You might remember the post about the Lamu trip I did with friends last year? Well... I took my "GoPro" (aka cheap Action Cam) on that trip and decided to film a bit while we enjoyed our beautiful Swahili villa / had amazing sea food dinners / drank beers while in crystal blue water / went on a Dhow sailing trip / hang on a rope behind the dhow etc. I was all excited and started editing, until I somehow managed to spill tea over my laptop and... it crashed. I forgot about the whole video until last week the IT guys at work came to me with a copy of my hard drive they had recovered! Better late then never I guess :) But good news, I discovered the video file was still on there! Yayyy. So I finalized it right away yesterday evening and HERE IT IS! A small disclaimer: I am not really into making videos. I just bought that Action Cam once for fun some years ago and thought it would be nice to bring on some adventures. I learned some basic video editing in uni (I took an audio visual journalism course) and the rest I learned from YouTube tutorials and mostly inspiration from other amazing travel videos that I love love love watching in my free time. Even though this was a bit of a random project, I really enjoyed making this. So please let me know if you have tips and tricks for making travel vids, I am thinking of doing this more videos in the future (and planning to get a better camera)! Enjoy! PS. Make sure you watch the video in High Quality!
0 Comments
Nope, this stunning drone video of Northern Kenya is not mine... I wish it was! I found it on a website called www.airvuz.com and it was shot by Xavier de Diego Perarnau. Northern Kenya seems to be a very under-appreciated part of Kenya and I have to admit that I never made it further north than Eldoret myself, but after seeing this I'm even more sure I really have to go one day! In addition, everyday I find myself day-dreaming watching drone videos and photos during my coffee breaks. I'm seriously thinking of starting to save up for one... What do you guys think, worth to get one? Also, any suggestions for good websites/IG-accounts to feed my daily dose of drone day dreaming? :) April and May had been very busy at work, with a peak in the last week of May including working in the weekends and evenings. But Thursday 1st of June was a public holiday in Kenya that commemorates the day that Kenya attained internal self-rule in 1963, and more importantly gave the opportunity to take off a long weekend (4 days!) and escape the hectics of Nairobi. So Wednesday evening late I hopped on a Modern Coast bus in town, where I met my friend Natasha that was already in the bus coming down from Nakuru. It was gonna be an overnight bus and we hoped to arrive in Mombasa early the next morning, but somehow we managed to get into a huuuuge jam in the middle of the night. Imagine a road in the dark, through a national park. Some truck fell over, and, because this is Kenya, all other trucks, buses coming from both sides try to overtake the place of the accident. Doesn't matter if that means getting off the road and involves some insane driving... So that caused more trucks to fall over or get into accidents and all resulted in being stuck, not moving for two whole hours in a SEVEN rows thick jam, in the middle of the night, in pitch black. At least it was a good moment to catch some more sleep! So we arrived in Mombasa relatively late, around 11 in the morning. Meaning it was a 12 hour bus ride in total. Anyway, we got off the bus in Mombasa town and went straight into squishing into a matatu to get to the ferry. The beach was calling us! But the beach was not ready for us... Literally 1 minute on the ferry it started pouring and there was just no way to stay dry. Off the ferry we ran through a half flooded stairs and road to reach a matatu. The whole road had turned into a river and even the matatu was leaking. This was not the beach weather we ordered! Thank god the weather starting clearing up while we were on our way to our final destination: Msambweni, a small sleepy coastal town south of Diani. In Msambweni we were picked up by Pieter, our Dutch Airbnb host who brought us to his amazing house: Karibishwa Beach House ("a place next to heaven"). Pieter designed the whole house himself and Natasha and I instantly fell in love: it was big, spacious and bright. Decorated with African art and artefacts, and we were lucky enough to get the master bedroom: with a huge bed and view over the pool, palms and beach! After we had a much needed shower and hang all our wet stuff to dry, we enjoyed a lunch made by the amazing chef that works at the house. Unfortunately it was still very cloudy, very windy and even raining a bit. So we stayed indoors, read our books and relaxed. We saw one of the most amazing sunsets that evening, including a rainbow and the brightest orange and pink colors ever! None of the photos we took did justice to how beautiful it was in reality! For dinner we had an amazing 3 meal course of avocado-prawn-horseradish starter, red snapper, veggies and mashed potatoes