A Week at Diani Beach: Journal of Sand, Reef, and Swahili Sunsets
I came to Diani Beach expecting a beach holiday. I got a nature documentary.
Day 1: Arrival
The Likoni ferry crossing from Mombasa island to the south coast is free for pedestrians but took 90 minutes in traffic. Next time I'll take the early morning crossing. My hotel transfer driver was unfazed — "Likoni is Likoni," he said, in the tone of someone describing gravity.
First impression of Diani: the sand is genuinely white and the water genuinely turquoise. Not enhanced, not filtered, not exaggerated. The reef visible offshore creates a calm lagoon that feels like a natural swimming pool.
Checked into a mid-range hotel (KES 4,000/night / ~$30). Clean room, ocean view, functional mosquito net. Not luxury, not backpacker. Just right.
Day 2: The Reef
Snorkeling from the beach with rented gear (KES 500/day). The reef starts maybe 300 meters offshore and the visibility was 15+ meters. Parrotfish, angelfish, a moray eel hiding in a crevice. A sea turtle surfaced 10 meters from me, breathed, and dove back down. I stayed in the water for 2 hours.
Lunch at a local restaurant on Beach Road. Pilau (spiced rice) and fresh fish for KES 400 (~$3). The chapati was still warm from the pan.
Day 3: Colobus Monkeys
Morning at the Colobus Conservation Centre. The guided forest walk (KES 1,500) took us through coastal forest where three colobus families live. They're spectacular — black and white with flowing fur that makes them look like they're wearing capes. The guide explained the rope bridge program that connects isolated forest fragments.
A vervet monkey stole a tourist's banana during the walk. The guide was apologetic. The monkey was not.
Afternoon: walked the beach south toward Galu. Kite surfers were out — the wind was strong and the lagoon was flat. Mental note: try this before the week is over.
Day 4: Wasini Island
Full-day boat trip to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park. KES 6,000 ($45) including lunch. Left from Shimoni jetty at 8 AM after a 1-hour drive south.
Spinner dolphins found us 20 minutes out. Maybe 30 of them, leaping and spinning around the boat. The guide cut the engine and we watched for 15 minutes. One dolphin jumped clear of the water, rotating twice, and landed with a splash that got the entire boat wet.
Snorkeling on the reef wall: coral gardens, lionfish, a group of four sea turtles grazing on seagrass. The visibility was astonishing. I've snorkeled in the Maldives and this was comparable.
Lunch on Wasini Island: grilled fish, coconut rice, and crab claws, served on a platform overlooking the channel. Simple and perfect.
Day 5: Shimba Hills
Half-day trip to Shimba Hills National Reserve ($25 entry). Coastal rainforest, which I wasn't expecting on the Kenya coast. Sable antelope — shiny black coats with curved horns — grazed in a clearing. Our guide said they're found almost nowhere else in Kenya.
Sheldrick Falls: a waterfall in the forest, reached by a 30-minute hike. I had it entirely to myself.
Day 6: Kite Surfing
Beginner lesson at Galu Beach with H2O Extreme ($70 for 2 hours). The flat lagoon inside the reef is ideal — no waves, just wind and warm water up to your waist. I stood up on the board for maybe 8 seconds total. But those 8 seconds — the wind pulling, the board moving, the spray in my face — I understood the addiction.
Day 7: Ali Barbour's Cave and Departure
Dinner at Ali Barbour's Cave. An actual coral cave with no roof, open to the stars. Candles on the tables. Fresh seafood. About KES 4,000 ($30) for dinner. Worth every shilling for the atmosphere alone.
The night sky through the cave opening — stars visible between the coral formations overhead — was the most memorable dinner setting of any trip I've taken.
Would I Go Back?
Absolutely. A week was perfect — enough time for the beach, the reef, the forest, and the culture. Diani doesn't have the polish of the Maldives or the name recognition of Zanzibar, but it has more variety than either. Dolphins, monkeys, kite surfing, forest hikes, and a coral cave restaurant — all within 30 minutes of each other.
Week budget: ~$400 total (hotel, food, activities, transport). That's Kenya's coast: world-class experiences at developing-world prices.
