Neptune Paradise Village Reviews

We booked this holiday through hayes travel, accomodation and flights seperate and we saved over 250 pound per person. We got a taxi from Mombassa airport cost about 25pound which considering it is a 2 hour drive and a ferry crossing that was good value. Be prepared for the sights though the poverty is very upsetting.

The hotel was very good the staff could not do enough for you.The rooms are set in blocks of four, they are abit basic but you need to remember that you ae in a country that is very poor so considering that the standard was good. The food was abit basic and a bit repetative but it was ok. Breakfast was about the best if you tip the head waiter Robert at the beginingnof the holiday he will look after you really well all of your stay , we gave him 500 shilling which is about3pound fifty. We ate out a few nights at a really good indian resteraunt if you ask at receotion they arrange it for you, a taxi from the resteraunt picks you up and fetches you back for free the meal cost next to nothing, for four of us 3 courses and 3 bottles of tusker each come to less than 40 pounds. The entertainment was a bit naff but all inclusive makes up for that.

All in all avery good holiday, we met some really good friends Ed(ROY) and Nita and we are all meeting back at neptune same time next year.

Cant wait!!!!!

We stayed at the Neptune Beach Hotel for three weeks in January 2007. From the moment we arrived we felt very welcome, we were booked in with the minimum of fuss or delay and our luggage was taken to our room. The rooms are of good size with satellite TV, air conditioning, telephone, table, chairs and comfortable beds and, like the rest of the Hotel, the room was exceptionally clean and well serviced during our stay. However, the balconies are far too small. The three storey building is served by stairs at each end of the accommodation and by a lift. Two Toilets are very conveniently situated in the public areas of the Hotel and were always very clean and regularly inspected.

The Reception leads to a large open plan marble floored vestibule where there is a Lounge (Pay) Bar for those guests requiring other than the local drinks available on the all inclusive tariff, and a large airy lounge with several high quality three piece suites for relaxation. A large ornate open staircase leads to the Restaurant where you can choose to dine inside in the air conditioned area or outside on the large balcony overlooking the grounds of the Hotel, the Beach and the Indian Ocean.

Two small but well equipped shops are situated off the reception and there is an Internet Café available for guests at 400 Kenya Shilling an hour ( about £3 ). A small library of books is available in the lounge for guests to swap at no charge. The Reception has a Cashier available 24/7 for exchange of currency / travellers cheques etc., and a Doctor visits the Hotel daily.

Two sets of steps lead from the Lounge area at the front of the Hotel to the terrace, gardens, all inclusive Bar, outdoor Restaurant and swimming pool. The terrace is equipped with plenty of high quality sun loungers that are very well managed by the Attendant, Cosmos, who provides clean mattresses and towels for you at the time you require the loungers. This firmly defeats the common German guest practice of rising early, throwing towels over the best positioned sunbeds to secure them and then going back to bed for a couple of hours - the Hotel just don't allow it !

The well equipped outdoor Bar and Restaurant are adequately and professionally staffed. All inclusive guests have available a selection of locally produced spirits ( Rum, Brandy, Gin, Vodka ) plus Kenyan Tusker Lager on tap and a range of soft drinks and mineral waters. If I have any criticism of the Bar it is that they do not supply any diet drinks and the beer glasses are too small, holding well under a half pint !

The outdoor Restaurant provides food from mid morning until late at times when the main Restaurant is closed. A wide range of hot snacks are available and the food and its service is of a good standard.

The large swimming pool is very clean and properly maintained and there is a Hairdresser available during the day at the Hotel. Also a Therapist ( Mercy Nkirina ) who provides professional massages, manicures, pedicures, reflexology etc., at very reasonable prices and is highly recommended.

