| Kenya’s 480 km coast is one of the
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| | usually head to Shelley, Tiwi, Diani,
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| principal attractions for visitors to the
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| | Msambweni and Shimoni. These are the
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| country. Every year, hundreds of
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| | beaches to the south of Mombasa, where
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| thousands of sun lovers find their way
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| | hotel and resort development has taken
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| here. Many are returning pilgrims who
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| | place. To get to the south coast beaches
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| truly know that the sun here is ever
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| | you need to take the ferry at Likoni, the
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| faithful. Unlike other beach
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| | southern tip of Mombasa Island. If this
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| destinations, the visitor is served with
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| | does not suit you, take a flight to Diani
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| much more than just sun and sand but is
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| | airstrip. Diani beach, 40 km from Mombasa
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| delighted to discover ancient coastal
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| | is the most developed beach at the south
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| forests and historical sites and a people
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| | coast. This is the quintessential
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| with a fascinating history and culture.
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| | tropical paradise and here you will find
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| The casual visitor impressed by the
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| | a wide range of hotels, including an
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| tranquil beaches and gentle people will
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| | 18-hole golf resort. Though some of the
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| not suspect the colourful and eventful
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| | other beaches are excellent, they have
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| history of these realms.For the tourist,
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| | limited range of accommodation and
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| the Kenyan coast can be seen as five
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| | attract fewer people.Shimoni, 100 km from
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| regions. These are: the town and island
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| | Mombasa is a centre for serious deep-sea
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| of Mombasa; the south coast
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| | fishing. It is also from Shimoni that you
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| –stretching from Mombasa to the
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| | can visit the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine
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| Tanzanian border 135 km away: the north
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| | National Park. Here you will see the
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| coast- covering the beaches from Mombasa
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| | treasures of Kenya’s underwater
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| up to Kilifi, 60 km away: Malindi and
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| | world. At the marine park, the snorkeling
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| Watamu about 130 km to the northeast of
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| | experience is outstanding and on a lucky
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| Mombasa and Lamu island and archipelago,
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| | day you will swim with the dolphins. At
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| 225 km further up from Malindi. Each of
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| | Shimoni, there are a series of deep
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| these regions has similarities in terms
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| | coastal caves stretching from the sea to
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| of history, culture, natural attractions
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| | deep inland. Arab slavers reportedly used
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| and beach experience. But as sports fans
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| | these caves in the dark days of the slave
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| will understand, it is the differences
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| | trade. The slaves who perished here are
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| that matter to the dedicated fans of each
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| | remembered in Roger Whittaker’s
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| region.The gateway to the Kenyan coast is
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| | song “Shimoni”.At the south
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| Mombasa. You get here by flying into its
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| | coast you have plenty of chances to
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| international airport or by taking the
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| | indulge in some thrilling marine activity
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| 520 km road journey from Nairobi, the
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| | such as water skiing, wind surfing, scuba
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| common entry port for most visitors. If
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| | diving, goggling and deep-sea fishing.
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| you demand the freedom of your own car,
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| | The Shimba Hills National Reserve,
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| consider taking a rental car either in
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| | directly inland from Diani is a surprise
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| Nairobi on in Mombasa to help you get
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| | and you have the opportunity to see some
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| around. Review the options you have for
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| | of the wildlife that Kenya is famed for.
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| Kenya Car Rental and Kenya Domestic
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| | Though the wildlife is not as prolific as
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| Flights as you plan to get there.Mombasa,
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| | in the upcountry game parks, the
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| the principal city at Kenya’s coast
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| | beautiful rainforest and the spectacular
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| is one of the oldest human settlements on
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| | Sheldrick Falls make it worth a visit.
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| the eastern seaboard of the African
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| | You can also spend the night here at
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| continent. Though it has without doubt
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| | Kenya’s only tree lodge at the
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| been in existence for at least 700 years,
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| | coast, which has some water holes where
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| it is mentioned in writings of Arab,
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| | elephants and other animals come for a
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| Roman and Egyptian travelers dated as far
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| | drink.The main attraction of the north
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| back as 2,500 years ago. The Arabs came
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| | coast is its beaches. Heading north from
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| to trade and settle, starting from about
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| | Mombasa these are: Nyali, Bamburi,
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| the 8th century AD. With the push of the
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| | Shanzu, Vipingo and Kikambala. Here you
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| northeast monsoon, their dhows brought
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| | will find hotel and resort complexes to
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| ironware, glassware, textiles, and took
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| | suit the taste of most beach holiday
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| home rhino horn, ivory and slaves.
