The city is located on Mombasa Island, which is separated from the mainland by two creeks; Tudor Creek on the west and Kilindini Harbor on the south. The island is connected to the mainland to the north by the Nyali Bridge, to the south by the Likoni Ferry and to the west by the Makupa Causeway, alongside which runs the Uganda Railway. The port serves both Kenya and countries of the interior like Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, etc linking them to the Ocean.

The city is also home to Moi International Airport. It's main occupants are Muslim, Mijikenda and Swahili people but over the centuries there have been many immigrants, particularly from the countries of the Middle East and Indian sub-continent who came mainly as traders and skilled craftsmen and even after four or five generations, their descendants continue to contribute highly to the economy of present day Mombasa and Kenya as a whole. Recent immigrants are peoples from the interior of Kenya brought to the area by employment opportunities and search for greener pastures.

Mombasa as a Tourist Resort
Mombasa is one bestowed with such beautiful beaches with white sandy beaches and a deep historical and cultural heritage that most travelers cannot resist, the beauty of the beaches and the history surrounding this city is simply marvelous. Just 16km outside the city of Mombasa is the Shimba Hills national reserve, here one can see forest elephants, the endangered sable antelope Sykes monkeys etc and the Sheldrick waterfalls. Shimba hills national reserve is one of the last remnants of coastal tropical forests