Extraordinary Africa>Kenya > Kenya Coast>Kinondo Kwetu
If you love the laid-back rustic feel of safari, and want something similar on the beach, then Kinondo Kwetu could be the perfect choice. It really feels as if you’ve stumbled into a friend’s wonderfully relaxed beach side home.
What’s Kinondo Kwetu really like?
Kinondo Kwetu is owned and run by the impossibly beautiful Andersson family. The hubs of their rather gorgeous guesthouse home are the two main villas set amongst gardens filled with birds and beautiful flowers – Mama Taa and Mama Tina. Both villas are decorated in a very Swahili style with whitewashed walls, high thatched roofs and plenty of dark wood. The overall feel is very much like staying in a private home. As a result, you don’t get standardised rooms- each one is different, though it’s worth us mentioning that most of them aren’t air-conditioned: rooms are cooled by overhead fans and the ocean breeze.
Mama Tina is the main house and has 3 bedrooms- two of these share a bathroom and the other is fairly small, so these are mainly used for children and single travellers. The bar and the main lounge are here too.
Over in Mama Taa there are 8 suites- three doubles (including the air-conditioned honeymoon site), one double connecting to a single, 3 with doubles connecting to a sitting room (or 2nd bedroom) and the Borelius Suite, which not only has a second room, but also a private verandah.
Outside there are 5 cottages- 3 doubles, one double with a connecting single room, and the Ubani Beachhouse which is most often used for either families or two couples travelling together (there’s a double bedroom upstairs, and a double connecting to a single downstairs).
When we stayed here the food was delicious home cooking with dinner lit by flickering candlelight and warmed by the ocean breeze. What we particularly loved was that staff will try to set your dinner somewhere new each evening. As if you’re staying with a friend there’re no endless hotel-style lists- most of the meals have set menus, but just let us know if you’ve got any dietary needs, and we’ll make sure the Kinondo team are warned well in advance of your arrival. The staff here are incredibly friendly and welcoming and will do their best to make your stay unforgettable.
What can I do at Kinondo Kwetu?
Outside there’s the wonderfully peaceful Galu beach and a garden full of birds and beautiful flowers, as well as two pools and a tennis court. Kinondo Kwetu also has a rather lovely dhow for exploring the area, and there’s offshore snorkelling, a kite-surfing school 15 minutes away down the beach, a hobie cat for experienced sailors, and horse riding. If that all sounds too exhausting you can always have a massage in the spa.
Giving back at Kinondo Kwetu:
The Kinondo Kwetu Trust Fund was set up specifically to support the local village with healthcare and education. It helps to sponsor pupils in secondary school, to fund affordable, and sometimes free healthcare at the local clinic, and the latest project is helping to fundraise for a computer training centre for adults and younger children.
Want to know more? We’ve stayed here, so just
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