Search Results for “INDIA” – Page 2

Africa

Seychelles 101

By Wangechi Gitahi

Seychelles is officially known as the Republic of Seychelles. It is made up of 115 islands and is located in the Indian Ocean, off the coast of East Africa. Its capital Victoria, is the smallest capital in the world. It has the lowest population in Africa, having less than 100,00 people. It is home to the Coco De Mer plant which only grows in Seychelles and whose seed is the largest and heaviest in the world. It is home to the Giant Aldabra Tortoise, which is one of the largest tortoise specie in the world. The official languages are English, French and Seychelloise Creole. The main religion is Christianity Fishing and tourism are main the income earners in Seychelles Kenyans do not require a visa prior to travel, but receive a visa stamp upon arrival. Ensure you have all your documents in order. For my experience in Seychelles, check out:…

Asia

Rabies, me, Nah!

By Wangechi Gitahi

When I travelled to India, I was a rookie at travel, the real rookie. It was the first time I was travelling solo to a place I knew no-one at all. The most I knew about India was the Taj Mahal. I was travelling to India to volunteer in a village called Boothgargh for two months http://wangechigitahitravels.com/hoshiapur-my-home-away-from-home/. I thus did not carry any medication incase immigration saw them and decided to return me home thinking they were drugs (I had heard stories), I didn’t get any vaccination(I didn’t even know one should do that) and no travel insurance-I didn’t know of its importance. This ignorance combined with naivety came to bite me later-literally. One day as I was walking around the village, enjoying the fresh air, listening to the chirping of birds, enjoying the sight of green foliage and excited about an event that was to happen later in the day,…

World Islands

Seychelles is more than just beaches

By Wangechi Gitahi

Seychelles, your seduction started years ago and I am happy I accepted to be seduced. Perhaps it was the images of your clean clear waters, white sandy beaches, couples holding hands as they walked into the sunset or maybe learning that Seychelles citizens are called Seychellois and not Seychellians that sealed the deal. Even though I didn’t have a Mr. Wangechi to walk with me into the sunset, I decided I would dance to your music and be lost in your beautiful crystal clear eyes, you would be my Mr. Wangechi. I truly had a great time in all the dates we had as shared below. 1.Hanged out with fishermen Fishing is a major part of the peoples culture and major form of employment. I took time hanging out with some of the fishermen and enjoyed hearing their fishing escapades. I chose the easier way out, thus only assisted them…

Africa

Mombasa Cultural Festival

By Wangechi Gitahi

This is a must attend festival that should be on everyone’s bucket list. Mombasa in itself is one of those places I can’t get enough of. Once, twice, numerous times is never enough.Everything from the amazing beaches, to the beauty that is the Indian Ocean, to the diverse cultures that live there, to the well preserved historical places like Fort Jesus, the list is endless. When I heard about the cultural event, and knowing how I am really attracted to cultures, I bent backwards to ensure that I got to attend it. I am very glad I did as I got to experience the below. A) Borana Culture I hardly knew much about the Borana community before this, so seeing them exposing their culture was outstanding. They out did themselves in showcasing various elements of their culture from their food, clothing, music and dance among others. They are also pastoralists by…

Africa

9 fun things to do in Mombasa

By Wangechi Gitahi

Mombasa county is in the coastal area of Kenya as it lies along the Indian Ocean. If beaches, history, culture, sunrises, sunsets and having a good time is your thing, look no further, Mombasa is the place to be. When you see the above tusks sculptures, know you are entering Mombasa town. Mombasa is greatly associated with fun and relaxation and thus jokes are made that entering is easy, leaving is a problem. The coast area is divided into North Coast and South Coast and I will start off with North Coast which is where Mombasa is located. 1: Visit the Beach: There are several beaches in the North Coast that include Bamburi, Nyali, Shanzu among others. Bamburi beach is popularly referred to as Pirates beach due to a restaurant and club found there.There are so many things to do at the beach a) Search for a ship wreck There…

Asia

Expression of love at Taj Mahal, Agra

By Wangechi Gitahi

Agra is located in Uttar Pradesh in the Northern State of India. This area is special to me as culture is all over from the preserved buildings of the Mughal-era to the culture of the people. The area is however popular as it is home to several UNESCO World Heritage Sites namely Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. Most people actually travel to this area just to visit the Taj Mahal. Taj Mahal: Did you know that the Taj Mahal is not a Palace but a Mausoleum? It was built from 1632-1653 by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his third wife, Mumtaz Mahal whom he loved dearly and had died at child birth. Both of them are buried here and it is an expensive expression of Love posthumously. As we arrived at the Taj Mahal, we were met by this imposing red and white structure that…

Asia

The sanctuary that is Dharamshala

By Wangechi Gitahi

Dharamshala means “religious sanctuary” or “rest house” in Hindi. This place is indeed a refuge for several religious pilgrims as evidenced by the numerous buddhist monks living here, it being home to the youngest Dalai Lama as well as several refugee Tibetans. It is located in the Himachal Pradesh area towards the mountain region and is crowded with oak and conifer trees thus being a very cool and serene place. My highlights of Dharamshala 1.Visit McLeod Ganj It is famous for being home to the Dalai Lama and several Tibetan exiles and monks. As you walk around the place, you will easily meet with several Tibetans and Buddhist monks and if you are lucky, you may get a chance to actually see and hear the Dalai Lama address the people. 2) Learn about Tibet and its people The Dharamshala area is a haven for many exiled Tibetans and is refered…

Asia

Go wild in Shimla

By Wangechi Gitahi

It is the capital of the Himachal Pradesh State. It was known as the summer home for the Europeans during colonization, who retreated here whenever the temperatures rose in other states. It is in the mountains and thus quite cool and the scenery of the Himalaya Ranges from afar is breathtaking. The buildings have been done to have a somewhat Victorian look and the historic central area is a place of peace as traffic is prohibited. This was and is truly a retreat area. I totally went “wild” in Shimla and recommend you follow suit in the following activities. 1) Head to Kufri This is a hill station about 20km from Shimla and a place I highly recommend. It is more relaxed, there are more people to interact with and learn more about their culture. This is also the place we did crazy stunts as shared below: a)Ride a Yak…

Asia

Hoshiapur-My home away from home

By Wangechi Gitahi

Hoshiapur is a little town located in the North Eastern region of India. The area is generally referred to as Punjab due to having a dominant Punjab community. The closest large city to it is Chandigarh and I was living in a little village called Boothgarh in Hoshiapur. I had traveled over 5500km, moving from a city life in Kenya to rural lifestyle in India, to volunteer teaching children in this region.This was the first time I was away from family and friends, away from my norm and truly, this area changed my life in more ways than one. I met a community that had never seen an African, and a black African at that, yet they took me in as their daughter, sister, granddaughter and friend. I made some of my greatest friendships here, I started breaking stereotypes here and I started discovering another version of me here. Below…

Asia

Welcoming Taipei

By Wangechi Gitahi

My first time to ever hear about Taiwan or even interact with Taiwanese was in 2009, when I had travelled to India to volunteer on a Rural Project. While at the project, I was met with ladies who had the brightest and warmest smiles who were also part of the project. I was the only African on location and the first African and Black at that, that the citizens and the international volunteers had ever seen or interacted with. The Taiwanese ladies went out of their way to make me blend in, feel at home and feel welcome. As the project ended and we all returned back to our countries, we hugged and assured each other we would one day visit each other in our respective homes. First forward to 2011, and one of them told me about the Taiwan Youth Trekkers competition that was run by the Taiwan Youth…