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South of Mombasa

 Now in the mainstream of Kenya’s tourist industry, the south coast was once remote and inaccessible. The area was covered by the lush Jadini Forest; sadly, only a few isolated fragments remain today. The region was also infamous for its slave trade and later for its huge coconut and sugar plantations. Today, the real attraction of this section of coast are the beaches: spectacular white coral sand protected by an off-shore reef so there is no danger from sharks while swimming. Diani Beach has developed as a tourist mecca although it receives much less traffic than other resorts further north. A picturesque tropical paradise, Diani Beach has numerous facilities to meet the traveler’s every need. Tiwi and Shelly Beaches are somewhat less developed although they suffer from large amounts of seaweed, depending on the season.
Msambweni is an isolated fishing village that provides that visitor with a link to the past. As another of the many old slaving towns, Msambweni features the remains of a 17th century slave pen. In true 20th century fashion, it has recently developed a luxury lodge for deep-sea fishermen. Shimoni ("place of the hole") takes its name from a 15 km-long cave that once served as a pen for slaves. Travelers can explore the cave today and see shackles still bolted to the walls. Shimoni was also briefly the headquarters of the Imperial British East Africa Company in the late 19th century. Today, it is gaining popularity as a jumping-off point for some of the coast’s best deep-sea fishing and coral reefs. The Shimoni coast is home to three protected coral gardens: the Wasini Marine National Park, which encloses Wasini Island and three smaller coral islands; the Kisite Marine National Park (28 sq km); and the Mpunguti National Reserve (11 sq km). The parks feature spectacular coral reefs that remain healthy and intact.

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