Good internet, apartments, etc. in Mombasa?

For internet, you can use data bundles from the mobile operators (Safaricom, Airtel and Orange have the best coverage).   These companies have websites, so you can check their rates.  I use Safaricom as the coverage is arguably the best, but I find that the data doesn't last as long as you might expect, so it works out relatively expensive (in my opinion).

Property rental:  The internet is a good place to start looking.  Aircon is a definite advantage at the coast.  By having a generator on site as well, you will be restricting your choice and price.   What are you looking for?  furnished, or unfurnished.  The former is more expensive and often aimed more at the tourist market.

Tenancies in Kenya are usually on a 6 month basis, with a minimum deposit of one month, which is held in lieu of any damage being done by the tenant.  Then you will pay anything from one to three months rent, in advance.

Use your visit in May to familiarise yourself with the best areas and accommodation.  Don't rent somewhere that you haven't personally checked out.  There are lots of scams in the property market, so you need to be sure that the property is good and actually exists!!

As you say you are moving to Kenya, make sure that you familiarise yourself with immigration law, visas and permits before you make a decision about settling here.  There are lots of posts on this, but feel free to ask!

Internet:
It looks like I'll have to go with Orange because I'll need ~70GB a month for my work.
I can't seem to find internet speeds on the Orange site though. Is it reasonable to expect a download speed of at least 50 Mbps?

Renting:
Definitely air conditioned and furnished with a generator. Preferably with security and a pool. I'm thinking somewhere in Nyali. Would that be possible for about 150,000 KSH per month?

Thanks for that info, I will make it a point to personally check out a few places after first scouting for them online. Are there any recommended sites for this? In Sri Lanka we have a few reputed sites for property rentals, I was wondering if Kenya had the same.

Thanks, yes, I've been making myself somewhat familiar with immigration rules. Reading through this forum has helped a lot. It seems as though I might have to consider a Class K permit at some point.

No advertising on the forum, please debak.  There is a housing section in the classifieds where you should repost.

housniy:  Orange should be OK on the coast, but coverage is patchy elsewhere.  I really wouldn't know about the download speeds though.  I get 4G with Safaricom though!

I think that with a budget of Ksh 150,000 you should have a reasonable amount of choice.  Nyali is a good area, as is Shanzu.  Security should be your first consideration though, with the others afterwards.  The power supply in Kenya is much more stable that it was a few years ago (at least in this area), so a generator might not be essential.

You should be able to source some properties online to give you an idea of what is around.  I understand that there are quite a few vacant apartments in the area since tourism declined.

I can do 4G but the data cap is quite low. On the Safaricom site, the biggest bundle they have is 30GB for 90 days. I might need ~70GB per month for my work. Any recommendations for unlimited or even larger data caps?

I never considered Shanzu. Thanks for that! I also imagine there will be people from all over the world in Nyali and Shanzu and it will be nice to meet a variety of people.

Yes, I agree, security is #1 priority. I think I could pass as a local since I look Indian and I understand there are Kenyans of Indian descent, brought there by the British when they were building the railway lines.

I may need to get a generator, just in case. There are certain times during which it's critical I'm online for my job (I'm a DevOps Engineer) and if there's a power cut or the internet goes down during that time, that would be pretty bad.

I didn't know tourism declined. Any reason for this?

There is this company, which might work out cheaper for what you need:

http://www.faiba.co.ke

I don't know the extent of coverage though, but would have thought its in Mombasa, being the 'second city' in Kenya.

Another place on the coast where there are a lot of expats is Mtwapa, which a bit further north from Shanzu.

Its true that there are a lot Kenyans of Indian descent, in many parts of the country.

Tourism declined on the coast in the wake of terrorist activity at the coast and travel advisories imposed by some western countries.  This also caused some charter airlines to cancel services to Mombasa.  The financial collapse and post election violence of 2008 also had an influence.  Tourism across Kenya declined sharply, but the coast was arguably hardest hit and its one area that is heavily dependent on tourism. 

Tourism is recovering slowly, but.............we have an election on August 8th this year and many fear that they may not be peaceful.  Campaigns have started in earnest and violence has flared in one or two places already - although nothing really major.  Kenyans are extremely passionate about politics and its the number one talking point..........as you will find out!

This is excellent info, thank you very much. I will check out Faiba. After Googling about Kenyan ISP's, it seems like they aren't always 100% reliable so I might have a backup mobile internet connection too.

I'll actually be staying in Mtwapa when I'm in Kenya in May, for 2 weeks. I will rent a car and drive around Nyali and Shanzu too.

Oh yeah, I heard about the terrorist attacks. We had that issue in Sri Lanka too when we had our 30 year war.

I heard about the election violence too. That's why I'm visiting in May and only moving in November

Thanks so much!

Hi. Am Kenyan but live in Sydney. I own my 5 Bedroom home with 21m pool in Serena, a walk  to Beach so if still stuck for accomo for Nov contact me.. there is heaps of accommodation choice in Serena & Nyali & Bamburi suburbs.. cheers

Hi Shabijay, I actually decided on living in Nairobi. If I ever change my mind, I will contact you