Family friendly resorts in Kenya have a lot to offer families with children, both young and old. Family friendly hotels offer kid’s clubs, swimming pools, child friendly entertainment, and activities that range from table tennis to learning how to track a lion.
Children who holiday in Kenya can experience the wonder of safari, the lure of white sand beaches, the thrill of climbing a volcano, and swimming in hot springs. There are plenty of family-friendly resorts in Kenya where you can relax in comfort.
I’ll let you into a secret. When researching this article, I noticed lots of blogs referencing family-friendly hotels in Kenya that aren’t family-friendly at all. At The Expat Mummy, I offer you the real lowdown on the best hotels and resorts in Kenya if you are travelling with kids. I’m a proven authority as someone who has young children and has visited all the places listed.
21 Family Friendly Resorts in Kenya
Maasai Mara
The Maasai Mara is the glittering jewel on Kenya’s safari circuit: a global treasure, a natural wonder of the world, a gathering of wildlife so concentrated that it invites gasps of awe. The Maasai Mara is famed for the Great Migration, a mass movement of wildebeest, zebra and antelope that migrate from the Serengeti in Tanzania to the Maasai Mara every year. The vast herds make easy picking for predators. As a result, the numbers of lion, leopard, cheetah, hyena and other meat eaters balloon. There are very few places on earth where you can view big cats with such ease.
Further Reading
How Much Does a Maasai Mara Safari Cost
Maasai Mara Wildebeest Migration – all you need to know
Talek Bush Camp
If your kids are anything like mine, then the idea of taking the noisy heathens to a posh camp is terrifying. Sometimes you just want to get to out in nature, without it costing the world and without having to spend the entire time shouting at your kids to stay quiet. Talek Bush Camp is basic but great. It’s located just outside the Maasai Mara Reserve, which means there are fewer predators and more opportunities for the kids to run around. Despite being outside the park, the hotel overlooks the Talek river and you can sit in the restaurant or on your deck and look into the Maasai Mara Reserve. This family friendly resort in Kenya has a swimming pool for the children, Wi-Fi, a restaurant and a communal area. You can stay in safari tents, wooden cabins or even camp.
Book Talek Bush Camp
Sarova Mara Game Camp
Sarova Mara Game Camp is one of the larger camps within the Maasai Mara. Sarova is a large hotel brand with accommodations all over Africa. The beauty of a Sarova is that you know what you are getting: decent service, accommodation and a range of facilities.
Sarova Mara Game Camp is in the heart of the Maasai Mara Game Reserve, surrounded by 2 streams and next door to a Maasai village. The Maasai Villages are always a winner with the kids who will learn how the Maasai people live, buy crafts and join in with traditional dances. This family friendly resort has a pool and an organic garden.
Accommodation is in safari tents. There is a restaurant, a bar and an electric fence around the camp meaning you can relax in the knowledge that the kids are safe.
The camp has its fleet of safari vehicles if you prefer not to drive yourself.
Nanyuki
Nanyuki is Mount Kenya and its alpine forest, it is a safari in the green fields of Ol Pejeta or the ancient landscape of the Loldaiga Hills. It is zip lining through the Ndare Ngare forest or crashing through waterfalls on the Sagana River.
Further reading
The Best Hotels and Lodges in Nanyuki
12 Best Places to Visit in Nanyuki
The best family friendly resorts and hotels in Nanyuki are as follows:
Sweetwaters Serana Camp
Sweetwaters Serena Camp is a luxury tented camp located inside Ol Pejeta Conservancy. It is set around a waterhole, giving you unrivalled chances to view the Big Five directly from the camp. Accommodation is in large luxury tents. Guests can go on game drives, night safaris and guided bush walks as part of the camp activities.
Read more about Ol Pejeta Conservancy here; it is one of Kenya’s most famous conservancies, known for its strong conservation efforts, including a sanctuary for endangered species like the black rhino and the last two northern white rhinos in the world.
Olepangi Farm
Olepangi Farm is in Timau, just north of Nanyuki (in the most picturesque bit, if you ask me). It is a boutique farm stay set on 120 acres near the foothills of Mount Kenya. This farm is known for its peaceful ambience, stunning views of the surrounding landscape, and authentic Kenyan countryside experience. Visitors can stay in individually designed cottages and rooms set in stunning gardens. It really is heaven on earth. For families, there’s a pool, horse riding, you can hire quad bikes or take a stroll around the grounds.
