Heat builds early on the Swahili coast, so the day starts at dawn at the Kivukoni fish market, where the night's catch sells before the sun gets serious. By midday, humid air pushes errands into the covered aisles of Kariakoo Market. Late afternoon belongs to the sea breeze, when families fill Coco Beach and mishkaki skewers start smoking on the grills.
Beyond downtown, boats head out to the white sand of Bongoyo Island. The climate is tropical savanna, humid most of the year, with long rains around April and May and milder, drier days from June to September. A Local Friend reads the street-food menu, the daladala map and the mood of the afternoon sky for you.
