Backpacking and Disaster

Planning on your destination take time.  For a backpackers traveling to Kenya, proper planning in a vital aspect on your upcoming holiday.  A lot of time much is taking into account but handy does anyone expect that disaster my strike away from home and while on safari.   On this article we are mainly going to pick on a few pointers while backpacking in Kenya.

It should be noted that this is not final hence one may add more points to put into account to avoid Disaster.  They include:- 

Travel Insurance: Do you have your insurance up to date?  Ensure that you've informed your insurer of your travel.  Find out if the cover is inclusive of treatment while abroad.  For Kenyan, (the locals) ensure that your policy covers one for injuries or illnesses that may occur while traveling.  This should also include loss of personal amenities for instance monies, luggage and even flight cancellations.  

 
Exchange your monies at authorized dealers.  In Nairobi there are several Forex bureaus located at the heart of the city.  However there are also brokers who may persuade travelers to change their monies at backstreets and offer better rates than the bureaus.  Do not be tempted as this may lead one into losing their monies or being conned off with fake currencies.  Stick to the rules use authorized dealers or the banks.

Get all your emergency Numbers handy: Do you know the emergency numbers to the police, ambulances, embassies or high commission?  In Kenya there are handy booklets that have got all the vital information for travelers within Kenya. 
 
Carry your luggage:  Imagine having your whole bag stolen with all the content in it!  This is very possible especially for backpackers who have to carry their luggage on their backs.  It is advisable to ensure that you have the other travelers look after your luggage should you find it necessary to put down your bags.  Remember to also look after your luggage while having a snack at hotels or cafe's.  There have been incidents of where backpack travelers have lost all their valuables.   
 
Avoid hard cash:  There is no need of carry around all your cash with you.  Use visa, master cards where it's acceptable.  Fr the locals try carrying your monies via your mobile phone on Mpesa, Zap and Orange money. However in the event that you have carried your monies make sure that the hotel has a safe.  Keep all you valuables in the safe.   
 
Finally report cases of theft to the local police.  In the event that your passport is stolen report to your country's consulate for a replacement as well as the local police.  
 

Disasters while backpacking can be prevented.  One just needs to make sure that all details are looked into.  Make sure that you've researched about your destinations.  If possible get a local guide who is genuine who will keep in the know on which parts to visit what to avoid and any mishaps that one can prevent.  

Backpacker Accomodation in Nairobi

Nairobi the capital city of Kenya is home to a variety of accomodation.  The accomodation range from cheap to five star hotels.  We have highlighted a few place that we at Nairobi Backpacker have visited and would recommend for any backpacker traveling on a budget and would be intrested in affordable and secure accomodation that are afew minutes away from the city or just within the city centre.

Mvuli House and Strand Hotel  : Both hotels are located 20 minutes away from the Jomo Kenyatta International airport and 10 minutes from the Wilson airport.  The hotel is secure and is located at Nairobi West offering visitors an opportunity to enjoy the Nyayo National Stadium, the National Park, and close proximity to the City centre.

Delta Hotel |: Located at the hear to the city.  The hotel is one the latest backpacker accomodation lauched into the hospitality industry in April 2011.  Delta Hotel offers accomodation in single, double,twin and studio rooms.  Located on University way next to the Central police station and the Nairobi University main campuses is an ideal for backpackers.

Others within the location include : Comfort inn, Parkside hotel that next to Delta hotel.  Down the road on Harry Thuku road is the Bourlevard Hotel that is equally a great place to stay.  Further into the city centre is the 680 Hotel located along Kenyatta Avenue. 

There are many other hotels that offer backpacker accomodation in Nairobi.  We shall be be highlight more in future articles. 

Nairobi Day Tour

It was going to be my first time to the Karura Forest.  For a majority of us the Karua forest was a no go zone since it was home to crime.  The forest located a few kilometeres form the city centre has been famed for the various crimes that have taken place at the forest for a long time.

However, this has has changed as the friends of Karura and the Kenya Forestry Services have rehabilitated the forest and made it a lovely place to visit while in the city.  For me and my friends, the plan was to ensure that we had left a make in our memories, we therefore first stopped at the Life style Nakumatt shopping complex at the heart of the city and ensured that we had bought ourselves enough foods and snacks for a picnic in the forest. 

Having shopped and refuled our car, we were off to the Karura forest, we drove towards the muthaiga round about and past the Muthaiga golf club.  Being a Saturday, the jam has started building up.  After about 20 minutes we were urshed into the Karura forest, we paid our gate entrance fee and guided by the Kenya forest service warden.  We easily joked with the rest of the team how we had become travelers of kenya.  It was great to just visualise how intresting the experience ahead was bound to turn out. 

The forest is home to a 50mtrs tall water fall that is a spectacular view.  The indigeous trees at the forest only goes to show how much work has gone into rehabilitation of the forest.  I must admit for the first time I appreciated what Wangari Mathai has alway advocated for. I now understood the importance of having our environment green.  There are the Mau Mau Caves that you must not miss!  The forest also a walking and joging ground for a majority of the residence of Muthaiga.  Having visited the forest and enjoyed its senercies, it was time for us to enjoy a picnic , click our camera the more and bid farewell to the Karua forest. 

For nature lovers, it is a great aftenoon visit for the entire family and would recommend it for anyone visiting Nairobi.