Travelinga Trips

Money, money, money, monaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay!

2012-02-20T16:18:00.000-05:00

Money is always an issue when traveling because you want to know how to you tap into your spending power abroad. Some travelingas recommend using credit cards for everything. Others say cash or nothing at all. What do I say? Well...I have used various methods over the years. Traveler's Cheques. True story. Right before 9-11 in New York, I purchased American Express travelers' cheques in the

Ole Sereni Hotel (Nairobi, Kenya)

2012-02-18T01:00:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I did not stay here but I did visit. ...and I loved it! The Ole Sereni hotel is by all appearances a luxury hotel. My friends and I went there to hang out one night and we all loved it. This hotel occupies a nice space in Nairobi bordering a national game park where you can supposedly see wild animals during the day while dining or relaxing by the outdoor pool. I didn't

Review: Hilton Hotel (Nairobi, Kenya)

2012-02-16T22:37:00.000-05:00

Straight, no chaser: Don't stay here. From my many hotel reviews on this blog, my readers can tell that I try to find the best to blog about during my hotel stays. In this case, I was beyond disappointed in the Hilton Nairobi hotel. From the check-in process (where I had to convince the hotel staff for over one hour at 10 p.m. that the room was prepaid while they were trying to charge

Kisumu in a day (Kenya)

2012-02-13T23:20:00.000-05:00

If you want to visit a little town in Kenya, I would recommend Kisumu for a day trip. Kisumu is on the equator so it gets quite hot during the day and chilly at night. You can fly into the newly renovated Kisumu airport if you don't want to drive. While there, you can shop at Nakumatt, canoe on Lake Victoria, eat at Kiboko Bay Resort. I ate at the restaurant at the Resort; they do have a

Review: Hotel Dewchurch Drive (Kisumu, Kenya)

2012-02-11T14:04:00.000-05:00

When I found out that I would be staying at this hotel, I googled it and nothing came up. Well, here is a blog pot for those of you who are considering staying at Hotel Dewchurch Drive. In Kisumu, there are few hotels for tourists. Hotel Dewchurch Drive is a decent hotel. It is a small hotel that is gated and guarded. There are about 12 rooms so reservations are required. Each

Kisumu International Airport (Kenya)

2012-02-09T13:16:00.000-05:00

To get to Busia from Nairobi, the group decided it would be cheaper to fly to Kisumu then drive 2 hours to Busia rather than driving a full 8 hours. I don't often talk highlight airports on my trip but I loved Kisumu's airport so much that I decided to dedicate one blog post to it. We flew Jetlink, a regional airline. The flight lasted 20 minutes, the shortest flight of my life.

Keeping Healthy While Traveling

2012-02-08T16:46:00.003-05:00

During trips abroad, my health always comes to the forefront of my mind because who wants to be sick while traveling?!??! Not me. So here are a few thoughts to help you prepare for health concerns when traveling. Pre-trip: 1. Know thyself first! Tell your physician that you plan to travel and discuss your options. This is important if you recently had surgery, have a medical implant device

Random images of Nairobi

2012-02-07T13:07:00.000-05:00

A mall in Nairobi: Westgate

2012-02-05T15:00:00.000-05:00

There is nothing like spending a day at the mall with a gal pal! My friend and I decided to spend some time at Westgate Mall in Nairobi. I loved it! I felt so at home. Outside, parking is a beast (a sign of a good mall). Glad we got there early! Once inside, you will see that it has several levels and is quite spacious. As a tourist, first things first: exchange money!

Review: Carnivore Restaurant

2012-02-02T14:44:00.000-05:00

While in Nairobi, I got to eat at the popular Carnivore restaurant. Prior to arriving in Africa, it was actually on my list of places to visit so I was very excited when I was invited out to dinner there. Upon entering, you see various types of meat being roasted on skewers. The whiff would drive you nuts! It all smelled so good. The menu is consists of well.....meat! From

Busia Compassionate Children's Centre

2012-01-30T14:27:00.000-05:00

While in Kenya, I had the opportunity to visit an orphanage in a town called Busia. Busia is a small town that has roots in Uganda and Kenya; as in, you will find a Busia town in both Uganda and Kenya along the border. While there, my group met with the founder of the orphanage, played with the kids, and spoke to the volunteer staff. Meet Stella. A 39-year-old mother of four and

Check out my blog post @ Kiwi Collection!

