Hemingways Watamu

Hemingways on the coast of Kenya is a bastion of bluewater fishing, almost as famous as the great man himself. With stunning sea views and stylishly furnished, all Hemingways' rooms and suites are extremely comfortable, have ocean views, are within yards of the beach and benefit from 24 hour room service. All have bathrooms with showers en-suite. There is air-conditioning and fans throughout, and rooms also have mosquito nets, personal safes and room fridges.

The hotel offers a wide range of international styles, ranging from sophisticated recipes with delicate sauces to simple cooking of the finest ingredients. They have their own farms at Lake Naivasha and Timau in Nanyuki, with fresh vegetables and flowers flown in on a daily basis, whilst the fishing boats bring fresh fish for the kitchen daily. Over the centuries, the influences of the trading routes have brought a medley of cooking styles to Africa. Couple these with the best seafood, mangrove crabs, lobster, and fish of all types, and the chefs really have the opportunity to excel. The 'table d’hote' menus are a mixture of international and local favourites, with daily vegetarian options.

Hemingways fish from the beginning of July through to May.  The southeast wind (Kusi) blows from mid March in to November and is cooler than the northeast (Kaskazi) which blows the rest of the time.  The seas are warmer and calmer during the Kaskazi months.

Most fish are passing through and not resident in the area and although they have a rough idea of when/what fish will be around, the fish do not read the record charts and pop up at odd times of the year.

The main billfish (Sailfish and Marlin) season runs from November to early April but sailfish and Black marlin often come inshore in numbers in August. Sailfish (known locally as ‘suli suli’) are by far the most numerous of the billfish. Finicky and sometimes skittish or playful, they can make a fool of the best of anglers at times, and are very dramatic when not over-powered by excessively heavy tackle.

Then there is the Royal Family: the Marlin.  They have three types - Striped, Blue and Black. A jumping Blue marlin is the ultimate thrill as the power and fury of these fish under full throttle is simply awesome. A big Blue Marlin is a privilege to see and they are found usually in the deep water following the yellowfin or other tuna shoals.  Some very big Blue Marlin can be expected mid February to mid March. Black Marlin come closer to shore and are often encountered in very shallow water.  The buffalo of the species, this guy is tough. Broadbill Swordfish is an overnight specialty drifting at night.

There are three species of shark: Hammerheads, Tigers and the high leaping Mako.  These are often caught while fishing for tuna, they also take marlin baits.

Big Yellowfin tuna (up to 200 lbs) migrate past between August and November (and sometimes come back again) and the ‘schoolie’ small Yellowfin are around virtually year round.  Giant trevally (locally known as Karambesi) of world-record size are present but have yet to be boated under the very strict IFGA regulation. Wahoo are renowned for their searing first run (being one of the fastest fish in the sea) and when there are a lot of them around, chaos reigns as lines are cut all over the place.

Kingfish will often chop up a bait or two just behind the hook before you get one but make up for it by being excellent table fare.  Dorado (known here as Falusi) come streaking across to your lures, iridescent with all the colours of the rainbow as they take to the air when feeling the hook. Skipjack, Kawakawa and others of tuna descent swim in shoals surrounding and forcing small baitfish to the surface, making it boil and giving their position away.

All deep-water fishing craft are twin engined. They are in touch with each other and the shore base by radio link.  Each boat carries lifesaving and fire fighting equipment on board and are equipped with a head. Crews are well versed at taking out total newcomers to the sport and will enjoy showing you how it all works.  Please let the skipper know what you are interested in catching or fishing for.  Not everyone is enamoured with the prospect of slugging it out with something huge but just might like to have a family day out fishing for smaller game fish.

Hemingways support wholeheartedly the practice of ‘Tag and Release’ of billfish and award certificates to anglers who have done so.

Hemingways Watamu

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Hemingways Watamu

Hemingways Watamu

A luxury tropical retreat on one of Kenya's finest beaches. Hemingways is a 74 room resort hotel overlooking the stunning beach of Watamu Marine Park, 20 miles south of Malindi and 60 miles north of Mombasa. The ambience of the hotel is of relaxed sophistication, with the friendliness of a privately owned hotel coupled to the facilities and standards of an International resort.

