Mombasa!!

Road to Mombasa

On the road again, just East of Kisumu.

Old Town Mombasa

When I first found out I was probably going to Kenya, I realized Mombasa was also in Kenya and I told myself I just have to go there. I didn’t know much about it, but honestly, I remember the male “Lover” from the SNL sketch “The Lovers” (circa 2003 or so) told some story about “Mombasa!” and it sounded exotic and interesting and that I just had to go.

So, after leaving Kisumu, I took a very long bus ride across the country. The bus left at 2:45 am from Kisumu, I arrived at Mombasa at 9:30 pm. So…. about 19 hours? I had a nice seat though, a VIP seat with Modern Coast. I recommend it. It was quite comfortable, it was big and wide. I could gain over 100 pounds and still fit in the seat, not that I’m wanting that but just saying. This bus ticket was only 22$!

Mombasa is a big city on the coast that has a lot of Arab influence. They have some awesome old buildings, including Fort Jesus which was built by the Portuguese in the 1590s.

I am not a city girl but I definitely wanted to check this place out. I stayed at the New Palm Tree Hotel, which I recall was compared to “The Grand Budapest Hotel” in a trip advisor review, and I have to say, yes, there is a charming comparison. I did some city exploring, especially the old part of town. I had dinner and drinks with a very cool Seattle woman who was staying in my hotel. She reminds me a bit of an older version of myself, so it was great to talk to her and share our experiences and future dreams.

I was there just one full day and then I decided I seriously need to get myself to the beach.

See more pics of Mombasa here!