Your Ultimate East Africa Beach Guide

And now for my final..and favourite East African beaches! Last and certainly not least…wait for it…wait for it… Part 3!

It is customary to save the best for last, so here we go!

It pains me to write about my last but also favourite beach spots in East Africa…You know when you have a juicy secret and you kind of want to share it but at the same time you know you shouldn’t? This is how I feel. Next thing, everyone is flocking to my favourite beach and it becomes less and less special every single time I go because I see all of you there ALL THE TIME?!?! Let me try and not be selfish.  Where do I even start!

My favourite beach towns in East Africa and Kenya are…In no particular order, but if you follow me on IG (beeinrsa) you will know the exact order:

1. Lamu
2. Kilifi
3. Watamu
4. Diani

Nestled an hour away by flight from Nairobi you will honestly experience some of the best beaches in the world. Crystal clear water, white sands, ridiculously good Swahili food, the friendliest of people and never-ending sunshine. I’m not making this up, but all 4 of the above beaches have made me feel like I’ve died and actually ended up in Heaven.  The first time I landed in Lamu and I had to take a water “uber” to get to the actual Island I knew that is where I wanted to get married! No boyfriend, no ring, but I was like…One day is one day Lamu (Update two my favourite people got married in Lamu last week and it was MAGICAL)!

The area is breath-taking! It is the perfect balance of old coast culture and architecture and modern day ..nothing. You feel like you’ve been thrown into this beautiful time capsule where everything has stood still and you are just a silent observer of people going about their days and lives. From early morning Dhow rides and feasting on Captain I’ll Be Back’s mum’s fish samosas to spending hours at the dinner table gorging on Swahili delicacies and all the Mandazis you can eat.  Lamu is nothing short of magical. It’s the kind of place where you can consume 10 glasses of G&T in a day and not be hungover the next day (and yes this is a proven fact; I attempt to disprove it every single time I go).  The Wi-Fi signal is crap in most houses you go to which adds to the allure of the beach life; unplugging and simply being. There’s arts and crafts, there’s yoga, there’s mangroves and there’s secluded beach bars! It even has a floating bar (A very recent and treasured addition). I really don’t want to say more about the Island for fear of ruining it or spurring you on to see it faster…Useful Hint: like most other beaches in Kenya, the house option is the best option. Hotels are a thing of the past and are limited. They are also extremely expensive. And yes give me a shout, I am happy to give you all of the suggestions on houses to stay at and activities to do and guides to show you the lay of the land. The one thing that is for sure is that Lamu emotionally moves you. I don’t know anyone who’s been to Lamu and not felt some sort of spiritual alignment with themselves.

Watamu and Diana are also very different…Whilst Lamu has an old-world charm mixed in with some strong Arabic influences, these two have the strangest Italian influence. Rumour is this started when Italy had a major crackdown on the mafia and Italian families started emigrating to you guessed it, Kenya! Lo and behold Trump’s favourite, Chain migration started! You spend your days lounging by the beach or a pool and having fresh gelato from one of the million Italian gelato shops! It is truly blissful.  The food is amazing, the people are the friendliest and everyone is extremely content. Again, houses before hotels..book yourself a boat ride on the creek..go snorkeling in Diana…Go tubing in Kilifi…Go skydiving in Diana (I have done this about 4 times now) and try not have a heart attack at how perfect everything is.

 I really cannot be too prescriptive about these beach destinations…I am however open to answering any and all questions on budgeting for trips, my favourite houses / hotels, my favourite foods, what holiday and beachwear to bring, cultural norms (please do cover up in Lamu as it is a very Muslim town when you leave Shela) and even when is the best time to take this trip! Questions? Comments? Drop me a line on here or on my IG! Slide into my DMs and make your dream holiday a reality!