wanderlust

I made it to Mombasa

This past week I took a well deserved break to Mombasa Kenya and here’s how it went. I didn’t jump at the idea to go initially because you know adulting tends to be a nay-sayer of note; but Johannesburg’s cold winter convinced me to go where it was nice and warm. After I bought my plane ticket I thought that was all the preparation I needed to do because I mean you don’t need a visa to travel to other African countries right. Kids take note ignorance is not bliss, I was so lax with my research and I cut it pretty close with vaccinations and medications. Kenya is a yellow fever region therefore you need to get a vaccine and it is advised that this vaccination be done at least 10 days before you leave, but being the *daredevil that I am I got mine 6 days before my trip. *Sidebar I would like to let you know that Google is your friend. After being informed about the need for a vaccination on Saturday night I headed straight to Google to find travel clinics that were open on a Sunday. Lo and behold there was one 2 minutes away from where I live and it was open on Sundays so needless to say I went to bed with a smug “I got this” grin on my face. Woke up the next morning took a walk to the travel clinic and I was told they are out of the yellow fever vaccine and they’d probably get stock sometime during the week *Shock!Horror!Gasp!* I went back to Google and called the other listed clinics with no luck, so I stop calling because I was over hearing no, so I ended up driving to a clinic that Google said is open without even calling ahead. At this point I’m talking to God, the universe and my ancestors simultaneously on some “help a sister out”. I am happy to report that they heard me and I got vaccinated and got my malaria tablets, I was officially clear for take off.

Then things started looking up, the Gautrain station in Sandton let me park my car there for free and on the flight to Nairobi I had a whole row to myself I was literally on cloud nine. When we landed however there was a mess up with my booking and I missed my flight to Mombasa. The airline put me on the next flight( which was 2hours later) with no charge. I was lucky, hella cranky but lucky nonetheless. When I landed at the airport in Mombasa and the first thing I saw was a board with my name on it I knew God,the universe and my ancestors were all looking out for me. It was smooth sailing from then on.

I Love Paris

Ever since I could remember I have been drawn to Paris, but to be honest as time went by I fell in love with the idea of it more than anything else. I avoided going there over the years in fear that it would not live up to the dream, the idea I had created in my head. But since I am in the year of yes I figured oh well Ofentse its time to take Nike’s advice and JUST DO IT and boy am I glad I did.

What I did may have seemed crazy to some… going to a foreign country where you don’t speak the language all by myself. Crazy or not I did it and loved every second of it.I would like to say for the record Paris lived up to my imagination, it was whimsical quirky and cool in other words the city version of me.

I went full blown tourist out there guys as you can see from my happy snaps:

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Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset Le Palais Royal

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thumb_SAM_1478_1024 Louvre Museum

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And I fell madly in love with the Eiffel Tower day and night.

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thumb_SAM_1533_1024 The stairs leading to the Sacré-Cœur

Montmartre was a workout for sure with all the stairs and everything being uphill but I did enjoy how busy and vibrant it was.

The streets were lined with artists sketching cheesy tourists like myself.

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Thank you Paris I will be back again that is for sure. 20170924_135956

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Through my lens

When I was in varsity this one dude asked me “how are you going to enjoy seeing the world with a camera stuck to your face?” that question always confused me. I love taking pictures everywhere I go, its like freezing a single moment and when you look back at that picture you have that same feeling over again. I’m happiest when I’m traveling and the pictures remind me of those happy moments and I honestly cannot wait to capture more happy moments. So I hope this answers old boy’s question.

Here are a few of my immortalized memories:

DUBAI

NEW YORK

MIAMI

VIENNA

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GRAZ

And here’s to many more memories 😉

Mozambique pt4

We spent our last night in Xai Xai which is a few hours away from Tofo (yes another long drive). The drive was both interesting and lovely though, we stopped to take roadside pics outside Inhambane.

Not sure what the occasion here was. (The streets of Inhambane)

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When we got to Xai-Xai however the weather was not so great it rained 😦 . The weather did not stop the shoppers though we still hit the Xai-Xai market for fabric (this market was less intrusive than Tofo market) . We then checked into the Xai-Xai Eco Estate which is literally on the beach, and spent our last day indoors. These pics were taken the next morning before heading home.

Processed with VSCO with c1 preset Processed with VSCO with kk2 preset Xai-Xai Eco Estate The view from the balcony

We stopped for Breakfast in Maputo where the girls did more shopping (yeah this lot can shop ya’ll).

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All in all the trip was so much fun thanks to Omphe,Bathabile,Zandi,Ntokozo,Siviwe,Kefilwe, Prudence,Phaka and Singatha. I highly recommend the Zulu Nomad crew guy but be prepared for the long drives, you have been warned.

