For once, Africa has an image advantage Also published as an op-ed under Speaking Heads in The Economic Times on 2020-10-17 As the world reopens, and leisure tourism gradually resumes, African countries have a competitive…
Browsing Category Travel
Travel opens your eyes, and widens your horizons. Since childhood, travel has has been my passion.
Colombo (Sri Lanka Part 5)
We had a fast car this time, so the ride to from Galle to Colombo was a breeze. We arrived in the early afternoon, at the Mandarina Colombo Hotel. Mandarina Colombo Hotel This centrally located,…
Galle (Sri Lanka Part 4)
A 3-day culinary journey in Galle The journey from Kandy to Galle started late, and took the better part of the day. Most of the time was spent on the congested, winding road between Kandy…
Kandy (Sri Lanka Part 3)
The beautiful town of Kandy is famous for its lake, and for the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic – a holy site where one of the Buddha’s teeth is kept. Kandy is also the…
Sigiriya (Sri Lanka Part 2)
Sigiriya, eponymous to the rock which has become the hallmark of Sri Lanka, is also known for its elephants, and for the nearby Dambulla Cave Temple. Aliya Resort and Spa Aliya Resort and Spa features…
Sri Lanka Vacation Part 1 – Nairobi-Colombo in 11 hours
Sri Lanka means the Resplendent Island. A fitting name for this paradise on Earth. This vibrant cultural melting pot is as friendly and welcoming as it is lush and beautiful. The cultural and historic wealth…
Restaurants in Diani
Restaurants worth exploring: How to make your days in South Coast a culinary delight After some lovely days of relaxing and culinary exploration in Malindi, we were heading southwards, to Diani. Until the upcoming Southern…
St. Thomas Royal Palm – not there yet!
I like describing places as hidden gems. Probably because that is what we look for. St. Thomas Royal Palm might soon be one. For now, in gem analogies, it is an uncut one. Well, hidden…
Two hidden restaurant gems on the beach in Mayungu
Day 4 and 5 of our Christmas road trip: taking it easy, but still on a mission to explore. Mayungu, between Malindi and Watamu, features two beach restaurants. Such places can be real hidden gems,…
Tsavo East and Aruba Lodge
When our 2019 Christmas plans suddenly changed for reasons beyond our control, we had the option of spending the festive season in Nairobi, or improvise something. Spontaneity it was! The Kenya Coast is generally fully…
Monsoons – one of the best beach restaurants in Africa!
Sublime beach restaurant off the beaten track Getting to Monsoons is a journey, through the busy town of Mtwapa, and some good 20 minutes down a rough and bumpy dirt road. It is worth the…
Road trip to Mombasa
The 490 kms of road between Nairobi and Mombasa can take 6-7 hours with good driving conditions. While there are no major stopover attractions along the road, it is a scenic drive. About 100 kms…
Nyege Nyege Festival: Jinja on fire!
The quiet town of Jinja, commonly known as the source of the Nile, has become home to a new attraction which keeps increasing in popularity. Launched in 2015, the Nyege Nyege festival has become a…
Tiwi Beach – off the beaten track in Kenya
If you are a seasoned traveler in Kenya, you may feel that Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu are “been there done that“, and that Diani has become too touristic too. In that case, Tiwi Beach is…
Al Ain – a Green Haven in the Desert
Al Ain is an oasis city, quite off the beaten track in the Emirates. The Al Ain Oasis and Jebel Hafeet are among the best-known landmarks
El Acebuchal
El Acebuchal, a hidden little village in a narrow valley, with a unqiue Andalucian fusion restaurant as its main attraction
Cedars – A Legend in Kilimani
Cedars is one of very few restaurants in Nairobi that has managed to stay relevant for decades. Back in the Moi era, this Lebanese restaurant was a hangout place for regime bigwigs. It mainly catered…
Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) – future hub for Africa?
JKIA in an advantageous position When Kenya (or the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority, to be precise) finally gained the coveted Category One status in February, it was a game-changer. With Kenya Airways recently obtaining air…
Lunatic Express – New life as a tourist attraction?
Lunatic Express – The Railway that Built a Country Kenya is doubtlessly the only country in history to have been built around a railway line. When construction on the “Lunatic Express” (its official name being…
AfroChic Diani – a hidden gem!
Diani, in South Coast offers a far less congested option compared to the crowded beaches in Nyali, north of Mombasa. While Diani has a couple of mass tourism “machines”, there is also a number of small,…
Diani – Tourism in Kenya Coming of Age
Diani is in the South Coast of Kenya. This generally means anything south of Mombasa. Here, you will find a less crowded alternative to the tourism machinery of the North Coast. Getting to the South…
Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant
A thrilling cave restaurant in the South Coast of Kenya It had been 10 years since our last visit to Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant. Back then, in 2007, the place was a hidden, romantic, and…
Kitagata Hot Springs
Kitagata – a very local attraction in Western Uganda Located about an hour’s drive from Mbarara in Western Uganda, the Kitagata Hot Springs are an important local attraction of the region. I say “local”, because…