Msambweni Beach House is a stylish, private villa type resort with all the amenities and service of a well-run hotel.
Located on Kenya’s southern coast. Perfect for a group get together.
Where is Msambweni Beach House
Msambweni Beach house is located in the Kwale province on the Southern coast of Kenya. As it’s name suggests it’s right on the beach.
How do you get to Msambweni Beach House
Fly to Ukunda airport from Nairobi and expect a 45-minute or so drive to reach the beach house from the airport. The last part of the drive is along a dirt track that we hear is going to be built into a tarmac road by September 2019.
We flew out on Silvertone Air and back via Jambo Jet, ideally arrive in the morning and leave in the afternoon to maximize your time there. Note that Silvertone Air doesn’t have any seat allocation.. so be prepared to sit wherever you get a seat.
When you arrive at the airport, stop off at Diani shopping centre or Foodplus (both about 5 minutes away) to pick up some food or drink you might fancy for your journey or while you’re at the beach house, we bought some wine and mixers for our drinks.
Room choices at Msambweni Beach House
Each villa sleeps up to 4 people, 2 up and 2 down, but the upstairs bedroom is much more basic than the downstairs and is reached via a fairly steep set of steps.
Stay in a private villa or in the main house. I recommend Villa 1 or Villa 2. The Ocean Suite is great for glamping types though! Both Villa 1 and Villa 2 have their own private pools and terraces, so these are perfect for groups.
The Beach at Msambweni
The property is located on the beach itself at a slight elevation, so you do have to go down some steps to get the beach. It’s a great beach to walk along and soak up the sun, but we didn’t swim in the sea while we visited. You can see the beach and sea from the moment you enter the property.
Food and Drink at Msambweni Beach House
All meals are included at Msambweni Beach House and most meals do have some choice. But do let them know if you don’t eat particular foods or have any food allergies.
Do expect a lot of fresh seafood on the menu. We had one dinner that was crab themed and was delicious.
You need to order your breakfast after dinner on the previous night.
We all loved the fresh passion fruit juice at breakfast and our favourite meal for lunch was the stone baked pizza buffet on our last day. They tend to sensibly make use of whatever’s in season on the menu.
Expect avocados, pineapples, passion fruits and of course fish making an appearance on your plates.
Things to Do
Relax, kick back and soak up the vibe, I loved the atmosphere at Msambweni Beach House, and really appreciated the fact the area wasn’t at all built up.
So expect peace and quiet, take your favourite books to read.
Swim in the main pool and stare at the ocean or swim in your private villa pools if you’re in villa 1 or villa 2.
Go down and have a drink by the beach bonfire and stare at the little crabs that come out on the beach.
You can walk along the beach with a local guide, the hotel will organize for you. Just tip the guide and ideally buy some coconut water on the beach on the way back.
The Big Trip
The big trip is definitely the excursion to the mangroves. It’s about a 35 minute drive to get the village where you take the boat. We were a party of 7 and we were on one flat, long canoe type boat, with one skipper.
This trip takes in all the mangroves and little houses on the riverside, but the highlight was definitely stopping and having some drinks and a walk on the magnificent sand bar! Tides coming in from 3 directions, a makeshift shade and not a soul in sight other than us. This is the stuff that memories are made of!
What to PACK
A good sun hat, sun protection, loose clothing, beach footwear and a good book. Also take some mosquito repellent although there are nets around the beds. Don’t bother taking anything designer in terms of clothing, jewellery, bags or footwear. No one is there to notice it anyway!
Room for improvement at Msambweni Beach House
The linen could be upgraded for sure and there also could have been a little more choice on the menu for some meals but the settings were all superb.
Access will be easier when the dirt track approach road is tarmacked.
But service overall is warm, friendly and above and beyond what we expected, and that makes all the difference.
How to Book
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Note I was inspired to try Msambweni based on a recommendation from Nomad Magazine Africa
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