Book Olepangi Farm
Amboseli National Park
Amboseli National Park is one of my favourite family safari destinations in Kenya. I try to make it down here a couple of times a year, and while I usually end up camping, there are a few good family-friendly hotels in Amboseli for those who prefer not to rough it.
Further Reading
Camping in Amboseli National Park
Kibo Safari Camp
Kibo Safari Camp Amboseli is located just outside the Kimana Gate access to Amboseli. I always prefer staying slightly outside a park or conservancy with children, as it feels like there are fewer predators around, regardless Kibo is fenced and so totally secure from wildlife.
Kibo Safari Camp has self-contained tents, including family accommodation, a gorgeous pool, paths and gardens for the kids to run around, and a huge communal terraced restaurant, bar, and lounge with spectacular views of Kilimanjaro. I’ve stayed at this camp with a huge group of kids and found it a great option for a family-friendly resort in Kenya.
Book Kibo Safari Camp
Amboseli Serena Safari Camp
Serena is another big hotel brand, one that has over 25 hotels in Africa and Asia. The Amboseli Serena Safari Camp has the benefit of offering a tried and trusted hotel experience together with a fantastic location within Amboseli National Park.
The hotel has a pool, restaurant, shared lounge, a garden and free Wi-Fi, and all the rooms come with a private terrace. The camp is fenced with top-notch security and offers game drive vehicles if you would rather go out with a guide.
Book Amboseli Serena Safari Camp
Watamu
Characterised by sandy coves, coral islands and shallow bays with sand bars and low-lying reef, Watamu is easily one of the most picturesque place on the Kenyan coast. Watamu Marine Park is one of the best snorkelling and diving destinations in Africa. Even from shore you will see a dazzling array of tropical fish. Watamu is heavily Italian influenced, restaurants here serve up pizza and gelato as good as any you will find in Italy.
Further Reading
Turtle Bay Beach Club
The Turtle Bay Beach Club is a family friendly resort in Kenya. Turtle Bay Watamu is an all-inclusive resort that provides meals, snacks, and drinks (including alcohol), plus an option to include kayaks, SUPs, and pedalos within the package. Turtle Bay Watamu has loads for the whole family, including a kids’ club where kids can do arts & crafts, pool games, beach walks and watch movies supervised by trained staff. There are two vast pools, one of which is adult-only, so you don’t need to stress about annoying romantic couples and an onsite dive school.
Read my blog on Turtle Bay Beach Club.
Ocean Sports Resort
Ocean Sports is located right on Turtle Bay beach. Ocean Sports is a popular Watamu restaurant that does outstanding pizzas (and cocktails for the grown-ups). Staying onsite at Ocean Sports Watamu gives you access to a private swimming pool, a kid’s playground, the onsite dive school that does a bubbles course for kids under 10 as well as access to the stunning white sand beach (be warned Turtle Bay beach can be full of seaweed in the winter months).
Check out Ocean Sports Resort Watamu
The One Hotel
KIDS CLUB
The One hotel isn’t within central Watamu, it is midway between Malindi and Watamu.
The reason for recommending a hotel slightly out of town is twofold, firstly Jacaranda Beach is one of THE most wonderful beaches in Kenya. On a spring tide, you can walk for miles out to sea along the sandbars, spotting pufferfish and starfish and baby sharks in the shallows. Secondly, it is the only other hotel in Watamu that offers a kids’ club and it is a great option for a family friendly resort in Kenya. The Rafiki Club has a range of activities that are led by qualified staff members. This kids’ club in Watamu offers arts and crafts, beach adventures, painting, dancing and more.
The One is a 4-star family beach resort with an in-house spa, swimming pools, water sports, tennis and snorkelling and an onsite restaurant and three bars. Rooms are basic, clean and have private balconies or terraces.
Diani Beach
Diani Beach slumbers in summered perfection. The softest of white sand, waving palms, lazy seaside cafes. Diani has five-star hotels, palatial villas, backpacker hostels, fine dining restaurants, laid back beach bars and a scattering of water sports centres. It is the best place to enjoy a family friendly resort in Kenya.
Further Reading:
Best Places to Stay in Diani Beach.
