The perfect end to a day in Watamu is to relax and have a sundowner. Where you are when you have your drink can make it even more special. Here are our #DiscoverWatamu choices for location along with a suggestion of the cocktail you might drink while your there.
NO. 10 - PILIPAN RESTAURANT
Apart from being one of Watamu's favourite restaurants, the Pilipan is also a cocktail bar of note - with tiered seating looking out over Prawn Lake from where you get magnificent views of the sunset. Saturday from 5pm to 7pm is Happy Hour (or two, but who's counting?). The Passion & Ginger Mojitos and the RasPilli cocktails are tried and tested and well worth downing when you are there. Then if you are hungry after your cocktail? Well, there's not to far to go to get a delicious meal.
(Ksh 18,000/- to Ksh 22,000/- per night - up to 9 pax)
One of #DiscoverWatamu's popular holiday rentals, The Sugar House is set over three floors on a public beach access road making it only a couple of minutes easy walk to Turtle Bay Beach and #Watamu Marine Park. A feature on the upper floor of The Sugar House is a roof terrace with stunning views out over Prawn Lake and the mangrove beyond so is privy to the colourful sunset displays each evening. It's name was inspired by sugar cubes and the Kitengela glass window also features these delicious sweets, so what other cocktail should you drink at The Sugar House but a Champagne Cocktail.
Recipe - Champagne Cocktail
- 1 Sugar cube placed in the bottom of each glass with 2 or 3 dashes of Angostura bitters added for the sugar cube to dissolve into.
- Add 1/3oz of Cognac and then gently add 3oz of chilled Champagne (or 'sham'pagne - depending on your budget)
- Garnish with an orange peel, or slice and maybe a cocktail cherry
NO. 8 - DHOW HOUSE
(Ksh 25,000/- to Ksh 30,000/- per night - up to 14 pax)
Moroccan inspired Dhow House is another of #DiscoverWatamu's #HolidayRental properties with 5 bedrooms and on a public beach access making it 5 minutes from the Indian Ocean. The perfect holiday option for a large family or a group of friends. The upper floors of Dhow House include a fabulous amount of seating and are ideally situated to watch the sun set from. The house itself is the colour of sunset and it is the colour that has lead to our cocktail suggestion of an Old Fashioned.
Recipe - Whisky Old Fashioned
- Place 1 Sugar cube in a tumbler and saturate it with Angostura bitters.
- Add a dash of plain water and muddle until dissolved.
- Fill the glass with ice cubes and add whiskey
- Garnish with an Orange slice and a cocktail cherry
NO. 7 - TURTLE BAY DHOW
From one Dhow to another, and no #Watamu Sundowner list would be complete without the entire experience of a Sundowner aboard the Turtle Bay Dhow. Take a group of friends or meet some new ones as you cruise along with Mida Creek supplied with delicious bitings and as much of the bar as you can consume (adults only on that one!). The ultimate cocktail to start your Turtle Bay Sundowner Cruise has to be the Dawa (available also as a Mocktail) and although there is a recipe below - it may not be exactly the same as Turtle Bay's and to experience the real thing you have to get on board!
Recipe - Dawa
- Put cut limes and sugar into a tumbler - slightly crush the limes
- Add ice and pour in vodka
- Use a Dawa stick, twisted into runny honey and add the stick to the drink.
- Muddle limes with the dawa stick to create the dawa to your taste
(Ksh 25,000/- to Ksh 45,000/- per night - up to 8 pax)
Jabali House is a more recent addition to the #DiscoverWatamu books and has been a very popular one. More modern in design than a lot of our properties, it has a spectacular view out over the #WatamuMarinePark and from the cosy roof terrace you can spy the #DeepSeaFishing boats coming back from their hard day out at sea. And whilst you do that, why not have a drink in your hand. For Jabali House we thought something decadent and fresh - a Banana Daquiri.
Recipe - Banana Daquiri
- In a blender add
- 1 banana
- Half a cup of Coconut milk,
- the juice of half a lime
- 1/4 cup of sugar
- 3 cups of ice
- 2oz rum (or not if you want a Mocktail)
- Blend until smooth (about a minute)
- Pour into your glass of choice and garnish with a cocktail cherry or slice of lime
(Ksh 23,000/- to Ksh 32,500/- per night - up to 6 pax)
A room with a view? Naishi is a special #HolidayHome set high up on a ridge enabling some truly epic views across the #WatamuMarinePark - close enough to the hotels for convenience and yet far enough not to interfere with the peace you want from a private house. With an infinity plunge pool and open terrace with seating alongside - it's the perfect place for your sundowner. And for Naishi we chose the classic Rum Punch.
