The 482 km road trip between Nairobi and Mombasa takes around 6 to 7 hours in very good driving conditions. While it passes between the two Tsavos (East and West), there are few quick stopover-friendly attractions directly on the route. You may decide to extend your trip by a day or more by adding a detour into Amboseli or Tsavo, but that’s a different story.
Even so, it’s a good-looking drive, with long stretches of open country and changing scenery most of the way.
About 100 kms of the mostly single-carriage road runs between the Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks. Amboseli is also not far off. Hence, part of the strech is dotted with monkeys, zebras and some occasional elephants and giraffes. They may not bother about vehicles or drivers in a hurry, and may decide at any moment to take a stroll across the road – with zero regard for traffic rules! In other words: caution is advised.
Don’t get your hopes too high about finding decent coffee. Kenya may be a leading producer of high-quality Arabica, and you may get some of the best coffee in the world in Nairobi, Mombasa and some major towns. In smaller places, however, people may still try so serve you some dishwater commonly referred to by the misnomer of instant “coffee”.
The road passes through a dozen small towns where hawkers make a living from selling items to passing motorists. You will find them everywhere on the side of the road, or in the middle of it. Most of these towns exist because of the road. Hence, they are basically vibrant marketplaces where passers-through can buy fruits, water, sodas and snacks.
Madaraka Express, aka. the “SGR”
A significant part of the road runs along the trajectory of the brand new, Chinese-built Madaraka Express railway. Popularly, it is referred to as the “SGR”, an abbreviation for “Standard Gauge Railway”. It is a flagship of 21st century Kenya, and a great source of national pride. Two years after its launch, it has become so popular that tickets are frequently sold out weeks in advance. This was part of the reason why we opted for a road trip (flights were basically sold out too), but that’s a different story.
Cargo transport used to make the A109 a nightmare. Frequently driven by sleep-deprived lunatics high on miraa (khat), trucks in the A109 used to be the main cause of accidents and traffic jams. The SGR has decimated their number, though, making the trip a surprisingly nice experience nowadays.
Nice road trip. Not a fast one!
On my first trip to Mombasa 17 years ago, some occasional traces of tarmac between the potholes were the remnants of what was once a road. Today, you can comfortably sip on a latte while cruising down the same road. If only you could get a decent coffee between Nairobi and Mombasa.
Entering Mombasa, you will inevitably encounter some traffic jams. Just like in all other parts of Kenya, some of the major roads are being expanded, with endless traffic chaos as a result. It is easy to imagine a far better situation once these projects are complete, though.
The US government together with Bechtel have been in talks with Kenyan authorities for some years to build a completely new, six-lane expressway between Nairobi and Mombasa. When or if completed, the drive to Mombasa will be down to four hours. A significant improvement from the current 7-8. In its current state, the A109 is a scenic experience, but certainly not a fast one, so just relax and enjoy the ride!