A Memorable Transportation Sightseeing Experience In Kenya

A ‘bubbling hot’ matatu that is out and about

A matatu is essentially a mini bus that takes passengers on short-distance journeys. If you travel to Kenya, you can’t miss them as they’re brightly coloured with stickers and captions labelled all over them. Try and see how many unusual and wacky stickers you can spot; I’m sure you will find at least one that will make you smile! Out of all the matatus that I have seen, my favourite would have to be a bright pink one that had an enormous sticker on it which said, “BUBBLING HOT”. 

Whilst matatus do have designated places where you can hop onto them, they are quite unreliable and may stop and start wherever the driver and his existing passengers wish to go! You should also note that matatus do not have a fixed price and that the prices fluctuate according to the driver and time of day (for example, during peak times, the prices go up). Despite this, the local people often use matatus as they are the cheapest form of transportation and I have often seen these mini buses to be absolutely packed with people either travelling to or from work.

Learning Swahili and riding a motorbike

Kenyans often use the phrase, “boda-boda” to refer to a specific type of taxi, the motorbike taxi. The word motorbike in Swahili is “bikie-bikie” so, “boda-boda” is a reference to a motorbike but as a taxi! The boda-boda drivers wear yellow visibility jackets and some wear helmets too. They move ultra fast and due to their size, they can move quickly and avoid traffic.

Boda-bodas have no fixed price and you have to negotiate the price yourself contingent on the distance that you wish to travel. Whilst there are some specific locations where you can pick up a boda-boda, you can essentially pick one up whenever it is out and about.

I have often seen local people whizzing around on boda-bodas and my most fond memory was of a young woman who was carrying a large bag of potatoes on her head whilst holding onto a boda-boda driver.

The cram packed but exciting Likoni Ferry

The popular and free (for passengers on foot) Likoni Ferry is a boat service that travels to and from the island of Mombasa and mainland Kenya, Likoni. The boat service is not only for foot passengers and is also used by vehicles; however, a ferry toll is payable by vehicles before boarding.

The Likoni Ferry is managed by the Kenya Ferry Service and has been operating since 1937! There are at least two ferries, travelling in opposite directions due to the vast number of passengers that depend on this form of transportation. The ferry is absolutely cram packed during the day and passengers and vehicles find themselves queuing for at least an hour before they are able to even board the ferry.

If you’re on holiday in Kenya and staying in Likoni and departing from Moi International Airport, I would recommend boarding the Likoni Ferry as early in the day as possible, in order to mitigate for any delays or issues that could arise. Tourists are also advised that due to the heat and cramped conditions, they should go in a vehicle on the Likoni Ferry, for their own comfort and ease.

Get great views from the top of a camel

Whilst wildlife in the safari game parks is not a suitable form of transportation, the camels found on the island of Mombasa can certainly give you a ride. Similarly to the matatus and boda-bodas, the camels can be picked up from anywhere. For example, I have seen one charging with its owner past the Mombasa Railway Station in the centre of Mombasa.

However, if you want to increase your chances of spotting and riding a camel, I would advise that you head over to Mombasa lighthouse or Bamburi beach where they are often out-and-about. A camel ride on Bamburi beach is fantastic if you want to see a lot, enjoy the sun and do a limited amount of physical movement yourself!  The price of being transported by a camel varies according to the camel owner, the distance you want to travel and your negotiating skills.

Sitting in traffic and learning about trade

Whilst you may not wish to sit in a wooden cart, you will often notice local people transporting their goods in wooden carts whilst travelling besides matatus, boda-bodas, tuk-tuks and camels. I once spotted a local person with a wooden cart transporting ten mattresses and creating a real traffic jam on the main streets of Mombasa. This was certainly a sight to see and not something that you would see in other countries!

Get ready to sit in traffic for a while and use the opportunity to see what is happening around you; you will notice very quickly that a lot of barefooted local people, with their wooden carts, are transporting goods from one place to another.