Have you been to Diani yet? If you have, how many times? It’s no doubt that Diani is undoubtedly the best beach destination there is in Kenya. It has been voted for severally in the World Travel Awards. The last time I talked about Diani, I featured Mzima House on Around the Coast in 9 Days [ part two]. I am fascinated by the beauty and luxury in Diani. People looking for luxury and tranquility find it easily in Diani. I try as much as possible to showcase facilities that leave me speechless in a good way. I have noticed a growing trend of holiday makers preferring self-catering facilities over hotel stay. Cottages, villas, houses, holiday homes and beach pent houses have been on demand of late. I am a diverse kind of traveler, but self-catering facilities is what does it for me. Think about having the whole house, the grounds, the pool, the beach, and other facilities all to yourself? Tranquility, personalized service from caretakers, and freedom of choices will only be possible in a self-catering property. You decide when to eat and what will be on the menu. No scheduled meal times, beach times, pool times, etc. If you ask me, a self-catering property gives you an ideal holiday plan. You enjoy the holiday the best way you know how. You call the shots. I know you’re thinking, “oh Well, and who is cooking on holiday?” Do not worry. You can hire a chef/cook for as little as 1500 per day (3 meals). You will only be required to shop and let them know what you want to eat and at what time. Self-catering is gentle on your pocket. A 3 bedroom villa goes for between 15,000 and 25, 000 per night for a maximum 6 people. This is roughly 4000 per person per night. When preparing your own meals, you cannot spend more than 300 per day on food. Well, I got carried away and forgot what this article was meant to be about. Should you require more insight on how to enjoy a self-catering holiday, do not hesitate to comment. 12km from Ukunda on Diani beach resort and slightly past Neptune Beach Hotels, I found an award winning beach property called Lantana Galu Beach. This facility is unique in style and character. It is a facility that you enter and do not want to come out of once you get in. On arrival, the security person at the gate had my name. It was drizzling and surprisingly, he offered me an umbrella. He escorted me to the reception and handed me over to the reservation guys. I was offered a seat, a glass of juice (due to the prevailing weather I would have preferred a cup of coffee :) and a hot towel. After the normal check in procedures, I was led to my room. When the porter opened the door, I thought that he was checking for something in this room before we proceed to my actual room. No, this was to be my home for the night; a 3 bedroom apartment all to myself. Close to the door was a study table and chair conveniently located away from the Television. An L-shaped couch, a coffee table, a flat screen TV with DSTV, and a 6-seater dining table were all well arranged in the spacious living room. The kitchen compared well to those of busy restaurants. It had all amenities such as a refrigerator, a cooker, utensils, a microwave, an electric kettle and cutlery. One of the bedrooms had a king-size bed, the second had a queen-size bed and the third room had twin beds. Two of the bedrooms were en-suite, while the third room used a shared washroom. The apartment also had an outdoor sitting with very comfy chairs Since the apartment was on the ground floor, I had access to a well-manicured garden. Sun beds were also placed on the garden. There is a fence around the garden and this provides privacy. The house has everything a holiday maker would look for. I had carried my own food so I had to make us of the kitchen. A few minutes past 5pm, it started raining. This shattered my dreams of chasing the sunset or walking around the facility. I stayed indoors where the DSTV and Wi-Fi came in handy. I was up at the crack of dawn. I walked to the beach to try and catch the sunset. Fate was clearly not on my side. The clouds were mocking me, smiling at me while having managed to deny me the magical moment of a beautiful sunrise. I however enjoyed the breeze for almost an hour and took several pictures. While walking back to my apartment, I couldn’t help but notice that this facility is amazingly beautiful. I marveled at it. It was worth every penny. I enjoyed the apartment and checked out at 11.00am. I kept imagining how fun it would have been if I had gone with my crew. Lantana Galu Beach is situated on the tranquil side of Diani Beach. It is set in lush tropical gardens along one of the most exclusive and pristine beaches of the Kenyan coast. It offers a tasteful Swahili style spacious beach holiday apartments, suites and villas, personalized service and the freedom of organizing your own space and time. Next time you are going to Diani, kindly reach them on info@lantana-galu-beach.co.ke. If you want to experience the apartment with an outdoor garden, kindly contact the owner directly: Murugi-0722722172. You can also contact Safiri Nasi Limited on 0724038324 or 0729823087. Till next time!
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AuthorEliud Ndungu, a part-time adventure travel blogger who’s been exploring his motherland-Kenya for over 5 years ArchivesCategories |