A Guide On How To Plan Your Trip.

This post is in reference to the trips I took to Moscow and St. Petersburg sometime last year.

It was my first time organising a (any, actually) trip all by myself. And it was all last-minute.

It was a Monday, I remember. Woke up on the best side of the bed! 🙂 And decided that I wanted to go to Moscow the next day. So I went ahead and bought my ticket… right away in fact! I had no idea where I was gonna stay. Had no itinerary. Hadn’t packed. Nothing! All I knew was that I wanted to head to St. Petersburg as well after a short stay in Moscow. Ha! 🙂

I thought everything would magically fall into place within 24 hours. You know…

Let’s just say that the hours until my departure were an emotional turmoil.

There were times when I got frustrated because I wasn’t getting immediate email replies to confirm my accommodation. Teared up once or twice. Thought of cancelling the whole thing. But I’m so glad I didn’t.

Because it turned out to be the best time I’ve ever had! 🙂

So here are a couple of pointers to help you plan your next trip:

1. Destination.

First of all you need to determine which place(s) you want to visit. Town, City, Country. Find out if you need to apply for a visa if you’re planning to fly out of the country.

2. Date.

Then choose the precise dates for you trip. Because you need them for the step below.

3. Accommodation.

Now figure out where you’ll be staying. Hostel, hotel or home? For how long? Call or email them to make a reservation. ALWAYS make a reservation.

4. Transport.

Time to book your ticket. Plane, train or bus? You pick. 🙂

5. Itinerary.

And the fun part begins… planning your activities! Find out what amazing things the new town/country has to offer, list them down and schedule them for the number of days you’re going to be there. Make sure to spread them out evenly.

Any more tips you’d love to share? Please do write them in the comment section below. I’d love to hear your opinions. 🙂

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Thika, Kenya. 1

I remember this trip like it was yesterday.

I’d never been to Thika before, so when I told my sister that I’d be taking a road trip there, she wasn’t really comfortable with the idea.

It had to be done though…

I’d taken solo bus trips to Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia a couple of weeks prior to this and they turned out super amazing!!! So adding the fact that I was home and that everyone around me spoke either Swahili or English (or both) made me feel quite comfortable.

It took me about one and a half hours to get to Thika from Nairobi’s CBD by bus. Then sat in a van (matatu) that drove along the Thika-Garissa road for another 20 minutes to get to the junction that led to Fourteen Falls.

Then I took my first ever motorbike ride! Ha! 😀

That was excitement and fear rolled up into one single “Ha! :D” up there.

That summed up my feelings for the next 10 minutes as we rode through a very, very dusty road.

Anywhoo, once I got to the gate, I paid about 2 USD as entry fee. The rates are a little higher for non-citizens. Also, my excitement was now over the roof because I could hear the sound of water gushing and splashing all over!

Finally, we’re here!!

The falls were gorgeous! And sorta polluted. 😦

But still…

I had a lovely guide showing me around. Thing is, when you get there, you are supposed to cross over to the other side of the river for prettier views. You can do so by foot right before the falls, or by boat right after the falls. The former seemed like a more interesting idea until I slipped and slit my heel a little on a rock just two steps in. Then I was all about the boat life! 🙂

I’ll let you enjoy the pictures now.

PS: All that time I was thinking, “I’m glad I came.”

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Top 5 Things To Do In Naivasha.

Happy new year everyone! 🙂

I hope you enjoyed your holidays and stayed safe. I enjoyed mine. Mostly indoors since it’s freezing cold outside.

Naivasha is a favorite holiday destination for many Kenyans as is offers the sort of tranquility you’d expect in the countryside, as well as a range of other outdoor activities you can engage in.

Today, I’ll be sharing with you a couple of things that you should definitely do if you are ever in Naivasha:

1. Go boat riding.

Read more about this here.

2. Visit Hell’s Gate National Park.

Read more about this here.

3. Explore these beautiful gorges.

Read more about this here.

4. Go camping.

Read more about this here.

5. Admire the wildlife.

Read more about this here.

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

How To Save Money While Travelling.

Being frugal comes naturally when you’re a student. Especially if your income is limited yet you have dreams of seeing the whole freaking world.

So when you finally save up just enough cash to make that trip you’ve been planning for months, you need to be extra careful with how you spend each penny.

Here are a couple of ways to help you minimise your expenditure during your trip:

1. Live at the centre.

Saves you lots of time and money since you don’t need to commute as opposed to living at the outskirts of a town.

2. Walk.

It’s the best way to see new places and experience new things.

3. Picnic.

Buy yourself a bunch of fruits, water, some healthy packed food and head out to the park. That should cost you around $5. Plus views and fresh air.

4. Partner up.

For those deals and discounts. You know. 😉

5. Take the overnight bus.

It’s the cheapest way to travel between two cities and you also get a free “bed” for the night.

