Diani Beach offers 11 miles of pristine white-sand beach and warm Indian Ocean water, making it a great add-on to an East African safari. The offshore reef is easily reachable by boat or good swimmers and offers great snorkeling and diving. Read more about Diani Beach below.

The hotel is located just steps inland from the beach and offers 10 guest rooms, two of which are larger suites. There is a large swimming pool and lovely, landscaped gardens. The hotel restaurant offers a variety of food to please all palettes and specializes in local seafood. The on-site spa offers a variety of treatments and massages.

View of the pool, beach, and ocean at AfroChic Diani.

The hotel offers five ocean-view rooms, three garden-view rooms, and two large suites. Guests can choose all-inclusive, full-board, or half-board options. Families with children are welcome and there is plenty to keep the kids busy.

Whether you come to just relax and enjoy the beach, warm water, and the delicious cuisine or want to stay active, there is no shortage of options. Ocean-based activities include snorkeling, diving, fishing, traditional surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing, boating, jet skiing, and swimming.

Other activities include quad-biking, sky diving, golf, day trips to Wasini Island and Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park, the elephant experience at Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, day-trip safaris to Shimba Hills National Reserve, visits to the Colobus Monkey Research Centre, shopping, beach walks, and more.

Ocean-view room at AfroChic Diani Beach hotel.

Kenya's Coast

Sometimes called the 'Swahili Coast', Kenya's coastline with the Indian Ocean spans 882 miles (1 420 kms) from Somalia in the north to Tanzania in the south. Numerous offshore reefs support bountiful marine life and offer some of the world's finest diving, snorkeling, and fishing.

Diani Beach in the south, Malindi (just north of Mombasa), and Manda and Lamu in the far north, are all beautiful destinations.

White sand and blue water on Diani Beach.

Protected marine areas along Kenya's coast include Malindi National Park, Mombasa Marine National Park, the Lamu Archipelago, and Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park. Inland wildlife reserves include Shimba Hills, Arabuko Sokoke, and Dodore National Reserve in the far north.

The coast is also full of history, most notably in Mombasa, which dates back to around 900 AD and has long been the pre-eminent trade port on the African coast.

A coastal visit after a safari in one of Kenya's wildlife destinations is an excellent way to round out an itinerary.

Camels on Diani Beach.

About Diani Beach

Diani Beach is located 19 miles (30 kms) south of Mombasa and is a picturesque seaside beach with palm trees, white sands, and beautiful blue Indian Ocean water. The beach itself stretches for 11 miles (17 kms), from the Kongo River mouth in the north to Galu Beach in the south. Diani is regularly voted Africa's leading beach destination.

Diani is one of the top tourism destinations in Kenya and most lodges are upscale and offer all-inclusive, half-board, and bed-and-breakfast options. Although not crowded compared with beaches along the Mediterranean Sea, Diani is the most touristy of Kenya's beach destinations.

An African red-knob starfish (Protoreaster lincki) on the white sand at Diani Beach.

The reef at Diani lies 2 000-3 000 feet (600-1 000 meters) from shore and the lagoon within is calm and great for swimming. The reef itself (swim or take a dhow) is great for snorkeling. Various excursions are available from most hotels including, snorkeling, diving, fishing, day trips to Shimba Hills and Tsavo East, and any water sport you can imagine.

Further south from Diani is Msambwebi, a quaint village with a pristine and remote beach that is easily reachable from Diani for a day trip. There is limited but excellent accommodation. The beach here is quiet, lovely, and backed with cliffs, with no beach vendors or tourists, but the tide goes out for many miles and the water sports and snorkeling here are not ideal as at Diani.

ROOMS INCLUDES & EXCLUDES CHILDREN FACILITIES ACTIVITIES

Accommodation

10 guest accommodations in total comprising:

3 Garden-view rooms with a double bed, a balcony overlooking the gardens, and en-suite facilities.
5 Ocean-view rooms with a double bed, a balcony overlooking the ocean, and en-suite facilities.
1 Junior suite with one double bed, one single bed, excellent views of the ocean, and en-suite facilities.

1 Executive suite with two bedrooms, one with a double bed and one with a single bed, each with its own en-suite facilities. The suite enjoys excellent views of the beach and ocean.

All of the rooms and suites are air conditioned and have an outdoor balcony. The en-suite facilities include a vanity, indoor shower, and flush toilet.

The single-structure, villa-style, boutique hotel has three levels and the guest accommodations occupy the top two levels. The two suites are located on the top floor, while the other 8 rooms are on the middle level. The guest rooms are accessed via stairways.

Executive suite master bedroom at AfroChic Diani Beach.

All of the guest rooms are decorated in soft, natural hues reflecting the tropical colors of the beach and Indian Ocean waters. The bedding and hardwood furniture are evocative of the region's Swahili blend of cultures and each bedroom has its own unique name, décor, and style.

Features in the guest rooms include:

Outdoor veranda with views to either the gardens or beach.
Mini-bar.
Coffee and tea station.
Mosquito netting over the beds.
TV.
Sound dock for music.
Wi-Fi available in the guest cottages and main areas.
Mobile phone signal available.

