ITINERARY
Day 01 - Diani Beach
Arrival in Mombasa. Transfer to Diani Beach. Relax at the beach. Funzi Keys HB
Day 02 - Diani Beach - visit a local market, learn to play drums & meet a bush doctor
Pick up at your hotel. From here you will go to Ukunda to visit a local market, you can try to bargain for a good price and try local food. After visiting the market you will meet some Giriama & Digo drummer who will show you how to play drum and you will make some music with them.
At the end of your local tour you will visit a bush doctor. The local healer will explain to you the plants and roots growing in Kenya and how to use them for recovery or well being. The local guide will drop you off back at your hotel. Funzi Keys HB
Day 03 - Diani Beach – Wasini Island
You will be picked from your hotel at around 7.00 am and drive to Wasini Island along Mombasa – Lunga Lunga highway, a distance of 100 km, arriving at around 8.30 am. Arrive at Shimoni Jet where you will board an Arabic dhow and sail for one hour searching for dolphins. Sail to Kisite marine national park where you will snorkel and swim.
Kisite Marine national park is the second most famous marine park in the world after the Australian Marine Park. It covers an area of 30km2. Animals seen here include turtles, marine tortoise, bear reefs, coral reefs and different types of marine fishes. You will have your lunch at a restaurant in Wasini which is mainly sea food and Swahili dishes.
After lunch, you will sail along the mangrove swamps and then visit the Wasini Island where you will learn more about the Swahili people and the Arabs history. In the 10th century, Arabs were slave traders and they used to inter marry with the Bantus at the coast and there we had the Swahili people. After the end of the slave trade in the 17th century, many Africans settled here and so don’t miss the opportunity to learn about the Swahili people.
Arrive at the jet at around 4.00 pm and drive back to the hotel. Funzi Keys HB
Day 04 - Via Mombasa to Watamu
You will be picked from your hotel at around 7.00 am and drive to Mombasa, a distance of 30 kms from Diani arriving at around 8.30am. Visit the Indian temple where you will learn about the Hinduism and Lord Swaminarayan and Lord Rama. You will also have the chance to see the elephant tusks which are found along Moi Avenue built in 1952 in the memory of King George of England during the British colonial period. During this time Queen Elizabeth was in Kenya where she became the Queen of England after the death of King George.
Visit the Fort Jesus which was built by the Portuguese in 1593 by architecture from Goa. It later became the government prison during the British colonial period in 1947. Fort Jesus was named fort because the Portuguese were Christians and they sailed with the flag of Jesus. It was built mainly for protection and to control the harbor of Mombasa. There arose war between the Arabs and the Portuguese from 1593 - 1729 where many of them died due to starvation and yellow fever.
You will also explore the old town where you will walk along the narrow streets and visit the old harbor where you will see the old Arabic boats and one of the oldest Mahindry mosque found near the old harbor. You will stop at Imani, an empowerment project in Ndia Kuu Rd. and can learn how to weave or just enjoy the products of the artisans. Proceed to the market where you will learn about the food spices, foods and vegetables. Meet different traders buying and selling different types of goods. Proceed for lunch at the centre of Mombasa city or by request, at Tamarind restaurant which is built on the shores of the Indian Ocean on the northern coast.
After lunch you will drive to Kilifi. A passionate group of Kenyans and expats have transformed Kilifi from a sweet but soporific backwater into a stunning place renowned for its eco-projects and clean, green, joyful living. Gorgeous beach houses stand atop the creek, yachts dance in the bay and warm waves wash fantasy beaches buttered with lashings of soft white sand.
You'll find orange groves and hermit crabs, fresh oysters and pizza ovens, permaculture projects and sailing schools, beach barbecues and night swimming. And you might even spot a whale shark migration from the windy brink of Vuma Cliffs. Have a break at Wild Living Café´ here you can get to know some of Kenya's best Artisans and their work.
In the late afternoon you will reach Watamu a beautiful and peaceful village on the Kenya Coast, nestled between pristine beaches and lush tropical forest. Since it was first settled as a remote Swahili outpost at Gedi, this area has remained a haven of peace and tranquility and is still one of the coast's most undeveloped and natural areas. Known for its unique, relaxed and laid back way of life, Watamu welcomes visitors seeking to chill out, explore and enjoy the wonders that it has to offer. You will stay at Geko Resort BB
Day 05 - Malindi & Gede
Be picked up from your hotel by your guide. You will then be taken to Malindi to view the ancient buildings and attractions, namely the Jumaa mosque, village homes, shops and Palace. Visit the Vasco da Gama pillar, one of the oldest European monuments in Africa where you will get the history of the pillar.
You will then be taken to experience the beauty of the Mida creek, 12 square miles of Mangrove forests. The creek makes an incredible transition from the coral reefs of the ocean with many wild birds inhabiting there; sand plover, egret, tern, whimbrel, curlew sandpiper and sanderling.
From there transfer to visit to the remains of a Swahili town called Gedi. Here your guide will tell you about the history of the palace and tombs and the spectacular variety of trees including, combretum, tamarind, baobab, wild ficus and sterculia. Visit to the Watamu Snake Farm where the largest collection of snakes in East Africa is found. Drive back to your hotel.
Day 06 - Hell´s Kitchen
Stroll along the soft white sands, take a cool dip in the pool, simply relax on the beach. In the afternoon your driver will pick you up. A 50-minute drive from Watamu is a small unassuming village with conspicuous baobab trees. The village is called Marafa, but its proximity to the biodiversity-rich Dakatcha woodlands is not its most outstanding feature. That title goes to the Marafa depression, more famously known as Hell’s Kitchen.
Hell’s Kitchen is an odd sandstone canyon that might be Kenya’s best kept-secret. The mini-canyon is officially known as Hell’s Kitchen. The name comes from the high temperatures for which it is famous. No tours are done during the day as the temperatures reach highs of 50 degrees at some point in the canyon. But we will invite you for a sun downer to this amazing place. Geko Resort BB
Day 07-09 - Lamu
In the morning you will drive to Malindi airport and take a short flight to Lamu Island. Lamu Town seems almost ethereal as you approach it from the water, with the shop fronts and mosques creeping out from behind a forest of dhow masts. Up close, the illusion shatters and the town becomes a hive of activity – from the busy waterfront, with heavy carts wheeled to and fro, to the pungent labyrinth of donkey-wide alleyways, along which women whisper by in full-length bui-bui (black cover-all worn by some Islamic women outside the home) and stray cats hunt for scraps.
Your nostrils are assaulted with blue smoke from meat grilling over open fires, donkey dung and the organic scent of the cured wooden shutters on houses built of stone and coral. Many visitors call this town – the oldest living town in East Africa, a Unesco World Heritage Site and arguably the most complete Swahili town in existence – one of the highlights of their trip to Kenya. Kizingo Eco Lodge FB
Day 10 - DEPARTURE
You will take another short flight to Mombasa for your international flight home.
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INCLUDED
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Overnight stay and meals according to the itinerary.
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English speaking tour guide
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Domestic flight
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All taxes and duties.
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All airport transfers.
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24 hours stand by service for your questions.
EXCLUDED
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Visa fees and travel insurance.
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Tips.
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Drinks.
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Surcharges at Easter, Christmas and New Year.
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Laundry.
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Anything not mentioned in the itinerary.
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