Your videos are so horribly under viewed...this is one of the best train journeys I have seen.

I was born in Kenya 80 years ago and still live here. An overnight journey on the old Nairobi to Mombasa train was an exotic affair, filled with excitement and adventure. The new Chinese train does get you there, but all the romance has gone.....alas!!

Neil: what a wonderful film, so different from much of what social media generates! While you honestly share a part of yourself you're not self-absorbed and self-congratulatory like so many vloggers. You're interested in the people you meet and the places you pass through, rather than the superficial details of the transport itself. Thank you for reminding me of some past travel I've done, and for inspiring me to continue to be truly adventurous even as I get older.

One of the best documentaries I've ever seen. What I've taken from it is that I have to keep moving.

In 1963, my family travelled from Ndola to Cape Town by train. Then aged 7, it was a fantastic adventure for me. It took 5 days, and the train crossed the Vic Falls bridge but we went through what was then Bechuanaland (Botswana), then on to Kimberly before the great traverse of the beautiful Karoo. Back then (Colonial times) the trains were fantastic and all pulled by steam engines. On one leg we had two locomotives pulling the carriages of what was a very long train (combined passenger and freight). I recall staff in starched-white jackets serving excellent food in the dining cars and mealtimes were announced by a waiter pacing through the carriages chiming a gong - a sort of xylophone with 5 keys. One hopes that African countries will manage to revive these journeys and encourage tourism, because these journeys are unique.

We would like the train from Cape Town to Walvis Bay to run again!

thank you for sharing your adventure with me, for 15 years, I worked throughout English-speaking Africa, after liberalisation, I live for two years in South Africa, so I know the continent quite well and your journey brought back happy memories, now at 80 years old with terminal prostate cancer it is so nice to forget my pain with presentation such as yours. Thank you for bringing pleasure to an old man, I wish you well in your future travels, Peter

I just watched this on my TV in Michigan on Christmas day... This is a fabulous video, thank you so much 🇿🇦👍🇺🇸

What an epic journey 🚂 I wish I have the courage to do it too. The best part was you trying to have genuine human interaction with your fellow travelers 👑 You just seem like a kind, genuine guy. It shows in your eyes - they're like pools of calm, clear blue water! May God bless your upcoming journeys and keep you safe🧳☘️

Thank you, Neil, to you and travellers like you who go thru the hardships of the roads and make it possible for us to see the wonders of the world in the comfort of our sofas.

When I saw the topic in my KZfaq feed, I thought I'd watch the first couple of minutes and get the gist. The content was so interesting and well delivered, I couldn't turn it off. This is one of the best rail docos I've seen. Excellent footage, commentary, interviews etc. Thank you for excellent production.

Superb....thank you for opening up so much of the world. Keep going, Neil...

Connecting with people, willingness to listen to their stories. It’s rare qualities these days. People with social media often times are self-absorb minded. But your video are different, or should I say it’s old schooled, like documentary from 80s - 90s that it was used to be. So thank you for sharing your journey with us.

I wanted to do the same trip but from Cairo to Capetown in 2000. My travel agent told me it was unsafe and some tracks were under repair. So I opted to do a Overland trip on a Overland truck from Nairobi to Harare, Zimbabwe. I then traveled from Harare to Capetown on buses and taxi. I took a train from Capetown to Johansburgh by train. On my other trips I have covered Egypt and many of the North, East countries. My journey’s through Africa which have been quite a few have been the most memorable in my life. There are still a few African countries I still wish to visit.

The train from dar es salaam to Arusha via Moshi is now running. And last week they started the Nairobi to Kisumu. There is also a train now from Nairobi to Nanyuki.

This video was a real inspiration. I really want to do this trip one day, if possible. At age 71 it might be too much, but I have always thought of Cape Town to Cairo as the ultimate journey.

The part in Mozambique was fascinating. I did a long train journey across Kazakhstan last year, which was pretty epic. Interestingly I travelled in one direction (from Almaty westward) on an old Soviet train, which was fascinating. The return journey back to Almaty was on a Spanish built train - certainly smoother and quicker, although less interesting than the older train

Thank you for your open & real travel experiences through Africa. I’m grateful YT finally put this video into my mix. This is the reason one travels-meeting and interacting with people, coming to know and learn from them. Bravo!

