Mazera Ndurya
24 November 2007
Nairobi — Necessity is the mother of inventions, so the saying goes. And as the demand for and cost of land especially in Coast province rises by the day, so do people get smarter and more innovative in the lucrative and competitive tourism industry.
One such person is Gerard Johnson who has developed some of the most exotic tourist resorts in Lamu. He knew only too well that for a piece of the local beach - if he found it - he would part with millions of shillings. So he decided that ingenuity would work the magic.
A piece of land along the coast big enough for a hotel would cost about Sh10 million because the value of property in the area has doubled in the past five years. "But that too would not be enough because there are many other requirements that could make the cost of the site much higher even before starting the construction of the facility," he says.
A unit of the floating Sheshe restaurant under construction. Photo/LABAN WALLOGA
"Of course, there is also the usual risk of developing your property on grabbed land or on a plot that is on a conservation area; something that could lead to legal battles and wars with environmentalists - sometimes even losing the investment altogether."
This was how the idea of a floating restaurant struck him - a tourist facility that would eventually lead to a full-fledged hotel complete with cabins cruising in the scenic archipelago. A homestead created against a backdrop of a thick mangrove forest, near the Takwa Creek, at Ras Kitau on the Manda island, is a typical traditional Swahili set-up.
At the other end is a canopy of coconut trees swaying to the ripples in the azure-blue sea. Everything appears normal for a while until you get closer to the structure when you realise that, in fact, the three bandas are a floating twin pontoon held firmly together by empty drums.
It has taken Mr Johnson several months to make the design a reality, and it is when you get on board the restaurant that you get the feeling of true fun and splendour.
A chat with him on the grand idea proves that he has every reason to be happy and smug. "This is what I would call the first phase of the project," he says. "The floating restaurant and bar we have named Chonjo is built on local palm fronds supported by coconut timber. It is built and decorated with local materials without any steel or concrete."
He exudes confidence over what is one of the rarest projects in the world. The restaurant is part of the Sheshe Lodge Ecocruises (floating hotel in Lamu) where he is a director. As he puts the final touches on the restaurant that is to be the hotel's flagship, Mr Johnson is not the man you would dismiss as a joker. For the project has consumed Sh6 million in terms of materials, labour and furnishing.
It has a spacious bar with an assortment of drinks, a dining room in the middle and a modern, well-equipped kitchen at the other end. The restaurant is open to the public daily as it floats off the Manda beach, serving seafood delicacies as well as other dishes and drinks.
The structure includes a man-made beach on an open place where clean, white sand allows one to sunbathe after a swim or water skiing, which gives a true sense of a hotel environment.
Mr Johnson says the project is not a small investment by any standards, taking into account the security and environmental arrangements. "You cannot put up something like this just out of the blues," he says. "I had to make sure that all the relevant government agencies are involved and give their blessings. This is a floating pontoon that has to be okayed by the Kenya Ports Authority to ensure the safety of the people on board is guaranteed.
"It also has to be approved by the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema), and this is why all the systems, including hot water, are solar-powered to ensure zero carbon emission."
The restaurant and the cabins which are currently under construction, will be fitted with safety equipment that includes radio, a life raft, life jackets and fire extinguishers. But Mr Johnson says this is just the tip of the iceberg because, he explains, when complete the first batch of clients will start cruising before Christmas at the peak of the tourism season. By that time two cabins will have been ready.
"The cabins have a 16-square-metre, open sundeck with sun beds and a shaded verandah with a banquette, chairs and a table for sundowners. Cruises are conducted by a motor dhow towing the hotel from a safe distance, with crew including a room steward.
"We want to bring a new concept where our guests will be picked up from the airport and straight into their rooms. Our clients will mainly be Americans who love adventure, and the 40 tonnes of flotation will be enticing enough to get them to Lamu to explore the beauty of the archipelago."
District tourism officer Moses Karanja says the investment is part of the diversity that the ministry has been telling investors to come up with to tap the growing sophisticated clientele.
"Lamu has so many unexplored opportunities, and cruises are one of them," he says. "The uniqueness of the hotel, blended with the unique features that the archipelago offers, will make a big marketing tool.
"We encourage this kind of initiative because it exposes Lamu to the world, and we expect to see an increase in the number of tourists coming to the island, that is already famous for its rich cultural heritage."
He adds that the Lamu waters have not been fully exploited with activities such as sports and cruise tourism. "Lamu is one area where a tourist can combine beach, culture and even game drives for wildlife in the Dodori reserve where the big five - the lion, the rhino, the elephant, the buffalo and the giraffe - are found."
The investment, he says, will give Lamu a competitive edge because many people will be anxious to know what kind of services are being offered. The man who has a wealth of experience in the hotel business, points out that it won't take much convincing for people to appreciate the product.
Mr Johnson's love for Lamu dates back to 1984 when he set foot on the island. "My serious involvement with Lamu came in 1989 when I took over Kiwayuu Safari Village," he says of a beautiful seaside resort that he transformed into an elegant hotel.
"The second hotel I built was Kipungani, which has rooms on stilts, on the south end of Lamu island," he says. He later sold it to the Heritage Group of hotels.
But his interest in floating was nurtured when he operated the Starship Kui, a 25-metre floating fishing camp, based off the Kui island, north of Kiwayuu, east of Lamu.
He says the floating restaurant has received a lot of support, and that many people have started making enquiries for reservations. But charges for the cruise trips show that it is only the rich who will enjoy the facility.
A cruise to Shela, the Manda beach or Takwa Creek, including airport pick-up per person per day, for instance, will cost about Sh30,000. Other destinations could be as far-flung as Kipungani village and Kiwayuu.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2007 The Nation. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
