Things to do in The Coast
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Dhow Trip
Taking a Dhow Trip is almost obligatory and drifting through the mangroves is a wonderful way to experience the islands. You'll be approached by touts and would-be captains almost as soon as you arrive, but it's worth shopping around to find a captain you like and a price you're happy with. Prices vary depending on where you want to go and how long you go for. Groups of more than five aren't recommended as the boats aren't very big.
Solo travellers joining an existing group to make up numbers will often be offered a great price, on the condition that they don't tell their fellow passengers how much they paid. As this generally means the others paid the extortionate asking…
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The Office
Perched above the Likoni ferry jetty and matatu stand, the entirely unaptly named Office is a real locals' hangout with regular massive reggae and dub nights shaking the thatched rafters. Any business that goes on here is definitely not the executive kind.
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Olympic Restaurant
Further south near the waterfront woodyards, the Olympic serves the usual favourites. It's less popular than its more central rivals, but no worse off for that. The owners are very friendly and it's a favourite with a slightly older crowd.
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Singh Restaurant
The Sikh temple near the bus stands operates this small cafeteria restaurant, tipped by Mombasans in the know as one of the best places in town for vegetarians.
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Hapa Hapa Restaurant
Advocated vehemently by its regulars, this waterfront eatery is a bit more informal and African under its low thatch than your average.
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Mombasa Coffee House
Take the opportunity to escape above Moi Ave for fresh coffee and snacks, or local meals away from the daily grind.
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Books First
Well-stocked bookshop outlet with separate café, in the Nakumatt supermarket.
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Fort Jesus
Mombasa's biggest tourist attraction, Fort Jesus dominates the harbour entrance at the end of Nkrumah Rd. The metre-thick coral walls make it an imposing edifice, despite being partially ruined. The fort was built by the Portuguese in 1593 to enforce their rule over the coastal Swahilis, but they rarely managed to hold onto it for long. It changed hands at least nine times in bloody sieges between 1631 and 1875, finally falling under British control. It houses a museum, built over the former barracks. The exhibits are mostly ceramics, reflecting the variety of cultures that traded along the coast, but include other interesting odds and ends donated from private collection…
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Mombasa Old Town Conservation Society
While Mombasa's Old Town doesn't quite have the medieval charm of Lamu or Zanzibar, it's still an interesting area to wander around. The houses here are characteristic of coastal East African architecture, with ornately carved doors and window frames and fretwork balconies, designed to protect the modesty of the female inhabitants. Sadly, many of these have been destroyed; there is now a preservation order on the remaining doors and balconies, so further losses should hopefully be prevented.
The Mombasa Old Town Conservation Society is encouraging the renovation of many dilapidated buildings
From the outside there's little evidence of what any of these buildings were once …
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Lamu Museum
Housed in a very grand Swahili warehouse on the waterfront, the Lamu Museum is an excellent introduction to the culture and history of Lamu Island. It's one of the most interesting small museums in Kenya, with displays on Swahili culture, the famous coastal carved doors, the Maulid Festival, Lamu's nautical history and the tribes who used to occupy this part of the coast in pre-Muslim days, including the Boni, who were legendary elephant-hunters. There's a bookshop that is specialising in Lamu and Swahili culture.
The pride of the collection are the remarkable and ornate siwa (ceremonial horns) of Lamu and Paté, dating back to the 17th century. Lamu's siwa is made of eng…
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Swahili House Museum
If the Lamu Museum stokes your interest in Swahili culture, this beautifully restored traditional house tucked away off to the side of Yumbe House hotel will put you firmly back in the past.
Inside Swahili House Museum you'll find a recreation of a working Swahili home, with cookware, beds and other furniture. The attendant will give you a whistle-stop but informative tour in between small talk, including some fascinating descriptions of the regimented lives of Swahilis in the 18th and 19th centuries.
Traditional Swahili homes were built along rigid social lines, with separate quarters for men and women and audience halls that allowed men to receive guests without infringi…
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KWS Office
Most people visit the marine park on a snorkelling or glass-bottomed boat trip, which can be arranged at the KWS office on the coast road south of town. Boats only go out at low tide, so it's a good idea to call in advance to check times. The going rate is around KSh3500 per boat (five to ten people) for a two-hour trip, and masks and snorkels are provided. Alternatively, you can take a tour with any of the agencies in town.
