Kenyan scholar Kim Musau is the man who drove from Kenya to Portugal in the comfort of his old school Land Rover Defender 110 200 TDI 1998 series.
It was always his dream come true moment and he inspired dozens of other wanderlusts in and out of Africa. Musau traversed Africa and crossed over to Europe in the rarest of feats that took six months.
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When Did Kim Musau Start His Journey to Portugal From Kenya?
Musau who is a continuing PhD student at the University of Nairobi started his journey to Portugal on January 23, 2023. He left the Kenyan capital of Nairobi and drove towards Portugal, a journey that make up the best of his life’s six months. The Kenyan wanderlust covered roughly 30,000 kilometres, passing through 37 countries mostly in Africa.
The father of three crossed over to Europe via ferry in Spain from the Moroccan coast.
How Much Did The Kenya to Portugal Trip Cost?
Going down history as the man who drove from Kenya to Portugal cost Musau approximately $3,536 (Sh500,000). This cost includes fuel, which he budgets between Sh10 and Sh20 ($0.071 – $0.14) for every kilometre.
Musau takes at least four years to organize each trip which is why he pulls it off flawlessly. He previously worked as the Machakos County Investment Authority Chief Executive Officer but is now running a private business in Kenya. Admittedly, planning such travel digs deep into his pockets but he makes a sacrifice just to fulfil his love for road travel. Still, he is open to benevolent people or corporations chipping in to help him fulfil his around-the-world travel dream.
He intends to drive to more than 30 nations in the UK. His journey to Portugal saw him spend time on the road in South, Central, West, and North Africa. He stayed longer in different places which he felt were fascinating. Musau took a few weeks break in Ghana in March and flew back to Kenya.
The Kenyan scholar also spent a lot of time in Monrovia (Liberia), Yaounde (Cameroon) and Windhoek (Namibia) after his break in March. He headed north to Morocco from Namibia and later progressed to Morocco’s coast where he boarded a ferry to Spain and later to Portugal.
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What Did Kim Musau Enjoy Most on His Journey From Kenya to Portugal?
His favourite part of the trip was West African food which he greatly enjoyed.
“West Africa has some of the best foods. You get to wonder what kind of foods we have in Kenya. I would go back to most West African countries for the food,” Citizen Digital reports.
Also, the climate in some West African countries was great for him and he enjoyed the scenic views of tropical rainforests. As a UoN PhD student pursuing Intra-African trade and cross-border mobility; his adventure is an eye opener on African travel. It also gives insights into the issues affecting intra-African trade opportunities and what Europe does differently that Africa doesn’t.
Has Kim Musau Visited Other Countries?
Driving to Portugal wasn’t Musau’s first road trip adventure outside the Kenyan borders. He has previously taken road excursions to Egypt and South Africa. According to him, the purpose of such exhaustingly lengthy drives is exploration in order to understand and appreciate the rest of the world.
“I have so far travelled with the vehicle to Cairo, Cape Town and Casablanca and now I am in Europe. This is a journey to learn and appreciate what the rest of the world has to offer. Nothing too serious!” he says.
His goal is to cover Europe extensively to pay homage to the UK which is the country where his 1998 Land Rover 110 TDI was manufactured. Still, he has a lot of planning to do in his bid to travel Europe by road.
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Did Kim Musau Encounter Challenges Driving to Portugal From Kenya?
Travel visa across African countries was Musau’s biggest setback. He discovered that getting an overseas visa is easier than a cross-African countries visa. Further, intimidating border patrol officers, a language barrier, and extremely bad roads form the bulk of the challenges he experienced in his six months of travel to Portugal from Kenya.
Conclusion
Musau’s continental escapades by road inspire many souls to take a bold step, plan accordingly and get into it. Each country he laid over has a special tale to tell and that is what life is about.
