#TosynTravels By the deserts of Saint Louis...

I went to Senegal in March. It was a quick and brief trip as i had only a few days off work and also had to host #TosynsBuzzLive, well live, on Pulse.

Brief but well worth it.

I think it is interesting that not all Africans travel within Africa, especially around countries where as Nigerians for example, we do not need visas. There are actually a lot of countries, for example, ECOWAS countries, where Nigerians can enter without visas and they are beautiful places.

There is a lot to s.h.a.r.e about my trip to Senegal so expect to see little posts from time to time. Today, i would like to s.h.a.r.e specifically about Saint Louis.

Saint Louis is also known as 'Ndar' in Wolof and is home to the famous Saint Louis Jazz Festival which i unfortunately missed this year but will pencil down for next year by His Grace.

Saint Louis is a simple place, with narrow roads s.h.a.r.ed by cars like the taxi that drove us there, bicycles and horses and carriages. It was fascinating to see horses, not in the randomly grazing on a field or playing polo context, but actually on the road beside me, taking people to work.
On the side of some roads was water water water with canoes and people fishing.

We stayed at the beautiful Hotel Mermoz which really was my favourite of all the hotels i stayed in there. First the rooms were simple, spacious and had a home feel to them, but the real joy was all the sand and sea we were surrounded by.

I loved nothing more than to walk around and take pictures, or sit outside to read in the sand.
If you go to Saint Louis. please do check them out.

They offer guided tours and Aurelien went on one. I will beg him to write about it. I spent the time doing what i love doing most- sleeping, eating, and walking.

We headed back to Dakar by road. But this time, not via the busy intercity roads we came by, but via the desert. And that was when the fun tripled.

Picture this- you, a jeep, water and sand with birds so close by and you driving not just BY the water, but actually IN the water, going past fishing villages and villagers. I loved it!

Then we went to one of the deserts proper and drove round then got back to the fishing villages and then headed into town proper.

(It was not all fun and romance though as we got caught up in the worst traffic ever. I live in Lagos so if i think a traffic situation was bad, you know it was BAD).

So where to go? Saint Louis
When to go? Aim for May to catch the Saint Louis jazz festival
Who to go with? A friend, bridal party, or your partner
What to pack? If you are in your hotel you can do shorts and bikinis but for trips around the town, keep it stylish but modest.
What to try? Definitely the ...

#TravelThursday When a foodie travels...

I love food. One of my dream jobs is to work somewhere where eating (possibly while travelling) is involved.
I eat anything and everything and will try most things at least once. Thankfully, i also have no allergies so there is no need to worry about dairy or other problems.

So i eat. And when i travel, o what joy it is. I am always amused to see people who look out for foods they would normally eat at home when they travel. I mean, i can understand that if you live in another country (LIVE),you will of course crave things from home but when you are there for holiday or a brief work stay, why not enjoy the cuisine there?

That is my first tip or thought- always try out what is indigenous to where you are staying everytime you travel. It will amaze you what you enjoy eating, and you could possibly bring that back with you. For example, i once had whole boiled okro when i went to Dubai and since then, i have seen okro in a new light; as a snack or part or even something enjoyed on its' own  and not just the usual 'swallow' and 'soup' way. I also developed a taste for 'white soup' when i went to Port Harcourt and order it regularly when i can.

Be curious. When you order these meals, find out what it is and how it is cooked.

Note however that not everything you eat will be wonderful. Infact, some may never be your cup of tea (sometimes literally) so please be careful when trying out new things and ensure you eat a lot of what you do know and trust as well. Anything that could potentially make you ill, awaken your allergies or give you the runs should be noted.

Take pictures! What?! This is the instagram generation. We document our food and where we enjoyed it. Just make sure you do not ruin meal times by taking pictures excessively. I advise one quick picture when the food comes and maybe an 'after' picture when you are done. These can be posted individually or with a grid. But please do not snapchat your meal time... at least, not unless you are making money from it.

What is the best food you have ever had from a country or state you do not live in?

#TravelThursday Beware the slump

Travelling is fun but always beware the slump.

That's when you come back and everything just feels 'bleh'.

The holiday helped you forget but now you are back to school / work / search and same ol' same ol' routines.

So how to beat the slump?

1. Come back early.

I find that the difference between when i come back the day my leave ends and a little while before is clear. They both suck (who wants to ever come home from a holiday) but the latter sucks less.

2. Ease into it

When you come back and immediately meet and try to deal with a heavy work load, you run the risk of physical and emotional trauma. Take things slow, especially for the first few days!

3. Bring your trip with you

Souvenirs and other memories from your trip will help keep you 'there' while you are here. Be it something as simple as a seashell or something as big as local art, anything that reminds you of your trip helps beat the slump.

Believe me, i'm taking my own advice!

#Chikasays #TravelThursday: 5 beautiful reasons Kenya is my next stop

BY CHIKA

So where is your next travel stop this year? For me, i think it might be Kenya. Why? Well i was scrolling through Twitter, when i stumbled upon some pictures of Kenyan wildlife that are totally adorable.

And now i find i might be packing my bags to Nairobi. I would like to share some of them with you here:

Ready?

1. This picture of a sea turtle with fish riding on its back was taken at Watamu beach and it made me smile.

Meanwhile, Watamu beach is near Mombasa Kenya, and not only can you spend time on really beautiful beaches, you can also watch sea creatures, if you are an avid diver.

