We spent the weekend in Mombasa, the port city on Kenya’s coast. It is a fascinating blend of cultures owing to its key location along the major Indian Ocean trading routes. Since the late 1500s, it has been ruled by the Omanis, the Portuguese, and the British at varying times.
The city had a familiar feel to my sister and me; in many ways, it reminded us of Karachi, Pakistan (at least in the 1960s), from the rickshaws (called tuck-tucks here) to the gorgeous bougainvillea plants to product brands we had long forgotten about.
The cuisine is fabulous as well. Let’s put it this way: what’s not to like about a city where biryani, samosas, and chips (french fries) are on every menu?
Here are a few photos taken around town, mostly in and around the old city:
