Charming Lonno Lodge: Our full report

The Charming Lonno Lodge is an owner-run boutique hotel located in Watamu, a couple of hours drive north of Mombasa.

The lodge offers guests peace and tranquility away from the crowds found on some of the busier beaches on the Kenyan coast.

With it's wonderful fusion of Italian and Swahili architecture The Charming Lonno Lodge is a property quite unlike anywhere else that we have seen on the beach. The lodge is located on a small craggy cliff offering excellent views of this wilder, quieter stretch of coastline.

Lonno Lodge has eight guest rooms (four deluxe rooms and four larger suites) each slightly different in size and design, but all with beautiful exposed brick, polished concrete floors, and access to private outdoor space to relax. The top tower room has particularly impressive views across the coast from its rooftop terrace. Everything felt light and airy, with a gentle sea breeze keeping the rooms cool (there are fans too if needed).

The rooms are fitted with Swahili-style beds, and chunky dark wooden furniture and lanterns. African masks and artwork are displayed across the whole lodge, from the main communal areas through to the bedrooms. On a more practical note each room has a water dispenser, tea/coffee making facilities and a mini bar. There are small TVs which allow guests to log into Netflix (no live TV). Bathrooms are fairly simple in design, with a shower and no bathtub, but toiletries and a hairdryer are provided.

A short walk away from the guest rooms is the saltwater swimming pool, with plenty of sunloungers and seating options around the pool itself, and slightly further away in shade overlooking the ocean. Next to the pool is the bar, restaurant and reception area that are housed under a vast thatched roof. A huge, life-size metal giraffe takes centre stage in the middle of the restaurant.

Nearby is the open-sided massage cabana, and some steps down to the small beach which is exposed at low tide. It is a very quiet and secluded spot, and you won't find curio sellers trading their wares here.

While there are very few on-site activities offered at the lodge, they do have a couple of bikes for hire, and the owners encourage guests to explore the local area. The team will happily help to arrange watersports activities or excursions with local partners. This area sits within the Watamu National Marine Park, which means it is a good snorkelling and diving location. It is also possible to organise kite-surfing, canoeing inside the Mida Creek, a Dhow Cruise sail and slightly further afield deep-sea fishing.

One popular option is to wade-walk along the coast at low-tide (reef shoes can be loaned to guests) to Watamu town and then tuk-tuk back to the lodge. Other nearby sights include: Turtle Watch, Ecoworld Watamu, Marafa Depression, and the Arabuko Sokoke National Park.

Our view

What is lacks in a long white beach, Lonno Lodge more than makes up for in character. With its friendly staff, relaxed, peaceful atmosphere and pretty cliff views, we can understand why the property calls itself 'charming'. For those looking for a small boutique hotel in Watamu, away from the Mombasa crowds this is an excellent option.

Jessica Plumb

Kenya expert

Geographics

Location: Kenya Coast, Kenya
Ideal length of stay: 3 nights plus
Directions: The closest airport is Malindi, approx 40 mins drive from the lodge. Mombasa Airport is approx 2.5 hours drive, depending on the traffic and road conditions.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Half Board
Food quality: We really enjoyed the food at Lonno Lodge, where clearly a lot of thought and care goes into both the cooking and the presentation of all of the meals. The restaurant is small and only caters to in-house guests.

Breakfast is a small buffet (of cereals, breads and fruits), with eggs and hot food cooked to order. Lunch and dinner are set menus and guests can choose a "light" option at lunchtime if they wish - usually just a single course and fresh fruit. There is of course an emphasise on locally caught, fresh seafood, but dishes vary daily and there is often a Swahili - Italain flair to the menu.

Complimentary tea and cake is served in the late afternoon.

While the menu's are technically set the team would be happy to cater outside of the daily suggestions with advance notice. The lodge really prides themselves on being able to cater for a wide-range of dietary preferences and allergies, particularly gluten-free and vegetarian meals. The team have even created The Charming Lonno Lodge Cookbook which can be downloaded as a PDF if you want to try out some of the recipes when you get back home - ask them for details!
Dining style: Individual Tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: No room service offered.
Drinks included: Extra cost, reasonably priced.

Children

Attitude towards children: There are no age restrictions but the property prefers well behaved children that will not disturb other guests trying to relax.
Property’s age restrictions: None
Special activities & services: None
Equipment: Basic equipment on-site (eg cot and highchair). Some suites have extra beds suitable for children.
Generally recommended for children: We feel that the lodge had a more mature atmosphere when we visited. However, the swimming pool will be appealing for younger guests and there are family sized suites, meaning that this can be a suitable option for this travelling with slightly elder children who are able to entertain themselves.

Communications

Power supply notes: Another impressive architectural feature of the lodge is their 'solar boulevard', a romantic Mediterranean style archway built just to discreetly support the lodge's solar panels.
Communications: WiFi throughout and good phone signal.
TV & radio: There are TV's in the rooms with Netflix and YouTube only.
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: All rooms fully plumbed, the lodge has its own desalination system.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: There is a First Aid Kit on site and there is a small hospital in Watamu town.
Dangerous animals: Low Risk
Security measures: Askaris (security guards) patrol the site and there is an security gate at the entrance.
Fire safety: Extinguishers and hoses dotted throughout the property.

Activities

Birdwatching
Boat trip
Scuba-diving
Snorkelling
Watersports

Extras

Disabled access: Not Possible
Laundry facilities: There is a laundry service offered for a small addional cost.
Money: There are electronic safes in each guest room.
Accepted payment on location: Cash (Kenya Shilling, US Dollar and Euro) as well as credit cards are accepted (Visa, MasterCard and Amex).