We’ve chased waves and watched sunsets from some of the best beaches in Africa—and we keep going back for more. In South Africa, nothing beats beach-hopping in Cape Town, where you can swim with penguins at Boulders or surf the waves in Muizenberg. Further east, the Garden Route and KwaZulu-Natal deliver warm waters and wild coastlines, perfect for a laid-back beach break after a Big Five safari.

Mozambique’s islands feel like a barefoot dream, with castaway-style lodges like Azura Benguerra offering private villas and dolphin-filled seas. In Tanzania, we love pairing a Serengeti safari with a Zanzibar beach stay—Baraza is a favourite for its family-friendly villas and water sports.

And then there’s Kenya—where the Indian Ocean is warm, the pace is slow, and the culture runs deep. We love Kinondo Kwetu for its all-inclusive family charm, but there’s something special about exploring Watamu’s coral reefs and taking a dhow trip through the mangroves. For a more off-grid adventure, Lamu is a family favourite —no cars, just donkeys and boats, with beautiful Swahili architecture and a rhythm all its own.