as a main and pancakes with ice cream and chocolate sauce for dessert. This was definitely one of the best beach dinners I had in Kenya so far! The whole night and morning it remained windy and rainy. We woke up in time for the sunrise and walked onto the beach, and saw 5 minutes of beautiful sky before it all dissapeared behind a big cloud haha. Not very successful, but we saw another full and even double rainbow which made up for it a bit! Later that day, the sky cleared up and we had the perfect afternoon to do what we came for: get in our bikinis, in the pool and the ocean, lay on our sunbeds, have an icecold Tusker and enjoy the sunshine with some music on! Yayy! Finally! After working on our tan (and managing to drop both the speakers and my phone in the water but somehow still had them working) and packing, it was time to go find our next Airbnb before the sun would set. >>> https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5962793 The beach at Karibishwa House was quiet, but now we were really going off grid. Pieter dropped us at Mswambweni hospital from where we hopped on the back of a boda (motor bike taxi) to continue for another half an hour over a super muddy rough ride. Some tight holding on was required to not fall off in the middle of a brown mud puddle, but since it was the end of the afternoon, the golden hour had come and the views over the villages and through the rainforest was stunning. We finally arrived at our destination: Kaya Imani, where we were welcomed by Mama Alice and Amani.
At Kaya Imani we stayed in a simple chalet in the most paradise like place. Once you enter the colorful gate, its like you are walking in a thick green rainforest. It is filled with butterflies and after the rain it felt like the air was so clean. Walking down the path through that forest, we arrived at the chalet next to a huge mango tree that is home of a family of monkeys every morning. Unfortunately the pool was not filled, but it wasn't really necessary anyway because our chalet had a view on the beach! And since this place was so far out and with low season, it was pretty much empty, we couldn't wait to see everything by day light the next day! Because it was getting dark and... we only brought Tuskers and wodka, but no food! And since this area on the coast is predominantly Muslim, and it was Ramadan it meant we were officially foodless! Oh oh... Thank god we had Mama Alice that shared some of her ugali and skuma with us, so we at least didn't have to go to bed hungry. We had a chalet that was made out of two rooms with each a 2-pers bed and a bathroom/shower to it, which was perfect. It was basic but clean, just a lot of mosquitos and ants (and cute baby lizards!) so the mosquito nets over the bed were very helpful. In addition, there was very bad network in this remote little paradise, so we had to go outside to actually send and receive messages which made it an even more peaceful stay if you ask me! The whole first night it rained cats and dogs non-stop, in time for the sunrise it was even so rainy you couldn't even see the horizon over the sea! A tiny bit dissapointed we just stayed in bed most of the morning and relaxed, watching the monkey family eat mangoes in the trees. Around 11am the rain finally stopped and we decided we had to go on a mission to find us some food. We tried calling the boda guys that had dropped us, but they weren't picking so we decided to start walking. Asking people on the way, it seemed like we had to go all the way back to Msambweni town to find something to eat... We started off brave, on our flip flops conquering muddy puddles that covered the roads from one side to another until we saw a small path that went all the way down to the beach and we made the best decision ever to walk over the beach instead of doing half a mud run. After around 45 minutes in the now burning sun and with growling stomachs, we finally arrived at Msambweni and found a little local spot that had some cold soft fries and a soda, which tasted better than ever! The nice thing about it being a small town was that we could just find plenty of small stalls that were selling vegetables, fruits, chapati and eggs. All we needed for the next day. So packed with our groceries we hopped on the back of boda's again and went back to our little paradise. The same as yesterday, the sun started shining all afternoon and in all hours we spend on the beach we only saw one local fisher man and a family. For the rest it felt more like an uninhibited tropical island for ourselves! The only downside was the wind that blew sand in our faces/hair on the beach, so we moved to the sunbeds in the garden which was also great. Kaya Imani is so green, I loved how they kept all the trees around! We honestly didn't do much but relaxing. Enjoying the beautiful beach and nature, sleeping early, no hurry or rushing, I really felt revitalized after those two days we spend there. Unfortunately on Sunday I had to make my way to Mombasa. We went to Stilts Backpackers where Natasha would stay a bit longer, had some