Diani Beach: Kenya's Crown Jewel of the Coast

Getting There

Diani is most commonly accessed via Ukunda Airstrip, which receives daily scheduled flights from Wilson Airport in Nairobi. Flight time is approximately 45 minutes. Alternatively, you can fly into Moi International Airport in Mombasa and take a 30-minute transfer south, crossing the Likoni Ferry — itself an interesting local experience. For those combining safari and beach, a fly-in from the Maasai Mara or Amboseli directly to Ukunda is a seamless and highly popular option.

What to Do

The Indian Ocean reef system off Diani offers some of the best snorkelling and diving on the East African coast. Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park, accessible by boat from Shimoni, is a protected reserve renowned for its coral gardens, schools of reef fish, and seasonal whale shark and dolphin encounters. Kitesurfing, deep-sea fishing, and traditional dhow cruises at sunset round out the water-based activities.

On land, the Colobus Conservation centre near the beach is worth a morning visit — it rescues and rehabilitates the endangered Angolan colobus monkey, a species uniquely tied to Diani's coastal forest. Shimba Hills National Reserve, just inland, offers a completely different ecosystem: dense forest, rare roan antelope, and an extraordinary elephant population.