FULL DAY CITY TOUR

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 06h30 and North Coast hotel 07h00
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 18h00 and NC hotel 17h30

A visit to old town reveals the rich culture and architectural heritage of Mombasa. Fort Jesus built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century: narrow streets, ancient mosques and picturesque residential houses evoke the islands medieval past. You will see the old dhow harbour, visit the bazaar, and the market. Then drive through the Elephant Tusks on Moi Avenue and call in at the Akamba woodcarvers, where you can see the carvers at work and buy souvenirs.
Lunch at the Tamarind Restaurant or Dhow. In the afternoon, visit Dr. Rene Haller’s Nature Park (Haller Park), former quarries now reforested and home to many animals.

CITY TOUR – HALF DAY

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 06h30 and North Coast hotel 07h00
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 13h30 and NC hotel 13h00

Morning tour around Mombasa town. The town dates back to the 12th century when spice traders arrived from Arabia blown across on the Trade Winds. Visit the historic old quarter, dominated by the medieval Fort Jesus built by the Portuguese in the 16th Century, with its ancient mosques and narrow bustling streets, the old dhow harbour, central market, and including a visit to the Akamba wood carvers where you have the opportunity to see the carvers at work and buy souvenirs. Return to your hotels in time for a late lunch.

FORT JESUS BY NIGHT

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 16h00 and North Coast hotel 17h00
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 23h00 and NC hotel 22h30

Depart by traditional dhow as the sun sets over the Indian Ocean. From the Old Dhow Harbour a short guided walk brings you through the Old Town to Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593. Here a vibrant evening includes excellent cuisine and the re-enactment of East Africa’s turbulent history in an extravagant show of actors, light and other displays. Dinner is served by waiters dressed in Portuguese costume and you return to your hotel around midnight.

TAMARIND EVENING DHOW TRIP

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 16h50 and North Coast hotel 17h30
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 23h00 and NC hotel 22h00

This excursion conjures up a romantic evening on board an Arab dhow. Departs the quay side whilst guests sip sundowners and enjoy nibbling appetisers as they sail to Tudor creek. The evening on-board the Arab dhow includes a delightful meal prepared by the chefs from the Tamarind Restaurant and a live band, playing popular tunes for dancing under the canopy of stars. Return to the hotel around midnight.

SWAHILI BLUE DHOW SAFARI

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 07h00 and North Coast hotel 06h00
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 18h00 and NC hotel 19h30

On arrival at Shimoni, there will be welcome teas, coffees and biscuits as well as a tour briefing aboard the Pilipipa Dhow en route to Kisite’s Coral Gardens. Marine guides accompany guests along the coral reef, pointing out items of interest, including dolphins, turtles, sting rays, moray eels and a plethora of sea birds. Chilled sodas and fresh fruit await snorkellers after their swim. Weather permitting, snorkelling is possible at two sites. Return to a private home on Wasini Island for a delicious Swahili Seafood Banquet. Good vegetarian and chicken alternatives are available on request. Lunch is served by Swahili ladies in their Forest Garden dining room and afterwards, relax in the Daydreamer’s Lounge with fresh patisseries, fruits, teas and coffees, whilst browsing through Marine literature, or admiring the breathtaking ocean view. You’ll return back to your hotel late afternoon.

KINAZINI FUNZI DHOW

Pick up / drop off from your hotel
Approximate departure time: South Coast hotel 07h00 and North Coast hotel 06h00
Approximate Duration: Return: SC hotel 18h00 and NC hotel 19h30

This trip offers you an opportunity to enjoy the unspoiled Kenya Coast …… the beautiful vistas over turquoise seas to the ecological mangrove islands and an experience among the local Shirazi people. Arrive at the Bodo Beach where the crew of the Arab Dhow will take you on a cruise through Funzi Creek, passing uninhabited islands and natural mangrove forest. On Funzi Island, you will visit an historic fishing village, which was formerly connected with the slave trade and now lies in ruins. From here, visit the village school, a private house and the market place. Continue to a unique sandbar, which emerges from the sea at low tide. Here, one can swim or simply wander over the pure white sand in the middle of the sea. Continue to sail to the uninhabited island of Kinazini where a sumptuous sea food lunch awaits with a selection for both vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals. After lunch, proceed in canoes to the nearby Ramisi river to explore the numerous species of mangroves. You will also have the rare opportunity to see crocodiles in the wild and many species of birds. Late afternoon cruise back to Bodo and transfer to your hotels.

OVERNIGHT AT SHIMBA HILLS LODGE

Day 1
Pick up from your respective hotels after lunch and drive to Shimba Hills Game Reserve. Set deep in the heart of an ancient tropical rain forest, Shimba Hills Lodge cleverly constructed in indigenous timber, blends perfectly with beautiful forest vegetation. Shimba Hills National Reserve’s 192 sq. km rolling hills and rainforest have been reserved for Kenya’s last breeding herds of the Sable antelope. Elephant, buffalo, civet, serval and genet cat share this scenic home, and can be sighted most evenings at Shimba’s floodlit waterhole. Afternoon game drive en route to the lodge.
Dinner and overnight at SHIMBA HILLS LODGE.

Day 2
Early morning game drive followed by breakfast and return to your beach hotel arriving in time for lunch.