8 Best Sights in Kenya

To get a good insight into the daily life of downtown Mombasa, head to narrow, cluttered Biashara (Swahili for "business") Street, which is just off Mombasa Road. Here, you'll find all sorts of small shops that have been around for generations—selling everything from leather to textiles, live chickens, and food. People are friendly and hospitable but, as in most poor backstreet areas, watch your belongings. While you're here, take a wander through the vegetable and spice market, near where Biashara Street meets Mombasa Road.

An array of well-priced jewelry made from recycled materials such as brass and soda cans, wood carvings, colorful fabrics, leather and canvas handbags, and more, all made by people with various physical disabilities, fill the shelves. The organization was set up to offer them employment in a society where they were traditionally stigmatized. Stop by to shop, watch the artisans work, tour the cultural center with traditional homesteads which provide great insight into the history and culture of the indigenous communities in this region, watch traditional dances, and more. Getting here shouldn't be a problem as most taxi and tuk tuk drivers will know the place.

Fort Jesus is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mombasa's top tourist attractions. This massive edifice was built in the late 16th century by the Portuguese, who were keen to control trade in the region. When the Omanis captured the fort at the end of the 17th century, they made some adjustments. The walls were raised to account for the improved trajectory of cannons mounted aboard attacking ships. By the end of the 18th century, turrets were erected. For water, the garrison relied on a pit cistern, which was used for bathing when the fort was a prison, between 1895 and 1958. The captain's house retains some traces of the Portuguese—note the outline of the old colonnade. The exhibits at the museum include an important display on ceramics of the coast and the remains of a Portuguese gunner, San Antonio de Tanna, which sank outside the fort at the end of the 17th century. Objects from the ship—shoes, glass bottles, a powder shovel, and cannon with its muzzle blown away—bring the period to life. There are also exhibits of finds from archaeological excavations at Gedi, Manda, Ungwana, and other sites.

Named after Kenya's very first First Lady, this popular ocean front stretch of road popularly known as 'Mama Ngina Drive' was renovated and reopened in October 2019 to reveal landscaped grounds, paved and palm tree-lined walkways, a jetty, amphitheater, and a cultural center. Drive, jog, skate, stroll, or simply find a spot to relax and watch ships sail by. You can buy souvenirs and street snacks such as deep-fried cassava crisps, or viazi karai (battered and fried potatoes). There's also a nightclub and a restaurant nearby.

Explore Africa's largest crocodile farm; if you're lucky you might get to hold a baby. Stop by around 5 pm particularly on Friday when the crocs get fed to watch them chow down and marvel at how powerful their jaws are. The oldest, called Big Daddy because of its massive size, is well over 100 years old. A guide will show you around and share more about their farming and conservation efforts. At the snake farm, you can hold or wear a python around your neck like a scarf, if you so dare. Horse riding and nature walks are also available, then, after having worked up an appetite, stop by the on-site restaurant where crocodile meat is listed on the menu.

The elaborate facade and soaring minaret of this beautiful mosque overlook the Old Harbor. Built in 1902, it's the third mosque to occupy this site.

Eight giraffes were first translocated here in 2004, and the population now stands at 20, and some are a cross of the Rothschild and Masai giraffe species. You can come as close as two meters away at the enclosure where the handler does the feeding.You will also find elands and tortoises, and once a haven for ostriches, the numbers have since dwindled. The giraffe enclosure is about 1.5km (about a mile) from the gate, and your taxi or tuk tuk is allowed to drop you there without an extra car charge, or you can walk. The road leading to the gate is really rough, and almost impassable when it rains. You can also hike or hire a bike and cycle through the woodlands and wetlands of what was once an uninhabitable wasteland, and spot up to 250 species of birds.