A Lamu Cat on the waterfront.

Kizingoni Beach is on Lamu Island - with timeless views and a culture set in it's traditional patterns. This dhow cruises with the monsoon breeze after a day's fishing out in the archipelago.

If you are enjoying a holiday on the Kenya coast at some point during your stay you are bound to indulge in a cocktail or two!

Sunday March 20th 2011 marks the March Equinox when the subsolar point begins to move into the northern hemisphere bringing longer days to northern latitudes for the next 3 months.

On the Kenyan Coast in equatorial latitudes - the equinox also announces the arrival of the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ), which brings with it some heavy rainfall. The ITCZ generally follows a few weeks later - which is why the first rainy season of the year occurs in April and May.

The Kenyan coastline is over 500kms long with a multitude of things to see and do.  There is something for everyone be it adventure, relaxation, water sports, adrenalin, shopping, ornithology, dining, environmental – the list is endless.

With this in mind kenya-coast.com has put together a few favourite ‘must-do’s’ in the key locations that can be found up and down the coastline.

The major influence on East African weather is the Inter-tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). This is an area of the atmosphere above the earth’s surface where two air-streams (the North East and South East Trade Winds) converge.

The zone is characterised by warm rising air and the formation of clouds, and is clearly visible as an equatorial band oscillating north and south across the equator as the earth revolves around the sun on it’s annual orbit along the plane of the ecliptic.

A 'Periplus' is an ordered record listing a sea voyage. The document includes information on coastal features and landmarks, ports, local populations, trade goods imported and exported, distances, winds, best months to travel, and other interesting points of note that the author deemed worthy of inclusion in this guide to a sea route.

The author of The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea is unkown. The document is belevied to have been written some time between 100 and 200 AD by an Egyptian merchant who could read and write Greek.

New entries to the Kenya Coast Directory early in 2011 include a website and forum on the bustling town of Mtwapa, a natural stone business based in Msambweni, and villa accommodation in Diani.

Please read on for more info and links, or visit the Kenya Coast Directory.

A photo slideshow provided by Katie Cahill on Msambweni Beach, South Coast - Kenya. 

As oceans go, the Indian Ocean is more well known for calmer seas and less violent storms than the likes of the Southern and Atlantic Oceans, although the occasional violent cyclone and some gusty monsoon winds can reap havoc from time to time.

The seas off the Kenya Coast therefore, may not see like the most ideal location to embark on an alternative energy project - but thanks to a an enterprising energy company and the approval from the Kenya Government - a new wave energy project is due to get underway in the near future.

The 2011 Diani Beach 5-a-side Tough Rugby Tournament will be held from 1st to 3rd July.

Team entries close on 30th May 2011 - entry forms can be downloaded from their website.

There are various divisions catering to ladies, gents, mixed teams, and vets (over 40's).

The annual event is held at Forty Thieves Beach Bar - and has been a succesful and fun event since it began in 2009.

The Ngalawa is a small dugout canoe with two stabilising outriggers.
Mainly used to carry fisherman to reefs and fishing relatively near to the shore.

21 December - the shortest day in the Northern Hemisphere, longest day in the Southern Hemisphere.

The subsolar point reaches it's southernmost limit - the Tropic of Capricorn (23.4 degrees south). The subsolar point now moves north - reaching the equator on March 21 / 22 - the vernal equinox.