The Mombasa IG Tour

A day has 24 hours and in those hours we spend half of it sleeping, but imagine the possibility you can do with 24 hours in a different city. Life in Mombasa in collaboration with Turnup.Travel organized a 48 hour/24hour trip to showcase the best of Mombasa – attractions, activities, food and beverages, heritage and culture, history of architecture among other things with a group of 50 Kenya’s top photographers, filmmakers, bloggers and journalists from Nairobi and Mombasa. The trip kicked off in Nairobi on September 1 onboard Madaraka Express with a full day tour of Mombasa on Saturday 2^nd.

Friday: Guests arrived from Nairobi at 2 pm and headed to Meat N’Herb for lunch, then proceeded to Makwetu Villas to check in. After relaxing a bit, the guest proceeded to Serena Beach Resort and spa where they learnt about the sea turtle conservation project at Serena, and had a tour of Little Lamu and ended with a dinner.

Saturday – We woke up early morning to catch the sunrise at Nyali public beach; we left Makwetu villas at 5:45 am and walked to the public beach. We got there right in time as the sun was rising, the magical ball of fiery sun coming out of the clouds. The sight was beautiful and mesmerizing; we watched it rise as we tried different ways to capture magical moment. After the sunrise we proceeded to old town courtesy of Uber for breakfast at Jahazi Coffee House. The Mombasa IG tour crew had a chance to sample different Swahili breakfast delicacies. Including Viazi vya karai, Bhajiya, Samosas and best combination of Mbaazi ya nazi with Mahamri. We enjoyed the tasty and scrumptious breakfast, it gave a chance for others to try a Swahili breakfast that is different from what they are used to.

Everyone was full from the breakfast, we then continued with the tour to Fort Jesus. A tour guide took us round the Fort giving details of the History that is behind the Fort. All the historic facts and information, he was well informed. We walked around in groups as people asked questions to understand the history. The tour also included a walk around old town which holds a lot of historic building with significance in Kenya, such as the first hotel in Kenya, the first police station and etc. The old town tour also included the Fish market, where some of the group members got a chance to see fresh fish being prepared for sale. Photographers got a chance to capture the unique old town features and the buildings and also the vibrant coastal culture.

The tour got us tired and hungry, which was right on time for lunch. We continued to Forodhani Restaurant near the old port for some Biriyani. We took the entire first floor since we were about 50 people. The restaurant set up a buffet style where we chose Biriyani with either chicken or beef curry. The Biriyani was accompanied with a glass of passion juice or tamarind, a true coastal tradition giving the guest taste of a Mombasa culture. The location of the restaurant is on the sea side, giving you a view of the ocean making you feeling relaxed after a heavy lunch. After Lunch the group had a few hours to do different activities including a trip to Wild Waters. Other people went back to Makwetu Villas to relax before our next itinerary which was the sunset cruise at La Marina Mtwapa.

Nothing is magical like taking a sunset cruise in the coast; it is one of the magical experiences one must go through in this life. At around 5:30 we took a dhow cruise through the Mtwapa creek as the sun was setting, the fiery red sun setting behind the magical canvas of dancing coconut trees. It was magical. We had entertainment on board; everyone was enjoying the breeze and cool music setting the end of day mood. After the sun had set, the acrobats performed their different acts to all on board the dhow cruise. Each act was funny and entertaining. As we returned to the restaurant, at around 7 pm, we were welcomed with the staff for a nice dinner. We were offered a buffet dinner, including some Nyama choma and a nice Black Forest cake for dessert. After the dinner most people went back to the villa while other proceeded to sample the Mombasa Nightlife visiting the different clubs to experience the entertainment.

The 48 hours/24 hours experience was a success, everyone enjoyed. The guest from Nairobi and locals from Mombasa, it helped creatives interact and also network. To view all photos- check the hashtag: #MombasaIGTour to see different creative’s point of view of the trip including pictures.