Kenya Wildlife Safaris| Hotel Accomodation & Booking Malindi,Kenya
When Vasco da Gama’s fleet arrived at Malindi in 1498, it met an unexpectedly warm welcome. The king of Malindi had presumably heard of Mombasa’s attempts to sabotage the fleet a few days earlier and, no friend of Mombasa himself, he was swift to ally himself with the powerful and dangerous Portuguese. Until they finally subdued Mombasa nearly one hundred years later, Malindi was the Portuguese centre of operations on the East African coast. Once Fort Jesus was built, Malindis ruling family was invited to transfer their power base there, which they did, and for many years Malindi was virtually a ghost town as its aristocrats lived it up in Mombasa under Portuguese protection.
Malindis reputation for hospitality to strangers has stuck, and so has the suggestion of sell-out.It has an amazingly salacious reputation, and although there was a slump in German tourism after the first AIDS-awareness crisis in the 1980s, a quick glance in some of the bars suggests that the sex safari is back in full swing, now dominated by Italians. As a growing zone for the cultivation of Euros, Malindi is slipping towards cultural anonymity: it can’t seem to make up its mind whether it wants to be a Mombasa or a Lamu .While its old centre clings on to some Swahili character, it lacks Lamus self-contained tranquility. And although it makes a good base for visits to Gedi and the Arabuko Sokoke Forest, and for a trip to Lamu, it remains unashamedly geared towards beach tourism.
Consequently, whether you enjoy Malindi or not depends a little on how highly you rate the unsophisticated parts of Kenya, and whether you appreciate A fully fledged resort town for its facilities or loathe it for its tackiness. It also depends on when youre here. During December and January, the town can sometimes be a bit nightmarish, with everything African seeming to recede behind the swarms of window-shopping tourists and Suzuki jeeps.
Fortunately, Malindi has some important saving graces. Number one is the coral reef south of the town centre. The combined Malindi/Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve encloses some of the best stretches on the coast, and the Malindi fish have become so used to humans that they swarm in front of your mask like a kaleidoscopic snowstorm .Malindi is also a game-fishing centre with regular competitions, and its also something of a surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing resort, too. Good-sized rollers steam into the bay through the long break in the reef, opposite the town, between June and late Sptember, whipped up by the southerly monsoon (kusi) wind. The surfing isn’t world class, but its fun, and good enough for boogie boards.
Despite the heavy reliance on tourism, Malindi still has some interest as a Kenyan town with an ancient history, and a few places of interest other than its beach and reef. An interesting Old Swahili quarter, one or two “ruins”, a busy market, shops, hotelis and plenty of lodgings all balance out the tourist boutiques, beauty salons and real estate agencies.Theres a broad range of places to stay,eat,drink,and be entertained. As for the Italian influence, the new resident expats have brought the town riches that nowhere else in Kenya can boast-some of the best pizzas, pasta and ice cream in the whole of Africa-even if the suspiciously dormant state of some Italian businesses makes you wonder how legimate they all are.
Note that the shore can get very windy around September, and during June, July and November the beach becomes covered in seaweed-many hotels clear their beachfronts daily, though the seaweed is clean and perfectly harmless, and in fact prevents erosion of the beach (clearing it is prohibited within the limits of the marine park).Its also worth knowing that the headland of Vasco da Gama Point marks a locally important division. To the north, the sea water is often reddish-brown and cloudy-full of the soil erosion brought down by the Sabaki River, especially after rain-and, to the south, the marine Park encloses a zone of often aquarium –clear water.
Hotel Accommodation & Booking Malindi
There’s plenty of accommodation on offer, though over Christmas room availability can be tight. The cheap town lodgings also fill up in high season, during Maulidi and at the end of Ramadhan.Tourist establishments usually vary their prices seasonally by up to fifty percent. You can camp just south of town at Silversands, or near the marine park office, which also has a clutch of nine, twin-bedded, non s/c, self-catering bandas and they vary depending with season-good value and worth considering if you want to do a lot of snorkeling in the marine park.Youll need to be fairly self-sufficient to stay there-much easier if you have a vehicle.
