Hot and humid, Mombasa is the biggest port on the east coast of
Africa serving five different countries, and sits at the beginning
of the only railway that crosses the Kenyan interior, built by the
British in 1901. It is situated on an island linked to the mainland
by bridges and surrounded by a natural harbour where commercial
shipping mixes with traditional sailing dhows. The main attraction
is the commanding 16th-century fort protecting the entrance of the
harbour, Fort Jesus, whose remnants relay the story of a historic
struggle for control of the coast between the Portuguese and Arabs.
Behind, on Treasury Square, is the Government Game Department's
Ivory Room, exhibiting elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns,
hippopotamus teeth and other animal trophies confiscated from
poachers or taken from dead animals on the reserve. The Old Town
retains a strong Arab flavour and is the true heart of the city,
with an intricate pattern of winding streets alive with the colours
of the traditional wrap-around clothing, crammed with faded houses
and street sellers, and filled with the heavy scent of spices. It
is best to visit the Old Town with an official guide, as mugging is
not uncommon. As a large city, Mombasa operates as the hub of the
coastal tourism trade, despite its lack of attractive beaches, so
most visitors stay long enough to look around before heading either
north or south to one the beautiful beach resorts nearby.
