The Great Migration

It is that time of the year again. The mad rush to the coast starts any time now. The December holiday season built around the schools holiday, Jamhuri weekend, Christmas and New Year holidays is probably the richest and busiest time for the hospitality industry at the coast. Everybody wants to be at the coast over the Christmas period, but if that does not work out due to other engagements, the Jamhuri and New Year period is good enough. Of course the traditional sojourn to the village is forever popular and is fitted in somewhere. The motivation for most middle class Nairobians, who form the longest beeline to the coast, is more to be with “it” than the recreational value they hope to get from such a vacation. There is especially enormous peer pressure via older offspring if their friends are down there, competitors if you are in business, workmates or friends and chama-mates to join the herd. This irrational holidaying eliminates the possibility of taking a vacation at what would be considered relatively cheaper low or off-peak seasons. During the migration period, a three-star double room on half board basis usually goes for an average of Kshs. 15,000 and assuming you have two kids then you have a daily expenditure of about Kshs. 25,000 and a weekly spend of Kshs.175, 000 ($ 2,430) before you factor in your flight or car costs, taxi, refreshments, outings including one more meal per day, entrance fees to museums and miscellaneous costs. The same room would normally go for about 40-60% less during the off-peak season depending on duration of stay, size of group and mode of booking. Even at these exorbitant prices, rooms are surprisingly scarce and it is common to hear of late or double booked clients staying at staff quarters until something becomes available. Of course the season of bounty means that the level of service goes a notch or two lower due to congestion beyond capacity and the problems associated with casual labour hurriedly assembled. Complaints are not attended to and even basics like a clean pair of sheets may be overlooked. For a regular traveler or a repeat client familiar with the best standards, it is a very trying time and often leads to “never again” vows. Cottages outside official hotels are also very popular and are cashing in on the great migration. In Mombasa they are called cottages, but up the beach in Malindi they become Villas and around Naivasha they are Chalets. The names are not a function of architecture, but semantics. They are generally the same thing. In a cottage, you take care of your cooking, washing and are generally left to your own designs as opposed to a hotel setting where meal times are specific and they arrange for your entertainment during the day and in the evenings. Cottages are good for groups of friends who know their way around. Home holidays are also in vogue and it is common to hear of vacationers who exchange their homes for a week or so. A family in Mombasa naturally wants to be out of the migration’s way and the easiest way is to leave their home to trusted friends or relatives from upcountry; who in turn will make available their home. To ensure the visitors settle comfortably, some arrangement for resident servants can be made. It is a cost effective way of seeing the country especially if you have relatives and friends in far-flung corners of the country. Two recent developments will aid the movement of vacationers to and from the coast. Firstly, Kenya Airways has dedicated their latest birds to the insatiable traffic on the NBO-MSA-NBO route. Although their deliberate policy of overbooking each and every flight does not ensure universal satisfaction for all travellers, they still deliver a quality product compared to the planes and service of the 90s. On the other hand, a new carrier, Fly 540 has joined the route with an enticing Kshs.5, 450/= price (there is a * attached which could only mean 3,200/= in taxes) for a return trip as compared to the Kshs.16, 900/= (or 11,700/=if you are organised enough to book months before) charged by KQ and Kshs. 12,200/= by East African. The Fly 540 capacity cannot dent KQ’s dominance of the route and can only gratify any grousers who need another airline for the sake of change. The second development has been a while taking shape. With the severe damage occasioned by the El Nino rains in 1998, the Mombasa highway has almost been rebuilt anew. In 2002, the 150 kilometer section between Mtito Andei and Bachuma Gate was reconstructed by China Road & Bridge Corporation. The 90 km section between Bachuma Gate and Mariakani was also re-carpeted, but without proper shoulders. Early this year the 150 km Mtito Andei- Sultan Hamud section was completed by Strabag. The 70 km section between Machakos turn-off and Mlolongo though rough and uneven is still good by our standards. In the near future, this section will be a dual carriageway. At the opposite end, work on the 35 km Mariakani-Miritini section has already started and in fact some seven kilometers is already open. The super efficient China Road & Bridge Corporation are on site. The four hundred and eighty five kilometer journey to the coast is kaleidoscopic with some 100 kilometers of above average roads, 300 kilometers of probably the best continuous road in the country, some 35 kilometers of the worst surface pretending to be a road anywhere in the world. The rest is taken by dual carriageways that start and end your journey on both ends. It is rumored that the Sultan Hamud-Mtito Andei section shaved some kilometers by bypassing a couple of small towns like Machinery. Whether one is using a self-drive car or public means, the road is now largely good. Self-drive is possible inside five hours with leisurely stops in between, while public means takes a painfully long eight hours. For a car consuming a liter for every 12 kilometers, you need 40 liters which will cost Kshs. 3,112/=. That is assuming you are not driving a monster or faster than the legal 110 kph. Coast Bus costs between Kshs. 1,100/=, 1,500/= and 1,800/= per person depending on luxury standards of the bus. Most of the other transporters will charge up to1, 500/= in view of the season. Once you find your way, there is plenty to do at the coast and traditionally the beach visit is a must for both swimmers and the sinking type. A shopping tour of the island is also recommended. The five storied and themed Nawal Centre at Mwembe Tayari is a novelty even for the know-it-all seen-it-all Nairobian. Fort Jesus with a guide still ranks up there for those with a thing for history. So is a guided tour of the old town and port around Fort Jesus. Away from the island, the Haller Park in Bamburi and Ngomongo Village in Shanzu are both educative and a good way of spending half a day. Bob’s pub in Nyali is the place for the quintessential Nairobian to be seen. Sunday night live performance by Mombasa Roots is worth the time and money. The Mtwapa suburb has a bohemian feel about it and for the night owls it’s the one neighbourhood that never sleeps. The Moorings in the Mtwapa Creek is a quiet floating restaurant that is ideal for adults looking for a quiet time. Further out, you have Shimba Hills National Reserve to the south through the Likoni Channel. The Park borders Kwale town and is small and near enough for a half day excursion from Mombasa. If you have appetite for the exotic, Wasini Island past the Shimoni village would be ideal. Hire a boat and go see the dolphins. The border point at Lunga Lunga is only 90 kilometres from Mombasa and if you are polite to immigration officers on both sides, you can be allowed to walk “abroad” to the makeshift Horo Horo town on the Tanzania side. South of Mombasa has borne the brunt of the recent floods and it is good to get an up-to-date brief on the road’s condition, but it’s a good and near destination if you want to see the Tiomin country, the collapsed Ramisi sugar factory and irrigation scheme or detour into the Tiwi, Diani or Shelly beaches. North Coast is a favourite for many. Vipingo, Kilifi,Gede, Watamu, Malindi are all within a day’s reach from Mombasa and are exiting destinations with an array of possibilities to fit a couple of day’s itinerary. So, if a stampede is your idea of fun, see you at the coast. I will be the portly guy in shorts and ill fitting Hawaiian shirt sweating profusely. Other popular destinations this festive season include. -Naivasha -Nanyuki -Nakuru, Bogoria, Baringo -Narok Tekelea