Distant Relatives Ecolodge & Backpackers

Distant relatives is the perfect place to stay in Kilifi. The whole staff is very friendly and make you feel like family. My wife and I arrived during off season, so when we showed up at 04:30 there was already a room available even though our check in was technically not until 12:00 that day. Mohammed at the bar made sure we were taken care of whenever we wanted something to eat or drink. The food and drink prices were reasonable, after 5 days we only spent around $100 USD. The pool was our favorite spot to sit and relax while reading our books. But reception was also able to help us call a Tuk Tuk into town and to the white sandy beaches and that was about $10 USD round trip. Beware of the Vervet monkeys though, they live in the trees surrounding the property and they will steal your food if you turn your eyes for even just a second! The toilets outside the Bandas are composting toilets, and that isn’t for everyone, but they do have traditional flush toilets as well near the pool area.

If you like hostel/backpackersl vibe, this is the place for you! There are not so many options in Kenya, so Distant Relatives really stands out. You will be surrounded by nature, friendly and helpful staff, animals (monkeys, cats, dogs, insects, birds) and interesting people. When it rains, the roof might be leaking in some rooms, but the administrator resolved the issue quickly and moved us to another room. Communal toilets and shower were always clean and well-maintained. The location is a bit far from the main beach but there are always boda bodas outside the gate, and you can also call a tuktuk. They host different events such as musical jams and night parties. The food in the restaurant is also very delicious! A few suggestions for improvement: 1. Communal kitchen is not very well equiped as there are few cooking items available, especially clean ones if someone who cooked before did not clean after themselves. Maybe additional pots for heating water for tea/coffee and a couple of more frying pans would be good to have. 2. There should be dedicated smoking areas or much more non-smoking areas. It was unfortunate that many people smoked around all the time meanwhile we came to enjoy nature and fresh air - it just did not feel right that in the Ecolodge smoking is allowed almost anywhere. 3. Music sound control. Sometimes I felt like the music in the bar area was a bit too loud for morning hours when I would prefer to relax in silence as the day unfolds, but maybe I could just ask to lower it a bit. Sometimes at night it was a bit noisy too and there was some noise at around 4 am on Sunday coming from the village (must be the church!) Just bring your ear protectors :)

Staying at distant relatives was an absolute treat! We arranged for a car to pick us up from Malindi airport when we booked our stay which was very helpful. The driver was there when we landed and it was a smooth drive. The grounds at DR are beautiful, check in was easy and we were given a tour of the area. It was great to have the option to have food/drink on the premises when we weren't out and about in town. Our room was so nice and cozy (so nice to have options from dorms to private rooms with private bathrooms all at very affordable prices). The pool was such a treat and there's so many areas to hangout outside, almost always right next to outlets, as well! The staff is very kind and helpful and there's always something to do. I would definitely stay here again when I visit Kilifi!!

Disappointing. It is a nice space, nice dorms, decent food, nice staff. But the music is going in the bar/pool area almost all day so it's impossible to chill and read a book. The nearby beach does get nice sunsets but can also be a bit loud with people with portable speakers. For me, it really wasn't worth the detour.

Would recommend this place to anybody looking for some down time at a beautiful location on the Kenyan coast, but still wanting to meet up with folk and share some good vibes, meet interesting people and recharge with positive energy. Wonderfully located overlooking the creek in Kilifi, it is well organised, with friendly positive staff and management, and there is always something going on. The food is good, and accommodation in the Bandas is great for families as well as for couples and individual travellers. They often have gigs and djs in on a friday night, and with its own swimming pool and access to a beach, it really is a great place to hang out, and from which to explore Kilifi and the surrounding areas. Definitely coming again.

We always love to return to this wonderful ecolodge when in kenya. The rooms are clean, the food is delicious and the vision of the place is outstanding. We highly recommend a stay there.