Situated some 30 kilometres south of Mombasa, in Kwale County, there’s a magical place called Diani Beach. A mystic place where time seems to stand still. Diani Beach has that faded-old-world-tropical-charm. The only reason I knew about Diani Beach was because of my Nairobian friend, Kari, who advised that Diani Beach as the best coastal adventure in Kenya. I have learned in my years of travel that you always take the local recommendations versus travel websites and brochures. Diani Beach was adventure filled and I have great memories from the trip.
We arrived in Diani Beach and landed at the Ukunda Airport from Nairobi in a propeller plane. It was a short flight and when we arrived in Diani Beach is looked like it was going to be the only flight for the day. There were no other planes around and there was only one landing strip, and there were passengers waiting to board the very plane we had disembarked. It was early March and it was a scorching day and I may have been hungover from the night before in Nairobi. The ride to the house from the airport was something like 15-20 minutes on the Mombasa-Lunga Lunga Road, which seemed like the main road in Diani Beach.
The lodgings were amazing. We stayed in an apartment in a building off the busy road in Kwale, complete with a swimming pool and unobstructed views of nature. Tuk Tuk’s are the main form of transportation and they are fabulous in the heat because they are open. Days were spent sight seeing in the town, swimming in the pool, going to the beach and going to the Ali Barbour Cave Restaurant where you literally seat in a cave and have dinner under the moonlight. Magical. Diani Beach is magical.
Upon the recommendation from a local from Diani Beach, we went to a faded resort from a past world with beautiful rundown structures situated right on the beach. We spent the whole day at the beach, admiring and swimming in the three-toned-coloured waters. Diani Beach is a must visit if when you go to Kenya. The laid back energy, the beauty, and being surrounded by nature you feel instantly rejuvenated. While lounging at the old world resort, I kept on thinking that if “How Stella Got Her Grove Back” was set in Africa, it would be in Diani Beach.
Enjoy the images from Magical Diani Beach.
