Things to do
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Diani Beach
White sand and a reef lagoon stretch for kilometres south of the ferry crossing, backed by hotels, colobus monkeys in the coastal forest and kitesurfing in the trade winds. Seaweed comes ashore in some months, and low tide pulls the water far out across the flat. Queuing for the Likoni ferry is the slow part of getting there.
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Fort Jesus
Portuguese engineers laid out this coral fort in 1593 to a plan shaped like a man, and it changed hands nine times over two centuries of sieges between Portugal and Oman. Cannon, graffiti drawn by Portuguese soldiers and a museum of coastal trade fill the site. Late afternoon light suits the ramparts, and the entrance sits at the edge of the old town.
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Haller Park
A cement quarry stripped bare by the nineteen seventies was replanted into forest and now works as a wildlife sanctuary, with giraffe, hippo, buffalo and a reptile house. Feeding times structure a visit and are posted at the gate. The rehabilitation itself, led by a Swiss agronomist across decades, is the reason the place repays a morning.
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Other
Mombasa Marine National Park
Coral gardens inside the lagoon off Nyali and Bamburi make up a protected reserve, with snorkelling trips running from the beach hotels at high tide. Fish life is good close in, though bleaching and boat traffic have taken a toll on the hard coral. Calm water and clear visibility favour the months either side of the rains.
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Mombasa Old Town
Behind the fort, narrow streets of Swahili, Omani and Indian houses run down to the old dhow harbour, past fretwork balconies, carved doors and spice shops. A guide helps, since the lanes are unsigned and much of the interest sits behind plain facades. Friday prayers quieten the quarter around midday, and the coffee sellers work the same corners every morning.
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Nyali Beach
North of the creek, a broad beach fronts the city's older suburb, quicker to reach than the south coast and busier with weekend traffic from town. Reef shelters the swimming, and glass bottom boats work the lagoon at high water. Beach sellers are persistent, and a firm answer settles it.