Swahili Coast

The Indian Ocean coast of Kenya and Tanzania, where white-sand beaches and coral reefs meet the Arab-African Swahili old towns, with Zanzibar and Lamu the best known.

The Swahili Coast is a historical and cultural region along East Africa's Indian Ocean shore. It runs from Kenya's Lamu Archipelago in the north through Malindi, Watamu, Mombasa and Diani, to Tanzania's Tanga, Bagamoyo, the Zanzibar Archipelago and Kilwa in the south, and in the broader sense extends into northern Mozambique. For a thousand years, Arab, Persian and Indian traders mingled here with Bantu peoples, giving rise to the Swahili language and stone-built port towns. Highlights: Zanzibar's Stone Town (a World Heritage site) with its carved wooden doors, spice farms and beaches in the northeast; the donkey-filled alleys of Lamu Old Town and sunset on a dhow; Fort Jesus in Mombasa; the Gedi Ruins near Malindi and Watamu Marine National Park; and Diani Beach's white sand and colobus monkeys. A common plan is to relax on the coast for 3–5 days after an inland safari: Tanzanian itineraries continue to Zanzibar, Kenyan ones to Diani or Watamu; culture lovers can stay 2–3 nights in Lamu. Zanzibar has an international airport, or you can take a ferry of about 2 hours from Dar es Salaam. On the Kenyan side, you can take the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) between Mombasa and Nairobi, or fly domestically to Ukunda, Malindi or Lamu. The coast has Muslim communities, so cover shoulders and knees in towns; during Ramadan, be discreet about eating and drinking in the daytime. Use sun protection and malaria precautions, and heed security advisories for the northern border areas near Lamu.

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