Coast
Five hundred kilometres of Swahili shore.
Kenya's Indian Ocean coast runs from Tanzania to Somalia: white-sand beaches at Diani and Watamu, coral reefs and marine parks, the old Swahili ports of Mombasa and Lamu, and a culture of dhows, coconut rice and carved doors shaped by a thousand years of trade.
- Diani Beach
- Watamu Marine Park and sea turtles
- Lamu Old Town and the dhow festival
- Fort Jesus, Mombasa
- Bush and beach in one trip
The coast: at a glance
- Best time
- October to March for the driest, calmest sea; July to September is breezy and pleasant. April and May bring rain.
- Wildlife
- Dolphins, turtles and coral reefs in the marine parks; sable antelope in Shimba Hills; whale sharks off Diani roughly October to March.
- Weather
- Hot and humid, about 28 to 32 °C. Calmest seas October to March; breezy July to September; the heaviest rain April to May.
- Park fees
- Marine parks such as Watamu, Malindi and Kisite-Mpunguti, and Shimba Hills, are under the Kenya Wildlife Service. Fort Jesus and Gedi are run by the National Museums of Kenya. We list every fee on its own line in your quote. Kenya Wildlife Service
- Safety
- Beach-town sense: don't walk empty beaches at night and use hotel transfers. The State Department advisory names some north-coast areas; check it before booking Lamu. U.S. State Department: Kenya
- Malaria
- Present along the whole coast. The CDC lists malaria in all areas below about 2,500 m. Ask a travel clinic about tablets. CDC Travelers' Health: Kenya
