Malindi is a coastal area of Kenya which has a history stretching back over a thousand years. Its home to a large Muslim and Catholic community…the existence of many ancient mosques and churches attest to this fact. The history of this small albeit marvelous town makes it rich with a culture that is outstanding. Before I forget, let me put it out to you that even though Malindi has a kind of ancient feel to it, it has an atmosphere that is quite unlike anywhere else in Kenya, an atmosphere that is loved by majority of those who visit the town.

Malindi has a number of historical sites such as Malindi old town, Gedi ruins etc, which are places worth visiting. Ever heard of dhow trips? Well, don’t worry if this sounds new to you because it did sound new to me as well, but that was before I visited Malindi…now I know better. A dhow is a traditional Arab sailing ship entirely made of wood, which has plied the waters of the East African Coast for more than a thousand years now. Its main purpose was to transport carpets and other goods between India and Africa. You need to check this out and while you are at it, you could do some sightseeing, have lunch or dinner cruises and also enjoy entertainment that includes limbo dancers, acrobats, fire-eaters just to mention a few…sounds fun huh!

Fishermen in Malindi, Kenya struggle to control a dhow

Everyone if not all love the beach, a place where you could relax and just do nothing or enjoy some “me” time or have fun with your friends and family…it all trickles down to enjoying yourself and having peace of mind! Who wouldn’t like this!?! Well, if this is what you are looking for then visit the different beaches in Malindi.

Last but not least, you need to visit the Marine National Park…this particular place is outstanding. The park is located to the south of Malindi town. What’s the hullabaloo all about? You ask yourself. Well, let’s just say Marine National Park is one of a kind as its gifted with fringing reefs, mangroves, high fish diversity, marine mammals…the list is endless.

A beach at Marine National Park, photo by Filip Lachowski

There are so many things about Malindi I would love to say! But trust me if I did, you will never get to hear (or should I say read) the end of it. So why don’t you just plan your travels and go experience all that I have mentioned, and even more.