Ron Virmani : Seeing Diani, Kenya through Ron Virmani?s eyes
Posted by Ron Virmani on January 19th, 2016
Ron Virmani was sitting right across me and for a moment I couldn’t hear the words that escaped his mouth. Instead, I focused on how his face lit up as he talked about his latest travel destination Diani, Mombasa in Kenya. The twinkle in his eyes is what convinced me that I had to explore this beautiful corner of the world sometime soon. There was no way Ron was going to enjoy it himself. I left for Diani, Kenya 4 days after we had that conversation. This is the story of my experience.
Once I arrived at the airport in Mombasa, I took a small plane to Ukunda, a town that borders Diani and has just under 100, 000 inhabitants. Ukunda is a laid back town. I enjoyed my first ever plate of Pilau Masala, a local dish, in Ukunda. Pilau Masala is a meal of fully cooked rice with spices and meat. Some women add vegetables to their Pilau Masala to make it more exotic and spicy. It is still my favorite takeaway meal from the whole trip.
When people say Diani” they basically mean heavenly beaches’. Many tourists both local and international make their way to Diani every chance they get because this is one of Mombasa’s luxury holiday hubs. Diani has many 5 star hotels and cottages that are rented out to tourists whenever they travel. I chose the latter because I was traveling with a group of friends and because cottages always provide a homely feeling even when you’re all those miles away from home.
At night, the environment is lively with revelers hitting local restaurants or popular nearby clubs such as Forty Thieves Beach Bar. I loved how I could enjoy my dinner while looking across the brightly lit beach and the dark waters that seemed to edge on and on and into the scary center of the ocean. During the day, this scary ocean is but a memory. The blue turquoise waters that spread across the white sands were therapeutic for my soul. Ron Virmani mentioned that snorkeling was his most fun activity while in Diani. I took the time to go diving with my friends and experience the rich marine life that Ron was talking about. I also collected shells as big as my iPad which contains even more photograph of the shells I couldn’t lift!
When I wasn’t too busy basking in the warm Diani sun, I was walking along the streets of Mombasa looking for any wares that I could take back home. I had been jealous of Ron Virmani’s green, red, black and white (Kenyan flag colors) band ever since I had seen him wearing it and the beautiful Maasai shawls that he bought while in Kenya. It was at Marikiti Market, a busy market that lies in the heart of Mombasa town, that I spent all my hard earned tourist money. I bought lesos (beautiful light cloths that local women wrap around their waists) for my mum, I bought Maasai decorations for my home, candle holders, a Kanzu for Ron Virmani as a thank you and a couple of local designs for my kids.
The best thing about my trip was definitely the food. I love discovering new cuisine and Kenyan cuisine is on its own level. Longing for some Pilau Masala just about now and add some Madafu (coconuts), Ugali, Sukuma, and Ngwacii (arrow roots) to the list. If you ask me and probably Ron Virmani, Diani is a must-have on your travel list!
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