(13 reviews)
English, Swahili (optional)
Solo, Family, Couple, Group
What?
An overnight stay on a traditional wooden dhow, gently floating on calm blue waters under the open sky. You’ll sleep on deck of a docked dhow and experience a slower, more peaceful rhythm of life at sea.
Where?
Along the Kenyan coast, surrounded by open waters and uninterrupted views.
When?
Available throughout the year. Best enjoyed on clear nights for stargazing and the chance to witness bio-luminescence.
Why?
This is not just a place to sleep, it’s a full reset. With no rush, no noise and nothing but the ocean around you, it invites you to slow down in a way that feels rare these days. Share moments with the crew, listen to the sounds of the sea and maybe even witness the ocean light up at night. It’s simple, raw and quietly unforgettable.
How?
Board the dhow with your group and settle into life on the water. The experience is fully hosted, including breakfast and the freedom to spend your time however you choose.
Fuelling the spread of peace and love. Hear the stories from the crew about all their travels thus far with this aim in focus. The ultimate example of meaningful travel.
Both the sailor and captain are from the local area, who love meeting travellers from around the world.
A completely unique experience that will give you an insight into living on a boat and appreciating the natural beauty that surrounds you.
With no engine, the boat runs with the wind. During your stay the dhow will be anchored and floating on the water. Solar panel brings light in the evening, the bathrooms are natural and wood used to make the boat is found in abundance.
Step aboard the dhow and take in your surroundings as you are welcomed by the crew. Settle into your space, explore the boat and ease into the gentle rhythm of the ocean.
Spend your afternoon and evening exactly as you please. Swim in the open water, curl up with a book, sway in a hammock, or simply do nothing at all (highly recommended). As the sun begins to set, gather for a freshly prepared dinner and unwind together as the sky shifts through soft evening colours.
As night falls, head to the deck for stargazing. On the right night, you may witness the magic of bio-luminescence in the water. Whether you choose to sit quietly or take it all in with others, this is a moment to fully disconnect and just be.
Wake up slowly to the calm of the ocean. Enjoy a relaxed morning with a Swahili breakfast, a swim or simply soaking in the final moments before heading back to shore.
Just your clothes, swimwear, towel and toiletries.
Of course, kids love this adventure. There are buoys if they’d like to hold on while in the water too.
Indeed there is and in fact probably bathrooms with the best view you’ve seen!
We saw the bioluminescence which was the main reason for this experience for us and it was magical. You can even swim in the water at night and it’s truly spectacular.
The kids loved jumping off the top of the boat and playing all day long, it was paradise for them and the adults could sit back which was great for us!
Absolutely amazing experience!! Evoked a sense of adventure and freedom .. kids loved jumping off the dhow. Bioluminescence is magical! Paulo, Omari & Zamzam were great hosts and made our stay very comfortable.
This was the perfect way to “camp” on open water under the beautiful starry kilifi sky!
Booking with Shammi was a breeze, quick to respond and extremely professional. Would definitely recommend T4P and this unique experience.
The overnight boat experience was a MAGICAL experience. Especially the bioluminescence for sure was amazing.
I cannot recommend T4P enough. We went on an overnight dhow stay with them and the whole thing from start to finish was just AMAZING. Seriously couldn’t have asked for anything better. The communication from Sham during our booking process, to the meal choices to individual tastes and options, down to making sure the kids were well looked after – everything was just spot on. We’re looking to sharing more adventures with the T4P team. What amazed me the most was how ethically and environmentally friendly the whole trip was. Just incredible!
Thank you Sham for organizing a lovely and once in a life time experience. Matteo and Babu were brilliant aswell and they really took care of my lil one who is just turning 4 in Dec. They probably enjoyed his company more than us lol… It was just amazing and peaceful and very well organised and they also got some cupcakes as i requested for a bday celebration. Thank you for a great time. It was just what we needed during these times to be away from all the hustle and all of current life style we in. O and lets not forget Pepe the cat 🙂 my son loved her too 😀
Sham organised the most perfect Dhow Trip on Kilifi Creek for us. We arrived there in the afternoon and spent a lovely night on the huge Dhow. The food was freshly cooked on the dhow and was soo delicious. We were lucky enough with the weather and also that it happened to be full moon that night!
Would definitely recommend this trip to everyone 🙂 already thinking of going again next month with our visitors.
The overnight on the dhow in kilifi was beautiful, the meal, the people and the ambience! The natural focus on sharing stories and experiences with their travelers and hosts made it a memorable trip! Thank you Sham and team
Thank you for organizing this wonderful trip T4P! The experience was truly magical. From kayaking to diving from the dhow and to sleeping under the stars, it was all just an out of the world feeling! I found a different part of me from this experience. The views during the sundowner was spectacular.
I went looking for a night off the grid and got one of the best nights of my entire trip. Book it without overthinking it.
If you’re trying to figure out what a Night on a Dhow actually is — it’s an overnight stay on a traditional wooden boat anchored off the Kenyan coast near Kilifi. You sleep on deck, you swim in open water, you eat a Swahili breakfast in the morning and watch the sun go down over nothing but ocean the night before. There’s no itinerary pushing you anywhere. On our night, the water lit up with bio-luminescence and I genuinely didn’t have words for it. It’s one of those experiences that sounds simple when you describe it and feels enormous when you’re actually in it.
What drew me in was the idea of sleeping on the water. What stayed with me was everything else. The captain and sailor — both local, both full of stories — made this feel less like a tourist experience and more like being welcomed into someone’s world. There’s something quietly powerful about traveling in a way that actually puts money and meaning into the hands of the people who call this place home. No engine, solar light, natural bathrooms — it’s low impact in the best possible way. I left feeling like I’d done something good, not just something cool.
Slept on a wooden dhow under more stars than I’ve ever seen in my life. Simple, slow, and exactly what I didn’t know I needed.
From
Share: