May the God of sustainability preserve the Kilifi Plantation for us for a long time to come – a natural paradise just beyond the bridge leading to Mombasa and the chaos of the haphazard coastal development, amidst roads that are never finished, a lack of town planning, and frantic commercial activity as if there were not a tomorrow, but merely a late afternoon.
Over the years, this reserve – an ecosystem of farmland, baobab trees, forest and the scent of the sea – has attracted creative types and young entrepreneurs seeking a different path, a future tailored to themselves and their children (thanks also to the presence of an international school nearby).
Amidst a delightful little bar-restaurant with an enticing menu, local craft shops and boutiques, and the baobab designers from Seedlings – now famous throughout East Africa and beyond – there is also a landmark that has now made it onto the world map: Beneath The Baobab, a clearing in the heart of a patch of green forest. This spot hosts Kenya’s most important trendy festival, held every New Year’s Eve, as well as a restaurant with a unique charm, accessed via… well, we won’t give anything else away – watch the video!