Southern Palms Beach Resort Complete 2026 Guide

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South­ern Palms Beach Resort is a 4‑star all-inclu­sive beach­front resort locat­ed on Diani Beach Road, Ukun­da, Kwale Coun­ty, on Kenya’s South Coast — approx­i­mate­ly 35 km south of Mom­basa and 5.3 km from Ukun­da Air­port. The resort opened in 1992 and was ren­o­vat­ed in 2019. It sits on 10 acres of trop­i­cal gar­dens with direct access to Diani Beach. The prop­er­ty has 298 rooms and 2 suites across mul­ti­ple cat­e­gories includ­ing Stan­dard Gar­den View, Ocean Front, Supe­ri­or, Supe­ri­or Deluxe, and Ocean Front Deluxe rooms. All rooms are 37.5 square meters and include split-unit air con­di­tion­ing, flat-screen TV, mini-bar, tea and cof­fee-mak­ing facil­i­ties, free Wi-Fi, and pri­vate bal­conies with views of the gar­den, pool, or Indi­an Ocean.

The all-inclu­sive pack­age cov­ers break­fast, lunch, din­ner, snacks through­out the day, soft drinks, water, beer, wine, select­ed alco­holic drinks, cof­fee, tea, and all enter­tain­ment programmes.Excluded from the all-inclu­sive rate: water sports, ten­nis lessons, spa treat­ments, bou­tique and spe­cial­ty restau­rant din­ing. Din­ing venues include Palms Restau­rant (African, Indi­an, Euro­pean fusion buf­fet), Many­at­ta Grill (African-inspired pool­side grill), La Via Romana (Ital­ian), Bori­ti Snack Restau­rant, and a Shawar­ma and Dessert Lounge.

Facil­i­ties include 2 large freeform swim­ming pools, a swim-up bar, a pool­side bar, a spa, a ful­ly equipped gym, a kids club, chil­dren’s cribs and safe­ty gates, con­nect­ing rooms, out­door ten­nis courts, golf course access, a busi­ness cen­ter, and free park­ing. Chil­dren aged 0–1.9 years stay free. Chil­dren aged 2–12 shar­ing with adults pay 50% of adult rate. An all-inclu­sive sup­ple­ment of USD 60 per per­son per night applies dur­ing the fes­tive sea­son. Room rates start from approx­i­mate­ly USD 71 per night. Online score: 8.2 out of 10.

Introduction

Diani Beach has dozens of hotels and resorts com­pet­ing for your hol­i­day bud­get. But South­ern Palms Beach Resort has been on this beach since 1992 — ren­o­vat­ed in 2019, still run­ning, and still draw­ing fam­i­lies, cou­ples, and Kenyan cor­po­rate groups back year after year.

The resort sits on 10 acres of trop­i­cal gar­dens direct­ly on the white sand shores of Diani Beach, about 35 km south of Mom­basa. It is all-inclu­sive, which means meals, drinks, snacks through­out the day, and enter­tain­ment are cov­ered in a sin­gle upfront price. No run­ning tabs. No deci­sions about where to eat din­ner. No sur­prise bills at check­out.

With 298 rooms, five restau­rants, two large freeform pools, a spa, a kids club, a gym, ten­nis courts, and access to a golf course, South­ern Palms Beach Resort is one of the most com­pre­hen­sive­ly equipped all-inclu­sive resorts on Kenya’s South Coast. It is par­tic­u­lar­ly well set up for fam­i­lies and groups.

This guide tells you every­thing you need to know before book­ing — rooms, rates, the all-inclu­sive break­down, din­ing, activ­i­ties, the fes­tive sea­son poli­cies, and what guests in 2025 and ear­ly 2026 are actu­al­ly say­ing.

What Is Southern Palms Beach Resort?

South­ern Palms Beach Resort is a 4‑star all-inclu­sive beach­front resort on Diani Beach, Ukun­da, estab­lished in 1992 and ful­ly ren­o­vat­ed in 2019. It is one of the largest all-inclu­sive prop­er­ties on Kenya’s South Coast, with 298 rooms and 2 suites set across 10 acres of lush trop­i­cal gar­dens.

