Kikambala, Sun & Sand Beach Resort

Myself and my wife Daisy recently honeymooned in Mombasa, Kenya.We stayed at the sun n sand resort,As every one said the beach boys and the locals is a must,book with them and visit the village,this is our story... Whilst we were out there we visited the Maweni Nursery School and were shocked and by the conditions that the children have to live, play and learn in.

We were touched by their plight and made a monetary donation to the school but we didn't feel that this was enough. We were inspired by some of the work that others do out in Africa and decided that we would do something more for the children.

The school itself is too small and the building is just inadequate so will be putting my skills as a builder into use!

Since we have been back i have started a charity and already have a website since we got back on the 8th sept and have charity auction on the 29th oct at a function room.Have over £4000 worth of donation from companys for the auction.You have seen the way the life is out there for the childred so if you was touched by it please visit the website and make a donation and help us make a difference.if you feel like you want to do more please contact through the site.Planning on going back on the 3rd jan 2011 to build a new classroom and covert the old classroom into bedrooms,check out website for more details. www.kidsinkenya.co.uk ..was a honeymoon to remember.

dave & daisy

an amazing holiday, the kenyan people made my holiday, from the hotel staff, to the people in kikambala village. To experience africa you must step outside the hotel, drink end eat in the village and talk to the fantastic beach boys.Take a walk through the village and witness the poverty that these people live in; and yet the kindness and generous spirit will last a lifetime in your heart and mind.The safari and lodges are breathtaking. However, I wished I had booked my 3 day safari with the beach boys who work on a comission basis and would of cost me half the price compared with first choice.We booked other tours through the beach boys i.e. deep sea fishing and snorkling, saved a lot of money and had education about the real way of life that only local people can give you.You cant swim in the sea as it is a reef;the beach boys walked us through the reef and showed and educated us on the sea life. Fish swam around our ankles as they at bread out of our hands.If you walk onlong the beach you will realise how quiet and remote the Sun n Sands hotel is.One last thing you must do is have a drink in the 'Blue Sky Bar' further along the beach. A must holiday for all ages.

We had to move rooms four times, once when the ceiling caved in in the bathroom but there was no help from the first choice rep who said it was nothing to do with her as it was the hotel's responsibility.

We had a few power cuts but although the (noisy) generator cuts in there is not enough supply for the air conditioning.

To experience real Kenya life and culture, you have to step out of the hotel. This is were it is all happening and so much fun. The locals are very friendly and hospitable, and we made some very good friends. If you want to book safari, speak to the local businesses - they got us the same sarafi trip, the same safari tour vans and we stayed in the same safari lodges but they got us the best deal which was much less than the hotel or the holiday company offered.

Check in was long as rooms were not ready for arrival. Changed rooms three times as were not very clean. Food was excellent, with so much choice in main buffet, chinese good, but have to give special mention to the Outdoor Ranch BBQ, which was superb. Staff at hotel very friendly, especially our waitress who kept our table every night and treated us as a long lost friend. Entertainment was varied, and animation team worked hard. Safari was suberb and well worth the four hour road trip, even though our truck broke down in the middle of mombassa. Would love to go to kenya again, and if rooms were upgraded would go back to this hotel.

I find it difficult to recommend this hotel or the resort location on any level. The location is far from anywhere and a taxi ride costs a fortune for some strange reason leaving a feeling of being trapped in the resort.

Kikambala can be a little out of the way for some people, but if you go to hotel with relaxation in mind, you will get it. Hotel needs a push at times to get things done, repairs etc, but see reception and it will be done. Generally the place scores very very highly for me. I personally have been going to this Hotel for 26 years. Enough said.

Just returned from a fabulous two weeks at the Sun and Sand Beach Resort in Kenya. The hotel was clean, had plenty to do (never managed to do all the things on offer), the food was well prepared, and there was a great choice (although a little more Kenyan / African food would have been nice).

I have loads I want to note down, so I will do it in sections:

Visa - Either get it before you go, or like another reviewer said take US dollars. They do not take Scottish Sterling or Kenyan Shilling (KS) at all, and we were the very last people through passport control because we didn't realise this.

