Manda Bay

The 11 Beach Front Rooms are positioned along the shore, allowing guests to go straight from their room to the ocean. Each room is an independent cottage that offers sweeping views of the waterfront.

Lie back on a hammock on your shady verandah and enjoy the soothing sounds of the sea. The beach front rooms are spacious and feature either twin or double beds. The rooms are furnished with a writing desk and mirror, and above the beds, guests will find an overhead fan and mosquito nets.

The rooms are light and airy with white curtains that can be parted to give 270-degree views of the ocean, beach and waving palm trees. The lodges are built out of locally sourced materials, with palm thatch roofs to keep them cool and maintain a traditional coastal style. Each room leads on to an en-suite bathroom with twin basins and a shower. Complimentary soaps and shampoos are also provided.

The Seaview rooms are positioned behind the beach front rooms, offering a wider view of the beach and coastline. Relax on a sun lounger, soaking up the sun while enjoying the gentle sea breeze and beautiful landscape.

The Seaview rooms will be allocated to guests with children unless another preference is given in advance. The rooms are spacious and feature either twin or double beds, a writing desk and a mirror. Guests will also be provided with a flashlight, and above the bed is an overhead fan and mosquito nets. The rooms are light and airy with white curtains that can be parted to give panoramic views of the ocean, beach, palm trees and surrounding greenery.

The lodges are built out of locally sourced materials, with palm thatch roofs to keep them cool and maintain a traditional coastal style. Each room leads on to an en-suite bathroom with twin basins and a shower. Complimentary soaps and shampoos are also provided.

The 6 Garden Rooms are located in the lodge’s garden, surrounded by coconut palms and doum palms. Sit out on your shady verandah and enjoy the peaceful surroundings while birds swoop overhead. The garden rooms are rustic and comfortable, with two twins or a soft double bed, a writing desk and a mirror.

Guests will also be provided with a flashlight, and above the bed is an overhead fan and mosquito nets. The lodges are built out of locally sourced materials, with palm thatch roofs to keep them cool and woven matting coverings. Each room leads on to an en-suite bathroom with twin basins and a shower as well as complimentary soaps and shampoos.

Enjoy delicious seafood which has just been caught from the ocean. The chefs at Manda Bay will prepare three mouth-watering meals for you each day. Tuck into fresh fruit, cereal and cooked breakfast when you wake, before enjoying a buffet lunch and three-course dinner. Guests can choose to dine together or to enjoy a more intimate and private meal. All dietary requirements can be catered for with advanced notice.

Indulge in refreshing sundowners as the sun dips behind the sea, turning the entire landscape golden. Sit out on the beach by a campfire and watch the stars as they begin to emerge, in this private sanctuary.

Venture out on the Manda Bay boat and search for giant fish in the ocean waters. Fishing is done on a catch and release basis. The fishing season runs from September until May when Billfish, Sailfish and Marlins roam the waters.

Yellow Fin Tuna, Rainbow Runner and Barracuda can be caught from May until October, but the winds are stronger at this time of year, and the seas will be rougher. Guests can choose to go fishing for a full day or half-day. Children must be over the age of 5 and able to swim, and there is a limit of 6 guests per boat.

Speed along the foaming waters of the Indian Ocean and enjoy exciting, adrenaline-filled motorboat activities such as water skiing, wakeboarding and the screamer. Go snorkelling and get up close to the marine life hidden under the sea, or take a tour to Lamu town – a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Enjoy laid-back water-sports such as a peaceful kayak along the bay, or row along on a stand-up paddle board. Guests can also take out a sailing boat and explore the bay from a different perspective. Or relax and work out in the yoga room and gym, where you will also be able to unwind with a game of table tennis or darts.

Explore the wilderness behind Manda Bay’s lodge and immerse yourself in the abundant birdlife, and watch the incredible flocks of northern carmine bee-eaters as they fill the sky with red and green feathered bodies. Visit the resident herd of buffalo, which the lodge feed and water during the dry season, from the Manda Bay safari car.

Look out for other wildlife such as mongoose, porcupine, genet cats, bushbuck and civets, and learn about these incredible creatures from the lodge’s guide.

Take your special day even further by giving your vows with the gentle waves of the ocean in the background. Enjoy the ultimate romantic experience with an intimate wedding either on the beach or under the shade of a stunning baobab tree. Manda Bay can host up to 50 people and additional tents and catering will need to be brought over from the mainland.

Fuzz Dyer, a co-owner of Manda Bay, works with the Northern Rangelands Trust to support conservancies and community projects within the local Lamu region. The Northern Rangelands Trust (NRT) aids communities to run peace and security programmes, manage sustainable businesses that are linked to conservation and help local people to earn sustainable incomes. NRT has also helped communities to transform in order to protect their livestock from wildlife and prevent wildlife/human conflict.

Manda Bay is a member of the Safari & Conservation Company, which runs a number of initiatives in order to educate and support local communities. These projects include the Borana Mobile Health Clinic, a portable clinic that treats approximately 700 patients each month and provides health care, HIV/Aids awareness, antenatal advice, child immunisation programmes and a range of other services to the members of the local community.

‘The clinic consists of two nurses and a driver, together they visit 10 communities on a two-week rotation. Given the current crisis we are facing and the lack of basic health care in these communities, The Borana Conservancy is doing all it can to keep this small but impactful health clinic running which is the top priority at the moment.’

The Safari and Conservation Company also supports The Borana Education Support Programme, which offers life-changing opportunities to local children and teachers.

‘Since 2009, over 400 scholarships have been given to students from the neighbouring communities and the salaries of over 100 teachers supported.’

Manda Bay’s deep-sea fishing is done on a catch and release basis, and they are careful to avoid over-fishing in the local ocean in order to protect the marine populations.

Manda Bay is home to a herd of Cape buffalo, that Manda Bay have kept fed and watered throughout the dry season over a period of years. Manda Bay’s support and protection of the herd allows them to continue to stay in their home territory around the lodge and means that guests can enjoy visiting them in the evenings when they come to drink.

The lodges at Manda Bay are built from locally sourced materials and merge into the tree-line. This helps Manda Bay to reduce its carbon footprint and to minimise its impact on the landscape.