Tiwi Beach in Kenya is my favorite place in the whole country. Ocean Villa Tiwi Beach is the perfect house to hang out in, it’s beachfront luxury with a hippy twist. The beaches at Tiwi make my heart sing with their raw beauty. The house at Tiwi Ocean celebrates this with a exotic build of natural materials, lavish spaces and art.
Architectural beauty at Tiwi Beach in Kenya
The seafront property was purchased by multi talented craftsmen and entrepreneurs Aussie Mike and Sabine. Their artistic influence is apparent all over the house. Their liberal use of honey coloured polished concrete means the lines of the house follow sinuous curves. Everywhere you look there is a point of architectural interest, from Moroccan detailing within the walls to the cavernous Makuti thatch of the roof. Wine bottles form vivid windows, coloured glass the doors and Lamu lanterns hang from the ceiling. Aussie Mike runs the well known furniture company Funzi Furniture and the house is decorated in that inimitable style. If you look carefully you may even spot a couple of their elephant tables.
A large oceanside Tiwi Villa
Ocean Villa Tiwi Beach is a 4 bedroom house sleeping 10 people. The huge bedrooms are open to the elements which allow the cool sea breeze to waft in as you fall asleep to the crashing of waves. The top of the house is home to two of the bedrooms, but most of the top floor given over to a huge deck with a thatched canopy … perfect for sundowners or escaping the midday sun. On the ground floor is another two rooms, and a kitchen. The social areas are all outside. Rightly, so I feel, surely beach living is about spending time in nature. Skirting a sparkling blue pool the generous terrace holds a dining table for 10, sun beds and comfy couches.
Close to Maweni Beach in Tiwi
Whilst the house is a sanctuary: a place of peace and tranquility, for me the sea calls. The house is 20 metres from the ocean, perched upon a small cliff. At the cliff edge hidden by banana palms is an intimate infinity pool . Turn left from the house, a short walk through the Hillpark Hotel, and you are at one of a couple of beaches accessible from the house. In our whole time at Tiwi Ocean Villa we never shared the beach with another person. It was our own private paradise. At high tide the waves are perfect for body boarding, at low tide the reef reveals itself and a daydream of rock pools, hidden caves and coves are uncovered. This is a beach that is utterly safe for small children. At low tide the water is just a foot high, a paddling pool for your little ones and hours of fun crabbing and starfish hunting for your bigger kids.
Tiwi Beach in Kenya is my favourite beach on the Kenyan coast but its very isolated. To me the feeling of being alone on a beach in such beautiful surroundings is worth a 20 minute trip out to the shops. You’ll need a car or to hire a taxi to reach Diani which is where you will find shops and restaurants. Most people stock up before they arrive at Tiwi and despite intentions of leaving never do. Fish can be bought daily from the fishermen, we had crab, lobster, prawn, calamari and snapper for a fraction of the price paid in the shops.
Information
Ocean Villa Tiwi Beach comes with an excellent chef and a maid. It shares a plot with Waterside Villa and the gorgeous Luxury Honeymoon tent. Both properties are built by the same owners with the same attention to detail, and all are completely private with large distances between them.
How to get there: From Nairobi it easiest to fly into Ukunda or take the SGR to Mombasa and catch a taxi. Tiwi Ocean Villa is on the beachfront in north Tiwi.
For more information on where to stay in Tiwi read my guide to Tiwi accommodation here. Heading further afield, the Guide to Diani details Tiwi’s next door neighbour and suggests more hotels and resorts in this larger town.
Architectural beauty at Tiwi Beach in Kenya
Architectural beauty at Tiwi Beach in Kenya
Pingback: Where to stay in Tiwi Beach Kenya | Live Travel Kenya