The bars and discotheques are the major players at this hour. Some of the most frequented in no particular order are;

• Ushago – Comprising of a food court and even a kid’s play corner this joint attracts revelers in droves. They have a restaurant serving the very best Italian food. However, night time at Ushago is a total transformation with pulsating beats and conversations at different levels. It is more of a starter pub where you are most likely going to start your night out on the comfy sofas drinking some cold tuskers.

• Tandori – Known for the music than any other entertainment feature Tandoori’s ambience is characterized by intense beats amid the night’s stillness. The people complete the picture making it another place worth visiting. It has a reputation of being abit of a pickup spot that is heavily frequented by the girls of the night in search of a lonely soul. Nonetheless, Tandoori is an excellent pub that will get you in the mood for a night out. There’s a small dance floor complete with the old school disco ball for those who would like to shake a leg.

• Shakatak nightclub – Located a stone throw from Tandori, Shakatak is a favourite for locals and visitors alike. What makes it different? The open air beer garden, the giant screens showing major sports events and off course, the people. Party kicks off at around 11pm when it’s normally packed to the rafters. People say that Shakatak feels like a discotheque from the 70′s but it is the only place in Diani Beach worth going out to. It has an outer area that is a bar for those who find the thumping disco too much. Of all the nightspots, it has the cleanest bathrooms.

• Ngiri bar and restaurant also comes alive after dark. A favourite for tourists at Diani, sports  projected on the giant screen plus the conversations keep the place abuzz. Ngiris also has a calendar of activities that runs for a whole month and one will definitely find something entertaining that suits their taste. Ngiri’s bar has also been voted one of the top ex pat bar.

• Forty Thieves, opens at 9am but at night the place is charged with subtle music enough to entertain but shy off the disco mood. This is Diani’s most famous bar and the setting on the beach with sand between the toes and an amazing live band has seen it listed 17th in the top 20 bars of the world. During the weekends, the party goes on till the wee hours as revelers dance and make merry on the beautiful Diani Beach.

Your choice is dictated by your taste but Diani provides immeasurable entertainment choices.

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Haller park has been recognised world wide as a showcase of ecological rehabilitation. Haller park was once a desolate quarry devoid of any form life that is now flourishing with flora and fauna.

What makes haller park fascinating is its setting  right in the middle of residential and commercial areas yet once inside the park you are completely in the wild with hippos stretching their massive jaws, elands grazing and the elegant giraffes staring at you from up there.

Getting there

Haller Park is situated off the Mombasa-Malindi Highway just a little past the Nakumatt in Nyali. Once you drive past the shopping complex that hosts Nakumatt, look out for a little turn off to the left straight to the Bamburi Cement gates.

If you are in Mombasa, any taxi driver will take you there-just remember to negotiate the fare first. If you are visiting from Diani Beach, it is advisable to have have haller park in your itinerary for a full or half-day excursion where you can visit other places of interest such as Mombasa Old Town and Fort Jesus.

What to see

Animals

The Haller Park is home to many animals including Giraffes , Hippos, Giant Aldabran Tortoises, Elands,Oryx, Buffaloes, Suni, Duikers, Genet Cats, Bush Babies, Mongoose and others. It is also home to over 400 plant and 180 bird species and a colourful kaleidscope of butterflies.

South Quarry Viewpoint

Get to see how nature and industry co-exist in one mish-mash collection of landscapes. Here, you can view the active quarry, bare, rocky and dusty against a backdrop of some area already in an early stage of rehabilitation.

Butterflies

You can view the most spectacular collection of butterflies at the appropriately named, butterfly pavillion. Take a leisurely walk around the exhibition house and get an opportunity to view some colourful species of butterflies.

Birds

The Haller Park is now home to some 180 unique birds species including some rare seasonal and migratory species. To appreciate best these birds, you can take an ornithological guide for bird safari where you can view the Narina Trogon, Golden Weaver, King Fisher amongst other colourful birds.

Activities

The Haller Park is designed with the active excursioner in mind and it is for this reason that  guests are given an opportunity to walk, jog or bike through a carefully designed forest trail where one  may get to meet a grazing oryx as they go about their walk.

