International Travel Blogger – Wangechi Gitahi Travels

Travel Tips

10 hair care tips for travellers

By Wangechi Gitahi

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…

Africa

The animal haven that is Amboseli National Park

By Wangechi Gitahi

Amboseli National Park is found in Oloitoktok, which is in Kajiado county in Kenya. The park is famous for being home to large herds of Elephants and like Maasai Mara National Reserve, it extends into Tanzania. The park is also famous as it is located at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro, thus offering guests a look at the majestic mountain, without having to climb it. I was excited as we ventured into Amboseli National Park, as I really wanted to see herds and herds of elephants, which is what the park is famous for. Elephants are indeed interesting animals everything from having great memories, to being gigantic in size but equally as soft in nature. They tend to live in communities and everyone takes care of everyone. The head of the home is interestingly, the oldest female in the group, thus making them a matriarchal society. They have been known…

Asia

Cultural Wulai

By Wangechi Gitahi

Wulai means hot springs in the Atayal tribe and is a town situated in the mountain area of Taiwan. The area is cool, serene, and very beautiful. I was drawn to it more by the fact that the majority of the residents are the older generation and thus lots of history and culture to learn. I was pleasantly surprised to learn that the government offers free bus rides to the senior citizens on specific days of the week to travel to and from Taipei to Wulai. My highlights were: a) The scenery The landscape which is mainly mountainous, is covered in green cover and rained while I visited. I enjoyed walking through the area and watching the descending fog cover the hill tops.This town is famous for their hotsprings but I didn’t get a chance to sample them due to the weather. b) The Delicacies: You have to sample some if…

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

Homely Pingtung

By Wangechi Gitahi

After enjoying Taipei for sometime, I chose to venture southwards to Pingtung, that is also referred to as Pingdong. I really liked this place as the people were super warm, the landscape really serene and there was lots to learn about their culture, especially due to the high older generation population. The below is what I got up to, feel free to follow suit. a)Engage with the people I was privileged to have a home stay experience courtesy of my friends Katys grand parents. These two opened their hearts and home to me and I will forever be grateful that I eventually started calling them grand ma and grand pa. It was interesting watching people observe grandma and I conversing with each other, her in Chinese, me in English, yet we completely understood each other.They became my tour guides and showed me all around the town and its outskirts. May…

Asia

Blast from the past in Melaka

By Wangechi Gitahi

Melaka also referred to as Melacca is a beautiful city located to the South of Malaysia. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is currently my favourite place in Malaysia as it is full of culture. There are many old buildings, some in their natural old state with others having been rehabilitated by the government. Things to do in Melaka/Melacca 1.Visit the historical buildings a) I got to visit Christ Church Melaka, which is the oldest functioning Protestant Church in Malaysia. Its construction begun in 1741 and was completed in 1743. It has been beautifully refurbished and one of the main buildings you will see upon arrival. b) A FAMOSA This was a former Portuguese fortress that was built in 1511 and is the oldest surviving European architectural remains in South East Asia. It was partly renovated by the Dutch and as you walk around it, you can see…

Asia

Shocking Penang

By Wangechi Gitahi

Penang is located on the North Western coast of Malaysia and is the second largest city. Its capital city George town is one of the oldest towns in Malaysia and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you move around the town you will at times feel like you took a time travel into the past. My Highlights : 1)History and culture George Town is classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a walk through the town will enable you to appreciate its history and culture. The area is inhabited more by the older generation and most of the buildings are really old. The government however, has tried to restore some of them. 2) Sweetenham Pier Cruise Terminal: This place is a beauty to behold. This is both the entry point and exit points of those travelling here over water. The pier handles millions of passengers yearly from the public…

Asia

Kuala Lumpur

By Wangechi Gitahi

My arrival into Malaysia was met by excitement, pomp and galore, I actually felt like a VIP. How had the government learnt of my arrival and therefore planned for me to be received by a group of Malaysian Dancers, to be welcomed by their songs and dances and get an immediate fix of my cultural appeal. I wish this greeting was all mine, but instead, it was for all visitors arriving at that time as they were promoting their tourism campaign-Visit Malaysia 2014. I was in Kuala Lumpur for very few hours but managed to experience the below: Petronas towers: A trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia would not be complete without a visit here. It held the title of the tallest building in the world while having 88 floors from 1998-2004 and still holds the title of the worlds tallest twin towers. Batu Caves: It is prominently known for the…