Sun N Sands Beach Resort Kenya

[Goldfish]

Hi, just wondered if anyone knew of anyone who has been here with children? Mine are 11 and 12 so don't want kids clubs but also have found out you cannot go on a safari until you are 12.
It is a brilliant hotel, all inclusive and would cost only £300 more than a 4 star hotel we stayed in in Majorca.
Just wondering, would there be many kids there and would there be enough for my kids to do as there is not a lot in resort. The hotel is huge though with 4 pools and many facilities. Also is it cruel to put kids through the injections? Would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks.

I think that is where I stayed - can't remember the name now.

Personally unless I was going for a safari then I wouldn't go to Kenya just for a beach holiday. Maybe it was because we had such a good time on our sfari but the beach bit of our holiday was a real disappointment.

From what I remember the beach wasn't that great and you got a lot of hassle off of people trying to sell you stuff.

Agree with santabops.

Kenya on safari is fantastic. Some safari companies will take children younger - from 8 I think it is. And there are some companies who do very specific child orientated safaris.

The beach hotels are generally nice with pools, etc. But you can't really go out of the hotels unles on organised tours. We went on one fantastic tour to a local village, visiting a local school, etc. But the beaches are fullof people trying to get you buy stuuff. You aren't free from it even in the sea (which is beautiful and warm) as they will follow you in.

Not sure on how many other children. We went pre-children. I got married out there, so holds a special place in my heart

So, Kenya is fantastic for safari. But if just going for a beach holiday I would choose somewhere less expensive and without the jabs.

Thanks for your replies. I am really torn though. The hotel looks brilliant and thereis a crocodile farm to visit, also snorkelling, kayaking and canoeing etc is included in the all inclusive which is more than what you normmally get in a spanish all inclusive. I love Spain but have been there so many times and also done Disney and Universal and just fancied a change.
DH is away on an oil rig at the moment and First choice are ringing me tomorrow as they are trying to get me interconnecting room which they have ran out of, but they are contacting the hotel directly for me, so I really have to decide by tomorrow.

Agree - it is a long way to go just for a beach holiday especially with the vaccination and malaria complications. your kids are probably odel enoguht o have an opinion on whether the jabs etc are worth it (you may have to pay for some of them too - think it was Yellow Fever). Also Kenya is seasonal and you need to time the jabs correctly before you go.

We didn't do the coast but flew on from our safari which finished in Nairobi to Dubai. Can't wait to take ours on safari when they are older and thought they can go younger than 8 (might be in South Africa though) but probably not before 12 on a mainstream package type holiday (tbh wouldn't want them on 6-8 hours bumpy drives anyway it was hard going at a times, mainly due to our companions in a confined space!!). There are some specialist companies who would arrange a specific itinerary for you but probably £££.

www.tripadvisor.com do have several reviews of this hotel in question and I would suggest you read every single one for both a good and honest overview (these are written by holidaymakers rather than travel writers).

BTW the Sunday Times did a Best and Worst feature in their travel section today - Kenyan all inclusives were put in the "worst" section.

Thanks for your thoughts. I must admit I am going off the idea. I will have another think although I can't believe how few rooms hotels seem to have left. We normally book much earilier, but DH has only just found out his hol dates.

Hello Goldfish,
Well, for better or worse, we are off to Sun n Sands on friday for a week (returning New Years Eve) with our two DSs aged 8 and 11. We have booked a 2 day/1 night safari (£375 for 2 adults/2 children). The two injections which covered them for Hep A, typhoid, tetanus, diptheria, polio were free and we had these earlier in the summer before we went to Egypt. The Yellow Fever injections cost £174 for the four of us (no side effects) and last 10 years. The malaria tablets cost £90.90 for myself and 2 children (DH bought his own separately from a London travel clinic so not sure how much he paid). Also the visa on arrival is about £30 per person! So the additional costs are certainly significant - gulp! It's quite sobering now that I've listed everything.
If you don't want to go back to Spain how about Turkey or Egypt or Greece? Your kids would have an amazing time at Lykia World in Olu Deniz, Turkey (huge resort with own waterpark, 17 pools and loads of activities for families and the family rooms have two separate bedrooms with one bathroom or you can book two interconnecting rooms - it is expensive though but just read the reviews on Tripadvisor!)
Hope some of this info is of use.

Hi copycat. I hope you have a brilliant time. We have now decided against Kenya for this year but will keep it in mind. I have actually booked the Paraiso de Albufeira in Portugal now. I wanted an apartment and all inclusive and there was not a lot of choice. But it looks good.
We did actually book Lykia world once but had to cancel but I agree it looks brilliant.
Please let me know how you get on, I would love to know what you think of the hotel and the area. Have a great time and hope you love it.

Copycat - is it the Shimba Game Reserve you are going too for your short safai? Just curious - if so it was where I got married

Hi Goldfish, the Algarve is lovely although I haven't been since I was pg with DS2. I hope you have a fantastic time. I will try and remember to dig up this thread again when we return from Kenya and let you know how we get on!
Hulababy we are going to Tsavo East for our two day safari not Shimba - I'm hoping we've made a good choice!. What an amazing and adventurous place to get married - DH and I were married on a beach in Mauritius, which seems quite tame in comparison

Copycat, just wondered how you got on?

copycat - we went to Tsavo West (and then onto Amboseli). Tsavo is lots of grass plans, water holes and rocky plains. We saw plenty of animals on each drive. And it was the only place we ot to see a lion!

Shimba is very small and only about 30 minutes from the coast. Ideal for 2 day type safaris, as the travelling is so little. Was very beautiful and very romantic for a wedding

I can't wait until DD is old enough for a safari.

You get loads of hassle from hawkers on kenyan beaches

Having said that, this was quite a while ago

Yes, we did on the beaches too - that was 1998.

Hi Goldfish
We had an amazing time in Kenya. Sun n Sands Hotel was fine. The level of service, food and pools were excellent and the staff friendly and hard-working. The rooms were fairly basic but clean. The highlight of the week was, of course, the safari at Tsavo East. We had a van/jeep to ourselves and our driver evidently loved his job. He certainly knew the park like the back of his hand (no mean feat as Tsavo East and West are jointly the size of Holland!) and he could spot game before any of us although he was the one driving and we were the ones with the binoculars .
We did three game drives over the two days and saw a hugh variety of animals: elephants, giraffes, zebras, buffalo, lions, ostrich, mongoose, baboons, impala, heartbeasts, warthogs, dik diks and an infinite variety of birds. The Voi Safari Lodge where we stayed overnight is set high up on the top of an enscarpment with amazing views and a couple of waterholes right beneath the lodge so we could watch the game come up to drink. Truly a memorable experience ...

Glad you had such a great time copycat. I will hold that in mind for next time!

Glad you had a great time

Thanks Hula and Goldfish