Search Holidays
Mombasa
Mombasa
Mombasa is the largest port on the east coast of Africa serving five different countries. Hot and humid it sits at the beginning of the only railway, which crosses the Kenyan interior and was built by the British in 1901. The port is situated on an island, which is linked to the mainland by bridges and surrounded by a natural harbour, where traditional sailing shows mix with commercial shipping. Mombasa's main attraction is Fort Jesus, where the remnants of the commanding 16th century fort once protected the entrance of the harbour and now relay the story of a historic struggle for control of the coast between the Arabs and the Portuguese. The intricate pattern of winding streets in the Old Town crammed with faded houses, street sellers and alive with the colours of the traditional wrap-around clothing still retain a strong Arab flavour and on Treasury Square the Government Game Department's Ivory Room exhibits rhinoceros horns, hippopotamus teeth, elephant tusks and other animal trophies confiscated from poachers or taken from dead animals on the reserve. In the heart of the city the heady scent of spices fill the Old Town's winding streets, which are best to visit with an official guide, as mugging is not uncommon. Although lacking in attractive beaches, Mombasa operates the hub of coastal tourism trade and most visitors stay to experience the busy city before heading north or south to the beautiful beach resorts nearby.
Tsavo National Park
Only an hour's drive from Mombasa along the main highway to Nairobi, the vast Tsavo National Park covers an area of 7,712 sq miles (20,000 sq km). The park is home to a variety of wildlife, including antelopes, buffalo, monkeys, giraffes and many exotic birds. Kenya's largest herds of elephants can also be seen in Tsavo National Park and the elephants often look startlingly red, as they are covered in the red tinged dust and mud of the region's ruddy soil. After being virtually wiped out by poachers in the 1980s the Rhinos population now numbers almost 200 and visitors are most likely to see rhinos in the Ngulia Rhino Sanctuary. The elephant population is also increasing; there are now around 5,000 animals since poaching has now been practically eliminated, which is up from 3,000 in 1985, but still short of the 25,000 that are estimated to have roamed the park in the 1960s. An observation tank from where visitors can get a close-up view of hippos is in one of the park's pools and crocodiles and tropical fish can be seen in their natural habitat.
