Diani Beach Resort Guide

Diani Beach Resort GuideFamily fun
With swaying palms and soft, white sand caressedDiani Beach has plenty of relaxed, family-friendly
by glittering, turquoise water, Diani Beach has manyresort hotels that go out of their way to keep
of the ingredients of the perfect tropical holidaychildren amused with special menus, sports, games
destination. It is deservedly popular, and as one ofand other activities. The beach is safe for swimming
Kenya's premier Indian Ocean resorts, it has a largebut kids who want to snorkel will have to be strong
and still-growing assortment of hotels andswimmers to reach the reef - it is better to take a
restaurants, some of them extremely luxurious byboat or canoe. The Colobus Trust (Diani Beach
local and often international standards. Thanks toRoad), set up to protect Diani's endangered
warm seas and beautiful coral reefs it is also one ofblack-and-white colobus, is great for monkey
the best places to get close to the richly diversespotting.
marine life of the southern Kenyan coast, byRetail therapy
snorkelling, scuba-diving or joining a boat safari.Diani Beach's resort hotels have shops where you'll
Who goes there?find souvenir T-shirts and local crafts such as
The resort hotels strung out along this 8km (5-mile)soapstone sculptures, shell and bead necklaces and
stretch of coast are primarily aimed at packagesisal baskets. Beach sellers also offer souvenirs,
holidaymakers, who often combine their visit with anincluding wooden animals, brightly coloured kangas
inland game park safari. Prices range from moderate(sarongs printed with Swahili proverbs), kikois (stripy
to high, with very few options for budget travellers.cotton wraps) and shukas (red Maasai-style blankets).
It is perhaps no surprise that the European visitorsA night on the town
who take holidays here tend to be well heeled.The after-dark entertainment scene in Diani Beach is
Where in the world?thoroughly tourist-oriented, centred on the resort
Diani Beach lies on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast, 35kmhotels: most of these have nightly music and dance
(22 miles) south of the nearest city, Mombasa, whichshows featuring local talent, followed by discos
is in turn 487km (303 miles) southwest of the capital,ranging from the glitzy to the downright cheesy. The
Nairobi. Its location along a stunning white sand beach,place to go for a more local scene is the inland village
which skirts the shore for an impressive 25km (16of Ukunda, which has a few rough-edged
miles) has cemented its position as one of Kenya'slate-opening bars, you'll also find the Shakatak (Diania
premier resorts.Beach nightclub here.
When to go?Eating out
The best months to visit Diani Beach are January toAlthough many tourists see no reason to venture
March when the chance of rain is low. Temperaturesbeyond the restaurants of their resort hotels, Diani
are fairly consistent fluctuating between 27-31°CBeach's shopping centres and coastal strip offer a
(81-88°F) during the day and rarely dipping belowgood selection of alternatives with broad international
22°C (72°F) at night. April to June are the wettestappeal, including pizzerias, curry houses and places
months with frequent and often heavy rainfall.offering English, Chinese and even Seychellois cuisine.
BeachTo enjoy a good local meal pop into The African Pot
The beach is the area's major attraction - long, soft,-Coral Beach Cottages. For sheer romance the new
white and lovely, it comes close to the tropical ideal.seafood reastaurant a the Shaanti Holistic Health
The offshore reef offers rewarding snorkelling; it alsoRetreat , Buddha on the Beach is hard to beat.
keeps waves at bay, making paddling and swimmingGetting around
close to shore a pleasure, and providing perfectMost locals travel by bus or matatu (shared minibus),
conditions for windsurfing lessons. The onlywhich are often extremely crowded. They run along
drawbacks are the seaweed that gets washed upthe main coast road from the Likoni ferry, just south
from time to time, the tides which, at their highest,of Mombasa, towards the Tanzanian border, passing
cover much of the sand, and the hustlers (knownthrough Diani Beach. Hotel staff can book local taxis
locally as beach boys) who can be hard to shake off.and airport transfers for their guests; you can also
Beyond the beachfind taxis near Diani's main Ukunda junction. Diani has
The romantically inclined can cruise the shoreline in aa couple of offices that hire cars and motorbikes.
dhow (traditional boat): a favourite destination isExploring further afield
Kisite Marine National Park near the Tanzanian border,Many visitors to Diani build a safari into their stay.
which offers outstanding snorkelling. Elsewhere in theWith a few days to spare you could head inland to
underwater landscape, there are rewarding wrecksTsavo East and Tsavo West National Parks, which
for scuba-divers to explore; you're likely to seetogether form one of the largest game-viewing areas
turtles, mantas and barracuda among many otherin the world. Far less crowded than Kenya's more
marine species. Whale sharks patrol the coastlinepopular parks, they are home to lions, hippos,
between January and March. To spot one, or evenelephants, zebras and a great many species of
snorkel beside one, you can join a half-day whaleantelope and gazelle. Alternatively, to experience
shark safari organised by the East African Whaleanother side of coastal life, travel north through
Shark Trust , a locally based conservationMombasa to the beaches and marine parks of Malindi
organisation. To learn about local village culture, takeand Watamu, great for snorkelling and diving, or
a guided walk with the Kaya Kinondo Ecotourismimmerse yourself in Swahili culture on the island of
Project.Lamu.