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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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.

Another Year To Be On The Road

January is here, yet another month to make plans for your year’s travel schedule. And for those of us with a few coins still in the account, to go on a very cheap mini-vacation. Oh, Happy New Year guys. Hope your holidays were merry and you crossed over in one piece. Where did you travel to? How was your stay? Kindly share with the rest of us.

2017 wasn’t the best of years in terms of travelling for most of us. There were a lot of uncertainties which most of the not-seasoned travelers gave as excuses to not travel. 2018, however, looks to be very promising. A lot of guys look to be very optimistic of traveling this year to new destinations and explore Kenya more. It’s January though, so I can’t trust any of you yet. Hahaha!

Kids Go For Free To Ol Pejeta

For the whole month of November and up until December 22nd, children of age 16 and under get free entry into Ol Pejeta Conservancy.

Madaraka Express, A Lovely First

Do you go harsh on a baby or you try and let the mistakes be the teacher? I should have asked my mother this, but that lady will give me an answer that will leave me with more questions than answers. I just don’t understand her on most times. I could also have gone to twitter and asked the many wonderful mothers I follow, but you just never which side they wake up on. I know better! And so here I am, with no answer to that question but an experience I can share.

Standard Gauge Railway is the latest of Kenya’s projects. The baby that was talked much for what felt like forever. You see, for the longest time, the Kenya Railways was associated with old, rickety and slow moving trains. It was a relic to say the least. Last time I took a long distance train ride was mid 1990s, from Kisumu to Yala. And it was a ride I still remember vivid today. The hard chairs, the swaying from side to side, the horns… that was the old. ‘Madaraka Express’ is the new. Shiny, faster and with leather seats(still in doubt), it is the complete opposite of the old.

Sports Tourism in Kenya

Sports Tourism involves traveling from one country or town to another with the main purpose of watching a sporting event. While this has not been a popular form of tourism in Kenya, it is the fastest growing sector in the world generating more than $600billion annually according to World Travel Market and World Tourism Organization. There has been an increased interest in sports by most people due to the fact that it offers a different feel to the traditional attractions.

Top 10 Countries to Explore Visa Free with a Kenyan Passport

The daunting tasks of gathering documents, bank statements, getting an appointment date, being asked a series of questions at the embassy, the uncertainty as you wait for a visa are seemingly reasons enough to steer clear off the globe-trotting route. A Kenyan passport is a strong identification document that ranks among top 60 globally in the PP index. The blue book allows you access to 39 countries visa-free and for 29 countries, you can easily get a visa on arrival. Now you can satisfactorily fill up your Kenyan passport with stamps.

Lake Manyara, Malawi

Who Are You In Your Travel Squad?

Four trips in the first five months of the year, I should be adding ‘Traveler’ to my resume. And when you consider the fact that I have spent just about Ksh. 30K in total, pretty impressive. This travel thing is becoming an addiction, and I’m getting better at ways of administering the doses. 

9 Amazing Things to do in Nairobi

If you’re waiting to head out on your safari adventure, or if you just got back, you may be wondering what the other things to do in Nairobi are. After all, just because you’re enjoying the local wildlife and native culture doesn’t mean you have to forgo all modern attractions. Though there are plenty of natural attractions, too. So from famous sights around the city to some of the best eateries to some top parks, below are some of the best attractions to hit up around Nairobi, Kenya.