Kakoneni and Sabaki River

Kakoneni is a really small village some 30km north of Watamu, a bunch of tiny huts with makuti and tin roofs, sitting 30 mt. higher on the Sabaki river quietly flowing in a natural depression. Actually, there are no real “attractions”, but the greatness of the place is that with a simply few hour 4WD tour you’re transported inside the beauty of Kenya, bordering the savana, and well far away the tourism of the coast and the parks.
From Kakoneni we drove down to the Sabaki river, trough a natural pond where locals fish their daily catch. A quick walk on the river’s border, just to have a fresh coconut that a few brave guys harvested for us from the very top of a high palm, and then a visit to the Kakoneni Irrigation Scheme, a project joining together 200 really small farms and farmers. It’s a really small irrigation project that simply raise the water from the bottom of the river to distribute it to the farms, producing tomato, mais and vegetables. In a country where community actions are not what we are used to see, this one is a real surprise and we’re really impressed by the results that it produces.
Time for an icy beer, under a baobab tree, and then back to the lodge for a swim in the pool. A trip that you will enjoy too for its natural simplicity.