Five-star Diani Beach, Diani Beach
Leopard Beach Resort & Spa
A resort on the coral cliffs above Diani Beach, opened in 1974 and still growing, with a spa in six acres of coastal forest and the Ukunda airstrip five kilometres away.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- Rating
- Five stars, Tourism Regulatory Authority, 2016
- Rooms
- 178, plus private villas in The Residences
- Opened
- December 1974
- From the airport
- About 5 km from Ukunda airstrip
The hotel
Fifty years on the south coast.
Leopard Beach opened in December 1974, reached then, as now, by road and the Likoni ferry from Mombasa. New owners arrived early in the 2000s and rebuilt the place in stages, taking it from ninety rooms towards the 178 it lists now. In 2016 the Tourism Regulatory Authority graded it five-star, one of the first two resorts south of Mombasa to hold that rating.
The main buildings sit on coral cliffs, with two flights of steps down to the beach. Gardens of about 28 acres run back from the sea, and behind them lie The Residences: two- and three-bedroom villas in fifteen acres of forest. Guests there have the run of the resort. Four bars and three lounges, among them Mawingu and Mahogany, keep the evenings busy.
- Uzuri Spa & Fitness Forest Treatment rooms, a gym, sauna, steam bath and pool set in six acres of indigenous forest.
- In the water A PADI Five Star dive centre on site, plus kitesurfing, windsurfing, kayaks and glass-bottom boat trips from the beach.
- Golf and tennis Floodlit tennis courts in the grounds and an eighteen-hole course about five minutes away on foot.
Rooms & suites
Rooms over the sea, villas in the forest.
Room names as listed by the resort. It does not publish sizes.
- Rooms Superior Balcony and Deluxe Terrace The resort's standard categories, with a balcony or a terrace onto the gardens.
- Cottages Seaview Chui Class Cottages Cottages with their own garden or patio, facing the ocean.
- Villas The Residences Serviced villas of two or three bedrooms in fifteen acres of forest, some with their own pool.
Dining
Five kitchens and four bars.
Restaurants as listed by the resort. Shown for information.
- Saffron Restaurant Listed by the resort
- Lemongrass Restaurant Listed by the resort
- Pizza and Pasta Tornati Pizza and pasta At the edge of the ocean
- Coco Mchana Lunch outdoors À la carte, in the open air
- Pool Bistro Light meals, ice cream, fresh juice Beside the pool
Recognition
Ratings and awards.
- Tourism Regulatory Authority Five-star rating, 2016
- World Travel Awards, Africa's Leading Hotel Residence 2024
- Travelife Gold certification
Good to know
Before you go.
- Children Welcome. The Little Leopards Kids Club runs at the resort.
- Dress Smart casual in the evening. Shorts, sleeveless tops and flip-flops are not allowed at dinner in some restaurants.
- The beach The resort stands on low cliffs, so the sand is reached by two flights of steps.
Getting there
Flying to Diani Beach.
Ukunda airstrip, five kilometres away, takes scheduled flights from Nairobi in daylight; the drive is about ten minutes, our estimate. Private jets from abroad clear customs at Moi International in Mombasa, 43 kilometres by road; allow up to two hours, as the route crosses the Likoni ferry.
- Zanzibar 40 min
- Nairobi 55 min
- Seychelles 2 h 40
- Dubai 5 h 10
- London 9 h 50 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How far is Leopard Beach from the airport?
- Ukunda airstrip is about five kilometres away. Moi International in Mombasa is 43 kilometres by road, and the drive can take up to two hours with the Likoni ferry.
- Is Leopard Beach Resort five-star?
- Yes. Kenya's Tourism Regulatory Authority graded it five-star in 2016, one of the first two resorts south of Mombasa with that rating.
- Are there villas at Leopard Beach?
- Yes. The Residences are serviced villas of two or three bedrooms in fifteen acres of forest, with use of the resort's restaurants, spa and beach.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Diani?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Diani, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Diani Beach
Other hotels worth the trip.
- Diani Reef Beach Resort & Spa One hundred and forty-three rooms and suites on a thirty-acre plot, raised to five stars by the Tourism Regulatory Authority in 2019.
- Swahili Beach Swahili plasterwork in the rooms and a pool that falls in seven tiers towards the sand.
- Diamonds Leisure Beach & Golf Resort Rated four-star by the Tourism Regulatory Authority, with its own golf course.
Staying at Leopard Beach Resort & Spa?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Diani Beach, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.