There is a 4 km trail for the joggers and the bikers go through the  1.7 km Vitapacours  or take an alternative 10km trail if they are really fit. These activities will take you through different landscapes consisting of barren quarries and lush green forests.

Gift Shop

Get yourself a beautiful artefact from the local artisans that reflect the various interesting cultures of Kenya. There are nice souvenirs and and beauty accessories to be had at the Haller Park Gift Shop.

Highlights

The best time to see the animals has to be the feeding times. As this park is man-made, it is not a 100% self sustaining eco-system thus the animals need to be fed. Make sure you are there to witness the feeding at :

9.00 am and 3.00 pm  – Giraffes Feeding

4.00 pm-Animals in the game sanctuary

4.30 pm-Crocodiles Feeding

4.45 pm- Hippos (Owen and Cleo) Feeding

If you are still have time, you can unwind in nature with a sundowner at the Sunset Terrace. It is a nice place to relax with friends and family on a uniquely built platform that extends over the quiet forest lake.

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Set against the backdrop of the towering Kilimanjaro Mountain on the Kenyan – Tanzanian border, Amboseli National Park is one of the Kenyas oldest,  enchanting and unique park.

Besides the magnificent Kilimanjaro Mountain, Amboseli is home to the millions of wildebeests and zebras crossing over to the Maasai Mara in a spectacle that has become an annual ritual and tourist attraction.

However, many other animals are present here including lions, buffaloes, elephants, hippos and over 400 bird species.  Due to conservation efforts, the lion population in Amboseli has grown massively and it is one of the best places to view the majestic cats. The flat grassland plains also make it one of the parks where you are likeliest to witness a high-speed Cheetah hunt

Most notable are the buffaloes, browsing on the vast grasslands oblivious to tour vans that drive close enough for that perfect camera shot. The Elephant population is not to be ignored either as they go about their business. At Amboseli, the Hippos are a sight to behold with their gaping gigantic mouths at Lake Amboseli . If you are lucky, you can move in for a closer look but be cautious since the animal is highly irritable like its cousin the Rhino.

If you are travelling by road from Diani Beach, you can access Amboseli via the Tsavo West National park at the Kimana gate. An alternative route is via the Namanga border where you depart from Nairobi and take the Nairobi – Namanga road for close to 200 km.

You can also fly from the Diani Beach Airport to the National Park  where there are two airstrips; one at the Park headquarters and another at the Kilimanjaro Buffalo Lodge. There are plenty of light aircraft that chartered by tourists to take them to Amboseli.

Accommodation options are in plenty. You can book into the following privately owned lodges; Ol Tukai Lodge, Amboseli Serena Safari Lodge or the Tortillis Camp. The best thing is that you can do the bookings from Diani Beach. All of the above have splendid park views giving you the opportunity to watch the animals, right in the comfort of the hotel lawns.

For budget travelers, the Park’s managers, Kenya Wildlife Service, runs several affordable accommodations. Guests can stay at the Kilimanjaro Guest House, Kibo Guest House, Simba Bandas, Nyati Bandas or the Chui Bandas.

The climate at the Amboseli is hot and dry all year round with top temperatures of 33°C or lows of 27°C. With such perfect weather conditions the Amboseli is open all year round and the guests have numerous options when they visit.

Put Amboseli National Park in your itinerary and you won’t be disappointed.

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Diani Beach hotels and lodges feature some of the best cuisines in the world and some actually play host to the best restaurants in Diani Beach. Gourmet travelers love sampling the very best everywhere they go.

However, that is not a trait for the cultured in food matters only. If you are a guest at a hotel anywhere in the world, you can expect the very best as far as the food is concerned. Any good hotel will have its shortfalls in the food offering thus an opportunity to seek better and satisfactory options.

So, if you are visiting Diani Beach this season the following are possibly the best restaurants we think you should visit;

1. Ngiri’s bar and Restaurant – Catering for a host of international cuisines this restaurant provides revelers with enough reasons to come back for more. The food is great and the crab-cakes are absolutely delicious.

2. Aniellos – Think Italian think Aniello. Renowned for excellent pizzas, an assortment of Italian ice creams and a wine list that is dominated by Italian brands. The restaurant is run by an Italian who obviously understands Italian trends.

