It was the first time I had used booking.com, and it really worked out well at finding Voyager Beach Resort. First we looked at almost all the beach hotels in Mombasa, checking and double-checking the reviews and ratings. We finally settled for Voyager Beach Resort, and I am glad we did.

I could not wait to start my short vacation, where I will be doing nothing other than having my champagne breakfast, and spending the rest of the day in my bikini just lazing around the pool with a cocktail in my hand.

We came through Jomo Kenyatta airport then took a 45-minute flight to Mombasa’s Moi Airport. From there we were picked up and taken to Voyager Beach Resort, our final destination. I had my first glass of wine while waiting for the nice ladies to sort out our hotel room. So far, everything looked great.

Voyager Beach Resort is made to look like a luxurious cruise ship, with a captain and all. The façade and everything else also resembles a ship; and my only disappointment was that this ship was permanently docked at the beach. But oh well, we did not book for cruise now, did we?

So off to our cabin (room) we went. It was clean and well furnished, and had the standard amenities for a superior room, which it was, so no disappointments there. We had a nice balcony overlooking the sea, which is what I wanted, so I never cared about anything else as long as I could daydream while looking at the endless emerald waters of the Indian Ocean.

We met the F&B manager, who was everywhere and anywhere at the same time. Every corner we turned, there he was. And if you could not see him, you would hear his voice close by. If memory serves me right, his name was Mr. Martin, and he made our entire stay a memorable one.

This ship-themed resort is quite big, with three huge pools, four bars (one open 24 hours and a sports bar), three specialized restaurants and hundreds of cabins but who’s counting. And since we had booked an all-inclusive board basis, it seemed like Christmas had just arrived quite early.

The food is served buffet-style, not unless you would like to have some Italian at the Italian restaurant or some sea food at Smugglers Cove, for which you have to pay extra but at a 20% discount if you are staying at the resort.

Everything else seemed average, until Mr Martin showed up from behind some nearby bushes somewhere and recommended we have dinner at Smugglers Cove. Now this is what I would call the highlight of my stay. It is literally a cave, decorated with sea creatures, with a fountain and pond on one side and the sea on the other. And did I mention it’s dark and a bit creepy, which added to the excitement.

The dinners we had inside this cave were just some of the best so far. The ambiance was romantic, with candles flickering in the night and little Mombasa crickets cricketing away in the night. The sea food was always a fresh catch of something (that’s why you had to make a reservation by 1pm so that the fishermen can go fishing for your dinner), and the good chef (I forgot his name) would prepare it to perfection.

The Smugglers Cove was never crowded, making it the perfect place to have a conversation without any distractions. The waiters at our table were always on their toes, and always wanting to know more about everyone, meaning they were very cheery and social. This is the one experience you should never miss out on, just in case you found yourself on that side of the Sahara.

Other than the buffet in the main restaurant, there is the Italian, which we dined in only once and had steak and some healthy pizza, by the pool under the stars.

The third and final part of my stay will come up shortly.

xoxo