10 Days in Kenya: The Coast from Diani to Malindi
Read my brain:
✿ Really worth doing!
✎ Not worth it, unless you have time to spare!
Introduction to Kenya
My most fixed memory from this holiday is “POLE POLE”, it literally means “slowly slowly”, and feels like a “take it easy and slow, no rush, no stress”. You’ll hear it everywhere, in every circumstance (even from the security at the airport), every hour of the day.
This truly represents the vibe in Kenya. There is no rush, no stress: you can live by the day, you can enjoy the moment, the people.
On this trip, I mostly explored the coast area, the Diani region, and travelled midland to do a Safari. I definitely wish to also explore the northern part of this beautiful country, therefore, stay tuned!
One of the things that triggered me during this trip, was to discover that the civilized part of Kenya (the one that’s been adapted, restructured and rebuilt for tourism purposes) is just one road away from the poorer, authentic, and true Kenyan. It was so strange to think that I was driving on beautiful new roads, with huge beautiful hotels and that was not the real Kenya. They created an oasis for tourists along the coast, but that’s not Kenya, that’s just a very beautiful coast to enjoy crystal clear waters & wellness hotels with pools and high-end services. If you want to experience Kenya, get out of this “Land of Toys” (“Paese dei Balocchi” in Italian) and enter the authentic part.
This blog article focuses on the coast of Kenya, and will explore from the south part of the Coast (the Diani Village area) to the northern part (all the way to Malindi).
Your perfect Plan for 10 days in the Kenyan Coast
REMINDER: This blog allocates experiences in the way that saves the most time (spent on reaching areas) and energy! Isn’t it great? <3 ).
♥ Day 1: ✈️ Fly to Mombasa & drive to Diani Village
♥ Day 2: Diani Village
♥ Day 3: Robinson Island
♥ Day 4: Tsavo East National Park Safari day 1
♥ Day 5: Tsavo East National Park Safari day 2
♥ Day 6: Wasini Island
♥ Day 7: Tiwi
♥ Day 8: Watamu
♥ Day 9: Malindi
♥ Day 10: ✈️ Fly back home!
If you wish to find my map pins and easily follow them, follow me on mapstr!
Who to go with:
Kenya is a very versatile island, and depending on where you’ll focus your trip, you can live it in many different ways. In the part of Watamu (mid coast), there is movida, partying and some dynamic contexts to visit with friends or mates who want to have fun. The southern part can be a very relaxing place to enjoy with the family or with your partner. It’s up to you on how you want to feel the vibe of this coast!
How long:
I think 10 days is perfect if you want to be able to explore the whole coast of Kenya. As I had a shorter amount of days (exactly 7 days), I did a shorter version of this article. So if you want to focus on the Diani village area, also just 7 days will be enough!
KENYA
♥ Day 1: Fly to Mombasa & set up in Diani!
We took a direct flight from Milan to Mombasa. We happened to be on a Boeing plane that was supposed to be used only for short routes, but due to overbooking, they had to use it for this long route too. So imagine the comfort… Besides that, I just couldn’t wait to arrive… just to have many more hours of drive before getting to my final destination! Prepare for a long trip :).
Ferry boat from Mombasa
When you arrive in Mombasa, you will have a 30-minute drive (which with Kenyan traffic became 1.30h for us) to go get the ferry boat, the Likoni Ferry.
P.S.: Did you know that making fines to cars with “white people” (that means for them: rich tourists) is very common in Kenya? They would find whatever fake reason to fine you. And they won’t do it just if you are driving. But also if you have a taxi driver: if they see white people being escorted in the car, they will fine the taxi driver. Our driver said he was used to it… so funny!
It’s funny cause you’ll spend more time queuing to get on this ferry, than actually riding it (it’s around five minutes ride, and even up to 1h wait…).
At the moment, there is no other way to cross from Mombasa to Diani in other ways. But, as of now (2024) I know they are building a freeway, which hopefully will be ready when you wish to go there! At least, I wish you this!
Check this screenshot below to see why you’ll need to cross the river through Likoni to get to Diani from Mombasa :).
Besides the infinite time to get there, the drive was a total experience. Panic, noises, thousands of people walking by the sides of the streets (kids getting to school, street vendors, people getting out of the ferry…). Of course, an accident right in front of us could not be missed! But that was part of the experience I guess…
♥ Day 2: Diani. A day out to Kenyan villages, Kids Schools, Markets & Wood Factories
You can do the following things by going with locals who will bring you around. I had the chance to meet Anthony & Palermo, they were suggested to me by other Italian friends who did the same trip before. They are the so-called “beach boys”, they bring you to tours & teach you everything you need to know.
