Malindi is a popular destination with tourists. They come to Malindi and the nearby Watamu bay to relax after their Safari in one of Kenya’s National Parks. However, with the many travel advisories issued against the coast region over the years, the question that may come to many tourists minds is whether Malindi is safe for them.
Malindi and the rest of the Kenyan coast is safe for tourists. This is because hotels go to great pains to ensure the security of their guests. They do this by enforcing tight security measures in their premises and investing in security infrastructure geared towards making tourists feel safer. You will be safe when travelling to Malindi if you stay in a reputable hotel and follow a few common sense safety rules. I have been to Watamu and Malindi multiple times and in this article, I will share my own security experience and a few security tips that will keep you safe when in the coastal areas of Kenya.
Security Tips for tourists in Malindi
Emergency numbers don’t work.
Kenya’s emergency number is 999. However, ask any Kenyan whether they would use it in case of an emergency and their answer would be a laugh.
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Learn MoreSadly, if something g happens to you in Malindi or any part of Kenya, you are better off calling your hotel or travel company than the police. Keep this in mind as you travel in Kenya.
Don’t go to the beach at night alone & Avoid lonely and deserted beaches
Most muggins happen on lonely beaches where the number of people who can help you are few and too far away to come to your rescue. Muggers will find it easy to harass you if you alone so take care not to become an easy target.
I personally experienced a scary incident when visiting Watamu. We had gone visit Watamu as a group and I really wanted to see the sunrise. I woke up earlier than everyone else in my team to see it, walked to a public beach and found that it was deserted. As I sat on the edge of a cliff, two men approached me to say hello. They were behaving weirdly around me and I had a strong feeling that I was in danger. I walked away quickly and luckily, they didn’t follow me but they seemed slightly irritated that I had given them a wide berth and walked away. It could just have been a false alarm but I felt really uncomfortable because the rest of the Malindi residents were not as friendly as these two.
Where possible use a driver
When travelling around Malindi, and any other part of the coast, it will be a good idea to use a driver instead of driving yourselves to your destination. The driver would know places that you should avoid and actions that can land you in trouble. Using a tours and travel company helps with this. Their vehicles usually come with drivers who are friendly and helpful. Many of the tourists I have spoken to say that their drivers were their biggest Safari Asset.
Avoid driving at night to avoid accidents and hijacking
Kenyans are really aggressive drivers and some of the Kenyan roads are ridden with potholes. As a tourist in Malindi, driving at night increases your chances of getting into an accident so it’s best to avoid it. On top of this, you are more likely to get waylaid on the road by robbers who will use the cover of dark to get away. You, therefore, need to avoid driving at night especially on your own.
Choose a reputable hotel
In Malindi, just like all the other towns in Kenya, you get what you pay for. Price usually correlates directly with quality and security so it would be best not to go for the cheapest hotel you can find. This is because it may not be the most secure and you are better safe than sorry.
Before booking your hotel in Malindi, check it’s ratings and reviews for any complaints about security. Look for any complaints about the hotel from forums also.
Avoid spending too much time on the Malindi Streets
Malindi is no a very large town. Its not anywhere as busy as the nearby Mombasa or the Capital, Nairobi, However, you would need to keep your wits about you when on busy streets or in markets. Large crowds provide great cover for pick-pocketers and with, you being a foreigner, you may become an easy target.
For this reason, Avoid carrying a lot of gadgets or jewellery when you go out on the busy sections of Malindi or Watamu.
Avoid Poor Neighborhoods
Crime usually thrives in the poorer communities and you as a foreigner will attract unwanted attention and expose you to trouble. If you will go into a poor neighbourhood, ask someone you trust to take you there. They need to be from the community or people who the community interacts with frequently. They will help you not to get harassed by the villagers.
Keep yourself updated with the News
There may be an occasional demonstration or unrest in Maindi and other towns in Kenya especially when we draw near to elections. Before coming to Malindi, or even travelling to the country, keep yourself up to date with what’s going on in the region. This will help you time your visit to the most appropriate time and stay off trouble spots if you are already in the country.
Should I Be Afraid of terror attacks?
Kenya has experienced several terror attacks in the past years and this question may be on your mind when planning a visit to Malindi. Attacks that have happened in the coast region never targeted tourists. During this period, no tourist was injured in any of these attacks on the Kenyan coast and this makes tourists less of a target for these kinds of attacks.
