I went on a four-day African train safari for just $20 – Insider

Hoping to experience an African safari on a budget, I recently traveled first class on the Tazara train from Kapiri Mposhi, Zambia, to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for $20.The journey was supposed to take three days, but because of several delays it ended up taking four.The views were terrific, the food was surprisingly good, and there were numerous amenities including a lounge, but after a while it did seem to drag on.Even though I didn’t get to see much wildlife, the scenery was incredible, the train was comfortable, and the price was so affordable that I’d do it again.Visit Insider‘s homepage for more stories.

The Tazara is a local passenger train that goes from Zambia to Tanzania — and is supposed to be one of the world’s most scenic train rides, according to The Guardian, offering a chance to see some of Africa‘s famous wildlife, like elephants, zebras, lions, giraffes, and more as it travels for days. The BBC reported that it was like going “back to train travel of a bygone era.”

I recently traveled on the train. Though in many ways the journey was what I hoped it would be, it also had its of surprises. It was far more luxurious (meals could be ordered and brought to the cabin, for example) but also took a fair bit longer than I thought it would. Here’s what it was like to spend several days on board for the price of a pair of movie tickets.