Traveler's Insight with Anne

                            

Drum roll guys!!!! I introduce to y'all a very interesting person, he's one of those people that can just crack you up without trying so hard and I am blessed to have him do this interview to share his experiences with us all. 

His name is David Atabo, he has a bachelor’s degree in computer Science from Covenant University, Ota. He's currently the brand developer of ComeMkWeGo (an African tourism promotion start-up), a travel and business writer at miztaatabo.com.ng and the content curator for Village culture Africa.

 

1) What Inspired you to start traveling? 

I started this personal project called “village culture” while at school in a quest to uncover African cultures and I discovered the only way I could really understand these cultures was to travel, meet and interact with these people that I would like to understand. It was more of an “experience is the best teacher” situation.

  

2) What do you love most about traveling?  

Leaving my coven, meeting new people, getting lost in a different tongue – languages not familiar to me, getting cheated in a strange land (this may be inevitable but it’s part of the adventure), eating food I wouldn't eat on a normal day and Inhaling different air. Lagos can get chaotic sometimes and its just really refreshing to get out of all that.

3) How do you afford to travel and what are the necessary steps you take to make sure your wanderlust goes as planned? 

This question ehn…Lol, I pray one day the answer would be “I get paid to travel” but as for now, I try to save penny by penny each month, for a travel in two months’ time. But when the penny isn’t available to be saved (as per this Lagos life Lol), my cousin, who has been a major cheerleader in this my travel thing comes to the rescue.
I barely “plan” my travels because most times, I am too intrigued by the destination to follow up plans, nevertheless, I try to read up as much as i can about the destination before jumping on the road – the kind of food I should expect (Very necessary… lol), the major tourist sites, the ways and culture of the people like how to greet their elders (This is very key especially in Southwestern Nigeria), and other cultural or religious embodiment they might have.

4) What is your travel style, would you consider yourself a Traveler or a Tourist?  

Traveler or Tourist? – This is subjective to other factors influencing my journey. But personally, I think the thin line between a traveler and a tourist is how close they get to the locals (people in the visiting community). I also think a traveler acts more like he has been living among the locals for a longer time. I am naturally a traveler when traveling alone much more than when I go with a group because there is no one to tell me “oya, let’s start going abeg…I am hungry…I am scared of the place and people…my pastor said I should not go there oh…or I had a vision not to eat that food…blablabla”

 

5) What are the top 3 travel destinations in your bucket list and why do you love these places?

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania (I would like to test my agility in climbing), Victoria Fall in Zimbabwe (The gist and pictures I have been seeing about the fall is a magnificent something) Trekking with Mountain Gorillas in Rwanda! (I hope they don't bite sha)

6) What has been the biggest cultural shock you've experienced while traveling?

I haven’t come across any “ghen ghen” shock so far but I have heard about somewhere in Imo state where they don’t kill snakes, rather the locals worship it. I would love to face that fear soon. Imagine walking and coming across one mighty python probably crawling towards you – You can’t run, you can’t kill it – This thing is scary!

7) What are three things you cannot honestly travel without? 

If my phone battery is dead, then I rather not travel. My power-bank is a by force something. My ATM card (well, even though it is almost always empty).

8) I've been stalking you like forever Lol.. and i see you've been traveling to some interesting places, what was your last wanderlust and what were the highs/lows of it? 

Osheyyy Madam Stalker, it is allowed sha haha...My latest wanderlust highlight was when I lost my virginity sometime in August at the Osun Oshogbo festival. It was amazing getting lost in a crowd of different religious believers and i never for once thought of the religion differences. The low point was getting exploited over a plate of Amala (If you like say I like food).

9) Share with my readers your best travel tips  

Do not be afraid of getting lost; this is usually how you can find the best places. Always try the local food; you can eat your “chicken and chips” at home. Don’t over plan your travels; leave room for the unexpected.

 

10) What Practical advice would you give to people struggling with identifying their adventurous side? 

The truth is, traveling/touring should be a “conscious” experience. Don’t just travel because everyone is traveling or because someone pulled you along. Travel with your mind open. Travel because you want to learn something new. Travel because you are conscious that there is this other side of life you want to see. Travel because you are conscious that life is a book and wherever you are is just a paragraph off the book.

You shouldn’t wait till you hit that billion dollar mark before you start traveling, you can start from traveling to the next street, the next local government, the next state etc. – if you make traveling a conscious thing, with as low as 500 Naira ($2) you can get more experience than someone that spends more.

