A world away from the savannas of safari country, the sandy beaches of the Kenyan coast give way to the warm waters of the Indian Ocean, home to dolphins, turtles and some of Kenya's best dive sites.
The perfect way to relax after the excitement of a safari is to spend a few days on Kenya’s glorious beaches. From Lamu in the north to the border with Tanzania you’ll find pristine stretches of sand fringed by coconut palms, hugged by lush forests and lapped by an ocean home to turtles, dugongs, whales and dolphins. With its sun-scorched colonnaded streets, the port of Mombasa is Kenya’s second-largest city and still bears the traces of Arabic and Portuguese influence. To the north of Mombasa lies Watamu, a laidback, low-key coastal resort with wide, white beaches and a marine national park offering excellent diving and snorkelling opportunities. Further north still is the island of Lamu, the centre of Swahili culture in East Africa, where donkey and dhow remain the dominant forms of transport. South of Mombasa is Diani Beach, a near-flawless stretch of soft white sand that draws everyone from backpackers and kite surfers to high-rolling guests looking to stay in some of Kenya’s most luxurious coastal accommodation. South of Diani, Msambweni is a small Swahili fishing village surrounded by some of the country’s most beautiful beaches, while further south still lies Wasini Island and the gorgeous Kisite Mpunguti Marine Park & Reserve, whose pristine coral reefs offer colourful diving and a high probability of spotting dolphins in the wild.