Malindi Full Day Tour Robinson Island Marafa Hells Kitchen

Our 1-Day Malindi tour package combines two popular attractions. The morning is spent at Robinson Island, while the afternoon is spent at Hell’s Kitchen/ Marafa Depression.

The island of Robinson is a tropical paradise located about 40 km north of Malindi (an hour’s drive from Malindi), one of the few places in Kenya where you can experience unspoiled nature and enjoy lunch featuring the characteristic red crab of Robinson, for a day dedicated to relaxation. 

In the afternoon, we visit Hell’s Kitchen, located in Marafa, a town approximately 45 minutes from Malindi Town. Hell’s Kitchen Marafa is called “Nyari” by locals, literally meaning “the place that breaks by itself”.

It is characterized by sandstone that, over millennia, has been eroded by rain and wind, giving rise to a canyon of a thousand shades of color where pinnacles, ravines, gorges, and stone pillars reach heights of up to 30 meters, creating a show without equal.

The most fascinating view is at sunset, when the sunlight joins the colors of the earth, and the rocks take on different shades ranging from white to pink, to orange, to red: a miracle of nature.

Malindi or Watamu 1 Day Robinson Island and Marafa Hells Kitchen Tour Itinerary

0830 Hours – 0930 Hours: Departure & Sightseeing – Pick-up from your resort in Malindi or Watamu.
Malindi Highlights: Begin with a stop at the Vasco da Gama Pillar, the local woodcraft factory, or the spice market
Scenic Drive: Pass through Mambrui village and stop at the Sabaki River bridge to spot hippos and seasonal flamingos

1030 Hours – 1230 Hours: Robinson Island Arrival – Canoe Crossing: Reach the island via a traditional wooden canoe across a shallow lagoon, often accompanied by local songs from the boatman.Island Exploration: Walk on pristine white sandbanks, swim in turquoise waters, or relax in hammocks under palm trees.

1230 Hours – 1430 Hours: Seafood Feast & Siesta
Swahili Lunch: Savor a generous seafood BBQ featuring red crab, prawns, and grilled fish, with traditional coconut rice, served in a rustic, open-air restaurant.
Relaxation: Enjoy a post-lunch “siesta” on comfortable sofas or cushions

1430 Hours – 1630 Hours: Journey to the “Grand Canyon”
Depart the island and drive inland through pineapple plantations and acacia forests toward Marafa. The landscape shifts from coastal greenery to dramatic red soil.

1630 Hours – 1830 Hours: Marafa Hell’s Kitchen Guided Tour
Canyon Hike: A local guide leads you through the sandstone gorges (locally called Nyari), explaining the geological formations and the legend of the “cursed family”.
Sunset Finale: Witness the canyon walls glow in deep reds and oranges as the sun sets—the peak highlight of the day.

1830 Horus – 1930 Hours: Return Trip
Drive back to your accommodation, arriving in time for dinner.

0930 Hours: The trip to Robinson Island departs Malindi after breakfast at your hotel. The drive takes the Lamu road all the way to the mouth of the Sabaki River. Here we make a brief stop to observe the hippos and flocks of flamingos. You then drive past little villages along the Indian Ocean’s sandy silver beaches to Ngomeni Salt Flats, where most of Africa’s salt comes from.

After a 15-minute drive from the turn-off from the salt flats, you leave your car and board a dugout canoe sailing through a lagoon surrounded by mangroves and palm trees, and arrive at Robinson Island.

The charming Robinson Island restaurant is built entirely from mangrove roots, with a Makuti roof and a white-sand floor. It has large tables, big cushioned seating areas, and no electricity. Remember, if you want a beer or wine, bring your own, as the restaurant does not have a license to sell alcohol.

1300 Hours: Lunch is served at the Robinson Island restaurant. The restaurant serves only seafood – a typical Swahili meal. The food is to die for, with fresh crab, straight from the sea, as big as dinner plates, then followed by huge prawns, rice, barbecued fish, fruit, and tea, all served on a table adorned with colorful bougainvillea and frangipani flowers.

1400 Hours: After lunch, you have some time to rest on the comfortable sofas and hammocks for a bit of relaxation, sunbathe on the pristine white sand, or swim in the warm, crystal clear water of the Ocean. 

1530 Hours: Depart Robinson Island Beach-Chalet and drive through the countryside villages to Marafa Hell’s Kitchen.

1630 Hours: We arrive at Marafa Hell’s Kitchen. The Marafa Depression, also known as Hell’s Kitchen, is an odd sandstone canyon outside of Malindi, Kenya. Known locally as Nyari – “the place broken by itself” – it was once a great sandstone ridge worn by wind, rain, and floods into a series of jagged gorges.

The layer-cake colors of the sandstone reveal whites, pinks, oranges, and deep crimsons, making the gorge particularly striking at sundown when tones of the ribbed sandstone gullies are highlighted and mirrored by those of the setting sun.

1900 Hours: Shortly before sunset, return to the hotel. This Malindi tour combines Robinson Island (Seafood paradise) and Hell’s Kitchen (The Marafa Depression).

Malindi Full Day Tour Robinson Island Marafa Hells Kitchen Price includes

✓ Services of a professional guide
✓ Boat ride to Malindi Robinson Island
✓Optional chance to swim in the ocean before lunch or after
✓ Return transport from Malindi to Robinson Island and Marafa Hell’s Kitchen
✓ Malindi’s Hell’s Kitchen Marafa (mini Grand Canyon) walk down into the canyon and back to the rim & Seafood Lunch (Oysters/ Molluscs, Crab, Prawns, Fish with Rice and desserts you get fruits, and lastly Coffee or Tea

Notes

* This day tour is available every day upon request

Malindi Full Day Tour Robinson Island Marafa Hells Kitchen Prices exclude:

* International Airfare
* Cost of obtaining a passport and visas
* Gratuity for your professional driver-guide
* Personal expenses such as transfers to/ from the airport (supplement airport transfer cost applies for tours starting from the airport)
* Personal expenses such as traveling insurance, excess baggage fee, communication charges that include laundry, emails, faxes, and phone calls, beverages including luxury champagne, luxury spirits, beer, and wines during meals or meals not indicated in the itinerary

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