The Best Excursions around Diani Beach Kenya
Excursions by boat:
1 Day – Wasini Island Tour
You will be picked from your hotel at around 7.00 am and drive to Wasini Island along Mombasa – Lunga Lunga highway, a distance of 100 km, arriving at around 8.30 am. Arrive at Shimoni Jet where you will board an Arabic dhow and sail for one hour searching for dolphins. Sail to Kisite marine national park where you will snorkel and swim. Kisite Marine national park is the second most famous marine park in the world
after the Australian Marine Park. It covers an area of 30km2. Animals seen here include turtles, marine tortoise, bear reefs, coral reefs and different types of marine fishes. You will have your lunch at a restaurant in Wasini which is mainly sea food and Swahili dishes. After lunch, you will sail along the mangrove swamps and then visit the Wasini Island where you will learn more about the Swahili people and the Arabs history. In the 10th century, Arabs were slave traders and they used to inter marry with
the Bantus at the coast and there we had the Swahili people. After the end of the slave trade in the 17th century, many Africans settled here and so don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the Swahili people. Arrive at the jet at around 4.00 pm and drive back to the hotel.
Price includes:
• Transport
• Meals and Drinks
• Marine Park fees
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Rescue Insurance
1 Day – Funzi Island Tour
Funzi island south coast 35 kms from Ukunda, Diani Beach. Funzi island day tours for the mangrove cruise, crocodile watch at Ramisi river, marine birds, swimming, snorkeling in Funzi sandbank, village walk.
A Trip to Funzi is full day with early pick up either from Mombasa (supplement) or Diani Beach and it’s an easy day full of fun in the best Funzi environment away from the crowd.
Price includes:
• A well-trained guide familiar with the areas
• Maximum 6 guests in Minibus
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Lunch
• Rescue Insurance
Excursions by Car:
1 Day – Shimba Hills Tour
You will be picked at 6 am in The morning and proceed to Shimba hills. Arrive at the gate and begin a game drive visiting Sheldrick Waterfalls escorted by a game ranger. Shimba Hills is a tropical rain forest which covers an area of 202 km2. Physical attractions include casuarinas forests, Marere Dam (a waterhole where come to drink water), Sheldrick Waterfalls. The landscape is grassland. Animals seen in this area include elephants, bufalos, giraffes, impalas, heeartbeasts, rare leopards, black and white monkeys, attractive sable antelopes, and roan antelopes among others. Shimba Hills has different species of birds like (tropical guinea fowls, fish eagles, falcons and weaver birds, ground horny bills
among others. The coastal ecosystem of shimba hills comprise of a heterogeneous habitat including forestlands, exotic plantations, scrublands and grasslands. The ecosystem holds one of the largest coastal forests in East Africa after Arabuko-Sokoke forest. The reserve is rich in flora and fauna and hosts the highest density of African elephant in Kenya. Other animal species found in the area are Sable antelope, black and rufous elephant shrew, bushy tailed mongoose and other small mammals like fruit
bat. The forest is an important bird area and is endowed with forest birdlife while the grasslands hold localized species such as red-necked-Spurfowl, Croaking Cisticola and Zanzibar Red Bishop. At around 1300hrs depart and proceed back to your beach hotel .. to Diani or Mombasa hotel.
Price includes:
• All game drives in minibus with an open roof
• A well-trained guide familiar with the areas
• Park entry fees
• Maximum 6 guests in Minibus
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Lunch at Shimba Lodge
• 2 bottles of water per person
• Rescue Insurance
1 Day – Mombasa City Tour
You will be picked from your hotel at around 8.00 am and drive to Mombasa, a distance of 30 kms from Diani arriving at around 8.30am. Visit the Akamba hand craft (where you will learn about the wood carvings). Akamba hand craft is one of the largest wood carvings industry and market in Kenya.
Thereafter, visit the Indian temple where you will learn about the Hinduism and Lord Swaminarayan and Lord Rama. You will also have the chance to see the elephant tusks which are found along Moi Avenue built in 1952 in the memory of King George of England during the British colonial period. During this time Queen Elizabeth was in Kenya where she became the Queen of England after the death of King George.
Visit the Fort Jesus which was built by the Portuguese in 1593 by architecture from Goa. It later became the government prison during the British colonial period in 1947. Fort Jesus was named fort because the Portuguese were Christians and they sailed with the flag of Jesus. It was built mainly for protection and to control the harbor of Mombasa. There arose war between the Arabs and the Portuguese from 1593 – 1729 where many of them died due to starvation and yellow fever.
You will also explore the old town where you will walk along the narrow streets and visit the old harbor where you will see the old Arabic boats and one of the oldest Mahindry mosque found near the old harbor. You will stop at Imani, an empowerment project in Ndia Kuu Rd. and can learn how to weave or just enjoy the products of the artisans. Proceed to the market where you will learn about the food spices, foods and vegetables. Meet different traders buying and selling different types of goods.
Proceed for lunch at the centre of Mombasa city or by request, at Tamarind restaurant which is built on the shores of the Indian Ocean on the northern coast.
