Fabulous Kenya coast

Fabulous Kenya coast : Kenyan coast is a great location for relaxing on lovely beaches, taking a dip in the Indian Ocean, and taking in Swahili cuisine, hospitality, and culture. A beach safari vacation on one of the Indian Ocean islands off the coast of Kenya is a wonderful safari experience in and of itself. But for many of our visitors, a tranquil beach vacation along the coast serves as the ideal cap to an adventurous Kenyan safari. Enjoy stunning beaches with coconut palms, observe black and white colobus monkeys coming out of the trees, and observe dhows sailing in the distance. Enjoy Swahili cuisine, hospitality, and culture while taking a cooling plunge in the Indian Ocean.

What better way to start or end your Kenyan safari road trip than with a plunge in the Indian Ocean? Kenya boasts a beautiful coastline with white sand beaches, warm blue oceans, amazing diving, deep sea fishing, fantastic kiteboarding, and a variety of accommodation alternatives for all budgets. It’s a lot of fun to take a road trip up and down the coast for a few days (or weeks), stopping in at the beach villages that are nearby to one another but have their own unique charms and features. Alternately, take a one-way car journey from Nairobi to the gorgeous coast.

Diani Beach.

  Lively Diani is located about 19 kilometres south of Mombasa’s well-known Fort Jesus landmark. The most well-known beach resort in Kenya is located around 90 minutes by vehicle south of Mombasa. It has long been a favorite vacation spot for Kenyans, Nairobi-based expats, and retired Italians. There is a wide variety of accommodation available to fit all preferences and budgets. Resorts, boutique hotels, hostels and privately owned villas border the palm-fringed beaches. If you haven’t tried at least one cocktail at the Forty Thieves Beach Bar, you haven’t been to Diani. Wasini Island and the Wasini Marine National Park, one of the top snorkeling locations in Africa, are located south of Diani.

  Kilifi.

Kilifi is located in the north, two hours from Mombasa. In contrast to Diani, this beach town attracts a lot of expats and has less resort-style visitors. Kilifi is renowned for its watercourse in addition to its lovely beach. The ideal location for all of your favorite water sports. All types of water sports safari activities are available, including sailing, surfing, wakeboarding, water skiing, SUP boarding, and kayaking. Both Nautilus and Boatyard are excellent restaurants that serve exquisite cuisine.

Watamu.

A little Swahili fishing community called Watamu is located 40 kilometres north of Kilifi. One of the top diving and snorkeling spots in East Africa is Watamu Marine Park, which includes the bays that surround the town. Watamu has a wide selection of comfortable and affordable accommodation. If you feel like engaging in some land-based safari activities, the Watamu Turtle Watch, which does excellent work in preserving the turtles that lay their eggs along the Watamu beaches, and the Bio-ken Snake Farm are both well worth a visit. If you want to learn a little bit about history and culture, a visit to the Gedi Ruins is ideal for an afternoon.

Watamu Treehouse is a unique accommodation option that has been praised by numerous periodicals in recent years. To our happy surprise, it is also quite reasonably priced.

Malindi – little Italy in Kenya.

Malindi, a seaside Swahili town larger than Watamu, is about 25 kilometres north of Watamu. The city centre, which was established in the 13th century, is home to some interesting but dangerous mediaeval structures. Malindi has been referred to as “Little Italy” since the 1960s. The tourist safari destination is overflowing with eateries, pizzerias, delis, and gelato stores run by Italians. After-dinner beverages like Limoncello are available on Italian restaurant menus, and African beach boys selling ganja, woodcarvings, and snorkelling excursions all make their pitches in the language. What a strange sight.

Why do so many Italians reside in the coastal towns of Malindi and Watamu? Italian units were stationed in this region of the Kenyan coast during the Second World War. The Italians were able to live in the town with their family because, it seems, they were granted land as payment. More Italian engineers and scientists came to this area in the 1960s as a result of the establishment of the Italian-run Broglio Space Centre, and other would-be entrepreneurs soon followed in their footsteps. In its peak in the 1980s and 1990s, Malindi town was home to nearly 4,000 Italians.

  Lamu.

Looking for a cultural beach safari destination off the usual path? You might want to check out Lamu Island, which is Tanzania’s equivalent of Zanzibar from two decades ago. The Swahili legacy, an eclectic fusion of European, African, Arab, and Asian traditions and cultures, is best preserved in Lamu Town, one of the last remaining Swahili communities. On the island, vehicles are not allowed. Donkeys are pulling heavy loads as you walk through the confined alleyways.

Lamu Archipelago is typically reached by air, but you may also drive there from Mombasa to wrap up your coastal road journey in Lamu. For the Malindi to Lamu stretch, you must be accompanied by a driver-guide; self-driving is not permitted. If you wish to drive to Lamu, get in touch with Road trip Kenya.

You have a wide range of options, from locations on the mainland like Diani Beach and Watamu to islands like Lamu and Manda.  Once you’ve checked in, you have the rest of the day to do as little or as much as you choose while relaxing.

Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, is located on the country’s southern coast. There aren’t many great places to stay here, but we usually prefer travelling south to the stunning beaches of Diani, Galu, and Msambweni or, farther south, Funzi Keys.

Malindi & Watamu: North of Mombasa, Malindi and Watamu also offer appealing beaches and each have a Marine Park in the waters off their coastlines. Malindi is an intriguing fusion of Swahili and other cultures, but Watamu is the smaller, quieter option in this area. There are some excellent hotels in both locations.

Historic Lamu Town: Consider the curving alleys of this ancient Swahili town – a UNESCO world heritage site.  Find the historic mosques, the fort, and the intriguing old homes to learn about Kenya’s history and culture. Just donkeys, no vehicles.

Snorkelling & diving: Along the Kenya coast and off Lamu Island, the waters are teeming with vibrant marine creatures living around the coral reef, perfect for underwater exploration.

Sailing on a traditional dhow: Admire a sunset dhow cruise- a passionate way to take to the waters, or visit local fishing villages and neighboring islands for a knowledge into local daily life.

History: Take a short boat ride from Lamu to the exquisite tiny island of Shela or explore the 16th-century Swahili remains on Manda Island, where towering baobab trees dominate the horizon. In addition to the Gedi Ruins, which are immediately south of here, close to Watamu, and the old town of Mombasa, which was established by the Arabs, both of these ancient settlements are intriguing.

Wildlife: You can travel a short distance inland to explore Tsavo East National Park or Shimba Hills National Reserve, which is home to an elephant sanctuary nearby. As an alternative, it’s relatively simple to go from the shore to other regions of Kenya, such the Masai Mara.

Nature: Take a dhow ride to Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park or a guided tour of Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest.

When to go to the Kenyan coast. As a general rule, the Kenyan coast’s core temperature (about 30°c) varies very little throughout the year, but the Kusi trade wind delivers the heavier rains in mid-late April, May, and occasionally into early June. The months of July to October are frequently fantastic, followed by December to March, which are also frequently worthwhile in our opinion. This leaves April to June (and possibly November) as being a bit of a mixed bag.