Southern Palms Hotel-All Inclusive

Along the picture-perfect south coast, Southern Palms Mombasa on Diani Beach gets top marks for its superb location, a wonderful atmosphere, friendly staff, good food, and kid’s programs. The resort is located on a private beach so guests are relatively spared of harassment from the beach vendors.

Southern Palms Mombasa

Southern Palms has 300 air conditioned rooms, all of which are fully air-conditioned and feature, in addition to the double beds, a standard size day bed to be converted into an additional bed. The floors of the rooms and bathrooms are decorated with ceramic tiles. There are showers in the bathrooms.

The Swahili atmosphere at Southern Palms  is enhanced by the Pili-Pili carved four-poster double beds in each of the rooms and Swahili easy chairs on the good-sized balconies to soak in the eye-catching ocean or garden views.

Southern Palms Room

Rooms overlook the swimming pools and gardens and arrangements can be made beforehand for the ocean front rooms, of which there are 36. All rooms in Southern Palms Mombasa are clean, comfortable and spacious.

All rooms have TV with inbuilt DVD Player with DVDS available for loan from the Business Center, direct dial telephones, a fridge, coffee and tea making facilities, an electronic safe. You have to pay extra to have a stocked minibar.

The luxury suites are furnished with a king-size four-poster bed, mini bar, T.V. and video, spacious sitting area, shower and bath, large balcony.

Total number of guest rooms 300
Luxury suites 2

Restaurants

Southern Palms Main Restaurant

There are 4 restaurants at the hotel. The largest, the Main Restaurant, features a themed buffet which changes nightly. Breakfast is served here and full board guests lunch here as well.

Manyatta, which is under a domed canopy by the pool, specializes in charcoal grilled meat and seafood. All day snacks and light lunches of pizza, burgers, sandwiches and salads and light lunches are available at the Boriti Snack Bar. For dining under the stars, pick the Italian restaurant, La Via Romana. This is only opened in the evening as is the atmospheric El Nomad Lebanese Restaurant at the Fountain Bar in which you dine to the sounds of Jabali music.

Of the 5 bars on the premises of the hotel, the main one is opened 24/7 and those who wish to try their hand at smoking a water pipe should hop on down to the Sargile Hookah Bar. There are two swim-up bars in the pools. The pool closest to the entrance is a salt water pool while the fresh water pool tends to be more popular.

Swimming pools

Pools at Southern Palms Hotel

Swim up Bar Southern Palms

Two extensive free-form swimming pools, deemed the largest in East Africa, fringed by palm trees. There are plenty of sunbeds for lounging on and free towels are readily available. The pools are constantly being cleaned and maintained.

There are also sunbeds on the beach.

Entertainment
Traditional African shows such as Masai dancers and acrobats and dancing till early morning hours. Look out for their specials such as their evening Beach Party which features the Masai warriors for an unforgettable experience.

Things to enjoy
Tennis in floodlit courts, air-conditioned squash courts, beach and pool volleyball, beach walks, water aerobics, deep sea fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, windsurfing, catamaran sailing, Petanque, tables tennis, pool darts, bird watching, a fitness center and an activity’s club for kids.

What’s cool

Southern Palms on Diani Beach

Private Beach at Southern Palms Hotel

Fantastic and clean swimming pools and easy availability of sunbeds for lounging and free clean towels. Guests are welcomed with a cold towel and refreshing drink. A private beach and security guards on hand minimize harassment from the beach vendors. The friendly staff bends backwards to please the guests.

This is a kid-friendly environment and a baby sitter is available on request.

What’s not
Not a whole lot to do in the surrounding area outside the hotel, you need a taxi ride to other restaurants and bars.

Location
On Diani Beach, Mombasa, Kenya

All images and photographs used in this review are the copyright of Southern Palms Mombasa