2012-01-27T11:49:00.000-05:00

Check out my guest post on Kiwi Collection's blog! I was honored to share my experience at The Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Afterall, Kiwi arranged for my stay there! Thanks, Kiwi!

Safari in Kenya

2012-01-25T11:45:00.001-05:00

By seeing animals in their natural habitat, I felt such a connection to Mother Nature. Everyone should get the chance to go on a safari. I really enjoyed my experience.

Last Names First

2012-01-17T10:06:00.002-05:00

Recently, I had a brief email exchange with a friend in Kenya about names. Here is an unedited snippet. ________________________ It's interesting how people are socialized. When I first landed in Africa, I didn't realize it was common to refer to last names first until a few days into my trip. People would say, "My name is Akello Betty" or "I am Wangai Tom", etc. Because I'm not familiar

Article: Woman Claims Hotel Gave Drunken Man Her Room Key

2012-01-11T19:00:00.000-05:00

I just read a disturbing article (below) about hotel security. Unfortunately in 2010, I too was the victim of a hotel chain in National Harbor, Maryland providing keys to my room to complete strangers! I provided a review about my experience on tripadvisor.com. Reading this article brought back memories and the desire to warn EVERYONE not just women or business travelers to use the door

My 100th post! Caption this picture!

2012-01-10T02:00:00.000-05:00

In honor of my 100th post, I thought I'd let you chime in. How would you caption this? :)

The little ones.

2012-01-09T09:52:00.000-05:00

On my trip, I met tons of people. Adults mostly, I couldn't help but notice the kids. Too often, African kids are displayed in Western media as sickly, hungry, and sad (I'm not denying the existence of children in dire conditions but there should be a balance). Most of the kids I met were so happy. They all melted my heart! Sons and daughters of friends. Children at an orphanage (more on that

Hotel Review: The Tribe - Nairobi, Kenya

2012-01-04T01:30:00.000-05:00

Before I left for Africa, I was most excited about my stay at the highly rated Tribe Hotel in Nairobi, Kenya. Thanks to Eva at the Kiwi Collection, I was able to spend my first night in Kenya in true bliss. From the moment you enter beyond the glass doors, you are enveloped in pure luxury. The details in the interior design, architecture, landscaping, and accommodations are

How to fund trips!

2012-01-03T16:24:00.000-05:00

Someone asked me the following question and I thought to do a blog post in response. I noticed that you have a travel blog where you went to Kenya and USVI. What advice could you give me on how to prepare financially to travel? I would like to travel more but I do not have money set aside to do so. Excellent question! I love to travel and my travels have been funded through different means.

Kenya!

2012-01-02T12:08:00.000-05:00

Ok so after a great time in Uganda, I ventured over to Kenya. I flew out of Entebbe Airport in Uganda and headed for Jomo Kenyatta Airport in Nairobi. I was a bit nervous flying a local airline as I heard so much about how African airlines don't meet certain safety standards, often have delays, regularly overbook flights, etc. I was on guard. There are two main airlines to choose from when

Happy New Year! Welcome 2012!

2012-01-01T01:26:00.003-05:00

May your days be blessed, your spirit renewed, and your travels safe in 2012.

Murchison Falls National Park

2011-12-30T10:30:00.000-05:00

One of the highlights of my trip to Uganda was visiting Murchison Falls National Park. This national park is located in the northwestern region of Uganda. Murchison has different lodges around the perimeter of the Park for guests to stay overnight, dine, or rest in between safari drives. I stayed at Paraa and Chobe lodges; I highly recommend both. While staying at either lodge,

Only two days left to give! Donate today!

2011-12-29T11:49:00.000-05:00

In the US, taxpayers have until Dec. 31 of every year to make taxable donations to worthwhile nonprofits. Over the course of this year, I have personally encountered a few that I believe would put funds donated to good use. Don't delay! You only have two days left to make a donation that could really benefit children, wildlife, or entire communities. Here are my recommendations. Busia

Greetings to all! Merry Christmas to many :)

2011-12-25T01:00:00.000-05:00

This greeting was forwarded to me and I thought...how fitting! So to all my readers.....read on! Cheers. _____________________________________________________________________________ Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter

Random Ugandan Pics

2011-12-23T12:48:00.000-05:00