I stayed with a local guy in Likoni just outside downtown Mombasa for about a week back in 2011 and I’d just like to recommend him as he is now beginning to accommodate travellers on a more proffessional basis. Professional in the sense that it wouldn’t be free, but still, I would think, quite cheap, even for Kenyan stardards. His name is Samuel Ritho and he’s about 24-, 25, maybe 26 years old (can’t remember exactly). Back then he was affiliated with the Mombasa Tourist Office and I met him on the street just outside of their place. He invited me back to have dinner with his family and I ended up staying for a week. I actually stayed in his uncles house, with him in the house next to it, and all I gave for it was a few groceries once. I had a lovely time there despite it raining for half the week. But before that we were quite active, helping a friend of his making wooden beds, playing football, hainging out with some friends of his, going to the local beach or just walking through the village and the surrounding area - and cooking local food. The food in general was excellent, especially since his uncle owns a fish monger’s, although I can’t promise that’ll be available now, if a lot of people are going to come by. That and I’m not quite sure if the fishing ban on the Kenyan coast has been lifted since it was imposed due to the al-Shabab threat. Anyways he’s a good guy, also trying to help the many homeless kids of Mombasa as best he could when I was there, and I’d recommend him any day for travellers to try something else than the backpacker hostels.
Best way to get in contact with him is via e-mail (kimoshcyy@yahoo.com) or through his facebook page (Redirecting...).
Happy travelling and safari safi,
Tim Bergholdt Barsøe
P.s. I know this is a dutch travellers forum, but I heard from a friend (a dutchman), that it was a good place so I thought I’d try here.
Cool to share this info! I think many people would like to have this kind of information! I used to like to travel like this before. Now I live my own local life in Ukunda, southcoast of Mombasa. Married to a Kenyan and having a baby of one year old I am really living the Kenyan life and I love it! Kenyans are so friendly and will always invite you to their homes. And please don’t be scared but enjoy! Even us, we had a guest not that long ago, a Dutch friend from a friend, staying in our house with us for some days and soon one of my former collegues from the Netherlands will come and stay with us as well. Sharing the real Kenyan life, experiencing something totally different then resort/villa/cottages, this is what I believe everybody should try at least once! Thanks again for sharing this information and of course to all the readers: karibuni Kenya! (Welcome all to Kenya!)
in Likoni are not mutch cottage or hotel anymore
lokals from mombasa visiting just behind likoni the beach
i remember once a story that a dutch lady lived a while in likoni, she did in mombasa volunteer job
who know more from this story?
ik zal in het Nederlands reageren. Ik heb Samuel Ritho afgelopen zomer ontmoet. Ik was afgelopen zomer voor 3 dagen in Mombasa samen met een vriend, waar hij ons aansprak op straat. Samuel heeft een eigen bedrijfje in het organiseren van safaritrips en boot/snorkeltrips. Wij hebben geen trips ondernomen die hij organiseert, maar hij kan wel accomodatie regelen, citytrips door Mombasa en allerlei excursies.
Samuel is een jonge ondernemer die bijna klaar is met zijn universitaire studie, politicologie. We hebben samen met hem en z’n nichtje een hele avond doorgebracht wat supergezellig was. Hij kan mooi vertellen en heeft een uitgesproken visie over de toekomst van Kenia en de beslissingen die door de regering worden genomen. Hij doet mee in grote debatten en het is leuk om hem te spreken om meer te weten te komen over Mombasa en Kenia!
Kortom, het is een goeie, betrouwbare gast die veel voor je kan betekenen als je in Mombasa vertoeft.