There is something special in the
resort town of Malindi, on the coral reef-studded Indian Ocean
Coast of Kenya. Tourist resorts in the Malindi district include
the towns of Malindi, Mambrui and Watamu. Malindi is warm all
year round, with average daytime temperature of 29 °C.
Smaller and easy going, the resorts
around Malindi offer a chance to relax in the sun at
international standards, while experiencing the Coast’s
fascinating mixture of cultures – African tribes, Indian, Arab,
Swahili, colonial settlers and today’s modern European segments.
How to Get
There
There are several flights on
international and charter airlines to Nairobi, from can be made
to Malindi or Mombasa via scheduled domestic flights. There are
also many direct flights to Mombasa’s Moi International Airport,
a 1-1/2 hours, drive to Malindi. Not long after you leave the
airport, you will happily be settling into your beach chair in
swimming clothes, with a cool drink by your side. If your flight
brings you to Malindi, the airport is only about 10 minutes from
the center of the town.
Eating and
Night Life
There are many restaurants from the
simple to the sublime. You will find Italian regional
specialties, local Swahili or Kenyan food, Indian, International
and even game meat. There are excellent bakeries and ice cream
parlours and cafes where you can sip a cappuccino and watch the
world stroll by. In the evening visit a piano bar, nightclub or
discotheque.
Water Sports
Water sports are an obvious
activity. You can windsurf, surf, or cruise over the reef in a
glass-bottomed boat to go snorkelling at the Watamu or Malindi
Marine National Parks. Snorkelling will undoubtedly tempt the
uninitiated to a greater underwater experience: scuba diving.
Imagine yourself swimming with turtles, schools of barracuda and
grouper, moray eels and even reef sharks! Malindi boasts the
world’s 3rd largest live reef.
Deep
Sea Fishing
The sport which put Malindi on the
international map is deep-sea fishing. Popular since Ernest
Hemingway tried his luck here in 1934, deep sea fishing has
attracted anglers from all over the world to try their luck and
skills. The seas off the Malindi coast offer the best fishing in
all of Africa, with nearly 6,000 billfish caught in the 1994/95
season. The sailfish population off Malindi is the world’s
largest. Malindi holds more Kenya and All Africa records for
Pacific sailfish than any of the other fishing clubs in the
country. Broadbill swordfish are also a popular though less
common catch.
Recreation
The horse riding Centrex
accommodates beginners and experts, and you can go on a short
ride to the bush. Malindi also has heath clubs, and you can keep
fit with aerobics classes at many hotels. Bicycles are widely
available for hire.
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