There’s a point somewhere past Mtito Andei (every place after that is ‘The Coast’ to me) where the landscape shifts. The red earth gives way to scrubland, then palm trees start appearing some kilometers later, and you can almost smell the salt before you see the water. That’s when you know you’re close.
I’d been planning this trip for weeks but it came together fast, fuel up in Nairobi, hit the road early, catch the sunrise somewhere after Emali, and don’t stop until the ocean.
The Drive Down
Left Nairobi before sunrise. The Mombasa highway is smooth and fast if you beat the truck convoys at that hour. The first stop was Java House in Voi where I had an iced coffee, stretch the legs, bathroom break, check the car. I tend to do my stops somewhere closer to my destination ish so that I can convince myself I’m closer, lol. Voi sits roughly halfway and the Java there has become a ritual stop for anyone doing this drive. Twenty minutes and you’re back on the road feeling human again.
The last stretch is the best part. Once you pass Mombasa and hit the Dongo Kundu Bypass, the drive transforms completely. This bridge is an engineering marvel, soaring over the creek, mangroves below, the Indian Ocean opening up ahead. It cuts out the old Likoni ferry queue entirely and shaves a good hour off the trip. You can do a couple of stops on the way. Such a nice drive especially if you want to send it.
Boxo Diani & Lala Galu
Home for the trip was Boxo Diani, tucked right next to Lala Galu , they’re run by the same company and share that stretch of beachfront. Boxo is the newer, more vibrant side. Think container-style rooms, a pool that catches the afternoon sun, and a DJ most evenings that sets the mood without overwhelming conversation.
The beach is literally a stone’s throw away. Step off the property, cross a strip of sand, and you’re in the Indian Ocean. The water here is that impossible turquoise that looks photoshopped but isn’t.
Sunnyside Up Restaurant
The restaurant inside Lala Galu, Sunnyside Up ,became our default spot for most of my meals. The menu leans modern coastal: grilled seafood, burgers, fresh salads, and excellent breakfast platters. For drinks, the passion fruit mojitos are dangerous in the best way, and they do a proper cold Tusker (I have a feeling, this was a sober trip for me coz, solo, driving…lot’s of excuses I know). The frozen margaritas by the pool became a daily ritual.
Breakfast here is the move , eggs however you want them, fresh tropical fruit, pancakes, and strong Kenyan coffee. Sit outside and you’re eating with ocean breeze and palm tree shade.
Galleries in Diani
Diani has a handful of art galleries worth visiting if you need a break from the sand:
- Diani Beach Art Gallery — Open daily 9am–6pm. Local Kenyan artists, vibrant coastal paintings, and handmade jewellery. The kind of place where you walk in for five minutes and leave an hour later.
- Nomad Beach Gallery — Open Wed–Mon 9am–7pm. On the beach strip near Nomad restaurant. Photography-heavy, with rotating exhibitions from Kenyan and Tanzanian photographers.
- Art at Sea — Open Fri–Sun 11am–6pm. Small but thoughtful gallery space above a beachfront café. Mostly prints and mixed media. The rooftop is worth it for the view alone.
- The Gallery Diani — Open daily 10am–6pm. More commercial but good for picking up framed prints and locally made homeware. Nice gift shopping.
The Wasini Day Trip
The highlight of the whole trip. Wasini Island is about less than an hour’s drive south of Diani, then a short boat ride across the channel. The booking process is simple. I hadn’t booked prior so I had to first hope they had any boats available. They have agents who can help you book one so no need to worry. All this was at the KWS Kisite Mpunguti Park. I paid 800 to the guide, booked the park fees through the KWS website. Usually it’s around KES 4,500 per person, all-inclusive: ride from ukunda, boat, lunch, snorkelling, and the dolphin excursion.
Dolphins
We left Shimoni early morning and within twenty minutes we were surrounded by bottlenose dolphins. The boat captain knows their routes. He cut the engine and we just drifted alongside them , dorsal fins breaking the surface, the occasional full leap. Unreal.
The Low-Tide Island
After dolphins, the boat took us to a sandbar island that only appears at low tide. Crystal-clear water barely knee-deep stretching in every direction, with a small patch of white sand in the middle of the ocean.
The Island Village
Lunch was served in a local village on Wasini Island — a women’s cooperative that prepares seafood spreads for visiting groups. We sat in what looked somewhat like the dining halls in highscool..but open concept. You have a really nice 180 deg view of the ocean, the floor of an open-air coral house eating crab, octopus, grilled fish, coconut rice, and fresh mango. No menu, just everything they caught that morning, prepared the way it’s been done here for generations. I really enjoyed the seaweed, that was my highlight. If you get to read reviews on google maps you might be skeptcal about trying the food, so uhmm, just go with your gut, no pun intended.
Diani isn’t just a beach. It’s the drive down, the bypass over the creek, the art in unexpected places, the seafood on a stranger’s floor, the dolphins at dawn, and a sandbar that vanishes with the tide.
Book of the trip. Donezo.