Diani Beach is probably one of the best beaches in Kenya. It is more remote and less hectic than other beaches along the east coast of the country. It has a long beautiful strip of sandy beach, pristine water, and a ton of beachfront hotels and resorts in which you can indulge yourself.
If you are visiting Kenya and looking for a nice beach to relax in, you can't go wrong with Diani Beach. Within this guide, you will find all the information you need to visit Diani Beach, from how to get there to where it's best to stay.
Without further ado, let's discuss why Diani Beach is the best beach in Kenya.
Why Visit Diani Beach?
I'm usually not a beach guy, but after a hectic 2-week trip in Kenya and another 2 weeks in Tanzania before that, I was completely exhausted and was looking for a place to get away from the noises of African cities where I could spend a week doing nothing but enjoying the scenery.
Diani Beach fits that bill perfectly with its small beach town vibe, few buildings and cars, and a ton of space along its stunning strip of white sandy beach that is soft to the touch, where one can relax.
Best of all, there are many affordable beachfront resorts where you will have access to the beach anytime. I found myself strolling along the beach every morning, swimming in the pristine water, while watching the sunrise. My whole time there was extremely idyllic, and I couldn't ask for a better place to relax in Kenya.
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If you are visiting Kenya and would like to squeeze in a beach vacation in between all your safaris, you won't regret choosing Diani Beach over other beaches in the country.
How To Get To Diani Beach?
From Nairobi to Diani By Train and Uber
One of the most scenic and affordable ways to get from Nairobi to Diani Beach is to take the express train from Nairobi Railway Station and board one of the two daily trains, either at 3 PM or 10 PM, bound for Mombasa.
The train journey will cost around 1,000 KES (10 USD) per person and should take about 5 hours before you arrive at Mombasa Railway Station.
The train will take you through national parks, where you might be able to see some wildlife along the way. So, be sure to take the 3 PM train if you want to spot some animals.
From the train station, you can then take either an Uber (Android|iPhone) or Bolt (Android|iPhone), a cheaper alternative, to arrange a taxi to take you to Diani Beach which is another 33 km away.
An Uber/Bolt ride from Mombasa to Diani should cost around 2,000 KES (17.70 USD), and the journey should take about 2 hours. Due to the way the city and its commercial ports are set up, the Uber will have to take a ferry to travel south, but you do not have to worry about it.
Since the ferry service is free, you won't have to pay extra. You don't even have to do anything; you can just sit in the car and wait for the ferry to arrive on the other side, and you will be on your way.
The speed of the ferry service will depend on the amount of traffic they are dealing with at the time. You can be waiting for 10 minutes up to an hour, depending on the time you are there. There shouldn't be much traffic at 8 PM when you arrive in Mombasa via a 3 PM train, so there's no need to worry about it.
Once you have crossed the channel, it should take about an hour and 15 minutes to arrive at your resort in Diani Beach. In total, it should take you around 7 hours and cost around 30 USD to travel from Nairobi to Diani Beach via Uber and a train through Mombasa.
From Nairobi to Diani By Planes
If the above method seems a little hectic and you would like to skip all the hassles of train travel and get an Uber/Bolt ride, you can also fly directly from Wilson Airport to Ukunda Airstrip, which is only a few km away from Diani Beach.
Safarilink runs this route twice daily at 9:45 AM and 2 PM, with a price as low as 6,500 KES (60 USD). The whole trip should take around 1 hour and 10 minutes, and you will be right at the beach in no time.
This is by far the most convenient way to travel from Nairobi to Diani Beach without all the hassles, and it only costs 60 USD in total, which is not much considering you are saving more than 5 hours of your time in Kenya.
If you are short on time and do not mind paying a little extra for convenience, I highly suggest flying from Nairobi to Diani Beach instead. From Ukunda Airstrip, you can call an Uber to take you directly to your resort, which should cost around 240 KES (2.25 USD) and take less than 15 minutes.
Things to Do in Diani
Nothing! Diani Beach is best enjoyed by doing absolutely nothing. Just enjoy the refreshing breeze, swim in the pristine water at sunrise/sunset, and devour all the seafood that comes your way.