 

11) Why you think people should travel and the positive things to be gained from traveling?

For real guys traveling is amazing, your mind gets opened up and liberated. I would never have known certain things i know now if i didn't travel.

Experience is the best teacher; Traveling is the best experience.

 

 

Special thanks to Mizta Atabo for taking the time out to answer my many questions Lol... You can follow him on all his social media platforms @iamatabo. Feel free to send me an email 'wanderlustwithanne@gmail.com' if you want to be featured in the next edition of my Travelers insight.

Remain Blessed.

8 Incredible Natural Wonders In Africa!

Africa is such a blessed continent endowed with rich cultural heritage and diversity, a wealth of natural resources, breathtaking tourist attractions and some of the most intricate political systems! There's so much to see and do in Africa, if only we could embrace our heritage and be proud patriots of our own.
Just as there are wonders of the world, Africa boasts of its own dynamic wonders and I'm doing this post to share them with you my lovely readers! I hope you plan your next trip to explore true and magnificent beauty 😎

1) Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. 

Mount Kilimanjaro is the tallest mountain in Africa. The peak is located in East Africa, near the border of Kenya and Tanzania, but falls entirely within Tanzanian soil. Many tourists come to Tanzania every year to climb Kilimanjaro. Mount Kilimanjaro is known as "every man's Everest," because everyone is capable of reaching the summit. The mountain is scalable without any special equipment or climbing skills.

2) Serengeti National Park, Tanzania.

Tanzania apparently is home to a number of notable tourist attractions. I'll definitely visit this place soon! It is the most visited park in Africa. The tropical and subtropical savanna covers 14,763 km2 of area. t is famous because of its vast majority of animals. Predators and their prey form the dramatic scenery. Lions, zebras, crocodiles, buffaloes, black rhinoceros, elephants, flamingos, giraffes, leopards and other species are grazing free in the park.

 3) Avenue of the Baobabs, Menabe, Madagascar 

I've always loved the name Madagascar, growing up a child I just thought it sounded really royal and different.Oh well the thoughts I had are real! Madagascar's Avenue of Baobabs is a wonder to the world and I am in total awe of Africa! The road is one of the most popular and visited places in Madagascar. The avenue is considered to be one of the world’s most exciting roads. #NatureGirl

 4) Table Mountain, Cape town, South Africa.

The home of the great warrior Mandela couldn't be any better! You could literally take a picture in South Africa and tell people you took it in Canada or something lol The iconic peak of the table mountain overlooks the vibrant city and attracts hikers as well as climbers. Although it is easily accessible on foot, there is also a cable car, which is so popular among the visitors. Moreover, the innovative cars’ floors rotate, thus giving an extra excitement and views to the city, ocean and the mountain.

 5) The Victoria Falls!

This list wouldn't be complete if I didn't mention the famous, glorious and magnificent Victoria Falls. Bordering two countries – Zambia and Zimbabwe – the gorgeous waterfall is one of the most popular in the world. The waterfall was named after Queen Victoria by a Scottish explorer David Livingstone. However, the locals call it Mosi-oa-Tunya – the smoke that thunders. Moreover it has an unusual Devil’s Pool – a natural pool on the Zambia’s side.

6) Namib Dessert, Namibia 

Namibia has a sweet tone to it. I hope my igbo people don't spoil the way i feel about this name lol Guyssss the Namib desert meets with the Atlantic ocean! Awesome right! However, there is no other way seeing it but from the plane (sad). The vast desert sprawls for thousands of kilometers before it drops into cold and tempestuous waves. However, there are dunes that can be approached on tour and also Kolmanskop – a ghost town, ruined by the desert, today a popular tourist destination.

7)  The Blyde River Cayon, Mpumalanga, South Africa.

Probably the most beautiful canyon in the world stretches for 25 km (16 mi) to the north of the Drakensberg. It certainly is the biggest green canyon on Earth: lush foliage covers the precipitous red sandstone cliffs. Besides the thick forests, the canyon is also home tovarious species: hippos, antelopes and numerous primates. It also features several waterfalls and viewpoints. Beautiful!
Tourists explore the site by hiking trails or even horse riding. There also are various other activities: rafting, hot-air ballooning, fly-fishing, biking, tours and boat trips on the Blyde Dam.