After lunch, visit the Haller park where you may feed the giraffes, see the crocodiles and hippos feeding. This is private sanctuary owned and managed by Dr. Haller. The landscape is attractive covered by casuarinas, bamboos and eucalyptus trees. The animals are harmless and feel as if in
paradise because they have enough food and water. It’s a home to buffalos, eland antelopes, giraffes, water bucks, oryx, snakes, crocodiles, hippos, tortoise and different types of birds’ species. Mombasa is an island covering an area of 20km2 and the second largest city in Kenya after Nairobi. It has a bridge to the north side (North coast), the ferry to the south (south coast) which ferries people to and from Mombasa city and to the west Causeway. Mombasa also has the largest and the most busy sea port in east and central Africa. Drive back to the Hotel at around 5.00 pm.
Price includes:
• A well-trained guide familiar with the areas
• Maximum 6 guests in Minibus
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Lunch
• Rescue Insurance
1 Day – Malindi / Gede Ruins Tour
Be picked up from your hotel in Mombasa by your guide. You will then be taken to Malindi to view the ancient buildings and attractions, namely the Jumaa mosque, village homes, shops and Palace. You will then be taken to experience the beauty of the Mida creek, 12 square miles of Mangrove forests. The creek makes an incredible transition from the coral reefs of the ocean with many wild birds inhabiting there; sand plover, egret, tern, whimbrel, curlew sandpiper and sanderling. You will then be transferred to visit to the remains of a Swahili town called Gedi. Here your guide will tell you about the history of the palace and tombs and the spectacular variety of trees including, combretum, tamarind, baobab, wild ficus and sterculia. You will break for lunch at Watamu. Visit to the Watamu Snake Farm where the largest collection of snakes in East Africa is found. Visit the Vasco da Gama pillar, one of the oldest European monuments in Africa where you will get the history of the pillar.
Drive back to your hotel in Mombasa in the evening.
Sundowner at Hell´s kitchen
In the afternoon your driver will pick you up. A 50-minute drive from Watamu is a small unassuming village with conspicuous baobab trees. The village is called Marafa, but its proximity to the biodiversityrich Dakatcha woodlands is not its most outstanding feature. That title goes to the Marafa depression, more famously known as Hell’s Kitchen. Hell’s Kitchen is an odd sandstone canyon that might be Kenya’s best kept-secret. The mini-canyon is officially known as Hell’s Kitchen. The name comes from the high temperatures for which it is famous. No tours are done during the day as the temperatures reach highs of 50 degrees at some point in the canyon. But we will invite you for a sun downer to this amazing place.
A visit to Kaya Kinondo sacred forest
After breakfast, pick up from your hotel and drive south to the Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest. Kaya Kinondo is a 30 hectare forest, one of the sacred Mijikenda forests and a proposed heritage site by UNESCO, located in the Diani Beach area south of Mombasa. The local Digo community has formed Kaya Kinondo Ecotourism project that offers controlled access into this pristine and untouched forest.
The forest is still used for rituals and sacrificial offering by the local Digo tribe. A walk through the forest, which forms a rich ecosystem with 187 species of plants, some of which are rare and a few,
endemic to the area. There are also animals, mostly primates (monkeys), dik-diks and Elephants. You will also have the opportunity to visit Kinondo Village and interact with members of the local community including the medicine man. Kaya Kinondo ecotourism project is an initiative by the
community in promoting conservation and sustainable development. The project was founded in 2001 with the initial support from WWF and NMK and the community has seen better protection of the Kaya which has realized socio economic benefits of their commitment to forest conservation. Return to your hotel in time for lunch.
Price includes:
• A well-trained guide familiar with the areas
• Maximum 6 guests in Minibus
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Rescue Insurance
1 Day – Arabuko Forest
You will be picked at 8 am in the morning and proceed to Arabuko Forest. The Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve is situated between the towns of Kilifi and Malindi, adjacent to Watamu. It represents the most significant protected area of tropical forest on the coast of East Africa along with the forests of Shimba Hills National Reserve. The forest not only serves as a reminder of the ecosystems that once dominated the coast, but Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve also supports a number of endemic and endangered fauna, including three globally threatened mammals. Approximately 90% of the world’s population of golden-rumped elephant shrew is found in the forest, and other mammals are waterbuck, duiker, suni, Sokoke bushy-tailed mongoose, African civet, caracal, blotched genet.
Price includes:
• Nature walk in the forest
• A well-trained guide familiar with the areas
• Park entry fees
• Maximum 6 guests in Minibus
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Rescue Insurance
Excursions by Tuk Tuk
Visit a local market, learn to play drums & meet a bush doctor
Pick up at your hotel. From here you will go to Ukunda to visit a local market, you can try to bargain for a good price and try local food. After visiting the market you will meet some Giriama & Digo drummer who will show you how to play drum and you will make some music with them. At the end of your local tour you will visit a bush doctor. The local healer will explain to you the plants and roots growing in Kenya and how to use them for recovery or well being. The local guide will drop you off back at your hotel.
Price includes:
• local guide familiar with the areas
• Maximum 3 guest per Tuk Tuk
• Pick up from and to hotel
• Rescue Insurance
Tailor made Kenya Tour
Contact us for a tailor made safari to Kenya. We can include one or more of the above mentioned excursions in your itinerary while staying in Diani Beach, Mombasa or Watamu.