Mombasa Holidays

So much awaits you on your Mombasa holidays. Come face to face with splendid wildlife on their home territory, be hedonistic in a five star spa, feel at home away from home in a rented cottage, swim with dolphins and whale sharks and satisfy your inner history buff by visiting 500 year old ruins and lost cities.

Mombasa’s proud history dates thousands of years back to when it was identified as a port, then known as Tonike, in a sailing guide in 80AD. The Arab influence is very pervasive here in the minarets and white-washed mosques of the Old Town. But as one of the world’s great cross roads, a multitude of accents can be heard and everywhere there is a hustle. Both new and old sections – defined by the iconic Mombasa Tusks and the grand Fort Jesus – are worth visiting.

Mombasa Tusks

Discover the fascinating Old Town on your Mombasa holiday, walk its narrow streets in shadows cast by tall houses with elaborated carved balconies, buy a coffee from an Arab street vendor poured from tall long-beaked copper pots.

Marketplace on Mombasa Beach

Snap images of white-washed mosques standing side by side with African markets, meander through stores selling old coins, curios, silverwork, Lamu style furniture and a pharmacopoeia of scents which reach heavenward. Watch beautiful Hindu women stroll by in brightly colored saris, Arabs in beaded hats and the Swahili in long white robes or beautifully patterned kangas worn by the women.

Fort Jesus in Mombasa, Kenya

A must on any itinerary during your  holiday in Mombasa is to spend some time at the immense and weathered Fort Jesus. Its guns still point out towards the harbor and there is a worthwhile museum that deals with the history, culture and architecture of the coast. Among its interesting exhibits are relics from Portuguese shipwrecks and coats of arms of Portuguese commanders carved in stone.

Continuing that military tradition, did you know that the British code-breaking outfit of Bletchley Park had an outpost here in Mombasa? The Kilindini code breakers operated out of Allidina Visram school for several years gathering major intelligence during the 1940’s. See “The Emperor’s Codes” by Michael Smith for a more detailed history.

Relax on a sunset and dinner cruise on a Tamarind dhow and dance under African skies after a first class candlelit dinner. Or choose a lunch cruise which sails from Kilindini Harbor to a creek for a lazy post seafood lunch swim.

While safaris are the main draw in Mombasa, ensure there is sufficient time on your Mombasa holidays to enjoy the beach life on either the North or South coasts. Here are miles and miles of white coral sand fringed by palm trees and hotels and resorts of every caliber from makuti palm-leafed African style cottages at the Severin Sea Lodge to the ancient Arab Lamu-style architecture of the Serena Beach hotel.

From the north, head towards Malindi Marine park where the corals and rich and varied. From Malindi, big game fishing boats pull out to catch marlin and sailfish which run in the deep ocean water beyond the reef.

Along the South Coast are the drop dead gorgeous Indian Ocean Beach Club and Leopard Beach Resort. From the South coast, it is easy to get to the unique Shimba Hills National Park and the Kisite Marine National Park or visit the inland African villages of Kwale.

Be captivated by adventure and romance on your next Mombasa holiday and if time runs out, you can always come back again.