A recent visit back to Lamu reminded me of how unique this place is. Relaxing into rooftop yoga before breakfast, winding through the car-less alleyways of the small Swahili town of Shela, sipping a Pimms at the infamous Peponi’s Hotel while looking out over the Indian Ocean, and enjoying a sunset cruise on one of the traditional Dhow sailing boats are just a few of the highlights of this laidback yet exotic archipelago.

What I love about Lamu is that since I first began traveling here in the mid 90s it has kept its charm and traditional atmosphere. The uniqueness of the Swahili architecture and cultural heritage brings out so much of the flavor, and my guests continue to enjoy the low key feel of the whole place. Our kids love fishing in the channel, exploring the mangroves for crabs and birds, hitching beach rides on donkeys, and meeting the alley cats that invariably cross our paths. After almost three decades it is still my first choice on the East African coast, and the perfect way to finish a safari.

Following the big run (UltraMARAthon), we were all ready for our sore feet to be soothed in the sand and sea, so I flew the family to Watamu the next week. We had plenty of time to soak up the Indian Ocean vistas from our sundowner deck and enjoy a few fun activities. A sunset cruise with friends aboard the tradition Swahili “Monangu” dhow offered fun for kids and adults alike. I joined Ollie on the good ship Alleycat for some deep sea fishing one day, and the joy of Ollie’s success pulling in his first 50-pound sailfish was matched only by the exhaustion after the half-hour battle to reel it in. And while the great blue marlin eluded us that day, we also caught a giant trevally, and I am sure we’ll be back for another round soon!

I also had the excitement of taking Ollie for his first scuba dive. It was action packed with green turtles, octopus, and thousands of stunningly colored fish all around. Ollie took to it like, well, a fish to water, and I’m looking forward to our next diving adventure.

Over the Easter holidays I traveled with Steph and the kids to Australia. With Ollie now eleven years old, and Halina nine, it was the perfect time to bring them back to this beautiful country where I spent an adventurous childhood. During our three weeks on the eastern coast, we experienced much of what I have always loved about Oz, as well as a few new things. 

Highlights for the kids included seeing nine wombats on a night drive, a first surfing lesson at Manly Beach in Sydney, sailing through stunning Sydney Harbour, riding horses down Seven Mile Beach, successfully completing the Coffs Harbor Ocean Swims, and of course our week on Haggerstone Island in far north Queensland on the Great Barrier Reef.  

Steph and I also enjoyed a special evening out in Sydney for the Handa Opera outdoor performance of West Side Story. The exciting choreography and classic music were made all the better by the backdrop of the iconic Harbor Bridge and Opera House all lit up, and fabulous fireworks during the intermission!

Steph and the kids have been dreaming of a trip to the Great Barrier Reef for years, and I was excited to go back to that part of the world. I teamed up with my Australian travel partners at The Tailor to organize the trip to Haggerstone. The island is a family-owned and hosted destination, castaway-rustic and comparable in many ways to our own style of safaris in Africa. Snorkeling from the island and the boat each day, we saw green sea turtles and great numbers of other marine life, including countless fishes, rays, starfish, and coral. Fishing expeditions were exciting and successful due to the remote location we were in, and always involved cooking our coral trout catch for lunch on the boat – except for the crayfish ceviche and various sushi dishes! There is nothing quite like fresh seafood in such an exquisite location, especially when you have caught it yourself and the only other thing you have to do that afternoon is relax! We also made a special trip to the mainland one day, to climb the monstrous sand dunes that emerge straight out of the sea at the very northernmost tip of Australia. Our Aussie safari was such fun for all of us, but especially the kids. With so much coastline and outback to explore, with interesting wildlife and the most colorful birds, and with the cultural highlights of Sydney as well as the Aboriginal tribes and lands, Australia has so much to offer any traveler. 

After a spectacular safari season, my family and I spent a week on northern Mozambique’s Vamizi Island, a small, 12-km long isle of the finest sugar sand and coastal bushland in the Indian Ocean. Remote and somewhat difficult to get to, it is a perfect destination for families as well as couples. There are just four exquisite private villas and one small ‘lodge’ consisting of several well-spaced, independent rooms within a 5-10 minute walk along the beach from the main dining area and bar.

With some of the best diving and snorkeling in the Indian Ocean, sea turtle nests, humpback whales, giant coconut crabs, and too many assorted hermit crabs for two children to ever count, Vamizi demands to be visited more than once….

Here is a little photo safari from our trip:

Our first glimpse of the island.

Dining by the sea

Ollie snorkeling with the fish above the staghorn coral.

The first of many, many hermit crabs.

Our own private beach.

Coral and clam.

Discovering a starfish.

The bedroom of our “kitala”.

The lovely, open bathroom in our “kitala”, complete with Africology bath products made with African essential oils.

The verandah of our kitala.

Fresh fruit and homemade bread for breakfast.

The chef’s homemade muesli and jams.

Weaver birds were building their nests and courting at the bar.

The Vamizi Noodle Thief strikes again!

Hermit crabs big….

…and hermit crabs small!

We found speckled moray eels in tidal pools.

Herons hunted along the shore.

Sunset at the old Portuguese lighthouse on the tip of the island.

A visit to the Muntu Nkulu estuary on the other side of the island.

A subspecies of blue monkey called the samango monkey inhabits Vamizi as well as coastal Mozambique.

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