Reviews of Water Lovers
Wildlife sightings and reviews
8 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Water Lovers and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
There were lots of things to do locally which added to our experience - jetski safari was great as went around Chule island and into the mangroves.
Only point - need to train the staff on making good cocktails. We ended up walking out at night to the funky monkey 200m away which did great cocktails.
Could do with a few games (boules) to play" See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
The sandy area within the hotel is a great place to relax and it felt essential to have that at Diani.
The food was fantastic, as were the staff.
I would say the only downside is that when we headed out to Diani town, or onto the beach itself, the atmosphere wasn't 100% relaxing. It wasn't a surprise, but there was a lot of pressure to buy trips, or souvenirs etc. We understand this entirely, and we cannot fault the people themselves, at all, but it does mean the beach itself, and the town, is not so relaxing." See all these reviews: 10n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
The food was very good, particularly the fish. We chose not to venture elsewhere for meals and this meant that as much as we enjoyed the food it would have been nice to have a more extensive variety (for example ... each night there was a chef's special in addition to the main menu, but on 3 out of 4 days it was chicken).
Staff were very friendly and some remembered us from our last visit, (and we remembered some of them)." See all these reviews: 12n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
Perfect location for a peaceful break by the sea.
The food was good but the menu was fixed and some "daily specials" would have been nice to add some variety. We would not have wanted to stay for longer than our 4 nights on half board. Menu was also the same at lunchtime." See all these reviews: 16n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
Staff were very friendly and helpful. They had decorated our room for our 25th Anniversary, as well as the front of the cottage - while it was a nice touch, having the front porch decorated with a large heart, which stayed the the duration of our stay, was a tad loud and embarrassing for us. I think it would be far nicer to have a bottle of wine, or something special at dinner.
Breakfast was good. However when it came to lunches/dinners the menu had hardly any Kenyan options, apart from the single African dinner night. Also, portion sizes were quite meagre, even for us who are small eaters. Drinks were very overpriced compared even to top restaurants in Nairobi, like Talisman, where a Negroni was 1050 K Shillings, compared 1200 KSh at Waterlovers. We often ate at the next door restaurant 'Asha' which had Kenyan options - moderately priced with generous portions. However, a special thanks to the chef at Waterlovers who, at our request, cooked us a wonderful Kenyan fish stew on the last day.
On the whole, while it is a beautiful property, we found it to be lacking in generosity -- not the staff, who were wonderful and couldn't do enough for us -- but the management." See all these reviews: 9n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
Lots of activities on offer, although as we just wanted to relax we didn’t take advantage of these.
Also very close to airport, so transfer is very short!" See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya
"Ideal for rest and relaxation"
Our upper floor room was lovely. Spacious, very good bathroom and an excellent balcony overlooking the beach/sea. The room had a/c and a fan - at night the fan was perfect for keeping the room comfortable. (Fans can sometimes be noisy but this one could barely be heard). The bed was fine for lovers of firm mattresses.
Food at the resort was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed all of our meals. Waterlovers prides itself on serving freshly prepared food and therefore request that guests order dinner after breakfast - which wasn't a problem to do. At lunch time we ate off their extensive snack menu and accepted that there would be a 30mins+ wait after ordering.
All of the staff were very welcoming and friendly and it is a place that we would happily return to in the future.
Two minor issues: you are given your "extras" bill to sign at breakfast for the previous day. The first three days, our bill was wrong. This was easily sorted, but some people might have found it annoying. Secondly, we knew there would be a surcharge for paying the final bill by credit card. However, although everything is initially charged in Kenyan shillings, you can only pay in shillings with cash. Card transactions are converted to either Euros or Dollars, thus incurring more charges." See all these reviews: 13n in Kenya
"Water Lovers Beach Resort review"
We particularly enjoyed kayaking out to the reef at low tide, and borrowing masks and snorkels to explore beneath the waves. The fish life here isn't plentiful, but it's there to be found if you're prepared to look.
There's no chance of going hungry, either, with an exceptionally good breakfast selection and a varied dinner menu that includes a catch of the day and plenty of vegetarian/vegan options." See all these reviews: 8n in Kenya
Holiday styles & special interests in Kenya
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Other lodges in Kenya Coast
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Kinondo Kwetu
Kinondo Kwetu is a small, owner-run, all-inclusive boutique lodge of exceptional quality situated on a remote stretch of beach south of the busier Diani Beach area.
Pinewood Beach Resort
Pinewood Beach Resort is a relaxed resort-style hotel at the far south end of Diani Beach - an area known as Galu Beach.
Asha Boutique Hotel
Diani Blue is a low-key but stylishly comfortable small guesthouse, with high levels of service, in a busy, central part of Diani Beach.
The Sands At Nomad
The Sands At Nomad is a good-value, laidback, family friendly resort with lots of Swahili character.
Peponi
Peponi is a long-established beach hotel, renowned for its good food, located in the village of Shela on the south side of Lamu island.
Hemingways Watamu
Long-established resort hotel with a strong British following and a good reputation for deep-sea fishing.
The Sands at Chale Island
The Sands at Chale Island is a beach resort offering plenty of activities and beautiful flora and fauna all around.
Alfajiri Villas
Alfajiri Villas is an exclusive, owner-run, hideaway property consisting of three unique villas in a central part of the north end of Diani Beach.
Manda Bay
Manda Bay is a luxury beach hideaway in a remote corner of an island in the Lamu archipelago, on Kenya's northern coast. It has a huge range of water sports on offer.
Mnarani Club
The Mnarari Club is located towards the seaward end of the beautiful Killifi Creek, and is an enduring favourite on the Kenya coast.
Ocean Sports
Ocean Sports is long-established and popular beach hotel right on one of Watamu's famous and beautiful bays.
Shimba Lodge
Shimba Lodge is a picturesque tree-hotel overlooking a forest waterhole in Shimba Hills National Park, with an aerial walkway and abundant wildlife.
The Maji
The Maji is a small, well managed beach hotel on the northern stretch of Diani Beach in southern Kenya.
Serena Beach Resort
Serena Beach Resort is a large beach hotel on Shanzu Beach, north of Mombasa town, on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast.
Kizingo
Kizingo is an owner-managed, rustic, barefoot beach lodge on the southwest tip of Lamu island.
Tamarind Village
Tamaarind Village is a well managed apartment complex close to Mombasa city, with excellent restaurants, pools and visitor services.
Swahili Beach
Swahili Beach is one of the biggest resort hotels on Diani Beach, with a spectacular lobby and cascading swimming pool.
Msambweni Beach House
Msambweni Beach House is a secluded and luxurious boutique hotel on the southern Kenya coast, south of Diani Beach.
Lamu House
Lamu House is a boutique hotel on the waterfront in Lamu town, with a swimming pool, bar and terrace restaurant.
