Ride the old train in Kenya to see the world's last two northern white rhinos

Visitors will find a tranquil region full of wildlife and breath-taking scenery off the beaten path at Nanyuki. — Photos: JULIAN HILGERS/dpa

Every Friday at 9am a train rolls out of the Kenyan capital Nairobi, heading north-east to Nanyuki, a city at the foot of Mount Kenya. The old locomotive sounds its horn right on schedule before it rumbles out of the central train station.

Just to be clear: If you want to get there quickly, the Nanyuki train is not for you. Crawling along the tracks, the train needs a good seven-and-a-half hours to cover the 180km distance. A bus will take you to the city in three. Still, the longer journey by train is worth it.