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You can not only swim in the sea along the beautiful coast of Kenya, but also go diving and snorkelling.
Pilli Pipa offers full-day snorkelling trips at the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park & Reserve with the chance of seeing some dolphins! So, of course we had to go along!
Pilli Pipa is a small family-owned business run by Selina and Harm Lutjeboer. It was founded in 1989 and some employees have been there ever since. They have a lot of experience, safety is of great importance to them and the number of guests is limited to ensure a personal service.
A driver from Pilli Pipa picked us up from The Sands at Chale Island at 06:45 in the morning. They will fetch you from any hotel at Diani beach.
From the pier in Shimoni, you then go to the boat – a chic Arabian dhow – with a sun roof.
We were lucky enough to have some dolphins swim with us!
In the protected coral reefs of Kisite Marine Park, you can discover up to 360 fish species, sea turtles and whales and with a bit of luck some dolphins might even snorkel close by, because they are so curious.
Pilli Pipa strictly adheres to the Code of Conduct to ensure that the dolphins are not hunted, disturbed or stressed in any way.
And how lucky we were!
Even as we came closer to the Marine Park, we saw a few dolphins. They even stayed with us when we got off the boat, so we could quite calmly observe them from the water. What a great experience! Even just to see dolphins nearby, is already very special! But to be this close to them, was truly spectacular!
After a few minutes we left them in peace and swam to the reef. There was still so much more to experience, for example, sea turtles.
Snorkelling is more my thing… So I was very glad when Mohammed, one of the crew members, did the diving on my behalf and took some really great pictures and videos with my camera.
We spent a lot of time in the water and could explore the underwater world extensively.
We then went on to another reef with a sandbank. Once again, there was so much to discover and we had plenty of time to do so.
With us on board were the captain and four other crew members.
You can even snorkel here as a complete beginner, because you are supervised by one of the crew members the whole time. And anyone that would like to learn to dive, this is the ideal chance to try it out!
Lunch
Afterwards we enjoyed a mouth-watering 3-course lunch in Selina and Harm’s private home on Wasini Island. We were spoiled with crab, red snapper, coconut rice, sweet potatoes and many other tasty dishes.
I enjoyed the roasted seaweed most! Wine, beer and juice were on offer.
At the end of the meal, you could enjoy dessert with coffee or tea in the Day Dreamer’s Lounge with a view of the water.
If you feel like it, you can visit the caves where slaves were once captured, after the snorkelling trip.
What a great and eventful day! Dolphins are such beautiful animals!
We were back in the hotel at about 19:00.
Conclusion
The tour is really worth it. To see some dolphins, luck has to be on your side, but there are also plenty of great fish to see! The boat was not too crowded and the crew was always looking for interesting fish to show us. The whole team was very nice and took great care of us all. And we did notice that they really respect the welfare of the animals! Lunch was also really delicious! So, it does not matter whether you want to dive or snorkel, we highly recommend this tour!
Information
Snorkelling tour (full day): USD 135 (lunch with wine, beer and soft drinks, equipment, marine park fees, transportation, snacks and soft drinks on the boat included) Price list
Important!
Do not forget your sun cream! (I underestimated the sun and felt it afterwards.)
Pilli Pipa Dhow Safaris
Colliers Centre
Diani Beach Road
P.O.Box 5185
Diani Beach, Kenya
Telefon: (254) 722 205120 oder (254) 724 442555
info@pillipipa.com oder pillipipa@dianibeach.com
www.pillipipa.com
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Hinweis: Pilli Pipa sponsored our great dolphin safari. Thank you so much! Nonetheless, the opinions expressed in this article are, as always, absolutely 100% our own! The tour was organized by Magical Kenya (Kenya Tourism Board). A heartfelt thank you!!
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Monique De Caro
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