Please come and consult with our Entertainment Team about the fabulous, guided excursions available, for your sight-seeing and experiential pleasure.
The island of Mombasa was originally called “Manbasa”, which means Island of war, having been at the centre of countless wars of occupation by the early settlers, including Arabs, Portuguese, local tribes and the British. Experience Mombasa’s rich seafaring traditions, coral reefs, seafood, architectural wonders, palm tree fringed white sand beaches, exciting attractions, and rich and diverse cultural heritage.
Fort Jesus: Built by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596, Fort Jesus is a well-preserved military fortification – a reminder of the great battles of the 16th Century – and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. View weapons used by the Portuguese to defend the Island during the 16th century as you catch beautiful views of the Indian ocean, the blue waters, and surrounding areas.
P.S. Fort Jesus is a great Instagrammable Place!
Mombasa Tusks: The Mombasa Tusks monument was initially built in the 1950s to commemorate a visit by the British royal family. Originally just two tusks made of wood, they are now made of aluminium and there are four tusks positioned to intersect and form giant arches over Moi Avenue in the centre of Mombasa city.
Butterfly House: A butterfly encounter at Mombasa Butterfly House is a truly rewarding experience for the whole family. Linked to a greater community-based conservation project that is designed to encourage local communities to conserve the remaining forest areas and invest in conserving the biodiversity of these spaces.
Likoni Ferry: Likoni Ferry service is a crucial transport service, for both people and goods, between Mombasa and mainland Kenya, transporting some 300 000 people and 6 000 vehicles per day. Operating since 1937, the service bridges a distance of 500 meters across Kilindini Harbour.
Haller Park (Bamburi Nature Trail): Once the site of a limestone quarry that, after all the limestone had been mined, left behind a barren wasteland and unsightly scar on the Mombasa landscape; Haller Park is a shining beacon of conservation showcasing what can be achieved in regard to transforming a once desolate and sterile area into a viable and flourishing ecological environment. Haller Park encompasses a wildlife sanctuary and animal orphanage for rescued wildlife either found sick, stranded, or orphaned in the wild. There is also a reptile park, an aquaculture and fish farm, botanical gardens, and a butterfly pavilion.
Malindi Marine National Park: “Africa’s first marine park and one of the world's last great natural marine reserves”, Malindi Marine Park is located to the south of Malindi town. The marine park is endowed with magnificent resources such as fringing reefs, coral gardens in the lagoons, sea grass beds, mangroves, mudflats, high fish diversity, turtles, and various species of shorebirds.
It offers protection to one of the world's most famous coral reefs. Glowing with coral gardens and teeming with vividly fantastic fish, the park provides a haven for divers and a window into the wonders of the deep for snorkelers, swimmers, and rock pool dabblers alike.
Mida Creek: Mida creek is a large creek lined with mangrove forest and renowned for its waders, kingfishers, and crab plovers. Birdwatching (migratory birds), fishing, mangrove walks (specially on the wobbling 260m suspended bridge!), and dugout canoes trips can be enjoyed here. Mida Creek spans from the spectacular entrance from the sea, with its dramatic water currents and coral outcrops, to the far ends that are a tangled ribbon of channels and sandbanks, and the ideal places for wetland birds to feed at low tide. Approximately 6kms long, the creek has many narrower brackish and fresher tributaries where the waters are still and clear, and the mangrove forest is enveloping.
“This cannot be less than natural beauty, the endless sand, the reefs, the lot, are completely unmatched in the world.” - Ernest Hemingway
Kuruwitu: “Conserving to restore the promise of the sea.” The Kuruwitu area is special because there are very few places along the East African Coastline that are still relatively undeveloped. The area is unique in the way mammals and birdlife have a direct relationship with marine life. The mammals that dwell in the forest have direct access to the beach that shares its shore with the community, as it has for hundreds of years. The Kuruwitu area has long sandy beaches, coral reefs, lagoons, ancient indigenous forests, caves, mangrove swamps and ruins over 400 years old.
