THE HOST
Esther is the totally the life of the party !!' You won't feel like you staying at a hostel but you will feel like you staying at your old friend's place! She makes sure you enjoy Diani beach to its fullest
Kirathimo Oasis by Esther
So how was it?
Mombasa, an exciting city with a history that will take you aback, is mainly known for its famous beaches.
The coastal city is divided into multiple beaches that will melt away your concerns. Between Diani Beach, Nyali Beach, Bamburi Beach, Shanzu Beach and many others ( Quick facts about the beaches), you will be overwhelmed. A one day trip to this part of the country isn't enough nor possible to enjoy its beauty. Thus, you need a place to stay.
We decided to stay at Diani Beach at Kirathimo Oasis for Backpackers.
Why?
1. The idea to go to Mombasa came from my colleague Meghan. After an intense three months of work with no real breaks, we really needed to escape from Nairobi and Kisumu, relax and breathe! She had been to Diani Beach in the past and only said good things about it so we were all down to follow her. She loved Diani Beach for the party life and the incredible white sands beaches and she was riiight, DIANI IS AMAZING!
2. While she was in Diani Beach, she met people at the hostel she staying at. Amongst these people, she became friends with Esther, who eventually opened her own hostel: Kirathimo Oasis for Backpackers. We let Meghan make all the arrangements for our stay and here we were, on our way to the hostel (which, by the way, was my first time being in a hostel in an African country)
It is surely not your 5 stars dreamy beach resort but for what Esther offers, it is definitely worth the price.
As soon as you arrive you are welcomed with good vibes, free drinks, free cigarettes (for those who smoke) and an exciting program: Esther takes care of everything!
It costs 1500 Kshs/night for a shared girls dorm (breakfast included). People who aren't familiar with hostels have some apprehensions but let me reinsure you that Kirathimo was very clean and the beds were so comfortable!
The good thing is that there are really FEW MOSQUITOES (but you should still have a bug repellant ), and the natural breeze makes it easier to sleep at night! ( at least for me).
* Bathrooms are shared but Esther does her best to have minimum guests possible so that it's not crowded so don't worry you will never feel awkward (at least I didn't)
The breakfast is how you want it to be: You have the choice between scrambled eggs, fried eggs, sunny side up eggs/pancakes (look more like a chapati so don't expect your IHOP pancakes), white or brown bread, sweet potatoes/beef sausage, chicken sausage/tea, coffee or hot Chocolate etc and all of these were so yuuummy !!! There is no set time for breakfast, you choose what you want the day before and no matter what time you wake up at, the chef has it ready for you!
Esther also has good recommendations for places to eat and sometimes even come with you. For example, I was super extra hungry and she advised us to go to Jazzy Java where the food was e.x.c.e.l.l.e.n.t (.s/o to those guys ️ they are really neat and hardworking people). Later on, we had dinner with her at Leornado's (this Italian place makes your dream comes truuuuuuue ... I came to Mombasa craaaving for creamy pasta with seafood mixed in Pesto and although they didn't have pesto on the menu, they made it for me for freeeee)
During the stay, Esther organized a seafood BBQ dinner for us which was greatly appreciated (prawns,calamaris, chapatis etc). If you don't feel like eating out, she also proposes lunch options. Though she has a menu, you can also ask for whatever you want. You just need to tell her and she will make it come to you 🏾
Besides foooood, Esther knows places to be and things to do. She arranged most of our activities and visits and got us good prices on most things.
Overall, the stay went great. We met amazing people and had such a good time without breaking the bank: The trip costed me approximately 200 CAD/ 24000Kshs for 4 days including food transportation and activities
Pros
Cons
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Very good location
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Very good food
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Entertaining and caring host
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Good recommendations
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No time for boredness
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SEA SALTED POOL
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Direct beach access
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Wifi sometimes doesn't work well in the bedroom
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If you leave earlier than 8 AM, you can't have breakfast
How to get to Diani
If you took the train and got off at the Mombasa station, you will have a horde of taximen harassing you from all parts! Don't be in a hurry to choose one of them. Consider your options:
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Uber: I DON'T RECOMMEND IT AT ALL, it could end up being more expensive than a cab and the price varies. (ref. article). However, you can check it to have an idea of how much the ride costs to give yourself a starting price when you bargain.
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Taxi: Not the cheapest, but what's great is that you can always bargain! If they give you a price bargain it down to half the stated price and raise according to what you are willing to pay. Most would say 5000-6000 but amongst those ones, some are willing to offer the ride for 2500 Kshs (I knew a guy named Ali, but unfortunately, I lost my phone and don't have his contact anymore) o
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Option 3: If you feel more adventurous, tu vas décomposer (as we say in my country). In other words, you will take different means of transportation to reach your destination. Although this might be long and sweaty (Mombasa is hot), it saves you some money. The itinerary is the following:
=> Matatu from the train station to the ferry (bargain it down to 150-120 or 100) and make sure they drop you at the ferry => The ferry is free for pedestrians, you just have to walk towards it (different ferries go different ways, make sure you board the one that goes to Diani: Likoni Ferry) => Once in Diani you will disembark on the market side (you can shop a little if you want)=> If you know your way take a matatu (150) and if you don't know, take a pikipiki or tuktuk for 400 kshs or 500kshs (don't forget to always bargain but remember that the price depends of where in Diani you are going)
Beaches' quick facts
Nyali is the easiest to access
Diani was ranked 4th best beach in the world in 2014, it is the most popular and the clubbing part of the city. With multiple world-class beach resorts, it is also expensive
Bamburi is further located but famous for the Mombasa Marine Park
1.
Enjoy the seafood!
2.
Bring some bug repellant and sunscreen (Yes, I'm also talking to my black folks)
3.
Bring your own bottled water , it would cost you less than buying it in restaurants, hotels etc.