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Nine Beautiful Attractions In Watamu, Kenya
The beautiful attractions in Watamu make it a beautiful, underrated location where you combine archaeological sites dating back hundreds of years with lush forests home to elephants, sandy beaches and coral gardens. The small but beautiful coastal town is situated just over 100km north of Mombasa, and less than 30 minutes from Malindi, featuring a shoreline of wonder and a lifestyle driven by harmony with nature and an unbreakable connection between the residents. Here, the metropolitan chaos of Nairobi and Mombasa are forgotten, and a calm excitement settles in. The shoreline is arranged in different bays and beaches, namely Garoda Beach, Turtle Bay, Blue Lagoon Bay, Watamu Bay and Jacaranda beach, all protected as part of…
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Up, Up and Away: A Hot Air Balloon Ride In Kenya
Let’s be honest, most people don’t want to wake up at 3AM for anything. I sleep at that time more often than I wake up. However, if someone suggests waking up in the wee hours of the morning for a hot air balloon ride over the Kenyan savannah, I would do it a thousand times over. Trust me, it’s worth it. Its one the most exciting and unique ways to take on an African safari. So what’s it like taking a hot air balloon ride over the spectacular landscapes of Kenya? Read on to find out! I awake to a sky dressed in a million shimmers dancing around a delicate…
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How To Plan An Affordable African Safari
Although a luxury in every sense of the word, it is totally possible to plan an affordable African safari. The word “safari”, by definition, means an expedition to observe animals in their natural habitats. However, it is so much more than that. For East Africans particularly, such an adventure is ingrained in the culture (so much so that I have been on over 10 safaris so far – and that’s just in Kenya), and a means to show the rest of the world the beauty of letting animals live the way Mother Nature intended them to. No locked up in cages to be goggled at, but unrestricted and free. Trust me,…
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Tea Farms In Tigoni: An Age-Old History Of Kenyan Culture and Taste
For centuries, tea has graced the tables of humanity: fuelling wars but also bonding societies in a quest for the crop that is packed with caffeine, theobromine, theophylline and l-theanine. However, before it became the popular beverage we know it to be today, and before Kenyan tea from lush farms became the desired treat it is, research shows that tea was not always consumed as such. It was utilised in burial rituals among Chinese royalty and then adopted other uses, like dowry payment for aristocrats around 640 A.D. A thousand years later, in the 1600s, the buds would land on the British Isles, finding their way into daily culinary preferences…
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The Best National Parks In Kenya
I grew up in an extraordinary situation where visiting different national parks around the country was the norm. Whether with family or through school trips, I found myself surrounded by wildlife at least once a year. In fact, it would be safe to say that going to national parks is to Kenyans is what Disneyland is to Americans or going to the beach is for Australians. It’s part of the lifestyle. Driving through (or walking through if you’re lucky!) acres of lush savannah at sunrise or sunset is surreal experience. It’s one my favourite ways to connect with nature. The very essence of such an adventure is find harmony with…
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The Perfect Local Guide To Nairobi
Let’s talk about my home! It’s time get the perfect local guide to Nairobi from someone who lived there for 18 years. Kenya is special. It is one of the most dynamic destinations in Africa, and its capital city, Nairobi – a place often overshadowed by the country’s beautiful beaches and fascinating national parks – is a magical mix of metropolitan, cultural and natural wonder. For those lucky enough to call it home, Nairobi brings a sense of pride and patriotism like I’ve never seen as the city flaunts an endless amount of history, culture and tradition along with immense natural beauty you cannot escape. Amid its bustling setting, you…
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The Best Spring Flowers From Around The World
Every year, as we emerge from a period of hibernation (whether you live in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere), spring brings promise of warmth and the ever-longing beauty of flourishing nature. Spring travellers are often enthralled by nature, exploring the world in search of flowers, forests, fields and fun because it provides the opportunity to fully appreciate our surroundings. One of the best ways to do this, is by visiting the best spring flowers from around the world. From the UK to Australia and Morocco to Hawaii, there is are so many blooms to adore. The beauty of our planet never ceases to amaze me, and although I don’t know…
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Nine Skincare Tips For Travellers
Travelling is a dream come true for so many people; but with all its perks, there are a few downsides. One of these is the toll it takes on your skin. Now you may think that this is not a problem, and honestly you are right. There are far worse things than bad skin, and truthfully, after a day of activities and experiences, most of us only have tunnel vision for the hotel room bed. However, that does not mean you should neglect your skincare. Skincare for travellers is vital. Taking care of your skin is extremely important because exposer to various weather and environmental conditions, eating foods that may not…
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Experiencing Snowfall For The First Time
To see something for the first time, is to see it in its purest and most magical form of beauty. That’s how I felt experiencing snowfall for the first time. While I have experienced settled snow before, I had never experienced snowfall and have it settle inches high all at once until just a few days ago. It is a tale as old as time, but I did not know what it was like to walk through thick layers of snow while it fell from the sky and covered everything in sight to create a breath-taking wonderland. I woke to darkness, but the stars had disappeared, and moonlight only lingered.…
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The Immorality Of Zoos and Aquariums
When I was around eight years old, I wrote a piece about everything I thought was wrong with zoos, and over a decade later, my thoughts may be more refined and researched, but on the surface, have not changed. Whether or not you want to hear this, the harsh truth is that zoos and aquariums are not worth the moral cost and are incredibly damaging to mature. Bars have been replaced by glass, but the cruelty is constant and unchanging. I attribute my views a lot to where I grew up. Kenya has its fair share of problems under capitalist pressures and a constant need for development, fallen prey to poaching…