The Swahili Coast of Kenya
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Loading ...After surviving the horrible Kenyan death-roads (likely the worst roads in the world) and 2 days of buses from Kigali, Rwanda through Kampala, Uganda, I ended up in shady Nairobi, Kenya (affectionately known as Nai-robbery by locals although thankfully I had no problems). After one full day and 2 nights there I hopped another long distance bus for Mombasa, on the South Coast of Kenya. The Swahili culture is one evolved over many generations of intermarrying between Arab, Indian and African traders along the coast of Africa from the South end of Somalia through Kenya, Tanzania and into Northern Mozambique and extending only about 10 miles inland along the coast and throughout the islands (Zanzibar and Lamu being the most prominent isles). Although ethnically the culture is centered along this coastal regions both Kenya and Tanzania have adopted Swahili as their official language (although with slightly different variations).
After surviving the horrible Kenyan death-roads (likely the worst roads in the world) and 2 days of buses from Kigali, Rwanda through Kampala, Uganda, I ended up in shady Nairobi, Kenya (affectionately known as Nai-robbery by locals although thankfully I had no problems). After one full day and 2 nights there I hopped another long distance bus for Mombasa, on the South Coast of Kenya. The Swahili culture is one evolved over many generations of intermarrying between Arab, Indian and African traders along the coast of Africa from the South end of Somalia through Kenya, Tanzania and into Northern Mozambique and extending only about 10 miles inland along the coast and throughout the islands (Zanzibar and Lamu being the most prominent isles). Although ethnically the culture is centered along this coastal regions both Kenya and Tanzania have adopted Swahili as their official language (although with slightly different variations).
Mombasa + Lamu:
I spent a few days in Mombassa exploring the 16th Century Portuguese colonial fort (Fort Jesus) and Old Mombasa with the quaint ancient Swahili buildings that are now being restored and preserved (many were leveled and converted into modern buildings until they became officially protected in the last decade or so). Mombasa is a semi-island that is just connected to the mainland at its Western End and by a bridge in the North. It is the second largest city in Kenya and the largest city hub for the Swahili culture.
After a few days I was ready to move on and I took a long bus ride up to the island of Lamu, on the North Coast near the Somalia border. I was expecting the same charming architecture and island life that I found on Zanzibar and felt a little let down when the reality was something less interesting and memorable. Zanzibar was once the seat of the Oman Sultanate and the center of the African slave trade so the great wealth during the 16th-18th Centuries produced many of the exceptional Swahili architecture that is still in evidence today. Lamu did experience some of the trade success of Zanzibar but it lacked the royal wealth and the same economic prosperity and so the structures are more subdued there than on Zanzibar. Nowadays Lamu is also much farther off the beaten track so there are far fewer tourists that go there and those that do tend to be fleeced even harder financially than on Zanzibar (which is quite a tall order).
After a few nights in Lamu I headed back down South to Malindi, which is a resort town geared primarily at packaged tours for Italians who fly in direct and never see the rest of Kenya. As a resort I felt it lacking the beauty of similar areas in Thailand, Hawaii, or Mexico but I did not really go there for beaches, but to visit the nearby 13th and 14th Century Swahili ruins of Gedi and after a night in Malindi (and a dinner of the best pizza in Africa) I headed out first thing in the morning to Gedi, just 1 hour south by Matatu (Kenyan mini bus). After not being able to visit the archeological site at Great Zimbabwe due to the election unrest and the massive gas (petrol) and food shortages I was happy to be getting a taste of these smaller but no less interesting ruins in Kenya. Using only a book and site pamphlet I purchased I wandered the ruins in the early morning misty light filtered between the leaves and branches of the jungle trees and imagined the ancient structures in their day when the palace was occupied and the town thriving. After a few hours in the ruins I walked back to the main town and caught another Matatu back to Malindi, ate another delicious mini pizza and hopped another Matatu the 2 1/2 hours back to Mombasa when I was forced to spend the night once it became dark before reaching my planned destination of Diani Beach about 1 hour South.
The Swahili Ruins of Gedi:
After the night in Mombasa I was eager to hit the nicer beaches and I hopped a Matatu to the Ferry, then another Matatu south to Ulanga and one more to Diani Beach where I spent 2 relaxed days swimming in the warm waters of the Indian Ocean and whooping it up with a few of the locals (one a very nice young Kenyan man who was running a Non-Profit organization to study the Whale Shark (apparently the greatest population of which are in Kenyan waters). Diani Beach is quite a lovely resort that does not really feel like a resort since the hotels are hidden among beach side jungle foliage and are significantly spread out more than the resorts of North America like in Hawaii or Cancun. It is definitely more expensive than the rest of Kenya but still quite cheap compared to the ridiculous prices of Cancun or Hawaii and the beautiful white sand beaches are nearly as nice (thought the water not nearly as blue) as Cancun.
After two days I reluctantly left Diani Beach on the long distance (10 hour) bus back to Nairobi (thankfully this stretch of road has recently been rebuilt by Chinese funds and German engineering) and on the next day I headed to the airport for my flight to Ethiopia (my lone flight within Africa) leaving Kenya and taking only memories and photos with me. After about 8,000 miles (13,333 Km) by road through Africa it was quite the luxury to be taking a flight to Ethiopia but I was not about to take on the 4-day, 1,200 Mile (1700 Km) bus route on those horrible and dangerous roads of rural Kenya so I gladly forked over the $300 for the flight and bid East Africa goodbye.