The resort faces direct­ly onto the Indi­an Ocean. Its Swahili-inspired décor runs through­out the prop­er­ty — from the archi­tec­ture of the main build­ing to the décor of the guest rooms. Two large free-form swim­ming pools sit in the gar­den, reflect­ing the sky and the palm trees. The beach is a short walk through the gar­den.

All-inclu­sive is the core for­mat. Almost every­thing you con­sume dur­ing your stay — three meals, snacks, and stan­dard drinks from break­fast to late evening — is cov­ered in the room rate. The resort describes its all-inclu­sive pack­age as cov­er­ing meals, soft drinks, water, beer, wine, select­ed spir­its, cof­fee, tea, and all enter­tain­ment pro­grammes run on-site.

Why Southern Palms Beach Resort Works So Well for Kenyan Travelers

There are prac­ti­cal rea­sons why this resort keeps draw­ing repeat vis­i­tors and con­sis­tent­ly earns good scores across book­ing plat­forms.

• The all-inclu­sive for­mat removes all finan­cial deci­sion-mak­ing dur­ing the hol­i­day. Kenyan fam­i­lies, espe­cial­ly those man­ag­ing bud­gets care­ful­ly, val­ue know­ing the full cost before they trav­el. You arrive, you set­tle in, and the hol­i­day takes care of itself finan­cial­ly from that point.
• Five restau­rants mean real vari­ety across a full week. Most all-inclu­sive resorts serve every­thing from one buf­fet hall. South­ern Palms Beach Resort runs five sep­a­rate din­ing venues — buf­fet, pool­side grill, Ital­ian restau­rant, a snack bar, and a shawar­ma lounge — which pre­vents the rep­e­ti­tion that most all-inclu­sive guests dread by day four.
• 298 rooms means the resort can han­dle large groups. School-hol­i­day fam­i­ly groups, cor­po­rate retreats, and wed­ding par­ties often need to block mul­ti­ple rooms in the same prop­er­ty. South­ern Palms Beach Resort’s scale makes that straight­for­ward.
• The pools are large, well-main­tained, and gen­uine­ly pop­u­lar. Guests con­sis­tent­ly describe the two freeform pools as high­lights of the prop­er­ty. Mul­ti­ple recent reviews specif­i­cal­ly men­tion how clean the pools are and how well-organ­ised the pool area feels, even dur­ing high sea­son.
• The fam­i­ly infra­struc­ture is real. Con­nect­ing rooms for par­ents and chil­dren, cribs and baby safe­ty gates avail­able on request, a ded­i­cat­ed kids club, chil­dren’s menus, and a 50% dis­count for chil­dren aged 2–12 shar­ing with adults make this one of the most fam­i­ly-ready all-inclu­sive prop­er­ties in Diani.
• The after­noon tea on the beach is a unique touch. Sev­er­al guests specif­i­cal­ly men­tion the after­noon tea ser­vice — avail­able direct­ly on the beach — as some­thing they did not expect and gen­uine­ly enjoyed. It is a small detail that reflects the stan­dard of the over­all all-inclu­sive offer­ing.
• The 2019 ren­o­va­tion brought the rooms up to a mod­ern stan­dard. The new­ly ren­o­vat­ed rooms are 37.5 square meters each, with Swahili-inspired décor, updat­ed bath­rooms, and bet­ter fit­tings than many com­pa­ra­ble all-inclu­sive prop­er­ties in the same price range.

Adding a safari to your Diani beach hol­i­day? Charm­ing Safariz is Kenya’s best tour and trav­el com­pa­ny for end-to-end Kenya pack­ages — com­bin­ing Masai Mara game dri­ves, Amboseli ele­phant expe­ri­ences, and Diani Beach all-inclu­sive stays at South­ern Palms Beach Resort and oth­er top resorts. View our top Kenya safaris and beach pack­ages here

Room Categories at Southern Palms Beach Resort: What to Choose

South­ern Palms Beach Resort has 298 rooms and 2 suites. All rooms are 37.5 square meters and were ren­o­vat­ed in 2019. The cat­e­gories dif­fer pri­mar­i­ly by view, posi­tion with­in the prop­er­ty, and sup­ple­men­tary charges.

Standard Garden View Room

The most afford­able cat­e­go­ry. Rooms face the trop­i­cal gar­den and have a fur­nished pri­vate bal­cony. Each room has split-unit air con­di­tion­ing, a flat-screen TV, a mini-bar, tea and cof­fee-mak­ing facil­i­ties, free Wi-Fi, and a pri­vate bath­room with pil­low-top bed and pre­mi­um bed­ding. These are the base rooms includ­ed in the stan­dard all-inclu­sive rate.

