Mombasa  tourist attractions/Tourist Attractions in Mombasa, Hotels safaris and activities.

Mombasa is the second largest town in Kenya and one of the oldest permanent settlement at the Kenya coast. Mombasa Island is connected via a ferry to the south Coast by  Likoni Ferry across the Kilindini Channel,  to the north coast by the Nyali bridge and to West by Makupa causeway. Mombasa is cosmopolitan in both ethnicity and religious composition. Kenyans of different descent - Africans, Asians, European and Asians who are Muslims, Christians, Hindu and Buddhists are united by a common coast culture-Swahili. It is a hybrid of the intermarriage of these diverse peoples. 

Accommodation:-  Mombasa city has lots of hotels of all classes to choose from.  Mombasa Beach Hotels are to be found at the South Coast and North Coast.  We can book you the specific hotel  on request or otherwise we advise depending on your destination, preferences etc.  Note that during summer most of the hotels register heavy bookings and hence we advice you to book in advance.  This will apply to other coastal cities of Malindi and Lamu.

Car rental/ hire in Mombasa is available on request.  Just provide us with the details of the car that you desire, dates etc and you can easily collect your car at the airport or it be delivered to your hotel.

Mombasa City Tour/Mombasa Tourist Attractions/Activities-What to do in Mombasa

This tour takes you to famous sights of the Mombasa -the Fort Jesus, Hindu temple, Old town,  Mwembe Tayari open-air market, the local bazaars, handicraft carvers, the Haler's Park, Mamba Village, the elephant tusks.  Those that wish to enjoy an exotic dinner in the ocean are better advised to book the Tamarid Dhow.  This floating restaurant is part of the Carnivore group of Restaurants.  The dhow has a life band.  Port Cruises are available in the afternoon and in the evening.

Mombasa tourist Attractions/ Tourist  Attractions in Mombasa.

1.  The Fort Jesus museum:

The Portuguese built Fort Jesus in 1593. It was designed by an Italian architect and engineer, Joao Batista Cairato.  Fort Jesus was built to secure the safety of Portuguese living on the East Coast of Africa. It has served the needs of different occupants throughout its existence. It was the centre of prolonged struggle between the Arabs and the Portuguese 

To the Portuguese it was the secured there safety for 200 hundred years from 1593-1729.

Between 1837 - 1895, the Fort was used as barracks for the soldiers. When the British protectorate was proclaimed on the 1st of July, 1895, the Fort was converted into a prison.

On the 24^th of October, 1958, Fort Jesus was declared a national entity in the custody of the Trustees of the Kenya National Parks. Today the fort is a National Museum since 1962.

2.  The Elephant tasks:- A visit to Mombasa would not be complete without a visit to the Elephant tusks.  These were set up in 1952 to commemorate the visit to the town by Queen Elizabeth 2.  The Elephant tusks write the letter 'M' and nearby are the curio shops of Akamba wood carvers.

3.  Local Bazaars, Business District, Mwembe Tayari/Kuku And The Walk Through Town:

Mombasa's business district is a unique experience. Shopping is about bargaining as the price you pay is not the tag price.   Along Mombasa's Digo road you can buy anything from locally made safari boots to imported Calvin Klein jeans.  Along the streets are hawkers selling local vegetables.  The houses built along these roads are made from coral-concrete.

Mwembe Tayari literally means "ready mangoes". Here you will see vendors approved by city council selling all kinds of meats, vegetables and fruits. These days, vendors outside the market sell used clothing brought from western countries.

4.  The Haller's/ Haller Park-The Bamburi Nature Trail

Formerly Bamburi Nature Trail, Haller Park is a reclaimed remnant of the moonscape landscape of the quarry left by the Bamburi Cement Company.  It has been named Haller's Park in honor of Rene Haler,  the German naturalist who reclaimed it.  Reclamation started in 1971.  Today,  the quarry is a luxuriant garden, ideal for relaxation and adventure featuring crocodile/fish farm, snake park and worth a visit.   Haller's Challenge lay in establishing soil the medium for vegetation growth.  His first attempt was a dismal failure.  However on further trial only three trees survived-the casuarinas, Conocapus and Coconut palm.  To establish soil, he introduced the red legged millipede to feed on the fallen casuarina leaves.  Among the activities one can engage  in at the Haller park are horse riding, bird watching, tortoise rides.

Besides the Haller park is an education centre for sustainable development, wildlife conservation, flora and fauna.  They have a world class conference centre located in cool atmosphere.  You can also organize your wedding at the park.

Today Haller Park has been in the international focus following a unique relationship between a tortoise and the hippo.

A variety of trees are found in Haller Park.  These include Neem Tree (Mwarubaine), Mvule and Mbambakofi.

Several species of monkeys can be sighted including-Green Vervet Monkey,Sykes Monkey and Mona Monkey,  Other mammals include the oryx, the eland, cape buffalo, giraffe.

Haller park boasts of 160 species of birds.

5.  Mamba Village

Featuring a crocodile farm amidst bridges.  It also has a specialty restaurant where one can taste all the marine and game meats.

It also has a very lively disco.

6.  Ngomongo Village/Villages Park:

A visit to Mombasa  is incomplete without a visit to Ngomongo Villages.  Like Bomas of Kenya(Nairobi) Ngomongo Villages Park is a collection of 9 diverse RURAL KENYA TRIBAL HOMESTEADS, each complete with hut, cultivated crops, domestic and wild animals ( like crocodiles for the El molo man) wild animal traps, charms and fetishes, tinsmiths and even a village witch doctor!

Each village has tribe - specific activities for you to engage in, including archery, boating, rafting, tasting tribal foods and liquor, forest walk, hook fishing, grinding and pounding maize.   After the trek through the village households, you get the � deja vu� feeling that you have literally walked throughout rural Kenya in only 1 � hours.
 

7.  Marine Parks

Several marine parks exists at the coast giving one the best opportunities to visit the colourful marine life including the coral gardens and the colourful fish.  These includes-Malindi Watamu marine park, Kiunga Marine Park, Kisite Mpungati Marine Park. The parks are ideal for wind surfing, snorkeling, water skiing, sunbathing, diving and bird watching.

8. National Parks and Sanctuaries

While in Mombasa you can organize excursions or day trips to the following national parks

• Shimba Hills National Park-Covering 320Km2, the park  has elephants, buffalo, bush buck, monkeys, and the only population of Sable antelopes. It provides superb views of the coast. You can even spend the night at Shimba Rainforest Lodge.

• Mwalugange Elephant Sanctuary-Established in 1995 to offer a solution to the human elephant conflict, the Mwalugange Elephant Eanctuary covers 24,000Hac.  It is connected to Shimba Hills National park by a fenced corridor.    The Mwalugange Elephant Sanctuary is run by the local Duruma community.  You can be accommodated at Traveller's Mwalugange Elephant Camp.

• Adjacent to these two wildlife sanctuary is the privately owned Sable Valley Game Sanctuary.  It has an exclusive tented Camp-Mukurumuji Tented Camp.

Activities

• Snorkeling

• diving

• swimming

• Deep sea fishing

• Boat rides

• Ocean Cruises

• Golf

• Sunbathing