Rates range from £118 (low season standard double/twin) to £830 for executive suite (two bedroom) in high season. Please ask for full quotation and package rates.

Included

Taxes and service charges at levels presently in force in Kenya
Half board. Breakfast, dinner and afternoon tea.
Malindi airport transfer subject to advance notification
Snorkelling trips to the Marine Park (excluding KWS entry fees)
Trips to Malindi and Gede ruins (entrance fees payable)

Boats Rates range from $410 (small 2 guests max boats) in shoulder season for a half day to $1100 (big 4 guests max boats) in high season.

Things to do:

Bird watching, Glass bottom boats, Dhow trips, Horse riding, Scuba diving, Snake Farm, Snorkelling, Sports, Watersports, Watamu Marine Park, Windsurfing

Places to go:

Arabuko Sokoke Forest, Butterfly Farm, Hells Kitchen, Gede Ruins, Local Towns, Mida Creek.

Gym and Massage Service

Hemingways has a fully equipped gym that is available to all in house resident guests. The large room is fully air conditioned and provides all of the required modern equipment such as weight systems, rowing machines, cross trainers and treadmills. There is a full time coach also available free of charge for those who would like a little help with their workout. Please do bring your own personal gym clothes and shoes. There is a also a full massage service for aching arms and backs!

Tackle

For those interested in the technical side, all rods are roller guided throughout with AFTCO or similar quality butts.  All reels are lever drag, most being SHIMANO along with some PENN INTERNATIONALS.

They carry a full range of lures from MURRY BROS.; C&H, STRIKER, and other top brands but fish a lot with natural bait for all species.  Anglers are more than welcome to bring their own gear, especially light tackle as it is great to catch fish on your own equipment.

All game fishing boats are fitted with revolving fighting chairs with footrests and all necessary harnesses, flying gaffs, tail ropes, tagging equipment etc. are on board.

Hemingways Watamu

Time Difference
GMT +3 hrs

Flight Time from the UK
London - Nairobi: 8 hrs 30 mins

Internal Flights
Nairobi - Malindi: 1 hr
Masai Mara - Malindi: 2 hrs

Visa Requirements for UK Citizens
Visa obtained upon entry

Species
Offshore: marlin (blue, stripped and black), sailfish,Yellowfin tuna, Broadbill swordfish, Dorado and wahoo
Inshore: kingfish, king and queen mackerel, giant trevally and barracuda.

Season to Travel
Year-round. Main billfish season runs from November to March, but sailfish and black marlin
often come inshore in numbers in August.

Tackle and Kit
We would recommend a 9ft single-handed 8-9 weight for the majority of in-shore species whilst a 12-15 weight rod is required for sail fish, a 9ft single-handed 10-11 weight rod for tuna, Dorado and roosterfish. All rods should be rigged with a highly corrosion resistant reel with a durable and smooth drag system, which holds a large line and backing capacity. We recommend using fast sink shooting heads for the majority of species, but please ensure that you take a floating and intermediate line for some inshore species. A selection of bluewater flies, poppers and polarised sunglasses.

For those interested in the technical side of conventional tackle, all rods are roller guided throughout with AFTCO or similar quality butts.  All reels are lever drag, most being SHIMANO along with some PENN INTERNATIONALS. They carry a full range of lures from MURRY BROS.; C&H, STRIKER, and other top brands but fish a lot with natural bait for all species.  Anglers are more than welcome to bring their own gear, especially light tackle as it is great to catch fish on your own equipment. All game fishing boats are fitted with revolving fighting chairs with footrests and all necessary harnesses, flying gaffs, tail ropes, tagging equipment etc. are on board.

Clothing
Lightweight long sleeved shirts and trousers, deck shoes, sunscreen and hat. We would also recommend a light waterproof spray jacket.

Hemingways Watamu