Hakuna Majiwe Beach Lodge

The staff were friendly but the accommodation was very poor. We had a lodge facing the beach and while we didn’t expect luxury, we did expect it to be reasonable. Our main problem was that it was impossible to sleep because: 1. The bed was hard frame and protruded from the mattress so I was unable to get into it without first standing on a chair or stepping onto the chair to get out of it. I am of reasonable height. 2. The ceiling fan and air conditioning were old and exceptionally noisy … it was impossible to sleep with either one or both of them turned on. Consequently, it was very hot at night. 3. A light at the edge of the private beach was turned on at night and faced our lodge, shining into our room and keeping it light all night. There was no blind to pull at the window to block out the light. The bathroom was basic and very old and worn. The food was OK but very limited choice. The beach is a public beach so there are many people walking up and down selling various things. The sea is beautifully warm but you have to be careful because there are many people wind surfing or learning how to windsurf and you need to be able to avoid them. We did not go into the pool as I wasn’t entirely sure how clean it would be given the standard of our room. It’s a shame the hotel seems to have deteriorated so much as I imagine it could have been lovely once but I definitely would not recommend it now.

The food menu is overpriced and not very good.

Should have been great, but wasn’t The staff were very friendly and tried their best. However, a recent storm (two weeks before) had devastated half of the hotel, destroying the kitchen and dining area and removing several roofs. When we arrived, the hotel looked like a bombsite with debris everywhere which was quite unsafe. A basic breakfast was offered in an empty bedroom in a make-shift kitchen. We were awaken every morning with the sound of hammering and construction in the next rooms. The rooms had functioning ACS, but the windows had no glass only mosquito nets to it was difficult to sleep. Essentially, great location, friendly staff, but hotel should not be open until the major repairs had been conducted.

Our stay at Hakuna Majiwe was amazing. The location is great, close to Paje center, yet far enough to have a quiet time, surounded by beautiful nature. The crown jewel of this hotel are it`s employees. They made sure that we had everything we needed and they made us fall in love with the kindness of swahili people. Chef Chedrak and David`s food was amazing and they made sure that we love the dishes every day and that we do not leave hungry. The food at the restaurant was such good quality, that we couldn`t get ourselves to eat someplace else the whole stay. The yard was always clean and well kept and we even saw monkeys in front of our room. The only thing that wasn`t 5/5 were the rooms. They cleaned everyday, but some elements were just old and deteriorated, like the bed canopy or the bathroom faucets. All in all, we had a great vacation, the employees and chefs were great and we left with a good impression, willing to come back.