Malindi, Kenya: travel guide
Historic Swahili and Portuguese-heritage coastal town on Kenya's north coast, with its own marine national park, old-town waterfront and the Vasco da Gama Pillar. Watamu, ~17 km south, is a separate catalog city.
- Country
- Kenya
- Currency
- KES
- Time zone
- Africa/Nairobi
- Nearest airport
- MYD
Top places to visit in Malindi
Vasco da Gama Pillar
Heritage · about 0.5 h · entry KES 500
A coral-and-limestone pillar topped by a cross, erected by the Portuguese explorer in 1498 — one of Africa's oldest European monuments.
Malindi Marine National Park
Nature · about 4 h · entry USD 17
Kenya's oldest marine park, protecting fringing and patch reefs — glass-bottom boats and snorkelling over coral.
Things to do
- Malindi Marine Park Glass-Bottom Boat Water Sports · 3 h · from KES 3,500 per person
Day trips and tours
- Gede Ruins & Watamu Marine Park Day 8 h · from KES 7,000
Where to stay in Malindi
- Watamu
Village beside a marine park with turquoise coves, dive schools and boutique hotels.
- Malindi Town
Historic town with the seafront, Vasco da Gama Pillar and an Italian-influenced food scene.
Hotels
- Scorpio Villas 3-star · KES 9,000 to KES 15,000 per night
- Ocean Beach Resort & Spa 4-star · KES 11,000 to KES 18,000 per night
Where to eat
- Baby Marrow Italian, Seafood · about KES 2,500 per person
- La Malindina Italian, Seafood · about KES 2,500 per person
- Baobab Restaurant Seafood, Swahili · about KES 1,200 per person
Getting around
- Motorbike Rental main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Tuktuk main way to get around
Seeded from the curated primary_local_modes array; per-city parameters not yet researched.
- Walking
Every city has walking. 2.5 km ceiling is a placeholder default, not a researched per-city figure -- Singapore is sheltered and air-conditioned, Bangkok often has no pavement.