In tune with nature at Mwazaro Beach Mangrove Lodge

By Philip Mwakio

It has best been described as a place where ancient still dances with modernity. Its owner, German national Hans Von Loesch, refers to it as ‘where God makes holiday’.

According to our guide for the day, Tom Njiri, Mwazaro Beach Mangrove Lodge, which is along the South Coast, is an area of untouched nature. In the local Digo dialect, Mwazaro means ‘a place for prayer’.

A view of the coral apartments taken from the sea. [PHOTOS: Govedi Asutsa/ Standard]

The main gate welcomed us in.

To me, it represented a mysterious beckoning to a heavenly escape.

Rustic cottages

Several rustic cottages made of palm fronds with white sandy floors and wooden beds make up the lodge. A few modern cottages are built alongside the makuti-thatched rustic bandas that also offer accommodation.

"We have no beach boys here to harass our guests," said Joerg Karasch, a director of the Lodge.

As we strode into the main restaurant, we heard the chirping of birds and the sound of sea waves banging hard against the reef. Later on, we went on a 15 minute journey to a nearby fishing village to revel in the lifestyle and skilled crafts of the local Digo people.

While other hotels cry foul over the ever increasing power tariffs, Mwazaro Beach Mangrove Lodge does not because it is reputedly the only resort along the Kenyan Coast that uses solar and wind power to generate electricity for its entire operations.

Hans still lives in the lodge and he sat with us during supper and narrated numerous stories about the place.

"Mwazaro is a place of prayer because it is where the souls of the Digo ancestors reside," he told us. The actual prayer place, he pointed out, is an old gnarled huge baobab tree.

Fishing village

Other activities at Mwazaro Beach Mangrove Lodge include boat rides to the ancient mangrove jungle where thousands of bird species, giant African crocodiles and lizards have turned it into a fascinating world. There is also diving and snorkelling in the nearby Kisite Marine Park where, if you are lucky, you may experience whale sharks first hand.