Diani Beach

Diani Beach is a 25km strip of pale, sugary sands backed by the cerulean Indian Ocean. As one of the more developed towns on the Kenyan coast, there’s a great variety of restaurants, cafés, bars and shops here. Also on offer are activities from horse riding to kite-surfing and tours of the ancient Kaya Forest. Popular haunts in Diani include the Forty Thieves Beach Bar - renowned for their fun beach parties and tasty pizzas, as well as Ali Barbour’s restaurant – set inside a candle-lit cave which opens out onto the starry night’s sky above. However you choose to spend your time in this idyllic costal location, one thing is for sure: as the sun sets, castling a golden glitter on the sea below, and the beach-front restaurants lay flickering lanterns on the sand, there are few other places in the world you will want to be.

It was one of those days where even sitting still can’t stop the beads of sweat from forming and rolling down your back. The ice-cold fruit smoothie from Forty Thieves at Diani Beach is just the pit-stop you need when driving from Mombasa to Shimoni. The striking red Shúkà of the Maasai on the beach will catch your eye. While Maasai traditionally live further inland, it’s now common for tribesmen to move down to Kenya’s South coast and take up jobs in security at local resorts and bars.

At the top end of the exquisite sands of Diani Beach, the perfect sunset spot awaits where a small river meets the Indian Ocean. Pick up a few Tuskers or a coconut for less than a dollar and enjoy the reds and oranges emanate from the sun as it sets into the African landscape.

Going to the Kenyan coast on the off-season is a totally magical experience. We’d go hours without spying other tourists. This half-hour of camel riding along the coast was such a wonderful way to see the beachscape. Also: nicest, prettiest dromedaries I ever met.

Just an hour south of Mombasa is Diani Beach; where the sand is finer and whiter than that of Mombasa (if that is even possible) and with a whole lot less beach boys and beach girls. Diani is a stretch of beachfront resorts developed by the Germans and it mostly attracts Kenyans on holiday instead of foreigners. The party scene is vibrant, local and the beach is quiet during the weekdays. It is not hard to find a long stretch of beach all to yourself in the middle of the week. White white power fine sand with turquoise blue ocean in front. What more do you need?