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.