Preparing for Beach Vacation in Kenya’s Diani Beach and Wasini Island

Diani Beach

Diani Beach is the place to go.  A vibrant, uncrowded, intimate little paradise on the quiet shores of the Indian Ocean just south of Mombasa in beautiful Kenya.

It is a fantastic long white beach with loads of watersports and primates to see.

Diani Beach is a huge beach hangout at the Indian Ocean seacoast in Kenya. It neighbors Mombasa to the south, and it is more than 20 kilometers long.

Diani has a population of around 100,000 inhabitants and is famous for its white sand beaches, blue ocean and surfing.

The surroundings of Diani Beach are splendid, with jutting palm trees at the coast, natural green vegetation, and the coral reefs at the coast. Diani Beach is known to host high-class tourism facilities.

There are exotic restaurants and hotels that offer local and international dishes by professional and experienced cooking staff. There are two shopping centers where you can shop for items at the beach. Diani Beach is also known for being a major location for kite surfing in Kenya.

Diani Beach is a secluded area on the southern coast of Kenya. Due to its direct proximity to the major city of Mombasa, tourists can connect to Diani Beach by road transport using tour guide cars or their private vehicles.

If you are coming into Kenya from abroad, try to find an airline that travels to Moi International Airport in Mombasa, then connect by road to Diani Beach, or travel to the major international airport of Jomo Kenyatta in Nairobi City then travel to Mombasa, then finally connect to Diani Beach.

Diani Beach is one of the largest beaches in Kenya. Because of its massive size, it has been able to accommodate enough accommodation facilities for its large number of tourists. The facilities available in Diani Beach and near the beach are holiday cottages, lovely villas, holiday houses, beach resorts, and guesthouses.

The setting and quality of their facilities are modern and exotic with some touch of the coastal Swahili culture like the thickly thatched roofing tops for the houses.

Some facilities provide Jacuzzis, swimming pools, a bar and restaurant to have your meals prepared.

Diani Beach is the best place to find a good selection of high-quality dining facilities and delightful catering services. There are many restaurants to treat you into such as the Sake Oriental Restaurant that serves a variety of Asian and Mediterranean cuisines.

The Kenyan dishes are also served in some of the restaurants alongside seafood recipes.

Traveling to Diani Beach is both a coastal and a nature adventure. You can indulge in exploration to parks near the beach, and to the surrounding waters of the Indian Ocean as you explore the marvelous appearance of the beach as a whole from the ocean in several tours and safaris.

Diani Beach has a long stretch of white sandy beach where tourists can enjoy fun activities under the tropical summer sun.

You will also find sites for snorkeling and scuba diving to explore the blazing aquatic ecosystem in the ocean just make sure you join the Pilli Pipa Dhow Safaris to the Kisite Marine Park.

While in Diani Beach we can also take you to a safari tour in the national parks near the coastal region of Kenya and Tanzania.

You can get to visit the Shimba Hills and Tsavo National Parks to see the popular indigenous African wildlife species that Kenya offers in its stable tourism sector.

Getting to Diani

By Plane There are 2 Airports to choose from. The nearest is Ukunda Airport, just 2.4 km from Diani Beach. Moi International Airport is further, approximately 30km away.

By Taxi One can also take a taxi form the Mombasa city center to reach the destination. A cheaper alternative is a shared taxi, at the moment there is one company (Hakuna Mutatu Bus) operating on the Kenya Coast and a ride from Mombasa costs roughly Ksh 1000 and takes 1hr 30.

The shared taxi is a door-to-door service, meaning you will be collected from your current accommodation in Mombasa, Kilifi or Watamu and dropped directly at your next accommodation in Diani, which makes it an attractive option.

By Bus Travelling from Bus is the cheapest available option. But this option is quite stressful, because you need to change number of buses in order to reach the destination. If you are willing to spend a little bit more money to go direct, there is a shuttle bus service catering mostly to tourists that runs on set departure times between Diani Beach, Nyali, Kilifi and Watamu. This service runs daily and there is no need to change busses – tickets can be booked online.

Around Diani: There are number of Matatus running in the town from morning to late night. You can also book a Bajaj scooter or motorcycle taxi. There is also a Taxi service named Chideri taxi Service in Diani beach. 

The beach is popular for relaxing resorts which are popular with honeymooners, backpackers and families on holiday. The white sand surrounded by abundant forest drives the attention of many nature lovers towards the resorts.

Waves near the sea shore attract many adventure lovers towards the destination. The area near the beach is well known for coral reefs, black and white colombus monkeys and nearly located wildlife reserve named as Shimba Hills National Reserve.

