Departing Malawi for Nairobi, Kenya
Good day, it’s May 8th, 2026. Today I’m going to go to Nairobi, Kenya. That’s about an hour and a quarter flight, and the flight leaves about quarter to 5 Malawi time. But there’s an hour difference — it’ll be an hour later in Nairobi, so the flight is really only an hour and a quarter. Meaning that I should be landing in Nairobi about 8 o’clock in the evening, which does not leave me a lot of time to get to a hotel. However, I had made a reservation close to the hotel, so that should all work out.
The Swiss Couple’s Black Market Adventure
I ran into the Swiss couple again that had gone into town and found some money they could exchange for the black market rate. But it already became an adventure of a lifetime for them because they were snuck away somewhere in the back of a car and all the money had to be counted — just early African stuff, and they really dove in headfirst. I’m sorry that I forgot their names, but I’m sure they had a wonderful time coming to them.
A Rickety Taxi Ride to the Airport
Since I was leaving in the later afternoon, I didn’t need to go to the airport too soon. I asked one of the people at the hotel to arrange for a taxi, which she did — probably a friend that needed some help. That was probably the least okay car I have been driving in all of Africa this whole time. Of course it was mostly my own car, but this one was a really rickety thing, and it kind of surprised me that I even made it to the airport. But it all worked out, so that’s a really good thing.
The best part about all this was that I didn’t have to rush. Everything was take it easy — got to go to the area’s restaurants and shops again and take another look around for one last time. Then I made it to the rickety car and in time to get to the airport, which is pretty basic. There wasn’t a lot of things to buy when it comes to food, but a sandwich will do, and those people need the help too.
Flying Malawi Airlines and the Kenya Visa
It was a good departure from Malawi, and I flew with Malawi Airlines to Nairobi. The Kenya visa that I had to obtain to be able to go to Kenya, which I did a few days earlier, set me back about $139. But you know, all these things do add up, but they are a minuscule thing in the big picture. So really, don’t worry about it too much.
Picking Up the Rental Car in Nairobi
Then it was a matter of having a good flight and entering Kenya, and with the visa that all worked out. I had to connect with the people that I had rented a car from, which was a company called Holiday Autos, and they were using YouSave to get the car. There was no office I had to go to where the car was parked. I had to communicate with a person named Steve Mogul (M-O-G-U-L), who is absolutely an amazing character.
While I was walking through the airport, he called me and told me where to meet him. It took some time and people-watching time, which is always fun. He eventually showed up and took me to the parking garage where the Toyota Corolla was parked. I decided to get a car from the airport because that was the most convenient since I was also going to leave Kenya again from that same airport.
We had to do some more paperwork on the computer to get everything squared away using Visa cards. That was all not much of an issue.
Adjusting to Left-Hand Traffic
I got the car, but the car was made for left-hand traffic, which is good because it’s left-hand traffic in Kenya. However, I was used to having left-hand drive for a car in right-hand traffic. So everything is on the other side of the steering wheel, and it takes a little bit of getting used to. By that time, it was obviously dark, so it was good that I only had to go about 6 or so miles or kilometers to get to the Cozy Hotel.
Checking Into the Cozy Hotel
The Cozy Hotel was really an amazing adventure since it’s kind of the old type hostel, but about 10 stories tall or 9, with independent units. Each room has a kitchenette and its own bathroom. On the top story is a little restaurant where you can have breakfast and some other knickknacks, with an amazing view of the surroundings. It wasn’t that spectacular but was kind of on the edge of Nairobi. There were all open fields there, so I bet the city is growing a little bit more.
All I needed to do was get to that place and check in — same day, new country. So it’s working. Thank you for being along.