Ocean Front Room

Ocean Front Rooms face direct­ly toward the Indi­an Ocean, giv­ing guests a sea view from their pri­vate bal­cony. These rooms are 194 square feet (approx­i­mate­ly 18 square meters in the Expe­dia list­ing, although the resort quotes 37.5 sqm for ren­o­vat­ed rooms — con­firm exact siz­ing when book­ing). A sup­ple­ment of USD 60 per per­son per night applies above the base room rate. They sleep up to 3 guests (1 dou­ble bed con­fig­u­ra­tion).

Superior Room

Supe­ri­or Rooms are posi­tioned in a more pre­ferred part of the prop­er­ty with improved views over the gar­den or pool. They include all stan­dard room ameni­ties with an upgrad­ed posi­tion. The sup­ple­ment is less than the Ocean Front cat­e­go­ry, mak­ing these a pop­u­lar mid-range upgrade.

Superior Deluxe Room

Supe­ri­or Deluxe Rooms car­ry a sup­ple­ment of USD 40 per per­son per night above the base rate. They offer a step up in fin­ish, space, or view com­pared to the stan­dard Supe­ri­or cat­e­go­ry.

Ocean Front Deluxe Room

The high­est room cat­e­go­ry out­side the suites. A sup­ple­ment of USD 70 per per­son per night applies. These rooms com­bine the pre­mi­um ocean-fac­ing posi­tion with the deluxe room fin­ish — the best com­bi­na­tion of view and com­fort avail­able in the main room cat­e­gories.

Suites (2 Units)

Two suites com­plete the accom­mo­da­tion options. Pric­ing for suites is on request.

All room types include con­nect­ing room options — crit­i­cal for fam­i­lies who need adjoin­ing accom­mo­da­tion.

The All-Inclusive Package: What Is Included and What Is Not

Under­stand­ing the all-inclu­sive pack­age at South­ern Palms Beach Resort saves you from sur­pris­es. The break­down is spe­cif­ic and worth read­ing care­ful­ly before you book.

Includ­ed in the all-inclu­sive rate:

• Buf­fet break­fast, lunch, and din­ner dai­ly
• Snacks through­out the day (Bori­ti Snack Restau­rant and the Shawar­ma and Dessert Lounge are part of the all-inclu­sive pack­age)
• After­noon tea on the beach (a high­light for many guests)
• Soft drinks, water, fruit juices
• Beer and house wine
• Select­ed alco­holic drinks and spir­its dur­ing bar hours
• Cof­fee and tea
• All on-site enter­tain­ment pro­grammes — evening shows, themed nights, water aer­o­bics, beach vol­ley­ball, and oth­er organ­ised activ­i­ties

Not includ­ed in the all-inclu­sive rate:

• Water sports (jet ski­ing, wind­surf­ing, scu­ba div­ing, snor­kel­ing excur­sions)
• Ten­nis lessons (courts can be used, but lessons are charged)
• Spa treat­ments — mas­sages, facials, body treat­ments, nail ser­vices
• Bou­tique and spe­cial­ty restau­rant din­ing (La Via Romana Ital­ian restau­rant may car­ry a sup­ple­ment for à la carte order­ing — con­firm at book­ing)
• Cer­tain pre­mi­um drinks beyond the house selec­tion

The fes­tive sea­son car­ries an addi­tion­al all-inclu­sive sup­ple­ment of USD 60 per adult per night and USD 40 per child per night, plus a New Year’s Eve Gala Din­ner sup­ple­ment of USD 110 per adult and USD 55 per child.

Dining at Southern Palms Beach Resort: Five Restaurants Explained

The five din­ing venues at South­ern Palms Beach Resort are a gen­uine dif­fer­en­tia­tor. Most all-inclu­sive resorts at this price point run one or two restau­rants. Five venues mean real vari­ety.

