Wasini Island – a Place to go Local
Much has been written about Wasini Island’s natural beauties and countless opportunities for water lovers. Blogs have been posted highlighting the beneficial effects of sustainable tourism on the island population*. But besides being a great destination for travelers opting to spend their free time and money in a responsible way, Wasini is also an ideal location to go local. ‘Local Travel’, a term found more and more frequently in the realm of travel literature, offers the conscious travelers a chance to really get under a place’s skin while also making the most of their travel time. ‘Local’ in this context means being first of all in an authentic environment, that is a place where the locals you meet are not exclusively there to profit in one way or the other from you, but because they live there and go about their usual business – which is unrelated to you. Let’s be realistic: in a highly touristic area, a traveler will have little chance to make genuine contact with locals having no second thoughts….
Wasini island, – with its lack of ground water, its lack of luxury accommodations, its off-the-main-road location, its firm grip on century old tradition – was able to develop a tourism sector without losing its authentic character. The top number for overnight guests per night in 2014 was 21!
A maximum of twenty-one guests compared to approx. 1000 village inhabitants – this is a ratio which guarantees authenticity. So, if you are out for a luxury holiday with waiters serving you cocktails at the pool-side sunbed, please don’t come to Wasini as you will be disappointed. If you are interested in meeting people, getting to know local daily life, dipping into Swahili culture …or just enjoying the magical Indian Ocean and the wild nature on the island in peace, please come as you will have a great time with us.
To start with, take a virtual tour of the island and all available accommodations at www.wasini.net.
