Kamili House Kilifi : A Luxury Villa on the Indian Ocean.

Kamili House sits high above the crashing Indian Ocean on a cliff top that smells of brine, and frangipani and fresh cut grass. The gardens at Kamili House, Kilifi are fecund and alive; bees and trees and flowers and the flash of lizards. A sanctuary, a safe place, a villa of utter luxury. A house with a story to tell.

Kamili House was built in 2014 by Heather Stewart. Heather was fond of taking old buildings and creating something new and vibrant. Heather believed that whatever the state of the existing building, it was bad luck to tear the heart of the home down. At Kamili House, the heart of the old cottage is now the TV and reading room.. a gentle pulse that guides the rhythm of the home. A lullaby of luxuriant sleeps, and silver-lined sundowners.  

Regular readers may have noticed I don’t go to posh places much. You can take the girl out of Woking, but the Woking girl holds her pennies in an unbreakable grip. So when I was invited to Kamili House on a girls’ weekend, I tried to act cool, but was secretly ecstatic. Finally, I had a chance to put something on Instagram other than pictures of me in a tent.  

Websites and Instagram lie though, don’t they (not mine, I’m the worlds worst photographer) so it wasn’t until I walked up to Kamili House and spied the magnificent baobab and the Indian Ocean framed by a carved Swahili style door, that I knew for definite I’d fallen on my feet. Kamili means perfect in KiSwahili and the name is well… perfect.

Kamili House is on the south side of Kilifi. This stretch of land is marked by cliffs and tumbling waves that roll towards hidden private beaches. If you were to sail along the coast, you would note stone staircases carved into the cliff side that lead down to tidal pools and patches of shell strewn sand. From Kamili House, you look across Kilifi creek to the striking white sands of Bofa beach.

Kamili House Kilifi is decorated in coastal Swahili style. You walk through the front door into a spacious living area which runs into a gargantuan deck and expansive views. The house is decorated throughout with Persian rugs, incredible art (it’s always the art that makes these places) and carved wooden furniture. A small snug/TV lounge is the perfect place for relaxing on rainy days. There is a bar area with two fridges, ice buckets and tons of glassware.

Bedrooms and Bathrooms at Kamili House Kilifi

The house is divided into two separate bedroom areas, to the left and right of the main living space. Kamili has 6 bedrooms, 4 double ensuite, 1 twin and 1 single, sleeping 11 people in total. To the left of the entertaining area are two double bedrooms with dressing rooms and spacious bathrooms. Walk to the right and you will find two double bedrooms, a twin and a single. Some rooms on this side share a bathroom. It’s a great space for a family.

Each bedroom is fully air-conditioned with fans above the beds. The beds are huge, squashy affairs with plump pillows and plenty of throws for the cooler nights. Bathrooms are huge, some with baths, all with showers. Water is hot and powerful (not to be taken for granted at the Kenyan coast). Delicious Cinnabar Green soaps and fluffy towels delight.

Facilities at Kamili House Kilifi

Kamili House has over 3 acres of gardens in which you will discover a vast pool. A games area with a ping-pong table, pool table, dartboard and tons of books and board games. The pièce de résistance is the private beach, reached by steps cut into the coral cliffs. Kamili beach has a small sandy area and shallow tidal pools well suited to young children. Kamili House has stand-up-paddle boards and this is a great place to practice SUP-ing on the Indian Ocean.

Food and Menus at Kamili House

Kamili House Kilifi comes with a full staff, including an excellent chef who specializes in seafood, curries and can knock up a mean spaghetti bolognaise for the kiddos. The staff at Kamili will help you create a menu and can shop for food for you as well as preparing it. There is also the option of having a full catering & hosted service via a private company that will create a menu,shop, and cook in house. This is an external service. If you are interested, please mention when booking the house.

Kamili House Information

WI-Fi and Communications

Wi-Fi is available throughout the house and there is good 4G Safaricom coverage. A 31 KVA backup generator runs the whole house, including the air con, in case of any power outage.

Security

All sleeping areas have secure Treli Door grills and the doors onto the main veranda. There is good security with KK Security alarm buttons and an on site Night Watchman.

How to Get to Kamili House Kilifi

Flights to Kilifi

Kilifi sits an hour south of Malindi and 2 hours north of Mombasa. Kilifi is sandwiched between Watamu and Vipingo Ridge. There are frequent flights from all over the country to Malindi and Mombasa, but the closest airport is the small private strip at Vipingo Ridge.

Flights to Mombasa take approximately an hour and cost USD 50. A taxi from Mombasa takes 2 hours and costs 70 USD.

Flights to Malindi take approximately 1 hour 15 mins and cost USD 70. A taxi from Malindi takes 1 hour and costs 40 USD.

Flights to Vipingo Ridge take approximately 1 hour 15 mins and cost USD 70. A taxi from Vipingo takes 30 minutes and costs approximately USD 30.

SGR Train to Mombasa

Take the high-speed train from Nairobi to Mombasa. The SGR train takes 6 hours, costs USD 30 first class and USD 10 in second class.

Drive to Kilifi

It is possible to drive to Kilifi. Take the Mombasa road down to Mariakani and drive through to Kilifi. The journey should take about 8 hours, but be warned, the Mombasa road is not for the fainthearted.

How to Book Kamili House Kilifi

Book Kamili House directly via email on info@kamilihouse.com or you can head to the Kamili House website and use the online contact form.

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