The Famous Mombasa Tusks

You may be planning to travel to Mombasa, Kenya in a few weeks and while you booked your hotel, made travel arrangements, and are beginning to write down things you’re going to need to bring with you, you might be looking into various attractions throughout the city and the surrounding areas.

There are many places to visit in Mombasa that it can feel almost overwhelming for somebody who is never been here before. You have incredible wildlife sanctuaries, the amazing white sandy beaches, the clear blue waters of the Indian Ocean, and even a city that is full of culture in life. Below are three attractions you should certainly keep on your list when heading to Mombasa.

Bombolulu Workshops. The Bombolulu Workshops were founded in 1969 for the Association for the Physically Disabled in Kenya (APDK). This is a popular tourist attraction that provides 150 disabled employees creating a wide range of textiles, jewelry, wood, and leather crafts. It is the largest rehabilitation center throughout the country.

Mombasa Tusks. These tusks are located on Moi Avenue and were built in 1956 is a celebration of Princess Margaret’s visit to Mombasa. They are located at the entrance of the city and contrary to popular belief, they are in not made from ivory. They’re actually made of aluminum.

The tusks form an archway on both sides of the street leading into the city and form an ‘M’, for Mombasa (or was it Margaret?).

Hindu Temples. Finally, you should take some time to visit one of the Hindu temples located in Mombasa. Within these facilities you’ll find incredible historical artifacts, paintings, idols, and more.

These attractions are well worth taking some time during your vacation in Mombasa to visit them. You will be grateful you did.

Today, most people carry around digital cameras. The days of film loaded cameras are pretty much well behind us, though there are a number of disposable cameras that still rely on traditional film. You can also still find plenty of places that will develop your film, but if you are one of the majority who prefer digital cameras for their size and convenience, spending your time in Mombasa will likely lead to hundreds upon hundreds of pictures.

The more pictures you take, the more devastating it could potentially be if you lose those pictures due to damage to the camera, misplacing it, having it stolen, or having a technical issue with the device itself.

When you travel to Mombasa for vacation, you’re going to see an incredible number of sites and beautiful views. The wildlife sanctuaries could take up hundreds of pictures and even dozens of videos just in one afternoon.

Back everything up daily.

Even if you plan on using a different SD card for every single day, if you have a laptop or other computer device with you on your vacation, download all of the pictures and videos you have taken on that card to your computer every single day.

This is backing up your important pictures and videos. Even though you might not take them off the SD card, it’s a good idea to back them up because anything could happen to cause damage to the card itself or the camera.

For example, you could be walking down the streets of Old Town, Mombasa, grab your camera to take a picture of something all of a sudden, and have it slip from your grasp. The camera could crash to the concrete sidewalk, breaking it. While the card may still be intact, as you try to turn the camera on and only get certain messages, you could be hitting a series of buttons that may inadvertently reformat the card itself, thus causing you to lose all of the previous pictures you had on it.

There are dozens of things that can go wrong when it comes to a digital camera while you’re on vacation. As long as you know you’ve had all of those pictures backed up on a regular basis, you’ll know your valuable mementos are safe for your return trip home.

You’ve been planning this trip to Mombasa for months, maybe even years. You know that it’s a tropical paradise with white sandy beaches, crystal clear waters of the Indian Ocean, and a lot of history and culture.

No matter what hotel you stay at, you should take some time to visit old town, walk around the city of Mombasa, and even meet some of the locals. You’ll find a number of residents here more than willing to talk to guests within their city. They are proud of their heritage and the place they call home.

It’s a good idea to spend some time talking to the locals because you’ll likely learn a lot more about the city, especially the out-of-the-way destinations and even history you don’t learn from guided tours or main brochures.

The more you learn about any particular vacation destination, the more you’ll discover. You might find out about a store that is not on the main road, visit it, and see a host of items you just have to have to bring back as gifts and tokens to your family and friends.

You may discover some great tips about when to visit the wildlife sanctuaries, where to go for scuba gear, or what excursions you hadn’t considered before.

You may also learn about different parts of the city to avoid for various reasons or which ones to stay close to on your next visit.

Locals usually have the best information about hotels, trips, sites to see, and even beaches to visit. Take a few moments and talk to some of the locals who speak your language. It can make for a much more enjoyable trip if you’re into discovering everything Mombasa has to offer.

When you arrive at Mombasa, Kenya, you will likely had to your hotel first, unpack, unwind, and be itching to get to the white sandy beaches, jump into the incredibly warm waters of the Indian Ocean, and begin enjoying your vacation or even your personal time off if you’re here for business.

