Diani Beach & the Coast

Back to Kenya

Kenya keeps an Indian Ocean secret: south of Mombasa, Diani’s twelve kilometres of flour-white sand meet a turquoise lagoon inside a coral reef — repeatedly voted Africa’s leading beach destination, and the perfect final chapter to any safari.

Highlights

Mornings bring dhow trips to the Kisite-Mpunguti marine park for snorkelling with turtles and dolphins; afternoons are for kitesurfing the trade winds, skydiving over the reef or simply doing gloriously little. Further north, Lamu’s car-free Swahili old town offers a UNESCO-listed alternative rich in history.

Best Time to Visit

The coast shines in the safari high season — June to October — and again from December to March when the kusi winds soften. We avoid only the long rains of April and May.

Where to Stay

Barefoot-luxury boutique hotels and private villas line the quiet southern end of Diani; for honeymoons we love pairing the Mara with a beach villa finale.

An easy flight links the Mara’s airstrips to the coast — ask us to add three or four nights, or start with our Kenya overview.