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Mozambique Trip pt3

Day 3 we woke up at the crack of dawn to take a dhow boat tour which included snorkeling and shell picking on Pansy island before heading to Survivor island for a traditional lunch and to meet the chief.

The reason we went that early was because it was low-tide so we can actually walk around the island and stuff because come high tide that sucker disappears under the water.

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Processed with VSCO with hb2 preset Clear blue water on Pansy island, soooooooooo pretty.

Then it was lunch time on Survivor island.

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Processed with VSCO with c1 preset The group leaving Survivor island

Mozambique Trip pt2

Our first adventure was a quadbike tour from Barra to Tofo which was so much fun. I’m not gonna lie it started off shaky but towards the end we felt like we were in DMX’s Ruff Ryders Anthem video on some STOP…DROP…Shut em down open up shop OOOOH… NOOO… That’s how Ruff Ryders Roll!!!!!!

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Took a quick water break at Dino’s Beach Bar before joining the rest of the gang for lunch at the beach, how dope is the view here while sipping on some water?

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Then it was time for lunch where the view was just as pretty Processed with VSCO with c1 preset

Then off to the market in Tofo. Be warned the market is hella overwhelming, you walk in and you are immediately flocked by 7 vendors at a time. Also bring your haggling game because everything at the market is negotiable, everything.

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Yeah I know it was a jam packed day 😉

Mozambique Trip pt1

Hey good people here is the rundown on the trip I took to Moz with Zulu Nomad. Going on this trip was nerve-wrecking for 2 reasons : 1) I was going on a 5 day trip with people I don’t know total strangers guys, and 2) I struggle with driving long distance.

So there we were at the meet up point at 3am introducing ourselves from our respective ubers, a couple of hours later we were bonding over the fact that we hate long drives(sorry for leading the nag team Phaka) and we also bonded over the fact that we could buy 1gig of data for R20(Score!!!!). 16 Hours later we checked in to the Palm View Lodge in Barra/Tofo and the adventure began.

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Allow me to introduce myself…..

My name is Ofentse but they call me Fancy and all I really want to do is travel . So this blog is going feature a lot of travel, where I’ve been, where I wanna go and my life in between. I’m kinda still finding myself as well hence the name of the blog * wink wink* .I also realize that this should have been my first post but my blog my rules or my blog no rules rather. I’m not much of a writer so it will be mostly pictures (you’re welcome). Here are some images that encapsulate where my head is at:

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Introducing: Travelbug Stokvel

So I decided that 2017 is the year for travel and adventure and I met up with two young ladies who promise to help me in my plight, they go by the name Travelbug Stokvel.

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Introduce yourselves:

We are Travelbug Stokvel: Jabulile Koapa and Sophie Maaroganye.

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We have known each other for 14 years now, we met at Vega, the school of brand communication where we had the opportunity to work together on creative projects, from there a friendship was formed, and now, we have partnered into a passion venture for travel.Our passion for travel and creative background has led us to find ways to provide people with access to travel that will form an inherent part of their lives by removing the barriers to save and plan for a trip successfully.We have a view that travel is not merely spending money carelessly, but it is an investment to oneself. And if done the right way, it is rewarding in terms of broadening ones views and how one relates and engages with the world and those who live in it.

How did the idea for the Travelbugstokvel come about?

We love to travel, and if we could travel at every chance we get, we definitely would do it. But then again, we don’t always have the money or the discipline to save up for it. This was one way we thought of making it possible, saving over a long term with like minded people, with a common goal in mind, that’s how Travelbug Stokvel came about, it is saving for travel collectively.

Does the Travelbugstokvel have a target market? Is there a certain demographic?

The primary traveler we are looking at is young people, who are employed and those who are young at heart. This is for someone who has thought about travelling and has not had the opportunity to, because of the existing barriers to travel. Or someone who already loves to travel but would like to do more of it.

What is the limit to the number of people per trip?

We are currently catering for 28 people per trip. It’s a good number for diversity.

How do you select the travel destinations?

So far, the travel destinations we have selected are the ones we have been to and loved. And so, we are confident that we will offer our travelers a good experience.

How many trips do you plan/organise per year?

Since this is our inception year, we are looking at 2 group trips. One within the African continent and the other outside of the continent. We aim to strike the balance between the two destinations, whilst we give access to travel abroad – to Eurocentric countries, we also feel that it is imperative that we also bring focus to our own continent.

Are there activities planned for the trips?

Yes, there will be an itinerary for each trip. This will offer a fine balance between own time to explore and staying with the group. After all, it is the travelers holiday, they do not need to feel stifled by being in a group at all time. So, group activities will take place and some days will be up to the traveler to explore at their leisure.

For more info: Email us at travelbugstokvel@gmail.com or follow us on Instagram @travelbugstokvel and Facebook