I had the absolute delight of a third visit to A Rocha Kenya’s Mwamba Field Study Centre at Watamu on the Indian Ocean Coast in October-November 2023.

It was wonderful to re-connect with familiar faces and meet new ones for an all-too-brief week of the wonderful Mwamba hospitality. During my stay at Mwamba this time I focused on picking up the Kiswahili language studies I had begun on my previous visit in 2020. My days were centred around morning and afternoon lessons with my tutor. For this reason, I didn’t join in any of the many conservation activities undertaken by the Mwamba team, as I had done on my previous two visits when I had taken part in a tree census in the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest and a bird-count at the Mida Creek with Mwamba director Colin Jackson.

But I did have the humble privilege of accompanying team member Mzee (= kaumatua) Michael to worship at Mdzongoloni Baptist Church and after the service to visit his family compound nearby. And I managed a dinner out at the renowned (and community-owned) Crabshack Restaurant overlooking the Mida Creek mangrove swamp followed by a morning’s paddle-boarding in Mida Creek the day of my departure.

I deeply love Kenya and its people and would recommend a visit if you have the opportunity and means. Africa may seem a long way from Aotearoa but in fact it’s no further than Europe and definitely ‘do-able’. Karibu Kenya!