Like some of you reading this, I had never heard nor seen pictures of Amritsar before. I actually learnt about it when our newly found friends in Boothgargh, Hoshiapur where we were living, invited us to visit a place they loved. Amritsar is home to the Sri Harimandir Sahin otherwise known as the Golden Temple, which is the spiritual and cultural center of the Sikh religion. Amritsar exposed me to lots about India, Sikhism culture, great architecture, beautiful scenery and lots and lots of dance and music.The highlights of the place are Golden Temple, Jallianwalla Bagh Massacre and the Wagah border that separates India and Pakistan. 1.Dress Modestly: As you walk around, you will find most people either dressed in their traditional Punjab suit or modestly dressed. We took this time to bring out our newly tailored “Punjabi suits” that our friends mother had sawn for us. The ladies outfit…
India is officially known as the Republic of India and is located in South Asia It is bordered by Pakistan to the West, Myanmar and Bangladesh to the East, Bhutan, Nepal and China to the Northeast, and Pakistan to the West. It is the second most populous country in the world with a population of over 1.2billion people and seventh largest by mass. Mahatma Gandhi led India to independence from Britain via non-violent civil disobedience The dominant religion is Hinduism It has more than a million millionaires It has the worlds largest movie industry, Bollywood It is the worlds largest producer of tea, which is also its most popular beverage It is famous for being home to the Taj Mahal, a UNESCO World Heritage Kenyans require a visa prior to travel to India Check the below links for in depth information on my exploration of India: Taj Mahal: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/expression-of-love-at-taj-mahal-agra/ Hoshiapur: http://wangechigitahi.co.ke/10-things-to-do-in-hoshiapur-my-home-away-from-home/ Amritsar:…
Today I share about a festival that celebrated the 44th tribe in Kenya, Kenyans of Indian descent. For those who may not know, they are officially recognized as such and this was gazetted by the government of Kenya on July 21st 2017. The history of the arrival of Indians in Kenya dates back to colonial times between 1896 and 1901 where thousands of Indians were recruited and brought to East Africa to build the famous Uganda Railway. Some opted to stay after its completion and eventually brought their friends and family to join them in Kenya, and soon generation upon generation of Kenyans of Indian descent were borne. In the year 1971, The Hindu Council of Kenya was formed with their main mandate being to serve the Hindu community in Kenya and strengthen the Hindu culture and way of life. The year 2020 thus marks 50 years of its existence…
I highly advise you to apply the below tested, 6 tips on how to protect your body from sunburn. Let me start off by declaring that YES, African skin, like all other skin types is at risk of getting sunburns. Therefore, ignore all the misguided ‘FAKE NEWS” that Africans do not get sunburns, you are at risk. However, just to provide proof that African skin does get sunburns, let me share images of instances that I listened to this “Myth”, went out without any form of protection and my skin paid the ultimate price. Therefore, let me share simple tips that I recommend all to follow, especially when one is outdoors for longer periods of time more so during the hot season. I would not want you to find yourself walking on the streets with your skin actually peeling and people staring at you wondering what contagious disease you may be…
Watamu is a beautiful serene beach town, found in Kilifi county. It is greatly celebrated for its long stretches of alluring white sandy beaches and calm nature of the environment. I had been exploring Mombasa and Wasini Island, solo, for several days and my body was starting to throw a tantrum. It seemed overwhelmed by the activities I had engaged it in (blog posts to follow soon), and Watamu seemed like the ideal location for it to rest and relax quietly. I planned to sit by the ocean, soak up the sun, eat, drink and while away the days, only moving when proceeding to their swimming pool or to my room to sleep. Turtle Bay Resort, a beach front property was my accommodation of choice, a decision I am very happy I made. Turtle Bay unknowingly, disarranged all my well laid plans due to the seductive activities on offer. As…
When I found out that the Seventh Nairobi International Cultural Festival was being held on the 8th of June 2019, I hived off the date on my calendar. For the last two years that I knew about it, my diary and their calender have always clashed, but this year I wanted us to be insync. The festival is hosted annually by the National Museums of Kenya, providing a platform for citizens of all countries represented in Kenya, to present, share and engage each other on all facets of their culture ranging from music, dance, cuisine, handcrafts and fashion. The event was held at the Nairobi National Museum and was Free for all attendees. It was indeed an exciting Festival with lots of funfair and engaging experiences for all in attendance. The first element of the festival that welcomed me to the grounds was this painting of the Kenyan flag, that…
It has come to my attention that my vast travel experiences, have raised eye brows as to the source of my funds. Some people have even had the courage to question me on their assumptions, some of which completely shocked me. Let me first set the record straight on how I actually Fund My travels, in no specific order and deal with the assumptions later on in the article. Win an award The Ministry of Youth in Taiwan used to run a Travel competition dubbed, “Taiwan Youth Trekkers.” The main entry requirement was for one to, “Develop an interesting itinerary inclusive of costs, of what they would engage/experience, if they won a trip to Taiwan.” They were seeking authentic, passionate travellers to partner with and thus Ones application is what the judges used to award winners and not subjective, non-standardized methods like most retweets or most followers. I thus researched…
Tanga Beach Resort and Spa is a luxury resort located in Tanga, Tanzania.Tanga is located in the Northern region of Tanzania and near the border of Kenya and Tanzania. It is one of the largest cities in the country and is located along the Indian Ocean.The resort has been in operation since 2009 and they do not take the title “Luxury Resort” lightly. Luxury is replicated everywhere from the accommodation, to the customer service to the facilities. During my whole stay, I felt pampered, I felt appreciated, I felt spoilt, I felt luxurious. First up, the suites/ rooms get a thumbs up, as they showcase why they are a luxury resort. First, they have not compromised on space, thus ensuring that all their guests, regardless of room type, have adequate space and extra. They have four room clusters which in order of superiority are, Presidential Suite, Executive Suite, Junior Suite…
All matters hair are very crucial when planning a trip and thus why this article on hair care tips is very crucial. I wish I had known some of these when I started out travelling as my experiences were initially hampered due to my “hair dos”. Now, I am very conscious of my hair do and hair care while on the road to ensure that my hair is never a hindrance but actually plays a role in enhancing my experiences That being the case, I have to consider hair care regimens that work for my African hair and myself. If it comes in contact with moisture whether gas, liquid or solid state, it will recoil and shrink beautifully. It also has the awesomeness of being malleable thus can be a free spirit afro in one minute, straight flowing in the next and even accept foreign materials like hair extensions for…
Travel Insurance needs to be on everyone’s “Must have travel Items”. Let me start off by defining what travel insurance is. According to Wikipedia, “It is insurance intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses while travelling either internationally or domestically.” I know, most people will debate that they are healthy, they are careful, they do not engage in high risk activities as reasons for not needing travel insurance. Granted, that might be the case but, life has a way of not consulting you when it decides to “overhaul your life.” Honestly, when I started travelling, I didn’t even know about travel insurance and was lucky enough to not have any incidences. However, when I was bitten by a dog in India, I had my first ever “revelation” moment on Travel Insurance and its importance. I thought about how I had been putting my…