Kenya
Mombasa in May
🌧️ Rainy seasonWarm, humid and very wet.
🎒 Pack: light, breathable clothes & sunscreen · compact umbrella or rain jacket · quick-dry fabrics
Why May scores 7.7What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort6.6
- ✓Warm (30°C highs / 23°C lows)
- !Very humid/sticky (dew point 22.3°C)
- !Wet: ~236 mm rain, ~7 heavy-rain days
- Air quality10.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~4 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards9.5
- !Flood: ~7 heavy-rain days in an average May
- Safety baseline5.0
- ·High caution
| May | Jul | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 7.7 Very good | 8.8 Excellent |
| Season | 🌧️ Rainy season | ☀️ Dry season |
| High / low | 30° / 23° | 29° / 21° |
| Rain | 236 mm | 72 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 22° | dew pt 20° |
| PM2.5 | 4 µg/m³ | 6 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Mombasa weather-station normals. Rainfall: Mombasa weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsMay 2027
No long holidaysNo long public-holiday weekends this month. School holidays aren't counted, so check those if you want to avoid family crowds.
Other public holidays: Labor Day (1 May)
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Explore MombasaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyKenya's main port city and coastal hub, with a Swahili old town, a Portuguese fort and nearby Indian Ocean beaches such as Diani and Nyali.
No major events on our calendar for May.
Coming up later
Humpback whale seasonDate variesUsually July to October
Humpback whales migrate along the coast and can be seen from boats.
Why go: Whale-watching trips run in this period, weather permitting.
Where: Kenyan south coast, including Diani and Watamu waters
Jamhuri DayEvery year12 December every year
Kenya's independence and republic day.
Why go: Public holiday; government offices close.
Where: Nationwide
Ramadan and Eid al-FitrDate variesIslamic lunar calendar — moves about 11 days earlier each year; around February to March in 2026–2027
The month of daytime fasting, with busy food stalls and evening gatherings after sunset.
Why go: Old Town is lively at night; eat discreetly in public during the day.
Where: Old Town and citywide
Fort Jesus
A UNESCO-listed 16th-century Portuguese fort at the entrance to the old harbour, with a museum.
Old Town
Narrow streets of Swahili houses with carved doors and balconies, mosques and small shops.
💡 Dress modestly, especially near mosques.
Diani Beach
A long white-sand beach south of Mombasa with coral reef, kitesurfing and colobus monkeys in nearby forest.
Haller Park
A nature park created on a rehabilitated quarry, with giraffes, hippos and tortoises.
Mombasa Marine National Park
Protected reef and lagoon off Nyali and Bamburi, visited for snorkelling and glass-bottom boat trips.
Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park
A marine park off Shimoni and Wasini Island south of Diani, known for dolphins and snorkelling.
Swahili biryani
Spiced rice with meat or chicken, a coastal favourite influenced by Indian and Arab cooking.
Mahamri
Lightly sweet fried coconut-and-cardamom doughnuts, often eaten with tea or beans.
Viazi karai
Potatoes battered in spiced gram flour and deep fried, a street snack.
💡 Street stalls in Old Town and the city centre
Samaki wa kupaka
Grilled fish in a coconut curry sauce.
Madafu
Fresh young coconut water sold from street carts.
Kikoy and kanga
Bright cotton wraps and cloths, kangas often printed with Swahili proverbs.
💡 Biashara Street
Wood carvings
Hand-carved figures and bowls made by local carvers.
💡 Akamba Handicraft Cooperative and Old Town shops
Spices
Coastal spices such as cardamom, cloves and pilau masala.
💡 Marikiti Market