Budget Rooms & Camping
Dagamas Inn Vasco da Gama Rd on the seafront. a variety of rooms, some s/c,simple but clean, with nets. Best are the two front rooms overlooking the beach, with fans and a balcony.
Gossip Hostel/Gilanis Vasco da Gama Rd, on the seafront .Above the restaurant, and overpriced. The four big and breezy upstairs rooms at the front with balconies are the best reasons to stay here.
Kenya Mpya B&L Mama Ngina St .Big enough rooms in a four-storey block, not all s/c or with fans, with cleanish sheets.
Lutheran Guesthouse Lamu Rd, town centre .Set in a large garden, with double rooms only (clean and mosquito –netted with fans, two s/c, plus two self-catering bungalows, each for four people.Theres a non-alcohol policy.
Malindi Cottages Lamu RD, Pretty little set-up that has, sadly, fallen on hard times. The one-bedroom cottages are really just s/c double rooms, though reasonable enough for the price. The two-bedroom ones are better value, with kitchens, small verandas and large sitting rooms, all set in gardens with a pool in dire need of maintenance. No bar or restaurant.
Moriema Cottages off Lamu Rd.Each of the plain and simple cottages here has gas rings, a sink and fridge (as well as fans and nets), so you can self-cater if you want to, but there’s also a reasonable restaurant, and breakfast is included.
Ozis Vasco da Gama Rd, on the seafront .Very secure, friendly, and popular with travelers, Ozis is arranged around a central courtyard. None of the rooms are s/c, though all have ceiling fans and the shared showers and toilet is clean. It’s next to the Juma mosque, so you may be woken by the early prayer call. Free laundry.
Silversands Public Campsite Casuarina Rd, 1.8km south of the Total roundabout. Owned by Ozis .Hard ground, and not much shade, but if you want to camp, this is it, and at least it’s secure and close to the beach. There are three, clean, unisex shower/toilets, a small communal terrace and food preparation area, and a basic provisions kiosk.
Surahi Lodging off Lamu Rd. Above the Indian restaurant of the same name are these nine reasonable s/c rooms with fan, net and one big bed in each. Secure, comfortable and quiet.
Tana Guest House Uhuru Rd.While basic, the Tana is clean and well kept ,with nets and fans, and is very handy for buses to Lamu.Rooms in the main block can be stuffy and hot, but there are slightly dearer s/c rooms around a quiet courtyard at the back. Good, busy hoteli downstairs with plenty of choice.
Hotels In THE Town Centre & North
All the up market hotels have pools, but the beach is some 500m east of Lamu Road and relatively little used.Watersports are very limited at most of these hotels-with no reef offshore,theres no snorkeling ,and the current makes windsurfing only feasible if you’re experienced. One exception is the excellent Che Shale, a 30-minute drive from Malindi, north of Mambrui.
African Pearl Lamu Rd.Personably managed hotel with cool, spacious rooms, plus four self-catering cottages with kitchens, a fully equipped gym. The best rooms are characterful and comfortable and have large verandas (some are a/c too) , and they’re located in a charming old house with a nice veranda, a good pool, and a bar-restaurant(with nyama choma) at the front near the road. Good value if you choose one of the best rooms.
Che Shale 24km north of Malindi,and 6km off the main road .Literally on the beach-and what a beach-this is one of Kenya’s best mid-budget beach bases, opened in 1978,but now re-envisioned as a kite surfing centre. With just five s/c ,wood and palm-mat bandas ,sand underfoot and cool hosts, staff and fellow guests, this is the Beach incarnate, without the horrors .The separate Kajama bandas ,200m north, are the non s/c ,non-electric, budget options. Closed May & June.
Eden Roc Lamu Rd.Large old-package-tour place, with huge and largely untended gardens stretching several hundred metres down to the dunes and beach. Friendly if somewhat disorganized management and mostly German guests. Rooms with a/c or smaller rooms with fans.
