Visiting the Coast this festive season? Here's the do's and dont's

Public beaches

These are the go-to places for thousands of local tourists. Jomo Kenyatta Beach, popularly known as Pirates is the largest public beach in Mombasa. Unbeknown to many, there are several other public beaches around. If you love your privacy, Pirates is not the place for you. You can opt for Nyali and Mombasa public beaches which are cleaner, fairly secure and less crowded.

Tudor Beach, though a public beach, is a no...no...no! It is filthy with all the sewer waste from the posh estates draining into the ocean.

There is also Shelly Beach across the Likoni mainland side of Mombasa and is fairly good apart from the machete-wielding youths who roam the vicinity, especially at night. It’s their hideout.

For those who can, why not cruise to Diani or Watamu in Kwale and Kilifi counties respectively, where some of the world’s breathtaking beaches are located? In the two destinations, you will have fun enjoying the holidays due to other water sports activities including diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, water skiing and surfing among others. However, beware of the beach boys lurking around. Some of them can speak several foreign languages fluently, by the way, and this might just sweep you off your feet!

There are plenty of places for children to enjoy their stay at the Coast beyond the beach. Some of the places to take your child to play or visit include Kidzania in Nyali City Mall, Wildwaters Centre, Borabora, Diani Park, Mamba Village, Haller Park, Butterfly Pavilion, Shimba Hills, Kisite Mpunguti, Shimoni Caves among others.

What to eat

The key to enjoying a meal, be it along the streets or in an eatery is to know how to call it by its name. Swahili foods have specific names that are usually distorted by those living in the upcountry. Please, don’t go out ordering ‘bhajia’ when what you need is ‘viazi karai’. You will embarrass yourself for no reason. We know you may be used to referring to some bald doughnuts out there as ‘kaimati’. This is an injustice to the sweet, sugarcoated bun known as kaimati.

Some other Swahili cuisine you should not miss out on include shawarma, biryani, pilau, mkate wa sinia, mahamri, viazi karai, bhajia za kunde, mihogo ya nazi, tambi, viazi vya nazi, viazi batata, bokoboko, mkate wa tambi, samaki wa nazi, samaki wa kupaka, chicken or fish tikka, kachori, sharubeti, dafu and kachiri. The list can go on and on but it’s up to you to familiarise yourself with these meals and snacks because we want you to enjoy them to the fullest.

Say hello

If you are a grown-up, it is better to learn how to respond to ‘Shikamoo’. You might come across a dozen children playing and each one of them will want to greet you in that most disciplined Swahili way. It will be rude to ignore them and also, I assure you chances are high that they will mock you if you dare respond ‘iko wapi’ or any other funny pronunciation like ‘Marasaba’ and not ‘Marahaba’. Take note that there is a way to say ‘Marahaba’. You don’t just throw it out there but rather go like, ‘Mar’habaaa…’.

You may also prefer the Muslim greetings while at the coast. ‘Salamaleko’ is not it and neither should ‘Walekomsalama’ be a response. Learn to say ‘ As-Salamu Alaykum’ to which the response is ‘‎Wa Alaykumu Salaam’.

Your safety comes first

Be careful at the overcrowded public beaches, not everyone is at the beach for the same reason as you. Some muggers, drug traffickers, defilers and rapists are lurking around. Don’t trust strangers who offer to teach you how to swim on the beach.

Also, don’t be caught swimming late in the evening, get out of the water by 6pm. You will be arrested by a multi-agency security personnel manning the beaches including Kenya Coast Guard Service and Kenya Wildlife Service if you disregard this. Kwale County has already launched a festive beach safety campaign as the County government urges the public to prioritise their safety and security.

Moving from one place to the other

Once you alight from the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) Miritini terminus, you can use a taxi and share the cost or use the PSV which is cheaper. However, for those who will be flying to the Coast, once you reach the Moi International, Malindi or Diani airports, you can also hail a cab to ferry you to wherever you want to go. Bargain, bargain and bargain, that’s the only secret to survive during the harsh economic times.

However, if hailing a cab digitally, be ready to pay more than the stipulated amount inscribed in the online cab app. It is normal in the region to hail some of the prominent online cabs and the driver negotiates for charges upwards when they arrive. Expect moments when you will have to slow down due to the active construction works ongoing along the Mombasa-Malindi Highway.

In Mombasa, don’t despise tuk tuks. They are far more convenient than most other Public Service Vehicles and also cost effective.

Where to stay

Most hotels are full because both the repeat international and local tourists had booked in advance to enjoy discounts. However, there is still room for more especially with the Airbnb market which charges as low as Sh4,000 and as high as Sh100,000 per day for special villas that come complete with a chef, nannies and a rental car.

Those blood-thirsty mosquitos and sigh! salty water

Some of the most lethal mosquitoes are found around the Coast region. Make sure you take precautions, not just by sleeping under an insecticide-treated mosquito net but also using insecticides when you are relaxing in the evening where there may be mosquitoes.

In Mombasa, fresh drinking water is a challenge. You can either opt to treat tap water, if you can access it, or purchase purified drinking water. Apart from the sealed and branded purified water from shops and supermarkets, there are plenty of entrepreneurs running water purification businesses where they sell at affordable prices.

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