Kitesurfing Adventures On Kenya's Diani Beach

Kitesurfing adventures on Kenya’s Diani beach 

- Aanchal Anand

It’s a short, bumpy flight from Nairobi to Ukunda airstrip, which practically hugs the sandy shoreline of Diani Beach. My nose is pressed against the cold Cessna window as I gaze into the tropical blue expanse of the Indian Ocean. As the plane lands, the screensaver-worthy vista disappears. But my excitement is soaring high because in just five minutes I’ll be right there.

A short while later, my vacation hungry feet sink into the warm white sands of Diani. Completed by a soothing breeze and the gentle hum of the ocean, the beach looks like the perfect spot for doing nothing. But I have something else in mind.

The following morning, my friend Colin and I report to a well-tanned, bearded Italian man with dark glasses and a leisurely stride. For the next three days, Stefano Arco is to be our kitesurfing instructor. We decide to split the lessons not only because it’s easier on our wallets but also because it seems like it will be more fun.

Stefano lays down an impressive bow shaped black kite on the beach. It looks like it can easily span the length of a Maruti 800.

He unrolls its power lines and inflates the kite as I watch a couple of kitesurfers hit the waves, darting over the water aided by their colourful crescent wings. This is exactly what I want to do: surf away into the cerulean horizon.