British couple's terror as they are evacuated from Kenya just one day into dream holiday
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A British couple have told how their dream holiday turned into a nightmare when they were evicted from Kenya just one day into their trip after the country was rocked by bombings.
Neil Allison and his wife, from Redcar, Yorkshire, had their break cut short after the Foreign Office warned against travelling to beach resorts along the coast.
They were among about 400 UK holidaymakers travel firms brought home after the country was put on terror alert.
Nightmare trip: Neil Allison, who was flown out of Kenya just one day of his holiday with his wife
The scene after back-to-back bomb blasts which have killed at least 10 people in the Kenyan capital, Nairobi
The couple, who flew from Gatwick on Monday for a week's holiday at Diani Beach resort - an hour away from Mombasa – were told on Tuesday by their rep that that they were being evicted.
Following the warning, two explosions in the Kenyan capital Nairobi killed at least 13 people and injured around 70 others.
Although Mr and Mrs Allison had another 24 hours in the east African country before they flew home, they said they were too scared to leave their hotel.
Neil, a senior operative for a housing company, said: 'I didn't sleep that night, I just paced up and down the beach and watched the sun rise.
Fears: British tourists queue at Mombasa Airport in Kenya after a change in Foreign and Commonwealth Office travel advice prompted travel companies to bring them home
Protection: Armed guards waited as holidaymakers prepared to board a charter flight following a recent spate of terror attacks
A'There were armed police everywhere and we travelled in coach convoy to the airport with a security guard on the coach and an armed escort. It's just not what we're used to.
'We would never normally see armed police.'
Neil, 45, who has a nine-year-old son, added: 'We had just booked a trip to go on safari for Thursday but instead we ended up coming home.
'It was pretty frightening at the time especially with little information on what was going on - and I don't scare easily.'
The bombs exploded near Gikomba Market, which is four miles away from Westgate Shopping Mall, where 67 people were killed in September
Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October and said 400 holidaymakers would be flown back.
The couple had flown with Thomson and Neil said that it was the right decision to remove holidaymakers when they did.
'When we got to Gatwick I asked some of the reporters gathered at the airport what was going on but no one knew,' he said.
It was only once they were on the train home to Redcar that they found out about the bombings.
'We were just so relieved to get home. It hasn't put us off going back though. We'd still like to go on safari and the people there are lovely, so friendly and happy but we would definitely wait until things have calmed down.'
Tour operators Thomson and First Choice have cancelled all flights to Kenya until the end of October as a result of the concerns
Luxury: The coastal city of Mombasa is popular with British tourists, but many have had dream holidays cut short
The death toll figure was given by the Kenyan National Disaster Operations Centre (NDOC) which added that one suspect had been arrested.
The blasts - around 1pm UK time - follow terrorist attacks earlier this month in and around the coastal town of Mombasa.
These incidents prompted the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) to amend its Kenya travel advice. The new advice warned against all but essential travel to parts of Mombasa.
Tour operators Thomson and First Choice cancelled all flights to Mombasa until October and said 400 holidaymakers would be flown back.
The main threat has been linked to the militant Islamist al-Shabab group.
TRAVEL TO KENYA: YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED BY TRAVELMAIL
Where exactly have tourists been warned they cannot go?
The latest advice for tourists is to avoid all but essential travel to Mombasa Island and within 5km of the coast from Mtwapa creek, north of the city, and Tiwi in the south.
However, the warning does not include the popular beach resort of Diani or Moi international airport, which is the gateway to the coast.
I have a holiday booked on Kenya's coast, will it be cancelled?
Tour operators will cancel any holidays that are based in the areas that have now been declared off-limits.
They are not obliged to cancel trips to other parts of Kenya. However, some companies, such as Thomson and First Choice, have also evacuated holidaymakers from Diani, which is not included in the latest advice.
Therefore it is advisable to contact your holiday company to see what its policy is.
My holiday has been cancelled, what are my rights?
Rest assured, if you have booked through a tour operator you are entitled to a full refund or you will be offered an alternative trip.
Customers who have booked flights and accommodation separately should expect to be refunded as long as their accommodation is
If you have booked your trip independently and have travel insurance it should pay out for any trips cancelled due to changing travel advice. Always make sure you check your policy closely.
I am booked for a safari holiday and am not going near the south coast, will my trip still go ahead?
Tour operators offering trips to areas that are not affected by the latest travel update will go ahead as usual.
What if I have a holiday to Kenya booked but don't want to go following this news?
Unless your trip is to one of the affected areas which tourists have been advised to avoid then your booking still stands.
Companies in general will not allow customers to cancel bookings to other parts of the country which are still considered safe according to government organisations.
Where is considered safe?
Almost all of the rest of Kenya, including popular safari areas, is considered safe. The only new areas tourists have been told to avoid are Mombasa island and within 5km of the coast from Mtwapa creek in the north down to and including Tiwi in the south.
Long-standing advice about non-essential travel includes areas within 37 miles of the Kenya –Somali border, Kiwayu Island and coastal areas north of Pate Island (in the south east of the country), the Garissa district (in the east), the Eastleigh area of Nairobi and the slum areas of the Kenyan capital.
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