New ways to contact me for bookings

You can book this apartment by e mailing for availability       sue_price1@hotmail.com  or through airbnb website

Another year has passed and our house moves on with a new coat of paint in a cool relaxing green . Our oasis in Mtwapa improves and becomes more popular.  The ground floor apartment has two bedrooms and the upstairs apartment has one bedroom.

The gardens mature and become more lush with every season that passes creating a cool and shady place to relax in after a busy day on the beach!!!

The upstairs apartment has its own access by the side door to its own staircase

We now have mature coconut palms and papaya trees and banana plants so that fresh fruit for breakfast is no problem!!

The master bedroom is a cool and relaxing place after a day in the hot sun. The bed is  6ft x 6ft so plenty of room to stretch out and chill.

View of the garden from the downstairs balcony .

Safaris from Mtwapa, Kenya

There are many options for doing Safari trips from Mtwapa.  The first safari I did was in 2005 with my daughter Claire . We stayed at Mtwapa and flew to Tsavo East and then went on from there to the Masai Mara.

What a fantastic awe inspiring experience that was.  Flying over the red landscape in a small plane quite low down was amazing . Staying in lodges and seeing animals close up is heart stopping.

This was the lodge at Tsavo East

This was the lodge at Mara Camp in the Masai Mara - twin room with bathroom.

There is always something to see and animals in abundance as you will see below just a selection of the hundreds of photographs we took on that first trip

You have to be prepared to get up early for the best game drives and after a few 5 am starts you realise that going to bed early is an absolute must!!!

Safaris are easy to book from numerous agents and companies in the Mtwapa area and vary in prices depending on the time of year and how many days you want to go for.

Keep following my blog for more updates on Safaris

Local Beaches to Mtwapa

SERENA BEACH - approx 2km from Mtwapa creek 

This is taken very early in the morning before most tourists are about!

The beaches around the Mtwapa area are very varied.  Some are very geared up to the tourists and some are more local and secluded.  When I first visited the area I was based at Serena Beach which is beautifully kept but purely for the tourists and locals are not allowed on this beach unless they have a permit to work there.

The sand is white and so soft and VERY hot on the feet by mid morning!!

Next visit to Kenya I stayed at Bamburi Beach which is about 1/4 mile from the tourist beaches but is frequented by the locals too and I preferred this by far. The beach is vibrant and interesting with plenty to watch and over the years have witnessed all sorts of events on this beach from full gospel church services to football matches to acrobatic shows to local artists exhibitions and it is full of local shops and kiosks restaurants and small bars and also every type of boat trip you can imagine from glass bottom boats, fishing boats to basic catamarans .

This is Bamburi Beach featuring my daughter and a basic Kenyan catamaran.

Mtwapa is situated on a mangrove creek and there are many lovely small beaches to visit including Copacabana beach.  Frequented by locals and tourists only see this beach if they take a trip with one of the beach boys who show them around places off the normal tourist track.

COPACABANA BEACH above and below

On this beach there are local bars that will serve local fish BBQ or African food.  

I love to walk on Pirates beach which is about 5km from Mtwapa and from there you can walk all the way to Serena beach if the tide is out.

Below a small beach just along the coast about 1km from Mtwapa that is near backpackers bar a small bar with accommodation for travellers.

Often when we are on the beach we pick up fresh fish from the local fishermen who stand for hours in the water spearing fish  or they are catching octopus !! Fresh fish caught and put straight on the beach BBQ is absolutely delicious. This is Taba who is cooking for us on Copacabana beach fresh king fish and squid

I am getting withdrawal pangs writing this as I absolutely love the beaches in this area they are so laid back and simple and hot and friendly.  It is now my second home and I am asking myself why I come back to the UK especially when it is cold and wet!!

I Always Wanted a Walled Garden Part 2

So over the past 4 years my husband has nurtured our plot into a lush garden . He waters the garden every day when there is no rain . He plants all kinds of shrubs and trees and tries to collect more unusual plants . We went to Tsavo West  this year and brought back a plant from the roadside.  It looked very sad and limp after a long journey home but it survived and now looks lovely in amongst all the other plants.

Old habits die hard !! We have running water inside the house but washing has always been done outside and still is as you can see !

The plants are well established now and cover the walls !! Grass is developing but takes a long time to establish in Kenya

Plenty of shade now available when the heat is just too much!!Not something that happens much in the UK !!
I now have a lovely walled garden and I know that each time I see it and especially after every rainy season it has developed and grown much more.

Inside the House in Mtwapa

It has taken a long time and many conversations with friends and tradesmen locally to manage to create the downstairs apartment to a good standard of decor and finishing. I had never realised how much the climate in Kenya on the coast affects metal products and here plastic is often a better option for utensils , kettles, flexes etc.

My first visit with my friend Debbie to Mombasa to buy some things for the house was a revelation . I was amazed at complete floors in the stores of plastic kitchenware . It was like the Tupperware parties of the 1970s in Britain but now I realise how necessary it is to be practicle in the Kenyan climate with what you buy to last.

Some pictures of the living area in the apartment

As you can see my husband is a bit untidy!!!

The main shower room just before the toilet and shower and basin were installed

One of the bedrooms situated at the back of the house so always cool and restful.

I Always Wanted A Walled Garden! Part 1

I have always wanted a private walled garden and had been a keen gardener in the UK.  I never dreamed my wish would come to fruition in Kenya with a new life and a new husband.  Life moves in mysterious ways and look at how the garden has progressed in 4 years.  Far from roses and typical British country garden shrubs I have a garden full of tropical species you only find in garden centres and conservatories in the UK.

This was the plot in 2007 as the wall had been erected and materials to start the house delivered. It shows the kibanda (shelter) that my husband and his friends built to shelter from the sun and keep cement dry when the rain hits!!

So first step build a well ..........................easier said than done with 2 men , a rope and a pick axe , bare feet. and sheer sweat and tears as they had to go through layers of rock to hit the water level.  Luckily for us being so close to the salt water creek we hit fresh water and are the envy of our neighbours who buy water from us in order to live and keep their gardens green in high season.