South Coast
Named after the spit of sand exposed by low tide, Sand Island consists of 10 spacious, airy, self-catering cottages overlooking the sand. Each has its own style – Pweza cottage, for example, features furniture made from salvaged Swahili doors – and all have colourful quilts and shady terraces. It's signposted from the main Tiwi Beach road and lies 3.5km along a dirt track.
You can hire your own cook for KSh800 per day and there are reef shoes and snorkelling masks for rent.
13.32 MILES
This 16th-century fort and Unesco World Heritage treasure is Mombasa’s most visited site. The metre-thick walls, frescoed interiors, traces of European…
13.58 MILES
This park is among the easiest to visit in Kenya, within spitting distance of Diani Beach, with numerous driving routes and a couple of hiking trails. Its…
14.78 MILES
This sanctuary is a good example of community-based conservation, with local people acting as stakeholders in the project. It was opened in October 1995…
11.04 MILES
This forest, sacred to the Digo people, is the only one of the area's sacred forests that's open to visitors. Visiting this small grove is a nature walk,…
22.98 MILES
These Swahili ruins, just north of Mtwapa Creek, have as much archaeological grandeur as the more famous Gede ruins. Jumba la Mtwana means ‘Big House of…
17.7 MILES
This lovely wildlife sanctuary, part of the Baobab Adventure complex, includes a fish farm and reptile park. Guided walks around the park last about 1½…
7.57 MILES
Notice the monkeys clambering on rope ladders over the road? The 'colobridges' are the work of the Colobus Conservation Centre, which aims to protect the…
13.44 MILES
This market, which stretches along Nehru and Langoni Rds west of the Old Town, is an evocative, sensory overload – expect lots of jostling, yelling,…
1.37 MILES
At the far northern end of the beach road (follow the faded sign behind the Jacaranda Resort) is the 16th-century Kongo Mosque – Diani’s last surviving…
2. Colobus Conservation Centre
7.57 MILES
Notice the monkeys clambering on rope ladders over the road? The 'colobridges' are the work of the Colobus Conservation Centre, which aims to protect the…
11.04 MILES
This forest, sacred to the Digo people, is the only one of the area's sacred forests that's open to visitors. Visiting this small grove is a nature walk,…
12.27 MILES
A watering hole that attracts animals, including elephants. Also a great birdwatching spot.
12.56 MILES
These pretty 21m-high falls are laced with lianas and greenery, and have a natural plunge pool. Free, two-hour, 2km walks, organised by the Kenya Wildlife…
13.05 MILES
Giant replicas of elephant tusks form two arches above Moi Ave, welcoming visitors to the city. Next to them are Uhuru Gardens, a tranquil, green space of…
13.06 MILES
The Christian Holy Ghost Cathedral is a very European hunk of neo-Gothic buttressed architecture, with massive fans in the walls to cool its former…
13.2 MILES
Mombasa’s large Hindu population doesn’t lack for places of worship. The enormous Lord Shiva Temple is airy, open and set off by an interesting sculpture…