The front outdoor garden leads directly onto the beach and it is at this point you can disregard all the wonderful photographs you have seen of a vast empty white sandy beach extending for miles along the edge of the Indian Ocean ! During the day the beach is littered with local market traders selling goods at vastly inflated prices and certainly much higher prices than those you will find in the local shops. We were told that many of the items for sale on the beach are seconds and the traders are always opting for the highest prices, a quick killing and have no comprehension of turnover. Consequently, there are few sales and wooden carvings or paintings can remain on display for many weeks drying out and bleaching in the hot sun, sand and salty wind, only to shrink or crack once bought into a cold and damp European climate !

These beach traders pester you to buy anything from fruit, nuts, paintings, statuettes, Safari's, 'medical massages', boat trips and may follow you for ten or fifteen minutes along the beach. Don't get me wrong, they are very polite and friendly but they do make it quite impossible for tourists to go for a quiet uninterrupted stroll along the beach and you can forget any thoughts of sunbathing there. The local authority plan to move them onto some common land just off the beach to form a kind of market area but I have no idea when.

More alarmingly, during the afternoon and evenings male and female prostitutes loiter along the beach and behave in a similar fashion to conduct their trade. Some are as young as 16 and to see adults going off with these youngsters in a country where HIV is endemic is frightening.

Likewise, walking inland outside of the Hotel inevitably resulted in us being followed by groups of young men trying to sell small wares or begging. Also, be advised our Tour Rep asked us not to walk out of the Hotel after dark but to get a Taxi even for short distances.

Of course, all this is outside of the control of the Neptune Beach Hotel who do an excellent job of keeping the beach front of the Hotel itself clear of traders and employ a security guard round the clock to remove any trader who may stray into the Hotel grounds. Nevertheless, the Hotel is situated on a beach where these activities are a problem to Tourists who should be advised of the situation.

The food in the Neptune Beach Hotel was exemplary and undoubtedly the best I have ever experienced on any holiday. The Restaurant is buffet style and during the whole of the three weeks of our stay the menu was different every day and we were never presented with the same menu more than once. The standard of the Restaurant Staff was very high indeed and, in particular, our Waiter ( Mtana Mwangala ) was superb, very professional, knowledgeable and extremely helpful throughout our stay. The Restaurant was immaculate, hygienic and very well appointed.

At breakfast there were numerous choices ranging from toast, hot croissant, sweet breads, cooked food, cheeses, cereals, preserves, fruit juices and all beverages. A three course Lunch and Dinner comprised soup or a wide selection of salads for starters, a choice of at least three main courses with a variety of side dishes and a vast selection of sweets. A large selection of fresh fruit was available at all mealtimes. An A La Carte menu chiefly of exotic seafood dishes was available at extra cost. Note : As you would expect from a Hotel of this calibre, Swim / Beachwear is discouraged in the Restaurant and smart casual dress expected at dinner.

The Animation Team provided a daily agenda which often included visits to local places of interest, daily Pool Volleyball, Water Aerobics, Darts, Archery etc. Music was played during the day, often far too loudly we thought. Live entertainment was provided in the evening, often comprising of local African Dancers, Circus Displays, Acrobats and a live Band. We found the evening entertainment a bit samey, repetitive and lacking imagination.

The Staff at Neptune Beach are all very friendly, approachable and nothing is too much trouble for them. All Staff were polite, welcoming and worked very hard, from Waiters, Chefs, Kitchen Staff, Bar Staff, Security to Cleaners and Gardeners. We were, however, disappointed to witness how some of the management appeared to treat the Staff and were witness to two occasions where an Asian lady, who seemed to hold a managerial position at the Hotel, shouted and ranted at a member of Staff in an aggressive, autocratic and, having in mind this took place in front of guests, a very unprofessional and undignified manner. These two incidents rather blotted what was otherwise an excellent staffing profile at the Hotel.

Nevertheless, all things considered, my criticisms are very minor and we would most definitely stay at the Neptune Beach Hotel again and would recommend it unreservedly to anyone seeking the best of the Kenyan experience.

Our group were all female, Our flight with Monarch was uneventful but very cramped ........we normally upgrade to premium but we booked at last min .Price was excellent £299 for a week AI.

