Kenya Accommodation – Where We Stayed
Masai Mara – Narok
Diani
Blue Marlin Beach Hotel
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Blue Marlin’s main attraction is its location, holding a place on the beautiful Diani Beach Front, which powdery white sand and turquoise water will fulfil any beach lovers dream.We stayed here for 4 nights and enjoyed relaxing on their sun loungers, under swaying palms, sipping on fresh fruit juices.
Blue Marlin offers 20 rooms ranging from standard garden view to superior sea view & penthouse suites, which we would possibly recommend paying the extra for if budget allows. We were based in their garden view room, still only 20m from the beach, however, the room’s aircon wasn’t adjustable, meaning it had to constantly stay on 24 degrees. Due to this making little difference we decided to leave it off. We did become accustomed to the humid nights, but other guests may find the room temperature uncomfortable due to there being no fans available, even upon request. You will be pleased to know, however, that the superior rooms come with fully adjustable aircon units.
The male owner and his son did a great job of making us feel welcome at their hotel, especially their warm manner with our daughter Carmen. They made sure we enjoyed our stay throughout, giving us tips on the area, and extra assistance with speeding up our wifi which was much appreciated. This cheerful outgoing customer service was replicated by all of the hotel staff who worked in the kitchen, restaurant and reception, and they made a lovely fuss of Carmen and always served us with huge smiles on their faces throughout our stay.
Food at Blue Marlin was always of a good standard, and we particularly loved dining there on the evenings, eating over a candle-lit table, listening to the sounds of the waves lapping the shore. The Swahili fish was really delicious, and the pancakes they cooked every morning at breakfast were our fav!
Mombasa
Severin Sea Lodge
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With a cold refreshing towel, a glass of fresh passion juice and staff with beaming smiles; Sever Sea Lodge, sure read our minds for what we needed on arrival after a morning of tiring travel to reach them.
What we loved about this hotel was its sophistication and elegance, without compromising the necessary facilities to make it a family-friendly resort. Severn Sea Lodge offers a tranquil pool surrounded by sun loungers, perfect for adults to relax. There is also a second pool with a water shoot and waterfall fountain, which went down really well for all the kids.
The hotel is located on Mombasa Beach, offering a wonderful sea breeze, with plenty of outdoor grass space and seats to wind down on. The beach itself has powder-soft white sand and calm shallow waters (seasonal) and is perfect for late afternoon strolls along the beach and paddling in the sea.
Meal times were kept interesting and enjoyable with a variety of options, ranging from set 3-course meals on some nights, to buffet-style options on others, including a similar style for breakfast. Severin Sea Lodge came fully equipped to cater to little ones, with high chairs and they even went to the trouble of rustling up a plate of mashed potato and baked beans, on the night of their set 3-course meal, once we mentioned to them none of the optional dishes weren’t suitable for her.
Our bedroom was very comfortable, with soft beds, mosquito nets, aircon, a fridge and a balcony with a nice view of the grounds.
One aspect we would warn about, though no fault of the hotel’s may we add, is the presence of animals on the grounds. Make sure if you are eating outside around the pools you pay close attention to the crows, who literally steal your food as soon as your back is turned. The same applies to having snacks on the balcony, as monkeys will be after your food, and will even come into the room given half the chance if your balcony door is left open (personally happening to us).
The bar area is a lively place to spend the evenings, often hosting traditional Kenyan performances, with music and dancing. It’s a good distance from the majority of the bedrooms, so the sound isn’t a problem overall for the majority of rooms, but for those in closer proximity, the entertainment may be heard slightly, until 10.30 when it’s switched off.
Kilifi
Distant Relatives Ecolodge & Backpackers
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Rooms range from shared dorms and private rooms with shared toilets to bandas with private bathrooms. The latter option was the choice we opted for to enable us to have some privacy and ease with using our own personal bathroom with Carmen. Our banda was impressive in size, with a very high ceiling, holding a double bed and a bunk bed, all with their own mosquito net. There were no glass windows in our room, but instead horizontal metal bars, designed to let in the breeze, whilst keeping out pesky monkeys. This gave the room a very open feel, which obviously may make some guests feel a little vulnerable with insects etc being able to get in easily, however, if it is the ‘back to nature’ feel you are after, this is definitely the room for you, especially when you can hear crickets chirping in the night and birds singing in the morning.
The same vibe was continued in our banda’s private outdoor bathroom, a huge space following on from the bedroom, encompassed by high thick woven wood to give optimal privacy. It was so surreal and refreshing to take a shower under huge trees lit up by the moonlight. Showers were cold water, which if we are honest was testing with a toddler when the sun went down, however, it wasn’t too much of a problem to shower during the day due to the weather being humid and the water being quite tepid. The outdoor toilet was a very eco-friendly compost toilet, meaning there was no option to flush it, but instead after each use, you were asked to tip wood chippings into the toilet opening, which over time would turn the waste into rich fertiliser to be used on the land. Although very different to the western flush, it was a key part of the process of being an Eco Lodge. Our only recommendation, if you have a strong sense of smell, is to bring a peg, and if travelling with small children, don’t leave them unaccompanied as it would be a traumatic place to lose a little one!
Staff at Distant Relatives are very relaxed and give you plenty of space to wind down, yet are also at hand to give you help if you ask for it. Their social dining room was a lovely space to hang out, with a bar area serving cocktails and fresh juices, plenty of tables to eat and an area which served us as a play area with Carmen, filled with hoops, building blocks, stilts and soft floor cushions. The outdoor space was enjoyable with a pool, sun loungers and a volleyball sand pit surrounded by vibrant funky art. Also offered was a communal kitchen for guests to use, which came in handy when preparing snacks for Carmen.
Their local beach, around a 5-minute walk from the accommodation, was a small stretch of sand on the edge of Kilifi Creek, surrounded by mangroves. Although there was a fair bit of seaweed washed up on the shore and the sand wasn’t as squeaky clean as we had hoped for (possibly due to the season) we were pleased with how calm the water was with no waves, making it ideal for Carmen to swim in. We were impressed to find out that Distant Relatives Eco Lodge does make the effort on occasion to rally support from the locals in the area and blitz the local beach, picking up as much rubbish as they can find, which is a valuable activity to do.
Nairobi
Four Points by Sheraton Nairobi Hurlingham
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Four Points, Hurlingham, has established a very stylish, comfortable and modern hotel near the centre of Nairobi, with easy access to the main tourist attractions. Arriving there late at night after they organised an airport transfer for us, Carmen was so excited to see their beautifully lit entrance and reception, that she ran head first into their spotlessly clean glass entrance door. Straight away the staff responded extremely carefully and with a lot of care, providing first aid treatment and a follow-up call to see how she was doing. Rest assured she was fine and was soon tucking into a delicious dinner at 11 pm served as room service, which option lasted until midnight. The room was spacious, the beds comfortable and the bathroom had a brilliant power shower and accompanying toiletries with a hair dryer also.
The remainder of our time in the hotel was very enjoyable, Carmen especially loved spending time in their well-maintained heated rooftop swimming pool, and us adults loved relaxing on the sun loungers with great views across the city.
The hotel offers a variety of eating areas and we particularly enjoyed eating on the rooftop terrace, with a menu offering a wide variety of cuisines. Throughout our stay here, the food has been top-notch, compliments to the chef! We can’t praise the staff enough for their hospitality and assistance offered in booking our onward transport from Nairobi. It felt especially genuine and warm when the staff recommended we book taxis via Uber instead of going through the hotel, due to the price being much cheaper, which really showed they had our best interest at heart.
