The major city on the Coral Coast, Mombasa has been a trading center for centuries—Persians, Turks, Indians, Portuguese and the British have all left their marks. Ancient mosques, forts, museums and temples abound. Parts of the city have a North African feel: You'll find narrow roads, souks and cafes playing Arab music—some feature belly dancing. Visit 16th-century Fort Jesus (now a museum) at the southern entrance to the harbor. In the evenings, there is a sound-and-light show within the fort followed by dinner. Mombasa is good for shopping, especially for the brightly colored
kangas that local women wear and for wood carvings (the carved animals, made in the nearby cooperatives, are especially nice—you can also see the craftspeople at work). A real must in Mombasa is the dhow trip departing from Kenya Marineland, an all-day sailing trip with onboard entertainment (acrobatics, fire eating, limbo, native dancers and Mozambican wood-carvers who will custom-carve items for you). The trip can be booked by phone from almost any hotel.
About 20 mi/30 km south of town is a long stretch (6 mi/10 km) of beautiful white sand known as Diani Beach. Unfortunately, the beachfront is fairly developed and covered with aggressive souvenir salespeople, but on the reef offshore there's good snorkeling (and no vendors). If you truly want to escape the crowds (and running water isn't that important to you), head for Wasini Island—with no resorts, cars or developments to speak of, this is one of the most tranquil spots on the coast. The best way to explore is on a day trip by dhow from the south-coast hotels. This excursion includes lunch at Wasini Island's famous Charlie Claw's restaurant, which has been serving fantastic crab and seafood lunches for more than 25 years. Plan a two- or three-night stay in the area. If you have more time, combine a few days on the beach around Mombasa with a visit to one of the closer national parks such as Tsavo or Amboseli.
Mombasa is 275 mi/440 km southeast of Nairobi.