Palms Restaurant

The main all-inclu­sive buf­fet restau­rant. Palms serves break­fast, lunch, and din­ner with a rotat­ing menu cov­er­ing African, Indi­an, and Euro­pean cuisines. Live cook­ing sta­tions are set up dur­ing peak meal times. The buf­fet includes ded­i­cat­ed sec­tions for veg­e­tar­i­an, veg­an-friend­ly, and Indi­an dish­es along­side con­ti­nen­tal options. This is the foun­da­tion of the all-inclu­sive din­ing expe­ri­ence.

Manyatta Grill

The pool­side grill restau­rant with an African-inspired atmos­phere. Many­at­ta comes alive par­tic­u­lar­ly in the evenings, with grilled meats, fresh seafood, and sides served in an out­door set­ting under the Diani sky. The warm, relaxed ener­gy at this venue is con­sis­tent­ly praised in guest reviews.

La Via Romana Italian Restaurant

A rooftop Ital­ian restau­rant offer­ing a more inti­mate din­ing set­ting than the main buf­fet. La Via Romana serves pas­ta, piz­za, and Ital­ian mains in a set­ting that works par­tic­u­lar­ly well for cou­ples cel­e­brat­ing anniver­saries or hon­ey­moon­ers who want a qui­eter din­ner atmos­phere. Con­firm whether à la carte order­ing here is includ­ed in the stan­dard all-inclu­sive rate or car­ries a sup­ple­ment when book­ing.

Boriti Snack Restaurant

The casu­al mid-day snack stop between the main buf­fet meals. Bori­ti serves light bites, snacks, and refresh­ments through­out the after­noon — per­fect for guests com­ing back from the beach or the pool who want some­thing to eat out­side of main meal times.

Shawarma and Dessert Lounge

A niche but pop­u­lar option for guests who want some­thing spe­cif­ic between meals or as an evening treat. The shawar­ma and dessert offer­ing adds gen­uine vari­ety to the snack pro­gramme and is includ­ed in the all-inclu­sive pack­age.

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Activities and Facilities at Southern Palms Beach Resort

The activ­i­ties pro­gramme at South­ern Palms Beach Resort is one of its strengths — active enough to keep guests enter­tained with­out being so pro­grammed that it feels like a sum­mer camp.

Pools and Beach:

• Two large freeform out­door swim­ming pools with sun loungers and umbrel­las
• Swim-up bar
• Pool­side bar
• Direct access to Diani Beach — white sand, warm Indi­an Ocean
• After­noon tea on the beach (includ­ed in all-inclu­sive)
• Beach vol­ley­ball
• Water aer­o­bics class­es
• Sun loungers on the beach

Sports and Fit­ness:

• Out­door ten­nis courts (court use includ­ed in all-inclu­sive; lessons are extra)
• Ful­ly equipped gym and fit­ness cen­tre
• Wind­surf­ing
• Snor­kel­ing safaris (typ­i­cal­ly charged sep­a­rate­ly)
• Scu­ba div­ing (arranged through the resort concierge, charged sep­a­rate­ly)
• Jet ski­ing (charged sep­a­rate­ly)
• Deep-sea fish­ing
• Bike rid­ing
• Petanque (a clas­sic French lawn game, sur­pris­ing­ly pop­u­lar at Diani resorts)
• Nature walks and bird­watch­ing on the resort grounds and near­by

Well­ness:

• On-site spa offer­ing mas­sages, body treat­ments, body scrubs, man­i­cures, pedi­cures, and nail ser­vices (all charged sep­a­rate­ly from the all-inclu­sive rate)
• A sauna

Fam­i­ly:

• Ded­i­cat­ed kids club with super­vised activ­i­ties
• Chil­dren’s cribs and baby safe­ty gates avail­able on request
• Con­nect­ing rooms for fam­i­lies
• Chil­dren’s menus at all restau­rants
• Chil­dren’s pool (sep­a­rate, shal­low pool for younger guests)

Evening Enter­tain­ment:

• Themed evening shows — Kenyan cul­tur­al dance, acro­bat­ics, live music
• Pool­side enter­tain­ment nights
• Full moon din­ner events on the beach

Near­by Excur­sions (arranged through the resort):

• Wasi­ni Island dol­phin watch­ing and snor­kel­ing
• Shim­ba Hills Nation­al Reserve — man­aged by the Kenya Wildlife Ser­vice, home to ele­phants, colobus mon­keys, and the sable ante­lope
• Colobus Con­ser­va­tion — pri­mate sanc­tu­ary close to the resort
• Kisite Marine Park — pro­tect­ed reef area for snor­kel­ing and div­ing
• Golf course access (near­by 18-hole course)

Diani Beach is rec­og­nized by Mag­i­cal Kenya as one of Kenya’s most impor­tant coastal tourism des­ti­na­tions, and South­ern Palms Beach Resort’s posi­tion on the beach means guests have easy access to every activ­i­ty the South Coast offers.

