6 Amazing Things To Do In Mombasa

1. Eat At The Tamarind Restaurant
Perhaps the finest of the various Tamarind ventures; eating on the terrace of this grand Moorish building overlooking the water is a romantic splurge you can’t afford to miss. Seafood is the focus here, but meat eaters won’t go hungry and vegetarians even get their own menu. The only bum note is the rather cheesy keyboard music, which takes a few dawas (vodka, lime and honey cocktails) to drown out. There’s a casino upstairs – just remember you’ll need some money for the taxi back to town.

2. Visit The New Burhani Bohra Mosque

The elaborate facade and soaring minaret of this mosque overlook the Old Harbor. Built in 1902, it’s the third mosque to occupy this site.

3. Visit Malindi and The Gedi Ruins

Enjoy the sites and history with a seaside backdrop when you visit the African town of Malindi, perched on the shores of the Indian Ocean. Explore the ancient ruins of the 13th-century Swahili town of Gedi.

4. Hang Out On Biashara Street
To get a good insight into the daily life of downtown Mombasa, head to narrow, cluttered Biashara (Swahili for “business”) Street, which is just off Moi Avenue. Here, you’ll find all sorts of small shops that have been around for generations selling everything from leather to textiles, live chickens, and food. People are friendly and hospitable. While you’re here, take a wander through the vegetable and spice market, near where Biashara Street meets Moi Avenue.

5. Visit The Bombolulu Workshops & Cultural Centre
This nonprofit organisation produces crafts of a very high standard and gives vocational training to hundreds of physically disabled people. You can visit the workshops and showroom for free to buy jewellery, clothes, carvings and other crafts, or enter the cultural centre to tour mock-ups of traditional homesteads in the grounds, where various activities take place. Bombolulu matatus run here from Msanifu Kombo St, and Bamburi services in either direction also pass the centre.

6. Take The Tamarind Dhow Cruise

Topping the luxury dhow cruises is the Tamarind Dhow, run by the posh Tamarind restaurant chain of the same name. The cruise embarks from the jetty below the Tamarind restaurant in Nyali, and includes a harbour tour and a fantastic meal. Choose between the lunch and dinner cruise. There is a choice of seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Prices include a complimentary cocktail and transport to and from your hotel.