Recipe - Rum Punch
- Mix the following for 2 glasses
- 0.5 oz Lime Juice
- 4 oz Orange Juice
- 1.5 oz Dark Rum
- 1.5 oz Light Rum
- A little Grenadine for colour
- Pour over a glass of ice
- Sprinkle with nutmeg and garnish with an citrus slice.
(Ksh 18,000/- to Ksh 22,000/- per night - up to 6 pax)
Two views for the price of one come with renting the #DiscoverWatamu home, Burudani - set up on the headland North of Mida Creek, Burudani has views out over the Indian Ocean one way and into Mida Creek the other. The spectacular roof terrace is the perfect location to sit back with a cocktail in hand, and we think that the ever-popular Margarita with it's salty edge reflects the Ocean Breeze that sweeps the Burudani roof terrace.
Recipe - Margarita
- Add the following to a cocktail shaker
- 0.75 oz Freshly Squeezed Lime Juice
- 1 oz Cointreau, triple sec or another orange liqueur
- 1.5 oz White Tequila
- Add ice to the shaker and shake
- Wet the rim of a glass with a lime and dip in salt enough to cover the rim.
- Add fresh ice to the glass.
- Strain the chilled cocktail over the ice and garnish with a slice of lime.
(Ksh 22,000/- to Ksh 26,000/- per night - up to 7 pax)
Another beautiful roof terrace looking deeper into Mida Creek can be found in the #DiscoverWatamu property, Amani Beach House. Like Burudani, this is a family sized #HolidayHome that only rents out two of it's bedrooms and a cottage room at the back, so up to six guests get to hang out in the living space, pool etc. designed for many more people (the owners are not present when the house is rented) Just imagine sitting on this terrace with a glass in hand. And what is in the glass did we think? Well how about a Blue Lagoon?
Recipe - Blue Lagoon
- Add the following to a cocktail shaker
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Blue Curacao
- 2 cups Crushed Ice
- Shake well
- Fill a highball glass with ice cubes, strain and pour prepared mix drink over the ice cubes.
- Garnish with a cocktail umbrella and serve with a straw.
(Ksh 50,000/- to Ksh 80,000/- per night - up to 13 pax)
Paradise Found is a spectacular luxury 5 bedroom villa set in a two acre garden with stunning views out over the Indian Ocean and the #WatamuMarinePark. Throughout the house are wonderful places to chill out and relax, including a magnificent roof terrace with bar. With elements of a house in the Hamptons, we thought that the cocktail to suit Paradise Found would be a Long Island Iced Tea.
Recipe - Long Island Iced Tea
- Add the following to a cocktail shaker
- 2 cups ice cubes
- 1 oz Vodka
- 1 oz Gin
- 1 oz White Rum
- 1 oz Tequila
- 0.5 oz Triple Sec
- 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed Lime Juice
- Shake well to combine and chill
- Pour the mixture, including the ice, into 2 glasses and top off with Coca-cola
- Garnish with a lime wedge.
(Ksh 22,000/- to Ksh 35,000/- per night - up to 8 pax)
The top terrace of Kusini House has to have one of the most magnificent views stretching out across the #WatamuMarinePark. Set high on a cliff front close to the mouth of Mida Creek, Kusini has four bedrooms and a wonderful salt-water pool flanked with a gazebo. The cocktail we chose for this view is the classic sweet cocktail, Pina Colada.
Recipe - Pina Colada
- Add the following to a blender
- 3 oz Pineapple Juice
- 1 oz White Rum
- 1 oz Coconut Cream
- 1 cup crushed ice
- Blend until smooth
- Poured into a chilled glass
- Garnish with a pineapple slice.
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And when you stay with #DiscoverWatamu and want to make any of the cocktails - most, if not all of the ingredients can be found at Blue Marmalade - the local supermarket in #Watamu - you will be amazed at what they stock! #VisitWatamu #WondersofWatamu #MakeItKenya
