Travel Eye on Kilifi (Kenya)

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Overview:

Kilifi is a small, sleepy town with a generally low-key atmosphere, comprised of ramshackle, low-rise concrete buildings offering little to tourists. Although it is a Giriama tribal centre, it has an international flavour owing to the fact that the town is "nirvana" for the sailing fraternity, with huge yachts moored in the creek.

The "yachties" mingle with the old British Kenyan settlers who have built up a small community of retirement homes along the creek and coast. There is the possibility of terrorist attacks on tourists in Kenya; Foreign Office advisory notices offer the latest official advice and should be consulted before booking.

The area caters for package tourists wanting to go off the beaten track, seeking local colour and interested in water sports.

The accommodation offers very basic lodgings in town, with more salubrious choices along either side of the creek towards the lake. There are 3 large upmarket oceanside beach hotels to the east, with another on the south side of the creek.

Locality:

Kifili is halfway up the south east coast, on a creek overlooking the Indian Ocean (340 mls SE of the capital, Nairobi. 30 mls N of Mombasa. 40 mls S of Malindi. 38 mls S of Malindi airport; 36 mls N of Mombasa's Moi international airport). It is spread along the north shore of the deep-water Kilifi Creek that extends inland and opens out into a small lake. The land either side is undulating and planted with huge baobab trees.

Entertainment/Facilities/Attractions/Things to do:

Breathtaking white powder beaches stretch for miles beneath high cliffs of coral rock to the oceanside NE of town; good snorkelling just off shore. Beaches along the creek are not as attractive and the creek can become murky at times. Beach facilities, where there are any, are exclusively provided by hotels. Generally, it is not advisable to wander around on the beaches after dark.

Shopping here offers local, authentic African open-air markets full of fruit and vegetables. Boutiques are only found in hotels.

During the daytime activities include diving, snorkelling and sailing; tennis; the 17th-century ruins of Mnarani town on south side of creek include mosque and several pillar tombs.

The nightlife here offers 2 local nightclubs with African music and a Kenyan crowd, plus entertainments offered by resort hotels.

Food offerings here are limited in town to basic eating houses serving chips or ugali (pounded maize meal) with stews or grilled fish; a number of more upmarket places along the creek serving seafood, British and Italian fare. It is not advisable to drink the local water; stick to bottled varieties.