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Villa Monique, Diani Beach Kenya

Villa Monique is a private inexpensive Holiday Cottage in Diani Beach. It is only 8 minutes walk from the Villa to the superb white sandy beach.

An ideal hideaway for couples and honeymooners. A small paradise for individualists and adventurers. It is also suitable for families with small children.

I go myself every year for holidays with my wife and my three kids.

There are three similar Cottages on the compound, named after my three children : Villa Monique, Villa Pierre and Villa Mwangi.

All three Villas are built in the traditional coastal style combined with European standard. One Villa can accommodate maximum 6 persons comfortably.

Downstairs each Villa has two bedrooms with one double bed each. All bedrooms have air-conditioning, ceiling fans and mosquito nets. Upstairs there is an open studio-like area with further sleeping facilities. The studio can also be used as a living room. All beds upstairs are also equipped with mosquito nets, although there are not many mosquitoes in this area anyway. There is no need for air-conditioning upstairs.

The traditional architecture of the Villa makes use of the always-present sea breeze and provides the area with a cool and very pleasant Temperature. Housemaid service is provided and included in the price. The Villa will be cleaned on a daily basis and your beds will be made. Linen and a basic set of towels are provided.

The kitchen is small but fully equipped. Of course you may cook yourself if you wish. If you like cooking , there is plenty of room to experiment with exotic spices ,fresh tropical fruits and vegetables, fresh fish and seafood, meat and even African game like Impala, Ostrich, crocodile, etc is available ,although you might have to buy it from Mombassa since game is not affordable and not much liked by the local population . However you have your own personal chef available who will be happy to cook for you local and international specialities. This service is also included in the price, there are no extra charges for the cook.

We will welcome you with a welcome drink and a shopping basket with some basic food on your first day. So you can relax and it will save you the hustle to shop around the first day. Once you are settled the housekeeper will show you the area and tell you where the shops etc are. This service is free as well, however then you have to buy and pay your own food and basic essentials like toilet paper, soap, etc yourself.

There is one bathroom with a shower and a toilet. We have the privilege to have our own water source and water supply (drinking quality) and therefore always hot and cold water available. Many places around Mombassa do have sometimes water supply problems especially if it did not rain for a few months or so.

There is an outdoor Jacuzzi pool in the tropical garden and a snooker table as well which can be used anytime free of charge.

Every house has a roofed terrace. Most guests use it as an outdoor living and dining room and spend most of their time their if they are at home.

Location: Villa Monique is situated in a beautiful private estate called Bougainvilla II , the place is very private and peaceful , without noise or other people disturbing you .And yet all action is nearby. To reach the superb white sandy beach you have to walk about 8 minutes a small path through the bush . By the way, the famous writer Ernest Hemingway used to come to Diani mainly for Deep Sea Fishing, according to him Diani is 'one of the most beautiful white sandy beaches of the world'

Security: Kenya in general is certainly better than it's reputation, and often articles and reports published by the Western media do not always reflect the real situation of the whole country, especially in the coast province. I personally feel safer in Diani Beach than eg in London nowadays, where I spend most time of the year. Of course Villa Monique still has a 24hours alarm system and there is always a night watchman around .So far we did not even had one alarm (I have bought the first house 1998)

Car rental: There is a parking space in front of the garden, which is suitable for maximum two cars. Cars, car hire and taxis in Kenya are relatively expensive in Kenya by international standards. There are several small car rental companies in Diani, private car hire is also available. My housekeeper will be happy to assist you in finding a reasonable priced and reliable car if you wish.

Diani Beach has a good tourist infrastructure and much to offer for the visitor. Diani also is blessed with a beautiful coral reef and is a paradise for Scuba Diving. There are several Diving schools with approved diving instructors in the area. They are offering diving trips for just a few hours or up to several days, which normally includes exciting things, like night diving and wreck diving. Even if you are not a diver you should at least do a little bit of snorkelling to get a glimpse of the fascinating underwater world in Diani.

It is also possible to book a Dhow Safari. A Dhow is the traditional sailing boat of the East African Coast. The used to sail far as India and the Middle East, trading with slaves, spices and other goods . Nowadays there are mainly build for tourists and for a few private owners. A few small operators in Diani offer Dhow Safaris to one of the small islands along the Kenyan Coast often combined with snorkelling, diving or fishing with meals included .If you are bit lucky you will Dolphins and giant sea turtles on the way.

Diani is also an excellent place for Deep Sea Fishing. As mentioned, the famous writer Ernest Hemingway visited the Kenyan Coast regularly for Big Game Fishing . There are several operators in the area.

Obliviously going on the Safari is one of Kenya's main attraction: several small tour operators in Diani offering Road Safaris to Amboseli , Tsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks . Shimba Hills National Park is only about 25 miles from Diani Beach. Since Diani has a small airstrip, you can fly with a small aircraft straight to the world famous Masai Mara.

Diani Beach is an excellent base for excursions : sightseeing tour in Mombassa, visiting the spice island Zanzibar via small aircraft or you can sail a few days with a Dhow to Zanzibar!

Tours to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in Tansania (the border is just 30 miles south of Diani) and Mount Kenya, the two highest mountains in Africa can also be arranged.