Mombasa

[MikeyW]

Hi all,

Haven't been to Kenya before and religiously read most of the recent Mombasa reports before posing this question.

Is there any action to be had on the beaches, as in girls wandering around specifically looking for white guys for casual paid fun or up for it after conversation?

Any and all feedback welcome.

Cheers.

[Zimzam]

Casuarina more than fully packed on Saturday night, just like in the old days.

Club Legend has reopened, but any activities or special nights are not yet announced.

The new ' Yacht Lounge', a few metres away from the main road opposite Lambada is fully operating.

They made it look like a nautical environment, the upper floor is quite nice, with comfortable couches etc.

[SceticoBlu]

Be quick to take the money out from the ATM. If putting back your card into the wallet takes to much time (something like 30 seconds and not ages) the machine swallows the money again. This happened to me once in the City Mall. Had to go to the branch and was handed out the money instantely however.

[Zimzam]

I Always change cash near a bank branch and only during business hours, so if the ATM swallows the card you can retrieve it straight away.

.

Yes, very true!

Once my card was swallowed by the Barclays ATM in the cabin along the main road in Mtwapa, next to the fishmonger.

I had to travel 2 times to the main office in Mombasa, over flooded roads in the raining season to get it back.

And no way to get the costs compensated.

[Neddy69]

Barclays has become Absa now.

No longer linked to the UK Barclays bank.

I used to have an account in Bamburi when Barclay's was not defunct. It was a franchise. At that time they had an ATM in Mtwapa which was sort of working. They hit me with big time overdraft.

Some money tips. Always have a couple of 100 or Dollar banknotes cash. Only change cash on the airport or else you run into trouble not getting cash out of the ATM. On African airports there's either no cash in the ATMs or they're defunct. I always change a 100 $ to have enough local currency to pay for taxi and the like and withdraw later.

For Kenya Uganda and Tanzania I use exclusively Diamond Trust or Equity where you can withdraw fee free. Always change cash near a bank branch and only during business hours, so if the ATM swallows the card you can retrieve it straight away.

In Madagascar I use only BMOI or SoGen ATMS.

Neddy.

[PookyMan]

That same Barclay ATM machine is still there in airport I think, at least before, I have even used it often on other trips when arriving. Barclay bank itself may have left the country?

Barclays has become Absa now.

No longer linked to the UK Barclays bank.

[Leblon]

Some years ago, I arrived to Mombasa airport, coming from other country. I tried to to took in airport bank Barclay ATM maximum amount of money, forty thousand Kenyan shillings, I think that was around 400 dollars at that time also.

ATM told me that transaction succeeded, and then rebooted, without giving me any money.

I found out later that money was really taken from my account. I did all I could to get money back, I went to Barclay office first in Bamburi then in Mombasa, couple of times, spend a lot of my holiday time for this. They did not know what to do really. I filled all kind of paper applications, send emails to them regularly. Process took long time and got so far that they would have paid me back if that bank where my account was, HSBC, would have sent them some proof that money was taken from my account. HSBC refused, they said that so long time has gone that they don't have log. And HSBC were uninterested to help anyway me, their account owner. What a rotten bank.

So, I have paid 400 dollar fee once in Mombasa to take money from ATM, you guys are worried of some 0. 5 percent fees.

That same Barclay ATM machine is still there in airport I think, at least before, I have even used it often on other trips when arriving. Barclay bank itself may have left the country?

[Neddy69]

Read that.

https://nation.africa/kenya/news/no-...ficate-3626642

Borderless idiocy.

The highlight:

I want to let Kenyans know that next month drivers, and boda boda riders will be required to ask that you show proof of being vaccinated before you can travel," said Mr Kagwe.

Everybody who knows Kenya laughs his head off. 90% are unvaccinated and there's not even by far enough vaxx doses. Hilarious.

The two groups who will rake it in. The police and the forgers of vaccine certificates.

In essence you might as well close all bars and nightclubs again. Most girls will not be able to enter Casaurina. The vaxxed mongers will sit around and will bore themselves to death.

Mwalimu.

Who will never understand, why Africans have to copy all the useless western rubbish. But with an African twist. LOL.

[PookyMan]

Using a debit card (with a Maestro logo in my case) your 'home' bank charges you a forex commission (usually a %) + a fixed fee. For me it is 0.5% on the mornings actual EUR / KES rate and a 0 fixed fee. But most banks charge more.

The Kenyan bank whose ATM you use often charges you a fee as well. I found Equity, I&M and CoOp don't charge a fee, although I haven't used I&M for some time now and only use CoOp, since it's nearest to where I stay. CoOp only started accepting Maestro debit cards less than a year ago, I think. Equity and I&M 'always' worked. Equity seems to have less reliable ATMs, although even when it didn't dispense money, in about a week's time I always got my money back. I&M has much more reliable ATMs, it seems, and (in the Mtwapa mall) could the one time such an issue occurred fix it right there and then, when I went to their customer service desk inside the branch office.

[MtVadose]

Thanks! I've made a note of these ATMs for next time.

[SceticoBlu]

Equity ATMs have good rates.

[Zimzam]

I use the ATMs at the back of Cafeserie at City Mall. to find my free one.

The Diamond Trust Bank doesn't charge.

There is also a branch in Mtwapa Mall.
And the bank there on the upper floor also doesn't charge.

[Mombie75]

I use the ATMs at the back of Cafeserie at City Mall. There are 4 or 5 together. One of them gave me free withdrawals the others wanted to charge the 400/- but I can't remember which was which sorry. I just went down the line in them to find my free one.

[Member #4740]

Also does anyone know what bank ATMs have no fees, .

https://goo.gl/maps/xEsAuxAazb7zxkTW9

Just be careful I would go to this branch only in Nyali. Sometimes it need 3 minute processing and you might think something wrong and your card is gone, I also saw blue screen and all of bizzar shit. So just go to this branch in Nyali mall.

[MtVadose]

Was in Diani just one night midweek.

Seems people go Manyatta club first, outside was busy at 11 pm but inside almost empty. People later move to Tandori down the road but never really gets busy there either.

I decided to just go home after a few beers, there was only three I likely across both bars and after speaking to them, two seemed too pro for me and the other had kids so I left it.

One of them did say to me 5 k for the night, I had a girl in Mombasa say the same, but when I say I will take their number and think about it they go straight down. This girl then said 3 k and then something like ' I want you to be happy, so you tell me', I'm sure many go home alone so they need a client. I wasn't interested so just went home after this.