Villa Mwangi, Diani Beach, Kenya

...its fine.

Villa Mwangi is a private Holiday Cottage in Diani Beach. We found it on the internet and the pictures alone made you want to go!! It looked just like a private paradise. There are three similar Cottages on the compound, Villa Monique,Villa Pierre and Villa Mwangi - we stayed in Villa Mwangi.

The compound is secure and only a five minute walk from a fantastic white sandy beach. There is no end to the privacy ...
...all!

Our Villa had two bedrooms with one doublebed each. Both bedrooms had airconditoning,ceiling fans and mosquito-nets (although I didnt see many mosquitos I have to say!) Upstairs there was an open studio area which had a seating area and I suppose it could also be used as a sleeping area. The upstairs area had a constant sea breeze coming through as the roof area was raised making the sides open to a lovely breeze and gorgeous ... more

We went to Kenya in January 2005 for three weeks. My partner had worked out there previously but it was my first visit. Rather than go to an all inclusive resort where they tell you not to leave the compound, we decided to look for private accomodation to rent. They tell you not to leave the compound due to it being dangerous but its only as dangerous as any other strange place you might visit!! You do have to have your wits about you but other than that its fine.

Villa Mwangi is a private Holiday Cottage in Diani Beach. We found it on the internet and the pictures alone made you want to go!! It looked just like a private paradise. There are three similar Cottages on the compound, Villa Monique,Villa Pierre and Villa Mwangi - we stayed in Villa Mwangi.

The compound is secure and only a five minute walk from a fantastic white sandy beach. There is no end to the privacy you get both on the beach and on the compound so its perfect to just get away from it all!

Our Villa had two bedrooms with one doublebed each. Both bedrooms had airconditoning,ceiling fans and mosquito-nets (although I didnt see many mosquitos I have to say!) Upstairs there was an open studio area which had a seating area and I suppose it could also be used as a sleeping area. The upstairs area had a constant sea breeze coming through as the roof area was raised making the sides open to a lovely breeze and gorgeous veiw.

The Villas are situated in a beautiful private estate called Bougainvilla II. During the day the gardener looks after the compound (which is always locked to avoid unwanted visitors) and a night there is a night watchman who stays on the compound. You feel extremely safe.

Housemaid service was provided and included in the price. The Villa was cleaned to a high standard on a daily basis. The maid even washed your clothes in the traditional way (no washing machines out there!) and I have to say my whites never looked so white!! The kitchen was small but fully equipped with everything you would need to prepare your own meals. The maid also prepared some of our meals whilst we were there making traditional soups from fresh ingredients - divine!! There was also a gardener called geoffrey who would do absolutely anything for you. If you wanted any shopping he would be off on his bike and if you fancied a traditional kenyan breakfast you just had to say and within half an hour he would be back with local specialities for you to try. When we first arrived a very nice lady called Anke met us (she looks after the guests and compound for the owners) and took us into the small towns for some basic shopping. You would be amazed at the prices of fresh meat. We almost lived of fresh fillet steak which you could not do in this country!! What I would say is lock up your food!! We had a very cheeky monkey which kept coming in through the sides of the open thatched roof to pinch things! One day we came back to find rice krispies all over the floor and packets of noodles going up the stairs!! There is a fisherman that comes to the compund also and you can purchase fresh fish from him. Always check what you are buying though to avoid being done over and if in doubt ask the maid who will check it for you and tell you if you are getting a good deal! and remember.... barter for a better price as they will always lower it!! A traditional barbeque was provided for our use whilst there. The gardener would light it for us as he was leaving for the day. We cooked fresh whole fish and all sorts on there!!

There was one bathroom with a shower and a toilet which was absolutely fine. Quite basic but what do you expect in the middle of Kenya.
There was also an outdoor jacuzzi pool in the tropical garden and a snooker table as well which was free to use .The jacuzzi pool is beautifully integrated in the tropical garden and very inviting for a cool dip. There was also a couple of sunbeds for use by guests.

All the villas have a roofed terrace . We spent most of our time when at the villa sat outside admiring the pristeen gardens and whenever we ate at the villa we ate outside. What I would say is burn a mosquito coil when sitting out in the evening. We didnt see many mosquitos but there were a few around at dusk.

The one problem we had with the villa was that it was quite a long walk from the shopping arcade and bars etc. There are not many bars but sufficient for a peaceful holiday! We rented a car in our second week to go on safari and with the car it was a lot easier to get around. Beware of the dodgy roads and drivers but as long as you are careful you are fine. There is a parking space in front of the gardens if you did decide to rent a car. Cars,car hire and taxis in Kenya are relatively expensive by international standards but compared to what we pay in England they are cheap! There are several small car rental companies in Diani

Diani also has a beautiful coral reef and is a paradise for Scuba Diving . There are several Diving schools with aproved diving instructors in the area. They are offering diving trips for just a few hours or up to several days which normally includes exciting things like night diving and wreck diving. Even if you are not a diver you should at least do a little bit of snorkeling to get a glimbse of the fascinating underwater world in Diani.

Obviously going on the Safari is one of Kenya's main atraction. We went to Tsavo East and to be quite honest I would recommend you give that one a miss and book with an operator to go to the Masai mara. At Tsavo you cant drive at night which is when you see everything and we hardly saw a thing. In fact the most we saw was when we left the park, driving down the main road and we were met by a mass of Zebra!!

There are several good restaurants in Diani. If you go you must sample the chinese restaurant. A definate must is "The Cave". My partner took me to this restaurant for my birthday. When you book, a free bus comes to collect you from the villa to take you there. The food is fantastic, so is the wine and you are literally eating inside a huge cave!! The roof is retractable so you can dine and look at the stars above.

The two favorite beach bars are the Fourty Thieves and Nomads. There is one nighclub called the "Shakatak" in. It has a bit of a reputation as a pick up joint and there are a number of prostitutes lurking however we went and it was a complete riot! The nightclub is not very big and it can be a bit hot inside but I would recommend at least one visit so you can say you have been !

If you are planning a trip to Kenya I would definately recommend staying here. It cost us £9 per person per night which is a bargain!! You are looked after from beginning to end and can relax and enjoy your holiday! You can contact the owner via the internet and book via email. If you search through google you will find it. I think we found it on holidayrentals.com 

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