The use of fins (flippers) is discouraged as there has been lots of damage caused by inexperienced snorkellers. Walking atop the reef at low tide also does irreparable damage and should be avoided. The KWS compound sits on a lovely stretch of beach an…
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Mida Creek
The extensive mangrove forests around Mida Creek, just south of Watamu, support a huge number of bird species, including the spectacular malachite kingfisher, yellow-billed stork and African fish eagle. It's paradise for bird-watchers and there is also some good snorkelling and scuba diving at the mouth of the creek.
The head of the creek, the best area for viewing waterbirds, is reached by a dirt road opposite the Mida entrance to the Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve. The guides who work out of the reserve can organise guided walks in the mangroves.
Many people also come here on boat tours (arranged through Watamu hotels), which visit a boardwalk and picnic ground on Sudi Is…
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Bio Ken Snake Farm
This excellent Bio Ken Snake Farm is by far the best of the snake parks along the coast. It was established by the late James Ashe, a reptile expert and former curator from the National Museums of Kenya, who achieved such recognition in his field that he even has a bush viper named after him.
The farm is a nonprofit organisation, providing free antivenin wherever it is needed in Kenya. As well as touring the facilities, staff can take you on a day safari to look for snakes in their natural habitat.
The centre is just north of Watamu village on the main beach road.
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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.
The turn-off for the centre is on the left about 3km north of Nyali bridge.
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Malindi Marine National Park
Immediately offshore from Malindi and extending south as far as Watamu, this important marine park covers 213 sq km and protects some impressive coral reefs, although the piles of seashells on sale in Malindi may make you wonder just how much that protection is worth.
Despite the extensive damage there is still some amazing marine life here, and there's always a chance you may see megafauna such as whale sharks and mako sharks. Note that underwater visibility is severely reduced by silt from the Galana River between March and June.
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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.
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Bush Gardens Restaurant
The Bush Gardens is the template for a whole set of restaurants along the waterfront, offering breakfasts, seafood - excellent fish, top-value 'monster crab' and the inevitable lobster in Swahili sauce - and superb juices and shakes mixed up in panelled British pint mugs. Somehow just about every traveller on Lamu ends up here at some point, and it remains a great meeting point and a firm favourite with repeat visitors. We hear the samosas are quite good, with a squeeze of lime of course.
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Lamu Fort
The bulky, atmospheric Lamu Fort squats on Lamu's main square like a weary intruder among the airy Swahili roofs. The building of this massive structure was begun by the Sultan of Paté in 1810 and completed in 1823. From 1910 right up to 1984 it was used as a prison, and it now houses the island's library and some lacklustre displays on natural history and the environment, which a guide will show you around. The highlight is scaling the ramparts for some sweeping town views.
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Vasco da Gama Pillar
Malindi's most famous monument, although it isn't particularly impressive, is the bell-shaped Vasco da Gama Pillar , erected by the Portuguese explorer as a navigational aid in 1498. The coral pillar is topped by a cross made of Lisbon stone, which almost certainly dates from da Gama's time, and stands on the rocks at the northern end of Casuarina Beach. From the rocks there are good views along the coast. To get here, follow the signs from the alley beside Scorpio Villas.
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Tamarind Dhow
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. The lunch cruises leave at 13:00. Longer and more splendid evening cruises leave at 18:30. There is a choice of seafood, steak and vegetarian dishes. Prices include a complimentary cocktail and transport to and from your hotel.
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New Florida Nightclub
This vast seafront complex houses Mombasa's liveliest nightclub, which boasts its own casino, restaurants and even an open-air swimming pool. It's owned by the same people as the infamous Florida clubs in Nairobi and offers much the same atmosphere, clientele and Las Vegas-style floorshows, with the added bonus of outdoor bars, table football and real German Currywurst (curry sausage)! Friday, Saturday and Sunday are the big party nights.
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German Post Office Museum
In the late 1800s, before the British decided to nip German expansion into Tanganyika in the bud, the Germans regarded Lamu as an ideal base from where they could successfully and safely exploit the interior. As part of their efforts the German East Africa Company set up a post office on Kenyatta Rd, and the old building is now the German Post Office Museum exhibiting photographs and memorabilia from that fleeting period of colonial history.
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Watamu Turtle Watch
Several species of marine turtle lay their eggs on the beaches around Watamu and Watamu Turtle Watch, part of the Local Ocean Trust, has set up a series of initiatives with local people to protect these threatened animals. Female turtles lay thousands of eggs here between January and April. Contact the trust's Marine Information Centre if you're interested in seeing this incredible natural spectacle or volunteering with local projects.
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