Mombasa is very much like Dar es Salaam, Tanzania with a greater influence of the Arab world as seen in the food, architecture, dress and languages spoken. There are many mosques calling the faithful to prayer several times a day (including at 5:00 a.m.), people dressed in traditional garb (including women wearing long dresses, veils and occasionally burkahs) and hearing more Arabic languages spoken where we were pretty used to hearing Swahili.

The city is fairly large and, therefore, polluted by too many diesel trucks and buses and more cars than could possibly fit in its streets. It is fairly humid as it is an ocean side city which makes it uncomfortable for exploring. Instead, head for the beach.

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