| One of the the best kept Safari secrets is Chale | | | | mighty Indian Ocean. I am digressing,back to the |
| Island, 27km off the coastal town of Mombasa | | | | point. |
| -East Africa. Here visitors can cover themselves | | | | The National Museums of Kenya is trying to |
| in natural volcanic mud at Sleepy Creek and look | | | | conserve this Mijikenda sacred forest for its rare |
| younger than they actually are. Why waste | | | | species of mangroves, birds and the colobus |
| money on cosmetics? | | | | monkeys, which are a great attraction to foreign |
| The first time I saw people taking mud-baths was | | | | and local visitors. |
| on one of the celebrated Michael Palin's television | | | | Experts say that the natural vegetation on the |
| programmes. Little did I know that the very | | | | island is very unique. The coastal Kayas, as they |
| village where I have always gone for holidays, in | | | | are called, are a mixture of marine and terrestrial |
| my own back yard, was a little haven for | | | | ecology of very old mangrove species whose |
| mud-bath loving tourists. I first went to this | | | | biological diversity has not been seen anywhere in |
| location while visiting the Kenya Marines and | | | | the world. |
| Fisheries Research Institute during one of my field | | | | In this forests are numerous Digo cultural shrines |
| trips. | | | | that are scattered all over the island but whose |
| The Institute was then working on a very special | | | | secrets are only known to the few Digo elders, |
| project studying rare Mangroves species with a | | | | knowledge that has been handed down from |
| University in Italy. Because of my interest in | | | | generation to generation. |
| traditional medicine, I wandered off and went | | | | Now there are touristic Cottages near this |
| visiting a traditional healer and Digo elder-Mzee | | | | beautiful grove. A visit to this area is rewarded |
| Abdallah Mnyenze, whom I had met through the | | | | with traditional dances and the skin toning |
| Kenya Society of Ethnoecology. As an | | | | mud-bath. It took a lot persuasion for me to drop |
| accomplished Ethnobiologist, Mzee Mnyenze knows | | | | my clothes but I am glad I did.Do not go for |
| one or two things that you can not find in Botany | | | | cosmetic surgery before you visit Chale Mud-bath. |
| books. So whenever I get an opportunity to visit | | | | It is free and the cottages are very cheap but |
| beautiful Mombasa, I pay him a visit just to listen | | | | opulent. Why waste money on expensive |
| to his wisdom under the coconut trees enjoying | | | | cosmetics and intrusive surgeries? Go plunge in |
| the sea breeze accentuated with the smell of the | | | | the mud! |