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Travel guide
Mombasa
4 days · 8 things to do
Best time to go: December to March, and July to September
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Welcome
Mombasa, in a few days
Kenya's second city sits on an island of about 15 km², linked to the mainland by three causeways and a ferry. Visit Fort Jesus, begun by the Portuguese in 1593, and the carved doorways of the Old Town, then head for the beaches of Nyali and Diani.
- Day by day
- D1 Day 1 2 things
- D2 Day 2 2 things
- D3 Day 3 2 things
- D4 Day 4 2 things
- Worth sorting before you go
- Words that help
- The practical page
- Packing checklist
The trip
Day by day
Map of the sights (numbers follow the suggested order). It prints with the base map.
D1
Day 1
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Fort Jesus · about 1 hA Portuguese fort begun in 1593 by the Italian architect Cairati, shaped like a human figure from above, which changed hands nine times after 1631.
- Afternoon · Mombasa Old Town free · about 1 h 30Narrow lanes between Fort Jesus and the old dhow harbour, with Swahili, Omani and Indian houses, carved balconies and brass-studded teak doors.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Nyali Sun Africa Beach Hotel & Spa€90 a night
D2
Day 2
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · The Moi Avenue Tusks free · a few minutesAluminium arches shaped like tusks, put up over the main avenue for Princess Elizabeth's visit in 1952, forming an M for Mombasa.
- Afternoon · Nyali Beach free · half a dayA wide white beach ten minutes north of the centre, sheltered by a coral reef; at low tide the lagoon drains to reveal rock pools.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Castle Royal Hotel€70 a night
D3
Day 3
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Haller Park · about 2 hA former cement-works quarry turned into a living ecosystem by René Haller from 1971, now home to giraffes, hippos, buffalo, crocodiles and oryx.
- Afternoon · Mombasa Marine Park · about 2 hA protected lagoon and reef off Nyali and Bamburi since 1986; the coral has suffered bleaching, but parrotfish, moray eels, green turtles and rays remain.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Travellers Beach Hotel€110 a night
D4
Day 4
2 things to do · at your own pace
- Morning · Diani Beach free · half a daySeventeen kilometres of white sand about thirty kilometres south of Mombasa, with a shallow reef-sheltered lagoon and steady winds for kitesurfing.
- Afternoon · Shimba Hills National Reserve · a full dayWooded hills south-west of Mombasa, one of Kenya's largest coastal forests, home to the country's last sable antelopes and many elephants.
🛏️ Where to sleep · Severin Sea Lodge€140 a night
Before you go
Worth sorting before you go
📶 eSIM data
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
Online the moment you land, no roaming bill.
Get one · Holafly
🛡️ Travel insurance
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
Health, luggage, cancellation.
Cover it · Ekta
💳 Fee-free card
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
Pay at the real rate, with no exchange markup.
Open one · Revolut
🚐 Airport transfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
A private car at a fixed price from the moment you land.
Book it · GetTransfer
Some links are partner links: we may earn a commission, at no extra cost to you.
Good to know
Flavours & local habits
🍽️ Worth tasting
- Nyama choma: goat or beef grilled over charcoal, shared at the table and eaten with your hands.
- Ugali: a firm maize porridge, the base of most meals, used to scoop up everything else.
- Sukuma wiki: collard greens fried with onion and tomato; the name means stretch the week.
- Pilau and biryani: spiced rice dishes of the Swahili coast, shaped by centuries of trade with Arabia and India.
- Chai: black tea boiled with milk, sugar and spices, drunk all day.
⚠️ Best avoided
- Choose a licensed safari operator and follow the ranger's instructions: stay in the vehicle unless told otherwise.
- Take malaria tablets for the Mara and the coast, and drink bottled water.
- In Nairobi, do not walk after dark: use a taxi or a ride-hailing app.
- Agree prices before you set off, and bargain at the markets.
Getting by
Words that help
English ↔ Swahili
| English | Swahili |
|---|---|
| Hello | Jambo / Habari |
| Thank you | Asante |
| Please | Tafadhali |
| Yes | Ndiyo |
| No | Hapana |
| Excuse me | Samahani |
| Goodbye | Kwa heri |
| Do you speak English? | Unazungumza Kiingereza? |
| I don't understand | Sielewi |
| How much is it? | Ni bei gani? |
| Where are the toilets? | Choo kiko wapi? |
| The bill, please | Bili, tafadhali |
| Help! | Saidia! |
| Cheers! | Afya! |
The essentials
The practical page
CurrencyKenyan shilling (KES)
BudgetAbout €90 a day, mid-range
Best seasonDecember to March, and July to September
PlugG (prise UK) · 240V
Tap waterBottled only
TippingAppreciated, around 10%; safari guides are tipped by the day
Emergency999 / 112
EntryAn electronic travel authorisation (eTA) is required for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens, applied for online before departure; allow at least two weeks. Your passport must be valid six months after arrival with two blank pages.
HealthHepatitis A, typhoid and yellow fever vaccinations are recommended; a yellow fever certificate is required if you arrive from a country where the disease is present. Malaria is a risk in the reserves and on the coast, so take preventive tablets.
Scan to open this guide online, always up to date.
https://offwegooo.com/en/guides/mombasa
Don't forget
Packing checklist
Have a good trip.
Guide made on offwegooo.com · Photos via Pexels · Details are indicative, check before you leave.