The Beach Tower
Utupoa Upepo
We designed and built UtupoaUpepo, our beach tower, as a song of praise for the local ngalawa sailing culture. You sleep on its top floor, cradled from and by a sea breeze, as close to Matemwe’s dazzling beach high-water mark as you could ever hope to be. In Swahili, upepo is the nautical term for ‘wind’, the word ngalawa sailors habitually use for their point of sail: to sail against the wind, for example, is kupinga upepo. But if you search an English-Swahili Dictionary, you will also see that pepo means ‘paradise’.
We also designed UtupoaUpepo with romance in the air and we wanted to give two people the private, exclusive and secure space of a tower, situated as close as possible to the sea, with three floors, where all of the space is yours and yours alone.
Climb the sand-coloured staircase as though you are going up for air and then, before you on the tower’s middle level, a resting place with its own bar and music system, open to the breeze and in greens for the most part, here it is: Matemwe’s glorious beach panorama.
And so to the eyrie, the lovers’ nest. Up the staircase as you climb, feel mangrove polished hard by mud and salt, until you reach the warm, red cocoon which is your en suite bedroom on the top floor. The bed itself is pure ngalawa, carved out of a mango tree and bearing still the swells and scars of its recent history. The boat’s prow provides stowage and the two outriggers make a frame for the window which is all upepo and a view which, as you lie in bed, will surely take your breath away.
Utupoa Upepo
Utupoa Upepo, our beach tower, is designed as a song of praise for the local ngalawa sailing culture. You sleep on its top floor, cradled from and by a sea breeze, as close to Matemwe’s dazzling beach high water mark as you could ever hope to be.
$160 / night
for 2 Guests (including breakfast)
"This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain all!
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whomever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond."
~Rumi
Contact us
Bookings / Enquiries
To enquire or book directly without fees, please email us below.
Please note, we accept payment in cash, card, or via online transaction. There is an ATM in Kiwengwa (15 minutes drive away).
For bookings, please click the button below or email us at [email protected]