Kenya Coast

Manda Island, off Kenya’s northern coastline is a barefoot fishing paradise. Located in the Lamu archipelago just north of the historic town of Lamu, it  opens up a new world of saltwater fishing. The retreat serves as an ideal base for inshore fly-fishing along with epic offshore fishing for blue water species.

The lodge is on a secluded peninsular of the island where guests enjoy total privacy and tranquillity. The cuisine at Manda embraces all the rich flavours, not only of the sea, but also the culture of both Swahili and European tastes. The northern Kenyan coastline holds countless square miles of creeks, reefs and inshore lagoons that are feeding grounds for a number of predatory saltwater gamefish such as queenfish, several species of trevally, barracuda, kole kole, and five-tinger jacks.

Offshore, during the months of September through November, sailfish gather in huge shoals off the coast of Kiwayu and can be targeted on fly. The marlin run begins in January and goes through March. Wahoo, dorado, king mackerel and giant trevally are plentiful year round and can also be caught on fly or using traditional blue water techniques. After a day of fishing the surrounding waters, stargaze from the upper deck of Manda Bay’s traditional dhow, while waves lap at the hull.

Your EpicQuest adventure may take you to the Kenya Coast from a number of points in East Africa including the Laikipia region or Uganda. If you are arriving in Kenya and going directly to Manda Bay, you will be met at the jetway of your international flight upon arrival in Nairobi. Ease through a private immigration and customs process, before transferring to either your city hotel or your next flight onward. Whether starting off the journey in Nairobi or other parts of East Africa, your EpicQuest guide will join you on a chartered flight to the private Manda Bay airstrip.

The reef and deep sea waters off Kenya’s northern coast are famous worldwide, both for the variety and the quantity of sport fish. Striped, Black and Blue Marlin, sailfish and many other game fish migrate through these waters in abundance. The sailfish season starts in October and runsrunning through April. The marlin season is February and March. Tuna, dorado, wahoo, giant trevally and kingfish are abundant throughout the year.

Fish offshore from the Cheza, a fibreglass 33-foot British-built Lochin sport-fishing boat, built to withstand the North Sea elements. With a well-trained crew and a wide variety of fishing tackle to suit all anglers, it’s the ideal platform for serious sport fishermen. EpicQuest fully supports the tag and release system for all billfish in our waters. North Kenya’s billfishing season runs from September through April and is at its best from November to mid-March when billfish are prevalent in the Lamu achipelago.

For even more variety during the stay on Kenya’s coast, EpicQuest heads inland on smaller boats for completely unique inshore saltwater fly-fishing. Trevally, kingfish and barracuda are plentiful in the creek as are rock cod, garfish and red and white snapper.

EpicQuest offers three destinations in Kenya and Uganda that offer unique world class opportunities for anglers. Combine two out of three truly epic experiences – glacial lakes filled with rainbow trout on Mount Kenya, inshore saltwater on the north Kenyan coast and the world’s largest river bursting with giant Nile perch.

The soothing Indian Ocean breeze sets the stage for mild tropic weather and a comfortable journey into Kibodo. From November to March, the temperature averages around a pleasant 30˚C (85˚F) with little rain. Summers warm up to highs around 35˚C (95˚F), but still skies remain fairly dry. Overnight, expect temperatures to fall to 20˚C (68˚F). The long and short rains that hamper travel in other parts of Kenya have less of an effect on the coast, but EpicQuest still avoids trips during those periods.