Are you Bertin?
Anyway, Stone town Zanzibar is cool, similar vibe to Mombasa though smaller and not as well maintained. Unlike old town, most of the buildings in Stone town have been modified with ugly iron sheets which makes it look worse than Oldtown from above yet you seem to have no issue with it.
My point was strictly on infrastructure. I have seen many of your ignorant friends post aerial photos of oldtown and mistake it for a slum when it is actually and well maintained neighborhood of preserved ancient buildings some more than 1000 years old. I also posted photos to show how the streets are well maintained and all paved. I posted it to show your ignorant friends how stupid they are to compare it with a beaten up section of mwanza with dirt roads.
About the tour guide - nothing wrong with having a tour guide when you are new to a place. In fact it is highly recommended...............and pick pockets - that's your personal opinion and we don't use anecdotal evidence here. You guys have been known to spin up imaginary stories of being in Kenya and experiencing something that makes you judge Kenya in a negative way yet we see many other foreigners come to the same place everyday and none complains of the same.
Nairobi is the richest city in EAC and Mombasa is the fourth richest (After Nairobi, Dar and Kampala). If you associate the two with poverty then I don't know what I may have to say about you lowly rated ones back in Vumbistan.
Satelite view of Mombasa Oldtown
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Aerial view of Stonetown, Zanzibar
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