I am in Watamu (again). When it comes to Watamu I can never say enough. Famous for its clear bright turquoise waters and endless stretches of pristine sugar white sandy beaches, this a beautiful and exotic town nestled on the Kenyan Coast is my perfect destination wherever and whenever I need a break from my hectic life.
Every morning around 6:30 am, the sky in Watamu I was told, would host an ethereal display of radiant grandeur. The sunrise in Watamu was unlike anywhere else, and if I wanted to witness this most beautiful splendor, I owed it to myself to wake up very early in the morning and catch the sunrise at least once during my stay in Watamu. One of the many benefits of a vacation is that there’s no need to wake up early, isn’t sleeping up to the late morning hours part of the perks? But if I was to catch the sunrise, foregoing my sleep or to be specific waking up very early in the morning was essential.
So this particular morning, the alarm clock was buzzing. I cracked my eye open and saw the light blinking at me; it was 5:15 am. A minute or so later, my groggy mind remembered why I set the alarm in the first place. I lingered for a few minutes before rolling out of bed. I took a quick peek out of the window. It was still dark. I double-checked my equipment (camera, lens and memory card) and by 5:45am I was headed to the beach which was just a stone-throw away from my hotel.
I was at the beach by 6:00 am. It was still kind of dark. The beach was deserted, the sea perfectly calm, save for the scarcely audible waves gently drenching the sand. Additionally were the many fishing boats scattered over the sea. 6.30 am; It started very subtle, sun rays started piercing through the clouds. Bit by bit, the golden glow of the sun began to appear.
The colors intensified, resembling a prism of gold; the hues of white, yellow and gold blending perfectly into each other. The sun peeked out of the horizon, and its brilliant rays shined brightly, lighting everything perfectly. I marveled at the glistening reflection of the sun on the ocean, the whole surrounding bathed in the warm glow of the rising sun. The boats stood silhouetted in the sea, like someone had cut carefully around them and peeled away, leaving only blackness behind. What a way to welcome a morning!
I spend the rest of the morning lazing around the beach with my camera marveling and snapping at the golden scenes … the views were epic. These are some of the snapshots I took.
Coral reef Island isolations which are a few meters from the beach, and you can walk through the ocean to them when tides are low.
The shimmering golden hues right on the beach….
Spending an evening at the Mida creek, nestled between the verdant mangrove forests and a calm stretch of tidal water … I watch the sun slowly sink below the horizon like a huge glow of gaseous sphere …
Hope you’ve enjoyed the views as much as I did, and have a great week!
Meanwhile Africa Point have just launched an amazing Photo contest #IncredibleAfrica14 – a competition that is giving you the opportunity to show off your best African safari moments to the world. I am proud to be associated with this contest as a judge and will be receiving compensation for promoting the competition. By taking part you have the chance to win an African Safari worth USD3, 333. If I was not a judge I would definitely participate.
You can also visit the competition’s Facebook page to vote for your favorite photo.
This post is linking up with;
1. Frank About Croatia in #SundayTraveler
2. Noel Morata’s Travel Photo Mondays
3. Budget Travelers Sandbox’s Travel Photo Thursdays
4. Reflections enroute #wkendtravelinspiration
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28 Comments
Wow! Beautiful photos as always…Watamu always looks so beautiful, I can’t wait to visit one day. Thanks for sharing and safe travels!
You’ve captured beautiful tones in your photos. I especially like the ones that are from down low hear the water.
Gorgeous! I would love to just relax and soak it all in. It looks so peaceful
Beautiful sunset photography as usual. The fact that you keep returning to Watamu lets me know that it’s a very special place that I need to add to my list of places to visit when in Kenya.
Beautiful shots, Rachael! A truly magical spot at sunrise. Thank you for getting up early to snap these pics and share them.
Beautiful place. The first snapshot took my breath away. So so so stunning!
Gorgeous photos, Rachael! Love the colours, reflections and contrasts. The contest sounds great. Unfortunately all my safari photos were taken with analogue camera. Congrats for participating in it as a judge!
Gorgeous simply gorgeous … that’s all I can say!
Wow! Such rich colors and strong reflections and silhouettes.
Wow – gorgeous, glorious and golden! Couldn’t be better.
Gorgeous gorgeous shots! Congrats on being a judge for the contest 🙂
Oh my gosh Rachel your pictures are filled with serenity! I loved, loved them as always, our friend! 🙂
Amazingly beautiful, Rachel. I’m surprised – pleasantly – you got so much gold in. It gives them such a rich depth. Love each one. I’d love to enter that contest. Thanks for the info.
Beautiful colors….
Stunning shots! I wouldn’t mind waking up to that view every morning.
This is such a beautiful series – I can almost feel the calm and here the water’s lapping.
Looks so peaceful and calm – and far removed from all the horrible happenings. Hope you are safe.
Beautiful photos. I love that you captured both the sunrise and sunset!
Beautiful change in tide and colors, those islands or maybe villages in the background have such strange and looming effects on your pictures.
So glad you shared these photos – they are magical.
Beautiful photos as usual! I love sunsets 🙂 Thanks for linking up to the #SundayTraveler!
Rachel, These photos are stunning! I would love if you linked up with my Weekend Travel Inspiration as well! These photos, and all of your posts, are very inspirational! The link is in the link love.
I am so impressed at the amount of time and resource put together to bring this useful and informative piece. I commend that. I am thinking of taking time to relax during this season and I might just be considering Watamu. lol 🙂
Really stunning shots! Each and everyone of them
Wau,its so wonderful to visit such places,i dream to visit watamu soon.
Really beautiful. Eye-catching scenery..
Beautiful place and great photos!
Thank you! It’s very hard to take a bad photo of Watamu, it is beautiful.