Travel guide – mombasa
Go back to travel guide home
Overview
Hot and humid, Mombasa is the biggest port on the east coast of Africa serving five different countries, and sits at the beginning of the only railway that crosses the Kenyan interior, built by the British in 1901. It is situated on an island linked to the mainland by bridges and surrounded by a natural harbour where commercial shipping mixes with traditional sailing dhows. The main attraction is the commanding 16th-century fort protecting the entrance of the harbour, Fort Jesus, whose remnants relay the story of a historic struggle for control of the coast between the Portuguese and Arabs. Behind, on Treasury Square, is the Government Game Department's Ivory Room, exhibiting elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, hippopotamus teeth and other animal trophies confiscated from poachers or taken from dead animals on the reserve. The Old Town retains a strong Arab flavour and is the true heart of the city, with an intricate pattern of winding streets alive with the colours of the traditional wrap-around clothing, crammed with faded houses and street sellers, and filled with the heavy scent of spices. It is best to visit the Old Town with an official guide, as mugging is not uncommon. As a large city, Mombasa operates as the hub of the coastal tourism trade, despite its lack of attractive beaches, so most visitors stay long enough to look around before heading either north or south to one the beautiful beach resorts nearby.
Attractions in Mombasa
Tsavo National Park
The vast Tsavo National Park is only an hour's drive from Mombasa along the main highway to Nairobi. Covering 7,712 sq miles (20,000 sq km), the park is home to giraffe, buffalo, antelopes, monkeys, many exotic birds and Kenya's largest herds of elephant. The elephant often look startlingly red, covered in the dust and mud of the region’s ruddy soil. Visitors are also likely to see rhinos - after being virtually wiped out by poachers in the 1980s their population now numbers almost 200, most are found in the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary. Poaching has now been practically eliminated and the elephant population is also increasing; there are now around 5,000 animals, up from 3,000 in 1985, but still short of the 25,000 that are estimated to have roamed the park in the 1960s. In one of the park's pools is an observation tank from where visitors can get a close-up view of hippos, crocodiles and tropical fish in their natural habitat.
Climate
The rainy seasons are April to June and October to early December. The coast is hot and humid all year round but tempered by strong onshore breezes, the lowlands are hot and dry and the highlands (including Nairobi) are more temperate and cool at night.
Health
The Kenyan Director of Medical Services confirmed on 9 June 2005 an outbreak of cholera in the densely populated Eastleigh area of Nairobi, following five deaths. Although the Provincial Commissioner has banned the sale of food from road-side outlets in the city, it is still widely available. Food prepared by unlicensed vendors should be avoided. Travellers should get the latest medical advice on inoculations and malaria prevention at least three weeks prior to departure. Immunisation against yellow fever, Hepatitis A, polio and typhoid are usually recommended. A malaria risk exists all year round, but more around Mombasa and the lower coastal areas than in Nairobi and on the high central plateau. Other risks include diarrhoeal diseases, hepatitis A, B and E and dengue fever. Protection against bites from sandflies, mosquitoes and tsetse flies is the best prevention against dengue fever and other insect-borne diseases. AIDS is a serious problem in Kenya and the necessary precautions should be taken. Water is of variable quality and visitors are advised to drink bottled water wherever possible. There are good medical facilities in Nairobi and Mombasa but health insurance is essential. A yellow fever certificate is required by anyone arriving from an infected area.
top of page