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Kenyan Counties

reated under the Provinces and Districts Act of 1992. Mombasa County The Mombasa Kenya coastline is a tropical idyll of soft white sands and gentle sea breeze, where the passing of a day is marked by the slow arc of the sun. The pace of life in Mombasa is notably slower, languid, more relaxed and at peace with the world. Over the years, tour operators have organized beach safaris along the Mombasa Kenyan coast including scuba diving, big game fishing, jet skiing, wind surfing, parasailing, beach parachuting, swimming with dolphins, coral garden snorkeling among others. A Dive beneath these waters and you discover an undersea paradise. The coral reefs teem with fish, a kaleidoscope of colours and life. Come ashore to Mombasa beach resorts and hotels that let you relax and experience this paradise in style and comfort. Lay back and enjoy yourself, or get out and explore. Immerse yourself in a unique coastal culture as rich and rewarding as the local Swahili cuisine. Mombasa Water Sports Mombasas south coast is serviced by World Class resorts, centered on Diani Beach, letting the visitor relax in style and comfort. The beaches here are broad expanses of pure white sand, while the ocean is warm and inviting, with protective reefs creating perfect calm havens for swimming. Water sports enthusiasts are spoilt for choice on the South Coast. Most of the resorts and hotels arranged along the beaches offer a wide range of water sports. Water-skiing, Sailing, Jet skiing, parasailing and much more are arranged easily at most of the hotels. Boating in Mombasa A range of boats are hired to explore the Mombasa coast, including Hobie cats and sailing skiffs. Sea Kayaks are also widely used for exploring remote coves and sheltered bays. Shimoni is a good place for those looking to charter yachts. Both yachts and crews are available for private charter. Mombasa of Kenya is a great place to explore by yacht, or the perfect base from which to set sail for Zanzibar to the South or the Red Sea to the North.

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Diving is generally good all year round, although visibility lessens during July and August due to silting. There are dive sites ranged along the coast from Tiwi south to Shimoni. Some of the best sites are centered on Kisiite Mpunguti Marine Reserve. This area is home to large Manta Rays which are occasionally encountered on dive expeditions. In February-March each year, there are almost guaranteed sightings of Whale Sharks on outer reef dives along the Kenyan Coast. Scuba Diving Sites in Mombasa One of the best dive sites is Nyulli Reef. A good deep dive site with strong tidal currents. Spectacular coral and plunging drop offs are home to excellent sea life, including snapper, barracuda, rare zebra sharks and massive Napoleon wrasse. An easier dive is Kisiite Point. There are plenty of large, tame shoals to be found here, with average dive depth at around 12 metres. Scuba Divers at the point often encounter hawksbill turtles and bottlenose dolphins. Wreck Diving is possible at the Northern end of this strip of coast, on the MV Unfunguo, a former trawler, which has now become a thriving artificial reef. Since the wreck split open some years ago, the inner hull has become a massive haven for sea life, and makes for a truly spectacular dive. PADI Scuba Diving Courses There are many dive operators in this area, both private and those attached to resorts. Equipment, boats, refills and dive guides are all provided. International PADI, NAUI and SSI standards of safety and quality are all maintained. Full courses with qualified instructors and international SCUBA certification are available. Many operators offer Night Dives and specialist Nitrox Diving. The best option is a day trip on a dive boat, catamaran or dhow with one of the many dive companies operating in this area. A day dhow trip to Wasini Island, within the reserve, is arranged from Diani or Shimoni. This usually includes snorkeling and/or diving, and a seafood lunch on the island. This is an ideal way to spend the day. Dolphins often accompany the dhows through the reserve, and the island itself is well worth exploring. Big Game fishing Spots in Mombasa

Shimoni has a long standing reputation for big game fishing. The main game fish include Sailfish and Marlin, Kingfish, Wahoo, Horse Mackerel and others. The best source of local information for fisherman is the Pemba Channel Fishing Club in Shimoni. A tag and release program ensures eco-friendly fishing. Big game fishing can be arranged in season (December-March). Beaches On the most popular Kenya tourist beaches, there are many hawkers trying to sell their wares. Informal displays of carving, jewelry and bright cotton kanga are set out along the sand: a small shack professes by its sign to be a massage parlor. And women want to braid your hair with beads. As you stroll the beach, you are likely to be approached by friendly but persistent vendors. Some hotels employ security guards or police to try to discourage these hawkers. It is in advisable to walk along the beach displaying wealth with fancy jewelry or cameras. Although the climate is generally easy to take all year long, the monsoon winds blowing across the ocean determine the seasons. The kaskazi is northeasterly and lasts from October to March. November is usually the month of occasional rains during the kaskazi. The kusi is the stronger and colder of the two winds, lasting from April until September. During this wind, rain is to be expected from May until June. Even during the months of rain, however, there are often fine days at the coast. Hotel rates are usually lower at this time of the year. Some of the hotels catering primarily to overseas tourists even close. Over the course of the year, especially during the kusi, a great deal of seaweed is washed up on to the coast of Kenyan beaches. The amounts and location of the weed can vary from day to day, affected by the winds and currents. There are occasions when there is so much seaweed that its difficult to walk on the beaches or to swim in the ocean. Several hotels employ staff to rake and burry the seaweed in the sand-this help, but it is still waiting for you in the water! Seaweed afflicts some beaches more than others. For example, Watamu on the north coast is badly affected, while Diani on the south coast is somewhat less so. Sport fishermen from all over the world come to Shimoni in the south, where big game fishing for marlin and sail fish is at its best in the Pemba channel. However, many of the big resorts along the coast can give expert and novice fishermen an unforgettable day hunting the big ones. The North Coast, Watamu and Malindi are the in places to go, and there are many fishing tournaments.

