Abduljabbar Ali You will hear people giving you the option to travel to Mombasa Kenya in November, but don’t make this mistake.
I was born and raised in Mombasa and have seen its highs and lows this month.
I am sure I can share some of the things you have never been told about Mombasa during November.
I do understand why so many people will tell you to visit Mombasa in November, but the good outweighs the bad.
Before you think of visiting Mombasa, Kenya you need to understand how everything is at different times.
The state of Mombasa City isn’t the same when you compare it with different timelines.
Read also; Is it Worth Visiting Mombasa? [9 Reasons Why It Is]
In this article, I will share why I don’t recommend you visit Mombasa in November.
Why you shouldn’t visit Mombasa in November;
1. It’s a high season in Mombasa.
You should observe the dates and do thorough research before you book your flight to Mombasa, Kenya.
It’s very important to consider the peak and low seasons of the places you want to visit.
If you are traveling on a budget, the first thing you have to do is avoid the high seasons (peak seasons).
These are the times when everything is super expensive, the hot touristic spots are overcrowded and everything is just chaotic.
Don’t make the mistake of traveling to a place when it’s a high season if you are on a tight budget.
Mombasa is one of the cheapest cities to travel to and explore but this usually changes when we are in the high seasons ( which starts from October to December).
During November the prices of transportation, hotels, Airbnbs, and restaurants tend to go higher.
Apart from that, the number of visitors is also usually very high thus making some of the services even poor.
The services become poor because everyone is trying to maximize his or her profit.
This means the tour guides and other people offering services to tourists will try to rush to get more customers.
During this moment the experience of the services you will get from the locals won’t be authentic.
Everyone you will come across will only be searching for a way to up-sale his or her services.
This is when different strategies that aren’t authentic will be used to capture the eyes of tourists.
It’s very different compared to when you visit Mombasa during the low season (from June to August).
So, if you want to save money and gain an authentic experience while exploring Mombasa, don’t go to Mombasa in November.
Read also; What Is The Best Month To Visit Mombasa?
2. The beaches are usually crowded.
The Indian Ocean with blue crystal clear waters is one of the best hidden gems that Mombasa is praised for.
Read also; 9 Things That Mombasa Is Best Known For
Anyone who visits Mombasa for the first time will never miss to visit the beaches.
There are so many amazing beaches in Mombasa that one can access for free.
Since you don’t have to pay to get to these amazing beaches, during November they are usually packed with so many local and international tourists.
People coming from the landlocked counties in Kenya, mostly travel to Mombasa, Kenya for their holidays.
Also, we have tourists coming from Uganda, Burundi, and Rwanda adding up to the number of tourists in Mombasa Kenya.
If we add this number to the international tourists that visit Mombasa, the beaches don’t stand a chance.
These beaches are usually so crowded to the extent that it becomes a problem to swim.
Another thing that comes up when these beaches are crowded is pollution.
A good example of the beaches that are usually super crowded during November are these;
- Pirates beach.
- Nyali Beach.
- Mombasa Beach.
When these beaches are this crowded it becomes so hard to enjoy the waters and the spaces on the coolest spots to watch the sunset are usually mostly occupied if you don’t get there early enough.
It’s also during this time when the number of petty thefts and crimes in Mombasa, Kenya increases.
Read also; How To Stay Safe When Travelling In Mombasa (Kenya)
You can easily get mugged and robbed when the beaches are super crowded especially if you are on these public beaches.
The bandits usually try to take advantage of times like these to make the most out of the tourists who visit Mombasa.
So, if you want to avoid these crowds of people on these beaches so that you enjoy the coastal vibe, don’t visit Mombasa in November.
3. The touristic sites are usually filled up.
Another reason why you shouldn’t visit Mombasa in November is this: the touristic sites are usually filled up with so many people.
I hate it when I visit a place to explore and when I get there I have to wait in queues.
This usually just takes away the energy and vibe to explore the place to the fullest.
It’s usually very annoying when you have to wait for people to finish exploring for you to join in.