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| | enthusiasts. From your north coast base,
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| Substantial settlements gradually
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| | you may want to visit Mamba Village,
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| developed and many traders settled and
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| | reputed to be one of the worlds’
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| intermarried with local Africans. The
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| | largest crocodile farms. Those interested
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| Arabs also brought along the message of
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| | in eco conservation projects must not
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| the Prophet and the Kenyan coast is even
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| | miss Haller Park. The park is named after
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| today predominantly Muslim.Relative
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| | the Swiss agronomist who by sheer grit
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| tranquility prevailed at the coastal
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| | and vision transformed a huge abandoned
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| towns until the Portuguese showed up at
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| | cement quarry into a spectacular 7 sq km
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| the end of the 15th century. The
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| | nature and animal sanctuary.At Mtwapa,
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| Portuguese were a substantial seafaring
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| | just beyond Shanzu beach, Kenya
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| power of the day and were anxious to
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| | Marineland houses some very diverse
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| break the stranglehold of the Ottoman
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| | marine life, which you view from a
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| Empire on Indian Ocean trade. Vasco Da
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| | glass-sided underground tunnel. From the
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| Gama opened the way for his compatriots
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| | same point, you can take a dhow sailing
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| when he made his way round the southern
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| | trip that includes onboard entertainment
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| tip of Africa and up to eastern Africa in
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| | - acrobatics, fire eating and local
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| 1498. The Portuguese were not warmly
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| | dancers. Just off the coast, spectacular
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| received in Mombasa, but not so at
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| | coral reefs teem with numerous fish, sea
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| Malindi. The local sultan offered his
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| | turtles and dolphins. You have an
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| ready friendship and proved very useful
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| | opportunity for world-class diving here,
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| to Da Gama by providing a pilot who knew
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| | including some serious wreck diving.
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| how to get to India, his ultimate
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| | Diving at the Kenyan coast is good year
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| destination.Between the 15th and 19th
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| | round, expect in the months of July and
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| centuries, Mombasa saw plenty of war. For
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| | August when silting and high seas are a
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| this reason, the city was nicknamed
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| | problem.Malindi has a history going back
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| Mvita, which in Swahili translates as
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| | at least 800 years. This is the only town
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| Isle of War. Fort Jesus, the permanent
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| | along the east African coast where the
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| garrison whose construction was started
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| | Portuguese found friendship without the
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| by the Portuguese in 1593, changed
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| | persuasion of arms. Vasco Da Gama erected
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| masters 9 times before 1875. By the
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| | a pillar to serve as a navigation aid
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| terror of war, the Portuguese sought to
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| | that still stands. Today, the town is a
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| control the east African coast. As
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| | particular favourite with Italian
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| colonial overlords, the Portuguese were
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| | visitors. Most of the hotel and resort
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| deficient in that they were mostly
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| | development are to the south of the town
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| interested in plunder and trade and did
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| | along the Silversands beachfront and
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| not establish robust systems of
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| | nearer town around Malindi Bay. At
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| administration. Another related
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| | Malindi Marine National Park, you can see
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| difficulty they faced was that they were
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| | some fascinating coral gardens by diving,
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| supplied from Goa in India. The student
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| | snorkeling or from a glass bottomed
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| of military theory will recognise this as
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| | boat.Malindi is a respected centre for
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| a classical case of “long supply
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| | big game fishing and several world
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| lines”.The Portuguese were finally
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| | records have been set here. The writer
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| driven out by the emerging power of Omani
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| | Hemingway was here in the 1930’s to
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| Arabs in 1729. The ascendancy of the
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| | enjoy one of his favourite macho sports.
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| Omani Arabs lasted until Britain, a
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| | Watamu, 15 km further south, is a small
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| leading super power at the time, appeared
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| | beach development around the beautiful
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| at the beginning of the 19th century. The
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| | inlets of Turtle Bay and Blue Lagoon.
