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HOME Safari Kenyan Coast & Islands

BEACH HOLIDAY

Kenyan Coast & Nearby Islands

For the sun and sea seekers, the Kenyan Coast beckons with its endless stretches of impossibly white sand and azure sea teeming with life. This is the place to cool off and unwind after your exciting safari to enjoy a classic beach holiday: swimming, sunbathing, exploring, and enjoying deliciously fresh seafood. Also known as the Swahili Coast, seafood dishes and architecture are just some of the ways this lively culture finds its way into your heart.

The Swahili Coast

Sample the Sea

If you can bring yourself to leave your sun lounger on the beach — there’s snorkelling, romantic dhow trips, kitesurfing and everything in between. There are several marine protected areas, which conserve thousands of species: coral reef life, fish, turtles and dolphins.

 

If you’re looking for the Big Five equivalent, you can see humpback whales (between August and October) or even dive with whale sharks (November to February).

Marine Life on the Kenyan Coast

There is a diverse array of marine life to be found in the waters off the Swahili coast. Over 1,000 species of fish live here, from large — whales, tuna, sailfish and marlin — to smaller ones, such as snapper, grouper and parrotfish.

 

The 250 coral reefs along the Kenyan coast are part of the larger East African Coral Reef Ecosystem, one of the most biodiverse in the world.

Swahili Cuisine

Influenced by various cultures along the East African coast and the multitude of travellers who visited through trade, Swahili cuisine reflects the region’s diverse cultural mosaic and highlights its abundant natural resources, including fish and wonderfully juicy fruit.

 

A combination of spices like chilli, cardamom, turmeric, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and coriander, finished off with fresh crab, linefish-of-the-day, prawns, or crayfish thrown on the barbecue.

Rich History

For centuries, trade in ivory, gold, slaves and timber flourished, first with Arabs, followed by the Persians and Chinese, Portuguese and British. There are plenty of cultural and historical sites to see, including the Gedi Ruins outside Watamu, which are the remains of a Swahili town abandoned in the 17th century.

 

The coast is also the birthplace of the Swahili language, which originated as a trading language.

Highlights & Places to Visit