For a day-trip out of Mombasa without your own transport, KIKAMBALA , a few kilometres further up the coast, is about as far as you'd want to come (Kilifi-bound matatus and Malindi-bound matatus and buses from Abdel Nasser Road in Mombasa pass here regularly). Note that the topography here is very flat. The sea goes out for nearly a kilometre and it's largely impractical for bathing except at high tide, so if you're just coming for the day, consult a tide table before setting off (daily newspapers print this). Much of the coastal strip here is still thickly forested and the beach itself is a glorious white expanse, though it's 2-3km from the highway and there are no matatus. The only official campsite in the area is at the Kanamai Conference & Holiday Centre, or "Kanamai Youth Hostel". The first low-budget beach spot north of Mombasa, it makes a good stop-over, and if you plan to stay more than a night you're not utterly marooned - there's usually someone with a vehicle at the site who'll be going to the dukas on the main road most mornings and, once or twice a week, if you help with petrol, into Mombasa.

 

You could also splurge on a day pass at the all-inclusive ClubSun'n'Sand (10am-5pm Ksh1300; 5pm-midnight Ksh1700), which is another thirty minutes' walk further north. Unless you happen to be staying at them, the other Kikambala addresses are not worth a special visit.