Kisumu’s home away from home

It is perhaps the best kept secret in Kisumu City yet famous with regulars from as far as Europe who make reservations three months in advance just so they can be guaranteed their favourite cottage.

The property is about five kilometres from Kisumu’s CBD in the leafy Tom Mboya estate. There are no sign posts along the 10 minutes’ drive from the city centre and no customised gateways announcing that you have arrived.

Self-catering

In fact, you’ll be forgiven for mistaking this place for just another plush residence for a well-to- do family with a passion for landscaping.

However, the plain wrought iron gate slides open into a serene one-acre paradise whose thick vegetation insulates the haven from the noisy traffic of the matatus, tuk tuks and boda bodas barely a stone’s throw away.

Swaying lush palm, jacaranda and Camel’s Foot trees form a cool canopy that gives the establishment a microclimate of its own, providing visitors with a welcome relief from the sweltering Kisumu heat.

Welcome to Panda’s Paradise, a small establishment of self-catering and fully-serviced cottages where visitors get to create for themselves an experience of rest and luxury away from home as they deem fit.

“We have guests who come for one day and we also have guests who have been here for more than a year,” explains Redemptor Osano, the manager of the facility.

Panda’s Paradise was once a three-bedroomed maisonette belonging to a wealthy Asian family and when the children grew up and moved out, their parents decided to expand and transform the property into guest cottages.

Homestay

At the time this was a common trend in the town. Kisumu’s tourism sector was picking up and the lack of hotel rooms prompted many families and developers to transform palatial maisonettes into home stays and exclusive guest houses.

Panda’s Paradise, however, stands out from the rest with several distinct offerings that see most of the nine uniquely themed cottages fully booked all year round.

The first time the establishment was opened, the owners agonised with what names to give to the cottages and finally settled on an unconventional and easy naming formula.

Nationalities

“The cottages were named after the nationality of the first visitors who took up residence in them so we have Turkish, Chinese, American, African, British, Dutch, Jersey and Down Under,” explains Ms. Osano.

Each of the cottages is fully-furnished and serviced with the design set according to the theme of the respective cottage.

Three of the cottages are two-bedroomed with a master bedroom en suite and double beds in the second bedroom; ideal for a family of four or five. The other cottages have double bedrooms and are ideal for a couple or single people looking for some quality alone time.

“We can, however, customise the rooms according to our visitors needs so that if one wants an extra bed put in and the space permits, we can make that arrangement,” says Ms. Osano.

The rooms are fully furnished complete with an open kitchen equipped with a refrigerator, a gas cylinder and an assortment of crockery and utensils where guests can make their own meals. There’s also high speed internet.

“We provide everything except food so all that the guests need to bring is their luggage and supplies and they can live as if they are at their homes,” states Ms. Osano.

The greatest selling point from Pandas Paradise’s home away from home is the gardens. Tree-lined cobblestone walkways connect the nine cottages spread out on the property.

At the centre of the property are two fish ponds with a quaint metal footbridge that is as old as the town and a shimmering pristine, sky blue swimming pool framed with hibiscus plants at the farthest corner.

Coconuts

In addition to this, Panda’s Paradise is the only establishment in Kisumu that prides itself on having coconut trees (like those at the coast) and if the season is right, guests will be surprised with a rare treat of fresh coconuts from one of the half a dozen trees that are scattered around the compound.