Beach holidays have never been our style, well not since we got past the sandcastle stage with the kids, but we decided a bit of sybaritic hedonism wouldn't come amiss, just as long as it wasn't too long. After a couple of hours I'm looking for something - anything - to do.
We stayed in the Travellers Lodge in Bagamoyo, a tourist hangout, which we'd last been to in 97 or 98. I remember it well as the GOM got the worse case of the runs there that I've ever seen him with. He probably could, and would if asked, chronicle more harrowing episodes.
There is a glorious garden and the bandas are set out well apart from each other; our beach fronting one gave the illusion that we were alone in our own little paradise.
Naturally, there has to be a serpent in every Eden, and Bagamoyo continues to be known for the muggings on the beach. Every resort posts askaris outside to cover their own places, which helps, but it isn't advisable to go for long oceanside walks, which is annoying.
The town, -after talking about it for decades - is now really trying to make itself attractive to the tourist trade, but this means it really must get a grip on security. Bagamoyo does not need a rider in every Travellers Guide warning of beach robbery problems. 
Not that I had any difficulties: even the curio hawkers were not as persistant as in Zanzibar. But I did stay within sight of the askari at all times.
The owners of Travellers Lodge now are a South African/German couple, but at least when we were there they didn't see the need to oversee their extremely good staff - especially not the 'mpishi mnene' the very fat cook, whom as the GOM observed clearly enjoys her own food. I had an absolutely delicious lobster, which as nearly the most expensive thing on the menu set us back an eyewatering 15,000 shilingi or 6 quid. The fisherman's platter for two was what I really had my greedy eye on, but the GOM is allergic to shellfish. What a waste- living where he does.
And neither of us got food poisoning.
In the reception bar and dining area, are incorporated wooden sculptures. Bagamoyo has had for the last 20 odd years a highly respected College of Art. 
One of the areas of excellence is its training of wood carvers, and some of the graduates have developed very intersting artistic styles. The basis of their training has been based on the tradition of Makonde carving - which is two fold. One is that of ijumaa -tree of life, complex life cycle intricately rendered in a realistic fashion and carved out of a single piece of wood sometimes 8 or 9 feet tall. The second tradition is
that of shetani or spirit carvings which tend to be grotesque verging on abstract. The carvings in Traveller's Lodge are anything but airport art and are a melding of these two traditions. My photos fail to do them justice
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