Nestled between a prime seafront and the quiet suburbs of South Coast is a dainty resort that offers an experience unique compared to its competitors. While Diani Sea Lodge (not to be confused with the sister hotel, Diani Sea Resort) is not exactly a resort, the three-star lodge offers comfort and services that I haven’t received anywhere else.
The hotel is within 40 minutes’ drive from the Likoni Ferry. The drive from the gate is dotted with overgrown trees on the right. These trees hide the lodges of the hotel. On the left, overgrown hedges obscure the neighbour’s border wall. From this point onwards, I was completely shut off from the ‘real world’.
The hotel is an all-inclusive resort. That means, anything I needed for sustenance in those five days was catered for by the hotel, and there was no pressing need for me to come out of my little holiday bubble.
As I checked in, the hospitality I received at the door did not vary until I checked out five days later. The hospitability offered at Diani Sea Lodge is unlike any I have ever experienced, easily outdoing five-star resorts. The staff is completely amiable, their professionalism and good nature should earn the hotel an extra star.
Their willingness to assist is only a reflection of the system to which they belong. With my innate inquisitiveness, I found myself making small talk with the employees. I had culinary talks with the chefs in the morning as I had my eggs made to my specifications (sunny side up, not too runny, not overdone). By the second day, the gentleman who poured tea already knew how I liked my coffee: 90 per cent black, 10 per cent milk. He would also linger around and inquire after my sister, if I was breakfasting solo.
The administrative rule — I can only presume — is that guests have right over everything. Our room, which was a little walk away from the reception area, passed through old lodges under renovation. The path that led to the rooms was a small cobbled-stone path surrounded by evergreen plants. On seeing a guest walking on the path, the builders or the cleaners would stand at a respectable distance, allowing the guests the right of way.
The all-inclusive package runs for all guests of the hotel. This means that aside from breakfast, lunch and dinner, daytime snacks are offered to guests at the hotel’s pool bar. The pool bar runs from 10am to 4pm and offers a variety of meals, salads and drinks.
According to hotel policy, each guest is entitled to a maximum of two free drinks an hour. This includes a variety of soft drinks, alcoholic beverages and fresh coconuts from the trees of the resort! As for the food, well, it’s an eat-as-much-as-you-can, when-you-can, policy that rules.
The tanning beds are strewn all over the lawn overlooking the ocean. With a prime piece of ocean front, most guests prefer to lounge in front of the sea and hardly ever around the pool. I say prime, because as you walk alongside the beach, you find that other resorts have a rocky shore or are covered with seaweed. Around 4 pm, when the tide is starting to rise, many guests prefer to get into the ocean as the massive waves come crashing on the shore. At high tide, the water covers the entire beach area, and a white flag is hoisted at the edge of the hotel, warning guests that the current might be too strong for swimming.
The hotel caters for families as well as solo travellers, in that they have an animation group that oversees entertainment for guests. Planned activities, such as aquarobics and beach volleyball, are held daily. Snorkelling, boat rides and other external activities are held in conjunction with partner companies by the hotel.
The massage experience at the Kuza Spa is a must-try for any guest seeking at least a 50-minute complete relaxation. The two women who run the spa said they have 24 years’ and 15 years’ experience respectively.
Several evening entertainment activities are lined up during the week, and the dining hall features different themes on different nights. Night-time entertainment is held around the deck by the pool area, where guests enjoy traditional dances and song under a starry sky.
On the last day as I drove out of the hotel, I realised I had been completely cut off from the outside world for five days, and I hadn’t even noticed! My days were always packed with adventure, and there was nothing I needed from ‘the outside’.
For anyone who wants to completely shut off the world and experience Kenya’s best hospitality service, Diani Sea Lodge is for you.
Star Rating: 4.5/5
