BeachNuts Beach Guide for:
Beaches of Kenya
Looking for the truly exotic beach vacation then Kenya's your place. The Kenyan coastline fronted by the gorgeous Indian Ocean stretches for 200 miles from Somalia in the north to Tanzania in the south.
| It's a coast of fine sandy-white beaches, even-tempered weather, picturesque coconut palms, mangrove swamps and coral reefs strewn with thousands of coral fish species making it one of the unrivaled tourist attractions of the world. |
Warning: Nudity is ill advised as it is offensive to the indegenous Muslim community at the coast. In some spots you will find persistent beach operators selling curios. Do not carry valuables to the beach or walk alone in isolated beaches. Do not collect any marine life from the sea. It is also advisable to ask your boat operator for plastic shoes to wear while walking or swimming to avoid any stings or bites from tiny sea animals inside the waters, though not common.
A string of islands Wasini, Funzi, Chale, Mombasa itself, Lamu, Manda, Pate, Kiwaiyu run up the coast, all of them worth visiting. Arab architechture has a major influence on the coast and you wíll especially feel it in the north around Lamu, an idyllic island setting which should be visited.
The Kenyan coast is broken into the Southern and Nothernern Coast.
| Recommended Beaches: Northern Coast Kiwayu Island is the place to go. Six miles of soft white sand minutes from Africa's big game animals. Kiwayu Island's endless stretch of beach borders the Kiunga Marine National Reserve, whose coral reers are considered to be some of the best in the world. Southern Coast Diani Beach - If you have ever imagined a "perfect" tropical beach, Diani is the place. Beautiful soft white sand, clear waters, a reef only twenty minutes of easy swimming offshore, and palm trees lining the beach. Diani is definately one of Kenya's top beaches. Most of the hotels offer the usual boat rides and windsurfing for a price. Snorkeling equipment is also available for rent and scuba diving is becoming more popular. If you just want to relax, however, take a walk down the beach, enjoy the sun and try not to think about leaving. The Jadini forest adjoining the beach is a favourite haunt for leopard, colobus monkeys, baboons and a great variety of forest birds. The beach is a long, vast uninterrupted stretch of white sand lapped by an opal ocean. |
