Pilli Pipa

Pilli Pipa is the original Diani Beach dhow safari — a full-day trip that sails you from Shimoni to the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park and Wasini Island on a traditional Arab dhow. The operation runs from behind Leonardo's restaurant in the Colliers Centre on Diani Beach Road, and has built a reputation as the coast's most professional snorkeling and dolphin-watching day trip. Their TripAdvisor listing bills itself as 'the genuine product' — a nod to the copycat operators that have followed.

The Day

The trip runs eight to nine hours. You are picked up from your hotel and driven south to Shimoni, where you board the dhow. Tea, coffee, fresh mandazi, and pizza bread are served on board as you sail out toward the marine park. Dolphins are regularly sighted along the way — bottlenose and spinner dolphins that ride the bow wave. At the Kisite Marine Park, you stop twice to snorkel over coral reef in some of the clearest water on the Kenyan coast. The return takes you to Wasini Island, where a Swahili seafood lunch with drinks is served at Pilli Pipa's own restaurant. On the way back through Shimoni, the tour stops at the historic slave caves.

Practical Details

The trip costs $135 per adult and $65 per child. This includes hotel transfers, marine park entry fees, the dhow sail, two snorkeling stops, the seafood lunch on Wasini Island, and drinks on board including alcoholic beverages. The booking office is at the Colliers Centre on Diani Beach Road — behind Leonardo's restaurant — open daily from 7 AM. No prior snorkeling experience needed; equipment is provided. Book at least a day in advance, especially during high season.