Diani Beach

Diani Beach runs for around seventeen kilometres along Kenya's south coast, protected by a reef that keeps the water calm, clear and warm throughout the year. The sand is white and fine, the palms lean over the tideline, and the pace of life is set by the Indian Ocean.

What makes Diani exceptional as a safari extension is how easy it is to reach. Direct flights from the Maasai Mara take around ninety minutes, meaning you can watch lions at dawn and be swimming by mid-afternoon. There is no long transfer and no wasted day.

Beyond the beach there is genuine substance: snorkelling and diving on the reef, kite surfing in the trade winds, dhow sailing at sunset, the Colobus Conservation centre, and the Shimba Hills National Reserve inland where sable antelope and elephants can be found an hour from the sand.

We place guests in small boutique hotels and private villas rather than large resorts, and we time arrivals to avoid the busiest weekends. Four to seven nights is the usual stay.