wan•der•lust

ˈwändərˌləst

Noun - a strong desire to travel

Once in a while, you are bitten by the wanderlust bug and like any budget conscious traveller, you look for travel packages that offer great value without denting your bank account. Well at least not too much. Not to worry though, we’ve picked 3 exceptional destinations for less than KSh 10,000 per night. 

1. Lake Manyara Serena Safari Lodge - Tanzania (USD 82)

(Image courtesy - www.kuoni.co.uk)

First up, a Serena property. Located at the uniquely named town of ‘Mto wa Mbu’, the Lake Manyara Safari lodge offers a one of kind mix of high - adventure sports and a relaxing safari experience. The luxurious lodge features an infinity pool with picturesque views of the alkaline lake. Activities on offer include mountain biking, forest walks, canoeing and night game drives. You can also take a day trip to the Ngorongoro Crater.

Perched on a hill, on the edge of the Olive Forest where the Nakuru National Park meets the little town of Njoro is Lake Nakuru Sopa Lodge. Up on that hill, guests are served a fantastic view of the lake and its luscious green surroundings. If you are looking for a pampered getaway then this is it.  

Image credits: http://www.sopalodges.com/lake-nakuru-sopa-lodge/photo-gallery

Manu Dibango at Koroga was LIT!

Hot on the heels of Koffi Olomide’s electrifying performance in March, Koroga served up some of Nairobi’s best live acts.

The beloved children's show Tinga Tinga tales came alive over the April Holidays as a great cast put together a one-of-a-kind musical show. From the 23rd of March to the 22nd of April 2016, kid's across Nairobi danced, sang along and watched as their favorite animals got themselves into and out of various hilarious situations.

If you are on Facebook, SnapChat or Instagram, you’ve probably noticed an increase in photos and videos of glorious views, airplane wing shots and of course, the mandatory runway shot. The posts are usually accompanied by a hashtag #vacay #fastjet #JamboJet #milehighclub #goodlife etcetera etcetera

Grab your sunglasses and safari boots people, you may soon be able to get in some serious vacation time for a lot less thanks to an initiative by the Kenya Tourism Board.

In an effort to bolster domestic tourism, the Kenya Tourism Board (KTB) has reached out to local tourism industry players for all-inclusive holiday packages. The initiative dubbed 'Jaza Ndege' will see partnerships between domestic airlines, hotels and the government to offer subsidized rates for Kenyan tourists. The offers will be advertised on popular radio stations and posted on the KTB website with Kenyans being encouraged to participate fully and take advantage of the low season offers.

If you rise at dawn, and the 13 degree temps do not deter you, head on down to the lounge area and get a cup of tea - Kericho gold, nothing else. Take your cup and find a bench, I recommend the one with a free standing ashtray near the first tent. Sit down, take a deep breath and witness the magic of a Sweetwaters Serena Camp Ol Pejeta morning.

Vibrant oranges and mystic greys fill the sky as night gives in to day. Just beyond the watering hole, in the horizon, Mount Kenya rises in all her glory, her 3 distinct peaks - Batian, Nelion and Point Lenana - showing in the dawn light. It’s an awe inspiring and humbling sight.

It’s very quiet at this hour, except the hub-hub of sleepy tourists trying to quickly drink something hot before they head out for the 6.30 am game drive. They all hope to spot doa-doa ya juu and doa-doa ya chini, the local description for the very elusive leopard and cheetah .

 What’s your plot this weekend? How about attending American singing group Dru Hill’s concert on Saturday October 24th at The Carnivore to celebrate PRC’s fifth anniversary?

The Property Reality Company has been in the property market for five years, during which it has realized the land and home ownership dreams of hundreds of Kenyans. To mark this feat, PRC are having Dru Hill and group lead singer Sisqo perform soul, hip hop and gospel hits from their popular, rich and diverse repertoire of the late 90s into the new millennium in a concert dubbed The Plot. See what they did there? Dru Hill was founded in 1992 in Baltimore Maryland by Tamir "Nokio the N-Tity" Ruffin and comprised of lead Mark "Sisqo" Andrews, Larry "Jazz" Anthony and James "Woody Rock" Green.

The season is here with us again…the greatest show on earth! A captivating and dramatic movement of about half a million wildebeests from the drier lands in Tanzania to the Masai Mara. This natural phenomenon attracts thousands of local and international visitors, and has been named the seventh wonder of the world. A wonderful experience for those looking to Tembea Kenya

The wildebeests (also known as gnu) move from Serengeti-Tanzania in search of rich pastures and reach the Mara River crossing point in thousands. The wildebeest are accompanied by gazelles and zebras during this great trek.

As promised, we did some research on some of the activities that you can do while in Watamu. If you missed the first edition of our two-part series, read up on it here. Now that we're on the same page, lets discuss additional things that you can do while in Watamu.

Snorkelling

Watamu National Marne Park is populated by anglefish,butterfly fish,grouper,guitar fish,lion fishing parrot fish.The reefs also provide a home for crabs, eels, octopus, sponges and squids. Although these waters have few  if any dangerous species,you should still watch out for barracuda, jellyfish and in some areas, reef sharks. (Thank goodness Piranhas are not on the list! Nothing puts a damper on the holiday spirit quite like a severed limb).