lunch and a drink at the Forty Thieves beach bar. Then I really had to say goodbye to Natasha and the beach, because I had a flight back to Nairobi early the next morning. In Mombasa I stayed at the Pride Inn Hotel, ordered some amazing garlic fries and chicken tika wrap from Cafe Mocha and played around with Lightroom to edit some of the stunning photos we took at both Airbnbs. And then the beach trip was already over, but did exactly what it was meant to do: revitalize to go back to Nairobi life and work! >>> https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/5667024 On Saturday afternoon I came back from an unexpected work trip to Moshi. I rushed home from the airport, had a quick shower and threw some clothes in a bag because it was time for the next trip: staying with the Maasai at Mount Suswa, my first trip with Charlie's Travels! Together with Jack, Nyssa and TJ, we left Nairobi with driver George until Mara Gateway in Suswa. There we were picked up by Rueben - the Maasai we were staying with - and his boda buddies. Packed on the back of their motorbikes we started the off-road journey… And it was bumpy! And dusty! We were literally just driving over the rocks and my hands started to have blisters from holding on to the bike so tight and my black backpack and hair had become brown from all the dust. But since we were going uphill and the sun was about the set, it gave us the most amazing view over the valley and Lake Naivasha in the distance. But that also meant it was getting dark quickly, especially in combination with some big rain clouds hanging above the hills. We kept driving on fast because the forecast gave code red because of the expected heavy rains that could cause flash floods and landslides. When the sun had set and it became dark, we at least managed to get passed the rocky part of the journey and we ended up on some sort of dirt road. The driver told us 'we were very close, only 20 minutes left'. But after a few minutes on the dirt road: lightening FILLED the sky. Because we were now on the open plains, it seemed like the whole sky from east to west was filled when lightning struck. And it didn’t take long or rain started pouring down. We hadn’t really prepared for this so we all tried to keep our bags dry, while holding on to the bikes because the roads became all muddy and slippery. My driver gave me a shuka (the red traditional wear from the Maasai) to try and cover myself and my backpack with, but it didn’t help much. There was no other option than to keep driving, since there were not even huts along the way and the indication of 'almost there' was definitely in a Kenyan time frame because I think it took at least another 45 minutes, haha T.I.A.! We finally arrived at Rueben’s house, all soaking wet. But his lovely wife Hilda and super cute baby Victorine waited for us with warm tea, Maasai style made with lots of milk and lots of lots of sugar. We got a surprise bottle of whiskey from Charlie's Travels to make the Maasai tea even more special and that was exactly what we needed after a ride like that! Thanks guys! After warming up from the heat of the jiko (traditional stove) and having some great chapo and ndengu (chapati and lentils) for dinner, Rueben and Hilda left us for the night. And that was when we actually needed that bottle of whiskey again after seeing a big ass spider in our bedroom (I actually slept in the living room with a torch in my hand after that, haha such a hero *not*. But honestly, it was really big... haha). The next morning we were up early enough to see the sunrise and finally even see where exactly we were staying. We hadn't seen anything the night before arriving in the dark and in the pouring rain! So we woke up in our 'manyatta'; a Maasai settlement made up of huts and cattle kraals. This manyatta was Rueben's family, meaning the other houses were all his brothers and their families. The huts are made out wood of plastered with a mixture of water, mud, and cow dung. The Maasai live of their livestock, mostly goats and some cows that during the day graze and at night stay in a kraal made of sticks and wood. The hut we stayed in was relatively 'modern' because it had beds with mattresses and even a solar powered charger block. But for the rest it was back to basics! So... going to the bathroom meant walking somewhere behind a pile of rocks in the field and using wet wipes were our 'showers'. So just in case you are planning on going on this trip, a short lists of items you should definitely bring:
After the hike we returned back to the village where we napped. We were all pretty tired after that hike, haha. The rest of the afternoon we hang out with the kids from the manyatta. They were all very sweet and interested in our camera's, bracelets and tattoos. We played football, volleyball and sang songs with them, which they really seemed to enjoy a lot! We had a dinner of ugali and played cards that night, and again slept early. The next morning we packed our stuff on the boda's again and drove back to Mara Gateway, and from there back to Nairobi.