3. Blue Marlin Seafood Beach Club –International cuisine and Seafood goes for between USD 5 and USD15 at this restaurant. Be sure to pop in and sample fresh seafood from the Indian Ocean.

4. The Bull Steak House – As the name suggests, steak is available here including the very best in International cuisine but the steak is superb at the very least. This restaurant opens for about 6 months in a year, but serves the best steaks on Diani Beach for the short duration.

5. Ali Barbours Restaurant – Probably the most famous and most patronized restaurant in Diani, Ali Barbours has a very rich menu. You can dine to the very best of African servings, International and Sea cuisines prepared to perfection. This is without a doubt a must visit if you are on holiday at Diani

6. African Pot Restaurant- This restaurant caters for African dishes only and they don’t disappoint in variety and service delivery.

7. Nomad’s Open air restaurant – The setting is designed to invoke relaxation as you bite into the excellent sea cuisine on offer here. Set strategically on the white sands of Diani Beach, this restaurant is a favorite for romantic dinners with a back drop of whooshing ocean water sounds under a star lit sky.

8. Galaxy Chinese Restaurant – Chinese food reigns supreme here and reservations are the order of the day if you want to dine at this restaurant. Seafood straight out of the Ocean waters is the main attraction here.

9. Ushago Bar- This bar is sorrounded by restaurants that serve cuisine from atleast 5 continents and a great pizzeria nearby. The beauty of it is that you have atleast 6 menus to choose from and you will always find something to please your pallet.

s10. Fisherman’s Cove – Set by the Ocean, the restaurant serves excellent seafood and being a part of the famous Leisure lodge where it is located, the restaurant’s menu and service are simply sterling.

You can now have your pick and sample the best of Diani Beach.

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Considered to be one of Africa’s busiest airports, Jomo Kenyatta Airport is an International airline hub. Serving most of the major world airlines plying the African route, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, located only 15 minutes away from Kenya’s capital, is your most likely entry point if you are coming into Kenya.

If you are coming for your holidays at the Kenyan Coast specifically Diani Beach, you have the option of using the Moi International Airport. Although some of the International airlines don’t operate flights to the airport since it doesn’t have the capacity for huge aircrafts in the Boeing category, Moi International Airport still hosts some European Airlines.

For Jomo Kenyatta International Airport some of the major airlines operating here include, British Airways, Qatar Airways, Dutch KLM, Kenya Airways and South African Airlines among others. Direct flights to countries such as Australia and the USA are not available and passengers have to use connecting flights from Asia and the Middle East.

However, Jomo Kenyatta International Airport is currently getting a massive upgrade that includes the construction of an additional terminal, taxiway and parking for 1000+ cars.

This will obviously open up some of those routes without direct flights to Jomo Kenyatta International also referred to as JKIA.

JKIA boasts of the following facilities before the ongoing upgrade:
• Three terminals, two of which serve international flights and one serving domestic flights
• Numerous duty free shops
• Airport restaurants and bars
• VIP lounges
• Internet cyber café’
• Over 900 short term parking bays and 100 for long term parking

The following services are available at JKIA;
• 24 hrs Banking and ATM machine lobbies
• Intensive security
• Tour operators and hotel booths where you can book your accommodation at hotels in the city or get bargain travel packages.
• Taxi services operated by companies such as Hertz, Avis, Budget, Euro car
Finding your way around the airport is relatively easy since the main International terminals are interlinked and signage clearly displays all the locations including the check-in counters, customs washrooms, among other areas.

For passengers catching connecting flights to Mombasa and other local destinations, the 3rd Terminal is a short walking distance from the International terminals.

At the domestic terminal, you will find local airlines like Kenya Airways, Fly 540 and Jetlink. The flight to Mombasa is only 45 minutes and all of the domestic flights have attractive ticket prices. The services aboard the different flights vary but they all serve their passengers in the best way possible.

You may get the occasional Swahili greetings, Jambo, but most of the airport personnel and related service companies speak in English, French, German and even Asian dialects like Chinese and Japanese. Thus, you will feel easy and relaxed when you land at JKIA for whatever purposes.

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