Your perfect post-safari paradise exists and it’s called Manda Bay
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Safaris are amazing, exhilarating, thrilling, exciting, rewarding, MAGICAL, they are my favourite experience in the world — but MAN THEY ARE EXHAUSTING!!!!! 😅😅
All the safaris I organize through Adventurelust are customized to your own travel style/wants/needs, so taking a slower more leisurely pace is definitely an option, but the way I personally travel is guided by FOMO — get me out there for sunrise, see as much as possible, and I can sleep when I’m dead!!
That’s why pairing a safari with another experience makes up for the PERFECT African holiday. And after our incredible whirlwind Epic Adventure Meet-Up in Tanzania through Adventurelust X Chasing Dreams Safaris, I was ready for some R&R, and spending 4 days at the majestic Manda Bay resort was EXACTLY what my soul needed!!
Located on Manda island (technically part of Lamu but just across the channel from Lamu island), off the coast of mainland Kenya, Manda Bay is a beach resort, but it’s not like any beach resort I’ve ever been before. This is worlds away from the typical jam-packed, cookie-cutter all-inclusive resorts I’ve visited in the past.
Immediately upon arrival, your jaw will be on the sand. This place is TRULY SPECTACULAR. The layout is designed to provide plenty of private little nooks to relax in peace, whether you’re finding shade under the palm trees, lounging by the pool, or posting up by the bathtub-warm Indian Ocean. The bar and common areas feature comfy, beach-chic furniture, the dining area is open to the twinkling sea, and the soft ocean breeze flows through this open-air paradise. The food is ABSOLUTELY UNREAL, i’m not a foodie and normally in fancy resorts I’m not the most overwhelmed but this was the most delicious, healthy, fresh, food I have ever had!!!
The beachfront rooms are like nowhere else I’ve ever seen in my life. You know, it’s wild, they could have made them less impressive, smaller, or missed out on the finer details, they didn’t have to go this hard BUT THEY DID. These huts are MASSIVE, highest ceilings I’ve ever seen in a “hotel room”, with no glass windows so again you are connected to the surrounding island paradise, the breeze blowing through. Somehow here it just works!! The floor, walls, and door are made of palm-woven matted floors, transitioning seamlessly from the powdery soft sand, so you never have to put on shoes for your entire stay.
But what really sets Manda Bay apart are the thoughtful touches.
The staff quietly delivers coffee, tea and biscuits to your front veranda every morning for sunrise, waiting warm for you when you wake up. After the first couple days they realized we don’t drink coffee so they brought us a larger thermos of tea instead. Along with complimentary laundry service, the bathroom also has laundry detergent so we could hand-wash our clothes, which was an absolute game-changer after our dusty safari adventure. The staff were all so sweet and attentive, doing everything possible to make our stay as easy and relaxing as possible for us.
We spent 4 days here capturing content, recharging the batts, taking dips in the pool and the sea, and soaking in this absolute bliss, pinching ourselves the entire time. One day we took a day trip to Lamu island, which is incredible, an experience i would recommend to ANYONE. A step back in time, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Lamu maintains its strong Swahili customs, with us women covering up our shoulders and knees while visiting the old town (Shela, a 10-minute boat ride away, is more liberal). It was absolutely incredible to stroll through the narrow alleys, dodging donkeys (there are no motorized vehicles here), taking in the scenes that felt like we were in a movie. This is absolutely worth a visit and I would recommend it to anyone. We timed our visit perfectly, finding ourselves in the middle of a dhow boat race!
An absolutely breathtaking place on Earth that I am so excited to share with my Adventurelust clients — there is no doubt you guys are going to LOVE it here!!
Who’s ready to start planning?!?
