I thought he was joking. Several months ago, my cousin suggested that we fly to Kenya, get a bunch of people together, rent a bus, drive to South Africa, attend the World Cup, and then sell the bus and fly back to the States. I was tempted. Very tempted. But at this stage in my life, and his, the trip was never very likely to happen. Ten years ago, it definitely would have happened. In fact, I’d be on that bus right now making one bad decision after another.
Turns out he wasn’t the only one with this brilliant idea. Apparently, seven days of travel through Eastern and Southern Africa and four border crossings is not too much to sacrifice for a World Cup.
Akamba, a public bus company in Kenya, has put together a package costing US$ 2,500 (KSh 197,500), which includes transport, food and a seven day stay in South Africa. That’s how much some people paid for just a plane ticket. Not to mention, the trip includes stops on the Zambezi River and at Victoria Falls. For anyone trying to put this trip together themselves, you might just want to give Akamba a call to get a real African experience.
(Are there fake African experiences? Indeed.)
I just hope that these folks realize that there will be a seven day trek to get back to Nairobi. But for now, these are just useless details that get in the way of living life. Whatever happens, these folks will have had an adventure of a lifetime before even setting foot in South Africa.
The stories of dedication are just beginning. As we come across more over the next few weeks, we’ll definitely share.
Interested in more details about the seven day overland trip from Nairobi to Johannesburg? Check it out here.
And just for fun, below are two old school Akamba buses. I doubt these are the ones heading to South Africa, but these would have been perfect for our trip.