Diving: If you really want to have an amazing diving experience with professional. They also take adventure lovers to the Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park for a great snorkeling experience.

Colobus Conservation: Colobus conservation was established in the year 1997 with a motive to promote conservation of the colobus monkeys and addresses threats to them.

Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest: To have some hours of relaxation and to get a spiritual lift, you must plan a visit to this sacred forest surrounded by trees that are being used in different medicines.

Skydive Diani: Skydive Diani offers tandem jumps at $350 only. You will get a bird eye view of the most beautiful beach. You will also experience free fall and canopy flight over the coastline. 

H2O Extreme: It is the first and biggest water sports center in Diani beach. They offer Kitesurfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, kayaking, body boarding and kim boarding. 

While on Diani Beach, you can;
• Learn the basics of kite surfing
• Experience the paddle board and kayak.
• Do snorkeling / glass boat rides (boats with a glass panel in the bottom so you can watch the fish)
• Do Short safaris
• Play golf in leisure time
• Do jet ski
• Learn and do skydiving

The Diani Beach Shopping Centre: The shopping market is located near the beach road. Here you can find number of shops offering Bags, Clothes, jewelry and other items. You can also come to see an art gallery that offers some fine arts for Art lovers. Visit the Coffee shops/small restaurants to get rid of hunger. The market is remains open everyday from 9 AM to 5 PM.

6 DAYS ALONG THE ENCHANTING DIANI BEACH.

Wasini Island

Wasini Island lies in southeast Kenya 3 kilometres off the coast of the Indian Ocean, 75 kilometres south of Mombasa, and 3 kilometres opposite the harbour of the village Shimoni. It is approximately 7 kilometres long and 3 kilometres cross. the name “wasini mpunguti” came from the early inhabitants who originally were the Chinese they were short Chinese, hence the name wasini mpunguti which to the locals, means short Chinese.
The final pearl in the tropical beach necklace that stretches south of Mombasa is the idyllic island of Wasini, located about 76km south of the Likoni ferry crossing. With its faded white alleyways, Swahili fishing vibe and fat, mottled trees, this tiny island feels like a distant relative of Lamu and Zanzibar. It’s ripe with the ingredients required for a perfect backpacker beachside hideaway: it has that sit-under-a-mango-tree-and-do-nothing-all-day vibe, a coastline licked with pockets of white sand and Kisite Marine National Park, the most gorgeous snorkelling reef on the coast. In fact, the only things it doesn’t have are regular electricity, banana-pancake traveller cafes, backpacker hostels and cars, and it’s all the better for it.

The island has only footpaths of sharp old coral or sand. There are no cars, carts or bicycles. Cargo is transported by foot or by a wheelbarrow with a solid tyre. Transport is over the paths, or via the beaches, mainly consisting of coral and only passable with low tide, or by boat over the sea.

6 DAYS ALONG THE ENCHANTING DIANI BEACH.

If you want to see one of the six primate species in South Coast Kenya visit the Colobus Trust, dedicated to primate rescue, research and conservation, for an informative walk and you may spot one of the many wild primates.

Mombasa.

Kenya’s second largest city and biggest port, Mombasa is a multicultural tourist magnet. British, Portuguese, Arab, Indian, and Asian immigrants add to the rich cultural mix, and their influence is evident in the architecture, as well as the many different types of cuisine. Mombasa is actually an island connected to its mushrooming development on the mainland by a causeway, bridges, and ferries. Coral reefs fringe the coast for 480 kilometres providing fantastic snorkeling and diving opportunities, especially at Mombasa Marine National Park and around Wasini Island. Dolphin watching and deep-sea fishing are also popular.

History buffs will enjoy exploring the 16th-century Fort Jesus and Old Town with its narrow streets, ancient Swahili dwellings, markets, and souvenir shops.

The north shore of Mombasa is crammed with attractions including Mombasa Go-Kart, cinemas, sports, and a cornucopia of restaurants. This being a coastal hub, beach lovers will find some worthy strands nearby. North of the city, Nyali and Bamburi Beaches are favorites, while the white strands of Shelly, Tiwi, and Diani Beaches are popular spots south of Mombasa.

Other Useful link for a wildlife Safari in Kenya.

Magical kenya
Kenya Tourism Federation
Ministry of Tourism, Kenya
Kenya Wildlife Service
Kenya Association of Tour Operators(KATO)
Masai Mara National Reserve
Amboseli National Park

See also Tips for planning a wildlife safari to Tanzania.