Hotel facilities - All very good. Would especially recommend a massage at the beauty parlour. It costs 1200KS (about £8) for a full body massage, and it was so good I fell asleep! If you want extra bottled water go to the little shop and not to the pay bar, as it's cheaper there.

Food - There is plenty of choice for breakfast lunch and dinner in the main buffet area. We didn't try the Chinese, but the snack bar is good for Pizza and Spag Bol. We splashed out on the seafood dinner, which at £20 for 4 courses and a bottle of fizzy each, was reasonable and tasty.

Safari - We did Tsavo East and West, and the early starts were well worth it. The lodges we stayed in were lovely, and the animals take your breath away. Do not go to Kenya and miss a Safari - Just the trip up there is an eye opener.

Day Trips - Haller Park is excellent. You can feed giraffes, hold a snake, see Owen & Mzee (the hippo and turtle twosome), and it's only 600KS to get in. Take a taxi from the hotel. It's about 3000KS, but the driver will wait on you as long as you need (we had him for 5 hours). We also did the Mombasa City tour, which was worth going for a look, and for lunch on the Tamarind Dhow. We also visited the carving cop-operative where the workers get a decent return for there work.

Shopping - One of the cheapest places we found for souvenirs was Haller Park. The gift shop is very good. T-shirts are very cheap at the Nakumat Supermarket, and you can also get cigarettes and alcohol at way below duty free prices. Ask the taxi driver to take you after Haller Park. He really won't mind, and he won't charge you extra.

Diving - We did scuba along at the Whitesands Hotel (free bus will take you). The dive team are all great. The water is like a bath, and the viz is great. Outside the reef are whale-shark and turtles, whilst inside there are scores of tropical fish. Book online before you go for the best deals - www.buccaneerdiving.com.

The Village - The people are what make this place. Most of the staff live in the village and are very friendly. The person running the snack bar could not do enough for us, and the person at the pool bar is a great Swahili teacher.

Do not be afraid to go to the village. Even as two single girls we got no hassle at all. They all just want to chat to you and have a drink in the bar. They know the hotel is their life-line, and they wouldn't be silly enough to jeopardise that. Spend the 100KS to get a decent beer in the local pub and you will really enjoy it. If you are brave ask one of the locals to get you some Palm Wine, but go easy. It's lethal, and it smells awful.

If you have any clothes, toiletries, shoes, mobile phones, anything really that you want to leave behind, you can trade stuff for them. To be honest, those people had so little though that we just gave ours away to the guys we had made friends with. There is an orphanage down from the hotel. Go right along the beach if you are facing the sea, and go and visit the children. They lost their parents in the bombings some years back, but they are such happy wee souls. Take them pens, books, clothes (ages 2 to 11), sweets, grain, anything, and they will sing you songs, recite poems, and generally be really grateful for anyone who gives them anything. It really makes you think. Don't worry, no-one will ask you for anything, but gifts are very welcome.

Overall, we had a fabulous time, and we would definitely go back! The hotel was good, but the people there really made the place.

My boyfriend and I went to sun n sand in Kenya in march 2006. Gorgeous weather, the most friendly people around, lovely hotel and a million different things to do! The food is fantastic, buffet restaurant, Chinese, BBQ and Italian restaurants are all all-inclusive. There is also another a'la carte restaurant which you have to pay for, but we didn't feel the need to go to this restaurant, as the food in the other restaurants were gorgeous! We also did 2 safari's which we booked when we arrived, 1 through our rep, and the other through the beach traders who work along the beach by the hotel. On both safari's we visited Tsavo East/West! We saw loads of elephants (1 had a broken leg, bend the wrong way but he was managing OK and the other elephants kept him in a protected circle), lions, different types of antelope, rhino's (these are rare and hard to spot so we were lucky), hippo's, baboons, dik dik, giraffe, zebra and a million other animals! It was fantastic! If you do visit sun n sand, please don't be put off by the fact that the village it is in is very poor and untidy compared to British standards. Kenya is a developing country! but the people are very friendly and welcoming and are keen for you to visit. we went into the village with a beach trader we got friendly with. the houses are made of mud and most of the children have no shoes, but it was a fab experience. We took loads of sweets for the children which they really do appreciate, as they could never afford to by some themselves. They also really appreciate pens for school! Overall, it is a fab resort and I would recommend it to anybody!