Almanara

On a quiet stretch of Diani Beach, facing out over the Indian Ocean.

Six beautiful “Executive” villas (though we’d call it a very lucky executive who had a personal chef and rooftop sun terrace at his disposal!), and one whopping Presidential villa, large enough to roller skate from one end to the other. Each villa is cool and self-contained, with three bedrooms and rich, romantic decor reflecting the exotic Swahili heritage of this area- a mixture of Arabic, European and African. The whopping Presidential villa has five bedrooms, decorated in beautiful Italian and Indian antiques, a private swimming pool, and a small upstairs gym.

Each villa comes with its own cook, waiter and maid, but there’s also the option of the beach-side restaurant. For guests who want to go out and about, there are also a good number of restaurants in Diani, a short cab ride away. The Executive villas share the main swimming pool, and there’s a watersports centre and spa on site (almost unheard of in somewhere this small).

All the usual beach activities are on offer – windsurfing, kite surfing, and snorkelling, and there are wonderful massages to be had at the spa. The great delight of this location is that you’re not limited by what’s on offer in the resort. A short drive will take you to the nearby 18 hole Par 72 Championship course, and clay tennis courts, whilst scuba diving and deep-sea fishing can be arranged in the local area.