Escape to Funzi Island

Katy Fentress

I lie awake in the Lamu bed; outside in the darkness, the coastal night orchestra is in full swing. The cricket string quartet is competing with the monkey chorus to drown out the clashing cymbals of the night birds and the blaring bush baby horn ensemble.

A mosquito’s high-pitch hum searches for an entry through my net and onto my sunburned skin. I feel lulled by the unfiltered sounds of nature.

Flashback to Nairobi and it’s late afternoon on Wednesday. I am in a taxi, sitting in traffic. As I stare at the sheets of rain coursing down my window, I think how much nicer it would be to spend a healthy three-day weekend by the coast, instead of a Saturday evening straining to hear what people are trying to say over the grating beats of whatever passes for electronic music these days. Before I know it, my finger is…

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How to spend 7 days in Kilifi and watamu.

Shades of Acqua_ by Marie Magesha

PLANNING A GETAWAY

August 2018

Planning a vacation can be fun but at times, it is borderline maddening. Picture this, you have perfectly aligned all the forces together, a couple of friends, enough money, leave days, hotel bookings and all that’s left to do is, getting to the vacation spot.

Travel is a mental investment.

A week to the trip,  is almost always the exact moment everything comes crushing down. In my case;

• One by one my friends cancelled the trip, except Mike.
• I didn’t get my new passport back on time so my visa appointment was affected.
• My travel buddy  had work issues come up so we kept postponing the trip.

Tuesday 

I had one of the worst days, trying to sort out my visa and I had reached a low point. I knew that it was time to cancel the trip after my friend called me later…

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Wasini: Hakuna Matata

Wasini Island has to be one of the most beautiful islands in Africa, if not the world. Apart from having one of the cleanest beaches at the Coast, it is home to dolphins. It neighbours Shimoni, a small town off the Likoni-Lunga Lunga road which is also the highway to Tanzania. Shimoni too is a tourist destination due to the Shimoni slave caves which have a breathtaking history. From Shimoni, a boat or canoe is the only means of transport to the exotic island. At wasini, the fresh air is triple purified and non-polluted. You can just sit at the shore all day doing nothing but admiring its beauty.

It has a certain mystical power that relaxes your whole body. Just a disclaimer before you visit the place, you are not guaranteed to sight dolphins for reason that the dolphins move around alot.

First, they feed early in the morning…

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Rusinga Cultural Festival turns 7 in December!

Rusinga Cultural Festival will go down on the 20th and 21st December. Taking place in Rusinga Island – one of Kenya’s hidden gems on Lake Victoria – the festival offers two days of family fun within the picturesque environs of the island. Its two days of nothing but music, fashion, film, food, artistry, literature, sports and conversations that take you back in time into the wealth of the Suba culture. 

The Forest ~ Kereita

If it seems like a crazy idea, then you should probably do it. In fact, scratch that, you definitely should do it. This is what Ziplining at the forest sounded like. The Forest is this wonderful place located in Kereita slightly past Limuru town. Flying Fox (another of its names) is about 23km from Nairobi and should take you at least an hour to get there- on a good day. One could use public means up to Limuru town, then get transport to Kereita from there – in case one is not driving.

The Spirit of Cycling in Kenya.

davidaswani

Cycling in Kenya is becoming quite popular. Many people are quitting the gym for physical outdoor activities like jogging and cycling because of the allure they come with. The upside of cycling is that it comes along with fun activities such as bird watching, picnicking and traversing the country in general.

Listed below are some of the places you can go cycling in Kenya with friends and family:

1. Karura Forest
Located in the outskirts of Nairobi CBD, Karura Forest is one of the most popular joints for cycling in Kenya. Karura Forest offers a quiet clean and organised biking trail, away from oncoming cars and the hustle that the city life is.
Bring your mountain bike and join other Nairobi cyclists in the designated bike paths, which range from 5-15 km. You can alternatively hire a bike at Karura for KES 500 per hour, daily from 8 am…

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5 Reasons to Visit Kenya Beyond Wildlife & Safaris

Kenya is a true melting pot of culture, heritage, traditions, and some of the largest treasure of natural wonders in the world. The tourism industry has taken great advantage of this, making it a multi-million dollar economic sector. With that being said, Nairobi and other cities in Kenya offer a vast array of things to do and places to see outside of the natural wonders found in the country. Fortunately, All The Rooms has put together a cool list of reasons to visit Kenya beyond its marvelous wildlife.

Nairobi By Sopotnicki

Moonshine Beach Bar

It’s not everyday I sit down to write about a bar, let alone write a review about a bar far from my local. Heck, I don’t even think travel-blogs write about bars. And to add to the fact that I am more of the outdoorsy(no, it’s not a formal word) person, this just feels weird. I don’t even have any other place I could compare with for you readers to make a judgement of the place. Consider this a review of a bar from an old young man who just loves good places.

Cultural Festivals in Kenya

When we talk cultural festival you are probably thinking shirtless people running around and having fun. Well, that would be most visitors when they attend these festivals, and not the locals. Haha! Cultural Festivals have grown leaps and bounds over the last 5 or so years. The interest in these festivals has grown, with visitors coming just for them from far and wide.

These are some of the famous festivals in Kenya.

Excite Your Body & Soul, Feel Alive

The human soul needs to be shocked every now and then for one to feel alive. Do you remember that feeling you got as a kid after stealing a piece of meat from the cooking sufuria? Or when you rode the bicycle for the first time(knowing very well a fall was inevitable)? We need that adrenaline to flow in us once in a while. Cavemen didn’t need to go bungee jumping, their daily quest for survival provided them with all the adrenaline they needed. By contrast, the modernites – with their smartphones,desk jobs & technology – are left somewhat wanting when it comes to adrenaline. Life is much safer today, but it’s also duller. Which is why the demand for adventure and extreme sports is booming –we need to feel alive.

Photo courtesy of @turnup_travel