Heavenly House
Watamu, Kenya
You're intrigued. That's a good thing.
Getting here: Take an international flight to Nairobi, Kenya, followed by a short domestic flight to Malindi. The Malindi airport is 25 minutes from Heavenly, and is serviced by the following airlines: Safarilink, Fly 540, East African, and JamboJet. Some people ask about flying to Mombasa; it's 1.5 hours away and is serviced by most of the same airlines.
When to come: There are 2 "monsoons", or winds, throughout the year. The Kaskazi is the gentler "summer" monsoon from November to March, when gentle breezes come from the north, and the warmest air temperatures and sunny days. This is the main fishing season. The Kusi is a stronger, gustier wind from the south from April to October, bringing cooler (but still tropical) temperatures, and rains in May and June. Tourists tend to favor the Kaskazi (when it's cold back home), but kite surfers love the Kuzi, as do many locals, as it's weather with "character", and outside of the rainy months is usually sunny and pleasant (just a bit windy).
Comms: There is no land line at Heavenly, so bring your phone & roam, or buy a local SIM. Safaricom has the best signal at the house. There is wifi at the house, but to be honest, connection speeds are awful compared with the First World; you'll be able to check email and surf, but not stream. As soon as fibre optic makes it to Watamu, Heavenly will be better kitted out, but we hope once you get here you won't care!
TV?: There is now satellite TV at Heavenly. Streaming is not yet an option due to slow and expensive Internet service.
Does the house have a generator? Yup.
Transportation: Reasonably priced rental cars and taxis are readily available.
Provisioning: There are 2 grocery stores, open-air fruit/veg market and a fabulous panini/creperie/gelato shop in Watamu, and the fish monger will come to the house. One supermarket will even deliver orders sent by email.
Money matters: The local currency is Kenyan Shillings, and no one accepts any currency besides that. There are several ATMs in Watamu. MasterCard & Visa are often accepted at shops.