Mombasa Excursions

You board the Dhow at the Tamarind Restaurant at 4 PM for a 2-hour sunset cruise; onboard you're served cocktails and dropped at the Old Port. From there you walk across the enchanting Old Town, which is lit with holograms from the 15th Century to The Fort Jesus for the show, followed by a 5-Course Dinner & Wine. Your tour ends with a night tour of Fort Jesus. The Experience is 5 hours.

A full day tour ideal for guests staying in Diani or Mombasa. Takes you on a dhow tour, river tour and mangroves. You have a chance of spotting crocodiles on a traditional dhow in one of the last ecologically intact paradises on earth. On this tour guests will also visit an ancient fishing village.

You will depart from your beach hotel early in the morning and drive to Bodo where the tour commences with a Swahili breakfast. The day includes a dhow boat trip out to a sand bank close to Funzi Island where you have the chance to swim in the crystal waters of the Indian Ocean.

You will also travel up the Ramisi River by motorized canoe on the lookout for the birds and crocodiles that live in the mangroves. A delicious seafood lunch is included, along with trips to the village on Funzi Island where you will visit the local school and observe daily life. This is a fascinating insight into rural Kenya and the organisers are involved in many community projects to help the local people.

Gede ruins are the remains of a Swahili town, typical of most towns along the East African Coast. It traces its origin to the twelfth century but was rebuilt with new town walls in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. This rebuilding is connected with the emigration of many citizens of Kilwa to Mombasa, Malindi and other places along the coast.

With its numerous inhabitants, the town became wealthy and reached its peak in the fifteenth century. This enormous wealth is evidenced by the presence of numerous ruins, comprising mosques, a magnificent palace and houses all nestled in 45 acres of primeval forest. But in the first half of the seventeenth century the last families left the town.

Gede's eventual abandonment to nature is believed to be the result of several factors: the Wazimba raid along the East African coast in 1589, the removal of the Sheikh of Malindi and the Portuguese to Mombasa in 1593, the falling water table, and the overhanging menace of the Galla, a hostile nomadic ethnic group from Somalia. Gede remains the first intensively studied site on the coast and was gazetted as a Historical Monument in 1927.

Guests explore the picturesque island city of Mombasa, learn about its colonial history, old town, and nature. Get the perfect introduction to the city by visiting with a local guide, who will share stories about Mombasa culture and heritage, and introduce you to local cuisine in the old town market.

The other activities include a visit to the authentic Akamba wood carvers, visits to the Hindu Temple, and to Fort Jesus — a UNESCO World Heritage site built in 1593, now a museum. Visitors also enjoy a drive along the seafront.

Ngomongo Cultural Centre (also called The Ngomongo Villages) is a look back in time — a miniature of tribal life and community groundings. Here you are able to get a glimpse of the lifestyles and cultures that existed for centuries before civilisation came to Africa. Here you will see all of Kenya in one place.

At the Ngomongo village, a themed eco-cultural centre, experience traditional homesteads and participate in the tribal lifestyles of different Kenyan communities. Activities include grinding maize, food preparation, beer brewing, music and dance.

"Nawalilkher" and "Babulkher" are authentic ocean-worthy Jahazis (traditional Arab sailing boats), formerly used for cargo trading along the Kenyan coast and on to the Arab states. They have been refurbished as floating restaurants retaining all the traditional aspects of the original dhow. They are now moored at the Mombasa Tamarind jetty.

The Dinner Cruise commences at 6.30 PM. Guests will enjoy a delicious seafood dinner meticulously prepared in Swahili style on the deck in front of the guests. The resident DJ on board offers a wide choice of dance music, from the latest hits to the golden oldies, as the dhow gently glides back to the Tamarind jetty by 10.30 PM.

Visit the Akamba handcraft — one of the largest wood carving industries and markets in Kenya. After, visit the Indian temple where you will learn about Hinduism, Lord Swaminarayan and Lord Rama. You will also have the chance to see the elephant tusks along Mombasa's Moi Avenue; they were commissioned in commemoration of Queen Elizabeth's visit to Mombasa in 1952.

Visit Fort Jesus, built by the Portuguese in 1593, which later became the government prison during the British colonial period in 1947. After, explore the old town where you will walk along the narrow streets, visit the old harbour with its Arabic boats and one of the oldest mosques near the harbour. Proceed to the Mackinnon market to learn about food spices, local foods and vegetables. Enjoy lunch at the Tamarind restaurant.

This will be followed by a visit to Haller Park (formerly Bamburi Nature Trail) where you may feed the giraffes, see the crocodiles and hippos feeding. Haller Park is home to buffalos, eland antelopes, giraffes, waterbucks, oryx, snakes, crocodiles, hippos, tortoise and different species of birds.

Wasini Island is one of the best snorkelling and diving areas along the Kenyan coast. The waters around Wasini are home to two species of dolphins: the gregarious bottlenose dolphin and the more elusive humpback dolphin. Also regularly spotted are sea turtles. On occasion, humpback whales can be seen during their seasonal migration.

This south coast Mombasa excursion is special for dolphin watching trips at Kisite Marine National Park, snorkelling and dhow cruising. There are daily pick-ups and drop-offs at Mombasa and Diani hotels. Snacks are provided on board, with skilled snorkelling guides and committed crew to ensure your day is memorable.

A seafood lunch at Wasini Island with well-cooked rice is served at the restaurant with a sea view and sea breeze.

Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary is located southwest of Mombasa in Kwale County, a mere 45 kilometres away. Depart for the Elephant Sanctuary and enjoy morning and afternoon game drives with lunch.

In addition to elephants and its prolific birdlife, Mwaluganje offers sanctuary to warthog, zebra, bushbuck and the ubiquitous colobus monkey.