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Kisumu, Kenya. 2

While in Impala Park, Kisumu, I decided to take a break from walking because it was scorching hot outside. The guard at the gate had mentioned that there was a hotel within the park so I decided to go check it out.

It’s called Impala Eco Lodge. I ordered some traditional cuisine (fried fish, mashed potatoes and kale) for lunch. The service was pretty amazing I must say. I’d give it a 10 out of 10. Just as I was about to finish my lunch, the chef came to find out if I’d enjoyed my meal! Well, that’s never happened to me before so I felt pretty special! 🙂

I also took a private boat ride courtesy of the hotel. The gentleman operating the speed boat noticed that I had a camera around my neck and was kind enough to offer to ask his friend to tag along so that he could take pictures of me. How amazing was that!?!

Needless to say, I had the most breathtaking time out there!

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Kisumu, Kenya. 1

I’d been waiting all week for a friend’s friend to confirm a possible trip to Maasai Mara. He’s an organiser. Gets you the best rates and all. I’ve never been to Maasai Mara before so I was pretty excited about this “possible” trip. Well, it never happened. The group I was to join postponed the trip.

So, when it got to Friday, I decided to take a trip to Kisumu instead. And I wasn’t disappointed.

It’s an hour and a half away by road from my hometown and I’ve been there a number of times. I had never been to Impala Park before though. Situated by the lakeside, it’s home to a number of wild animals. I’m AGAINST caging animals so I only took pictures of those that were allowed to roam freely. They have cheetahs, giraffes and white rhinos, all of which are restricted in not-so-big fenced areas. Big cages if you may.

I got there around noon. Paid roughly 3 USD to enter the park. It was scorching hot that day and the guard at the gate told me that the animals in the park were probably seeking shade at that moment. Therefore, it would be hard to spot them. Not until later in the afternoon.

He also let me know that there’s an amazing hotel within the park where I could relax for a while as I wait for the heat to cool down. It’s called Impala Eco Lodge. Very nice place. Amazing service.

I’ll write all about it in the next post! 🙂

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Nairobi, Kenya. 3

Hey ya loves! 🙂

On the day I was to leave for school, I decided to take a small tour of Nairobi. All these pictures are of the CBD. There’s so much you can do within the city. Like paddle boat at the Central Park (Uhuru Park). Or climb to the KICC helipad for the most gorgeous view of the city. All for a dollar or two! 🙂

Also, this is what 25 shillings can get you in Nairobi. 🙂

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Kiambu, Kenya. 1

I’m seated on my bed as I write this. Very exhausted after a long day of classes and lectures. It’s 9pm. And I’m really looking forward to publishing this post. I get an unexplainable high off blogging. It just makes me happy. 🙂

Lemme tell you a lil something about today’s post.

A few weeks ago I visited Paradise Lost. It’s a private estate in the outskirts of Nairobi. It was my first time there. What drew me to it was the fact that it had a gorgeous waterfall and a small pretty lake within it. And caves. And horses.

It’s usually crowded over the weekends so I opted to visit on a Monday morning. There was hardly anyone there. And it was even prettier than I’d imagined.

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤

Visa Free Countries For Kenyan Passport Holders.

I’ve always whined about having so many travel restrictions because I hold a Kenyan Passport, but not any more. I’m not a fan of visa application processes and I’ve always wished that it was just all about buying the ticket and leaving. If only it was that simple.

So I’ve chosen to look at the glass as being half full rather than half empty, because that way, I’ll be more grateful and happy about the blessings that I already have, instead of being grumpy and sad about the things that I can’t change.

After searching around on the internet, I found out that there are quite a number of countries that allow visa free entry to Kenyan Passport Holders.

Here they go, in alphabetical order:

1. Antigua & Barbuda

2. Bahamas

3. Botswana

4. British Virgin Islands

5. Burundi

6. Barbados

7. Cayman Islands

8. Comoros

9. Costa Rica

10. Dominica

11. Dominican Republic

12. Ethiopia

13. Fiji

14. Grenada

15. Ghana

16. Haiti

17. Hong Kong

18. Jamaica

19. Lesotho

20. Macau

21. Malaysia

22. Malawi

23. Micronesia

24. Montserrat

25. Namibia

26. Nauru

27. Panama

28. Philippines

29. Rwanda

30. Saint Helena

31. Saint Kitts & Nevis

32. Saint Vincent Grenadines

33. Samoa

34. Seychelles

35. Singapore

36. Swaziland

37. Tanzania

38. Trinidad & Tobago

39. Tuvalu

40. Uganda

41. Vanuatu

42. Zambia

43. Zimbabwe

Do contact the embassies of the countries you plan to visit prior to your trip to find out whether there are any requirements that need to be taken care of beforehand.

Always be kind.

Dee.

❤