Malindi Marine National Park is a stunning section of Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline that offers the ideal retreat, from windsurfing to swimming with zebrafish. Beautiful resources like fringing reefs, coral gardens in the lagoons, seagrass beds, mudflats, mangroves, marine animals, turtles, and numerous types of shorebirds may be found at Malindi Marine National Park.
Malindi Marine National Park in Kenya is a real tropical haven with beaches bordered by palm trees and waters that are as clear as glass. A 213-kilometer length of coastline north of Mombasa is hugged by this marine park, which offers a picture-perfect tropical paradise bordering the warm Indian Ocean.
A rare coral garden, sea turtles, dolphins, and fish with vivid colors may all be found in the underwater world of Malindi Marine National Park, which is thought to be the oldest in all of Africa. The mangrove swamps, deep coastal woods, and lagoons that are connected to this length of coast are also worth seeing, in addition to the beaches.
The park is a stretch of untamed beach beauty, perfect for leisurely honeymoons and activity-based ocean excursions. The main activities in the area are birdwatching, natural hikes, snorkeling, and other watersports.
Visitors can find eateries serving Swahili cuisine scattered along the coastline on the boundaries of the national park. These establishments are made of thatch and reed and have a beach bar vibe. Long walks over endless lengths of sugar-white sand are ideal for birdwatching, and water babies will enjoy exploring the abundant undersea life. Mombasa, the largest city on Kenya’s coast, lies 120 kilometers from the little town of Malindi. The closest major airport is Mombasa’s Moi International Airport, from where travelers can take a flight to Malindi Airport.
Climate of the park
There are two wet seasons in the park. From April to May is the long rainy season, with a dusting of rain beginning and ending in late March and continuing through June. The lengthy dry season, which lasts from July through October, follows the lengthy rainy season. Then, in November and December, the brief rainy season begins, followed by the brief dry season in January and February.
Wildlife in Malindi marine national park
Divers and snorkelers in Malindi marine national park can expect to see an abundance of marine life beneath the surface of the tropical waters, such as sea urchins, starfish, tropical fish, barracuda, green sea turtles, beds of coral species, nine coral fish families, whale sharks, and dolphins.
There are many shorebirds, especially in the mudflats. The sanderling, smaller sand plover, and curlew sandpiper are popular shorebirds to see. The western reef heron and lesser crested tern are two birds that frequent the mangroves and estuaries. Within the coastline region and nearby forests, there are about 450 different bird species.
Best time to visit the park
Malindi Marine National Park is a hot and humid area with year-round high temperatures. There is, however, a distinct dry and wet season. Since this is the dry season, the best months to visit are June through September and January through March. In October and November, there are brief rains, although they do provide relief from the sweltering heat.
The wet months, from April to June and from October to December, are when it rains a lot.
Getting There
There are two ways to arrive at the park: by air or by road. If you choose to travel by air, your arrival point will be Malindi Airport, which is located around 110 km north of Mombasa city.
Tourist activities: what to do in Malindi Marine National Park
The majority of Malindi’s animal sightings are marine and avian. The focus of all events is on presenting the Kenyan coast’s underwater splendor. Significant birdlife is present in the area as well. One of the best places in Kenya for scuba divers to visit is this reserve.
Visitors can go on leisurely snorkeling and scuba diving excursions in the reserve to look for green sea turtles, mako sharks, and whale sharks. The ocean floor is covered in seagrass beds and organ-pipe coral, creating a great habitat for a variety of marine creatures.
It is possible to organize guided birding safari in the trees that border the coast. Birders are encouraged to take walks down the beach to mudflats and estuaries. Visitors are given access to the fascinating world beneath the water’s surface aboard glass-bottom boats in this marine national park. Water skiing, windsurfing, and other adventurous sports are practiced just outside the protected area.
In short, Malindi marine national park offers a wide range of tourist activities such as glass-bottom boat tours, snorkeling, fishing, sunbathing, camping, and beach walks. Other activities include water skiing, scenic walking, diving, bird watching, and scenic walks.
Accommodations: Where to stay in Malindi marine national park
There is accommodation available at the Casuarina campsite in the park, which boasts welcoming and tranquil surroundings. There is no lodging within the park. There are numerous beach resorts, bed and breakfasts, and seaside self-catering homes around the perimeter of the protected area. Within seven kilometers of the maritime national park, the neighboring town of Malindi offers lodging options for all price ranges.