2. Next up is, this really dope picture of a man feeding an elephant:

The picture was taken at the David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust. According to their Twitter handle @DSWT, they are pioneers in the rescue, rehabilitation & release of orphaned baby elephants, and actively work to conserve all wildlife and wilderness areas in Kenya.

I would love to go visit and feed baby elephants too.

3. Giraffes against the beautiful brown of a safari is a beautiful sight to see.

These giraffes are at home in the Massai Mara, a large game reserve in Narok County, Kenya. The Massai Mara is quite close to the Serengeti National Park in Mara Region, Tanzania. 

I also noticed that there are several other beautiful sights in this park i really need to see.

4. Dolphins diving is another of my favorite things to watch

I will also likely visit Kenya's wildlife services, apapart from watching animals all day, i will ask them if i can take home a pet dolphin.

5. Watching the migration of wildebeest from a hot air balloon has to be on everyone's bucket list.

I can't wait to get on a hot air balloon and watch the whole of the Serengeti beneath my feet.

Who wants to come?

#TravelThursday: Learning a new language

Travelling to a country where they speak a totally different language from yours can be terrifying but you probably only do that when you have a friend that speaks the language or someone there you know.

There is nothing wrong however with learning the basics and here some great ways of doing that.

USE AUDIO RECORDINGS

You can download audio files of the language and listen while you go about your daily business. Before you know it, you will be saying "bonjour" and "ekaro" like... well, you.

DICTIONARY

A language dictionary which compares the language you want to learn and that which you already know is handy before and during yyour trip.

Just know noone looks cool whipping out a book on a busy street to ask questions.

*shrug*

TV

Tv shows and programs in the language you want to learn are also indispensable at this point, so binge on them. Watch, watch, watch and listen. You will be pleasantly surprised how much of it you actually pick up.

LITERATURE

If you prefer to read, literary fiction and language texts. One of my favourites is the "Teach Yourself..." series. I once taught myself Germanbut because i had noone to speak it with i forgot all of it. Which is why the last tip is crucial.

INTERACT DAILY IN THE LANGUAGE

If you don't practise you will forget. Speak the language daily either to someone in person or via skype.

#TravelThursday Creative ways to save money on your next trip

So the recession is in, but people still have to travel, right? Of course. Like the popular saying goes: "The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page."

So how to save money in this recession while still traveling? Sign me up! Well, it does involve a little bit of effort, but the amount in savings? Totally worth it!

Let's take the tips step by step shall we?

BEFORE TRAVELING

Best travel deals

Always look out for sweet travel deals, depending on where you are going and when. There are likely to be travel or tourism agencies offering packages that could help you save a chunk of money. Be on the look out.

Best time to travel

Naturally, peak perods mean more expensive everything- flights, accommodation etc. Be a rebel and take trips during off peak periods instead. Added advantage is you also avoid the crowds.

DURING YOUR TRIP

Pro bono and Group tours

Some trips come with your hotel package and you can take advantage of that. Another thing to take advantage of is group tours as this automatically brings the price down. A lot of tour companies in Dubai for example, offer the Desert Safari and similar guided tours. 

In some places, week day tours are cheaper than weekend tours so check for that.

Travel like a local

If you are in a group, you can travel like a locale. This means using the public transportation system and eating at some of the local bars.

Put safety and health first though!

The Joy of Duty Free

I like to save some money for shopping at the airport when coming back home. It's duty free and you can get some great deals.

Got any other tips you would like to share?

#TosynReviews Hilton Northolme- the smallest, but still #winning

By my first night, I was sold- Hilton Northolme is one of the best hotels I've ever been!

It's the morning of Day 3 and that hasn't changed.

We got in sleepy and tired after a long flight and connection so I was happy to start my interaction at Hilton with friendly and helpful staff, and complimentary cold drinks.

The friendly staff (apart from the one chef at breakfast who never smiles) have become a recurring welcome theme during my stay, and believe it can be a shock to then go into town and find not everyone smiles when they see you. Lol.

Another big plus is the design and ambience. The scenery is breathtaking and our room has a great view (and 'sound') of the sea. There's the room and living area (with a tv yay), the bathroom and the 'verandah', so it's ideal for extroverts who just need to dump bags and explore, or introverts who want to read, write and watch television.

Breakfast is served in a picturesque dining room overlooking the sea (everything overlooks the sea here but hey), and there's so much attention to detail that if your cappuccino happens to be no longer foamy, they will replace it for you. How cool is this?! There's the fruit of the month (this month, bananas) reflected in the fruit itself, a cake and a smoothie. There's even sparkling wine!!!

I'm a lover of hotel products and I was happy to see there was no skimping on products here- lotions, sun relief creams, soaps, shampoos, cotton bud, dental hygiene products and more.

Another plus? The gifts!
Complementary massages and little gifts daily. Day one was soap, Day two was tea and I'm hoping Day three will be perfume. Lol.

Their meals are well done and tasty and they have some fabulous specialty drinks like chilli coffee and Northolme coffee. Chilli is my favourite. My friend had a cold and they were kind enough to make us some nice tea with ginger and lemon grass.

It's hard to believe this Hilton hotel is actually the smallest Hilton hotel.

But is there anything I don't like?

Well I wish their menu reflected more creole dishes. I keep having to go to town to get 'local dishes'.

I also don't get their wi-fi policy. Surely in 2016, a Hilton can give you FAST internet access in the resort. Plus, what's with only two devices can connect in a room?
(To be fair, the staff always give me an access code for my extra devices).

In all, I do decree, this is my best hotel ever!