Mombasa

Akamba Handicraft

Decorative and useful objects made of sculpted wood. The carvings are hand made and hence each piece is unique. You can see the artisans at work in the shop and there's a showroom with a wide range of exhibits. In the hall for the tourists, prices are higher than on the opposite side of the ground, where wholesalers buy.

Bamburi Forest Trails

Beautiful, mostly flat terrain for walking, cycling and running with routes from 3.5 to 10 km marked with small coloured wooden arrows. There is a children's playground, fitness trail, archery, cycle track and (vintage) bicycles for hire. It is a diverse ecosystem with beautiful flora, ponds, monkeys and butterflies, and it is pleasantly cool in the shade of the trees. It is a recreational hideout in the tidy jungle. You can also just sit and listen to the sounds of the bush or take a walk in the shade of the trees. Please note: It is not allowed to bring plastic bottles.

Bamburi Forest Trails and Butterfly Park

The forested area most visited by locals and tourists is in Bamburi. It has many ponds, covers and area of 100 ha and you can get around by foot or bike. Nguuni Wildlife Sanctuary is located here, a place where you can encounter giraffes, ostriches, oryx and deer in semi-liberty. In the Butterfly Pavillion you can admire 16 species of living butterflies.

Ksh 200

Big Tree

Dance club directly at the sea front with a very good atmosphere and super sexy dance contests.

Bigfish Sports Fishing

Offshore fishing in the Indian Ocean. Tours include fishing equipment and cold drinks. Their boats can also be chartered.

Tours from GBP220

Blue Room

Indian and Asian cuisine, hamburgers and special ice cream. Self service.

Daily 7AM-10PM

Bob's Bar

Lively and popular bar near Tembo. This bar and grill is where a lot of great nights out get started. One of the few bars that is open until sunrise! 3 bars, one of them has a terrace. Disco. Serves food.

Bollywood Bites

Vegetarian restaurant with dishes from various Indian cuisines, non-smoking section, catering service.

5PM-10:30PM

Bombolulu Cultural Centre

Traditional Kenyan dance performances and sale of jewellery, leather, textiles and carved wood.

Bombolulu Workshops & Cultural Centre

BWCC

Cultural centre that sells jewellery, leather and textile products as well as wooden sculptures created by one of the 150 artisans with a physical handicap who are working there. Bombolulu Workshops was founded in 1969 and is a project of the Association for the Physically Disabled in Kenya. This centre is a popular attraction for tourists and has 150 disabled employees who create jewellery, textiles, wood and leather crafts. It is the largest rehabilitation centre in Kenya.

Bouccaner Diving

A company organizing diving courses for beginners and intermediate divers and diving trips in the waters outside Mombasa. They have an office on Zanzibar too.

Carnival

Happens in November on the streets of Mvita. It is a colorful parade of around 50 chariots and 3000 dancers from all over Kenya in traditional costumes.

Yearly in November

Casablanca Club

One of the largest clubs in Mombasa, open around the clock. It features two dance floors, four bars and a restaurant. Reservation obligatory.

Daily, 24 hr

Cheers

Open air bar and disco with cheap beer. Fairly popular for watching sports events on their wide-screen TV.

Daily 24 hr

Commonwealth War Cemetery Manyimbo

Graves of 225 Commonwealth soldiers and two other soldiers from World War II.

daily 6AM-6PM

Commonwealth War Cemetery Mbaraki

The final resting place for 197 Commonwealth soldiers of which 51 died in World War I and 146 in World War II, plus two French soldiers.

daily 6AM-6PM

Deep Sea Fishing

Single and multiple day fishing tours on the ocean. Tours include fishing equipment and cold drinks.

Dragon Boat Race

A race of dragon boats, each of which has 20 rowers and a tambourine player giving the rhythm.

Yearly during Southern Hemisphere spring

Fireworks

The New Year's firework show is arranged by the hotels at Nyali beach.

Closed

Forodhani Restaurant

Very nice, on the edge of the old town directly overlooking the creek

Fort Jesus

Fort Jesus is the most popular destination in Mombasa. Built between 1593 and 1596 by the Portuguese to protect the port against the Ottomans, this fort was in military use for over three centuries. It got its name from the Portuguese fleet sailing under the flag of the Order of Christ (Ordem de Nosso Senhor Jesus Cristo). The fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2011. Fort Jesus holds artifacts from when Mombasa was a transit port for the slave trade. There are torture rooms, cells, and many other displays from the 16th century. During the British period the fort functioned as a prison and today part of the cells are used as a museum. Many exhibits come from the Portuguese frigate Santo António de Tanna that sank in 1697, including African and Indian pottery, Chinese china, different objects used by the crew and two bronze cannons. Another part of the collection is dedicated to archeological finds from the Kenyan coast. Moreover there are Arabic military equipment, musical instruments and a series of cannons from the 18th and 19th centuries. In the small park next to the entrance there is a 105-mm cannon that belonged to the Imperial German Navy. The Butterfly House is right next to Fort Jesus, so very easy to incorporate into a trip round the Fort and Old Town, but also well worth a visit on its own. Although small, is packed with both beautiful and interesting creatures. You can view butterflies from their larval stage to grown ups. See also evidences of slave trade and an amphitheatre that's being restored. Have a nice view of the LA marina. There is also a small shop.

Daily 8:30AM-6:30PM·Ksh 1500 (adults), Ksh 750 (kids) as of 2013

Fort St Joseph

Close to the golf course near Mama Ngina Drive, this ruin is probably the oldest fortress on the island built by Arabs. It stood when Vasco Da Gama first came to Mombasa. It is not really impressive but it's a nice viewpoint too and worth a visit.

Galaxy Chinese Restaurant Mombasa

The most visited Chinese restaurant with a large menu including house specialties.

Open every day

Go-Kart

Go-cart endurance race on three racing courses. Arranged on the aforementioned go-cart track.

Yearly during Southern Hemisphere spring

Haller Park

A zoological garden of about 75 hectares created in 1985 on the site of a formal coral reef. Animals include giraffes, hippos, monkeys, and reptiles. The park has two famous animals: Owen and Mzee. The former is a hippopotamus that was orphanized by the tsunami of 2004 and the second a tortoise that "adopted" the young hippo to the astonishment of the scientists. The best time to visit is between 14:00 and 15:00 when the animals are fed. Guides speak English, Spanish, French and other languages. Watch out for the monkeys, they are numerous and appear friendly but do occasionally bite.

8:30AM-5:30PM·Ksh 1600 as of 2013

Holy Ghost Cathedral

The neo-Gothic building right in downtown is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Mombasa and a visible landmark.

Island Dishes

Kenyan and North African cuisine. This restaurant has got good reviews for their food.

Jahazi Coffee House

Arabic teas and coffees served hot or cold, fresh fruit juices, snacks.

Daily 8AM-7:30PM

Jomvu Kuu

If you wish to get off the beaten path, there is a paved road north of Miritini (near the airport) which leads through a savanna landscape to the small village of Jomvu Kuu from where you have a view over the mangrove forest.

Kongowea Market

Kongowea market is one of the largest in Kenya with over 1500 stalls and an area of 4.75 ha. Worth visiting for its ambiance, colors and smells. Take care with meat products because they are not always what the signs say. If you want to take photos of the vendors and their stalls, ask permission first. Also, pickpockets operate in the market, so don't show your expensive camera or phone more than necessary.

3AM-1PM