Holidays, when planned early enough can be an affordable and fun idea. With Christmas holidays drawing near, The Exchange has compiled a list of places in the coastal region you can visit at low budget that guarantee fun for you and your family.
Ali Barbours Cave Restaurant
Located in Diani Beach, Kenya, Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant is situated 10 meters below ground in an ancient, naturally sculptured coral cave open to the sky. But when it rains, they have it covered. How you ask? Well, there is a man in uniform, he looks like a captain when he presses a button and the roofs begin to move towards each other. This is a place you can go to see the stars and moon through an open ceiling while you enjoy a good glass of wine and an excellent platter of seafood.
The restaurant serves international cuisine specialising in seafood. You don’t have to worry about pick up and drop off to hotels along Diani Beach, Ali Barbour got you covered on this.
This East Africa’s largest crocodile farm, is a “must see” during your exploratory beach vacation in Mombasa.
The crocodile farm better known as Mamba Village is an eco-friendly quarry concentrating on the farming and conservation of one of the oldest and interesting animals – African crocodiles. The village is just a day trip from the Northern coast of Mombasa.
Its tour starts with a movie on life cycle and behaviour of crocodiles. This is followed by a comprehensive farm walk that ends with the highlight of the day – a spectacular scene of blood-thirsty crocodiles fighting for food during feeding.
Haller Park
Haller Park Mombasa (formerly Bamburi Nature Trail) is located South of the Bamburi cement plant along the Mombasa / Malindi highway. A product of the company’s efforts, since 1971, to convert barren landscape of disused limestone quarries into vibrant and diverse ecosystem of forest, grasslands and ponds.
Currently, Haller Park plays host to a variety of wildlife including hippos, giraffes, buffalos, and antelopes as well as smaller mammals and birds.
Haller Park was the first recipient to be honoured with the United Nations Environmental Program Global 500 Roll of Honour award for the unique, ecologically sound and successful rehabilitation undertaken.
Bombolulu Workshop
Or ten thousand villages…as it is alternatively referred to as, provides employment and numerous other benefits, including housing, medical aid and adult education, for adults who are blind or physically disabled and who would otherwise have virtually no chance of employment in the mainstream labor market.
Located near Mombasa, Bombolulu was established in 1969.
On the organisation’s website, you will see items on sale. They are lavishly named. You will see items like: Sun swept Collar Necklace, lone leaf choker necklace, three leaves earrings, Kenyan Princess Cuff bracelet, escape earrings wood hair sticks, native riches earrings, bright sky Necklace and Mombasa’s way earrings among other.
Fort Jesus
Built by the Portuguese in the 16th century, this is one of the oldest most outstanding, and well preserved examples of 16th Portuguese military fortification and a landmark in the history of this type of construction.
Fort Jesus, Mombasa, bears testimony to the first successful attempt by Western civilization to rule the Indian ocean trade routes, which, until then had remained under Eastern influence. Your visit to this place will be an eye opener to the olden. You will see some of the tools the Portuguese used in fighting for control in that area.
It’s like a floating restaurant. Here you board a dhow that departs from the Tamarind jetty in the afternoon or evening for dinner. Meanwhile you are served lunch or dinner as the dhow cruises gently up the Tudor creek, to a quiet spot where the Dhow moors.
The lunchtime cruise departs from the tamarind jetty at.1.00 pm, cruises gently up the tudor creek to a secluded spot where the dhow moors. Lunch consists of a delicious tamarind seafood platter with a selection of Kenya’s wonderful seafood or a prime Kenyan fillet steak followed by fresh tropical fruit-salad, and rounded off with Kenyan coffee and halwa. The dhow returns to the jetty at 3.00 p m.
The dinner cruise commencing at 6.30 pm, begins with a welcome “dawa” cocktail as the dhow sails towards Fort Jesus. The twinkling lights of Mombasa and the starlit skies provide idyllic surroundings for a delicious seafood dinner meticulously prepared in Swahili style on the deck in front of the guests. The resident DJ on board offers a wide choice of dance music, from the latest hits to the golden oldies as the dhow gently glides back to the tamarind jetty by 10.30 pm.
Nguuni Nature Sanctuary Adventures
This located only 4 kilometers away from Bamburi Cement Factory, a small nature sanctuary in a completely unique “out of Africa” environment.
You will be collected and dropped off at your accommodation. You are welcome to pass along to us your wishes regarding the picnic and the barbeque. Everything will be arranged for you on the spot, all you have to do is enjoy the experience! Before or after the picnic/barbeque, your guide will take you for a beautiful walk of approximately 1 to 1.5 hours.
Marafa-Hells Kitchen
Like its name, this place is as hot as hell. No really you cannot sit on a rock when the sun shines. You will burn up. If you plan to visit here, bring lots of water and sunscreen along with you. You can cook an egg in the soil from the heat of the sun and eat it in less than 10 minutes. That is how hot it is. But this should be on your bucket list if you love adventure tourism.
The place is tucked away in the village with dirt roads leading to the venue.
According to Bkenya.com, the legend has it that the Marafa depression (known as Hell’s kitchen) was caused long ago by God’s wrath on a local family. The family were so rich and extravagant, that they indulged in bathing in the valuable milk from their cows. God was so furious with their excessive behaviour that he punished them by opening the ground beneath them which is what you see today in the Marafa depression. The depression warns the dangers of excessive living through the white and red stone (milk and blood) which were splashed all around this magnificent and surreal landscape.