Moonshine Beach Bar

It’s not everyday I sit down to write about a bar, let alone write a review about a bar far from my local. Heck, I don’t even think travel-blogs write about bars. And to add to the fact that I am more of the outdoorsy(no, it’s not a formal word) person, this just feels weird. I don’t even have any other place I could compare with for you readers to make a judgement of the place. Consider this a review of a bar from an old young man who just loves good places.I was down at the coast a week ago for work and happened to have a few days off. Staying in Nyali while in Mombasa is not the greatest idea. Haller Park, Lunar Park and the beach are the attractions around. I had already been to all those places and wanted something different. So I decided to ask the guards a good spot by the beach to chill. He mentioned Lookout Bar of Voyager Beach Bar Resort & The Bar of Bahari Beach Resort. However, my bank balance has not yet smiled that wide. The other spot he mentioned was Moonshine Beach Bar of Reef Hotel. Checking through the reviews and photos, I said why not. Note, I later realized prices in the 3 bars isn’t of big difference.

Moonshine Beach Bar is right by the beach, the waves hit the walls at high tide. It’s an open bar, not in the sense of ‘open tab’ but with no windows or doors. The breeze from the ocean blows right through the bar tables, you’ll see a few guys going after their receipts as they are blown every now and then. The Bar’s view is strategic such that you can see the ships float into & out of Mombasa, fishermen sailing away or back and the watersports guys(mostly kite-surfers and jet skis) doing their thing over the waves. Reef Hotel actually has a Kite-surfing team next to the bar incase you are a licensed surfer or if you’d love to be trained(at a fee of course).

So I spend the next hour or so drinking my Fanta as I watch the ocean. I can hear the guys in the next table comparing this to Jiweke Tavern. Nairobians! The three girls on the table on the other side are busy taking selfies more than they are sipping their mojitos. It’s around 5PM and I hear a strand of a guitar plucked, then a chime…it’s live band performance time. The next 2 hours my focus is shifted from the beach to the band, performing tunes from the 60s to 90s. They do Les Wanyika’s Sina Makosa & Afro, Mbilia Bel’s Nakei Nairobi, Westlife’s Soledad and many more. By the time they get to perform the last song, I have danced enough.

Part of the Band

Yummy!

At 7PM the DJ takes over and starts the party. By now the bar is filled, getting a chair is not even possible. On a Sunday evening! I get on with enjoying the breeze, chatting with a few friends I have made. I also order an awesome meal of fried potatoes and steak and devour it. At around 11PM as I am about to leave, a bonfire is lit on the beach. ‘I should be here with the Miss’ is what goes through my mind. Hehe! I spend another 30 minutes or so by the bonfire before I finally leave, reluctantly.

All photos courtesy of Reef Hotel – Mombasa.

Contacts:

Mobile Phone: (+254) 736 474 005 or (+254) 722 205 918 or (+254) 703 446 940

Landline: (+254) 41 4471750 or (+254) 41 4471771/2 /5

Fax: (+254) 41 4471 349 or(+ 254) 41 4474 194

E-mail: reservations@reefhotelkenya.com

E-mail: info@reefhotelkenya.com