Our trip to Malindi was driven by our choice of hotel rather than the beach or town itself. Our first choice, the Alfajiri in Diani was booked so we headed to Che Shale, 25 km north of Malindi, instead. We went into Malindi on two occasions for a total of a day and a half. We spent the first afternoon booking the second half our trip. I assumed it would be cheaper to book locally. And it can be. But I'm not sure that wasting a half day of vacation is worth the savings. After our first trip into town we negotiated the rate for a day of sightseeing directly with our driver, Juma. He proved to be an excellent tour guide and I highly recommend him. (He is listed in the getting around section.) On our full day in Malindi we visited both the Tourist Market, New Market and handicraft cooperative. All three are worth a visit. But apart from the kikoi at the new market and woodcarvings at the handicraft cooperative we found the best souvenirs - from beaded belts and sandals to African arts and crafts - at the shops in town. We ate lunch at Jabreen, according to Juma the best curry in Malindi. It was excellent and apart from 2 or 3 backpackers we were the only foreigners in the restaurant.