For most people who visit Mombasa, the first touristic site they will think of visiting is Fort Jesus.
Read also; 8 Affordable Places To Visit In Mombasa Kenya
In November, Fort Jesus usually receives thousands of tourists within Kenya, from neighboring countries and international ones.
You will come across so many students from different schools in the country visiting the Fort.
Leaving that aside, you will also see several safari cars, travel agency vehicles, tuk-tuks, and motorcycles (boda boda) dropping tourists at the Fort Jesus entry.
When it’s crowded the entire tour becomes so complicated because of chaotic it gets inside.
You will have to wait for a group of people to be passed through by their tour guides before you go and check out the spot you wanted to.
Some of the paths in Fort Jesus are narrower so you will have to stand aside to wait for another group of tourists to pass for you to continue exploring.
I don’t find this an amazing experience when exploring.
If you also don’t find this amazing don’t visit Mombasa in November to avoid the things I’m talking about.
Also, when you visit sites that require you to get tour guides you won’t like the experience.
They will be rushing to move you around the sites so that they get to take around other tourists. The tour services will be poor.
You won’t be the only tourist remember that.
There is nothing you can do about that because you won’t have an idea if the tour of Mombasa’s old town will be extensive or not.
Read also; 5 Things To Do In Mombasa Old Town (After Fort Jesus)
4. You need to make reservations in places to stay and fancy hotels.
During November Mombasa is usually full of so many tourists.
This means that most amazing hotels, restaurants, and stays are usually fully booked.
If you travel to Mombasa Kenya without a plan during November, you are likely going to find most of the amazing stays have been fully occupied.
Read also; Solo Travel 101: Why Planning Is Essential for New Adventurers
When you are traveling to a place, first you have to find the best area to stay.
In Mombasa, the best areas to stay are usually around the CBD since you can get access to most of the stores, markets, financial services, and monuments
If you fail to obtain a hotel or Airbnb around the CBD, this means you will have to find one out of the Island.
This will make it harder for you to get around Mombasa and expensive too.
During November, transportation costs tend to go higher. So, if you are staying around Nyali and you want to get to Mombasa town you will have to spend more compared to when you are staying within the Island.
So, if you want to get a place to stay around Mombasa Island you will have no choice but to make a reservation.
And that is why I earlier said if you have no plan, you are likely going to be stuck in Mombasa.
You will even be lucky enough to get the reservation at a reasonable price if you are traveling on a budget.
So, this makes traveling around Mombasa a bit tricky and unnecessarily expensive.
Without forgetting the restaurants, if you want to eat out you will have to make reservations.
Most of these restaurants which provide delicious local cuisine are usually fully booked by tourists.
Read also; Is January A Good Time To Visit Mombasa?
5. Activities and places to stay become too expensive.
I touched a little bit on how expensive places to stay become too expensive during November in Mombasa.
During the low seasons like March, April, and May you can find a flashy Airbnb close to the beach starting from $12.
During November this changes, and the hotels and Airbnbs that are located in dashing areas their prices tend to go higher.
Since during November, the temperatures tend to be a little bit higher, most people prefer apartments that are close to the ocean ( windows and doors facing the Indian Ocean).
The hosts tend to use this weather to their advantage and increase the prices of their accommodations.
If you travel to Mombasa during the low season (March to July) and plan to stay there for 3 days, you might only use about $69 while in November $140.
You see price ranges! So, if you want to avoid spending too much when traveling around Mombasa, don’t visit Mombasa during November.
On the side of activities, if you visit Mombasa you will mainly want to go feed the giraffes at Haller Park, ride some jet skis, rent a yacht to cruise the Indian Ocean, and go shopping in markets.
All these activities will require you to spend money. You will spend much more money in November on these activities compared to other low-season months.
Prices on these activities tend to go higher because of the higher number of tourists Mombasa receives.
People ensure that they make use of the high seasons before it fades. So, the prices are hiked.
If you aren’t going to rent a jet ski at $150 per half hour someone else will.
Read also; Is December A Good Time To Visit Mombasa?
