Best Time to Visit the Kenyan Coast: A Month-by-Month Breakdown

Two monsoons govern everything here. The kaskazi blows from the north-east between November and March: hot, calm seas, clear water. The kusi comes from the south from April, bringing the long rains and then a cooler, breezier, greener stretch through to October.

January – February

The peak. Thirty-two degrees, almost no rain, flat clear water and the best visibility for diving and snorkelling all year. Also the busiest and most expensive — book villas three to four months out. Sailfish season is at its height off Watamu.

March

The last of the good dry weather and, in our view, the best-value month in the first half of the year. Hot and humid by the end of it. Turtle hatchlings begin emerging in Watamu.

April – May

The long rains. Heavy afternoon downpours, rough seas, poor underwater visibility, and a fair number of restaurants and dive centres closed. Rates drop by half. If you want an empty villa and do not mind rain, the value is real — but this is not a beach fortnight.

June – August

The kusi season proper. Cooler — mid-twenties — breezy, green and pleasant, with clear skies and short days. European summer holidays make August busier and pricier. Humpback whales pass offshore from July. Excellent for kitesurfing in Diani.

September – October

Our favourite months and the coast’s best-kept secret. Warm but not oppressive, seas settling, water clearing, crowds gone, prices still low. Whale sightings continue into early October.

November

Short rains — brief afternoon showers rather than all-day rain, and rarely disruptive. Prices are low right up until the third week of December. The Lamu Maulidi festival and the annual dhow race fall around now.

December

Warm, clear and completely booked from the 18th. The two weeks around Christmas and New Year carry the highest rates of the year and require booking six months ahead for anything beachfront.