Kenya Report

Think of Kenya and you’ll probably think safari. However, Claire Payne found Kenya to be the perfect destination for her relaxing beach holiday in July 2005. Read Clare’s report to find out more and call 0121 250 2211 or 0845 086 9710 to book your holiday to Kenya.

Flight
We flew direct with Monarch Airlines from Gatwick to Mombassa Airport, with a flying time of 8 hours and 20 minutes.

Visas
Due to booking at the last minute, we had not obtained the Kenyan visas as required. We completed the forms on the plane and expected queues at the airport but the whole process took no more than 5 minutes, about the same time as people who had taken the visas with them.

Hotel Transfer
The Kuoni representative met us and showed us to a 12-seater mini bus for our transfer to the hotel, which took us through the city of Mombassa. The city, an island connected to the mainland by bridges and ferries, is steeped in history but at the same time a commercial and cosmopolitan centre. Mombassa can seem quite daunting with its shanty towns and hundreds of people wandering about and we were warned not to put our bags or cameras on display in case they were stolen.

To reach the coast, you have to catch a ferry, which again was a little daunting as lots of people squeeze in between the mini buses. The ferry ride only took about 10 minutes and from there it was about a 45 minute journey to the coast travelling through lots of small villages.

The Diani Sea Resort
The Diani Sea Resort is a beautiful all inclusive hotel set right on the beach. My room was large, with a big four-poster bed and mosquito nets. There was a dressing table with mirror and hairdryer, table and chairs and television. The bathroom was large with a separate toilet area. There was no bath, but a very good shower and ‘his’ and ‘hers’ sinks.
All the balconies have a table and two chairs and overlook the pool and gardens. However, there are three types of monkey within the hotel grounds which appeared looking for food every time I went out on to the balcony!

The pool area was very good with one large swimming pool. I felt it was a little too deep for a hotel pool, as the deep end was four metres and the shallow end just over one and half metres, which is not very suitable for non swimmers or children.

The excellent pool bar served a good selection of snacks including pizza, chips, sandwiches, soup and pasta.

Beach
From the hotel pool you can walk straight onto the beach, which was stunning. However, we were warned about ‘beach boys’ who try to sell you anything from keyrings to drugs. On the first day we made the mistake of telling them our names and from then on whenever we went out onto the beach we had 20 people or so yelling our names. If you do not wish to purchase anything from them you do have to say a stern ‘no thank you’ otherwise they become pushy and off putting.

Restaurant
The all inclusive resort did not have the usual buffet style restaurant. Instead, they have waiter service and a menu with various choices of starters and main courses. The food was delicious, varied and, weather permitting, was served al fresco.

Entertainment
Day time entertainment included Swahili lessons, pool games, guided walks to the local school and a walk to the snake farm. Evening entertainment included cultural shows, fashion shows, acrobatic and Masai Warrior displays. For £700 there is the option of a hot air balloon ride for breakfast, but we felt it was too expensive!

A great night out is on the Taramind Dhow, known as Kenya’s finest restaurant. For the cost of £40 per person, you are picked up from the hotel and taken on a ferry to the port where you dine on an old fashioned sailing boat that can seat about 50 diners. After being served a delicious choice of food including lobster, beef, soups or salad and live music and dancing. One word of caution, please do take money with you on this trip as drinks are not included.

We also recommend a local restaurant called The African Pot, where locals go for a top quality meal. The ambiance, food and wine was fabulous and it was very reasonably priced.

Summary
I would definitely recommend Kenya as a beach holiday destination. The weather was very hot and the hotel was wonderful. Although I didn’t see any of Black Mamba snakes we were warned about in the welcome meeting, I was bitten by sand flies and mosquitoes, so remember to take your anti-Malaria tablets. Kenya has pleasant overall weather conditions all year round, but it does have rainy seasons from March and May and from November to December.