Here are their contacts:
Anthony +254 728 541219
Palermo +254 719 547287
They will bring you around with their tuk tuks!
✿ Visit the Kids’ Schools
I will begin by saying that this experience was worth it. But why? Going to these schools will show you the reality behind education in Kenya, and it will also give you the chance to be loved & adored by super beautiful Kenyan kids who can’t wait to have someone new to play with.
If you have a Polaroid, like I had, they will love taking pictures with you and keeping the pic too! I so much wish I had known this before, so I could bring an additional set of Polaroid films to take more shots & gift them to the kids. They were so enthusiastic and amazed by this that I was so sad I could not give them more! They will also love whatever else you bring to them: food, flour, games, books & notebooks. Do not bring them sweets and sugary things, they are not healthy!
The kids will sing songs for you, they will show you around the school, they will play with you and treat you like if you are their best friend.
This is the school we visited, The New Mkwakwani Primary School. On that street, there is actually more than just one. You could walk there and check!
✿ Kenyan Villages
Just outside the school we visited, you can walk around to explore local villages, with shops, hospitals, churches, nature, kids playing on the streets, moms doing their daily routines… it just feels you are part of it. Here is the spot, and you can walk around this area up until the main street here.
✿ Brush your teeth with the Neem Tree
This is considered the miracle tree, as it’s effective against a variety of health problems. In traditional Indian medicine and in homoeopathic medicine, Neem extracts are used to treat infections, pain and fever, to purify the skin and act on inflammations and seborrheic infections, to clean and disinfect the teeth by rubbing them with the branches or roots. It is said, it can cure 40 diseases!
The locals suggested us to take one branch, remove the skin, and with the inside white strain, to brush our teeth! Just try it… ahah! :)
✿ Stroll through the Market Street
You’ll find the market around the main street of Ukunda-Ramisi Road, here.
I am not sure you’d want to buy fruits, veggies or fish here, I just remembered bugs all over the fishes, and very dirty products. But it’s definitely an experience to walk through the panic that exists here!
✿ Discover the Wood Factory in Kenya
As a last stop for this tour, you can visit the Wood Production Factory (which is just an outside space with artesans creating marvelous sculptures with wood, and a very huge immense shop!).
We visited the Millenum Handcraft Wood Carving.
I purchased beautiful wooden home bowls and cutlery, I have to say the quality is very very high! Though, the price is also. BUT, as usual around here, you can negotiate, a lot… even up to half the price. Remember, they are always trying to charge you around 3 times the actual price. The more you buy, the more you can bargain.
♥ Day 3: Robinson Island
✿ Prepare to depart for the most crystal clear water you’ll every see!
W O W!
I cannot find other words to express the clarity of the water around Robison Island.
Robinson Island is a small inhabited island in diani beach that will show the sand depending on the tides. Get informed with local beach boys to know when it’s doable!
I do not suggest to take the glass boat, I always hated those very touristic and pointless tours with broken or dirty glasses to see through. Rather, go with the local fishing boats, the Dhow, the wooden boats, whose triangular sails create a distinctive silhouette which are used up and down the East African coast. Dhows have sailed the Indian Ocean for thousands of years, their triangular sails creating distinctive silhouettes. Made of woods such as teak and mahogany, they can last for many many years! You can read more here.
You’ll depart from Diani to go to the island.
If I remember correctly, this is the number of the Beach Boy that brought us there: Pengo 0721798196. But you can ask any beach boy and they will bring you much happily. If I remember correctly, it was around 10€ each to go there, so super cheap and worth it!
REMEMBER to bring some cash there. There will be different beach boys selling coconut water, handmade necklaces etc.
DO NOT touch star fishes, they’ll die, even if they tell you you can do so for only few seconds.
♥ Day 4 & 5: Two-day Safari in the Savannah of Tsavo East National Park
✿ 2 Days Safari
You can choose different kinds of Safari, it’s usually recommended to do the 2-day Safari, as you’ll have more chances to spot more animals in this longer timeframe, and also because since you’ll have to drive quite a while to get there, it’s usually organized in a way that you’ll spend the night in the Park!
You can book your Safari online, they will come pick you up at your accommodation, drive you the two full days, and bring you back home the last day. In two days, you will have 3 game drives in the Savannah. Usually, that’s how it’s planned:
Day 1: First game drive in the early morning, lunch, then second game drive until sunset. Sleep & rest!
Day 2: Third game drive at sunrise, then drive back home!
We spent the night at the Voi Safari Lodge, as far as I heard, it’s one of the best places there, quality-budget wise. The food was very good!
Don’t forget: a hat, pesticides spray for your skin, thermal water for the heat, and a pair of old shoes as they will get all dusty!
✿ Can you spot Crown Clay Birds?
