It’s time to reflect on some of our favourite travel moments of 2018 while making plans for new adventures in 2019. Leroy Buliro checks in with some travel enthusiasts who gave us major wanderlust the past year.
Nasrin Suleiman
What was your favourite trip of the year?
NS: I have travelled to the UAE countless times but going to Dubai this year was so special because it was with family. Family trips are fun, especially one with 19 people – my parents, siblings, nieces and nephews! The last time I went on such a trip was eight years ago when we took a road trip across India.
The perks of travelling with a family of various age groups include doing everything together under one itinerary. We all love adventure, from hitting water parks, amusement parks (I’m a roller coaster junkie), desert safaris, exploring the city and shopping in the local markets. The toughest part was doing it all in the Dubai summer heat.
What’s on your 2019 travel bucket-list?
NS: I love experiencing different cultures and exploring the ocean. There are so many places that I am yet to visit and my goal for 2019 is to cross off a few, such as Turkey, Portugal and even my country, Tanzania. I reside on the island of Zanzibar and there is still so much to explore on the mainland.
Mutua Matheka
What was your favourite trip of the year?
MM: I am part of the Unscrambling Africa team and this year we set off on a groundbreaking journey that took us to 10 capital cities in Southern Africa, documenting urban culture and architecture. One of the countries that caught my eye was Namibia. This is a desert country so we were lucky to have a 4×4 Land Rover. Our first stop was Windhoek which is surrounded by beautiful hills. The varying topography of the entire city was just breathtaking. The population is about 400,000 people and the personal space was just immense, and I loved that as a photographer. For the food, I really enjoyed sinking my teeth into Kapana which is like barbequed beef.
Our next stop after Windhoek was 350 Km away to Swakopmund, then Dune 7. It’s one of the biggest dunes in the world and is also the intersection area between the Namibian coastline and the desert. We trekked to the top of the dune with our cameras just to catch the sunset. Our Namibian trip ended at Fish River Canyon where we spent the night relaxing at Ai-Ais hot springs.
What’s on you’re 2019 travel bucket-list?
MM: 2019 for me will be about revisiting all the 10 countries we visited during the Unscrambling Africa trip and going on tour. Think of it as an appreciation to all the cities that accommodated us by setting up exhibitions, sharing the book we are working on as well as pictures taken along the way.
Suraj Mandavia
What was your favourite trip of the year?
SM: That would be the weekend of July 20th in Budapest, Hungary, where I went on a European tour with two fellow Kenyan DJs. This was my first visit to Hungary. On arrival, we explored the Hungarian parliament building, the Chain Bridge and the Danube Promenade, a place rich in historic landmarks. The next morning we set off for Napozo for an open-air festival, CityMatine, where I was scheduled to perform. The audience welcomed me with open arms and we partied the afternoon away till sunset. I wish I could do it all over again!
Before departure, we decided to explore the city’s streets. We checked out the Citadella Fortress located at the top of the Gellert Hill; the trek was a bit of a struggle but the view at the top was absolutely worth it. After dinner on that last evening, we packed all our gear and rushed to hop onto the OBB Railjet, the most modern high-speed train I’ve ever boarded. 2.5 hours later we got to our next destination, Wien Hauptbahnhof in Vienna, Austria.
What’s on your 2019 DJ tour and travel bucket-list?
SM: I’m touring South Africa in January followed by another six weeks in Europe performing in Vienna, Berlin, Barcelona, Budapest and Paris. It’s been a dream to also perform in Portugal and visit South and Central America. The Latin influence in these countries infuses well with the music I play and produce.
Mia Collis
What was your favourite trip of the year?
MC: That was during the making of the book, The Unsung Heroes, in collaboration with the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. My job was to go out with the elephants at the crack of dawn and photograph them in Ithumba at Tsavo National Park. Here, orphaned elephants are at their next stage of reintegration back into the wild.
On one particular shoot day in Ithumba, we were joined by a completely wild herd of elephants. The keepers knowingly set us to walk on the opposite side of the orphaned herd while they stayed with the wild elephants that morning. We were all heading for the 11:00am milk feeding program at the waterhole. This could have been mayhem given the number of both orphaned and wild elephants that kept increasing their pace towards the keepers who were holding the milk bottles.
One courageous keeper called Galagalo gently split the herd and guided the wild one around the back entrance to the waterhole while the rest of us branched off towards the milk area. After the feeding program, we all then reunited at the waterhole. It was astonishing to witness this event.
What’s on your 2019 travel bucket-list?
MC: Perhaps something entirely different like Alaska or British Columbia where my partner lives. To go on a bear safari to see the Spirit Bears would be amazing. They are this small population of completely white bears, a subspecies of the American black bear living in the North Coast region of British Columbia. To see whales swimming in the North Pacific Ocean would also be incredible to witness.
