ScubaDiving inTiwi Beach

Tiwi sits north of Diani and is quieter again — cottages and small places rather than resorts.

It is an easy pickup for a morning's diving, and guests staying here dive exactly the same sites as everybody else.

Written by The Scuba Duka team · Reviewed by Ali, founder and Divemaster Instructor · October 2026

Two divers exploring the reef off Tiwi Beach

Diving from Tiwi

Our boats leave from Diani, so a Tiwi stay means a short road transfer rather than a different set of dive sites. In practice that is an advantage: you get the quiet end of the coast in the afternoon and the full range of reef sites in the morning.

The sites you may dive include Kisima Mungu, Milele, New Place, Dzinani, Galu and Kinondo reefs, the MV Alpha Funguo wreck if your certification covers the depth, and Kisite-Mpunguti marine park as a full day.

Coral reef diving → Half-day trips →

Staying in Tiwi

Pickup

Included. Tiwi is north of Diani, so pickup is earlier than for a Diani hotel.

Trip length

Half-day reef mornings; full day for Kisite-Mpunguti.

Suits

Guests staying in cottages and self-catering places away from the resort strip.

Tell us exactly where you are staying — some Tiwi access roads change the pickup time noticeably.

From Tiwi to the boat

Tiwi is the far end of our pickup area. The route runs back to the main road, south through Ukunda and down Diani Beach Road.

Tiwi beach cottages35–45 min

Tiwi turn-off to Ukundaabout 10 min

Ukunda airstrip20–25 min

Moi International Airport, via Dongo Kundu bypassabout 1 h

Approximate drive times to the centre at Soul Breeze Beach Resort in normal traffic. Fridays, public holidays and heavy rain add time.

Around Tiwi

Tiwi is cottage country, with few shops or restaurants. It helps to know the area before you arrive.

The beach

Tiwi lies a couple of kilometres east of the Likoni–Lunga Lunga road, down a sand track that turns muddy after rain. The reef runs parallel to the shore between roughly 300 metres and a kilometre out, and at low tide the shore fills with rock pools. One of them is shaped like the map of Africa.

Offshore between Tiwi and Diani is the Diani–Chale Marine National Reserve.

The river and the mosque

At the southern end the Mwachema River, also called the Kongo River, meets the sea and separates Tiwi from Diani. The river mouth is good for kayaking and birdwatching.

Across it stands the 16th-century Kongo Mosque, the last surviving ancient Swahili structure in Diani. In the dry season people wade across from the Tiwi side.

Where people stay

Amani Tiwi Beach Resort, at the southern end, is the one large resort. The rest is cottages and lodges: Twiga Lodge, which has a beachfront campsite, Coral Cove Cottages next door, Maweni Beach Cottages, Sand Island Beach Cottages, Coconut Beach Boutique Lodge and Hillpark Hotel.

Private beach villas and holiday houses line the shore between them. They fill with Kenyan families over Easter, August and Christmas.

Eating and shopping

There are few restaurants outside the cottages and lodges. Twiga Lodge’s restaurant sits on the beach and serves Kenyan food, and vendors bring fish, fruit and vegetables to cottage verandahs most days.

Small village shops cover the basics. For supermarkets, ATMs and pharmacies, drive to Ukunda.

Medical

The nearest private hospitals are Palm Beach Hospital in Ukunda, which is open 24 hours, and Diani Beach Hospital on Diani Beach Road. Mombasa’s larger hospitals are north, by the Likoni Ferry or the Dongo Kundu bypass.

Inland

Shimba Hills National Reserve is about 40 km west and makes a half-day trip. Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary lies beyond it.

Places are named so you can find your way around. Mentioning a hotel or restaurant here does not mean we have an arrangement with it.

What you can do from here

Two guided boat dives cost $110, with equipment, guide and hotel pickup included. Every price is on the prices page in USD and Kenya Shillings.

Frequently asked questions

Is pickup from Tiwi included?

Yes. Tiwi is the far end of our pickup area, about 35–45 minutes from the beach cottages, so pickup is earlier than from a Diani hotel.

Do guests in Tiwi dive different sites?

No. The boats leave from Diani, so you dive the same sites as every other guest.

How much does a morning of diving cost?

Two guided boat dives cost $110, with equipment, guide and hotel pickup included.

Who you will dive with

Seven people run the centre, four of them born and raised in Diani Beach. Between the four instructors sit more than 13,000 logged dives on this stretch of the Indian Ocean. Two qualified dive guides, Sampuli and Captain Michael, guide dives alongside them.