6. Mombasa CBD tends to be super chaotic.
Another thing you would want to do when you visit Mombasa Kenya is to explore the streets.
Mombasa town has vibrant and colorful streets that are filled with so many things to see — from the blue and white buildings, culture, and historical heritage to the markets.
Apart from visiting the touristic sites, people also prefer to roam the streets just to see the blue and white buildings and interact with the locals.
If you travel to Mombasa Kenya in November, you are going to have a hard time getting around the streets of Mombasa CBD.
Remember that during November, people are preparing for the festive seasons. This is when the streets of MOMBASA CBD are very chaotic.
The streets are crowded thus making it harder for tourists to enjoy their walks.
As the number of people selling also increases, you won’t walk in peace since everyone will be trying to sell you something.
In my experience, this is usually very annoying.
As the chaos enhances within the island, so are theft cases, and the level of insecurity increases.
Read also; How To Stay Safe When Travelling In Mombasa (Kenya)
This calls for caution thus making it harder for you to visit some of the streets within the CBD.
When you are getting closer to the festive seasons, Mombasa Town tends to be super chaotic but during the holidays people accumulate to the beaches and chilling places.
Read also; 8 Best Hang Out Places In Mombasa (6 Free + 2 Pay)
Everyone in the streets will be hustling to make more money during November.
Which can be either good or bad depending on your travel style, this brings me to the next issue.
7. You can easily get ripped off.
As I told you earlier, during November in Mombasa everyone on the streets is trying to earn as much money as he or she can.
This is when theft cases are higher and scammers are crowded in the streets searching for tourists to take advantage of.
If you don’t have a tour guide while exploring the streets of Mombasa, you can easily get ripped off because people want to make money from the higher number of tourists.
You can easily get ripped off, get scammed, and even lose your documents if you aren’t careful enough.
I am not telling you that Mombasa is the safest in the other months (low seasons) but it’s unlikely for people to take advantage of you during these times.
Read also; Is It Safe To Walk In Mombasa, Kenya?
What you should know is that sellers usually try to maximize their revenue before they get to the lower seasons.
If they need enough money to survive the lower seasons they have to make more during the high seasons.
They try to ensure they earn as much money as they can during November.
This is when something that costs $4 they will sell it to you at double the price.
Without forgetting the rush during this month, you won’t even think twice when paying for things since you don’t want to miss your bus to another location or arrive late.
This is when you will easily get ripped off because you won’t even have time to think through when making purchases.
8. The temperatures are usually super high during November.
During November in Mombasa, the temperatures tend to be super high — ranging from 25°C to 30°C.
Even with the little drizzles that are received during this month in Mombasa, that doesn’t seem to make any difference.
This causes an increase in temperature.
Sunburn becomes unavoidable during this month.
It becomes harder to sleep without the A/Cs or fan switched on.
If you are unlucky, all the amazing Airbnbs and hotels are booked and you end up finding yourself in a hotel or Airbnb without A/Cs you will hate the days you will be there.
You can’t sleep with the heat in Mombasa if you have no A/Cs or fans in the room.
The higher temperatures also make it harder for anyone to hike for longer distances.
You are limited to doing other activities like sports until the sun is about to set.
This can be frustrating depending on what your preferences are. I can tell you that this is one of the reasons I left Mombasa for Eldoret.
The heat was too much for me to handle after I got used to the cold weather when I came to study hear.
Lastly…
I have shared why you shouldn’t visit Mombasa in November, this is completely my view and what I have seen while living in Mombasa.
If you are someone who enjoys the chaos and crowded streets, then you should visit Mombasa during the high seasons (October, November, and December).
You are likely to enjoy exploring because you get to see Mombasa Kenya at its highest point.
But if you are traveling on a budget, I wouldn’t recommend you visit Mombasa during November and December.
Things tend to be super expensive, the transportation costs are usually super high and the places to stay are usually fully booked and their prices also hiked.
This is usually the month when everything is a rush in the streets of Mombasa CDB.
It can be super overwhelming if you aren’t used to this kind of situation.
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