My first africa trip had been after finishing my university. And i stayed for some years. Now i will go to Cameroun to meet my future wife! ❤❤❤❤

Neil - this video was pure inspiration for me. Thank you so much for sharing. More than a train journey through our enormous continent....a journey of life!

What an amazing journey. Thanks so much for sharing all your experiences from Cape to Cairo.

Thank you for allowing me to redo my trip of almost two years ago. My trip was in reverse, and only partial. I flew from New York to Heathrow, and with a 10 hour layover took the tube to the waterfront and an excursion up and down the Thames. Or was it down and up? The second leg with the pilot doing his thing first in Swahilli for the mostly Kenyan passengers took me over Egypt and Sudan for what seemed forever. I had planned this 44 day trip for 8 months and wanted as much as possible by train or bus but schedules required intervening flights, and buses and taxis. My aim wasn't the journey, but I will skip describing the two safaris, the Elephant Feeding and Giraffe feeding in Nairobi and the hot air baloon over the Maissa Mara. My trip was partly in reverse, as I planned to take the SGR from Nairobi to Mombasa rather than the other way. Unfortunately I discovered at the ticket booth that the ticket I had paid for months before through a third party had not been purchased. Upon asking a security guard to escort me to the upstairs waiting room for ticketed passengers which had wifi with which to sort things out she used her phone as a hotspot instead. I ended up flying instead, as the train was sold out. After a few days on the beach and having my cheese danish stolen from me in the middle of the restaurant on my first day by a monkey, my next leg was a flight to Zanzibar. I opted out of using a bus because of the time constraint. Sparing the details of my stay in amazing Zanzibar, I took the Kilimangaro ferry to Dar es Salaam and after a few days, including a dinner in a 30th floor revolving restaurant I took the Tazara in the opposite direction as our KZfaqr I expected a 3 day trip despite the scheduled 48 hours. Surprise, it was only 2 hours late. Eat your heart out Amtrak. Not knowing when I would arrive, the only unplanned, unreserved part of my journey was from Kapiri Kposta to Victoria Falls. One cab ride, two buses, sleep in a parked bus at the Lusaka bus station overnight, another bus and three cab rides later I reached my bed and breakfast Pennywise Cottages in Victoria Falls. I had to pay $5.00 for a taxi that was licensed only to carry me from one border post to another across that famous bridge. Being dry season, there was little water to see from the bridge. After a safari in Chobe National Park, Botswana, a Zambize river cruise and a $30 trek to see the Falls, my next leg was a flight to Jo'burg and Guatrain from the airport. My Zimbabwe taxi driver and the Zimbabwean taxi driver in Jo'burg both had Masters degrees. I was excoriated by the Johannesburg driver for my choice of hotel. Turned out to be in Hillbrow. I bravely told him I was from Harlem, so nothing would scare me. He told me I would be mugged between the checkin desk and my room, so he would accompany me to my room. My next leg was the Shosoloza to Capetown and back to Soweto. Next was Ethiopian Air to Nairobi and the next day to Addis Abbaba. After a few days there was a flight to Lalibela. I went by ground as much as possible.

Thank you so very much for this great travel film. I never considered the great train ride that is Cape to Cairo, only the Trans Siberian. But of course, the trains run through all the continents! Awesome and inspiring, Neil! From warm yet cloudy Ireland! ☘💪🏽👀👍🏽☘

I love this video, amazing trip. One day I will do it Insha Allh. Abdi Warsame From Somalia

THAT WAS ABSOLUTELY INSANE!!!!! You are one of the all time great travelers. I enjoyed this immensely. All the best to you.

wtf this only has 20k views ??//?//////?? Brilliant adventure across the continent much maligned. Beautiful work. Love from India

"Morning light filters through the train. These rhythmic sounds have become my music. I am in sync with the iron snake." - Beautiful - thanks !🙂

I just watched this and saw straight away that it was a professional piece of work. I have done some of the same journey about 60 years ago 😂 so you can guess my age. Great to see the actual experience of travelling in Africa. Thanks for sharing.

I loved this documentary. I often wondered if a Cape to Cairo trip is possible by rail.

