Mandinga Ancestral IV: Capoeira Angola & African Arts Festival Nairobi & Watamu, Kenya
April 13th - 21st, 2024
DESCRIPTION
Welcome to Mandinga Ancestral IV – an immersive 8-day Capoeira Angola and African Arts festival in Nairobi and the stunning coast town of Watamu, Kenya! The 2024 festival marks its fourth edition and includes the presence of Mestre Jogo de Dentro; Professor T.J. Desch Obi; Contra Mestre Salim; Professor João Reis; Francisco Morales Bermudez; and invited guests from Kenya.
The journey begins in Nairobi, where guests will participate in Capoeira Angola; traditional Kenyan percussion; and yoga workshops with youth from Capoeira Angola Center Kibera. In Nairobi guests have two options for lodging: 1) a stay at the Inuka Guest in Kibera; or 2) a stay at King Post Hotel (details below). From Nairobi, guests will fly to the serene coastal town of Watamu for four days of workshops, knowledge sessions, and time at our stunning hotel located within the Watamu Marine National Park in the Indian Ocean!
OFFERINGS
- Capoiera Angola
- Knowledge Sessions on N’golo and Diaspora Martial Arts
- Traditional Kenyan Percussion
- Kenyan spirituality and the science of herbs
- Afro-Colombian stick fighting
- Yoga
- Interactive Thai Bodywork
- Visit to the Organic Farmer’s Market in Nairobi
WHATS INCLUDED
- All Accomodation
- All ground travel (guests purchases international and domestic flights)
- All meals (except for two lunches)
- All workshops
WHATS NOT INCLUDED
- International Flights
- Domestic flights (Nairobi to Malindi)
AVAILABLE FOR ADDITIONAL PURCHASE & AD-ON’s
- Spa Treatments in Watamu (our hotel Temple Point has a full menu of offerings)
- Safari at the Nairobi National Park located in the city of Nairobi
* The organizers can connect guests with reliable tour guides for those who would like to stay for an additional day or two to visit the National Park (within Nairobi). For a more comprehensive safari experience, the organizers can connect guests with reliable tour companies.
MANDINGA ANCESTRAL ACCOMODATION
In an effort to make Mandinga Ancestral accessible to a wide range of guests, we are offering two accommodation options for the Nairobi portion of the festival.
Option 1: a stay at the Inuka Guest House in Kibera, hosted by Capoeira Angola Center Teaching Artist, John Odhiambo (10 min. walk to the St. George Orthodox Church where workshops will take place).
Option 2: a hotel stay at King Post Hotel
Nairobi - Guest House OPTION (KIBERA)
Capoeira Angola Center Kibera operates under the umbrella of a Kibera-based NGO called Inuka Cultural Center. In addition to offering free classes in capoeira, breaking and girls empowerment to youth in Kibera, Inuka has a social enterprise called the Inuka Guest House. The Guest House is a hostel-style house in Kibera that’s managed by Inuka Program Manager and Capoeira Teaching Artist, John Odhiambo.
Kibera, commonly regarded as the largest slum community in Africa, is also a cultural hub within Nairobi with street vendors, open air markets and numerous informal businesses. The Guest House regularly hosts visitors from Europe and the U.S. who are visiting Kibera for social and non-profit projects.
Nairobi - HOTEL OPTION
Our first package includes a stay at King Post Hotel (furnished apartments) in Nairobi for four nights followed by four nights at Temple Point, Watamu. At King Post, guests will share an apartment with another participant. A bathroom may be shared but each guest will have their won room. Guests who require a private apartment can contact Salim directly.
The King Post is a recipient of Trip Advisor’s 2017 Certificate of Excellence award. The apartments are designed with beautiful Swahili, Arabic, Indian, and Portuguese elements. There’s an outdoor pool, free WiFi, a fitness center, and a spa with massage treatments.
Watamu (Coast) - Temple Point Hotel
For the second half of the festival, our group journeys by plane to the magical coast town of Watamu. We’ll be at the stunning Temple Point Resort located in Watamu Marine National Park at the junction of the Mida Creek and Indian Ocean.
Overlooking a coral reef and its own private beach, Temple Point offers traditional Swahili-style rooms. All of the air-conditioned rooms include a modern bathroom and stunning views of the Indian Ocean, Mida Creek or lush tropical gardens from a patio or balcony.