Southern Palms Beach Resort Rates and Costs in 2026

All rates are all-inclu­sive unless oth­er­wise stat­ed.

Chil­dren’s Rate Pol­i­cy:

Fes­tive Sea­son Sup­ple­ments:

• Min­i­mum 5‑night stay required from Decem­ber 23 to Jan­u­ary 3
• All-inclu­sive sup­ple­ment: USD 60 per adult per night, USD 40 per child per night
• New Year’s Eve Gala Din­ner sup­ple­ment: USD 110 per adult, USD 55 per child

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Book Southern Palms Beach Resort in 2026

1. Set your trav­el dates and check the sea­son. Low-sea­son rates (May, June, Sep­tem­ber) are the most afford­able and the resort is qui­eter. August and Decem­ber are peak — book at least 6–8 weeks ahead.
2. Choose your room cat­e­go­ry. Stan­dard Gar­den View suits bud­get-con­scious guests and fam­i­lies. Ocean Front Deluxe suits cou­ples want­i­ng the best views. Ocean Front rooms (USD 60 sup­ple­ment) suit groups want­i­ng sea views at a mid-range pre­mi­um.
3. Con­firm the all-inclu­sive inclu­sions. Ask specif­i­cal­ly whether La Via Romana Ital­ian restau­rant is includ­ed in the stan­dard all-inclu­sive rate or car­ries a sup­ple­ment for à la carte din­ing. Con­firm the spe­cial­ty drink sit­u­a­tion too.
4. Check the chil­dren’s pol­i­cy for your group. Chil­dren aged 0–1.9 are free. Ages 2–12 pay 50% shar­ing with adults, or 80% in their own room. Use the table above to cal­cu­late your total accu­rate­ly.
5. Request con­nect­ing rooms if trav­el­ing with chil­dren. Con­nect­ing room options are avail­able — request them specif­i­cal­ly at book­ing and con­firm in writ­ing.
6. Book air­port trans­fers in advance. Ukun­da Air­port is 5.3 km from the resort (approx­i­mate­ly 10 min­utes). Moi Inter­na­tion­al Air­port is 43.3 km away (approx­i­mate­ly 87 min­utes by road). Arrange trans­fers at the time of book­ing.
7. Request spa book­ings on arrival. Spa treat­ments are not includ­ed in the all-inclu­sive pack­age. If mas­sage or body treat­ments are part of your plan, arrange appoint­ments on arrival day rather than wait­ing until mid-stay, espe­cial­ly dur­ing peak sea­son.
8. Note the fes­tive sea­son pol­i­cy if trav­el­ing over Christ­mas or New Year. A 5‑night min­i­mum stay applies from Decem­ber 23, with addi­tion­al sup­ple­ments for all-inclu­sive and for the Gala Din­ner on Decem­ber 31. Bud­get for these sep­a­rate­ly.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Booking Southern Palms Beach Resort

Mis­take 1: Not read­ing the all-inclu­sive exclu­sions list care­ful­ly. Solu­tion: Water sports, spa treat­ments, ten­nis lessons, and spe­cial­ty restau­rant sur­charges are not includ­ed in the all-inclu­sive rate. Bud­get for these activ­i­ties sep­a­rate­ly before you trav­el. The all-inclu­sive cov­ers meals, stan­dard drinks, and enter­tain­ment — not the pre­mi­um extras.

Mis­take 2: Book­ing gar­den view rooms and expect­ing ocean views. Solu­tion: Stan­dard rooms face the gar­den, not the sea. Ocean Front rooms car­ry a USD 60 per per­son per night sup­ple­ment. If a sea view from your bal­cony mat­ters, book the sup­ple­ment specif­i­cal­ly and con­firm the allo­ca­tion in writ­ing.