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| British came in under the guise of a
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| | Watamu too has its own Marine Park. At
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| humanitarian mission- the suppression of
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| | the edge of the park, you find a
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| the slave trade. The Omani Arabs were
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| | collection of caves housing a school of
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| notorious slave traders. Christian
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| | giant rock cod, some stretching the whole
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| missionaries put pressure on the British
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| | of 2 metres. Consider making an excursion
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| government to persuade the Omani Arabs to
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| | to Gedi Ruins, one of Kenya archeological
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| pursue other trade other than trafficking
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| | treasures. Gedi is estimated to have been
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| in humans. This is somewhat like the
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| | founded in the 13th century but was
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| problem the Americans face today in South
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| | mysteriously abandoned in the 17th
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| America with respect to the cocaine
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| | century. Experts guess that marauding
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| trade.The British were actually
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| | Galla tribesmen from up north did in the
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| successful in this, by using time
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| | settlement.Lamu has in recent years found
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| honoured carrot and stick tactics. Under
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| | favour with the international glitterati.
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| the resulting deal, the Omani Arabs whose
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| | The town has an ambience of mediaeval
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| headquarters was in Zanzibar were
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| | romance that attracts those who are
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| recognized as overlords over a 16 km
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| | offended by the burdens of our modern
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| strip along the Kenyan coast. The sultan
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| | existence. Life in the island goes on
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| was to be paid an annuity as compensation
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| | almost like it did in the 14th century
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| for resulting loss of revenue. This
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| | when the settlement was founded. Lamu has
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| territory acquired the status of a
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| | narrow streets and the town has only a
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| British Protectorate until 1963 when the
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| | single car for use by the top government
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| Sultan of Zanzibar ceded it to the newly
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| | official. Everybody else walks, takes a
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| independent Kenyan nation.Mombasa is
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| | dhow or uses donkey taxis. If you come in
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| today a cosmopolitan metropolis
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| | by air you land at nearby Manda Island,
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| reflecting the influence of Africans,
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| | from where you take a dhow or ferry. In
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| Persians, Arabs, Turks, Indians,
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| | this centre of Islamic culture, the men
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| Portuguese and the British. The Old Town
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| | wear full-length whites and the women are
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| is a grid of narrow winding streets lined
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| | shorn head to toe in black.Shela is the
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| with houses built to coastal Swahili and
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| | main beach on the island and is just 15
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| Indian styles. Some of the houses have
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| | minutes away by motorboat. You will find
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| intricately carved doors similar to what
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| | good rated accommodation at Lamu. There
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| you find in Zanzibar and Lamu. In the Old
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| | are also some very pricey hideaways in
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| Town you will find Fort Jesus, the
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| | the neighboring islands of the
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| permanent garrison built by the hapless
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| | archipelago favoured by the jet set. In
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| Portuguese. Fort Jesus, in addition to
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| | the centre of the town, you find a fort
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| being an attraction itself, houses a
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| | built by invading Omani Arabs in the
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| museum exhibiting various artifacts
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| | early 19th century that now serves as a
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| reflecting the various cultures that have
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| | cultural centre. Lamu museum is located
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| influenced the Kenyan coast. You will
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| | at the seafront, in a house once occupied
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| also see articles recovered from the
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| | by Jack Haggard, Queen Victoria’s
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| ill-fated Portuguese warship Santo
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| | consul in this then important outpost.
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| Antonio De Tanna, which sank in the siege
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| | The museum is a repository of Swahili
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| of 1697 that lasted 1000 days.In Mombasa
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| | culture and on display are artifacts,
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| you can take an all day dhow trip and
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| | dhows, jewelry and crafts.At Mombasa and
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| relive the experience of the traders who
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| | the Kenyan Coast you will find rated
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| sailed along the East African coast and
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| | accommodation. Once you are there, you
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| as far as India and the Persian Gulf
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| | can take a break to view some of the
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| aboard these vessels for centuries. For
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| | wildlife that the country is famed for.
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| the past few years, every November the
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| | From Mombasa, the nearest park reachable
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| Mombasa Carnival has been staged in the
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| | by road is Tsavo East, 4 hours away.
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| town. The Carnival is a lively street
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| | Another good option is to fly to the
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| parade where you see incredibly adorned
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| | Maasai Mara, Kenya’s top wildlife
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| musicians and other artists from the
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| | sanctuary and home to the big five-
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| Kenyan coast and other parts of the
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| | elephant, lion, leopard, rhino and
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| country. Street comedians, Swahili Taarab
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| | buffalo. There are many Kenya safari
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| singers, Maasai warriors, brass bands and
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| | options with Mombasa departuresThe Kenyan
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| individual artists in outrageous costumes
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| | coast has a tropical climate and it is a
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| brave the November heat to march in the
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| | hot and humid place.
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| parade.Visitors to the south coast
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|
