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Delights of East Africa's Swahili Coast > Page
2
1.1 The Delights
of East Africa's Swahili Coast
The Sultans' palaces were storied and much
larger than ordinary houses. The mosques were built in a similar
fashion and their tombs were inimitably peculiar. Their style
is autonomous of Arabian and Bantu idiosyncrasies; it was
just Swahili.
Mombasa is the jewel in the crown of Kenya's
coast. Sitting pretty on the shores of the Indian Ocean, Mombasa
Island is famous for its rich marine appeal, exotic beaches,
grand accommodations, a vibrant nightlife and a hospitable
people. The Old Town is a wonderful place to experience Swahili
culture. You will encounter locals seated along the winding,
spice-scented streets peddling their spicy foods and coffee,
as others while the day away over a game of draft.
Fort Jesus is a place you can revisit a bygone
era in the story of Mombasa. In addition to being an attraction
itself, the fort houses a museum exhibiting various artefacts
reflecting the cultures that have influenced the East African
coast. You will also see articles recovered from the ill-fated
Portuguese warship Santo Antonio De Tanna, which sank in the
siege of 1697 that lasted 1000 days.
Biashara Street is an excellent bazaar to
pick up local fabrics and clothing. There are numerous bustling
markets, curio and curving shops. The Mamba Village (Crocodile
Park), Haller Park (Formerly Bamburi Nature Trail), and the
monumental landmark tusks crossing at the entrance of the
city are other spots not to miss. Mombasa has through the
years risen to become a city of international status, and
in March 2007, successfully hosted the IAAF World Cross Country
Championships.
At Mombasa's North Coast, you will find some
of Kenya's finest soft sand beaches and resorts. Nyali, Vipingo,
Kikambala and Shanzu are some tourist favourites. Those seeking
a getaway from everyday hustles favour Mtwapa and Takaungu
with their stretches of deserted beachfronts. The North Coast
offers excellent diving with opportunities to swim with turtles
and dolphins, see the corals and enjoy wreck diving.
Further North is Malindi -the only town along
the East African Coast that extended friendship to the Portuguese
without the persuasion of arms. The pillar that Vasco Da Gama
erected to serve as a navigation aid still stands. Today,
the town is a particular favourite with Italian visitors.
Most of the hotel and resort development are to the South
of the town along the Silversands beachfront and nearer town
around Malindi Bay.
At Malindi Marine National Park, you can see
some fascinating coral gardens by diving, snorkelling or from
a glass bottomed boat. The town is a respected centre for
big game fishing and several world records have been set here.
The American writer Hemingway was here in the 1930's to enjoy
one of his favourite macho sports.
Watamu, 15 km further south, is a small beach
development around the beautiful inlets of Turtle Bay and
Blue Lagoon. Watamu too has its own Marine Park. At the edge
of the park, you find a collection of caves housing a school
of giant rock cod, some stretching the whole of 2 metres.
The North culminates at Lamu Island -an old
romantic stone-town. Of the Swahili cities, Lamu is perhaps
the only one that has retained its original character. It's
attraction is its fascinating past, narrow winding streets,
coconut plantations and quaint villages.
Lamu has in recent years found favour with
the international glitterati. The town has an ambience of
mediaeval romance that attracts those who are offended by
the burdens of our modern existence. Life in the island goes
on almost like it did in the 14th century when the settlement
was founded.
Lamu narrow streets are not car friendly;
the town has only a single car for use by the top government
official. Everybody else walks, takes a dhow or uses donkey
taxis. If you come in by air, you will land at nearby Manda
Island, from where you take a dhow or ferry. In this centre
of Islamic culture, the men wear full-length whites and the
women are shorn head to toe in black.
Shela is the main beach on the island and
is just 15 minutes away by motorboat. You will find good rated
accommodation at Lamu, and there are also some very pricey
hideaways in the neighbouring islands of the archipelago favoured
by the jet set. In the centre of the town, you find a fort
built by invading Omani Arabs in the early 19th century that
now serves as a cultural centre.
Lamu museum is located at the seafront, in
a house once occupied by
Jack Haggard, Queen Victoria's consul in this then important
outpost. The museum is a repository of Swahili culture and
on display are artefacts, dhows, jewellery and crafts.
The South Coast of Kenya has excellent beaches,
elegant accommodation, rain forests teeming with birds and
wildlife, marine parks, and coral gardens, and the historic
slave caves of Shimoni. The
beaches are: Shelley, Tiwi, Diani, Msambweni and Shimoni.
The waters provide good sporting and big game fishing. You
can take a game safari at the Shimba Hills National Park,
which is well within beach range.
The key attraction of the Swahili Coast in
Tanzania is Zanzibar. In its days of glory, the island was
highly favoured by the Omani Sultans. The Portuguese stripped
it of its grandeur, and in its decline it came under German
rule and was later transferred to the British after World
War I. Today, Zanzibar's Old Stone-Town lives to tell its
tales of better days. It is famed for its narrow winding streets
and sultan's palaces, the Portuguese fort and gardens, old
Swahili architecture and Turkish baths.
Zanzibar is referred to as the Spice Islands
with good reason. The fragrant scents of cloves, cardamom,
nutmeg and vanilla hung in the warm tropical air. The Cathedral
Church of Christ, on the site of the open slave market, is
of historical interest and for the devout is the appropriate
place to pray for the souls of those who suffered and perished
in the slave trade.
Diving, surfing, swimming and sunbathing are
some of Zanzibar's
delights. The best beaches and waves are up North, the Stone-Town
is west, Menai Bay Conservancy Area for endangered turtle
species
is south, and Jozani Forest with rare primates and small mammals
is to the Southeast. The East is made up of broken shores
with low tide and plenty of reefs. Nearby isles include: Chole,
Prison, Grave & Snake Islands.
Pemba -'the Green Island', is one of the isles
of Zanzibar to the North. It is also a Spice Island and an
ideal place to enjoy unspoilt shores and underwater adventure.
Mafia Islands to the South of Zanzibar are remote and provide
privacy ideal for relaxation. They are renowned for their
coconut and cashew nut plantations, Swahili villages and the
coral ruins of Chole Mjini.
Other must-see places on the Swahili Coast
in Tanzania include Kilwa; for a tale of turbulent history,
Mikindani for excellent game fishing and diving and Saadani
Game Reserve -an amazing wildlife sanctuary on the ocean shores.
There is a wide range of hotels
at the Kenya and Tanzania coast.
To get best value for your holiday, you are
advised to combine a
visit to the coast, with an East
African wildlife safari to view
some of the game the region is famed for.
The Swahili coast is generally a hot and humid
place, tempered
only by sea breezes. The wettest period is April and May with
a
shorter and lighter wet season in November. The mean minimum
and
maximum temperatures are between 30 and 33 degrees centigrade.
December to March is hot and dry while June to October is
the
period when it is coolest and driest.
Light clothing is recommended, as even the
evenings are usually
warm. Short sleeve shirts, shorts and trousers for men and
short
sleeve blouses, slacks and skirts are sufficient. However,
in
this predominantly Muslin area, women need to dress modestly
so
as not to offend local sensibilities. But swimwear is perfectly
acceptable at beaches and hotel premises.
New:
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