First week in Kenya: Nairobi to Diani Beach
- Amy Lewins
- Jan 13, 2018
- 3 min read
Jambo readers!
We are one week into our travelling adventure and we have lots to report!
Everything started smoothly, with our Kenyan Airways flight departing perfectly on time on (17:35, 8th January). Side note: Kenyan Airways is a superb airline, and their free drinks policy really helped to steady Ed’s nerves ;). 8 hours later we landed: exhausted but excited. We had arrived in KENYA!
After some sleep-deprived phone conversations with our hotel pick-up driver, we managed to waddle our way to where the taxi was waiting for us (backpacks bulging). It was around 6am local time, and the enormous, round sun was slowly rising in the wide sky. Even from the concrete multi-story car park the view really was magnificent. As we drove to the hostel, this view was somewhat shattered. We drove through central Nairobi and also through Kibera, Africa’s largest slum. The degree of poverty which was so prevalent was suddenly incredibly evident. It was like a slap in the face. Tin make-shift houses are stacked up next to each other for miles and miles here.
Honestly, it was a shock. Before the trip we had been given so much warning about Nairobi, in particular, from friends and family. Despite this, I think it’s fair to say we were quite intimidated by the huge city. BUT. We slept and had some food and we felt a whole lot better.
We stayed two nights in Nairobi. Although it’s definitely not our favourite city, it does have some charms:
Although at first terrifying, the ‘matatus’ (public buses) are a lot of fun. They’re extremely cheap, painted brightly and covered in sticker slogans such “be blessed”, “god bless this bus”, etc. Top tip: matatu’s don’t run on a schedule and don’t have specific stops. So if you see a group of Kenyan’s at the side of the road, they’re most likely waiting for a matatu. Your best bet is to join the group and wait. The matatu conductors are determined to fill the bus, so when walking you will frequently hear a conductor shouting the end destination name repeatedly. If your heading in the direction of the end destination, get on and enjoy the ride! Matatu’s cost roughly 50-100 Kenyan Shillings per ride (less than £1).
Nairobi is a large, fast-paced, cosmopolitan city. It offers everything you can expect from a capital city. However, if you wanted to get away from the hustle and bustle, Nairobi is also home to a beautiful collection of botanical gardens. They make a lovely peaceful break from the main city.
After two days in Nairobi we were ready to move on. We took the SGR train from Nairobi to Mombasa (having purchased our tickets directly from the SGR train terminus two days previously – 700 KSH). The train lasts around 6 hours and is quite comfortable. The journey doesn’t feel long because the train runs straight through Tsavo National Park, meaning we were able to spot gazelle, zebras, warthogs and ostrich.
After arriving in Mombasa we took: two matatus, one ferry, another matatu and finally a tuk tuk (for those of you not in the know, ‘tuk tuks’ are found in many countries, especially in South East Asia. They are small three wheeled vehicles with open sides, they are brightly coloured and have open sides.). Tip: always arrange the price with the driver before getting into the tuk tuk.
A long day of travelling found us in Diani Beach: a small town on the south coast of Kenya. Our hostel, ‘Diani Backpackers’ was incredibly relaxing and friendly. We would definitely recommend! We spent our first day on the beautiful beach. The sand is white and pure and stretches on as far as the eye can see; the water is refreshing and inviting and the sun is relentless! We enjoyed a breakfast of fresh mango, pineapple, bananas and passionfruit.
Top tips for visitors to Diani Beach:
The pace of life here is slow, so no need to rush to ‘get everything done’.
Take an Eco Tour around the colobus monkey sanctuary. They do fantastic work there and the female guide is wise and funny.
Wear sun cream!! (Ed and I currently look like a pair of lobsters).
That sums up our travels so far! We’re now looking forward to: visiting Kilifi on the coast, our first safari in the Masai Mara and our volunteer work on Mfangano island.
Thanks for reading! Amy and Ed xxx
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