Additional single beds can be added to the rooms and sleeping arrangements are as follows:

Queen of Sheba (garden-view): 2 adults + 1 infant.
Bahari (garden-view): 2 adults + 1 child (under 12 years).
Dhahabu (garden-view): 2 adults + 2 children (under 12 years).
Kaskazi (ocean-view): 2 adults + 1 child (under 12 years).
Ocean Gift (ocean-view): 2 adults + 1 child (under 12 years).
Simba (ocean-view): 2 adults + 1 infant.
Kusini (ocean-view): 2 adults + 1 child (under 12 years).
Lamu (ocean-view): 2 adults + 1 child (under 12 years).
Zanzibar (junior suite): 2 adults + 2 children (under 12 years).
Punda Milia (executive suite): 2 adults + 2 children or 3 adults + 1 child.

Includes & Excludes

The rates on the 'Overview' tab on are based on AfroChic Diani's 'All Inclusive (AI)' option. AfroChic Diani also offers a 'Half-Board (HB)' and 'Full-Board (FB)' option.

Includes:

AI: breakfast, lunch, and dinner, soft drinks, house beers, house wines, tea, coffee, refreshments on the property, and laundry.
FB: Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Excludes all drinks.
HB: Breakfast and either lunch or dinner. Excludes all drinks.
Laundry services are available and included in the AI rates (extra charge for FB and HB rates).
Wi-Fi access (in the main areas and guest suites).
Tourism Levy & VAT.

Excludes:

FB and HB rates exclude all drinks.
AI rate excludes Champagne, private cellar wines, and premium spirits.
Spa treatments.
Optional activities (read more below).
Airstrip transfers.
Any applicable wildlife fee, park fee, reserve fee, concession fee, other land-use fee.

Single Supplement
A single supplement may apply for any room booked by a single traveler; please ask us for pricing.

Children

Children of any age are accommodated at AfroChic Diani:

All of the guest rooms and suites can accommodate children (read more above).
Ask us about reduced rates for children sharing with adults or children 12-17 in their own room.

Children's activities are offered and include:

Swimming pool with water toys.
Sand castle building on the beach.
Crab hunting on the beach.
TV lounge with DVDs.
Snorkeling and reef diving.
Babysitting available.
Children’s menu.

Facilities

The villa-style, boutique hotel is a quick stroll to the beach and ocean and includes a shaded outdoor dining and relaxing area just inland from the sand. A lovely swimming pool and veranda is located adjacent to the hotel.

The main guest area facilities include:

Indoor dining room and outdoor dining poolside terrace.
Bar and lounge.
TV lounge.
Massage and spa treatment room.
Two additional outdoor verandas, one poolside and one garden.
Large swimming pool.
Landscaped gardens.
Lawn area inland from the beach with loungers, dining tables, ocean-view swings, and an elevated viewing platform.
Spa treatment room.
Complimentary Wi-Fi access.
Electronics charging facilities.
Secure vehicle parking.
Purified drinking water is provided. Water is provided during meals and in rooms. Bottled mineral water is also available.
The hotel has 24-hour electricity through the property.

Activities

There is seemingly no end to the activities offered and time is the only limitation. Some of the more popular activities are shown below (most are offered by third-party operators at extra cost).

Snorkeling and SCUBA diving.
Surfing, kite surfing, wind surfing.
Skydiving.
Quad bike excursions.
Micro-light flights.
Deep-sea fishing.
Glass bottom boats.
Jet skis.
Day trips to Wasini Island and Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park.
Mombasa City visits including tours of Fort Jesus and Old Town.
Day trip to Shimba Hills National Reserve.
Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary experience.
Diani Art Gallery.
Golf (18-hole course located a few minutes away).
Colobus Monkey Research Centre.
Spa treatments: “AFYA” relax and wellness program consisting of specialized massages, manicures, and pedicures, all tendered by a highly trained team.

Great Good Fair Poor

General Tips

Kenya's southern Indian Ocean coast is hot and humid throughout the year, with temperatures averaging between 81-88°F (27-31°C). Rains can occur along the Indian Ocean coast at any time throughout the year, but the wettest months are Apr thru June.

Mid-March thru May are exceptionally hot and humid, so those wishing to avoid these tropical conditions should avoid this time.

AfroChic Diani Beach is open year-round. Minimum 2-night stay.

Overall, the best time to visit the coast of Kenya in terms of weather is between October and January, but mid-June through September is also good, as is most of February.

The best months for the Kenya coast are October thru January. Snorkeling and diving are very good, with clear waters and the humidity is at its lowest (although the coast is always humid). October, November and March are the best months for underwater visibility.

Rain

Coastal Kenya can receive rainfall throughout much of the year.

The wettest months are typically April and May while the driest months are January and February. Most rain occurs as afternoon and sometimes overnight showers, while the mornings and midday hours are typically dry.

Temperatures

The southern coast experiences warm to hot temps all year, with January through March being the warmest, averaging 90-92°F (32-33°C) during the day and 73-77°F (23-25°C) overnight. The coolest months are July through September, with daytime temps averaging 80-84°F (27-29°C) and dropping to 68-71°F (20-22°C) overnight.

There is a moderating sea breeze throughout the year, which keeps the warmest months from being too warm.

Ocean Activities

Snorkeling and diving are possible all year along the southern coast of Kenya, but the calmest waters are from October thru March. Water temperatures are warm all year (77-86°F; 25-30°C). July thru September can be very windy, with choppy seas.

Manta rays and whale sharks are present from November into February and humpback whales are best seen from July through October.