Mombasa beach, where to stay
 

We are going on a safari from Nairobi to Mombasa, can anyone suggest a hotel to stay in Mombasa? Is it safe to go to the beach in Mombasa? State Department says there are crimes there.

We have stayed south of Mombasa at the Southern Palms Resort on Diani Beach, which is just next to the small village of Ukunda. It's on the far end of Diani and therefore very quiet. We had the whole beach almost to ourselves.
Crimes? Well, there are crimes everywhere in the world. I would not like to walk in the city of Mombasa all by myself but the beach area is as safe as in other parts of the world. We regularly went eating out or shopping in Ukunda without any problems. Just use common sense as you would do in other places.
The hotel gets 3 excellent reviews on Tripadvisor and one very bad review which, IMO, was due to a misunderstanding.
Here's the hotel website: http://www.southernpalmskenya.com

I too am going to Mombassa following a safari. Have been recommended to the Serena Beach Hotel, one from the Leading Hotels of the world group. I am told that this is an excellent hotel despite its close proximity to the town. Of course, wandering around any main town can bring its difficulties in respect of safety.

I highly reccomend relaxing in Mombassa after a safari. I just returned from the Whitesands Hotel and it was magnificent. The rooms are well appointed and the service was wonderful.

The Serena Beach is an excellent choice, although I wouldn't call it "close" to Mombasa - about 15 minutes drive. The beach there (Shanzu) is superb, and usually fairly quiet, compared to, say, Bamburi or Diani beaches.

If you have the money - Alfajira Villas on Diani beach - it's small and expensive and you're likely to meet other "names" who prefer the privacy of this hotel. Otherwise, the Serena Inn or Whitesands. The latter, though larger, gets excellent reviews.

To me it doesn’t make sense to spend a lot of money on a hotel in Mombasa – then you could just as well be on safari. The main reason for going to Mombasa is that you’re still in Kenya and you might come across an incredible good safari deal (only happens in my imagination).

Last year I stayed at The New Palm Tree in Mombasa Town (1044 shillings for a single including breakfast) and I really liked it. It must have been a great hotel 50 years ago. At Galu Beach (southern end of Diani Beach) I stayed at Boko Boko for 1800 shillings, single with breakfast. There were only 6 rooms and many luxury attributes – they even laid a hibiscus flower on my pillow.