Mombasa (Kenya) > Reviews > If you get bored on the beach

Author's product rating:   

Value for Money
Shopping
Nightlife
Ease of getting around
Family Friendly

Advantages:	beaches, people, hotels
Disadvantages:	beach boys

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The beaches around Mombasa are wonderful but it depends where you go!
By far the most spectacular are the beaches south of Mombasa but once you get on the main strip you will be driven mad by beach boys unless you choose your hotel carefully. One of the cheapest and the best is Traveller's Tiwi - here they only allow a few to use the beach - they don't pester guests because the hotel allows them to set up a shop after dinner once a week and this is part of the bargain!
The beach here is magic but it is difficult to swim at low tide.the roooms are excellent and staff and food good. You can walk up the beach from here and it's just palm trees, monkeys, fishermen and beautiful private houses - but go in a group as it is a bit lonely!
The best is the Indian Ocean Beach Club - I've stayed everywhere and this is the best hotel ever!Enormous grounds full of birds and monkeys. You can swim in the sea at any time here.
Try the Dolphin Dhow for seeing loads of dolphins and swimming with them too. It's run by a really nice english bloke and they find dolphins on %90 of their trips - also included at Kisite National park which is wonderful. He has a web site too.
Buy your safari when you arrve - there are lots of good bargains in the travel agents at Diani.
North of Mombasa life is more hectic and the beach boys are so persistent that the hotels do not put sun loungers on the beach! You have to run into the sea to avoid them! They are very cheerful and funny but a pest !
If you go further north to Sun and Sand etc the sea goes out miles and you can never swim in it.
Use the beach boys to take you out snorkelling as they know where to go. bargain hard. Beware of Kenya Airways as they are always cancelling flights on the return leg - sue them if they do this to you! I did and got a tidy sum! They do it because a plane is not full and then try to say it's for technical reasons - do not believe this!
Chale Island is great. Stay the night on this private island in a luxury tented bungalow. Book trips for Chalie at Diani. Its a lovely country and the people are so friendly - I've been 9 times so I should know!!