Tiwi Beach Kenya
Tiwi Beach Kenya is located south of Mombasa. This is a rather secluded Kenya Beach holiday safari destination compared to the other resort beaches. The beach has a white sand coastline that stretches for several kilometers.
Tiwi Beach is a perfect place for snorkeling and diving. However, the coral reef, home to its unique inhabitants, lies just 50 meters from the beach. Tiwi Beach, the lesser-known sister of Diani Beach which is characterized by its mellow yellow sands; at Tiwi, the reef comes close to the shore, creating a rock pooling playground at low tide that reveals unusually shaped pools large enough for snorkeling and filled with tropical fish. Sandbars stretch out to the reef filled with rainbow-colored starfish and naked sea urchins to be picked up. Tiwi, Kenya, is a seaside dream, a tropical lndian ocean beach nearly untouched by tourism.
Tiwi Weather, Kenya.
The weather in Tiwi, Kenya, is warm most of the year. Even in winter it can be very hot in the daytime, but at night when the wind blows and the rain thrums on the rooftops long trousers and even a sweater are advised. In the summer it can be punishingly hot; most Tiwi houses make use of the sea winds but air conditioning should be considered if you are not right up close to the ocean.
There is no bad time to visit Tiwi Beach. Tiwi weather in the cooler winter months of July and August is pleasant as the humidity drops, the winter picks up and you might just get to snuggle in a light sweater at night. During the rest of the year Tiwi is hot, hot, and hot. The rains fall in April-June and October-November but it rarely rains the whole day.
Things to do in Tiwi, Kenya.
Visit the Africa Pool.
The Tiwi Africa Pool is a miracle of nature; right here in a country that straddles the African part of the equator, there is a pool shaped just like the African continent. Carved by the sea and the wind out of the coral reef, the large pool sits next to the cliffs at Tiwi. Shaped like Africa, it is close enough to leap into from the nearby cliffs and perfect for snorkeling; there can be chances to spot octopus and starfish as well as the usual suspects: surgeon fish, sergeant fish, gobies and many more. There is even a cave you can swim through from East Africa to Madagascar. The pool is a 10 minute walk along reef so only accessible at low tide, here you go in a large group or with a local guide, as there have been some robberies along the way.
Hike to the starfish.
To the north of Maweni beach is a sandbar beloved by starfish. While the starfish can be found all over the coast, they gather in large numbers in this particular spot to feast on sea urchins. There are two types of the larger fish and they come in all colors and sizes. If you go with a guide, they will fill you in on all the starfish facts, like how they eat, how to tell male from female, and lots of other starfish know-how. The guides ask you to take them out of the water for photographs; it can be a magical trip, trekking across the reef at low tide and finding a sandy cove filled with huge starfish—memories to last a lifetime.
Visit Diani Beach.
Diani beach is a 20 minute drive down the coast and has tons of bars and restaurants if you fancy lunch, dinner or a trip out. The Diani beach guide gives you the lowdown on Diani and suggests plenty of places to stay if you fancy a change. For restaurants, the favorite place for meals is Sands at Nomads, a beachfront restaurant and boutique hotel that sells killer cocktails with a view across the whitest beach ever. The Salty Squid at Kenyaways has a similar beachside location with a more chilled-out vibe. Both Nomads and Kenya ways have water sports facilities so you can kitesurf, dive, windsurf of just hire a kayak and spend the day above the ocean waves.
Visit Shimba Hills National Reserve.
Towards the interior of Kwale county, approximately half an hour from Tiwi, is Shimba Hills National Reserve. Mountainous rainforest hides elephant families, buffalo, leopards, sable antelope, elephant shrews, bush-tailed mongoose and other forest-dwelling animals. The scenic Sheldrick Falls and the dense Mwaluganje Forest are located here. The place is incredibly beautiful, the dense coastal rainforest being one of the largest coastal forests in Kenya. It is definitely worth a visit when you are in Tiwi.
Tiwi Beach Hotels and Cottages.
Tiwi beach is still virgin territory when it comes to big hotels and cottages. There is one large resort, Amani Tiwi Beach Resort and that’s it in terms of hotels and resorts. What Tiwi excels at is large villas and smaller simple cottages. The coastal acres in Tiwi are owned by a small number of residents and land near the ocean is horrendously expensive and coveted. Most plots are large and include older fisherman-style cottages, some faded resorts from Tiwi’s heyday that have fallen into disrepair and gorgeous modern villas built with the local environment in mind. Rental properties line the coast; the interior of Tiwi is a local village with small huts and shambas that are not available for rental.
Best time to visit Tiwi Beach.
In Kenya, you relax all year round, located near the equator, it always greets travelers with warm weather and incredibly warm waters of the Indian Ocean.
The rainy season lasts from June to April. At that time, it becomes very humid, but the air temperature does not drop, but keeps at + 330 C. It rains after dinner and all night. The best time to visit the Tiwi beach is February. At that time, the heat subsides a little. The air temperature is at + 28 to +300C, the water warms up to + 27 to +290 C.
How to get to Tiwi Beach.
Tiwi, Kenya, sits approximately 1.5 hours to the south of Mombasa, Kenya’s second-largest city and closest international airport. It is a 20 minute drive from Diani beach, which has lots of shops, restaurants and places to stay, as well as a well-serviced local airport. Tiwi Beach is about 3 hours from Watamu and Malindi, the next largest coastal towns.
If you are travelling from Mombasa, then transport from Mombasa to Tiwi beach is best taken by taxi; the cost should be approx. 40 dollars one way.
It is easier to take the local flight from Nairobi Wilson airport to Ukunda airport. Ukunda is 10 minutes away from Diani Beach. The flights are very frequent and they only take an hour. They are similar in cost to the flight to Mombasa.
It is entirely possible to drive to Tiwi Beach from Nairobi, and many people do. The journey takes between 8 and 10 hours on the well-paved but very busy Mombasa highway.
Tiwi Beach is one of the best stretches of beach along Kenya’s coast. It has unspoiled white sands, shady coconut palms and casuarinas trees and a large rock pool in which you can take a refreshing dip during your Wildlife Kenya Safari.
