Things to Do in Mombasa

Mombasa is an island city in a natural harbour, and it has been a port for a very long time. That history is visible in the streets, in the food and in the architecture, and it is the reason the city rewards a day of walking as much as it rewards a day on the beach.

Old Town

The oldest quarter of the island is small, dense and best seen on foot. Narrow lanes, carved doors, balconied houses, and shopfronts that have been in the same family for generations.

Go in the morning or the late afternoon. The middle of the day on the coast is hot and the light is flat.

Fort Jesus

Fort Jesus stands at the harbour mouth. The Portuguese built it in the 1590s to control the entrance, and it changed hands repeatedly over the following centuries — the number of times it was besieged tells you most of what you need to know about how valuable this harbour was.

It is the single best introduction to why Mombasa exists where it does.

The beaches

The reef runs offshore along most of this coast, which is what keeps the lagoon calm. North of the island and south of the ferry there are long stretches of sand, and the swimming is gentle because the reef takes the swell.

Tides matter here more than most people expect. At low water the lagoon can retreat a long way. Ask at your hotel what the tide is doing on the day you want to swim.

Food

Swahili coastal food is the reason to eat out here: seafood, coconut, tamarind, and spice that came in on the same trade routes as everything else on this coast. Street food in the evening is part of the experience.

Day trips from the city

Mombasa's real advantage is what is within reach of it.

Island days to the south

The south coast has two island trips. Wasini for dolphins, coral reefs and a Swahili lunch; Funzi for mangrove channels, a tidal sandbank and estuary crocodiles.

Safari inland

Two options, and they are not the same trip.

Shimba Hills is coastal rainforest in the hills behind the south coast — sable antelope, elephants and a guided walk down to Sheldrick Falls. It is the closer one.

Tsavo East is the classic: open plains, the Galana River, and elephants the colour of the red soil they roll in. It is a long day as a day trip, and a much better trip as an overnight.

Evening on the water

A sunset sail is the least complicated thing you can do here and one of the best. Flat water, cooling air, and the coast turning gold.

Getting around

The island connects to the mainland by causeway, by bridge and by the Likoni ferry to the south coast. For day trips we collect guests from hotels on both the north and south coast, so you do not need to work out the logistics yourself — tell us where you are staying and we will handle it.

Practical notes

• Sun. It is equatorial. A hat is not optional.
• Tides. They shape swimming, boat departures and sandbanks. Nothing on this coast runs purely by the clock.
• Cash. Useful for park fees, markets and small purchases.
• Fees. Park and marine park entry are set by Kenya Wildlife Service and change. Always check the current figure rather than trusting a published one.