Law fords Lamu Rd. Owned by the Italian Coral Key, this completely renovated Malindi institution, set in a spacious palm-filled gardens, has been transformed. All the rooms are suites, done out in a confident, European design, with powerful a/c, safes, TV, cool bathrooms and designer beds. Two pools and very well-equipped pampering from Law fords spa.
Mwembe Resort Off Lamu Rd, .Shady, green hideaway on an extensive plot at the back to town, with spacious Mediterranean –style suites (a/c, safe, fridge, DSTV) and self-catering villas, scattered around a large pool. Facilities include tennis and Lorenzo’s restaurant on site, and the private Rosada beach at Silver sands.
Sea view Resort Lamu Rd. Low-key development in a pleasant, wooded setting. The big rooms, with a/c, fans and TV are quite nicely done, and theres a good pool. Self-catering cottages are also available for 4 people and good value overall.
Hotel South Of Malindi Town
Protected by reefs, this is where the greatest development has taken place in the last few years, with one resort hotel after another reaching almost down to Casuarina Point. Most are Italian-owned or managed, and Italian visitors comprise the majority of guests.
Coral Key 2km south, on Silver sands Rd.Lively and sporty Italian-run resort, with rooms in 38 two-storey brick buildings, but not all a/c.Five pools, children’s pools and a good Italian restaurant and pizzeria. Activities include tennis, a climbing wall and a disco every Friday.
Driftwood Club 2.7km south, on Silversands Rd. With good food and a deserved reputation among the local Anglo-Kenyan community, the Driftwood is highly recommended –friendly and excellent value (especially for families, as under 12s pay a fraction of adult rates). As well as rooms in the gardens (a/c, nets), there are two luxury a/c cottages sharing a private pool and three, a/c, self-catering villas. Membership entitles you to fifteen percent off. Facilities include squash, a modest pool and Wi-Fi.
Kilili Baharini 4km south, on Casuarina Rd. Rather a classy set-up, with rooms organized in small enclaves, each group clustered around its own pool.Theres also a bigger main pool. The a/c rooms are fresh, with tasteful Swahili-style furniture. Big on massage treatments and very popular with Italian visitors.
Planhotel: Coconut Village/Malindi Beach/Tropical Village/Dream of Africa 3km south, on Casuarina
Rd.Stretched along 500m of shoreline, this is an all-inclusive Italian-slanted holiday resort, encompassing four different plots, each with a different hotel, ranging from the cheap(ish) and cheerful Coconut to pricey Dream .Tropical Village has more than a hundred rooms; the others one hundred between them.Gusets can use the extensive facilities across the four hotels.
Scorpio Villas 1km south, on Vasco da Gama Rd, not directly on the beach. Small –Scale, Italian –owned “village”, in a plot dense with Tropical vegetation, rebuilt since a fire in 2007. The a/c rooms with nets, DSTV, fridges and safes are characterful, with Swahili-style four-poster beds. Three pools. Good value, with lunch and dinner supplements only.
Snorkeling & Watersports
Board-based watersports-surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing-and diving and snorkeling are Malindis touristic raison d’être. Unfortunately, diving is somewhat marred by the Galana (Sabaki) Rivers outpouring of thousands of tons of prime red topsoil from the upcountry plateaus. The cloudy water prevents any coral growing north of Vasco da Gama Point and the sea in this north part of Malindi is muddy-brown from November to January .The good diving and snorkeling season, in the area starting from Vasco da Gama Point southwards, lasts only from July to October. During the April to June long rains, its low season and not great for clarity, while between November and March ,silt makes the water too murky and the larger hotels usually organize daily excursions for their guests to dive or snorkel in Watamu.
Seasonal variations aside, with your own gear you can snorkel in the lagoon, or snorkel out to the inside edge of the reef anywhere north of the marine park. At the park boundary at Casuarina Point the reef hugs the shore, and it runs north to its conclusion off Vasco da Gama Point, where its more than 900m from the beach.
Malindi Bay is the main surfing beach (June to the end of September, when the swell is on) and surfboards are available from some of the tourist’s hotels in town. The beach here is a good five to ten minutes walk from the road. There are several public access points, and some hotels will allow use of their beach access for a small fee, which means you can use their pool and leave your things on their guarded premises.
