Mailindi is one of those places you either love or hate. Package tourists, mainly Italians, flock here for sea, sand, and sun. Independent travelers find it short on culture and long on pizzerias. Truth be told, it's what you make of it. Malindi boasts superb sandy beaches. Malindi Marine National Park, part of the Malindi-Watamu Biosphere Reserve, is a good place to spot megafauna and tropical fish. The town's assortment of high-end galleries, posh boutiques and curio markets make it a great place to shop for souvenirs. Malindi is easy to reach. It has a variety of hotels and restaurants. What's more, it's located near a great many attractions. Watamu, a seaside village just south of Malindi, is home to Gede Ruins, one of the best-preserved Swahili settlements on the Kenyan Coast, and two of Kenya's top birding destinations, Mida Creek and Arabuko Sokoke Forest. The oft-overlooked geological feature known as the Marafa Depression is a great place to spend an early morning or late afternoon. Tsavo East and its famed elephant herds can be visited on day trip from Malindi.