Escape to the pillar town of Mnarani

“Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things you did not do than by the ones you did not do…. Explore. Dream. Discover” - Mark Twain

American journalist, Mark Twain, considered one of the greatest writers of all time and best remembered for his adventure stories - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer (1876) and Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), has a good reason why we should all travel.

Travelling is many things wrapped in one – it is fun, adventurous, and informative. It also gives us a chance to discover and explore, test our strengths, and gives us opportunities to discover ourselves as we discover and network with others, learning about their cultures.

Travel opens your mind’s eye, and triggers a change of blind perceptions among others – travelling changes your entire self. The experiences and memoirs treasured trigger the adrenaline rush at the mention of an opportunity to travel.

I love it when the travel opportunity comes with the possibilities of meeting new people, experiencing new things, culture, and all sorts of adventurous activities (good and bad), and perhaps redefining the meaning of life.

Destination Mnarani sounded mystical, and I planned to get the best out of it. 

Mnarani is 63 kilometres away from Malindi on B8. If you plan to travel by SGR, you do not have to go to Mombasa to connect to Malindi. There are direct PSVs to Malindi.

I have learnt the best way to plan for a destination with many attractions, is to work with ‘destination coupling’. Destination coupling is the art of combining more than one destination into one vacation.

My ideal Mnarani trip included a cultural interaction, long beach walks (needed to reset my mind to factory settings), hanging out with the locals and exploring the historical sites and monuments, and of course, trying some wellness activities.

“We are finally at our destination,” driver Justus Kahindi, announces, as we hit a road bump, waking me from my reverie.  I glance out of the car’s window, and from what I see, it is obvious that there is something special about this place.

I cannot pinpoint what it is and my mind wonders if it is the fresh air, the soothing sounds from the Creek yonder, or the unstoppable smiles from the faces of residents as we slow down to look for a restaurant.

Kahindi parks in front of the Griama Dishes Restaurant, and as I think of the delightful meal ahead, I get attracted by the “udzalamkadze” calls from strangers, welcoming me to Mnarani.

"Welcome to the vibe of Mnarani," Justus announces as he tells me the phrase means “good morning”, and urges me to respond: “nidzalamka simanya uwe (good morning to you, what about you?” 

After many "udzalamkadzes" and "nidzalamka simanya uwes", and after a sumptuous beef stew with umhluzi and pap (traditional cassava and maize ugali), we set off for my “home-away-from-home”.

Though I have been here three times before, the location of Mnarani Creek Resort is always fascinating. This setting gives me goosebumps - love at first sight.

Situated on the cliffs of Kilifi, Mnarani Resort is positioned craftily at the point where the creek meets and merges with the Indian Ocean, providing the best of both the creek and ocean life.

Early the following morning, I set out to explore the sights and sounds of this coastal gem.

First was the Mnarani National Museum and Monuments. The guide did not tell me that I had to make 100 steps from Kilifi Creek to get to the top where the ruins are located.

However, when I did, the struggle was worth every step – the ruins are captivating and spectacular, and I got to learn about the culture of past settlements, with my mind’s eye concentrating on their way of life.

Abdul Juma, a guide, tells me the name of Mnarani, the 14th-century historical and archaeological site is derived from the word ‘Mnara’ meaning a pillar.

At the unique octagonal historical pillar, Juma explains the major contributions made by Islam that led to the development of secular education.

Also important, is the rich cultural heritage of the local inhabitants at Mnarani, including the rituals (I witnessed some) performed at the great baobab tree with the Mnarani ruins.

As I wondered about what might have kicked away these inhabitants, Juma pointed out a dry well.

“There you have it, they say water is life, and without it, life cannot exist,” said the guide. Now it was easy for me to imagine why the Swahili abandoned the settlement.

Mnarani also offers a unique opportunity to sample a unique interrelationship of the existence of an indigenous forest patch within the site.

I was excited to “trail the steps of those ancient dwellers, who used these nature trails as they sojourned through the indigenous forest cover. The trails, the guide told me, have existed since Mnarani was abandoned about 500 years ago.

As I walked the trails, the coolness, and ambience punctuated by the natural sounds of insects and birds, are so captivating, a reminder of the natural well-being provided by such forest walks – forest bathing.

Trees in this forest, Juma explains, have been identified to have high medicinal and sacred values. 

There are huge baobab trees. The guide told me I had a chance to make a wish in front of the baobab tree, before leaving. I had to first walk around the tree five times before making my wish, and leave without ever looking back for my wish to happen.

I failed on the instruction to walk without ever looking back. 

 “Now you will never know the validity of the wish,” Juma said with a mischievous grin.

We bust out in laughter, with a promise of me coming back to make a wish and follow through with the instructions.

At the entrance to the ruins is a tiny snake park. This is a rescue park where I learn about reptiles in captivity. 

And like the Mnarani ruins, Jumba la Mtawana is a historical site.

After a guided “walk-through” with a rich historical account, you end up at the beach for a much-needed cooldown.

Historical accounts about these ruins will change depending on how knowledgeable your guide is.

From Juma, the ruins are the remains of an ancient 13th-century mosque, used by the Arab East Africa sojourners. He explains that though not visible, there also was an Arab village surrounding the mosque.

Other places of interest included the village of Takaungu, the enchanting River Sabaki the spectacular Mambrui sand-dune beach, and others. You will need more than a week to explore the sights and sounds of Mnarani.