Geo Travel Blog

Kenyan coast gives a traveler a wide variety of activities and sites to visit. Malindi and Watamu area confer activities range from water sports to game safaris, snake safaris or a lazy excursion at the vast tropical beaches.

The traditional tourist safaris can be organized from Malindi or Mombasa. The closest wildlife parks are a mere 2 hours drive from Malindi. Kenyas parks offers the most rewarding and beautiful safaris that will leave you with memories of a lifetime. Other activities are-

Kitesurfing

Kitesurfing is carried out in watamu at the Che Shale hotel. Where there is an expansive beach which provides the most condusive conditions for kitesurfers. The Che Shale hotel has professional instructors who conduct short courses with the latest equipment at their disposal. Learning is conducted in a safe environment.

Surfing

Malindi is the number one spot on the Kenyan coast for surfing. The outer reefs are a favorite with tourist attraction especially in June through September when the seasonal monsoons bring fantastic beakers. Surfers are advised to bring along their own surfing boards and wax.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

The north coast of Kenya is home to top notch diving sites. Diving could be conducted all year round though visibility lessens especially over July and August due to the high seas and silting. The Watamu Marine National park hosts one of the best dive sites. It begins as a shallow coral garden that is superb for learners and opens up to magnificent outer reefs. Sharks, whales and a host of other sea animals are sighted on the outer reefs of the Kenyan coast.

The Amazing Gede Ruins

The Gede ruins are a relic from the 13th century. It is assumed that the Gede was abandoned in early 17th century due the plundering and destruction of the town by unknown invaders. There is a nature trail is characterized by deciduous trees along the walls of the ruins. The various antiques that have been excavated from this site have been placed in a museum. They exhibit ancient porcelain of Chinese, Arabic and Phoenician origin.

Mida Creek

This creek is found south of Malindi on the Mombasa Malindi road. The Mida creek is a 32km spectacle that comprises of mudflats and mangrove forests that are home to various flora and fauna. Many species of Mangroves can be found growing on this creek like Rhizophora mucronata, Avicenia Marina and Ceriops tagal and many others. On Sudi island along the edges of the mangrove forests the little egret, Osprey, Africa fish eagle and pied kingfisher are found. While the mudflats host the wooly necked storks, black and grey headed heron and yellow billed storks. Finally last but not least we find fiddler crabs, money crabs and ghost crabs along the sandy areas.

Snake Safari Hunt

In December 2007, the world largest spitting cobra Naja ashei was found, and named after the late James Ashe, a prominent herpetologist and founder of Bio-ken. The Bio-ken Snake Farm is located about 2 kilometers north of Watamu and is internationally known for having the biggest collection of snakes in Africa, and almost half of the total number of species in Kenya.

The spitting cobra is a fairly common serpent in the Kenyan lowlands especially around the Galana and South of Tsavo East, making this region to be feted as a reptile hotspot in Kenya.

You may also visit the African Snake Farm off Mombasa-Malindi road just after Malindi Airport. Other snake farms worth visiting include the snake and crocodile farm near Malindi Marine Park and the Francis Ngombo Snake Farm near Gede.

Arabuko-Sokoke Forest

This is a reserve that lies close to Watamu and is home to a host of rare animal and bird species like the Sokoke Owl, the Sosoke cat and last but not least Golden rumped Elephan Shrew. This is the ultimate paradise for nature lovers and birdwatchers

Malindi and Watamu have a lot more to offer, it is the ultimate tourist destination