Welcome, Coastal Storyteller
The Kenyan Coast is often written about from the outside. We publish the people who actually live it.
We commission 4–5 paid articles per month from locals, guides, conservationists, hospitality professionals, and experienced travellers who understand the Coast firsthand.
Every published article is paid. No exceptions.
Who we welcome
If you know the Coast deeply, you do not need to be a professional writer.
Local residents
You see what outsiders miss.
Tour guides & operators
Your daily work is real knowledge.
Conservationists
Reefs, mangroves, wildlife, heritage.
Hospitality professionals
You understand how travel works on the ground.
Experienced travellers
You have tested routes, costs, and realities firsthand.
What we publish
We focus on useful, factual, grounded travel content. Most articles run 800–1,300 words, depending on the depth of the topic.
Practical Guides
- Real information: prices, hours, routes, what to expect.
How-To Guides
- Step-by-step pieces on ferries, reef visits, booking tours, and getting around.
Trip Reports
- What actually happened — costs, mistakes, timings, and lessons.
Culture & Heritage
- Local voices, context, history, and lived experience.
Reviews
- Honest, balanced coverage of stays, food, tours, and experiences.
Ecotourism
- How to visit responsibly, without harming the environment or local communities.
If it is original, factual, and rooted in the Coast, pitch it.
What we’re currently commissioning
For the next few months, we’re especially interested in timely, well-reported stories that help people travel the Kenyan Coast well between April and July.
We are not looking for generic roundups. We want specific, useful, locally informed pitches with a clear angle, a real sense of place, and practical value for travellers.
Rainy-season travel on the Coast
What is still worth doing, what changes when it rains, how to plan around weather, and how to avoid wasting a trip.
Easter, Madaraka Day, and long-weekend movement
Stories that help people make better decisions during busy travel periods.
Nightlife beyond clubs
Low-key evening plans, live music, beach evenings, social spaces, and after-dark experiences for people who do not want the obvious party scene.
Quiet or overlooked sides of coastal towns
The calmer, slower, less obvious side of places like Mombasa, Diani, Watamu, Malindi, Kilifi, and Lamu.
Short escapes and budget-conscious travel
Weekend plans, short itineraries, and realistic ways to enjoy the Coast without overspending.
Marine, beach, and water-based experiences
Snorkelling, diving, marine parks, boat trips, tides, and seasonal conditions people should understand before they book.
Useful place-led stories
Pitches rooted in one specific town, beach, route, island, neighbourhood, or stretch of coast, especially when they answer a clear traveller question.
What makes a strong pitch?
A clear question, a specific place, current local knowledge, and practical details a traveller
can actually use.
Examples of what we publish
Read these before pitching. They show the kind of detail, honesty, and usefulness we look for.
- A Walker’s Guide to Mombasa
- The Quiet Work of Diani Turtle Watch
- The Perfect Lamu Evening: A Sunset Dhow
Replace these placeholders with links to your strongest published pieces.
House style: Clarity over cleverness
- Be useful: Include KSh prices, times, contacts, directions, and practical detail.
- Verify everything: Check names, opening days, routes, and prices this month.
- Write plainly: No hype, no “hidden gems,” no inflated travel language.
- Include safety and accessibility: Mention currents, scams, rough roads, solo-travel realities, ramps, or transport issues where relevant.
- Language: English or Swahili is welcome. Translate Swahili on first use when needed.
Our standards
We only publish original, verified, human-written work rooted in real experience on the Kenyan Coast.
We do not accept
- Promotional or SEO content — including backlink swaps, affiliate-heavy posts, or disguised marketing.
- AI-generated writing — even if lightly edited.
- Plagiarism, fiction, or unverified claims — if it cannot be checked, do not send it.
- Vague listicles — if it lacks prices, timings, directions, or caveats, it is not ready.
- Generic travel writing — if it could be written about anywhere, it is probably not for us.
If you have not experienced it or verified it, do not pitch it.
Rights & republication
- Upon acceptance and payment, Exploring Mombasa receives first web publication rights and 90-day exclusivity.
- After 90 days, you may republish your piece elsewhere if you credit Originally published on Exploring Mombasa and include a link to the original article.
- Do not submit the same piece elsewhere while it is under consideration or during the exclusivity period.
We pay for all accepted work
With a committed monthly budget, we commission 4–5 paid features. Every published article is compensated.
| Content type | Rate (KSh) |
|---|---|
| Practical Guide or How-To | 4,000 |
| Culture or Ecotourism | 4,000 |
| Deep-Dive Guide | 6,000 |
Payment method: M-Pesa
Timeline: Within 14 days of publication
Rates include research, writing, fact-checking, and 6–10 original photos where relevant.
How to pitch
Send your pitch to editor@exploringmombasa.com
Subject line:
PITCH: [Type] – [Title] – [Location]
Include the following
- Your name and location
- Your connection to the topic or place
- 2–3 headline ideas
- A short sample paragraph
- 3–5 specific facts you plan to include
If you are unsure, a simple idea and a short paragraph is enough to start.
Before you send
- Prices and times verified
- Directions are clear
- Safety notes included where needed
- Photos available if relevant
- Any complimentary or hosted access disclosed upfront
Final note
The Coast does not need more generic travel content. It needs people who actually know it.