5-star hotels in Mombasa

Mombasa is Kenya's main seaport and second-largest city, set on the Indian Ocean coast and the county seat of Mombasa County. The old town and Fort Jesus, a 16th-century Portuguese fort listed by UNESCO, sit on Mombasa Island, while people also come for the beaches that stretch north and south of the island. The coast here is hot and humid all year, and the long rains usually fall from April to June.

The hotels on this shortlist sit along the coast rather than in the old town. Several are on the south coast on Diani Beach Road or Diani Beach, with others on the north side along Malindi Road at Bamburi Beach, Shanzu Beach and the Mombasa Malindi Highway. Some addresses place hotels on Mombasa Island and in Nyali, on the mainland north of the island. That spread suits couples and families who want beach time, and travellers on a short break who would rather be near the water than in the city centre.

Getting there and around

Moi International Airport serves Mombasa, and the Madaraka Express train runs between Nairobi and Mombasa. The city is also reached by road from Nairobi, and lies about 440 km southeast of Nairobi in a straight line. On the ground, the Likoni ferry links Mombasa Island with the south coast, which is the crossing that matters if you are staying on Diani Beach Road or Diani Beach. The north coast beach areas, Nyali and Bamburi, are on the mainland north of the island, and the addresses on the shortlist follow those routes: Malindi Road at Bamburi Beach, the Mombasa Malindi Highway, and the roads around Nyali and the island itself.

When to go

Mombasa's coast is hot and humid all year, so there is no cold season to plan around. The long rains usually fall from April to June, which is the period most likely to interrupt beach days, and daytime temperatures remain high throughout the year. Outside those months the conditions stay warm and damp. Plan around the rain rather than the temperature, and expect humidity whenever you come.