27 things to do in Diani Beach
Hotel Review: The Sands at Chale Island
Hotel Review: The Sands at Nomads
Hotel Review: Kenyaways Kitesurfing
Swahili Beach Resort
Swahili Beach Resort in Diani Beach must have the most exciting pool in Kenya. Seven tiered pools run into each other from the top of the resort down to the beach, affording the kids endless hours of fun. The resort is graded 5*, although I’d place it at four as it’s a little dated, and the service is hit-and-miss.
There are three swimming pools, a gym, tennis, billiards, darts, watersports, tennis and bike hire, as well as a kids’ club. Swahili Beach Resort has several restaurants and bars and in the evening there’s entertainment suited to the whole family.
Diani Reef Beach Resort
Diani Reef Beach Resort was voted the No. 1 Family friendly hotel in Diani on TripAdvisor. The 30 acres of private gardens are set right on Diani Beach. There are 3 restaurants and 3 bars, 22 fresh-water pools, a spa, steam bath, aromatherapy and facial treatments.
Activities on-site include tennis, table tennis, badminton, squash, billiards, cycling and a games room. Windsurfing, snorkelling and water sports facilities can be arranged. There is evening entertainment, themed dinner nights, a nightclub and a kids’ club.
All rooms have private balconies and satellite TV. One of the best family friendly hotels in Kenya.
Baobab Beach Resort and Spa
Baobab Beach Resort is huge, a mammoth resort covering 80 acres, composed of three separate hotels, all of which sit under the Baobab name and management. Such a large resort has plenty to offer the whole family; 3 swimming pools, 3 tennis courts, table tennis, pool/billiards, darts, volleyball, archery, aquafit, shuffle-board, boccie and a watersports centre where you can learn to windsurf, dive, kite surf or charter a boat to go big game fishing. Baobab has 350 rooms and 23 restaurants – see I told you it was big. It sits on one of the nicest sections of Diani beach, with soft white sand and a turquoise ocean. It’s a one size fits all family friendly hotel in Diani that should suit those looking for a big resort with tons to do.
Hillpark Hotel & Sand Island Cottages
This is a shout out for my beloved Sand Island Beach Cottages. Formerly a family-owned hotel in Tiwi the cottages were bought by neighbouring Hillpark Hotel in 2021. The cottages keep their crunchy aura of yesteryear and remain little changed since Hillpark took over ownership. I won’t wax lyrical about Sand Island Beach, as I’ve written a full blog on this magical place. I travel alone with three kids, A LOT and Sand Island is my default getaway with kids in Kenya. There are no facilities and the cottages are basic… nope, there’s nothing for the kids to do but play in the sea, hunt for starfish on the reef, explore the caves and collect shells. It’s absolute heaven
Read my blog on Sand Island Beach Cottages
Book Sand Island Cottages through Hillpark hotel – you will have to request the cottages when booking.
Mombasa
Mombasa is a belching, burping beachside city that is at least 800 years old. Ancient, handsome, steamy, rotten, dusty and tumultuous. Rich and poor, old and new, fight for space between the tuk-tuks and donkeys, the oil refineries and the white sand beaches. The best family friendly hotels in Mombasa are on the northern beaches between Mombasa and Shanzu / Mtwapa.
Further Reading
12 Amazing Places to Visit in Mombasa
Pride Inn Paradise Mombasa
The Pride Inn Paradise in Mombasa is on Shanzu’s white sand beach but benefits from having a private beach area. The hotel has an awesome outdoor swimming pool with a water park with slides and climbing frames for the kids.
There is a fitness centre, evening entertainment including karaoke, games room, darts, a shared lounge.
Rooms have a balcony, A/C, and free WiFi.
Book Price Inn Paradise Mombasa
Serena Beach Resort Mombasa
The Serena Beach Resort and Spa is a huge 164 room hotel with a variety of room sizes and styles with all the facilities one might require and expect from a 5 star family friendly hotel in Mombasa.
The Serena Beach Resort and Spa is an excellent choice for families, sited on Shanzu beach with 3 restaurants and bars, one being the famous Jahazi Grill which serves fresh seafood and overlooks the beach. There are plenty of activities for the whole family: a huge swimming pool, water sports, a scuba diving centre, beach volleyball, tennis, squash, table tennis, darts, archery and aqua aerobics.
