Africa

Ile Goree Island, Senegal

When I was in Dakar for a work meeting, I had the chance to take a cultural excursion with my colleagues and the natural choice was Ile Gor?e. As a small island just 3.5 km from the mainland, it had been used as a hub for the competing European powers during the...

Things My Masai Safari Guide Taught Me

The vast savannah and prolific wildlife in Masai Mara were breath-taking and I brought so many unforgettable memories back home. The feeling is truly something to be experienced than to be expressed. The national reserve offers much more than the famous Big 5. While...

A Traffic Signal in Praslin, Seychelles

The island of Praslin is an unspoiled tropical paradise boasting some of the best beaches in the world. I could spend hours admiring the crystal-clear waters of varying shades of blue. I also spent hours driving in Praslin though I usually do not like to drive. But...

Mauritania – Rail Journey to Atar

A blazing blue sky that is so far above you can see into the universe's soul. Not a cloud for miles. I'm standing at the window of a small white cement hut with a bakery sign painted on its side, it stands alone alongside my dusty road, in the middle of a wide-open...

Zanzibar?s Mixed Culture and Rich History

A solid coat of humidity hit me as soon as the airplane doors opened and a lush green view of Zanzibar came into focus. While technically a part of Tanzania, the island, I knew, is vastly different in its history and culture so I excitedly hopped on a dala-dala, a...

Living Quite Local in Mbale, Uganda

Before I was set to start a new job in Morocco, I had just enough time to find a meaningful way to spend two months. Determined to explore more of sub-Saharan Africa, I found a small Ugandan NGO advertising for volunteers in exchange for ?free room and board?....

Ngondo Festival in Cameroon

Imagine my surprise when I heard that one of the largest cultural events in Cameroon, my newest home, would take place just after I arrived, and in my city of Douala! The Ngondo water-centric festival is normally held throughout November but would culminate on the...

The Fabled Island of La Digue

Gorgeous beaches and relaxing vibes are two things that an ideal Island holiday is comprised of. This is exactly what I anticipated before visiting the Indian Ocean gem, Seychelles, a couple of years back. And what the island of Mahe gave me was at par with my...

A Different Life, Lobamba Swaziland

The paved highway provided a stark contrast to what I anticipated when I entered the small country of Swaziland, on the southeastern corner of the African continent. While I had expected some modern amenities and hotels, I had read intriguing stories about visits to...

Safari Bliss with Big Cats in Ndutu, Tanzania

Ever since my first safari in South Africa, on each subsequent safari, I have been so bold as to have a particular animal that I hope to see and I tell my guide (knowing, of course, they have no control over what wildlife chooses to present itself). So on my recent...

“No Time for the Lion Park”
Nairobi Airport, Kenya

Kenya Airways Customer Service Counter "? Nairobi Airport, 6:00 a.m. "Good morning. I've just arrived on the delayed flight from Antananarivo in Madagascar and need to rebook …"? "Welcome to Kenya, sir. I hope you have a wonderful stay in...

Welcome to a Yòrubá Engagement

A Yòrubá Engagement Preparing for the event Rain fell before our Yòrubá engagement. Not hard but just enough to give us a few minutes to collect ourselves and observe the world through tinted windows. A few feet away uninvited cameramen stand in the light rain waiting...