8)  Underwater Waterfall, Mauritius 

The remote island in the Indian Ocean, 2,000 km (1,200 mi) away from Africa, is a very attractive tourist destination. The underwater waterfall, located on the southwestern shore, might serve as a signature of Mauritius. It isn’t an actual waterfall, but an optical illusion: the sediment of sand and silt create this dramatic site. The reason for this is that the island is relatively new and a formation of it is still present, causing an underwater slope.
Tourists are offered to relax in the white sandy beaches and enjoy the warm water, explore the mountains, a reef and underworld world.

  

I honestly hope one day Nigeria makes it into this list, we have beautiful falls (Farin ruwa, Gurara) and a host of natural wonders across the country not being utilized to their full potentials which in turn would be a source of revenue to boost the economy if only they are looked into.

If you feel like there is a missing wonder not in my list, please feel free to drop your comments down below.

Remain Blessed,

Wanderlust Anne.

Photocredit: Google

Are you a traveler or a tourist?

 

I was talking to a friend about another friend who recently visited a place and then he asked me "is your friend a traveler or a tourist"? I paused for a minute because i interchangeably use the two words and in my head i was like oh they actually mean two different things. I'm sure there are other people out there with this misconception, so i thought it would be great to talk about it in this post.
So what is the difference between a traveler and a tourist really? I call this an unending debate because everyone i asked about it had a different opinion. I read up a couple articles on the internet and personally i don't think stereotyping the way any one decides to travel should be a thing but anyway lets see the difference with these descriptive pictures from an Indian traveling app company Holidify.

So basically travelers sync into the culture of the places they visit and are more concerned with exploring unpopular locations that aren't necessarily tagged as tourist attractions; they travel mostly without planning much for feeding, transportation or even accommodation (A traveler can sleep in a park or on top of a mountain cos it don't just matter lol). You find travelers eating with the locals to really get the feel of being in a place, they aren't  about eating for comfort. A typical traveler does not travel with a map, they rely solely on instincts for exploring the destination . On the other hand, a tourist is a lover of popular locations, they prefer the luxurious way of traveling with planning properly for feeding, accommodation and transportation; paying more attention to popular tourist attraction and basically enjoying the comfort of their destination.    

So what does ANNE think about the difference?   

I don't think that traveling should be stereotyped really; with the characteristics I've shown here i can decide to call myself a traveler but sometimes even when i travel i just want to chill and enjoy the luxury of a place not every time hustle hustle lol and that doesn't make me less of a traveler. People should travel and enjoy their differences in preference without unnecessary pressure of categorizing.

The floor is open for debate 😏 leave your contributions and valid points down in the comment section.

Remain Blessed.

                                            

The Breathtaking Sokale Hills

Forgive my haughty behavior but i had to start this post with this heart-stopping photo of mine lol 😇. For some reason this picture in particular has significance to my journey as a hiker; I started off scared, uncertain and yessss slow! I remember being the last person coming down on hikes, i was so scared, i would watch my every step and stop at every steep point. There was this time i refused to come down because i thought I'd just die if i tried it (i was already saying who sent me message in my head lol), it took the intervention of good people to bring me down that hill, i kid you not but  now i can boldly tell you that i am unstoppable 💪💪. The moral of this narrative is that you can do whatsoever you set your mind to; all the things you are scared of are not real. Fear is so limiting! you don't want to grow old looking back and wishing you did certain things; of course you wouldn't start off as perfect and that is totally normal but I'm encouraging you to take that step in whatever it is that makes your heart skip, you'll be glad you did!

So back to the matter before i start exhibiting King Solomon characteristics lol I wasn't early for the hike cos baby girl woke up late; we were to meet up by 6:45 a.m but i got there at around 7:30 a.m, the rendezvous was at GGSS Dutse just opposite Sokale Hills. Majority of the club members had started out already so i joined the last batch to go up. Going up was a bit pugnacious to be honest because i did no form of exercise before and on the day (not like i exercise normally hehe), the path up the hill wasn't clear exactly (bushes, shrubs and the likes) we got lost a couple of times but a group of people waited for us to get to their point and then we moved on and joined the others at the summit.

Sokale is soooo beautiful, God blessed us with some kind of fog so the terrain in general was ravishing. I cannot explicitly tell you or describe how it made me feel but it was really refreshing considering i had a bottom out week, it just felt like an escape from everything going on but anyway if you love the abundance of nature and you're going through something then you should definitely consider mountain therapy.