Book Serena Beach Resort Mombasa
Nairobi
Nairobi sits atop the Great Rift Valley – a location favoured for its cooler highland weather and temperate climate. Nairobi is an ever-expanding city. As people move to Kenya’s capital to find work, Nairobi’s art, fashion and cultural scene explodes and with it new restaurants, bars and clubs. Despite being home to over 4 millions people, Nairobi is a fabulous place to view wildlife with lion, leopard, cheetah, buffalo, rhino, hyena, jackal, hippo, and giraffe making their home in Nairobi National Park. There are plenty of family friendly resorts in Nairobi.
Further Reading
Cheap Bed & Breakfasts in Nairobi
12 Best Restaurants in Nairobi
Ololo Safari Lodge
Surely the most exciting place for kids to stay in Nairobi is in Nairobi National Park. Ololo Safari Lodge perches on the edge of the park, accessed by a rope bridge (trust me, even adults find this fun). It’s a glorious escape from the humdrum of city life – for us residents – or the perfect kid friendly hotel in Nairobi for visitors. Ololo is a housed in an old thatched farmhouse. There are farm animals for the kids to visit, a beautiful pool for them to swim in and, of course, the chance to spot game from the terrace. The lodge can offer guests game drives, or take your own car and explore Nairobi National Park on your own.
Rooms are dotted throughout the gardens with a choice of stable cottages, a tower room within the farmhouse or safari tents.
Swara Acacia Lodge
Swara Acacia Lodge is slightly outside of Nairobi being located on the Swara Plains Wildlife Conservancy – part of the Athi Plains. This family friendly resort in Kenya is a wonderful place to escape Nairobi and takes less than half an hour – a quick whizz down the Mombasa Road – to reach. The Swara Plains Wildlife Conservancy boasts over 100 km of trails that lead to over 3,000 game animals, 300 bird species and 8 dams. Animals include cheetah, antelopes, giraffes, ostriches, hyenas. The lack of predators means that cycling is a popular activity within the conservancy – with long flat roads perfect for little kids. There is a big kids’ playground, a swimming pool, archery, yoga, safari bike rentals and safari hikes.
Accommodation is in sweet little bandas – they have family bandas and there is an option of camping. There is a great restaurant and a bar.
Read my blog on Swara Acacia Lodge
Serena Hotel Nairobi
Another Serena Hotel! This family friendly hotel in Nairobi really understands the challenges of travelling with children. The kids offering includes a specific children’s diving room serving kiddie meals (and baby food) at an earlier time. A childrens playground, a swimming pool with a baby pool, a garden and an area with books and board games.
There are family rooms, rooms with connecting doors and if you choose a garden suite you will have a terrace.
Emara Ole Sereni
The Emara Ole Sereni is a shiny new hotel which overlooks Nairobi National Park. The Emara Ole Sereni offers a kid friendly buffet, specific children’s meals, family rooms, baby gates, babysitting and a luscious rooftop swimming pool, but the real reason for including it on this list is its proximity to Nairobi National Park. For many young travellers to Kenya, the chance to see a real safari animal is a must, so being able to sit at breakfast or peer out of your bedroom window and see buffalo, lion or impala is thrilling.
Book Your Kenya Trip – Insider Tips
Find everything you need for visiting Kenya on my TRAVEL RESOURCES page.
Find everything you need for moving to Kenya in my THE EXPAT GUIDE TO LIVING IN NAIROBI book.
- Kenya Accommodation: Booking.com has the cheapest rates for hotels and guest houses in Kenya.
- Accommodation Reviews: TripAdvisor is my go-to portal for checking reviews on accommodation/restaurants in the local area. I never book without checking TripAdvisor first.
- ESIM: Airalo allows you to access the Internet from virtually any country without paying roaming charges
- Car Rental: Rental Cars is managed by Booking.com – guaranteed reliable.
- Tours and Guides in Kenya : Check out Get Your Guide and Viator – reputable companies that do tours within Kenya and East Africa.
- Travel Insurance: Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I recommend Visitors Coverage, which covers you for East Africa and offers ‘special insurance’ for safaris and adventure sports:
- Visitors Coverage
- Compensair – if you have a cancelled or delayed flight, you may get a refund.