Jumba la Mtwana Jumba la Mtwana ruined village is in Kilifi district, Coast province this is just north of the mouth Mtwapa Creek. The site lies some 15 kilometers north of Mombasa and 4 kilometers from the Mombasa-Malindi road. This site represents the remains of a 13th century Swahili slaving settlement, and some interesting structures. Deserted about a hundred years after its foundation, Jumba can still boast magnificent standing remains of domestic houses, mosques and tombs. The domestic houses are rich in carved vidaka (or niches) and arched doors, forming part of the decorative motifs. While its name literally means "large house of the slave", there is neither historical nor archaeological evidence that suggests that this may have been the case.

A stroll through the ancient ruins provide a sense of what life must have been like over six hundred years ago, when it was home to Swahili fisherman, craftsmen and merchants who traded precious products from the African interior with their maritime trading partners from India and Arabia. Excavations at the site, the most recent being in 1991, have revealed numerous artefacts including decorated local pottery and shell beads, imported Chinese and Islamic ceramics, and glass beads. Located on a beautiful stretch of sandy beach, among giant boabab trees and rich foliage, Jumba is a popular venue for residents and tourists alike.

Koobi Fora is located on the east side of Lake Turkana (formerly Lake Rudolf), is one of the worlds leading prehistoric sites. Koobi Fora area has yielded a large number of fossils representing both Australopithecenes and early Homo. It has been important in helping to reconstruct a picture of human natural history, to study the evolution of man around 2.0 million years ago. In 1972 the area was gazetted as the Sibiloi National Park.

The region is virtually uninhabited except for infrequent visits by nomadic groups such as the Gabbra; wildlife species such as oryx, gerenuk, Grevy's zebra and Somali ostrich can also be seen at times.

A unique wealth of prehistoric remains is found in an area approximately 90 km by 30 km extending from Ileret in the north to just south of Allia Bay. This site was first explored by a team from the National Museums of Kenya led by Dr. Richard Leakey. Many very important fossils have been recovered, including a skull of Homo habilis, one of the earliest recognised species of the genus Homo.

Since the mid 1970s this area has been the focus of an international Koobi Fora Field School programme in Palaeo-anthropology, now run jointly by Rutgers University and the National Museums of Kenya.

he ruins of Mnarani are located on the southern bank of the creek and Kilifi District on Kenya's northern coast, some 200 meters from the Mombasa - Malindi road. Among the ruins are two magnificent Mosques and a group of Pillar Tombs, which was recently ripped to pieces and carefully reconstructed to avoid potential collapse.The best preserved ruin is the Great Mosque with its finely carved inscription around the Mihrab and a small mosque dating from the 16th century and parts of the town wall and gate.

Manarani is a scenic, peaceful spot well worth a visit and makes an excellent picnic site.

Olorgesailie site is located on the floor of the Eastern Rift Valley some 40 miles (about 64 km), south-west of Nairobi on the road to Magadi. The drive all the way to Magadi is characterised by beautiful panoramic views leading up to the shoulder of the Ngong Hills and descending onto the floor of the Rift Valley. The site of Olorgesailie, donated to the Kenyan Government by the Maasai community, covers an area of 52 acres. First discovered by Mary Leakey in 1942, this site was excavated continuously between 1942 and 1947. The area continues to be under investigation to this date, with a team from the Smithsonian Institution, USA, making annual surveys and excavations. Olorgesailie is the largest of the National Museums' prehistoric sites, and is characterised by in situ displays of prehistoric materials, including numerous hand axes and fossilised skeletons of extinct species of elephant and a hippopotamus.

Siyu is one of the Swahili settlements in the Lamu archipelago, and has a history dating from at least the 15th century. Siyu was famous as a centre of Islamic scholarship and crafts. The present village of Siyu is still known for its well established leather craft, including sandals, belts and stools. The village is dominated by the ruins of a huge fort, which sits dramatically on the waterfront. It became famous in the late 19th century, when it resisted Omani domination, culminating in the building of a Fort as an effort by the Omani Arabs to subdue the residents of Siyu. Apart from the impressive fort, which is open to the public, Siyu is also host to the remains of magnificent tombs and mosques.

The ruins of Takwa are located on Manda Island, a 30 minute boat ride from Lamu town. Here one can witness the remains of an old Swahili city and Swahili trading post that flourished between the 15th and 17th centuries. At its peak, there were at least 2500 people here, but the town was in explicably abandoned in the 17th century and people moved to Shela. The largest structure at Takwa is the unique Jamaa mosque (Friday Mosque) with a large pillar a top the qibla wall is among the most notable features, while the significance of the pillar is not known with certainty, some believe it to symbolise the burial of a Sheikh below the wall. A day's visit is quite a unique experience, and can be complimented by a picnic or overnight camping

Thimlich OhingaFrom here, one can see how the hill got its name: in the DhoLuo language spoken in Nyanza Province, 'Thimlich' means literally 'frightening dense forest'. As one moves closer to the hill, it seems less like a forest. Winding along a narrow car track, one comes to a small, traditional Luo homestead. Behind this compound, and on the rest of the hill, lies the enclosure whose architecture is not only captivating but is also unique. The homestead and its adjacent enclosures form the Thimlich Ohinga Prehistoric Site.

In addition to its scenic location, the site is famous mainly for its stone wall enclosures which were built around 500 years ago. They are the results of the Late Iron Age settlers in the Lake Victoria region. The first communities to settle here, mainly of Bantu origin, introduced this stone building tradition to meet their security requirements and also to exploit the environmental resources effectively: abundant rocks on the hilly areas were a ready resource to construct complex villages or cities. As a result, both early (Bantu) and later (Nilotic) settlers in the region constructed about 521 enclosures in 139 localities in the entire Lake Victoria region.