Neil - thank you for such a wonderful film. It re-awakened deep memories of my own travels in Africa. One of my teachers said to me: "There are Trippers, Tourists, and Travellers". You are a true Traveller.

such a work of anthropology, culture, history... a beautiful documentary with beautiful people, full of stories, personal histories... landscapes... very nice portuguese too

How wonderful was this video! I had never thought it possible to even attempt to travel by train from Cape Town to Cairo! I really hope that the new East African railway network is actually constructed, so that it will be possible to travel by train from Nairobi to Addis Ababa and on to Khartoum. How wonderful that would be. It was very interesting to see how rail travel in Egypt has changed: fairly fast, comfortable train all the way from Aswan to Cairo now! How different it was in 1976. Thank you, Neil, for making this journey, and filming it. Very much appreciated.

Superb travelogue. Being an inveterate train traveller myself, I totally agree with your sentiments and comments. I have many fond memories of around 50,000 km, by trains in India during 4 long visits there over the years. Also in Eastern Europe shortly after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It seems as far as security and punctuality go, India is a stroll in the park compared to Africa. How good it would be if Africa could get it together some day.

A former school friend did the run from Cairo to Capetown by bus about 50 years ago after he graduated from University. Interesting to see the changes (and similarities) from those times. I was never able to replicate the journey when I was able to start travelling later in life. Made the trip as far South in Egypt as Abu Simbel on 1 occasion but was prevented from visiting the Meroitic, Kushitic, Axumite and later Abyssinian Kingdom sites by the interminable wars in the region. Still them's the breaks. I, at least, could enjoy a peaceful existence in my own country. The poor folks there just had to endure the nightmares.

If Cecil Rhodes had got his way you would have been able to make that entire journey on one train…

Your shots of the train museum brought back memories of a train journey from Lusaka to Bulawayo in 1967 with a Garrett steam engine doing the work. The rest of the trip was direct to Cape Town using Diesel/Electric.

this deserves way more views seriously how does ryan get a billion and this not even a million views

KZfaq recommended this documentary , what a journey it has been Neil . Thought Moscow to valdiovostok was the longest train journey on earth , never knew people did this route across Africa.

As a resident of Hawaii with a lot of luxury, I really enjoyed watching this. In fact, I had to watch it three times. I was able to watch a part of the world that I am not familiar with.

This is so interesting to watch, im already halfway through the video, but im in absolute awe. Honestly this takes me back to those childhood memories having to travel with my mom to and fro Pretoria (before the starting point of the Shosholoza meyl was to moved permanently to Johannesburg) to kimberley, festive seasons were never the same, for the long steal worm would have engulfed us inside, enjoying lunch mom would have definitely prepared for us for the entire journey just until we reach Kimberley station, and making our way to Barkley West after getting off the train (still to see family). those are some of the fondest memories that i would not part with nor. I've since started working, bought my first car, still making that journey, but i would do anything to embark on those long hours ride on a train...absolute love. thanks for sharing this video, you've touched my heart my heart deeply, bringing that smile on my face "Again" 😊❤❤❤😊

Well done, mate. Thanks for sharing your journey with me. I enjoyed every moment. Too bad it was only 52 minutes and 12 seconds. There is so much more, I'm sure. You likely could have presented two hours and we would be watching every moment because, like so many of us, most of us are not able to travel to Africa and experience that part of the world. Most of us are working jobs, supporting families and life styles, paying mortgages and so forth which makes people like you so special because you have the means and are willing to take the time to edit an entertaining, informative documentary of your travel through a piece of East Africa to share with we who are essentially couch bound and must view the world vicariously. Watching this presentation was time well spent.

I never visited Africa, got a beautiful view of the land and people, nice job being so honest and sharing your journey with us thanks❤️🧑‍🎨

What an epic journey! Thank you for sharing this gem...so inspiring, educational, moving...Beautifully narrated and artistically made, you manage to take us with you from the first moment. Hope we can see more of these journeys through your gaze at the world...Keep up this excellent work!

I admire the courage of this gentleman. Once I thought about travelling from Algeria ro South Africa on a VW in 1978, it is good that I did not do it because most likely I would have failed within a few hundred if not 1000's miles. I could not have fixed the vehicle, perhaps there were no gas (petrol) stations on the way over there, and above all there were no road from Algeria to South Africa. A lot has changed during the last 40 years, but not that much, but wait, people are still nice & friendly. Go, if you can unless you are an old person (+75) and only if this Virus goes away.

English geezer in Berlin here. Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventure. Fascinating thought provoking video plus great music. Safe travels bru.