Beyond the sybaritic beach experience, you can still see wildlife in nearby forested areas such as Shimba Hills National Reserve, Arabuko Sokoke Forest and the Tana River Delta. Africa Kenya Travel agent, specially trained hotel staff, and homestay hosts can help you arrange safaris into these areas. In all ways, the island of Mombasa is the hub of the Kenyan coast. It is a major seaport. There is an international airport, the train from Nairobi brings many visitors to the Mombasa Railroad station, and Mombasa is where the road from Nairobi meets the coastal highway, Mombasa, separates the north coast from the South Coast. The south coast is reached by crossing on the Likoni ferry. There are a string of resorts on a series of beaches, the best known and most developed being Diani Beach, south of Diani is less developed. The north coast has concentrated groupings of hotels near Mombasa, Malindi and to a lesser extent, Watamu. Farther north towards the Somali border are the Islands of Lamu Archipelago. The ancient Swahili town of Lamu is well known and often visited by tourists. The Kenyan coast is popular destination for package tours from Europe. Resort management and clientele often reflect specific nationalities, with Germans and Italian predominating.
LIFESTYLE

Mombasa is the best summed up as a feeling-love it or loathe it, theres something about the salty heat, the humid air, the sounds of the city and the sensation of the dust sticking to your sun screamed skin that evokes an instant sense of place. If this is your first stop after visiting the interior, you could hardly ask for a more distinctive introduction to Kenyas coast, and its perfect place to help you fall into the naturally languid rhythm of Swahili life while still enjoying the modern comforts of home. Mombasa is the largest city on the Kenyan coast and also the largest coastal port in East Africa. The city sprawls across a low-lying island at the mouth of a broad inlet, providing a natural anchorage for ships. Traders have been coming here since at least 12th century and the goods from Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Congo (Zaire) still pass through here on their way overseas. The Mombasa citys population is overwhelmingly African, many of whom are Swahilis, but there is a remarkable range of races and cultures here, from Africans to British expats, Omanis, Indians and Chinese.

Most package tourist stay in the beach resorts north or south of town, but leaving Mombasa out of your itinerary completely would be a shame. The most interesting part is the character Old Town, with its narrow, winding alleyways, historic Swahili houses and the remains of the mighty Fort Jesus. History Mombasa has always been at the centre of the coasts key events, a crucial stronghold for local and invading powers ever since the Arab-Swahili Mazrui clan emerged as one of the most powerful families in 9th century East Africa. The first Portuguese forays into Arab territory took place here in 1505, when Dom Francisco de Almeida arrived with a huge armada and leveled the city in just 1 days. The plundered remains were soon rebuilt, but in 1528 Lisbon struck again as Nuna da Cunha captured the city, first by diplomacy (offering to act as an allay in Mombasas disputes with Malindi, Pemba and Zanzibar) and then by force. Once again Mombasa was burned to the ground while the invaders sailed to India. The Portuguese made a bid for permanency in 1593 with the construction of Fort Jesus, but the hefty structure quickly became a symbolic target for rebel leaders and was besieged incessantly. During the 17th and 18th centuries Mombasa changed hands dozens of times before the Portuguese finally gave up their claim to the coast in 1729. Waiting to step into the power vacuum were the sultans of Oman, who had defeated the Europeans and occupied the Fort Jesus after an incredible 33 month siege in 1698. The city remained in their control until the 1870s, when the British intervention ended the slave trade and gained for the empire a foothold in East Africa. Mombasa subsequently became the rail-head for the Uganda railway and the most important city in British East Africa protectorate. In 1920, when Kenya became a fully fledged British colony, Mombasa was made capital of the separate British coast Protectorate. Today the cut and thrust of politics and power play largely passes Mombasa by, but its still Kenyas second city and a crucial social barometer for the coast province as a whole

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Kwale County Kilifi County

4 Tana River County 5 Lamu County 6 Taita/Taveta County 7 Garissa County 8 Wajir County 9 Mandera County 10 Marsabit County 11 Isiolo County 12 Meru County 13 Tharaka-Nithi County 14 Embu County 15 Kitui County 16 Machakos County 17 Makueni County 18 Nyandarua County 19 Nyeri County 20 Kirinyaga County 21 Muranga County 22 Kiambu County 23 Turkana County 24 West Pokot County 25 Samburu County 26 Trans Nzoia County 27 Uasin Gishu County 28 Elgeyo Marakwet County 29 Nandi County 30 Baringo County 31 Laikipia County 32 Nakuru County 33 Narok County 34 Kajiado County 35 Kericho County 36 Bomet County 37 Kakamega County 38 Vihiga County 39 Bungoma County 40 Busia County 41 Siaya County 42 Kisumu County 43 Homa Bay County 44 Migori County 45 Kisii County 46 Nyamira County 47 Nairobi County

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