Latest Reviews for Kilifi

Arrived in Kenya after a good 10 1/2 hr flight.We had quite a long wait to get through immigration and had to pay £30 each to get in or $25 which was a bit of a suprise as we had booked last minute and hadn't been given any information about this.By the time we had got through though our luggage was waiting on the carousell so it wasn't too bad.We were met by an airtours rep who told us which coach we were on and a man took our cases to the coach.a tip is customary,so make sure you have one ready or you will offend.

the heat hits you on leaving the building and wow was it hot.the coach to the resort was very nice and air conditioned(thank god).we had about half an hour wait because another flight had arrived just after ours and we had to wait for those.they drive on the same side as us but i would strongly recommend you don't hire a car as the roads or should i say tracks are too dangerous to anyone who isn't familliar with them(massive holes in places).
on arrival to the hotel we were greeted by the staff who took our cases to reception and then on to our room(yet more tipping).

first impressions were good.basic lodge but very clean and had a fridge,good air conditioning and a ceiling fan.the plug sockets were the same as ours, 3 pin so no need for adaptors.we had 2 mozzy machines(a must) that were 2 pin round that obviously didnt fit but for 500 kenyan shilling(refunderble)you could hire them from reception,so no probs.there is a walk in shower which could hold about 6 of you,so a good size.lol.the towels (though changed every day)were rather smelly sometimes and seemed greasy like they had only been rinsed rather than washed, so we used our own.all the windows were covered by mesh but to get the full effect of the air con we kept the windows shut all the time too.the lodges are made up of mainly wood.the beds are quite hard and the pillows like slabs but we asked for more pillows and recieved them in minutes, as most other things we asked for.the maid returns before night fall to spray and put the mozzy net over the bed.we never saw any spiders in our room but there were always lizzards in the room when it was quiet and we had a huge wasp one day but the reception sent somone to remove it with a branch off the tree which amused us a bit.lol.we had a power cut for a few hours during one night and another one a couple of days later for a few hours and no running water for a few hours 1 day,but it didnt bother us much.
the entertainment was not up to much.mainly acrobats and african dancing and that was every other night at around 9 pm.

the gardens were quite nice which were visited by monkeys at around 5pm most days,which was lovely.the pool was large and warm with a swim up bar.there are plenty of sun beds with thick (but tatty) mattresses.the view from the poolside overlooked the beach which was breath taking and its essential you take some good binoculars as the dolphins ride the waves near the hotel.
the drinks which are all inclusive were very basic.local whisky,gin,vodka,rum,1 red and 1 white wine and soft drinks and juices,everything else you had to pay for and there was very limited choice.
meals were good but quite repetetive especially the desserts,ive never knew how many differant types of fruit crumble there were until i went to kenya.good job i liked crumble.lol.the only bad point about the food was they never had much out at any one time so it dried up quickily and they were always turning off the oil burners which heated them,which made the food cold at times.a good tip is to eat as soon as the mealtime starts and not near the end.

the staff couldn't do enough for you but be prepared for a wait because they take life very easy and think nothing of letting you wait 30 mins for your drink.you have to sign for every drink that you have which is a pain and make sure you know exactly what is free and what isnt as no one informs you.ice is safe to drink because it is made with bottled water.water is free behind the bar by the glass but you have to pay for the bottles.they told us that the water you get by the glass is from a very large container.
i wouldnt recommend this place for children as they would get very bored as there is only the pool,table tennis, and tennis court and an old dart board for them.there is a pool table but isnt worth playing on because it is so old and battered and a table football game which had a dead lizzard in it(been there since we got there and was there when we left)wouldn't have wanted 2 weeks there unless you do the excursions.if you are looking for a very relaxing holiday with deserted powder white sandy beach,very warm sea and breathless views,this is the place to get away from it all(like we did)if you are looking for water activities or a 18-30 type hol,this isn't for you.
the most strenuious thing we did was watch the beach crabs running back and forth into holes,and the huge ants carrying even bigger things.lol.
the beach boy's trying to flog u things on the beach were a bit of a pain,but if you buy something very small from them they tend to leave you alone.they give you great knowledge of the area and who owns the beach houses etc though.
we visited the sister hotel -kilifi bay.down to the beach then to your left.it takes about 30-45 mins and is a nice walk.you can eat and drink there without prior notice.we found the food and service to be better but it wasn't as quiet and cosy.

taxis are organized by reception and a price agreed before hand and are cheap.we visited a local orphanage and 2 local villages during our stay and took them some things we had bought from home.they are so greatfull.1 of the animation team took us and we just gave him a tip.the average monthly wage is around £55 so a small tip makes such a differance.my only regret is i wish we had taken more things from the uk to give them,mainly clothes.they are in great need.we ended up leaving a load of our things for them.my fella gave 1 of the waiters his england shirt and i thought he was going to kiss him he was so happy.
i dont know whether it was just around that time of year, but there were alot of mozys.we had machines and strong repelant and still they bit.prescription maleria tablets are a must in kenya.shop around for them as we did you can pay from £30-£65 for 16 malerone tablets for a weeks stay,so shop around and the more you buy the cheaper they become so if there are a party of you,order the total amount for your party and not per prescription.i saved a fortune.

the coach that we had for our return journey to the airport was like something from days of old with very little suspension.it swayed from side to side and made us feel quite ill.there were no room for the cases,they had to go on the roof.
another suprise on our return was to have to pay another £10 each to get out of the country.airtours didn't tell us that either!was a bad end to a fantastic holiday.

i would definatly recommend kenya for a holiday without kids.that maybe me being a little over protective, but I wouldn't have taken kids there.if i was to return i would probably stay at the sister hotel,mainly because of the food.for what we paid (£798 for the 2 of us for 1 week A/I)i think we got a very good deal and expected to have paid alot more in the region of £1,000 plus,so i was very happy.

i hope that this will be of help to other travellers.
many thanx to our rep livingston,who did airtours proud....top bloke,even came to ask if we were ok on his night off,bless him.

We have just returned from 2 weeks at Kilifi Bay Beach Resort (over Christmas and New Year), booked through First Choice. From our arrival at the resort until the day we left we experienced problems which were not rectified - which include, but are not limited to: electric shocks from our shower; generally poor standard of electrics throughout the hotel (including bare wires stuck directly into sockets); lack of aircon in the room; glasses of water filled straight from the tap and not bottles; food which ran out early or was cold; sheets which were only changed once a week; and no tea and coffee facilities in the room. The ";safety deposit box"; is simply an envelope stapled shut and put in the hotel's ";safe"; in a room behind reception. However, when we asked to see the safe our request was refused.

The First Choice brochure states this hotel has two restaurants, a snack bar, and 3 bars. This is incorrect - there is one buffet restaurant and a snack bar (which is only open until 6pm and has a very limited menu). The A La Carte restaurant simply does not exist. The ";Beach Bar"; is no more than a counter, and all drinks are obtained from either of the other bars by a waiter, and brought to you half an hour after ordering, by which time they are warm.

The quality of the food generally was poor and repetitive and was often cold (so much so that we ate outside the hotel for the last 5 nights of our stay). The hotel's website states that there is normally one barbecue and one theme night a week, however, there were no barbecues or theme nights during our stay. During our stay they held a ";Gala Dinner"; on both Christmas and New Years Eves, but on both occasions the food was cold and it ran out very early on Christmas Eve.

The main pool was out of action for 4 days of our stay, and the second pool was green and stagnant until the day before we left. The TV room did not have a television in it, although there was a TV situated above the bar in the Pool Bar, but this shuts at 6pm.

The evening entertainment is actually not that entertaining, and on one night consisted solely of a game of Musical Chairs!!! The daytime entertainment is fairly average, although very repetitive - beach volleyball, aqua aerobics, water polo and Swahili lessons. Water sports are not available at the hotel.

The First Choice rep at the hotel was not very helpful, and only visited three times a week for half an hour each time. The majority of First Choice guests made several complaints whilst in the resort, and asked for several things to be rectified. However, we felt as though the rep believed the hotel manager over the guests

On the plus side, the staff were very friendly (although grossly overworked), the rooms were generally clean, and the location on the beach is fantastic.

In our opinion, this hotel does not merit the 3* plus rating given to it by First Choice (although it has only been used by First Choice since November 2005), and needs a lot of work to bring it up to an appropriate standard.

I have just returned from the most fabulous holiday and I did not want to come home.

We stayed at the Sea Horse Hotel, Kilifi and what a great time we had.
The Management and Staff at the hotel were so kind and friendly and would try to help make your holiday the best possibly could be. I would recommend this hotel to anyone and will definately be returning, hopefully in the next
year or so.

Thank you African Safari Club.

Its a long flight as we had to travel from Manchester to Heathrow onto Nairobi then onto Mombasa.
We travelled with Kenyan airways, the staff were friendly and they were always coming round with drinks (which were free), so that you did not get dehydrated.
It was a shock when we arrived in Kenya as many of the people that live there are poor and they tend to live in shacks.

Beware as you have to take your own luggage from one terminal at Nairobi to another terminal where your luggage is put on the next plane for Mombasa. We were not told this and tried to check in without our luggage. The staff were surprised that we had come on holiday wirh only our hand luggage. Although when coming back you check in your luggage at Mombasa and see it at your destination in Britain. Staff at the airport expect to be tipped and I would advise you to tip them as they are in charge of putting your luggage on the plane.

We went on Safari after staying at the hotel for 2 nights. The hotel looked after our main luggage as you have to check out of your room when on Safari. The guide on safari was great and we got to see most of the animals that we went to see.

Back at the Beach hotel, it was very relaxing. The Staff were always helpful especially the pool attendant who saved our sunbeds each day. The food was nice a good choice each meal time.
We will definately go back and hopefully the same staff will be there.

if you are looking for an adults only quiet holiday as stated by kuoni dont do it!!! what they mean is nobody under 16 from this country.as many famalies as they can cram in is what is happening.this hotel has been bought by a timeshare co and they are winding the place down till the timeshare people take over in sept04 after all the good reports id read on other sites i was dissapointed by what we found,as were a lot of return customers