Indeed a challenging Journey, but, have to admit worth remembering a lifetime with all the memories you had along the way, esp the people you met and their stories. The geography and a small glimpse at the cultures. Africa as a whole is a beautiful continent, credit to a KZfaqr called @umatelugutraveller an Indian who went to work in Mali and later turned into a full-time KZfaqr and covered most of Africa. It is through his videos my view towards Africa completely changed. I hope in the future Cape to Cario Rail Network becomes seamless.

The sentral Africa's scenes in this video is like u r filming in the 80's-90s. It's 2020's already n the living is still that way. It's like u go to another time frame. What a unique culture. Well preserved at least to see n experience and it's a gems at the same time that we can travel to somewhere different atmosphere. This is what we look for in travel. Beautiful.

Great travel video. This trip would be more treacherous now than when you did it. Unfortunately, so much of the world is becoming more dangerous, not less.

Neil is one brave dude and I congratulate him.

It was a great pleasure travelling along with you on this journey. The informal simplicity of the presentation was very touching. ...and the different music every time made the transitions so meaningful. Looking forward to seeing your other videos. By the way the growing stubble lent a good travel touch.

Gosh. What a wonderful documentary. I’ve so often thought what a marvelous adventure and now I’ve seen it. Thank you so much, it’s a real educational. Should be shown in schools! Bravissimo.

The corridor- compartments layout was the way trains were in Europe. Now they are like airplane, so I guess they can pack more people. I remember those days in the train corridors, smoking and talking with girls I just met.

Thank-you for sharing. This was such a great story and the idea of riding trains the length of Africa is an amazing adventure and journey.

This was one thoroughly enjoyable video. Probably because it was so authentic and unpretentious. Africa is like bilharzia. Once it gets into you it never really goes away. Thank you for sharing with the world.

Excellent. The film had an air of the romanticism one felt as a child reading Around the World in Eighty Days. In my own small way, I also seek out new people and cultures when travelling. Ethiopia was a country I visited earlier this year. There is potential, but little organisation. Chinese citizens were plentiful in Addis. Even the local night club singers have learnt to sing Chinese songs, and in Chinese. I haven't enjoyed a You Tube travelogue so much before. Thank you.

Thank you so much from Germany, watching your travelogue while comfortable on my sofa while there is (rare) snow outside. Probably I‘ll never go the routes and trains you did, but a part of your impressions will become part of my memories, memories of things I did not experience myself. Regards Martin

Wow, what a journey! Thank you for taking us along!❤

fascinating video. I was expecting more train breakdowns, or delays but the Chinese have built so many railways in the country they were minimal. The food sellers on the line appeared to be selling good quality produce. I saw many good images of Africa, more than I expected and was interested to see how big the cities are. it would be great if there were a full integrated railway the length of Africa both for tourism and for commuting. The Chinese appear to be doing so much for this country, but there could yet be a price to pay. British and other western countries would not be allowed to do this because of their connection with colonialism.

What an amazing journey.. hope you can keep on going and sharing

Bru... Depression is caused by, "when you stop moving..." - This is profound to me.... thank you❤❤❤🇿🇦

Thank you, Neil, for sharing your journey with us. I have done my share of "rough traveling" in the past, but I couldn't do it now. We got to experience Africa vicariously through you.

A 21st Century Odyssey. This is still a place where travel can be not only adventurous, but even a bit dangerous. One of the impressive parts of the trip is the kindness shown to Neil by everyday Africans. I'm also impressed by the immediacy of the video. I can almost smell the dust, feel the heat, share the concern when things go wrong. That's great filmmaking. Neil, may you never stop traveling, or telling travel stories.

Big Guy. Love you Man. Epic. Live Long & Prosper.

This video is TERRIBLY underrated! Second of all: I live in Australia, and Bulawayo and Johannesburg just feel so Australian to me for some reason.

I've always been fascinated by the railways if Africa , Thank you for sharing this with us.

Amazing journey, fantastic experience. Thank you for making and sharing this film

Very refreshing in terms in terms of content and approach. Best part is, you tell a story without narrating it; you give a message without intending it. The slow Chinese takeover of East Africa is a chilling reminder of how an unscrupulous country exploits the weaknesses of poor and underdeveloped economies to their advantage. All said, enjoyable and eye-opening. Thanks.

This was fascinating! I stumbled across it by accident. What an amazing journey.

