Located on the coastline of Kenya, Malindi is known for its exclusivity and its white sandy beaches are an ideal destination to visit anytime of the year. With many activities to choose from, your day will be filled with enjoyment. From restaurants that offer seafood, to its museums that showcase the towns’ long standing heritage, to shops that sell African jewelry and other artworks such as wood arts of high quality to Italian based restaurant, Malindi is a unique destination on its own.
For fans of swimming and other water sport activities Malindi offers a wide range of activities such as snorkeling, swimming with dolphins, deep sea diving and lovely boat rides on the blue ocean.
Marafa depressions is One of the more intriguing sights inland from the north Kenyan coast is Hell’s Kitchen or Nyari (‘the place broken by itself’). About 30km northeast of Malindi, it’s an eroded sandstone gorge where jungle, red rock and cliffs heave themselves into a single stunning Mars-like landscape. The depression is currently managed as a local tourism concern by Marafa village, with the steep admission costs going into village programs. A guide will walk you around the lip of the gorge and into its heart of sandstone spikes and melted-candle-like formations, and tell the story of Hell’s Kitchen. Which goes like so: a rich family was so careless with their wealth that they bathed themselves in the valuable milk of their cows. God became angry with this excess and sank the family homestead into the earth. The white and red walls of the depression mark the milk and blood of the family painted over the gorge walls.
For those inclided to nature, Malindi Marine National Park is the oldest marine park in Kenya covers 213 sq km of powder-blue fish, organ-pipe coral, green sea turtles and beds of Thalassia seagrass. If you’re extremely lucky, you may spot mako and whale sharks. Unfortunately, these reefs have suffered (and continue to suffer) extensive damage, evidenced by the piles of seashells on sale in Malindi. Monsoon-generated waves can reduce visibility from June to September.
A must see site to visit will one is at malindi is the Vasco da Gama pillar erected by the Portuguese explorer as a navigational aid back in 1498.
