Part 2. Africa and Asia.

drron · 2026-02-24T02:21:40+1100

I took a fair few notes on our cruise but not much after we reached Mombasa so I thought i should do that part whilst I hopefully rember most of it and finish the cruise part later. getting off the ship was a bit of a shambles and everyone had to catch a port shuttle to the Port Gate to pick up arranged transfers. We had booked through Airport taxi transfers which turned out to be a London Business. cost was $US12.50 for a Camry. They were not at the gate when we arrived but we were a few minutes early so not particularly worried but 20 minutes later was getting concerned. There was a fellow there arranging taxis for those who turned up with no booking. He was sending them off in old taxis at $US25 to go to the airport. He was telling me I had fallen for a Kenyan scam as anyone booking online will be scammed. I was just about to give in when i got a Whats App message from our driver saying he had been caught in traffic but would be there within 5 minutes. It was only 2 minutes. His Whats App name is Sir Henry..

The car was a pretty new black Camry.. A reasonably quick trip to the airport. Of course once there you go through 2 police road blocks to get into prk outside the terminal. some pics on the way.

drron · 2026-02-24T02:58:50+1100

to get into the terminal building the bags had to go through security and it was an utter shambles. No real queue but our driver took our checked bag and 1 carryon and got us to the xray very quickly. He deserved a tip. I had not checked in online so lined up in the Y queue. Weren't many in front of us but one of the 2 agents had an American woman and her father in a wheelchair arguing with the agent and the other agent had a family of 5 with a large number of bags trying to reduce the excess baggage charge. So a while before we got to check in.
As we checked in 4 Australian ladies a little younger than I joined te business line. We had got to know them very well and had dined together. They had paid Crystal $US125 each for a premium transfer to the airport but we had beaten them even though they were a bit ahead of us getting off. Now that is a scam.
The next problem was that to get to departures you had to climb quite a few narrow stairs with no handrail. For me quite unsafe carrying a bag with a walking stick in the other hand.. There was a lift so I asked to go up in that. Told only for people in a wheelchair and heir family. So straight away I needed a wheelchair. 2 of the 4 Aussie women decided they too needed wheelchairs so we all went up in the cargo lift together. When we got to the departures area we had to wait until someone unlocked the door to departures. Then we turned left to the gate lounge and the ladies turned right to the business lounge.
You had to go through security to get into the gate lounge and they insisted I had to go through in th wheelchair. For some reason the red light flashed. they waved a wand in my general direction and i was wheeled to a front seat. was great when my pusher left as i could get up and stretch my legs.

So now it was about midday. Was to leave at 1405 but already 2 messages moving it to 1505. So nothing to do but some plane spotting.

The flight before ours leaving 1.5 hours late.

Now we had another message that our flight was delayed to 1535 and at that time the first Kenyan Airways staff turned up and he got a few questions from the locals. One fellow said don't you know Kenyan airlines motto is "always late". to which a bright spark answered no that i for all of Kenya.

But at 1545 this appeared. The staffer confirmed it was our flight.

In the gate area a lot of these large black birds with a typical crow call.

drron · 2026-02-24T03:13:38+1100

The previous flight had boarding via stairs. I was hoping ours would use the airbridge so watched it carefully.

Fortunately it did. So the seat.

And as we left.

We left at 1610. Just as well I didn't even think of connecting with the 1700 QR flight to DOH.
We got a juice and some nuts. Only a 45 minute flight but we parked at a remote stand, walked to the terminal then a long walk to baggage collection.
When getting off the FA at the front as soon as she saw the walking stick took my bag and carried it down the steps. wonderful service,

drron · 2026-02-24T15:51:09+1100

We reached the door a little after 5pm. I had booked the 5pm Crowne Plaza shuttle and hoped I hadn't missed it. Turned out that they had 5 booked and all from or flight so no problems. A little way by road so arrived after about 10 minutes, Has a locked gate with a security guard so i presumed no walking of the local area. It is a new hotel. We had been upgraded to a suite. Once again booked on points. So to the room.

And the views.

RooFlyer · 2026-02-24T19:40:46+1100

Where are you?

drron · 2026-02-24T20:42:15+1100

At check in we were told that the lounge would be open at 5.30pm for happy hour. So a little after we went up we had the strangest lounge ever. It was empty not even a staff member. Quite a nice new large lounge.

After about 5 minutes I rang the front desk to see what was going on. A few minutes later a young woman appears and we order a wine and a G&T. She has to go down to the ground floor bar to gt them. that takes another few minut

es. when we reorder I thought it wise to ask for a double shot of gin.
No food appeared at any time.
being on the top floor plane spotting was better than the room.

And a DC3.

drron · 2026-02-24T21:22:28+1100

Our flight was not until 1700 but we had automatically been given a late check ot. Didn't bother with breakfast as we had eaten too much on the ship and I had put on $Kg so was 6Kg above my aimed for weight. I have not put on nor lost any weight in this last 3+ weeks.

aught the 2pm shuttle back to the airport. Check in was a bit of a hassle. it took some time to convince the agent to check us through to JNB. We were on the one award ticket for both flights. I thoght it was OK when we were handed the BPs for both flights. Fortunately I watched her tag ou bag. It was only tagged to DOH. She then didn't know how to change it so we waited until a supervisor came along.

Yes we flew NBO-JNB via DOH rather than direct. However we both paid 45000 AA miles + $US87.50 for J all the way. No awards available direct and each of us would be charged $A4000 for Kenyan and $A5000 for Airlink. For me a no brainer'.

finally off to the lounge. QR use the TK lounge which was as far as possible away from the QR gate. At least I got a lot of steps up for the day. The TK lounge was OK. Food not that good.

In the lounge we ended up with the 4 Aussie women again who were also on QR J and ended up in the row behind us on he flight. one was also staying at the Oryx hotel before going to SIN the next day, another connected to a red eye to MEL whilst the other 2 were staying in Doha for a few days.
We left early for the long walk to the QR gates at the other end of the airport. They have 2 boarding areas with one labelled Premium for which you had to show your BP to access. Of course one you were in the boarding area there was nothing to stop you walking from the ordinary area to the premium area. About 20 young Chinese women did so and took up all the remaining seats.
Once boarding was called there was a rush for the 2 lines and non status pax weren't refused in the premium lane. when we went though there were 40-50 pax already in the air bridge yet we were first into the J cabin. There were a couple of wheelchair pax and they were nearly last to board. They were in the J cabin.

Finally in our seats.

It was a 788. Note how my carry on plus computer bag fitted in the cubby hole. Champagne came quickly.

Once the champagne came I checked the wifi. It was Starlink and I could connect straight away and use it until the gate in DOH.

drron · 2026-02-25T00:01:52+1100

Menu and wine list'

drron · 2026-02-25T00:16:16+1100

So to the meal. An amusee bouche.

We both had the lobster appetiser.

Mrsdrron had the overcooked salmon.

And I the canneloni.

Nothing was outstanding but reasonable. I spent the time on the internet and snoozing.
A little late into doha and long walk to security then the Oryx hotel. After checking in i went to the Sony shop and got a replacement for my dead drowned camera. No time for ny lounge.

drron · 2026-02-25T00:27:10+1100

Up early the next morning. again no time for a lounge reay for our flight to JNB. This time it was a 789 which is now disliked by me. Much smaller cubby hole and the floor is sloped back towards the seat so my compuer bag would slide out. Added to that it had the old immarsat wifi which is next to useless. I did try the 1 hour free but couldn't get any photos to upload.
So the seat.