Kilifi is a busy small seaside town with plenty of shops and services including a well-stocked Naivas supermarket and the Express Shop on Bofa Road which stocks more gourmet food and drinks. Here there is also a branch of Nairobi’s excellent Wine Box. All kinds of water sports and activities are available – from deep-sea fishing to snorkelling, water skiing and scuba diving – Kilifi Creek is home to 3 Degrees South Watersports Centre at the Mnarani Club, AquaVentures Dive Centre, Sunset Dhow trips and more.

Kilifi attracts ocean sailors and the creek offers a fabulous deep-water yacht anchorage and is ideal for boating and windsurfing. Larger boats can be hired from the Boatyard about a mile up the creek on the south shore, where there is a bar and restaurant. Other recommended places to eat are The Twisted Fig to the south of the town and The Food Movement in Kilifi Plantation where there are also various craft and food shops. Salty’s Kite Surfing on Bofa Beach to the north of the town also has a beach bar and cafe, and Salty’s on the Creek is a new floating bar.

Mombasa, Malindi, the ancient ruins at Gedi and the Arabuko Sokoke Forest – all make interesting day trips from Kilifi and all are within about an hour’s drive of the house. There is an excellent golf course at the Vipingo Ridge development about 30 minutes away – the course has been designed and built to the exacting USGA standard and is of international class. It has a spectacular setting, at the top of the ridge overlooking the Indian Ocean.