Mombasa - A Glimpse Of The Past

OVERVIEW

Depart the pier and travel through the city center, past colonial administrative buildings, markets bright with fruit and colorful cloth, street stalls and modern office blocks, temples and mosques and enormous aluminum elephant tusks that span the main avenue. Pay a visit to the once forbidding hulk of Fort Jesus; today a museum of coastal antiquities featuring fine ceramics and carved doors, as well as an exhibit on the culture and history of the coast and its people. It also displays artifacts recovered from a Portuguese frigate sunk in 1697. There is a fine view of the Old Town from the ramparts, and you can enjoy a cold drink before continuing your tour. Historic Mombasa survives in the Old Port area, where traditional Arab dhows still tie up along the wooden docks, although it now contains Persian carpets and Arab chests rather than slaves and spices. In the Old Town, you'll explore the labyrinth of narrow streets, lined with mosques and markets. Money lenders, street vendors, tailors, jewelers, coffee merchants, and perfume makers all contribute to the stunning blaze of color and a mix of exotic aromas. See Swahili-style buildings, their Indo-Arab architecture complete with carved doorways and balconies, exotic brass-studded doors and gold and silversmiths. You will also have time to visit the Akamba Woodcarving factory to see the skilled craftsmen, still hand carving their artefacts in time-honored tradition. You may purchase their wares from the co-operative shop.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Travel by coach through Mombasa’s center, a mix of stately colonial buildings and bustling markets.
• Take in the Old Port area and see traditional Arab dhows moored alongside wooden docks.
• Roam among vendors such as coffee merchants and jewelers in the bustling Old Town.
• Watch skilled artisans plying their craft at the Akamba Woodcarving Factory and browse their inviting shop.

HELPFUL HINTS

• Dress in weather-appropriate clothing.
• Wear flat comfortable walking shoes.