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Voykit pocket guide · Kenya
Malindi
Give Malindi 2–3 nights as a base for Watamu, Gede and the marine park; skip it if you want the best sand — Watamu's beaches are better.
Malindi is a small Indian Ocean town 110 km north of Mombasa, with an Italian-tourist economy, a Swahili old town and a working pier. Its own beach is broad but the Sabaki River often turns the water brown; the clearer sand and coves are 25 km south at Watamu. Most travellers use Malindi for 2–3 nights, split between the town's history and the Watamu marine park and Gede ruins.
- Country
- Kenya
- Best months
- Dec–Mar (check)
- Avoid
- Apr–May (long rains); May–Oct southeast monsoon brings wind and rough water — check current sea conditions before booking dive or snorkel trips
- Stay
- 2–3 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- KES
- Money
- Currency is the Kenyan shilling (KES). Cards work in hotels, lodges and malls; markets, small shops and tips are cash or M-Pesa.
- Daily spend
- Budget Ksh 4,000–7,000 excl. bed (check) · Mid Ksh 7,000–14,000 excl. bed (check) · High Ksh 14,000+ excl. bed (check) (estimate; check)
- SIM and data
- Safaricom (best park coverage) and Airtel sell SIMs at JKIA arrivals; registration needs your passport.
- Emergency
- Police, fire, ambulance 999 · Police, fire, ambulance (alternative) 112
- Plugs
- Types G · 240 V · 50 Hz · UK-style three-pin sockets; lodges on solar may switch power off at night.
- Tipping
- Safari guide: About US$10–20 per guest per day — check with your operator.; Camp staff tip box: About US$10–15 per guest per day.; Restaurant: 10% if no service charge.; Porters: KES 100–200 a bag.; Mount Kenya or Kilimanjaro crew: Agree the tip scale before the climb.
- Water
- Not drinkable from the tap. Lodges give filtered water; bring a refillable bottle.
- Toilets
- Western toilets in hotels and lodges; long-drop toilets at some park gates and bush stops. Carry tissue and sanitiser on game-drive days.
What things cost
| Item | Price |
|---|---|
| Tuk-tuk, most in-town journeys | Ksh 200 (check) |
| Motorbike taxi | Ksh 100 (check) |
| Guest house double room | Ksh 1,000–1,500 (check) |
| Pizza or seafood main | Ksh 800–1,800 |
| SIM data, 10 GB / 30 days | Ksh 1,000 (check) |
Desk estimates, checked 2026-09; check locally.
Get in
By air
- MYD · Malindi Airport
- Domestic only; flights from Nairobi (Wilson or JKIA), Mombasa and Lamu. No international arrivals.
Typical fares
- Tuk-tuk, in-town
- about Ksh 200 (check)
- Motorbike taxi
- about Ksh 100 (check)
- Malindi → Watamu, matatu or tuk-tuk
- about 25 km (16 mi) south; ask the fare before you get inabout 16 mi (25 km) south; ask the fare before you get in
Show 7 more sections and the pocket cardHideGet around, See and do, Sleep, Phrase card, Etiquette, safety and scams, One and two days, Sources, Pocket card
Get around
Tuk-tuk for most in-town hops, motorbike taxi for one person, and a normal taxi at night for safety. Buses and matatus run the Mombasa–Malindi road; the Watamu and Gede run is a short matatu or tuk-tuk ride south.
See and do
Known for
- Vasco da Gama Pillar
- Portuguese Chapel
- Malindi Marine National Park
- Gede ruins and Watamu beaches
Day trips
| Where | How | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Watamu and the marine park | Matatu or tuk-tuk south on the Mombasa road, about 25 km (16 mi)Matatu or tuk-tuk south on the Mombasa road, about 16 mi (25 km) | About 45 min |
| Gede ruins | Same road south, then a short tuk-tuk from the junction | About 1 h |
| Arabuko-Sokoke Forest | Matatu or tuk-tuk to the Gede area, then a guide with a vehicle | About 1–1.5 h |
| Marafa Hell's Kitchen | Matatu or taxi inland from Malindi | About 1 h |
| Lamu | Fly from Malindi Airport | check |
Sleep
- Malindi town and seafront
- Walkable to the pillar, museum and pier; guest houses from about Ksh 1,000 and up. Traffic on Lamu Road is heavy.
- Silversand and the south beach
- Resort strip south of town near the marine park; quieter, needs a tuk-tuk for the centre.
- Watamu (25 km south)
- Better beaches, more relaxed restaurants and bars; use it instead of Malindi if sand is the point.
Phrase card
| English | Say or show |
|---|---|
| Hello | JamboJAM-bo |
| Thank you | Asantea-SAN-te |
| How much is it? | Bei gani?BAY GAH-nee |
| Where is the toilet? | Choo kiko wapi?CHO kee-ko WA-pee |
| I don't want it, thank you | Sitaki, asantesee-TAH-kee, a-SAN-te |
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and 'habari?' (how are you?); take time before business; avoid: Skipping greetings to ask a question
- Elders: Use 'mzee' for older men and 'mama' for older women; avoid: Calling elders by first name
- Hands: Give and receive with the right hand or both hands; avoid: Passing things with the left hand
- Photos: Ask first and accept a no; agree fees in villages; avoid: Shooting people from the safari vehicle without asking
- Time: Allow for 'Kenyan time' socially; safari departures are punctual; avoid: Showing irritation at delays
- Dress: Smart-casual in cities, covered on the coast; avoid: Swimwear off the beach
Scams and watch-outs
- Do not take a bus from Malindi to Lamu — fly instead.
- The sea near town can be brown from the Sabaki River; go south to Watamu for clear water.
- Tuk-tuks and motorbike taxis are not the safest option after dark; take a taxi.
- Card ATMs at some banks charge overseas cards a fee; check the screen before withdrawing.
Malindi is a normal beach town, not a no-go area, but keep to the seafront and hotel strips after dark, take taxis at night, and treat the Lamu road as off-limits. Standard Kenya advice applies: no valuables on the beach, no walking empty stretches alone.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Malindi yet. Suggested stay: 2–3 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Vasco da Gama Pillar
- Portuguese Chapel
- Malindi Marine National Park
- Gede ruins and Watamu beaches
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Malindi Museum (National Museums of Kenya): www.museums.or.ke/malindi-museum/
- Wikivoyage: Malindi, revision 5329704 (CC BY-SA 4.0): en.wikivoyage.org/w/index.php?oldid=5329704
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Malindi
Nipeleke kwa anwani hii, tafadhali
To this address, please
My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)
No embassies in Malindi; most are in Nairobi, with consulates in Mombasa. Check your own country's list before you travel.
Prices are 2026 estimates; confirm fares and entry fees locally.
Voykit · checked 2026-09
Printed from Voykit (/malindi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.