Excursions

In 1497 Vasco de Gama arrived in Malindi and a year later he built the chapel and the pylon of the church, the oldest of Christian religion built in East Africa and now called St. Francis Xavier Chapel. Two of his sailors were buried in the garden.

Gede was an Arab-Swahili town with more than 2500 inhabitants founded in the 13th century. Without any apparent reason, it was abandoned twice: around 1500 and during the 1700s, for the last time. The vegetation took over the ruins and hid them until 1920. In 1948 Gede was declared a National Park and the site was open to the public. If you go, beware of the numerous monkeys and even the ghosts. The legend says that they are there.

Marafa is known for such high temperatures that it has been called “The devil’s kitchen”. It can be reached with an hour of dirt road between suggestive villages, acacias and baobabs and it is a surreal canyon: depending on the time, it will change color. Visit it at sunset and you will see it of a fiery red color.

On foot, on wooden walkways, in canoes or on board of a dhow, the typical sailing boat, you can visit the beautiful lagoon of Mida Creek. 11 km of blue sea that fades into the brightest colors of the Indian Ocean. Also, at low tide, mangrove forests emerge and attract a multitude of fauna.

With 52 species of mammals, 270 of birds, 263 of butterflies and 600 of plants, Arabuko is the largest and most pristine forest. There are trails for hiking and for off-road vehicles, two suspended platforms for birdwatching and a spectacular panoramic terrace overlooking the bay of Mida Creek and the Indian Ocean: nothing is missing for the perfect adventure.

Lamu, along with Manda, is the largest and most well-known island of the archipelago that carries the same name. Declared a World Heritage Site, the Swahili city of Lamu dates back to the 1300s and still retains its Arabian appearance and character. It can only be reached by boat and you can only move around with donkeys or bikes. A swim in the crystal clear waters of Manda, an aperitif at Shella or in the Floating Bar in the middle of the lagoon and a ride on the dhow at sunset, are just some of the unmissable experiences to do in this paradise.