Mombassa Travel Forum

I was just about to book a holiday to Flamingo Beach Hotel with the african safari club but have read some reviews and am now nervous about booking. Has anyone been there? What is it like? Is there any entertainment? what is food like? what are rooms like? What are safaris like? Is it safe to go out of hotel compound? Please help as this is to be our honeymoon.....

The Flamingo is the best hotel of the african safari club. It is also the one with the most interesting mixture of guests (in my opinion). Food is either Buffet or you can eat (for a small fee) in one of the Restaurants of Flamingo or the other ASA hotels, that are not far away. The "Blue lagoon" in the flamingo is actually quite good with seafood etc.
The hotel is clean, if maybe a little more basic than what you may are used from europe or so. They have the biggest pool of Mombasa. The staff is very friendly.
Safaris are the best thing to do in Kenya. Don't miss this.
If you go out of the hotel compound you will be in the middle of a small shop-village, lot's of local crafts and lots of people trying to sell you something.
ASA offers different excursions and activities during the day and the evening.
Don^t worry, all will be fine.
(P:S: I booked my honeymoon for later this year, there also, 1 week hotel, 1 week safari - we are looking very much forward to it :).

I've just been to Kenya with ASC ... (I was at Shanzu-paradise) but my friends were at flamingo !

It's true that Flamingo is ok but just ok (food good at flamingo)

DON'T GO WITH ASC because you will regret it and if it's for your honeymoon you will regret it even more (i didn't meet one single person happy with ASC, yes not one person!!!).

If you want a good hotel i'll give you a few names (I visited and nothing to with ASC, much beter)

-Serena beach hotel

-White sands

ASC is awfull how can you tell people to go there, what a rip off !!

Cheers,

We went to the Flamingo Beach Hotel for 2 weeks in October having booked direct with African Safari Club (ASC). This hotel is supposed to be the jewel in thier crown and ASC are supposed to be experts in Safaris.

The rooms were damp and dirty, with mould in between the grouting in the bathroom. Our bed sheets had mould on them and my books went wobbly with damp! We have since written to ASC who said that this was caused by the humid conditions - we have been to Mexico in June which is Humid and hadnt had any problems !

The in resort staff who worked in the tourist office (ASC reps) were rude and unhelpful. The bottled water is branded ASC and tasted of chemicals so I asked the rep for an alternative source. I was told she would not tell me as she worked for ASC not against them....so much for customer relations !

The transport from the airport to the hotel is in old battered buses with smashed windows. The vehicles on safari were just as bad. ASC blame this on rough turraine, however we took a trip out with a local tour company and the buses were in a perfect condition.

In the brouchure they talk of small fees for sunbeds and safes. Lets just say the fees are not small. In the 2 weeks we were there they also failed to have the reasonably priced wine available which forces you to spend more in resort. They also talk in the brouchure of enjoying a meal at thier shared tables in the resturant - they dont mention this is forced seating with the same people every night....so don't dream of a romantic meal for 2 !

We went on thier 4 night safari. The range of animals we saw was great...however the lodges were of a very poor standard. At the final camp we had brown water, no mosquiteo nets and the shower didnt work ! They ran out of food at breakfast including bread and the dinners were stews of bone and scraps of meat !

Paying the bill at the end of the holiday (and during as they impose a spending limit on you !) is a nightmare. You can only pay at the cashiers desk - which is only open for certain hours of the day and has only 1 or 2 people working the desk. We spent 8 man hours queueing at this desk in our 2 weeks ! IYou cant even get a copy of your bill printed at reception, so have to queue once to get the bill...then queue again to pay !

Don't do it.....book with anyone other than them !