Jumbo Resort, Watamu

You stay at Jumbo Resort on Jacaranda Bay in Watamu, a beachfront property built around a tropical garden. The resort has three seawater pools and two large jacuzzis, with one pool leading directly to the beach. Rooms are spread across five two-story buildings in an Arabic style, each with air conditioning, mosquito nets, and safes.

The all-inclusive option covers breakfast, lunch, and dinner at the main buffet restaurant, plus snacks and local drinks from the main bar and beach bar. The kitchen serves Italian and Swahili dishes, with fresh fish and vegetables from nearby sources. Once a week, the resort hosts a beach party with local entertainment.

From here, you can visit Tsavo East National Park in just over an hour to see elephants and big cats. The resort also arranges longer safaris to Amboseli and Maasai Mara. Back at the property, activities include water aerobics, beach volleyball, and Swahili language lessons.

The beach is private, with sun loungers under thatched umbrellas, and the garden is planted with bougainvillea. Malindi is twenty kilometers away; Mombasa airport is a two-and-a-half-hour drive.