Find your escape at the Temple of tranquility in Watamu

In this moment, in this place, it’s just me, the blue sky, the bird that fleets across to perch on a palm leaf and the sound of my beating heart.

I know that somewhere off on my right there’s probably the sound of the girls laughing, the clinking of tea cups and the munching of cookies but I don’t want to lift myself out the private pool and onto the lounge chairs, as alluring as it may sound.

The last time I felt like this, completely at peace and at ease with the world, we were on a boat tour of the Mida Creek; just us, the ocean, the mangrove and the birds.

Well, that’s not really a complete picture. Also present were White Mischief, Baba T and Blue Eyes, moored.

In this moment, surprisingly quiet moment for a boat full of people, all you have to do is look around you to see why Watamu has been classified as one of the best beaches in the world.

It’s mesmerising, spell binding. And I mean it. I’m not just throwing adjectives around, just ask CNN.

It has to be one of the most serene stretches on the Kenyan coast.

And the Temple Point Resort, located at the tip of the Mida Creek, embodies this serenity.

As the name suggests, it houses the remnants of an 800 year old mosque; believed to have been constructed at the entrance to the port of the now sunken city Gede.

There isn’t much left of it now except an arch with an overhanging branch to stand under and maybe pose for a photograph.

But as you stand there it’s not the camera lens that holds your focus. It’s the kite surfers who swept up by the wind look like part of the bird life.

It’s an enchanting view that can be enjoyed from your verandah of your hotel room as you enjoy a board game with your family or as you revel in a beach massage.

The chalet styled rooms are so private, with only four rooms per chalet – two upstairs, two downstairs — a verandah facing the ocean and surrounded by foliage.

So even if you’re there as a part of a group, there’s still plenty of room to retreat to.

If you’re looking for company, dancing underneath the stars, by the pool on their amphitheatre styled dance floor ought to provide enough of a distraction.

So if you’re willing to go the end of the world for a little peace and quiet, why not just take the 45 minute flight from Nairobi to Malindi and take in the sights for the 20 minute drive from the Swahili styled airport to Temple Point where the tranquil waters, mangrove and birds, await you.

By Olive Burrows