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Ride report

Ride report: Kilimanjaro Extended, January 2014

Marin & Marie-Louise van Gestel · Netherlands

We met Jan Nauta of MotorSafaris at the motorcycle show in Utrecht. The programme appealed to us immediately; the only thing was that we wanted to ride around Kenya for three weeks instead of the standard two. That is how the Kilimanjaro Extended came about, a trip of almost 3,000 km. Two other riders had booked the same trip, and together with them and one rider on the two-week version we left on 19 January 2014.

The programme was still something of a pilot, and we knew that. At Mombasa airport we were picked up by our tour leader Ko and the Kenyan guide Peter, and taken to Msambweni. Sawa Sawa Beach House is a little paradise — there is a reason it scores so high on Zoover. Wonderful staff, great food, simply excellent. The first days were for acclimatising, with a village walk among other things. What warmth from the Kenyans, unbelievable. That would be the thread through the whole trip: incredibly kind, friendly people who want to talk to you and shake your hand.

After a few days of riding in the beautiful surroundings — on every kind of surface we would meet later, so we could practise — we left Sawa Sawa for the big tour through Kenya and a small but important piece of Tanzania around Kilimanjaro. Peter followed in the car with Benson the mechanic: two enormously friendly Kenyans who clearly know tourists well, arrange everything and become part of the group within no time.

The routes are very varied, both in roads and in landscape. You see how many completely different landscapes there are within short distances. There is never any stress, the daily distances are very manageable, and it is a wonderful country to visit. Fortunately there is off-road too, about 30–40% of the route, and that is when you really get to local places. It is not hard, but some riding experience is a requirement. The off-road is mostly flat, though sometimes stony tracks or roads with deep water channels worn into them. It gets extremely dusty. You really get to know Kenya and end up where no tourist goes. Superb.

Along the way Ko and Peter checked whether the programme still suited everyone, because there is always room to adjust things. Everything was well prepared, so little needed changing. At the end we changed one overnight stay for an extra loop in the Taita Hills instead of more route towards the coast — no regrets, that loop was magnificent. That also changed the time we rode the unavoidable highway between Nairobi and Mombasa, so we would not meet too many local buses. They drive like kings of the road and will push a motorcycle aside if you are not careful. Safety first, so we rode in stages at times when the buses would not overtake us.

The safari in Amboseli National Park was overwhelming. We were lucky enough to spot a lot of animals ourselves, and that turns out to be the rule rather than the exception. Waving people everywhere along the road, and if you stop somewhere you are immediately an attraction — they do not see many white people, and certainly not on a motorcycle. So who is looking at whom? We can now say we have a beautiful picture of Kenya and the Kenyans. They are very proud of their country and honoured that you come as a tourist. The thumbs up along the road say it all.

The hotels along the way were all of very good quality, some even on the luxurious side for African standards. The water or electricity may fail once, the food may be a little late and they never have everything on the menu — but that is Africa. Bring the right frame of mind and you will enjoy it, even if the shower is cold once. It always gets sorted out. Everywhere the friendliness of the people dominates. You have to experience that yourself; we never felt unsafe anywhere.

After the tour we relaxed for a few days at Sawa Sawa, made a snorkelling trip and visited a woodcarver, before the flight home came into view again. MotorSafaris understands exactly what a motorcycle holiday is and has organised it perfectly. You only have to ride and enjoy. And if you do not want to ride one day, or would rather skip certain sections, you step into the support car and the mechanic takes over with a big smile. In short: what a trip. We can recommend this trip to everyone.