A relaxed environment on a human scale with an attractive coastline. Made up of a long peninsula, on which the larger hotels have been built, and a small fishing village, measuring ½ ml by ¼ ml, whose inhabitants have become well used to tourists and often speak several languages. The architecture is a haphazard collection of functional, low-rise concrete buildings, more recent structures with palm-thatched roofs and Arab styling and a rapidly growing number of small-scale, low-rise hotels built in traditional Swahili style. Many curio shops, basic restaurants and bars. There is the possibility of terrorist attacks on tourists in Kenya; Foreign Office advisory notices offer the latest official advice and should be consulted before booking.

Families with children, couples and singles, of all types and nationalities. British package tours concentrate on the area S of the village, with Italian to the N. A mecca for water-sports enthusiasts and deep-sea fishermen.

Ranges from small budget properties and guesthouses in and around the village to larger, bustling package-tour hotels along the peninsula; the latter offer fishing and water sports. High season is from Dec to March plus July and August when it is busy with European charter guests.

Powdery white sand stretches for miles along the peninsula, forming 3 outstanding bays: Watamu, Blue Lagoon and Turtle. Each is separated by high cliffs of coral rock with reefs just off shore. The main draw is Watamu Marine National Park's exquisite coral garden, an excellent snorkelling base which connoisseurs rate better than Malindi's; it is a spectacular shallow reef in generally excellent condition, teeming with tropical fish. The beach shelves gently - so one can walk out to the reef at low tide - and it is bordered by palms and casuarina trees, providing welcome shade. Beach facilities, where there are any, are exclusively provided by hotels. The beaches in all 3 bays tend to clog up with seaweed from May to Sept and there are no water-sports activities June to Aug. It is generally not advisable to wander around on the beaches after dark.

A few shops and small supermarkets; dozens of curio stalls in the village sell all manner of souvenirs, as do beach hawkers. Colourful outdoor fruit and vegetable market in the village - but bargain hard.

Daytime: water sports include glass-bottomed boat trips over the coral reefs, windsurfing, snorkelling, scuba diving and sailing; bird-watching; tennis; cycling (good flat roads). Nightlife: handful of lively discos and bars in the village, patronised by locals, expats and tourists; some function as pick-up joints but the atmosphere is invariably laid back; the bigger resort hotels also have discos and entertainment, but these lack the character of the village venues.

A small choice of good upmarket restaurants - mainly Italian - with 1 or 2 meriting a splurge. Otherwise, many basic eateries serving both local food (stodgy cooked maize flour with stews and some seafood) and unexciting fast food; many food kiosks open late into the night. A local speciality is Swahili-style fish with coconut milk. It is not advisable to drink the local water; stick to the bottled varieties.

"Matatus" (pick-up minibuses) regularly connect Watamu with the main Mombasa-to-Malindi road, from where frequent matatus and buses leave at all hours of the day; matatus offer an adventure in that they tend to be overcrowded, confusing and in poor condition. Taxis at all the hotels; fares should be agreed before setting off. Bicycle hire can be arranged locally.

Half day: old Swahili ruins of Gedi; traditional Giriama village with dancers; dhow (traditional sailing boat) trips and sundowner cruises on Mida Creek; Arabuko-Sokoke Forest (last of the indigenous coastal forests); Malindi. Full day: deep-sea fishing trips; Mombasa for sightseeing and shopping; safari to Tsavo East National Park.

Halfway up the E coast, facing the Indian Ocean. 365 mls SE of the capital, Nairobi. 15 mls S of Malindi. 25 mls N of Kilifi. 55 mls N of Mombasa. 13 mls S of Malindi airport; 62 mls N of Mombasa's Moi international airport.

Watamu village lies on the neck of a narrow, sandy peninsula which points SW parallel with the coast. Bounded by the mangroves of Mida Creek to the W and the Indian Ocean with its coral reefs to the E. Both areas are part of Watamu Marine National Park.

Telephone Area Code: 42
Website: www.watamu.org

Airport : Moi International
Airport Code: MBA
Flight time from ther U.K.: 10 hrs