✿ You won’t believe this: these are giant Anthills!
Or more specifically termite mounds! You can read more here.
Try to spot the biggest!
✿ Enjoy the beautiful Blue Jakaranda Trees
When the British left Kenya at the end of their colonial rule of the country, one of the things they left to Kenyan people was the gift of the jacaranda tree.
The ubiquity of the jacaranda tree in Kisumu, and in Kenya is unusual in the sense that the tree itself has little, if any, utilitarian value. The British were building a colony, and they planted trees that would help them in this stark colony-building: cedars, pines, and eucalyptus trees were introduced, because these were a heady source of the timber that the British needed. However, the jacaranda, Jacaranda mimosifolia, was purely an ornamental plant. It spoke to a particular colonial whimsy, and, much like Elspeth Huxley’s flame trees, served to remind the British of the beautiful homes that they had left in merry old England to embark on the process of civilizing the harsh terrains that were Africa.
Read more here.
✎ Visit a Kenyan Masai Village
Here is the Masai Village I have seen in Kenya.
Alert: the one I am going to tell you about is not a real village. Meaning: the true Masai villages exist in Kenya, but you can only find them (as far as I am aware) in the norther area. Here, near Mombasa, you can visit this village which has been “recreated” with the sole purpose of you experiencing how a Masai village is organized, how it functions and what are its daily activities like. There are some incongruent things, such as: women moving around freely, when in reality in the Masai villages, only men can be seen.
Though, if you want to have a bite of how it looks like, you can visit this. It will feel very very tourist, not much authentic, and that’s why I am not going to suggest this to you, as you know I love authentic experiences, BUT I am telling you about in case you are interested.
✿ Experience true Kenyan disastrous roads
And avoid queuing for the Ferry Boat to cross Mombasa!
On the way back home from the Safari our driver opted for a “shortcut” to save traffic. And what a shortcut! It was much like a roller coaster, but it was nice to get out of the civilized” part of Kenya, the one you see when you go to tourist hotels on the coast, and experience the “inside” part of this beautiful country (which by the way, it’s just 1 meter away from the civilized part! they managed to split these two areas quite well!).
We drove on this road, full of huge holes and craters! Fortunately, with the Safari Jeep, it was not so challenging, but still it felt like a roller coaster. If you want to experience this, and you should, just drive on this road here.
This is fun, but also efficient as indeed it allows yu to skip queueing to get the ferry boat to cross from Mombasa.
As my trip ended here, I am just going to share with you how I’d have continued my trip in Kenya. And I probably will recover this part 2 of this trip in a second moment!
Can’t wait :).
♥ Day 6: Wasini Island
✿ See dolphins and experience the waters at Wasini Island
Be aware, if you are seasick, this might be a problem! Check the weather before going :).
♥ Day 7: Tiwi
♥ Day 8: Move up the coast to…Watamu
✿ Lichthaus in Watamu & sunset from here!
Lichthaus, A beachfront restaurant & bar that offers a beautiful view and vibe!
✿ Swim With Bioluminescent Plankton In Kilifi
♥ Day 9: Malindi
✿ Kite Surf in Che Shale
Che Shale is a resort set in a coconut grove, this awesome place is filled with island-style charm.
Beside Kite Surfing, they also offer many activities worth doing! Check them out.
KENYA
Key information on the country:
Capital city
NAIROBI
Official language:
SWAHILI
Population
56 MILLION (as of 2024)
Religion
CHRISTIANITY
The predominant religion in Kenya is Christianity, which is adhered to by an estimated 85.5% of the total population. Islam is the second largest religion in Kenya, practised by 10.9 per cent of Kenyans. Other faiths practised in Kenya are Baháʼí, Buddhism, Hinduism and traditional religions.
Currency
KENYAN SHILLING (KES)
Weather
TROPICAL
Nationality
KENYAN
Interesting notes:
1)
1 euros equals to approx. 140 kenyan shillings!
Get cash, you’ll have to pay everything and everyone in cash!
2)
This is the Kenyan Flag!
Black: – Represents the people of Kenya.
Red: – Represents the bloodshed in the fight for independence.
Green: – Represents the fertility of the land.
White: – Represents peace.
The black, red, and white traditional African shield and two spears symbolise the defence of all the things mentioned above.
3)
Learn “Pole Pole”, a way of saying “take it easy” in Kenyan. You’ll hear it every day!
4)
Prepare for traffic! And for fines… they love fining white people, for whatever invented reason they will find and you won’t be able to contradict!
5)
Bring pesticides spray in your luggage, thermal water for when you’ll feel too hot, a hat to protect you from the strong sun here.
Pack some gifts to bring to kids. A pair of old shoes for the Safari (they are gonna get full of orange dust!).