Manda Bay

Just flew back to the US after 5 glorious days at Manda Bay, and re-entry to the real world is ROUGH after Manda! We had a group of 16 friends celebrating a big birthday, and the folks at Manda bent over backwards to make us feel at home and to celebrate. This is a place to go if you want to experience the coast of Kenya and to relax - especially nice after a busy safari itinerary. Endless beaches. World-class fishing (take a day or half-day aboard Cheza to chase marlin and then get Saidi to take you out reef fishing for GTs. We did well on a fly rod and spin rod alike.) A day in Lamu and Stella is a must - amazing culture (and shopping!). And take a day to learn about their conservation partnerships on the island and their reef restoration project - then go snorkeling to appreciate their work even more. But most of all, it's a place to relax. You can stay there for one or two nights but I recommend a minimum of 4 to experience all they have to offer. Great for families, couples, or a big group of friends - they can throw a heck of a party. Oh and we were especially impressed with the food, and an amazing lunch program -- not sure who is cooking for them but it's world-class! A special thanks to Mwezi and Nicki, bartenders Titus and Saidi, and Caragh and Andy Roberts for all of their gracious hospitality!! Amazing trip! THANK YOU

A unique desert island, up market 5*. Robinson Crusoe experience. Fantastically comfortable bedrooms the size of our london flat ! Super comfy beds and luxurious linen overlooking the beach. Lovely for early morning walks before breakfast in complete solitude. The food is exceptional and healthy. Lots of salads and fresh fish. Top of the list on our travels. Andy, Caragh, Mwezi, Nicky and Tim. Thank you. We enjoyed every minute (and the sunset cocktails on the game drive)!! Coming back next year !

Fabulous stay in June. We were recommended by our planner to stay here and it was an excellent stay. A lovely welcome awaited after the speed boat trip from the airport, through the mangroves, to the private island and Manda Bay. We had a welcome drink and a chat about things, it was all very relaxed. The ladies and all the staff members were friendly and accommodating and it really was very relaxing and calm throughout our stay. We had a lovely beachfront room that had all you needed it to have including shower gel, water, mosquito cream/spray and insect net around the bed. We used the holiday week here to relax but there were various boating and fishing activities you could partake in and things like paddle boarding and kayaking which we tried, the latter free of charge. Tea and coffee was served outside your room early in the morning with cookies and whilst there were set mealtimes, it was all very relaxed. The food was superb all week - lots of fish, fresh crab, huge prawns, pasta, salads and soup. Everything freshly prepared by a long serving chef. The breakfasts had lots of choice and the homemade granola was an item of food beauty ! Delicious. We could only eat toast and fruit beyond that, despite comments of is that all you are having! Afternoon tea had a home made cake daily with tea or coffee. Delicious each day ! The walks on the sand were lovely, with ghost crabs and other creatures around all the time, lovely to see. The hotel had a pool which was nice, and a yoga area, table tennis which we played and lots of sitting areas and books to borrow. A slight gripe was that there was no real gym - weights, bikes, rowers and the like would have been nice to work off the food! The hotel had a shop with local goods in it which was nice and we bought some goods from there. The WiFi was strong in the central area but non existent in our room which you could say was a good thing ! We also had a drive around the area on a sundowner evening and it’s was fascinating to hear about the history of the island, seeing the baobab trees, the baboons and water buffalo, as well as hearing of the plans to reintroduce some animals back to the island. Having a beer as the sun went down looking over the trees was lovely. The bar staff were great, there was a daily cocktail to try and the prices weren’t ridiculous considering the location of the place. We had water bottles filled regularly with ice so the water was cold to drink. We brought these from the safari and something like this in the room would be really useful. We really enjoyed the peace and quiet, the walks and the fabulous food here. The lady managers are always on hand if we needed anything and there is very little we would change. A brilliant experience.

We just returned from a wonderful visit to Manda Bay, with its beautiful location, kind staff, delicious food, and exceptional service. Mwezi and the entire team were welcoming and worked hard to ensure that we enjoyed our visit to this incredible place. Visits to Lamu and Shela, snorkeling from a dhow, and hours of peace on this beautiful property were some of the highlights of our stay at Manda Bay. A highlight of our visit was a delicious seafood lunch prepared by the crew of our dhow. We look forward to returning to this special place. Thank you!

Perfect, idyllic getaway, even if for a couple of days. Caragh and her whole team were amazing. Staff are so friendly, knowledgeable and professional. They made every bit of the stay as comfortably a possible, and they were all especially friendly and helpful to my pup who enjoyed the stay and adventure immensely. The place is simply stunning and they have designed it so well to enhance the natural features of the island and not go overboard with anything. Subtle or quiet luxury - not for everyone, but if you know what i mean, you will absolutely love this place! Attention to detail, location, staff, beautiful spacious rooms and pup-friendly were some of my top reasons to definitely visit Manda Bay resort! Thank you for a memorable stay! I hope to be back again

The most amazing place to relax and totally recharge. Mwezi and her team look after you so well, my resting heart rate and blood pressure have never been so low! After the early starts of a safari, this is the ideal place to chill. Stunning rooms on the beach front, fresh food every day and the friendliest staff you could ask for. Will definitely go again.