Fantastic adventure , well presented

Amazing journey . Please do more of such journeys . Love from India !👍

Fantastic. Such a dream to travel by train from Cape to Cairo. Thanks for capturing the journey so well.

Excellent video and journey. I enjoyed watching this. Thanks.

Neil, this was so lovely to watch. I really want to embark on this route one day.

Great travelogue. Brought to mind Paul Theroux's book " The great railway Bazaar". Glad the bus returned and you got your recording back.

Thank you

I love how the Chinese girl clarified "I don't think it's about friendship, it's about politics"... Rare and refreshing from a Chinese National.. From a Durbanite in Cape Town

Thank you for this wonderful video. I am so impressed with anyone who dares to travel by train through Africa, just to show us the beauty of this Country. If I have to be honest, there were times I was fearful for your life, but you stuck it out and have one hell of a beautiful tick on your bucket list of adventures. Thank you once again for showing me what I am losing out on due to stupid fear. Dankie 💗🌍

Incredible journey, certainly not an easy one but great coverage

This video is superb. I've been in 7 countries in Africa and a few of the cities Neil showed in the video. His journey brought back some memories and made me want to do more. Thank you Neil for this beautiful travelog of Eastern Africa

That Mombasa-Nairobi bound train is so familiar to me. I like it. Kenya is way forward in terms train transport compared to other Southern Africa Countries

How do you have fewer than 5000 subscribers? I’ve only just started watching but you seem so thoughtful and your cinematography and storytelling are excellent! Cant wait to watch the rest of your videos.

This is one of my favorite KZfaq videos of all time

I found this man to be more of scenic then a travel blogger

Oh man..What a journey and experience you had..I cannot thank you enough for sharing those moments with us..Lots of love and respect from India!!👍👍

I've worked out that your can get from New Guinea to Iceland using buses, trains,ferries and foot.There doesn't seem to be any ferries between Australia and New Guinea or Iceland to Greenland.My only African train trips have been in South Africa, Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt.Thinking about cities with national parks actually in them; Nairobi, Sydney, Rio de Janeiro and must be a few others

Excellent work! I'm sure you're already looking back on your journey with a lot of nostalgia

This is wonderful. Thank you for creating it.

Thanks Niel for a memorable journey you've made and making clip for us to see, I must telling you something that this is one of the best clip I've seen in KZfaq, I was in South Africa in 2000 but sadly I've never been on the South Africa train when I was there, I was travelling by a bus and plane, from Jo'burg to Durban by vans and from Durban to Cape Town by greyhound couch (bus) and back to Jo'burg by plane, that only my regret, maybe one day I'll go back there for travel all over Africa again after Covid has an end but this time not only South and North Africa but all over the place in African continent, btw I'm from Thailand.

Watching this in 2022, a whole new kind of obstacles have come up meanwhile. I may be living in a beautiful country but I'm a traveller at heart and I really enjoy gliding by train through unknown lands. As you have shown, Africa is transforming quickly. On the one hand things are improving, on the other hand there are new tensions. In just a few years Egypt's railways will look very European just as those of Morocco already do, but with a bit of Russian and Chinese mixed in if I have followed the orders. Having been a few times to Africa (Egypt and South Africa, do the Canarian Islands count?) I'd love to see more of it. And perhaps bring enough time to stay a bit longer where it's interesting to be.

ok im officially putting this on my bucket list

This is beautiful. I so admire the respect in which you engage with people you meet. You speak from the heart and it’s a magic that people seem to connect to. 👍👍. Oh yes our continent is beautiful. 😊

Marvellous video. I am inspired to make this journey too.

What a great journey! I can only envy you. Was astonished to see that the rail network in the southern half of Eastern Africa is much more extensive than further north. Would never have expected that one can go all the way from South Africa to Kenya by rail.

What an amazing journey and film, you've inspired hundreds of thousands of people!

One has a restless mind if they cannot enjoy watching the landscape pass by through a window.

VERY interesting travelogue. It took me to parts of the world I would not even think of going. Thank You !

Nice video, well done!!! You could of made this 5 hrs long and i'd watch all 5. :)

Brilliant work. I would never have seen this country but for your efforts which in filming and producing are extraordinary.

What a fantastic video of a trip of a lifetime. Great work!

Much enjoyed Neil especially seeing parts of Zimbabwe again where I grew up. Also Nairobi and Cairo both of which I visited in 1979.