Kenya

Kenyan - Towns and Cities

Nairobi

Africa's biggest city between Johannesburg and Cairo, Nairobi - the capital city of Kenya - is an entirely modern creation: until the arrival of the colonial railway in the 1890s the site of the now bustling, hustling city was an uninhabited swamp.

Diani

Blindingly white Diani Beach may be the most developed beach on the Kenya South Coast but don't let that put you off: there's all the infrastructure you could need in terms of shops, restaurants, bars and clubs but one of the things that makes Diani Beach such an attractive destination is the range of excellent luxury beach accommodation.

Lamu Island

Lamu may be the most popular and developed island in northern Kenya's Lamu Archipelago but don't think that you're headed for a teeming tourist destination. Lamu Island, a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2001, has escaped the development that has transformed much of the mainland Kenya coast and largely remains untouched by modern society, perhaps best exemplified by the fact that there is only one car on the island: the mayor's.

Malindi

Centrally located Malindi is at the unspoilt heart of the Kenya Coast literally and metaphorically: boasting some of the best beaches on the coast, the Malindi region has Kenya's best deep sea fishing, peerless diving and snorkelling at the Malindi Marine National Park and the town itself is regarded as the CLEANEST in the country.

Manda Island

One of the most alluring gems in the sparkling chain of jewels that is Kenya's Lamu Archipelago, Manda Island is less developed than Lamu Island, virtually uninhabited and is home to one of the coast's best archaeological sites, particularly at Takwa. This flourishing port and town, with its roots in the 9th century, was hastily abandoned 300 years ago, leaving many questions as to why.

Mombasa

Known somewhat optimistically as the “San Francisco” of Kenya, Mombasa dominates the Kenya coast. The country's second largest city, major port and logistics hub for Kenya's Indian Ocean destination, Mombasa is a busy, noisy, crowded city with its roots in the 12th century, a key city in the spice, gold, ivory and slave trade.