Mandharini luxury villas- Kilifi

Kilifi is a town on the Kenyan coast, north of Mombasa. It’s near Kilifi Creek, along an estuary of the Goshi River. The town is known for the sweet Indian Ocean beaches. Just like any other small town it’s special in many ways from lack of congestion to country cool and old buildings full of character. One thing you learn very quickly about it is that its hard not to fall under its spell and when visiting, you should arrive hungry. There are so many good places to eat and wine . It’s for that very reason that Kilifi county remains my favorite Kenyan coast destination when am not thinking of Lamu of course.

After a very amazing Diani experience i headed to Kilifi for a weekend of relaxation this time choosing a different type of accommodation, a villa. While hotel stays have their own advantages Villas come with seclusion and privacy. However the thought of cooking ones own food may not be the best thing to look forward to. Luckily enough Madharini villas come with their own chef service, all you need to do is bring your own food.

Located 37kms away from Watamu and a roughly 10 minutes drive off Malindi kilifi road(B8) Madharini, an award winning luxury housing develpoment offers luxurious residences with free private parking on site. Each villa at Mandharini boasts a large, private swimming pool and a garden, an extensive outdoor living space, hand-curved Swahili doors and vidakas, imported finishes, luxury en suite bathrooms and fully fitted kitchens to only the highest specifications. Each Mandharini home is finished to an exceptional standard unmatched by other Kenya homes,. The homes are all air-conditioned.

Villa 30 (where i stayed) is a contemporary 3 bedroom hillside villa that oozes sophistication and inspires relaxation spanning over two levels. All the bedrooms of this outstanding villa face the Kilifi creek, so you can wake up in the morning and take in the beauty of the ocean and its surroundings. The bedrooms feature spacious bathrooms with exposed rain showers,hinged wardrobes, king size beds, casement and sliding windows and a small working station sort of. One of the upper bedrooms feature a bath tub with both bedrooms boasting a balcony well situated to soak in the spectacular sea views.

The L shaped staircase links the lower and upper levels. The upper level features two bedrooms while the lower level features one bedroom,the kitchen,1/2 bath,the living area and the extensive outdoor living space

**The living area next to the kitchen. Photo by madharini villas**

***The Kitchen***. ***Notice how it’s tastefully furnished and equiped.***

***This sliding door opens to the pool area and outdoor living area. Both areas have a sea view.***

***The outside dining and living area. Notice the swahili door i mentioned earlier.***

***The alluring outdoor relaxation area with a pool and sea view. The air and ambience is so refreshing***. *photo by madharini*

**If ‘as the sun starts to set, pick a spot to get cosy, take in the view and stay there until the sky is full of stars’ was a place. I found this spot very relaxing in the early mornings** ***as well and*** **perfect to sit and gaze across the idyllic slice of paradise.**

There is a lively beach bar and restaurant at Mandharini, where guests enjoy a sun downer or meal overlooking the ocean and sail boats.It’s where i took this drone shot from. unfortunately the restaurant had temporarily closed when we visited. A range of water sports can be arranged, including snorkeling, windsurfing, sailing, diving, kite surfing and deep-sea fishing.

***Make uuse of the barbecue grill atleast once while staying here.***

I must have mentioned the pristine powdery heaven perfect for those hot afternoons. When i said i loved Kilifi for lack of congestion, this was it. Laying by the beach unbothered soaking it all in.

***In 2021 i’ll align all my travels to fall during the full moon especially the international ones.*** ***I want better views and shots of the full moon.***

While in Kilifi i had the pleasure of visiting Mnarani ruins. They are the remains of two mosques dating from the 15th century. The mosques are located on a bluff overlooking Kilifi Creek from the southern side. The original mosque was built around 1475, while the later mosque in about 1500 which is evident by the presence of a Portuguese dish in the cistern thus indicating that the final alterations to the mosques were probably not completed before the 16th century. Mnarani was eventually destroyed by the Galla in the early 17th century. The site also contains a number of tombs and a very deep swahili well. There is quite some interesting history about the place.

***Honestly this was my favorite spot. I took a while here soaking in the views.***

**Mnarani key features include 800 years baobab trees, a 75ft dried up well,remnants of coral reefs and logs and mystery of the inscriptions on mosque and tomb among others.**

***Whats a trip to Kilifi without a sunset cruise? Sunsets in Kilifi never disappoint.***

That’s about it as far as my Kilifi experience is concerned, i have been sitting in front of a computer for the better part of today and thats all my eyes can take for the day. Telling you Madharini is great is an understatement. Money allowing i wouldn’t mind owning my very own villa there.

Thank you for stopping by, Good evening, cheers.

Ray