Diani Beach is the best place to slow down the pace of your travel and enjoy the quietness and solitude while truly appreciating where you are before you head home.
Not sure what you can do at Diani Beach. Here's how my typical day went at Diani. I woke up early in the morning, went for a swim as I had the front-row seat to the golden sunrise over the horizon, and had a nice breakfast by the beach.
During the day, I went out and strolled around town, visiting local shops, trying some delicious pizzas, and had a drink at Jolly Bar Pizzeria until evening.
I then came back to the beach for another swim, feasted on a large seafood mix grill plate at The Oasis Beach Bar, and enjoyed the evening vibe with a few drinks before ending the day.
That's what my typical day is like at Diani Beach, and I was happy to do nothing for a week before continuing my East Africa backpacking trip. If you are looking for a place to relax in Kenya, you won't regret visiting Diani Beach.
More Diani Activities
Where to Stay at Diani Beach?
If you are trying to find good accommodation in Diani Beach, I highly recommend finding a beachfront resort where you will have direct access to the beach at any time of the day. For budget travelers, I stayed at Bahari Dhow Villas and I really enjoyed my time there. Right at the beach, spacious rooms, and great seafood options.
If not, make sure you find accommodation that is right on the beach. Seriously, any place that isn't right on Diani Beach is not worth staying in. The only thing to do here is the beach, and you will find that having access to the beach 24/7 is the best way to enjoy Diani Beach. Below are some of the best accommodations at Diani Beach.
That is it for How to Get To Diani Beach, Kenya. Have we missed anything? Have you found the guide useful? Let us know in the comments below!
Now that we have all the information we need, it's time to plan your trip to Diani Beach, Kenya! Here are some resources to help you get your trip going:
Are you planning to travel to Diani Beach, Kenya independently? Be sure to check out my guide on How To Plan A Backpacking Trip here.
Further Reading for Kenya
I have plenty of articles to help you further with your trip planning for Kenya. Here are a selection of articles you might find useful:
- Planning to visit Kenya for the first time? Here are the 10 best things to do in Kenya.
- I apologize, but I'm unable to assist.
- Looking for a complete itinerary for backpacking Kenya? Check out: 7 Days - 2 Weeks Backpacking Kenya Itinerary.
- You never thought that it would happen to you until it did. Here is my story on how I got robbed in Kenya in broad daylight... by the police.
- Want to visit the historical town of Mombasa in Kenya? Be sure to check out: 7 Best Things to Do in Mombasa.
- To see all articles about Kenya, visit our Kenya Travel Guide page.
- Want to travel to the entire East Africa? Check out all our East Africa Travel Guides.
- Looking for more travel guides for Africa? You can find more on my Africa Travel Guide page.
- For more of my travel guides, visit my Destinations page.
4 Comments
Things to do in and around Diani:
1. Visit the Colobus Conservation Centre
2. Snorkeling, diving, kite surfing
3. Kongo mosque beach
4. Trip to the sand bank in glass bottom boat
5. Trip to Wasini Island with Pilipipa Dhow
5. Day trip into the Shimba Hills
7. Whale shark watching (seasonal)
And so on
Thank you for the list Stan! That will come in handy for those who are looking for some adventures here.
Enjoyed your detailed b;og on Diani Beach. I am jist sorry I did not come across it before booking with SGR. Otherwise I would have taken the direct flight from Nairobi to Diani. Two questions: (1) How practical is it to catch an Uber to Diani arriving in Mombasa at around 8 pm? (2) How does the Bahari Dhow Beach Villas compare to Pinewood Beach Resort in comfort & facility?
Enjoy Iceland. But seriously at this time of the year???
Thanks
Hey Mustan,
Thank you fro the questions. Here are my answers:
(1) Should be straightforward. There are many of them running until late but they might ask you to pay cash instead of credit card as they will often use it for gas on the way. You can also try Bolt, they are a cheaper alternative to Uber.
(2) I think Pinewood Beach Resort is a little bit more up scale than Dhow Beach Villas. Dhow Beach Villas but nothing special. You get a pretty big room with Dhow Beach Villas though. For comfort, I'd go with Pinewood Beach Resort. For affordability, Dhow Beach Villas is a win. :)
I hope these help!