Activities at Kuruwitu
Snorkelling: Have you ever seen an octopus camouflage itself to look like coral then come alive? How about a porcupine fish puff up to 3 or 4 times its original ? A snorkelling excursion in Kuruwitu marine sanctuary provides access into the incredible reef world that is flourishing here, and the opportunity to see over 200 fish species and other amazing creatures of the ocean. The area offers fantastic marine biodiversity and the chance to contribute to a phenomenal community-based conservation project.
Deep-Sea Tours, Deep-Sea fishing, Glass Bottom Boat trips, Snorkelling and Dolphin/Whale Watching Tours: Excitement above the water comes along with the experience of deep-sea tourist activities. Just one kilometre beyond the reef, the ocean drops to 100 meters. Dolphin tours are best done between December and February since dolphins are spotted mostly within that time frame.
Bush Excursions and Village Tours: Enjoy village tours with the service of trained local tour guides. During the bush excursions, look out for mammals endemic to the coast like bush babies, sykes, blue and vervet monkeys as well as baboons, sunnis, monitor lizards, hedgehogs, owls and genet cats to name a few.
Travel back in time as you explore the ancient Swahili ruins: 'Big House of Slaves’
Jumba la Mtwana means ‘Big House of Slaves’ in Swahili and it is believed that the town was an important slave port in the 14th or 15th century. Within the site, four mosques, a tomb and four houses have survived in recognisable condition.
The site lies some 15 kilometres north of Mombasa on and above the beach, near mouth of Mtwapa creek. It extends along the shore for about 300 meters and 250 meters inland. The mystery behind this village is what lures many into making a trip here. Very little is left of the thought-to-be once vibrant town except crumbling homes, weather-beaten stones, and coral covered paths. As you stand in the middle of the deserted area, listening to the choral whispers created by the cool breeze sweeping the land; as you gaze at the ocean washing over the pristine sandy beaches and the relics of long-ago homes spread out through the forested area, you cannot help but wonder what really happened to this ancient settlement
Gede Ruins: Gede is one of Kenya's great unknown treasures, a wonderful lost city lying in the depths of the great Arabuko Sokoke Forest. It is also a place of great mystery, an archaeological puzzle that continues to engender debate among historians and is a mysterious and atmospheric place to visit. The pillars and stone walls, ruined mosques and tombs now lie among stands of trees. The stone floors are thick with leaves, and giant shrews scuttle through the deserted houses while birds and butterflies drift through the air.
Wandering through Gede is an ideal way to spend a morning or afternoon, lost among the secrets of the past.
Mida Creek: Exploring Mida Creek is a must for everyone looking for an exciting change from sunbathing and relaxing on the beach. Be amazed by the world-famous birdlife of Mida Creek during a kayak tour through one of the many branches of the rich mangrove forests. Come close to the local flamingo population on the sandbars of the lagoon or encounter one of the various migrant birds that are spending the European winter in sunny Watamu.
Arabuko Sokoke Forest is the largest remaining tract of coastal forest in East Africa and is a unique and biodiverse protected natural treasure. This cool and shaded retreat is home to some of Africa's most rare and unusual creatures.
A Biodiversity Hotspot: home to a wide variety of plant and animal species, including several rare and endemic ones. One of the last remaining strongholds for many rare and threatened species, such as the Sokoke Scops Owl, the Golden-rumped Elephant shrew, and the Ader's Duiker.
Ranked by Bird Life International as the second most important forest for bird conservation in mainland Africa, and home to six globally threatened species. The Clarke's weaver is found nowhere else in the world, and the rare and adorable Sokoke Scops Owl is only found here and in one other tiny site in Tanzania.
Rare Plant Species: a rich diversity of plant species, including several that are rare or found nowhere else on Earth. Notable examples include the Sokoke pipewort (a rare type of plant) and various orchid species.