MANDINGA ANCESTRAL SCHEDULE
- Arrivals in Nairobi (for people traveling from the US, we recommend the direct flight from JFK/New York to Nairobi)
- Opening Dinner
- Breakfast served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Opening reception & lunch at the Brazilian Embassy
- Opening Roda
- Dinner served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Breakfast served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Morning workshops in Kibera
- Brunch at Inuka Guest House (traditional Swahili food)
- Afternoon Workshops in Kibera
- Dinner served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Breakfast served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Morning workshops in Kibera
- Brunch at Inuka Guest House (traditional Kenyan food)
- Afternoon Workshops & Roda in Kibera
- Dinner served at the guesthouse or hotel
- Breakfast at the guesthouse or hotel
- Flights to Malindi (1 hour)
- Bus to Watamu (30 mins.)
- * guests may order lunch if needed at Temple Point
- Dinner at Watamu
- Morning Workshops
- Brunch
- Afternoon Workshops
- Roda
- Dinner
- Morning Workshops
- Brunch
- Afternoon Workshops
- Roda
- Dinner
- Morning Workshops
- Brunch
- Afternoon Workshops
- Roda
- Closing Dinner
- Breakfast
- Departures
MANDINGA ANCESTRAL PHOTOS
MANDINGA ANCESTRAL FAQs
- All flight costs (international and domestic) must be covered by guests
- Guests must book their international flight to JKIA Nairobi
- Guests must book their domestic flight from Nairobi to Malindi
- Preferred arrival times in Kenya are from 10am – 2pm on Sat. April 13th
- Preferred departure times from Kenya are anytime after 4pm on Sun. April 21st
- Registration covers all additional essential expenses in Kenya including ground travel; accommodation; food; festival workshops etc.
- Spa treatments at Temple Point (Watamu) are not covered
- Guests are welcome to stay in Nairobi the week following the festival to spend time in the city and visit the national park for those interested in a safari
- Guests should be prepared for cool evenings in Nairobi and a tropical climate on the coast. More info will be shared upon registration.
JFK (New York) – JKIA (Nairobi) – Only Direct Flight to Kenya; 14.5 hrs
- Leaves NY at 12:45pm – Arrives Nairobi at 10:30am (next day)
- Leaves Nairobi 11:35pm – Arrives NY at 6:35am (next day)
- Approximately $950
- Flights should be booked to depart NY on Fri. April 12th returning on the date you
choose but no earlier than Sunday, April 21st
If US travelers are departing from a different city, we recommend using Travelocity; Orbitz; Google Flights; Kayak or your preferred search engine to find the best rates and shortest travel times
Please leave at least 3 hrs. for international layovers
- On Wed. April 17th the festival will move from Nairobi to Watamu on the coast of Kenya.
- The closest airport is located in the town of Malindi. Guests must book their own round trip ticket from Nairobi to Malindi
- The cost is approximately $125 round trip depending on what airline you use
- Flights from Nairobi to Malindi depart from two airports – JKIA and Wilson airport.
- Guests may be flying out of both airports depending on availability.
- If your international return flight is on Sunday, April 21st, you should book the domestic flight from JKIA International Airport through Jambo Jet
- Here are our recommendations on the flights you should book:
- Leaves Nairobi (Wilson Airport) at 2:30pm ; Arrives in Malindi at 3:40pm
- Leaves Malindi at 5:20pm; Arrives in Nairobi (Wilson Airport) at 6:30pm
- Leaves Nairobi (Wilson Airport) at 2:15pm; Arrives in Malindi (via Lamu) at 4:15pm
- Leaves Malindi at 4:45pm; Arrives in Nairobi (Wilson Airport) at 5:55pm
- Leaves Nairobi (JKIA International Airport) at 3:30pm; Arrives in Malindi at 4:45pm
- Leaves Malindi at multiple times, including: 8:50am; 1:15pm or 5:05pm
Good News – As of January, 2024 visas will no longer be required for foreign travelers. Visitors will need to fill out an Electronic Travel Authorisation Form Here’s the link to the complete the form:
Other than this form, there’s no visa needed
- Travelers arriving to Kenya from the US; Europe; Asia and South America do not have health requirements.
- Immigration officials may ask for a Yellow Fever document for travelers arriving from Uganda; DRC; Mali and other high risk countries in Africa.
You can register below, as well as all registration details are available on this page.
The payment options are:
- Option 1: King Post Hotel + Temple Point Watamu – $2,500
To be paid in 4 installments of $500 - Option 2: Guest house + Temple Point Watamu – $2,000
To be paid in 3 installments of $600 plus one installment of $700
Revised Installment Dates: Jan 15th; Feb 15th; March 15th; April 1st