Mombasa is the Coast's Capital and is one of the Country's main attractions. It offers historical sites, trading ports with a strong Arab-Muslim influence, superb beaches and diving opportunities.
Leave your Resort at 8.00 am and arrive at Akamba Handicraft Centre.This place is a co-operative of more than 2000 wood carvers and you get to watch their skills in handicrafts. There is a Showroom where you can buy souvenirs to take back home.
Fort Jesus is one of the city's biggest attractions.Built in 1593 by the Portuguese, it changed hands nine times between 1631 and 1875. The Fort was designed by an Italian architect Mr. Joao Batista Cairato, who had done a lot of work for the Portuguese in Goa.He incorporated some ingenious elements into the design, such as the angular configuration of walls, making it impossible for would-be invaders to lay seize to one wall without being sitting ducks for soldiers in one of the other walls. The Museum inside the fort exibits mostly ceramics and other interesting collections excavated along the coast which reflect the variety of cultures that have influenced the coast - Chinese, Indian, Portuguese & Persian.
The Old town is still a fascinating area to wander around. The old Dhow Harbour where dhows were built and repaired is worth a look.The buildings in the old town represent a combination of styles and traditions that include the long established coastal Swahili architecture, late 19th century Indian styles and British colonial architecture with its broad shady verandas, glazed and shuttered windows.
From Wasteland to Paradise ....... The story of Baobab Farm is a miracle of turning a barren, lunar-type landscape into an ecologically sustainable wonder. Over the past 3 decades, quarries that were previously excavated by Bamburi Cement factory have been transformed into a variety of recreational facilities including forest/nature trails, game sanctuaries, and crocodile/fish farms. Visitors get to visit Haller park - home to animals like hippo, antelope, Birds, reptiles, snakes, giant tortoises, crocodiles and giraffe.Dine on a variety of venison, game birds, crocodile, fish and Swahili-style vegetables in the unique Whistling Pine Restaurant where most of the delicacies are fresh Baobab farm produce.
Retum to the resort at dusk, after a shopping trip to one of the Biggest Supermarkets in Mombasa.
Full Day Malindi Town Tour –Daily
Malindi Town is situated approximately 100 kms. from the city of Mombasa. It was an important Swahili settlement as far back as the 14th Century and was one of the few places on the Coast to offer a friendly welcome to early Portuguese explorers. Vasco da Gama landed here in 1498 and in the following year erected a cross to commemorate the occasion. Carved from Lisbon limestone and inscribed with the Portuguese coat of arms, the cross was originally erected at the site of Sheikh of Malindi's palace, but later taken down and re-erected at Vasco Da Gama point where it stands to this present day.
Leave the hotel at 8.00 a.m. and on arrival at Malindi, cruise on a glass-bottom boat inside the protected Malindi Marine National Park to take you out to the coral reef. There is still some amazing marine life in the park which you get to see while you snorkel and feed the fish.
Lunch at a beautiful resort where you can take a dip in the pool to beat the afternoon sun.
After lunch visit the Falconry near the town centre which has a number of caged Birds of prey, as well as a huge tortoise roaming around. Visit the snake farm where you get to see some of the most feared and poisonous snakes of Africa like Black & Green Mamba.
Enroute home, visit the famous Gedi ruins, one of principal historical monuments on the coast. This once thriving Arab-Swahili city was mysteriously by abandoned in early 17th century and excavated early 20th century by English explorers. Excavations, which have uncovered such things as Ming Chinese porcelain and glass and glazed earthenware from Persian have indicated the 13th century as its foundation. There is a small museum with some items excavated from the ruins on display.
Ngomongo Villages - Daily, Half Day
Not everyone can come to Kenya and see all the Kenyans.The idea is to make tourists learn about Kenyans and Kenya itself. Ngomongo Villages is a collection of 10 diverse RURAL Kenya Tribal HOMESTEADS set in an abandoned murram quarry reclaimed into a lush forest over a period of ten years, each complete with hut, cultivated crops, domestic & wild animals (Like crocodile for the EI molo man) wild animal traps, charms and fetishes, tinsmiths and even a village witch doctor! Each Village has a tribe - specific-activities for you to engage in, including archery, boating, rafting, tasting tribal foods and liquor, trekking, hook fishing, grinding and pounding maize. After the trek through the village households, you get the feeling that you have literally walked throughout rural Kenya in less than 11/2 hours.