Malindi is one of the worlds kite surfing hotspots. Learning at Che Shale, the beach lodge which is partly responsible for the development of the sport, there are courses for five-to seven –day residential course, on top of your accommodation. The best seasons for this are January to April and July to mid-October.
Malindi Marine National park
Trips out to the marine park(daily 6am-6pm; can be arranged with boat-trip salesmen who make their rounds of the beaches and hotels most marnings.Alternatively ,make your own way down to the park office and very pretty beach at Casuarina Point,5km from town, where you can choose your boat and captain. Be sure to check out the condition of masks and snorkels, and insist on a set for each member of the party.Fins, assuming they have any that fit you, are not likely to be up to much. You should find a little room for discussions but wont be able to knock down prices much below the current going rate (excluding park fees) for two hours ,especially at peak seasons; in fact your outing may be somewhat curtailed if you bargain too ruthlessly.
The six square kilometers of the national park take in the loveliest areas of coral garden, between 1km and 4km offshore, and the trip is worth every shilling you finally agree on. Unless you have a mortal fear of snorkeling, don’t bother with the glass-bottomed boats charged for 2 hours minimum hire, which generally have small, not very clear windows. The snorkeling itself is sublime and, especially if you’ve never done it before, an unforgettable experience.
Dive Centres & Diving Schools
There two main dive centres in Malindi, and you should probably visit them both before deciding which one to use. Remember marine park fees are extra.
The Marafa Depression
Northwest of Malindi, The Marafa Depression is the remains of a large sandstone ridges, now reduced by wind, rain and floodwater top a series of gorges, where steep gullies and narrow arêtes alternately eat into or jut from the main ridge wall. The colours of the exposed sandstone range from off-white through pale pink and orange to deep crimson, all capped by the rich tawny topsoil. It’s particularly dramatic at sunset.
“Hells Kitchen” is the common nickname for this impressive landscape, though the locals call it Nyari-”the place broke by itself”-and tell numerous moralizing stories about its dark origins. The main one sets the word of a monotheistic, all-powerful deity against traditional wisdom, and tells how the people of a village that once stood here were warned by God about a forth-coming miraculous event. They were commanded to move out and all did so, except one old woman, who refused to believe such nonsense. The village and the old lady disappeared a short while later, leaving Nyari.
To get to Marafa, tae the road out of Malindi heading north, turn left on the other side of the Galana (Sabaki) bridge and from there go via Marikebuni and Magarini .You’re looking at around trip of about 80km.Alternatively, a handful of matatus run to Marafa village every day, or you could hire a cab and negotiate the price. To get to the gorge itself, fork right at the end of Marafa village and the canyon is about 500m along on the left, hidden until you’re right at its edge. At the lip of the gorge and you pay community fee to enter, it’s easy to descend the steep path to the bottom, where you can count on spending an hour or two exploring the natural architecture of what looks like an early Star Trek Set. It’s good to do so with a guide from the village, especially if you come in a group, but be sure to settle the price before setting off.
Crafts and Shopping
There two main outdoor areas to head for when you’re in the buying mood. Most obvious is the craft market on the seashore below the old town.Naturally, if you stry down here you’ll be pounced upon, and leaving without buying anything isn’t easy. On the other hand, you can also leave with all sorts of little free gifts if you strike the right bargain. The other area is the Malindi Handicraft co-operative (daily 8am-6.30pm), 2.5km west of the new market and matatu stage, where you can see and freely photograph the woodcarvers at work. There’s no bargaining at the shop, but you can discuss prices direct with the carvers and place specific orders.
Alternatively, for more expensive crafts and the possibility of browsing unhurriedly, try one of the upermarket shops along Lamu Road, just to the north of Uhuru Gardens. Prices tend to be high, but visits are useful for checking comparative values and gauging prices.
About the Author
Anthony Mmeri is the Editor and Senior Aviation Director at Wings over Africa Safaris.
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