I recently spent time in warm East Africa, visiting a friend and exploring Kenya, primarily Mombasa. This beautiful coastal city, Kenya’s second largest and former capital of British East Africa, boasts a rich history. Around 1895, the British Empire encompassed North African countries like Egypt, stretching along the waterfront through Kenya and Tanzania, and reaching South Africa. Today, historical sites like the 16th-century Portuguese-built Fort Jesus offer a glimpse into Kenya’s past.
Therefore a visit of Fort Jesus and the historical center is a must do.









This should definitely also include a visit to the local market to get some local and cheap food.




Frequent travel to Africa led me to discover Mombasa’s rich cultural mix. It’s a true melting pot, influenced by African, Arabian, and Indian traditions. This diversity made everyday meals especially interesting and exciting.
From my base in central Mombasa (Nyali), I split my time between work (as this was more of a “workation”) and relaxing on the beach or exploring the historical center. While Uber is a common way to get around, I opted to rent a scooter for my 3.5-week stay. This proved more challenging than anticipated. The traffic is terrible, and upper-class drivers frequently ignore rules, lanes, and other road users. Predictably, I was hit. Despite my frustration with the ruined clothes, the scrapes on my knee and elbow, and the driver’s hit-and-run, I was grateful for my helmet and some good fortune.
Mombasa’s beaches near the city center are decent, but often crowded due to their limited number. While relatively clean, the paths to them are sometimes littered with trash, which locals seem accustomed to. This might explain the low tourist numbers at these central beaches. Further north, where hotel resorts begin, beaches become nicer and tourist numbers increase, but so does the number of annoying vendors.




A giraffe sanctuary 20 minutes from Nyali offered an opportunity for a brief wildlife viewing experience. This sufficed, as a full safari was planned for a future trip in another country.




Diani
I took a weekend trip south to enjoy better beaches. A two-hour drive brought me to Diani, a small town. I originally planned to leave the resort to explore or eat out. However, the beach, water, food, and atmosphere were so incredible that I stayed at the resort the entire time. It was simply stunning.









Some last, sad words
I was shocked by the daily racism I witnessed in Kenya (though never experienced myself), including racial and gender discrimination. I was particularly struck by the poor treatment of women. For example, I once saw a man in an elevator simply push a woman back as she tried to exit on her floor.
I also witnessed a cafe owner (an Indian woman) treat her staff with maximum disrespect. I was sitting in the cafe and watching the whole conversation. Even though the cake and coffee were good, I never went back. I later learned that Indians and Arabs often treat locals this way, leading Kenyans to mostly keep to themselves.
After three and a half weeks in Kenya, I left to enjoy one of the best islands I’ve ever visited, but that’s another story.
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