldn’t pass up.

Further afield, I learned that you can also paddleboard through the mangroves of Mida Creek, walk the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, fish the coast’s big game waters or explore the 13th-century ruins of Gede.

The spa at Hemingways Watamu

If the ocean is Watamu’s outward adventure, the spa is its inward one, and it was the other great hit of my stay. In a garden pavilion, with birdsong and the distant wash of surf for company, treatments draw on native African plant products. After a morning of salt and sun, it was deeply restorative after a hearty lunch earlier, and an afternoon siesta to ease me into the afternoon wellness ritual set aside for me.  A lounger by the shaded botanical pool or a walk on the beach is the only sensible next move after your treatment.

From the sea to the table

By the sea, you’d be hard pressed not to indulge in its fruits, and Watamu makes that easy. Breakfast brings fresh-baked croissants, tropical fruit, Kenyan coffee and local touches like scrambled eggs with smoked tuna. Lunch is breezy, with wood-fired pizzas, handmade pastas and homemade gelato to cleanse the palate.

Evenings for me belonged to Forodhani Restaurant, where lanterns glowed under the palms and the menu adapts to suit your preferences. This, if missed at lunch, is where the ocean’s bounty shines: platters of the day’s catch, with lobster, prawns, mussels and calamari, alongside Swahili-spiced seafood. Meat lovers aren’t forgotten, with prime beef fillets grilled exactly to your liking. Guests can choose a relaxed buffet or an à la carte experience or let the Chef’s Table d’Hôte offer “a taste of it all”, paired with a bottle from the curated cellar.

Before dinner, the seafront Hemingways Bar is the place for a traditional Kenyan sundowner, with tropical cocktails and sharing plates as the sky turns amber. You’ll feel the calm here, as guests retreat to their rooms to freshen up for dinner after a day of relaxation on the grounds of the resort or exploration beyond its gates.

Why the journey done the Hemingways Collection way works

Eden Residence lets you arrive and soften. Hemingways Nairobi refines and restores. Hemingways Watamu releases you completely. For me, it also rewrote the story I had been told about Kenya’s coast. Watamu is a hidden gem in the truest sense, and a stay at Hemingways Watamu is the perfect place from which to discover it. And so for an experience that allows you to appreciate the diversity of Kenya’s landscapes, I’d suggest one saves the coast for last. After the city, it lands even more sweetly.

Hemingways Watamu at a glance

• Where: Watamu, on Kenya’s North Coast, facing the reef-protected waters of Watamu Marine National Park, part of a UNESCO-listed biosphere reserve.
• Getting there: a short flight from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport to Malindi, then a 30-minute road transfer.
• The itinerary: two nights each at Hemingways Eden Residence (Karen), Hemingways Nairobi and Hemingways Watamu.
• Highlights: snorkelling from the resort’s own guest boats, spa treatments using native African plant products, and seafood at Forodhani Restaurant.
• Nearby: Mida Creek mangroves, Arabuko Sokoke Forest, big game fishing and the 13th-century ruins of Gede.

Plan your stay: Rates change regularly with seasonal offers, so check current availability directly on the official website.

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