Diani Beach

Skippers is a special place. Founded by Duncan & Camilla, two nomads who lived on a boat for 6 years, Skippers is carefully thought out and includes its own coworking, restaurant, pool, and small gym. It's a great choice for a welcoming community and stress-free experience.

Just a 3‑minute walk from Galu Beach, Boxo offers modern, container‑style accommodations right on the sand. Guests can enjoy an outdoor pool, onsite restaurant and café, aircon, and wifi.

Set just off Diani Beach Road and only a short walk from both Baharini Plaza and the shoreline, this aparthotel features air-conditioned, spacious apartments with kitchens, balconies or garden views, an outdoor pool, terrace, bar, barbecue area, and wifi.

Close to Baharini Shopping Complex, Diani Pearl offers air-conditioned apartments blending traditional Lamu architecture with modern kitchens, balconies or patios, and access to two outdoor pools set in landscaped gardens. Their rooftop terrace has Indian Ocean views.

Just a 6‑minute walk from Galu Beach, Upani offers serene rooms and cottages nestled in leafy gardens. Features include a sun terrace, year‑round outdoor pool, shared kitchen option, spa, and wellness packages.

Containing 1 and 2-bedroom apartments, Casa Marabella offers a rooftop swimming pool, private beach area, garden, and optional spa treatments ranging from massages to local cultural tours.

This private two‑bedroom villa tucked behind the Diani Shopping Centre offers a lush garden, sun terrace, kitchenette, and wifi. Guests praise the fresh mangos and coconuts from the garden.

A spacious one‑bedroom apartment just steps from Ukunda Airport and Skippers Coliving. It includes a kitchenette, living room, terrace with garden views, and wifi.

This is experience was the highlight of our trip to Kenya! We saw giraffes, lions, zebras, elephants, and various other animals. The lodge had a beautiful outlook to a pond that also attracted wildlife.

A nice full-day trip from Diani is taking a boat tour out to Wasini Island where you can snorkel and spot dolphins if you're lucky. The island sits at the edge of Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park—one of the country’s most ecologically vibrant coastlines. Photo credit.

The Africa Pool is a tidal rock pool naturally shaped like the African continent, located near Tiwi Beach. Only visible at low tide, it’s a unique spot to take a dip and observe small marine life in the clear water. Photo credit.

Shimba Hills is Kenya’s coastal rainforest, just an hour inland from Diani. Hike through dense greenery, spot sable antelope, and cool off at the base of Sheldrick Falls. Photo credit.

A lesser-visited island near the Tanzanian border, Funzi is home to approximately 1,500 residents, primarily from the Shirazi tribe, who sustain themselves through fishing and small-scale agriculture. It offers a less-developed alternative to more frequented coastal islands. Photo credit.

Leli, the Head of Fun at Skippers, can help you organize kayaking, paddle-boarding, and other activities and trips.

Pallet Cafe was started to support hearing-impaired people in the hospitality industry, so expect to practice some Kenyan Sign Language when you go. We recommend the mango smoothie and the vegan samosas. Since the cafe is beachfront, be sure to bring your swimwear.

Craft is big in Kenya, and you'll find all kinds of handmade items on the side of the road. Purchasing Kenyan-made products is a great way to support their local economy.

Lake Naivasha is very biodiverse, home to hippos, pelicans, and various other species. We recommend taking a tour on a small boat around the lake and out to the nearby Crescent Island. To be done as a trip from Nairobi on your way in/out, and can be combined with Hell's Gate.

We recommend doing a cycling safari through Hell's Gate, where you can see some wildlife up close. We saw zebras, giraffes, baboons, and monkeys. To be done as a trip from Nairobi on your way in/out, and can be combined with Naivasha Lake.

Skippers Coliving has its own restaurant, House of Woodfired, where you can create your own vegan poke bowl or grab a woodfired pizza without the cheese. We found it quite convenient to get lunch here without needing to step away from our laptops and journey into town.

Tribearth is the only fully vegan restaurant in Diani beach. They serve Ethiopian platters, smoothie bowls, and chapati wraps. They can also deliver to Skippers through the Glovo app.

Pita Pan was a favorite of ours with excellent fresh juices and a range of vegan options. Our dish of choice was the roasted cauliflower salad with spiced chickpeas, red onion, cashews, and herbs, tossed in a citrus tahini dressing.

Owned by the same folks who own Pita Pan, Kokkos is also a great option. We recommend the stir-fried veggies with peanuts or their hummus.

This is a traditional Kenyan style restaurant with quite a few vegan options and very low prices. We recommend going with friends and sharing a few different dishes to get a feel for the local cuisine.

Not in Diani Beach, but this is just to show that many safari lodges have buffet-style food and there is usually a few vegan options you can select from.

Also not in Diani Beach, but this is to show what we were able to find in Naivasha. Many local restaurants can help you identify what is vegan and put together a plate.

The Fujifilm X-T5 is an excellent travel camera for Diani, combining lightweight design with professional image quality. With a 40MP sensor, in-body stabilization, and stunning color science, it’s perfect for capturing sunsets on the beach to wildlife on safari.

Ideal for wildlife and action shots, the XF50-140mmF2.8 R LM OIS WR offers sharp optics, fast autofocus, and built-in image stabilization. Weather-resistant and versatile, it lets you photograph zebras at Hell’s Gate or birds on Lake Naivasha with clarity and reach.

This DEET-free spray made with essential oils is a must for Diani evenings, when mosquitoes are at their worst. Lightweight and natural, it keeps bugs at bay without harsh chemicals—ideal for beach dinners or night excursions.

Essential for boat trips, snorkeling, or kayaking at Diani, this 5L dry bag keeps your phone, cash, and other items safe from splashes. Lightweight, durable, and packs down flat when not in use.

Reliable power is essential in Diani, where electricity cuts can happen. This compact Anker bank gives fast, multiple phone charges, so you can keep your devices alive through long beach days, safaris, or power outages.

A reef-safe sunscreen that protects both your skin and Diani’s fragile coral ecosystem. Water-resistant, broad-spectrum, and natural, it’s perfect for snorkeling at the reef or long, sunny days on the sand.

We use Wise to spend in local currency without the painfully high foreign transaction fees. It’s one of the simplest ways we’ve found to access our money abroad, in any currency needed, without feeling like we’re losing some of it to massive fees every time we tap.

We use SafetyWing's Nomad Insurance to protect ourselves in case we face an unexpected medical emergency. In addition to covering medical treatment and hospitalization, their policy also covers lost luggage, travel delays, and emergency evacuations.

It can be a hassle to buy a new eSIM every time you enter a different country. That's why we use Saily's Global eSIM, which provides coverage in all the countries we regularly travel to. It's great to land in a new destination and already have data.

Using a VPN is essential to protecting your digital life when moving through unfamiliar networks. We use NordVPN to encrypt our connection on public wifi—whether in airports, cafés, or coworking spaces.