Location Information

Mombasa, Kenya
Language: Urdu, English
Currency: Kenyan Shilling (KES)

The Republic of Kenya is a country in Eastern Africa. It is bordered by Ethiopia, Somalia, Tanzania, Uganda, Sudan with the Indian Ocean running along the southeast border. The country is named after Mount Kenya, a significant landmark mountain.

Cushitic- speaking people from northern Africa moved into the area that is now Kenya beginning around 2000 BC. Arab traders began frequenting the Kenya coast around the 1st century AD. In the centuries preceding colonization, the Swahili coast of Kenya (was part of the east African region which traded with the Arab world and India especially for ivory and slaves. The Portuguese were the first Europeans to explore Kenya, Vasco da Gama having visited Mombasa in 1498. Portuguese rule centered mainly on the coastal strip ranging from Malindi to Mombasa.

Kenya enjoys a tropical climate. It is hot and humid at the coast, temperate inland and very dry in the north and northeast parts of the country. The long rain season occurs from April to June. The short rain season occurs from October to December. The rainfall is sometimes heavy and often falls in the afternoons and evenings. The hottest period is from February to March and coldest in July to August.

Kenya, regarded by many as the ‘jewel of East Africa’, has some of the continent’s finest beaches, most magnificent wildlife and scenery. Between these two extremes is the rolling savannah that is home to game parks such as Amboseli, the Masai Mara, Samburu and Tsavo; the lush, agricultural highlands with their sleek green coat of coffee and tea plantations; and the most spectacular stretch of the Great Rift Valley.

Kenya also has a fascinatingly diverse population with around 40 different tribes, all with their own (often related) languages and cultures. The major tribes include the Kikuyu from the central highlands, the Luyia in the northwest, and the Luo around Lake Victoria. Of them all, however, the most famous are the tall, proud, beautiful red-clad Masai, who still lead a traditional semi-nomadic lifestyle of cattle-herding along the southern border.

Kenya’s national dishes appear on most hotel menus. The country’s beef, chicken, lamb and pork are outstandingly good, as is the wide variety of tropical fruits. Local trout, Nile perch and lobster, shrimps and Mombasa oysters are included on menus in season.

Most of the major hotels in Nairobi and the tourist resorts have dancing with live bands or discos each evening. There are also a few nightclubs. There is a large selection of cinemas in Nairobi which show mainly British, European and US films.

Mombasa is the second largest city in Kenya, lying on the Indian Ocean. It has a major port and an international airport. Mombasa is located on Mombasa Island, which is separated from the mainland by two creeks; Tudor Creek and Kilindini Harbour. The island is connected to the mainland to the north by the Nyali Bridge, to the south by the Likoni Ferry and to the west by the Makupa Causeway, alongside which runs the Uganda Railway.

The founding of Mombasa is associated with two rulers: Mwana Mkisi (female) and Shehe Mvita. According to oral history and medieval commentaries (also based on oral history), Shehe Mvita superseded the dynasty of Mwana Mkisi and established his own town on Mombasa Island. Shehe Mvita is remembered as a Muslim of great learning and so is connected more directly with the present ideals of Swahili culture that people identify with Mombasa. The ancient history associated with Shehe Mvita and the founding of an urban settlement on Mombasa Island is still linked to present-day peoples living in Mombasa.

Mombasa has a warm, tropical climate. Winter months are slightly warmer than summer. The amount of rainfall depends essentially on season. The rainiest months are April and May, while in January to February the rainfall is minimal.

Towards the south, there are a number of beaches and resort hotels. The beaches are white and sandy with coral reefs to delight scuba and skin divers. On the pleasant Shimoni Island and Wasini islands there is authentic Swahili culture and a protected marine reserve. North of Mombasa there are also several beaches like Nyali, Bamburi, Shanzu, Kikambala and Vipingo that are well-worth a visit. It is here that you will find the exotic town of Kilifi, home to artists and adventurers from all over the world.

Medical Precautions:

Compulsory Vaccination:
Yellow Fever

Recommended Vaccinations:
Typhoid
Hepatitis A
Tetanus
Meningitis
Cholera

Precautions:
Malaria Prophylaxis