The Mombasa is one of the favorite beach destination in Africa lined with 7 pristine white sand beaches each offering a unique vacation experience. Besides the beautiful coastline, more tourists prefer going for beach holidays in Kenya for its accessibility to some of the greatest safari destinations some accessible by road. One question that will always emerge when planning your trip in the Mombasa trip is the best pricing that would befit your desired experience. In this guide we shall share some important details on budgeting your Kenya beach holiday.  

Some of the factors that will affect the cost of your beach holiday in Kenya are:  

1. Location  

1. Things to do  

1. Season  

Location 

Mombasa coast could be split into two categories the north coast for beaches situated to the north of Mombasa and south coast beaches situated to the south.  Some of the factors that may cause variation in your trip cost in depending on your location include:  

• Accessibility. Poor accessibility may lead to more transfer expenses especially when you are on a combined beach and bush safari. The north coast beaches are more accessible than the south coast beaches since they can be accessed through Mombasa – Malindi highway. For south coast beaches you have to use the likoni ferry before reconnecting with Ukunda highway.  
• Availability of budget accommodation. The northern Nyali beach is the best choice for tourist seeking to travel to Mombasa on budget. Here there are a wide selection of guestrooms in a b& b plan. Going for budget on of the budget accommodation in the beach could reduce your daily budget to below 100 USD.  Also in the North coast, Lamu has the second most affordable selection of accommodations, mostly guestrooms, that could bring your daily budget to under 100 USD. On the other hand, Diani beach in the south coast is the best choice for luxury travelers most accommodation pricing over 500 USD per night. The strip also has a few backpackers hostels coming at affordable rates for budget travelers.  

In the north coast, Watamu is the leading luxury destination.  

Important tips to help you pick a location that grant the best value of money  

• Consider the expected experiences and activities you are going to engage in. If you are a fun of  wind dependent sports it is important you consider budgeting for a stay in the northern Kilifi and watamu beaches.  If you are looking for an incredibly beautiful seafront with a wide whitesand coast strip   Watamu and Diani are the best picks. 
• Get an accommodation in a rewarding setting. Some travelers make the mistake of picking budget facilities that are in a poor setting and away from the beachfront this may lower your levels of experience and value of money.  

Seasons 

Different seasons will have a huge impact in your Mombasa trip experience. These seasons could be categorized into:  

• Dry season (December- March and July – October) 
• Wet season ( April – June and November – December) 
•  Windy seasons ( December to March and Mid-May to October) 

The rainy seasons offer the most affordable periods you could go on a trip in Mombasa. This is occasioned by the fact that only a few tourists visit the coast over the season leading to discounted accommodation rates ranging from 10 % to 40 %. For lovers of wind dependent sports, the month of June is the most cost effective period for your trip as the long rains are subsidizing and the beaches are still empty. June has one of the strongest winds in Mombasa.  

Important tips to help you pick a season that grant the best value of money  

• Ensure you pick a season that matches both your budgetary and experience needs. This will give you satisfaction and the desired value of money  

Activities  

Mombasa has a bucket list activities to engage on whether you are a fun of wind sporting, boat cruising and Kayaking Mombasa is the ideal destination for you. Shared below is a price list of some of the activities and which could assist you in costing your trip.  

Importantly, the prices would also vary due to other factors like:  

• Level of experience. Newbies in activities like snorkeling, golfing, kite surfing, will have to pay extra fee for instructors.  
• Individual operators’ rate. Different operators will charge differently though there would no much variations.  

Other things that would have an impact in your Mombasa beach holiday cost 

1. The cost of inbound flight to Mombasa. International tourists coming to Mombasa may use the Moi international Airport in Mombasa or Jomo Kenyatta international Airport, Nairobi, as the entry into Kenya. Jomo Kenyatta Airport, however, offer more competitive flight rates than Moi Airport and therefore is a better and more convenient choice. The average flight rates would range from 700 USD to 900 USD for travelers visiting from most European and North American countries using Nairobi Airport. The subsequent transfer from Nairobi to Mombasa would be in a flight that goes for about 140 USD on flight or 30 USD for a train services. The Standard gauge train that connect the two cities takes approximately 5 hrs to get to Mombasa.  

1. Insurances. Though the chances of suffering from accident from activities like scuba diving are low, the expenses of such risk may be high. For this reason some operators may recommend for an insurance. This would cost between 10 USD – 100 USD.  

1. Tours and excursion. Mombasa is home to some of the most outstanding historical sites and has he best access to the coastal circuit destinations. Most tourist will most likely combine their beach stay with tours to some of the sites. This would lead to additional 70 USD per day or more for a day trip or 200 USD to 500 USD per day for a multidays safari in the coastal circuit destinations. 

1. Tipping. Though it is not mandatory it is a common culture for tourists to tip guides who drive them to various destination along the Kenyan coast. The recommended pay is about 10 USD – 20 USD