Before you read on, watch our video on our experience!
Background:
Kilifi is a quiet coastal town between Watamu and Mombasa. Compared to Diani or Mombasa you don’t have a massive influx of tourists on the beach which creates such a chilled charm. The town lies on both sides of the estuary, connected by the Kilifi bridge. The north side has the main part of Kilifi town and Bofa Beach, whilst the south Mnarani ruins and is where Kamili cottage is located.
Kamili Cottage is a charming and exceptionally private property located south of Kilifi Creek. A great choice for families or a small group of travel buddies, whether it’s soaking in the pool or relaxing on your own private beach, Kamili Cottage has a certain level of magic to it that’ll make you want to come back for more.
Getting there:
If you’re coming from Mombasa Kamili Cottage is around 73 km from Mombasa and 40 km from Watamu. We flew into Mombasa since our friend’s car was there, we grabbed a few ingredients from Chandarana and made our way up to Kilifi. Taking us around 1 and a half hours to get there.
Coming from Mombasa, head north passed Mtwapa and Vipingo. Once you pass Wild Living Cafe (it will be on your left) keep an eye out for a painted sign saying Oasis Baptist Fellowship (again on your left) opposite of that sign on the right is a dirt road. Turn into it (there are some yellow and blue painted wooden posts at the beginning of this road). Continue down the road until you reach a T junction, you then take a right here. Kamili Cottage will be the third gate on the left and has a white gate.
Amenities:
In the main cottage, there is an en suite master bedroom with its own balcony and another room with bunk beds and a separate bathroom.
Downstairs is a comfy living room, a fully equipped kitchen, and a verandah overlooking the swimming pool.
The annexe has a large en suite double bedroom and a verandah. For the people who find that the coastal heat can be quite hard to deal with, you’d be pleased to know every bedroom has air-conditioning!
All bedding, mosquito nets, towels, cutlery, crockery and soap are provided by the house. You just need to pack your suitcase and grab a few ingredients for your meals.
The cottage can hold up to 6 guests, where all your meals can be cooked by their in-house chef, and a housekeeper to wash up after yourselves. Thank you, Phillip and John you guys were the real MVPs, for our trip!
Just a short walk down a path you have access to your very own private beach! No beach boys to harass you, no one else except your guests and yourself! Just be mindful where you step, we did spot one or two sea urchins. Other than that, it’s complete beach bliss! Bring a cooler, speakers and you can literally chill there all day (except when the tide comes in).
Things to do:
If lounging by the pool is your thing then you can do that all day! Or take in the views of the ocean on your exclusive beach.
There are a few places to grab some tasty bites especially if you’re a fan of oysters! Pop into Nautilus or Kilifi Boatyard for casual meals with a great view.
For good vibes and fresh pizza head over to Distant Relatives for their signature Friday pizza nights! If you’re in the mood for freshly roasted coffee, visit Wild Living Café just down the road from the cottage, there’s also a cute shop if you would like a spot of retail therapy. For a stunning and peaceful stretch of beach you can chill at Bofa Beach or for a touch of history you can visit the Mnarani ruins. If you would like a cultural tour head over to Giriama Paradise.
If you need groceries there is a Tuksys in town. And if you bank with DTB there’s also a branch there (this was super handy especially since our mobile banking just stopped working).
Costs + bookings:
Kamili Cottage requires a minimum of a two-night stay.
The rates start at KSH 25,000 for two and KSH 30,000 for four to six guests, plus an additional KSH 2,000 a day for the housekeeper and chef.
For bookings email East African Retreats, info@eastafricanretreats.com. Also, check out their website they have some gorgeous properties listed and we can’t wait to explore all of them!
Female adventurists curing our wanderlust one trip at a time 