Durch Afrika: Kenya – Nairobi-Mombasa-Kilimanjaro (27.05.

We still don’t know what happened. So let’s blame our GPS. We wanted to go from Nairobi to Mombasa which is very simple since you only have to follow the Mombasa Highway. But somehow we take an alternative route which takes us along the south side of Mt. Kenya and along the East Tsavo National Park. A nice drive if there wouldn’t have been the last 140 km which turn out to be a very bad off road track. We even cannot enjoy the beautiful landscape with the lots of baobabs, 1000 years old trees. Just when the sun sets, we finally arrive at the Mombasa Highway and settle down in Kibwesi in a “guesthouse park”. We are the only guests and we are discussing who looks more scary: the many monkeys or the lady who owns the place… but at least we are happy – after a long day of driving – that we hit the right road, and tomorrow, driving will be much easier…

We leave early next morning towards Mombasa – this time on the right way, the Mombasa Highway – and enjoy the baobabs, and even a herd of elephants passing along the highway. The highway is much better than its reputation (“highway to hell”). However, the closer we come to Mombasa, the more the traffic increases until it stops completely due to the high number of container trucks from and to the harbor. Later, the road into Mombasa is even blocked by a flipped over truck – by the way the same happens, when we leave Mombasa after three days.

Setting over to south beach with the ferry is very easy and very cheap. Just 60 cent – the cheapest “entertainment” we had so far in Kenya. After 20 km we arrive in Tiwi Beach in the Twiga Lodge where we put our tent right on the beautiful white beach. We enjoy 2 lazy days and explore the southern beaches. We are astonished to see a lot of German signs, a German bakery, beer gardens, and even German newspapers (however, very old). Obviously, a lot of German people settled down here in Diani Beach. It’s amazing that – as usual – we are the only tourists. Is it really only off season or the financial crisis?

Since we absolutely want to have a look at Kilimanjaro, we decide to cross the border to Tanzania close to Kilimanjaro at Taveta. So we take the Mombasa Highway back to Voi and spend a night at the “Red Elephant Lodge” in the garden. The name keeps its promise and we even see elephants coming to the waterhole in the evening. Our last night in Kenya is quiet, but rather hot, and we have to leave early in the morning due to the very high temperatures.

The road to the border is – once more – very rough. Tarmac with big potholes. It’s surprising, because it’s the road leading to Kenya’s biggest and most visited National Park, the Tsavo National Park. After 30 kilometers, tarmac turns into off road, until the border.

The paperwork at the border is done within a little more than one hour, and here we are in Tanzania!

The first nice surprise in Tanzania are wonderful roads, no potholes, no off road, even on secondary roads. The “coffee tree campsite” we chose from our travel guide is located in Marangu, on the slope of Mt. Kilimanjaro. It’s a very lovely place. We are astonished how green it is here. A lot of banana trees, palm trees, etc. The next day, we know why it is so green! Fog, rain, fog, rain, fog, rain, etc. Thanks God we had a short view of the summit the first evening.

Unfortunately it was around sunset, too dark to take photos. Nevertheless, we found some other views of Mt. Kilimanjaro.

We leave this beautiful place in heavy rain, completely soaked, not without having a last look at least at the gate of the National Park, where one of the most used trials to the summit starts.

We noticed in Kenya that marketing/branding is an important issue. The companies probably sponsor the color for the houses!? It makes the villages nice and colorful.