There are many things to see and experience throughout Mombasa that getting around is essential. Some people believe that renting a car is the best option, but due to the way the roads are designed in this city, it can get quite confusing and you can get lost very easily.

Taking a taxi is one of the best ways to get around throughout Mombasa. Depending on where you stay, what Mombasa hotel you’re staying at, it could cost approximately $30 to get a taxi from the center of the city to the south beaches. There are many beaches along the way and a vast number of hotels all along that stretch, so you could end up staying in a Mombasa hotel that is right next to an ideal beach.

To and from the airport, you could take a minibus, also referred to as a Matatu for approximately $10-$12.

You can also travel by using local bus taxis, these same minibuses, to get you around to a variety of sites. They are all over the area throughout the city and are privately owned, but regulated by the government.

If you’re looking into taking a taxi, keep in mind that these taxis in Mombasa do not have signs on the roof of the cars. They do have license papers that are affixed to windshields that can let you know whether they are actually a legitimate and honest taxi service.

You can also choose to ride a rickshaw, commonly called tuk-tuk’s, which are basically three wheeled private taxis. They cost about the same as Matatus, and are best for shorter distances.

Winter travel is arguably one of the most difficult challenges people will face whenever they leave home. Whether you’re heading out to Mombasa for a business conference, meeting, or just some relaxing time away, if you make your plans during the winter months, you’ll need to pack a lot of extra patience.

Depending on where you live, you could be dealing with extremely cold temperatures, snow, freezing rain, sleet, hail, and even intense wind events.

The best thing to do is pay attention to the weather forecasts for at least one week before your scheduled flight. Even though meteorologists tend to get a lot of things wrong, the closer a specific date arrives the more accurate their forecasts become. If there is a specific weather event headed your way that could impact your flight, begin to make alternate plans and also have contact information ready.

What contact information you should have?

Whatever hotel in Mombasa you have reserved a room at, you should have their direct phone number to call them in the event that you’re delayed at least several hours. This could indicate that you’re still on track to arrive in they shouldn’t give your room away, especially if they are completely booked.

You may also want to check other potential flights that get into the area if you miss a connection or have difficulty getting out through a specific airline.

When you arrive at the airport, have comfortable shoes, something to keep warm with, and some activities to keep you busy. You may have a book you want to read, work you need to get done, or any other such activities, so in the event that you’re delayed for several hours or even longer you can still be productive.

Keep in mind that during severe weather a lot of flights may be canceled or delayed. That means there’s going to be a number of other travelers dealing with the same situation you are. If you use electronic devices it could be difficult to find an outlet with which to recharge the battery. That’s why a traditional book is always a good idea, as well as some crossword puzzles and other non-electronic activities.

Winter travel can be frustrating for anyone so remember to be patient; you will get to Mombasa and it will be well worth the trouble.

It’s three days before your flight is scheduled to leave and take you on a vacation you been looking forward to for months. Maybe you’ve been looking forward to visiting Mombasa for years, saving the money over all that time, and have been counting down the days. Then the tickle begins to develop in the back of your throat. You start to feel achy and run down.

Maybe you drink some solutions to pump incredible amounts of vitamins into your system, all in the hope that this is just a minor cold or allergy. The next day you wake up and realize you have a fever and a full-blown flu. This can make you feel dejected, especially if you realize you might have to miss this trip.

If you booked your trip through a travel agency, contact that agency as soon as possible to let them know what has happened. They may be able to work out some provisions with the airline, Mombasa hotel, or anyone else with whom you had a reservation to either delay or move your date. Unless you have insurance to protect your trip, you may not be fully protected.

You may be tempted to get on the plane regardless of the way you feel, believing you’ll get better within a day or two after you’re in the warm climate of Kenya. However, you could be placing everyone else on that flight at risk, too. Some airlines may refuse service to passengers that appear visibly sick.

Contact the airline directly to find out what their policy is regarding sick travel.

Visit your doctor as soon as you can to get antibiotics if needed. The sooner you start with antibiotics, the sooner the virus can be suppressed and make it safe for you to travel.

If you booked this trip on your own, contact the hotel in Mombasa where you will be staying if you feel this trip might not happen right now. They may not charge your card or could offer you a refund or reschedule your vacation for another time of the year.

No one wants to enjoy a vacation when they’re sick, and the earlier you make contact and try to work out an arrangement with the airline, hotel, or anywhere else you have a reservation in and around Mombasa, the more you increase the chances of being able to move your date a few weeks or months into the future.