Alkemi Retreats · Our First Retreat
Kenya · Nairobi to Malindi
Culture, community and the Kenyan coast
22 – 31 October 2026 · 10 Days · 9 Nights · Nairobi & Malindi
For women of the African and Caribbean diaspora, Kenya is not just a destination — it is a homecoming of sorts. A country of extraordinary cultural depth, living indigenous knowledge and a history that speaks directly to our story. This retreat moves between the energy of Nairobi and the stillness of the Kenyan coast, creating space for genuine cultural connection, real rest and the company of women who understand your experience without it needing to be explained.
12 spaces · Shared from £3,500 · Private from £4,250
Flexible payment plan available — secure your place from £1,000
Flexible payment plan available — secure your place from £1,000
journey within, explore beyond.
What's Included
Accommodation
Nine nights in carefully selected boutique luxury accommodation — four nights in Nairobi and five nights beachfront in Malindi. Both properties chosen for their comfort, character and restorative setting. Available as shared twin or private rooms throughout.
Meals
Breakfast daily throughout the retreat. Select lunches and dinners as per the itinerary — a mix of traditional Kenyan food, coastal Swahili cuisine and shared table moments with the group.
Experiences & Activities
Giraffe conservation sanctuary and elephant orphanage. Masai Market. Karura Forest morning picnic. Local creative studio tour and beadwork session. Nairobi National Park game drive. Sunrise dhow sail on the Indian Ocean. Snorkelling on the coral reefs. Private exchange with Mijikenda elders. Alkemi Creative Session with a local Kenyan artist. Traditional Swahili farewell dinner with live music and poetry.
Transfers & Flights
Domestic flight from Nairobi to Malindi included. Private airport transfers on arrival and departure days. All ground transport to and between planned experiences throughout the retreat.
Community & Wellbeing
Pre-retreat welcome session on Zoom and in person in London for those who are based here — so no one arrives as a stranger. Guided space for personal reflection woven into the rhythm of each day. A closing session one week after the retreat to share what has settled and what you are carrying forward.
What's Not Included
International flights to and from Kenya · Kenya ETA visa fee (~$30, apply at etakenya.go.ke) · Travel insurance (mandatory) · Vaccinations and medical preparation · Spa treatments and optional activity costs · Personal spending · Gratuities
The Rhythm of This Retreat
Mornings tend to move — a cultural experience, a community encounter, time in the city or on the water. Afternoons open up — pool, beach, spa or simply rest. Evenings bring the group back together around food, conversation and the ease that comes from being with women who get it.
Space is built into every day deliberately. Some of the most significant moments of an Alkemi retreat happen not in the planned experiences but in the hours left open between them.
Trip Details
Dates & Location
22 – 31 October 2026
Nairobi & Malindi, Kenya
Nairobi & Malindi, Kenya
Group Size
Maximum 12 women
Small and intimate by design
Small and intimate by design
Pricing
Shared room — £3,500 per person
Private room — £4,250 per person
Private room — £4,250 per person
Deposit & Payment Plan
£1,000 non-refundable deposit to secure your place. Up to 6 monthly instalments for the remaining balance. Final balance due 60 days before departure.
Explore the Rooms
Shared Room
£3,500
Beautifully appointed twin rooms across both properties — spacious, individually furnished and designed with the same care and attention that defines each stay. You will share with one other participant consistently throughout — the same person in Nairobi and Malindi. If travelling with a friend, note their name at booking.
Private Room
£4,250
Your own room for the full ten days. The same beautifully selected properties, the same standard of luxury — complete privacy throughout.
Itinerary
Each day moves between cultural encounter, shared experience and open time — with space built in deliberately so the journey can settle at its own pace.
Day 1
Thu 22 Oct
Arrival and airport transfer to your Nairobi accommodation. Time to settle in, rest and prepare for the journey ahead. Welcome dinner together as a group.
Welcome dinner
Day 2
Fri 23 Oct
Giraffe conservation sanctuary and elephant orphanage visit. Traditional Kenyan lunch. Masai Market.
Breakfast · Lunch
Day 3
Sat 24 Oct
Karura Forest morning picnic. Local creative studio tour and beadwork session with a local artist.
Breakfast · Picnic lunch
Day 4
Sun 25 Oct
Nairobi National Park game drive — one of the only national parks in the world sitting on the edge of a capital city. Free evening.
Breakfast
Day 5
Mon 26 Oct
Domestic flight to Malindi. Arrival on the coast. Leisure afternoon — pool, beach, spa at your own cost.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 6
Tue 27 Oct
A full day entirely yours. Beach, pool, spa or simply rest. Some of the most important things happen in the unhurried hours.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 7
Wed 28 Oct
Early rise for a sunrise dhow sail on the Indian Ocean. Snorkelling on the coral reefs. Rest afternoon.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 8
Thu 29 Oct
Mijikenda community session — indigenous knowledge, medicinal plants, ancestral traditions and ceremony. A generous and rare exchange received with care and respect.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 9
Fri 30 Oct
Alkemi Creative Session with a local Kenyan artist. Farewell dinner with live music and poetry.
Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Day 10
Sat 31 Oct
Final breakfast together. Transfers to Malindi Airport for onward travel.
Breakfast
FAQs
This retreat is for women of the African and Caribbean diaspora who want to experience Kenya beyond the surface — through genuine cultural connection, indigenous knowledge and real time to rest. No previous retreat experience is needed. Just a willingness to arrive open.
A few weeks before departure all guests join a welcome session — on Zoom and in person in London for those who are based here. It is a chance to meet the women you will be travelling with and arrive in Kenya already feeling part of the group. A week after the retreat ends we come back together for a closing session — to share what has settled, what has shifted and what you are carrying forward. The retreat is ten days. The community is ongoing.
All travellers must obtain a Kenya Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) before departure. Apply online at etakenya.go.ke. The fee is approximately $30. We will support you through all pre-travel preparation once your place is confirmed.
Yes. Travel insurance is required for all Alkemi Retreats. We strongly recommend purchasing a comprehensive policy that covers cancellation, delays and medical emergencies.
Most of our guests travel alone. The pre-retreat welcome session ensures you meet the group before you board the plane so no one arrives as a stranger. Many women find that the connections made on an Alkemi retreat stay with them long after they return home.
Shared rooms are twin rooms — two separate beds. You will be paired with one other participant consistently across both Nairobi and Malindi. If you are travelling with a friend and wish to be paired together, please note their name when booking.
A non-refundable deposit of £1,000 secures your place. The remaining balance can be paid via a flexible monthly payment plan of up to 6 instalments through our booking platform. The final balance is due 60 days before departure. If booking after this date, full payment is required at the time of booking.
If you cancel before the final payment deadline, any instalment payments made beyond the £1,000 deposit will be refunded. The £1,000 deposit remains non-refundable. If you cancel after the final payment deadline, all payments are non-refundable due to financial commitments with our retreat venues, guides and service providers. In the unlikely event that Alkemi Retreats cancels a retreat, you will receive a 100% full refund.
Your place in Kenya is waiting.
12 spaces. Secure yours from £1,000.
Have a question about the Kenya retreat?
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