Extra Activities in and around Watamu.
 
Scuba Diving
Lapped by the warm, tropical waters of the Indian Ocean, Watamu offers superb diving opportunities virtually all year round, with several, well-protected marine parks.The best times for diving in Watamu are September through to March, with many seasonal species, such as the Whale shark and Manta ray, making their visits during this time.
Aqua Ventures in Watamu offer well-qualified PADI dive instructors. They specialise in diving with small groups (4 or fewer) with qualified dive leaders (ie quality not quantity). All dives take place in the Watamu Marine Park and Reserve, protected areas where sea-life abounds.
Steve Curtis the owner/operator of Aqua Ventures heads the team of 3 professional instructors and his wife Helen is a divemaster. The local boat captains and crew are divers themselves and are long familiar with the area and the diving equipment.
For more information on rates, equipment, dive locations etc visit www.diveinkenya.com 
 
Windsurfing, Sea Kayaking, Sailing
Turtle Bay Beach club (about a 20 minute walk along the beach from Baraka House) offers extensive watersports such as windsurfing, sea kayaking , sailing and sea pedaloes. The instructors are incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, their equipment is up to date and they hold a great reputation.
Prices vary depending on activity but start at GBP 15 per hour.

Deep Sea Fishing
Watamu boasts some of the best big game fishing in Kenya! Fish that you can expect to catch - Grouper, Wahoo, Kingfish, Yellow-fin Tuna, Shark, Sailfish and the infamous Black, Blue and striped Marlin. The boats are generally based out of Ocean Sports and Hemingways (about 30 min walk along the beach from Baraka). Prices for a day's fishing range from £300 - £500 depending on the season. Half day options are also available for those non sea goers.

Bio-Ken Snake Farm (Laboratory, Research Center and Producers of Bio-toxins) 
Bio-Ken is a research center, which deals with reptiles especially snakes and snake-bites.
It is open for all visitors and costs 700 KSH with a portion of the proceeds going towards the rehabilitation of reptiles back into the wild, while all donations go to the direct purchase of anti-venom or to the education of doctors and medical personnel.  It houses the largest collection of snakes in East Africa and they encourage visitors to come have a look around the farm in hope that they will become more familiar with snakes.
 
Cultural Activities
Gede Ruins - Gede Ruins, an archeologist's delight, was one of the ancient Arab towns that dotted the East African Coast. It dates from the late 13th or early 14th Century and was finally abandoned in the early 17th Century. Excavated since 1927, many areas have been revealed, including the Great Mozque, the Palace, several residential houses and pillar tombs. Surrounded by tall shady trees, a walk through Gede is a must for anyone interested in Kenya's history.
Gede Ruins is located about a 15 minute drive away from Baraka House.
 
Arabuko-Sokoke Forest
This is East Africa's largest remaining area of indigenous coastal forest. It is full of rare species such as the clarke's weaver (found nowhere else in the world), the golden rumped elephant shrew, forest elephant and buffalo and over 260 species of butterflies. This is the perfect place for long walks, bird watching and game spotting!

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