The hotel was nicely situated on the beach ,rooms were adequate,balconies were very small {we normally sit out alot and this was a disapointment}Food was not wonderful but you can get by, snacks in bar by pool were ok .Staff were as normal by Kenyan standards wonderful.We did a safari to Tsavo ,was disapointing ,we had been to the Masi Mara last year {everyone should go there}Personally I prefer the Diani Beach area ,but all in all not a bad holiday for the money.

Lastly as females we all agreed whilst there were some comments by the staff{not nastily I may add just slightly suggestive ,taken in jest by ourselves}We all agreed that we felt safe inside the Hotel.However on return to the airport my daughter {25}admitted that she had walked outside the hotel looking for monkeys and a man in a car had stopped and started to talk to her ,when she looked he was mbating ,she ran back but was to scared to say anything .Girls beware

We came here after a weeks safari in Treetops, Samburu, Lake nakuru and the Masai Mara so were looking for a weeks comlete rest. We had two interconnecting rooms which was ideal for our family and these were clean and very well maintained.

The food was of a high standard although I imagine after 2 weeks it could get a bit repetative. The beach its stunning all white sand and palm trees and the sea is as warm as a bath. The beach boys can be a pain but so long as you are polite but firm they will leave you alone. As a woman I had no problems and never felt threatened just a little bit itrritated at times. My kids got used to them and telling them to go away.

The beauty salon there is VERY basic but you can get a full back massage last 1/2 hour for about £4 and hair can be put into cornrows fairly cheaply. While I was there i fell over and hurt my foot quite badly (they thought it was broken) but there is a doctor who visits daily. I received excellent care including an ambulance trip to Mombassa for an xray. Luckily it wasn't broken just very badly sprained. However that little escapade cost us £200 so make sure you have travel insurance as you have to pay up front.

The hotel staff were excellent as i couldn't walk for three days even on crutches so they brought all my food and drinks to my room and were most concerned about my welfare.Be careful when buying things on credit card as although they write the total in Kenyan Shillings on my statement it came out as US dollars so instead of spending £17 I had been charged £1000. The bank say this is quite common and the money was refunded into my account a few days later. Always keep the original credit card receipt safe as proof of what you paid.

All in all we loved our holiday in Kenya and would love to come again when funds allow.We travelled with Cosmos but were under the care of Somak holidays and all their reps and staff were very helpful. Monarch airlines had very limited legroom even if you pay extra for it so I would recommend Kenya Airways to fly with if you can.

This hotel is 3 star but with 5 star staff. It is clean and welcoming. The food was excellant, nicely cooked, There was not alot of choice each day, but the menu changed daily. If you are a chips and pizza person, these can be provided. We have travelled quite alot in the past few years, especialy in Asia. So we are used to bartaring and being pestered to buy things on the beach etc.

However, although every hotel has guards along the beach front and tourist police make regular patrols, the beach boys selling safaris and various wooden animals can be quite agressive and intrussive. They do not understand ";NO";. The rules that aply in Asia are different hear. The price you pay is not roughly half of the first asking price, but way below that. Asked for 12000 shillings I offered 2000 and it was agreed. (NEVER BUY ANYTHING THE FIRST FEW DAYS UNTIL YOU ARE USED TO THE MONEY AND WHAT THE REAL VALUE OF THINS ARE). Safe to go out in the day, the night times can be restristive as it is not safe to walk out and there are not that many places to get taxis to unless you go into Mombassa its self. Friends of ours were aproached by a guy claiming to be a chef at our hotel (We had alinclusive wrist bands on) He offered to take them out the next day. On checking at the hotel he did not work there, so they never met him.

The safari to Voi lodge Tsavo East was fantastic. Food wonderful. Be aware that there are 2 Voi Lodges. One has spectacular views set in the side of a hill. The other voi wildlife is abit more luxurious with a gym etc, but not in the glorious setting of the lodge.

Overall it was a lovely holiday and I would advise people to go. Just be on your guard.