highs * The choice of complete and utter relaxation or heaps of activities! * The Lamu archipelagos enchanted islands boast a civilization history of more than 1000 years, dating back to the 9th Century and it is only a mere dhow ride away into a completely different culture! * Taking a dhow trip at sunset accross to Shela for sundowners!

lows * Monsoon season very windy and quite unpleasant - but luckily Manda is closed then! * Some cottages have less privacy than others and guests walk in front of the cottages to get to the next one - we always request the cottage furthest from the main mess area!

All the buildings are constructed with local materials in traditional coastal style, with palm thatch roofs and woven matting covering the floors. The cottages are spacious and comfortable with their own bathrooms; they are specially sited to catch the cooling sea breezes and all have verandas. There are twelve cottages with a choice of double or twin beds, surrounded by large flowing mosquito nets and cooled by overhead fans. The informal dining room and sitting rooms are comfortable, open and airy. They enjoy uninterrupted views of Manda Bay whose ever-changing waters attract birds, small local sailing craft and spectacular marine life. All rooms are furnished in vibrant Kenyan fabrics, specially designed to compliment the environment. All meals are relaxed and casual, served in the dining room, on the beach, or even on Utumaduni, our traditional sailing dhow. The availability of wonderful, fresh seafood and tropical fruit dictates most menus but Manda Bay offers wholesome, nutritious home-cooked menus from all over the world to suit any palate. The Italian trained Swahili chef can easily cater to the demands of children and those on special diets. The availability of wonderful, fresh seafood and tropical fruit dictates most of the menus at Manda Bay, and is renowned for its delicious fresh from the sea dishes. We serve many ocean delights accompanied by exotic fruits and vegetables of the African tropics, intermingled by the subtle flavors and spices of the Swahili culture. Our Italian trained Swahili chef easily caters to the demands of children and those with special dietary requirements. All our meals are informal and Dinner is usually served outside under the vast starry African sky among the rustling palms, making for romantic memorable dining.

"Nature at its best – best food, best location and best fun"
"Why risk waiting till you reach heaven when it is all here on earth"
"Don’t change anything – it is perfect as it is!"

The Lamu archipelago’s enchanted islands boast a civilization history of more than 1000 years, dating back to the 9th Century. Lamu is one of the oldest Swahili towns still in existence. Although staunchly Islamic, the Swahili culture emerged from a mixture of Arab and Bantu blood. Only a 30-minute boat ride from the resort, we are able to arrange guided tours of this ancient town, and its museum. The architecture is of particular interest especially the plasterwork and the intricate woodcarving seen on many of the Lamu doors and furniture.

Hosted by the owners themselves, Caragh & Andy Roberts or Fuzz & Bimbi Dyer, the personal attention to detail and to clients is both discreet and most welcoming.

Manda Bay has two ski boats and a large collection of skis and other equipment, including a six place (Banana), air chair, super screamer tubes, kneeboards, wake boards and a kite surfer. For keen sailors we have a variety of wind-surfers, a Topper and three Lasers. For those that have not sailed before our staff are always ready to assist with a few easy lessons. Manda Bay is a water sports paradise. Its sheltered mangrove creek and calm waters are ideal for a variety of water sports. Water skiing, wake boarding, knee boarding and tubing can only take place at high tide while there is enough water in the creek. The Banana, wind-surfers, Topper, Lasers and Kite are used in the bay and are not tide dictated. The resort has a fleet of boats also available for sight seeing, snorkeling and creek fishing. Te fishing in these Lamu-Kiwayu waters is well renowned for its variety and quantity of sport fish caught. Striped, Black and Blue Marlin, Sailfish and many other game fish migrate through these waters in abundance. Our fishing boat CHEZA, which is the Kiswahili word for play, is a fiberglass 33 foot British built Lochin sport-fisher, built to withstand the North Sea elements. She is an ideal, comfortable platform for all sport fishermen. CHEZA is well equipped with navigation, communication and safety equipment. Powered with 180Hp turbo diesel engines, she reaches the fishing grounds in comfort and safety. She has an excellent and well-trained crew with years of experience in these local waters, and a wide variety of fishing equipment to suit all applications. The tackle ranges from heavy 130-pound rods to 10 weight fly rods, and everything in between. North Kenya's fishing season runs from September through to the end of April. Fishing during the months of September and October, one has to be a hardened angler as the sea is very rough, although this is the time for large Yellow Fin Tuna. The end of October through November is the best time for Sailfish, with many taken on fly. February and March is the best Marlin season. Manda Bay is rapidly becoming a destination for salt-water fly fishermen. There are several skiff's available for creek fishing. Whether fly fishing, trolling, or bottom fishing with a hand line, there are usually plenty of fish and great fun for everyone. Snorkeling over the shallow reefs is an ideal way to discover the wonders of the underwater world. Snorkeling excursions are arranged daily and are timed to arrive at the reefs at or just before low tide. Masks, fins and snorkels are available, and the best reefs are a short 20-minute boat ride from the resort. Manda Bay does not have a resident dive master, but diving can be arranged with prior notice. The dive sites are a long way from the resort and as a result the dives are very expensive. One of the most romantic and memorable experiences at Manda Bay is a sun set sail on Utamaduni, our beautiful 60-foot sailing dhow. Utamaduni is the Kiswahili word for culture and Lamu's master-boat builders, in the time-honored style of the East African coast, built Utamaduni in 1992.

The suggested guideline for tipping is $10 per person a day at each property visited. The tips are collectively gathered from all guests after their stay at each property and distributed amongst the staff, you either give the tips to the manager or usually there is a staff tip box within which to put your tips. The tips are then divided equally amongst all the staff on the property. Many people like to leave a little extra with their dedicated guides on game drives as they spend so much time with them and it is perfectly fine to give the tip directly to the guide.

Year round destination however the best weather for water activities is December through March.