If you want to get to Mombasa from Nairobi, you have options. You could drive but the roads are not ideal and if you’re not used to driving in the region it could be a rough trip. You can fly at the cost of $150 or more depending on your luxury needs. Or, if you’re interested in taking the scenic route and getting an authentic feel of the different terrain in Kenya, you can travel by train on the Rift Valley Railway. You might even get to see some wildlife like husband and wife travel bloggers Joseph and Megan from the state of Ohio in the U.S.
Joseph and Megan maintain the travel blog ‘Away We Go’, and have written on their travels through Africa, Europe, South America and North America. This month they wrote a review of their train travel from Nairobi to Mombasa. Below is their summary. They have pictures and anecdotes from the experience on the Rift Valley Railway on (click) Away We Go.
Nairobi Mombasa train at a glance
* Location: Nairobi Railway Station is locate in central Nairobi close to the bus station
* Rooms: Very small, quite dirty and cannot be locked.
* Scenery: The scenery was beautiful traveling through national parks and different ecosystems.
* Staff: Somewhat friendly but very uninformed.
* Food: So-so. Good but nothing I would go out of my way to eat again.
* Atmosphere: Loud, lots of sudden jolting stops, not very smooth at all.
* Price: More than taking the bus, but less than a half the price of flying.
* Speed: You would be better off roping a turtle.
* Reliability: Completely unreliable, not worth the chance of missing time at the beach.
* Conclusion: I wish that the Rift Valley Railway was reliable. If it were, it would be an amazing alternative to flying and a much more scenic way to travel.
{photo courtesy of safari-photo-kenya.fr}
