We left the Watamu area just a week prior to our stay at Turtle Bay Beach Club on the Kenya Coast of Africa.

With a few days to spare before we flew to Lamu Island, we decided we’d like to experience a resort with a Kids Club that was also ‘All-Inclusive’, and of course it needed to be on the beach.  And in fact, Turtle Bay Beach Club has 200 meters of beach that is inside the internationally acclaimed Watamu National Marine Park, which meant Explorason could learn more about the marine and biology of the area.

We also discovered that it was set in tropical gardens where the bird life was plentiful, and with Explorason having a passion for birds and photography, this was a real drawcard for him.

So as soon as we arrived he headed off with the camera and took some fabulous photographs (he will be selling some of them online very soon).

Turtle Bay Beach Club also offers 2 pools – a huge pool area by the main restaurant (and our room, and another quiet / adults only pool tucked away behind the restaurant area. I managed to even get a swim in the adults only pool, which was pretty nice for me.

We were really impressed that our room was right on the ocean front.

This to me was a dream come true. I could slide open the door whilst Explorason was still asleep and sit out and watch the sunrise with my morning coffee.  Perfection as far as our room location was concerned. This was probably the most relaxing place for me to wake up to in the morning that we encountered. Whilst every place we stay has been lovely, I found being RIGHT ON the beach front for my early mornings (as a Mum needing ‘me time’) to be just a wonderful experience.  Well worth anyone who stays here to pay the little extra to stay in this great location, and to have this as a treat for themselves.

I would wake to see the guards outside, and over the course of the days we stayed, we became friends, and he and his friend helped educate Explorason as they shared stories of their local life.

We were able to take our morning walk barefoot along the beach for an incredible distance. When we returned on the last day I noticed locals selling sarongs, wraps and colorful wooden birds down the beach.  I love the color against the white sand.

Back in our room, we found the soft oceanic blue tones (it had been so tastefully decorated in) to be very relaxing.

I also loved that the furniture was made with local woods. And … that we had separate double beds.

We rarely used more than the fan as we enjoyed the sea breeze, but we did have some air-conditioning.

And our bathroom was equipped with a separate shower cubicle and bathtub.

Turtle Bay Beach Club boasts 3 restaurants, 3 bars, and a snack bar.  We wherever without food or a lovely fresh drink.

The main restaurant offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner in a buffet style, and we ended up eating all our meals here. It was central to the evening entertainment, and the surroundings by the main pool when it was lit up at night was just great.

What I noticed about the staff was just how friendly they all were. I have so many photos of us with happy staff.

Daniel, the Chef pictured above, also shared some of his recipes with me, so now can take home his recipe for Pumpkin in Coconut Sauce.  It was such a winner.

Sadly as it is his recipe I can’t share it on social media, but it is really easy to make. You’ll just have to go and try it for yourself!

I found the diversity and selection of food really fantastic.  Each day was something different.

I especially liked their vast selection in the Vegetarian corner, and also the African dishes. If you’re a vegetarian, this is a place you will also be well looked after. I especially liked the daily vegetarian curry they had whilst we were there.

Turtle Bay Beach Club really care for their guests in so many ways. One fabulous feature is ‘silent phones’.  There is nothing worse than the person at the next table getting 20 Twitter notifications. It is really irritating. And when folks talk loudly on their phone during mealtime it ruins it for others. Here guests mix and talk to EACH OTHER, not to others on the phone. There are plenty of places to use wifi in the complex away from the eating area, should they not bear to be away from social media etc.

As I clicked the photo above, I look up to see Explorason looking like the Rice Bubbles Dracula. This is entirely a natural photo – it is not staged.

We often sat in the front reception area to use wifi.  It is available elsewhere, but Explorason loved the fact he could make a drink or get a snack that was always on hand.

Then for a candle-lit dinner by the ocean, guests can visit the a la carte Blue Turtle restaurant. We never ate there as we made friends with other guests so chose the busier restaurant by the pool, but I did look and love the decor – painted shells, with fresh palm fronds on the backs of the chairs.

Must say I did love the gift shop.  The European manager was the sweetest and happiest lady ever, and she had a great eye for gifts.

 

There are also excellent water sports and PADY scuba diving is available, as well as a supervised kids club. We used both water sports and kids club, and I will write about all the ‘kid friendly’ activities separately. There just was so much to do!

We also went on a few excursions whilst here in conjunction with their Responsible Tourism.  I’m also going to write about them separately as it deserves an individual article, and we selected tours based around world-schooling. Turtle Bay Beach Club just won the Silver World Responsible Tourism Award 2015, and I noticed many other awards related to recycling, responsible tourism, and the environment – it really impressed me.

The eco-friendly Turtle Bay Beach Club is just 25 km from Malindi Airport, and 110 km from Mombasa Airport. There is free private parking on site out the front, and an airport transfer is available upon request. They also organized a driver for us one day when I had to go to the post office to send a parcel, and to visit Watamu.

I met English couples that had returned here two or three times a year for decades.  One couple had stayed 20 times, and another 50 times.  Now that says something.

Everything about our stay was fantastic.  From management to garden staff, we were treated with the incredible care and received happy service.

We do want to return to Kenya next year, and I’d definitely stay here again.

Turtle Bay Beach Club had everything we wanted – and more.

Bookings: Click Here

Website: http://www.turtlebaykenya.com

Address: Mida Creek Road, 80202 Watamu, Kenya, East Coast of AFRICA

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