INSHORE FISHING 

We offer bottom fishing, trolling and fly fishing in the bay for all levels of experience and ages. The tide determines the time of day you will go out however typically this happens in the mornings or evenings. 

May - October: Great for bottom fishing in the creek.

October - April: Great for fly fishing and trolling.

Deep Sea Fishing

The fishing season starts in September and runs through until May. Manda Bay has its own fishing boat called Cheza which is a Lochin 33ft Sportfisher with twin 230hp engines. There is the option of a half day (6 hours) fishing or full day ( 10 hours) out on the ocean. Departure is at 6.30am. 

Children must be able to swim and over 5 years old and the maximum number of guests on the boat is six.

SEASONS

KUSI: May-Oct: Predominantly the wetter season, with strong southeasterly winds, rougher seas and cooler temperatures (average temperatures range around 26-28 degrees celsius). Species predominantly caught at this time : Yellow fin Tuna, kingfish, GT, Barracuda, Rainbow Runner, Wahoo, Felusi ( Dorado).

KASKAZI: Nov-April: The dry season with warm northeasterly winds, calmer seas and clear water visibility (average temperatures range around 28-30 degrees celsius). Billfish Species predominantly caught at this time of year Sailfish (Nov-Jan)Striped Marlin (Nov- Dec). Black and Blue Marlin ( Dec - April).

To make a reservation for deep sea fishing, call the lodge: +254 (0) 713 785 152.

Watersports

WATER SKIING/WAKE BOARD/WINDSURFING : Manda Bay is known for its excellent boating activities. Waterskiing, banana rides and inflatable tube rides and wind surfers are available from the water sports centre.

SUP/KAYAKS: There are 5 kayaks and 6 paddle boards available to use and this is a very peaceful activity where you can drift on the high tide up the mangrove creeks and see turtle bobbing up for air, a host of birds and monkeys and skipping fish.

SNORKELLING: At low tide between November - April the snorkelling sites are very close by and accessible by boat.

SAILING: There are 2 sailboats for those who are proficient sailors and want to sail in the bay on high tide.

KITE BOARDING: Manda is a great location for kite boarding between December - April. If you wish to have lessons and require equipment then we have to get an instructor and therefore need advance booking. The Cost of an instructor is roughly Euros 600 for Beginners course ( 9 hours) plus transport to get here.

Game Drives and Birdlife

GAME DRIVES AND WILDLIFE: In the early evening it is possible to take a drive to visit the Manda ruins, an ancient human settlement that dates back nearly 1000 years. A few remnants of this town can be seen if you take a drive where you experience a complete contrast from the beach and see old coral buildings amongst enormous baobab trees and acacia woodland. Manda Bay is home to a host of creatures both large and small and whilst most of the animals are nocturnal including the greater Galago bushbaby, white tailed mongoose, civet cat, porcupine, hyaena, genet cat and occasionally leopard; we regularly see dik-dik, buffalo and bushbuck, dwarf mongoose, yellow baboons and vervet monkeys. During the dry season, we provide fresh water for the animals and guests can meet them at the waterhole.

BIRD WATCHING: There are a large variety of water birds as well as dry country scrub species. A true spectacle are the flocks of northern carmine bee-eaters that seasonally roost on the mangrove islands adjacent to Manda Bay, making for incredible evening viewing. View our Bird list to discover the range of birds you may experience during your stay.

Lamu Town

A Unesco World heritage site

Lamu Old town is a 20-minute boat ride from the lodge and well worth a visit if you enjoy architecture and a walk back in time. As you walk around the narrow streets, there are small artisan shops to browse- wood workers, silversmiths as well as local fabrics and basket ware. An Unesco World Heritage site, this ancient town is Kenya’s oldest continually inhabited town, and was one of the original Swahili settlements that formed part of the trading seaports along coastal East Africa. It is believed to have been established in 1370.  Lamu has maintained its social and cultural integrity, as well as retaining its authentic building fabric up to the present day. A conservative and close-knit society, Lamu is majority Muslim, but tolerant of all other cultures and religions. 

This medieval town has a unique style of building and plasterwork which has been retained over the centuries and the decor of the houses have been influenced by European, Persian, Arab and Indian imports from the trading days of the past. Large dhows would bring goods to trade on the East African coast and then return with ivory, mangrove poles, spices, cowrie shells, animal hides, cereals and food supplies, and slaves from Africa.

TAKWA RUINS

If you enjoy history there is another Swahili settlement called Takwa on the opposite side of Lamu town on Manda Island. A thriving trading town during the 15 and 16th Century, it was eventually abandoned in the 17th Century due to the salination of the once fresh water wells and the constant fighting with its neighbours on Pate island. It is only accessible on a high tide by boat. 

CONSERVATION

Our planet is entering a crucial time in its history whereby the decisions we make and the lifestyle choices we choose will ultimately decide the future for our children and future generations.

Through education and working with local communities, our goal over the next 10 years is to significantly reduce the damage to the reefs, fish stocks, marine, fauna, birdlife and wildlife species and to active participate in helping our community to manage natural resources and increase indigenous revenue streams to improve livelihoods and alleviate poverty. This will be in collaboration with local partners and international funding. One of the projects is to build a Conservation school for school graduates, university undergraduates and researchers to conduct marine studies as well as offer scholarships and a broader education to the local communities about the environment and its importance. It aim is to give the younger generation a better knowledge of their environment and give them the tools to be leaders and make informed decisions about how to negotiate their way into the future with sustainability at its forefront in order to develop the region with the resource available to them.

MANDA CONSERVATION INSTITUTE

Manda Bay has put aside 2,500 acres of bushland behind the lodge to conserve the natural habitat and oversees the custodianship of a small herd of Cape buffalo. We offer sundowner drives around this conservancy and you can often see the buffalo out grazing in the open grassland or atat the water trough where we supply them with supplementary water and food in the dry season.

THE OCEAN TRUST

A charity organization which has chosen Manda Bay as the launch pad to start on a ambitious project to re-build the coral reefs on the East African coastline. Over the last 2 decades we have seen a huge reduction in the numbers of fish, the variety of coral species and the degradation of the ocean floor. This impacts the sustainability of not only the oceans itself, but for the people who rely on its resources to live. The Ocean Trust has set up a small restoration site at Manda whereby guests can visit the newly propagated reef.