Mombasa

About Mombasa

Mombasa is Kenya's great port and one of the oldest towns on the Swahili coast, an island joined to the mainland by bridges, causeways and the Likoni ferry. Centuries of trade with Arabia, Persia and India left their mark: in the carved doors and wooden balconies of the Old Town, in the call to prayer, and in cooking built on coconut, cardamom and tamarind.

Start at Fort Jesus, the Portuguese fortress begun in 1593 and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, whose thick coral walls passed between Portuguese and Omani forces again and again. Then walk the Old Town lanes with a local guide, past the old harbour, spice shops and coffee sellers pouring strong kahawa from brass kettles. Lunch might be biryani with mahamri, and a madafu, a young coconut, cracked open at the roadside.

The Madaraka Express train runs from Nairobi to Mombasa through Tsavo, and Moi International Airport has frequent flights from Nairobi. The coast is hot and humid from January to March, rainy from April to June, and most comfortable from July to October. Pair a day or two here with Tsavo East, an easy drive inland, then finish on the sand at Diani, on the north-coast beaches of Nyali and Bamburi, or across the water in Zanzibar.