Fort Jesus

Fort Jesus is one of the most important landmarks in Kenya; it is located in the coastal town of Mombasa. The construction of the fort dates back to 1563, it was built by the Portuguese. The fort was constructed in the shape of a man and was given the name Fort Jesus for religious purposes.

The fort has been the center of many battles between the Arabs and the Portuguese. Fort Jesus is currently a museum, headquarters for the regional services of the National Library, and an extremely comprehensive research library on coastal history. It contains a number of fascinating displays, with the obvious one about the history of the fort itself. It also contains an exhibit of artifacts from a Portuguese gunner which sank in 1697 while trying to break an extended siege of the fort.

The fort is the best place to visit and learn more on Kenya’s history.

Gedi Ruins

The Gedi ruins go way back to the 15th century. The ruins which are situated in Mombasa used to be a town called Gedi that was made from rocks and stones.

The town was mostly inhabited by the Swahili people who were ruled by a Sultan. The ruins have been preserved and are a major tourist attraction.

The Bomas of Kenya are found in the Nairobi suburb of Langata. A Boma is a traditional homestead. The Bomas of Kenya were originally an attempt to create a living museum of indigenous Kenyan life with a display of eleven traditional homesteads andan emphasis on regional dances.

The place always had a heavily touristy feel, there is a huge indoor amphitectural where programs based on traditional dances of different tribes in Kenya are performed. Its vitality is channelled mainly into souvenir-selling.

The dancers finish with a lively display of acrobatics and tumbling. There is also an open air museum showing the different lifestyles of each tribe. The show begins at 1430 hrs. In case you are looking to fill an afternoon or you want a change from the National Park, they can be enjoyable enough, particularly on weekends when they are crowded and a disco follows the dance show. Surprisingly, perhaps, the dances are not performed by the appropriate Kenyan nationalities, instead the Harambee Dancers do fast custome changes between acts and present the national's traditional repertoire as professionals rather than participants.

Karen Blixen Museum

The museum is in the house of Karen Blixen, in the suburb of Karen. Exhibits include various agricultural implements. The house was bought by the Danish government in 1959 and presented to the Kenyan government at independence, along with the nearby agricultural college.

There is a pleasant house and gardens, other things to do include the nearby Karen Blixen Coffee Garden, gallery and gift shop echno themes of the museum. It is open daily from 0930 to 1800.

National Archives

This is more interesting than it may sound to the non-historian. The building is located on Moi Avenue, opposite Hilton Hotel. It consists of various exhibitions of arts and crafts as well as photographs and many other documents.