Mis­take 3: Arriv­ing at the fes­tive sea­son with­out know­ing the min­i­mum stay require­ment. Solu­tion: A min­i­mum 5‑night stay is manda­to­ry from Decem­ber 23 to Jan­u­ary 3. Guests who book few­er nights than the min­i­mum dur­ing this peri­od will be declined or required to pay for the full 5 nights regard­less. Read the fes­tive sea­son terms before book­ing.

Mis­take 4: Not book­ing ear­ly enough for August or Decem­ber. Solu­tion: August school hol­i­days and Decem­ber are the two busiest peri­ods at South­ern Palms Beach Resort. Book at least 6–8 weeks ahead for August and 2–3 months ahead for Decem­ber to secure your pre­ferred room cat­e­go­ry.

Mis­take 5: Assum­ing the Ital­ian restau­rant is ful­ly includ­ed. Solu­tion: La Via Romana Ital­ian restau­rant may car­ry an à la carte sur­charge for cer­tain menu items beyond the all-inclu­sive din­ner for­mat. Con­firm this spe­cif­ic pol­i­cy when book­ing.

Mis­take 6: Not request­ing con­nect­ing rooms in advance. Solu­tion: Fam­i­lies trav­el­ing with chil­dren who need adjoin­ing rooms must request these at book­ing. They are avail­able but can­not be guar­an­teed as an upgrade at check-in.

Southern Palms Beach Resort in 2026: Trends and the Road Ahead

Kenya’s coastal tourism mar­ket con­tin­ues to strength­en. Accord­ing to the Kenya Nation­al Bureau of Sta­tis­tics, domes­tic hol­i­day trav­el to the South Coast has grown steadi­ly over the past three years, dri­ven by a grow­ing Kenyan mid­dle class that is increas­ing­ly choos­ing local beach resorts over inter­na­tion­al trav­el. South­ern Palms Beach Resort’s all-inclu­sive for­mat fits this trend very well — one upfront cost removes the anx­i­ety of unplanned hol­i­day spend­ing.

Inter­na­tion­al vis­i­tors also con­tin­ue to return to Diani Beach. The World Trav­el and Tourism Coun­cil iden­ti­fies Kenya’s South Coast as one of East Africa’s strongest coastal tourism mar­kets, with growth pro­ject­ed to con­tin­ue through 2027.

The 2019 ren­o­va­tion at South­ern Palms Beach Resort remains rel­a­tive­ly recent. Room qual­i­ty feed­back from late 2025 and ear­ly 2026 is gen­er­al­ly pos­i­tive on clean­li­ness and main­te­nance, though some guests have not­ed that old­er sec­tions of the prop­er­ty could ben­e­fit from fur­ther invest­ment. The man­age­ment team’s respons­es to reviews indi­cate an active engage­ment with guest feed­back — a good sign for ongo­ing qual­i­ty con­trol.

One area of con­sis­tent pos­i­tive feed­back in recent reviews is the ani­ma­tion and enter­tain­ment team. Guests describe the evening pro­grammes as gen­uine­ly enter­tain­ing and inter­ac­tive — par­tic­u­lar­ly the cul­tur­al dance evenings and the pool­side themed nights.

Quick Poll: If you were book­ing a 7‑night all-inclu­sive stay at South­ern Palms Beach Resort, which expe­ri­ence would you pri­or­i­tize most?

A) Five restau­rant vari­ety — rotat­ing between the Ital­ian rooftop, the African pool­side grill, and the main buf­fet through­out the week B) Pool and beach time — two large pools, after­noon tea on the beach, and direct ocean access as the core dai­ly expe­ri­ence C) Activ­i­ties and excur­sions — using the resort as a base while doing dol­phin watch­ing, Shim­ba Hills safaris, scu­ba div­ing, and kitesurf­ing

(Share your answer in the com­ments!)

Poll Answer Guide:

• Option A suits food-focused trav­el­ers, food blog­gers, and guests who gen­uine­ly look for­ward to meal expe­ri­ences as part of their hol­i­day
• Option B is the most pop­u­lar choice for fam­i­lies with young chil­dren, cou­ples want­i­ng total relax­ation, and guests for whom the pool and beach are the point of the entire hol­i­day
• Option C suits active trav­el­ers, first-time Kenya vis­i­tors who want to see as much of the South Coast as pos­si­ble, and safari enthu­si­asts adding a few beach days to a wider Kenya itin­er­ary

FAQ: Southern Palms Beach Resort — Common Questions Answered

Q: Where is South­ern Palms Beach Resort locat­ed? A: The resort is on Diani Beach Road, Ukun­da, Kwale Coun­ty — approx­i­mate­ly 35 km south of Mom­basa and 5.3 km from Ukun­da Air­port. It is on the beach­front, with direct access to Diani Beach.

