Welcome to Swahili food heaven on the Kenyan coast and the hustle and bustle of the main city Mombasa.
I spent a few days hanging out in the city and this is what I got up to and recommend for you as well 🙂
Find places to stay in Mombasa here
Visiting Mombasa
Mombasa is an historic city with ancient trade links between India and Arabia.
Mix all this foreign influence with traditional African flavours and you get the Swahili culture and its amazing food.
Taking a walk around the old town in Mombasa and its steamy hot coastal streets, the historical ambience flows through.
Passing the historic Fort Jesus, which was built by the Portuguese on the way to find some Swahili food, you come across a great local eatery called Barka. This has a great choice of food for very cheap, and is very popular with the people in the area.
Choosing a delicious biryani to eat the taste was simply out of this world.
Happily full I walked to the market to get lost and hunt with my friend to find some sarongs to buy.
There is a great choice of traditional patterns and various styles, and after a long search a good shop was found, and after the usual bartering, a deal was done.
A little tired from the busy streets and market in Mombasa we went to relax in the old town at a traditional coffeehouse.
There you can get Swahili coffee which is nicely spiced with cardamon and a fresh passion fruit juice to cool down from the heat outside.
Sitting for a few hours and watching the street scenes play out while chatting away, is a great way to have a lazy afternoon.
Kalifi
Leaving Mombasa after a few days spent there we headed up the coast a few hours to the sleepy village of Kalifi.
Staying at the very mellow Distant Relatives Ecolodge and Backpackers Guesthouse by the inland creek, complete with swimming pool, barbecue, and bamboo outdoor showers and dorms.
It was the perfect spot to relax with the fresh sea breeze cooling things down.
Taking a traditional dhow boat out to sea the second day there, with Mowgli the adorable dog keeping watch at front, we went snorkelling on the reef and then had barbecued lobster on a white sand beach, followed by a smooth sail down the creek.
Feeling supremely rested after a few days we headed back to Mombasa.
With one final biryani at Barka and some Swahili coffee in the old city, we left the Kenyan coast and back to inland Kenya.
I recommend using SafetyWing Travel Insurance for your trip, just in case, it’s best to be prepared.
Travelling to Kenya? Have a look at my 2 week itinerary for backpacking in Kenya.
If you liked this article on Mombasa and the Kalifi a share would be cool! 🙂
Oh how blue is the water? Lovely.
The water is very blue! 🙂
Food and Cafes look amazing, and boat/market looks like a great way to spend a day. Buy anything at the bazaar?
Got myself a sarong 🙂 Very useful item to have traveling.