September - 2019

48 / TRAVEL / Tips
A historical mystery
Very close to Malindi, buried
deep in a lush forest, are the
Gedi Ruins: impressive remains
of a 13th-century Swahili village.
Traders, sailors and settlers from
Oman lived here until the 16th
century, when a big evacuation
occurred. Theories about what
happened range from a sudden
attack to a plague. You can
wander around the beautiful
palace, grand mosque and stone
houses.
Blue lagoon
Featuring green sea turtles,
shorebirds, powder-blue fish,
fringing reef and seagrass
beds, stunning nature is wellpresented
in Malindi Marine
National Park & Reserve, the
oldest marine park in Kenya.
You can enjoy glass-bottom-boat
rides, swimming, windsurfing,
snorkelling, camping and
relaxing beach walks. If you’re
lucky, you might spot whale- and
shortfin mako sharks.
Natural wonder
A pleasant one-hour drive
over bands of white rock and
red chalky soil will get you
from Malindi to the Marafa
Depression, which is also known
as Hell’s Kitchen. This eroded
sandstone gorge on Kenya’s
coast consists of red cliffs
with layers of white, pink and
orange. It makes you feel like
you’re on Mars, especially during
sunset when the colours of this
incredible site are breathtaking.
Magical Malindi
Situated on Kenya’s idyllic Indian Ocean
coast, the tropical town of Malindi offers
a wonderful mix of old and new. Make
the most of a trip here with these tips.
Art in the tropics
Malindi has a lot to offer in the
field of art, and African art expert
Carola Rasmussen’s fascinating
Ndoro Sculpture Garden is one of
the highlights. At this permanent
outdoor exhibition, you can
admire all kinds of tropical
plants and about 300 stone
sculptures. From rough stone
to perfectly polished, you’ll find
wildlife sculptures that range from
elephants to birds of prey. Ndoro
Sculpture Garden brings out the
special expressions of African
symbolic and figurative art.
Text: Emma van Egmond Image: Alamy