Q: Is South­ern Palms Beach Resort tru­ly all-inclu­sive? A: Yes. The all-inclu­sive pack­age cov­ers break­fast, lunch, din­ner, snacks through­out the day, soft drinks, water, beer, house wine, select­ed spir­its, cof­fee, tea, and all on-site enter­tain­ment pro­grammes. Water sports, spa treat­ments, ten­nis lessons, and cer­tain spe­cial­ty restau­rant items are charged sep­a­rate­ly.

Q: How many rooms and restau­rants does South­ern Palms Beach Resort have? A: The resort has 298 rooms and 2 suites. It has 5 restau­rants: Palms Restau­rant (main buf­fet), Many­at­ta Grill (pool­side African grill), La Via Romana (Ital­ian, rooftop), Bori­ti Snack Restau­rant, and the Shawar­ma and Dessert Lounge.

Q: Is South­ern Palms Beach Resort good for fam­i­lies with chil­dren? A: Yes. Chil­dren aged 0–1.9 years stay free. Ages 2–12 pay 50% shar­ing with adults. The resort has a kids club, con­nect­ing rooms, chil­dren’s cribs, baby safe­ty gates, a sep­a­rate chil­dren’s pool, chil­dren’s menus, and babysit­ting ser­vices on request.

Q: What is the min­i­mum stay at South­ern Palms Beach Resort dur­ing Christ­mas? A: A min­i­mum 5‑night stay is required from Decem­ber 23 to Jan­u­ary 3. Addi­tion­al sup­ple­ments apply for all-inclu­sive cov­er­age and for the New Year’s Eve Gala Din­ner.

Q: How far is South­ern Palms Beach Resort from Ukun­da Air­port? A: The resort is 5.3 km from Ukun­da Air­port — approx­i­mate­ly a 10-minute dri­ve. Moi Inter­na­tion­al Air­port is 43.3 km away, approx­i­mate­ly 87 min­utes by road. An air­port shut­tle is avail­able — arrange this at book­ing.

My Experience

I have rec­om­mend­ed South­ern Palms Beach Resort to clients many times over the years, and I have vis­it­ed the prop­er­ty per­son­al­ly on a famil­iar­iza­tion trip. What stays with me most vivid­ly from that vis­it is the after­noon tea on the beach — it was not some­thing I had expect­ed from a Kenyan beach resort, and the com­bi­na­tion of a prop­er­ly set tea ser­vice right on the sand, the sound of the Indi­an Ocean, and the qual­i­ty of what was served left a strong impres­sion.

The Many­at­ta Grill in the evening is the oth­er expe­ri­ence I rec­om­mend to every client. The African-inspired pool­side set­ting, with the grill active and the pool lights reflect­ing in the dark water, cre­ates an atmos­phere that is gen­uine­ly warm and social. It brings togeth­er the sep­a­rate groups of guests who might oth­er­wise eat qui­et­ly in their rooms and turns din­ner into a shared event.

On the prac­ti­cal side: the all-inclu­sive for­mat at South­ern Palms Beach Resort works exact­ly as described. By day two of a stay, you stop think­ing about costs entire­ly and sim­ply use the resort. That shift — from cal­cu­lat­ing to enjoy­ing — is the real val­ue propo­si­tion of the for­mat, and South­ern Palms Beach Resort deliv­ers it con­sis­tent­ly.

My hon­est note for fam­i­lies: book con­nect­ing rooms ear­ly and con­firm in writ­ing. The fam­i­ly infra­struc­ture at this resort is gen­uine­ly good, but the con­nect­ing room stock is finite and it goes quick­ly dur­ing peak sea­son.

