Wasini Island

Wasini is a low coral island lying just off the mainland near Shimoni, close to the Tanzanian border. There are no cars on it. Paths run between the two villages, past baobabs and out onto the raised coral rag that gives the island its strange, sculpted surface.

Why people come

The water around Wasini is the draw. The channel between the island and the mainland is a known area for dolphins, and the reefs of the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Protected Area lie a short boat ride further out. Snorkelling here is over living coral rather than sand, so there is a lot to look at in shallow, warm water.

The village and the coral gardens

On the island itself, the coral garden boardwalk crosses an area of raised, wind-eroded coral that fills with seawater on the highest tides. Village walks take in daily life, the boat yards and the shade of enormous baobabs.

Shimoni

Boats leave from Shimoni on the mainland. The name refers to the caves in the coral beneath the village — caves connected to the East African slave trade, and now a site of memory that many visitors choose to see before or after a day on the water.