Diani Beach

Diani Beach is the most celebrated stretch of Kenya's south coast, a 17-kilometre ribbon of powdery white sand fringed by palms and the protective Diani-Chale coral reef. The reef holds back the open ocean and creates a calm tidal lagoon ideal for swimming, snorkelling, kitesurfing, and stand-up paddleboarding, while a constant cross-shore breeze has made Diani one of the most reliable kitesurfing locations in the western Indian Ocean. The village sits about 30 kilometres south of Mombasa across the Likoni ferry, and has grown into Kenya's most developed beach resort area with everything from backpacker lodges to luxury private villas. Just inland the Shimba Hills National Reserve protects forest elephants, sable antelope, and the Sheldrick Falls, offering a rare beach-and-safari combination from a single base.