Key Takeaways

• South­ern Palms Beach Resort is a 4‑star all-inclu­sive resort on Diani Beach, Ukun­da — opened 1992, ren­o­vat­ed 2019, 10 acres of trop­i­cal gar­dens, direct beach­front access
• The resort has 298 rooms and 2 suites in cat­e­gories from Stan­dard Gar­den View to Ocean Front Deluxe — all rooms are 37.5 square meters post-2019 ren­o­va­tion
• All-inclu­sive cov­ers break­fast, lunch, din­ner, snacks, after­noon tea on the beach, soft drinks, beer, house wine, select­ed spir­its, and all enter­tain­ment
• Five restau­rants: Palms Restau­rant (buf­fet), Many­at­ta Grill (African pool­side), La Via Romana (Ital­ian rooftop), Bori­ti Snack Restau­rant, and Shawar­ma and Dessert Lounge
• Two large freeform out­door pools, swim-up bar, pool­side bar, and direct beach access
• Spa (mas­sages, body treat­ments, nail ser­vices), gym, ten­nis courts, and golf course access are avail­able — spa and lessons are charged sep­a­rate­ly from the all-inclu­sive rate
• Chil­dren aged 0–1.9 stay free; ages 2–12 pay 50% shar­ing with adults, 80% in own room
• Ocean Front Room sup­ple­ment is USD 60 per per­son per night; Ocean Front Deluxe is USD 70 per per­son per night
• Min­i­mum 5‑night stay required from Decem­ber 23 to Jan­u­ary 3, with addi­tion­al all-inclu­sive and gala din­ner sup­ple­ments dur­ing the fes­tive sea­son
• Online score: 8.2 out of 10 with con­sis­tent praise for food vari­ety, pool qual­i­ty, enter­tain­ment pro­gramme, and fam­i­ly-friend­ly set­up
• The resort is 5.3 km from Ukun­da Air­port and 43.3 km from Moi Inter­na­tion­al Air­port

Conclusion

South­ern Palms Beach Resort has been on Diani Beach for over 30 years. The 2019 ren­o­va­tion brought the rooms up to date, the five-restau­rant pro­gramme sets it apart from most all-inclu­sive alter­na­tives in Diani, and the fam­i­ly infra­struc­ture — con­nect­ing rooms, kids club, chil­dren’s rates, and the pool set­up — makes it one of the strongest choic­es on the South Coast for fam­i­lies and groups.

The all-inclu­sive for­mat works. By the sec­ond day, guests stop think­ing about costs and sim­ply enjoy the resort. The after­noon tea on the beach, the Many­at­ta Grill in the evening, and the two big pools absorb what­ev­er mood you are in — active or com­plete­ly still.

Have you stayed at South­ern Palms Beach Resort? Which restau­rant was your favourite and which pool did you pre­fer? Share your expe­ri­ence in the com­ments — real guest insights help oth­er trav­el­ers make bet­ter deci­sions.

Plan Your Diani Beach Holiday with Charming Safariz

Charm­ing Safariz is Kenya’s best tour and trav­el com­pa­ny for end-to-end Kenya trav­el pack­ages. We spe­cial­ize in seam­less safari-plus-beach itin­er­aries — Masai Mara game dri­ves, Amboseli wildlife, Tsa­vo Nation­al Park, and all-inclu­sive stays at South­ern Palms Beach Resort and oth­er top Diani prop­er­ties, all man­aged in one smooth pack­age. We han­dle domes­tic flights from Nairo­bi to Ukun­da, all ground trans­fers, park fees, and accom­mo­da­tion book­ings.

View our top Kenya safaris and beach pack­ages here

Con­tact our Naku­ru office today for a free, no-oblig­a­tion quote and a ful­ly cus­tomized itin­er­ary.

What­sApp: +254 714 236 664

Email: enquiry@charmingsafariz.com

Office: Naku­ru, Kenya

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Sources and References

• Kenya Wildlife Ser­vice — Shim­ba Hills and Kisite Marine Park
• Mag­i­cal Kenya — Offi­cial Kenya Tourism Board
• World Trav­el and Tourism Coun­cil — East Africa Beach Tourism Pro­jec­tions
• Tri­pAd­vi­sor — South­ern Palms Beach Resort Guest Reviews
• Kenya Nation­al Bureau of Sta­tis­tics — Domes­tic Tourism Data
• UNESCO World Her­itage Cen­tre — Coastal and Marine Her­itage in East Africa
• Nation Africa — Kenya Tourism and Hos­pi­tal­i­ty
• IATA — Inter­na­tion­al Air Trans­port Asso­ci­a­tion