This was my first trip with Charlie's Travels and I really loved it. Being in Kenya for a bit longer and having experience traveling alone and more 'local' I would never really use a travel agency, but this was actually great because it still had that adventurous part but Charlie has more experience with finding those cool spots and I got great advice in advance on what to bring etc. (And a bottle of whiskey, yayyy haha!) And I honestly loved staying with Rueben and his family, he was so welcoming to let us stay and eat with them. It's not that easy to find such a place to stay by yourself, especially if you like the less commercialized places, but it really made the experience extra special! In addition they also do motorbike and festival travels (which I both hope to do in the next few months yay!), so if you are in for new adventures, you should really check out their website/Facebook or send me a message and I will link you up! >>> www.charlies-travels.com ABecause the long weekend in Zanzibar wasn't enough, the next week I went for another dose of vitamin Beach but this time in Kenya. I haven't seen that much of the Kenyan coast for the time I have been in the country, so I was super excited to go to a new place. With six other friends, we booked flights to Malindi on Friday afternoon and my Airbnb-buddy Nyssa and I found this amazing villa on the beach between Malindi and Watamu called Nyumba Ya Madau.
After a bumpy ride through the villages where the kids would wave and shout 'caramello' (this part of the Kenyan coast has a lot of Italian residents and influences) to the taxi full of wazungu, we arrived at the villa. It was a-ma-zing! First of all we had the whole house for ourselves, 5 bedrooms that sleep up till 10 people and the house itself was stunning. It was made in that Swahili style that I absolutely love, with white walls, a little seat with a library and art on the walls, wood crafted mirrors and furniture, amazing bathroom and I can keep on going. It was just perfect just, look at the photos below :). Luckily, I stayed in what I think was the best room: the first room on the right when you enter, it has doors that open with a view of the sea! So you could actually wake up seeing the sunrise! Thinking back of that room while being back in Nairobi where it's 'winter', I really wanna go back now! The other great thing about going to this place with a group is that it has lots of seating space. There was the little library corner, a big dining table outside, some more chairs and couches with pillows on the patio as well and two big stone seats outside. Upstairs there was another area which was perfect for playing card games in the evening and than a bit further from the house but still inside the fence, there were sunbeds which were perfect for tanning in privacy during the day and star gazing at night. The first day I went looking for starfish with one of the local 'beach boys' and found the cutest little starfish that you could hold on your hand. From the sandbank almost right in front of the villa, there was a perfect view of the sun setting over the palms. The sky was all sorts of pink, orange and yellow and purple and the sea was super clear. We walked back to the house where the chef of the villa had prepared us some nice fresh red snapper and meatballs. It's important to bring your own groceries in advance when you arrive at the place later on the day, since it is a bit further from Malindi town and the supermarkets. You can ask the staff of the house to buy the fresh seafood and fish for dinner but also make sure it's well in advance before dinner! After dinner we played cards and salad bowl upstairs and had a few drinks. Another nice thing is that there is a swimming pool next to the house, its right outside the fence and shared with some other apartments but since it was low season, we were the only people there anyway when we went for a midnight swim. The next day was pretty much the ideal beach-day, consisting of lots of relaxing, reading, working on our tan/sunburn, swimming off the sandbank in incredible warm and clear blue water and a great lunch at one of the local beach restaurants that had amazing fresh seafood platters. Luckily we did, because the food from the chef at the house in the evening was not very special. However, the chocolate mousse he made was pretty good! We had a nice relaxed night where we stargazed on the sunbeds outside, with an iPad app to try find the star signs before we went to bed. The next day we relaxed in the morning, tried to get that tan really on point before going back to cold Nairobi and packed our bags. I think this house was the second best for a group stay after the one in Shela, Lamu. And I liked the beach/ocean a lot, especially because of the sand bank but my friends said Diani was better (I still haven't been so can't judge, haha). Can really recommend this place for a chill getaway with friends, its a bit far from Malindi so not ideal if you are looking for a party weekend. But if you are with a group you can bring your own booze and stay at the house, or walk 5 minutes down the beach to one of the beach bars and you can sure have some fun! >>> https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/298448?location=Malindi%2C%20Kilifi%20County%2C%20Kenya |
A d v e n t u r e s o f
a D u t c h g i r l i n E a s t - A f r i c a. Categories
All
Archives
June 2018
|