Travel to Malindi

an interesting but out-of-vogue coastal area

Malindi is a substantial town located on the central part of the Kenya Coast.

One of a string of historic Arab ports along this coast, the old Swahili town of Malindi is centred on an historic fort, encircled by a maze of small streets. It’s a fascinating place to explore, similar to Stone Town in Zanzibar and Lamu Town further north, all of which are more or less contemporary, dating back to the time when various Arabian sultans ruled over this coastline and plundered the mainland for slaves and ivory.

The sprawling modern day Malindi is the second largest town along this coast, although it is considerably smaller than Mombasa and has a distinctly more laid back atmosphere.

The main attraction of the area is the marine park, which contains some of the best snorkelling and diving in the region.

Impressive white sand beaches are backed by a long string of resorts, many of which are closed down or barely functional, almost all of which seem to be offering very low rates in an attempt to attract visitors.

Overall the place feels slightly past its best, although there are some reasonably interesting accommodation options.

We tend to recommend Malindi for inclusion in trips relatively rarely. However there are occasions when it’s the right option, most commonly for divers wanting to explore these specific waters or people who are returning to this coast for the first time in many years and want to revisit old haunts.

The area also combines very easily with overland safari through Tsavo East.

a relatively thin choice of accommodation