Chapter 2
Backpacking
If you’re backpacking Kenya then you will more than likely want to travel the coast. Diani Beach, known for its white sands and seaweed-free water is 30 km to the south of Mombasa. Heading north you can enjoy Kilifi and Malindi and end up in Lamu.
Most of the backpackers I met were doing a circuit similar to this. Or if you have your heart set on a safari but don’t want to pay the exorbitant price of the Serengeti in Tanzania, the same animals can be found in Maasai Mara. This is the name of the Serengeti National Park once you cross to the Kenya side of the border. A safari here is half the price of in Tanzania.
Local Guest Houses vs. Dorm Beds
I, however, did none of these backpacker and tourist activities while in Kenya. I’m planning to travel for an indefinite amount of time and I am therefore on a strict budget. I can avoid paying for food and lodging by volunteering at different hosts using Workaway. In Mombasa I was volunteering at a backpackers called Tulia House which means Chill House in Swahili. This place was great but I wouldn’t recommend it if you are traveling on an extreme budget. A bed in a dorm is $13 a night. You can find a local guest house for much less and you would even have a private room. At the end of the day you are paying for the Western company when you stay at a backpackers and also, the ability to plan your lodging in advance. Otherwise you will have to roam the streets, ask around, and follow the rickety wooden sign with the chipped paint reading, “guest house”.
Between my volunteering gigs I always stayed at local guest houses and I never had a bad experience. Sure, you have a shared squat toilet and the walls could use a coat of paint. Every guest house I stayed at had an outlet, a bug net and I never got bed bugs. I would pay $3-$7 a night. Do you really want to pay 2 to 3 times the price to share a room?
The answer to this will really depend on your travel preferences. Do you want to be surrounded by like-minded travelers and be social while paying European dorm prices? Or do you want a full submergence into African culture? Do you want to support locals that show you to your room with a baby strapped to their back and cook mandazi over a skillet outside the room they sleep in? Or do you want to support an expatriarch catering towards Westerners?
I want thrifty backpackers to know that these guest houses exist. You won’t find them online. Backpackers going to hostels don’t necessarily know about them so they won’t tell you. Also, you can ask a local the cheapest option for lodging and they still won’t tell you about the $3 guest house across the street because they assume that it isn’t good enough for you. Trust me, they are great and I found them everywhere.
I certainly enjoyed the pool and wifi at Tulia House but I didn’t have to pay for it. It all comes down to what you are willing to spend. I guarantee you that you can do Africa on a budget if you are willing to show up and wing it and if you don’t mind being a minority.
Things to Do
You can enjoy the island city of Mombasa in an afternoon. You will want to check out Fort Jesus and the open air markets. If you want to enjoy the Indian Ocean then you should go to Nyali, Mombasa Beach or Mtwapa. Nyali beach has camels standing in the waves. They are brought from Somalia. The sight is stunning but sadly the camel’s handlers hit the creatures with a stick and even try to sell rides on it.
Female Solo Traveler
It is very hard to relax on these beaches as a female solo traveler. Men will try to sell you carved figurines of animals and women will try to sell you tapestries. Anytime I was walking alone on the beach I could guarantee that a local guy would come up and say, “why are you alone?”
To this I would reply, “I like to be alone.”
Undoubtedly they would next ask, “May I walk with you?” I said yes the first time to avoid being rude but I quickly learned the only way to save your personal reserve from energy leaches is to say no. Even with a no, the guy would still walk with you for a bit and try to start up a conversation, only leaving if you stayed completely silent. Finally the man leaves and five minutes later a new guy will come up and the process starts over. Of course these guys are just being friendly and I have no ill will towards them. You are an anomaly and they simply want to find out what brings you to their part of the world. But once your energy level has been depleted, every additional conversation after that is painful and there will be many additional conversations if you go to the beach alone.
Herb
Mombasa is very marijuana friendly. I was able to buy 18 grams for $15. It was full of seeds and stems but I was able to make a delicious tea with the spare parts. I’m not encouraging you to buy weed in Africa. I was told only to smoke at Tulia House and I followed that advice. It is easy to get but you never know who is a narc, so be careful!
Mombasa and the surrounding areas are in my opinion the must see places in Kenya. As I went inland to the Lake Victoria region my trip took an unpleasant turn.
Chronicles of a Wandering Soul 