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We offer holidays to the four corners of the globe. If you want specialist advise please phone our travel team and we will be happy to help.
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- Destinations
- Africa
- Kenya
- Mombasa
Mombasa
The hot and humid holiday destination of Mombasa is the biggest
port on the east coast of Africa, serving five different countries
and located at the beginning of the only railway that crosses the
Kenyan interior, built by the British in 1901. Mombasa is situated
on an island linked to the mainland by bridges and surrounded by a
natural harbour where commercial shipping mixes with traditional
sailing dhows.
The main Mombasa holiday attraction is the commanding
16th-century fort protecting the entrance of the harbour, Fort
Jesus, whose remnants relay the story of a historic struggle for
control of the coast between the Portuguese and Arabs. Behind this,
on Treasury Square, is the Government Game Department's Ivory Room,
exhibiting elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, hippopotamus teeth and
other animal trophies confiscated from poachers or taken from dead
animals on the reserve.
Mombasa's Old Town retains a strong Arab flavour and is the true
heart of the city, with an intricate pattern of winding streets
alive with the colours of the traditional wrap-around clothing,
crammed with faded houses and street sellers, and filled with the
heavy scent of spices. It is best to visit the Old Town with an
official guide when on holiday, as mugging is not uncommon.
As a large city, Mombasa operates as the holiday hub of the
coastal tourism trade, despite its lack of attractive beaches, so
most visitors stay long enough to look around before heading either
north or south to one the beautiful beach resorts nearby.
Information & Facts
Language
English is the official language but Swahili is the
national language, with 42 ethnic languages spoken.
Money
The unit of currency is the Kenyan Shilling (KES), divided into
100 cents. It is not advisable to take Kenyan Shillings out of the
country, as they are difficult to exchange elsewhere. Travellers
cheques in Sterling or US Dollars are recommended for your trip to
Kenya. US Dollars in particular have become commonly used in many
of the country's main hotels and safari lodges. Foreign currency
can be changed at banks, bureaux de change and hotels; easiest to
exchange are US dollars, pounds sterling or Euros. Street exchange
merchants should be avoided as they are operating illegally. Banks
open Monday to Friday from 9am to 3pm and on the first and last
Saturday of the month. Banks and bureaux de change at the
international airport stay open 24 hours. Credit Cards (American
Express, Visa and MasterCard) are accepted in the larger hotels and
stores, and some camps and lodges. ATMs are widely available in
Nairobi and the major towns.