Many of us dream of embarking upon an African safari, and having close encounters with Big cats, elephants and buffalo. But when a safari is just a train ride away, it makes it so much easier to take a walk on the wild side and witness nature in action. That’s how it was for Kamami Promedia, who talks about his amazing experiences in the African wilderness.
By Kamami Promedia
My name is Kamami Promedia, I had an epic travel experience in April 2018. It was during Easter so I got some break from work here in Kenya. I had made 3 months of financial savings while planning for my journey. I am the kind of person who loves traveling locally in Africa as there are many places that I have yet to visit.
A visit to Mombasa
Mombasa is a coastal town and a highland surrounded by waters of the Indian ocean. It is a leading tourist destination in East Africa attracting tourists from the UK, USA, and Germany.
To get around I decided to use the railway due to its slower speed and cool breeze. The great thing about taking a train is you don’t have to worry about a traffic jam! I knew this would give me the best travel experience especially if I sit near a window.
In Kenya, a modern Standard gauge railway was constructed in 2017 connecting Nairobi (my departure city) and Mombasa replacing the metered gauge railway.
Capturing Buffalo From The Railway
On the day I travelled, I went through a few checks at the railway station, collected my printed ticket and settled on the train. The journey began at around 10.00 am. It was the first time I went on long travel journeys by railway. Being a photographer, I got my gadgets ready, which included a Canon DSLR camera fitted with a 600mm zoom lens and a standby 10-35 mm wide angle lens.
The railways traversed across Tsavo national park in Kenya and the Savannas of Voi. This was a good opportunity to take good photos of different wild animals.
I could capture elephants, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, and lions. The behavior of elephants to block roads did not occur here. The animals seemed to be well aware that these are not buses that they can block, like they do in Nairobi.
My experience reached a climax after the attendants served us with a drink of choice.
Having so much fun made the journey seem shorter.
We arrived at 6.00pm, having traveled for exactly 8 hours.
Beaches and History In Mombasa
After arrival, I had booked five-star hotel accommodation at Diani-south coast. I boarded a taxi that took me to the hotel, which was a one hour drive from Mombasa highland. It was great to experience crossing through Likoni Ferry at night.
I arrived safely and I spent my night well and in the morning, it was another day of exploring many places.
First, I was eager to visit Diani beach and witness what I have been seeing in photos I have seen. I hired a boat that took me around the waters. I could see big fish like whales and sharks diving. I could touch and feel the slippery skin of smaller fishes. I also had an opportunity to swim in the unrestricted shallow areas of the ocean.
The following day I had visited Fort Jesus, a historical monument built by the Portuguese in 1500AD. I had a chance to see old scripts used by Vasco da Gama and other ancient world voyagers. I ensured that I took beautiful photos to keep my diary vibrant. My holiday was over after 5 days of excursion and visiting friends who live there.
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