Have you seen a real life cave? not in pictures or movies ooo 😜 hehe, your girl saw a real cave! there was a roughed up mattress just inside, we were actually looking out for the cave man to jump out and scare us lol but unfortunately there was no cave man or maybe he was hiding, who knows 😑

Just like other hikes with strides, we welcomed the new members, they introduced their selves and told us what they do, we played a couple of games as well. Hiking can also be a networking platform as you get to meet people from other walks of life; i have met potential travel/adventure buddies, IT specialist, lawyers, writers etc The list goes on and on

In summary it was a great hike, i got to meet and network with  new people, i got some therapy of my own and i conquered another hill lol. I'll definitely go back to Sokale on another call, i hope you enjoyed reading my experience and it bequeathed some sort of inspiration to you my wonderful readers. Kindly leave your comments just below, i look forward to the next post.

Remain Blessed,
Wanderlust Anne.

Traveler's Insight With Anne

Hey Wanderlust Family!!! I'm super excited about kicking off this section of the blog! Yassss as i promised in my introduction, a blog post will be dedicated monthly to you my lovely readers to share your travel/adventure experiences with us. I love to learn and read from other people's experiences; there's so much to take out of a persons story and so with that in the light i introduce to you wanderlust traveler of the month *Drum roll*
 

Her name is Adaobi Onyeakagbu, She just recently graduated with a First class honors in Electrical Engineering (Beauty and Brains People!!). She's currently a writer and an intern and omg she writes good! I actually need to take lessons from her 😉😉. Ada keeps herself busy by reading, hiking, watching an episode or two of Brooklyn 99 or writing a few pages of the short story she's currently working on; It’s a story that explores identity from an ominous and mysterious angle. It’s unlike anything she's ever done, so guys make sure to check it out when it's done.

1) What inspired you to start traveling?

I grew up reading. I read a lot. So, it was only natural for my mind to wander. After a while, I began to feel like a sojourner in my own life, because I was going through a lot, psychologically, at the time. I don’t remember specifically when it happened but I decided some time to just go for whatever I wanted or felt like doing. It has become something I do for sanity.

2) What do you love most about traveling?

As I said, I felt like a sojourner for a long time and that was hard. Watching your life play before you like you’re just a spectator. I haven’t traveled a lot but what I know is this, whenever I visit a place, I am aware. Spirit, soul and body. I love that feeling of awareness. Especially in nature.

3)  How do you afford to travel and what are the necessary steps you take to ensure your wanderlust goes as planned?

Traveling isn’t easy, but it isn’t as hard. I receive a monthly allowance from which a dedicate a small part to my trips. I know before I go anywhere I must have asked google and a million people before I move out. I prepare for foreseen and unforeseen. Also, I have found that going with people that love the same things as you, makes the trip much more fun and helps you cut costs.

4) What are the top 3 travel destinations in your bucket list and why do you love these places?

Definitely Greece, Pompeii in Italy, and India. Those are the primary goals. I would love to visit Greece because Greek mythology has always fascinated me, and it has been on my bucket-list for ages. It’s second nature to mention it now. Pompeii, because I would love to see the ruins and backpack through Italy someday. I have always had this dream of living in India for a year. I must fulfill this. I want to explore Buddhism; it’s something I’ve been obsessing over for quite some time now. But for now, I’m sticking to touring African countries.

5) Biggest cultural shock you've experienced while traveling

It’s this no trouser thing. All these shrines in the east that require women to wear skirts when coming. That has been the biggest culture shock. There was even one that demanded that your two legs don’t touch on your way to the site. Lol.

6) Three things you cannot travel without

My phone, my ID and sneakers. Don’t know where a hike is required lol.

7) Tell us about your latest wanderlust experience and the highs/lows accompanied with it

I just got back from a tour of a cave, lake and waterfall, before settling to do the interview. It was surreal. There was even a warm spring where swimming was allowed. I got to learn so much from the natives, especially about the caves. According to them (natives of Ezeagu) the cave used to be a shrine before it was turned into a business venture. If I had come some years earlier, with my trousers and phone, my trousers would have been torn by a source unknown (apparently a spirit from the shrine) and my phone would have caught fire and spoilt. It was fun. The only part I didn’t enjoy was finding the location. We used close to two hours trying to locate the place. It was also late when we got there so we couldn’t really explore the caves (Even though I don’t think I would have no matter what lol). When we got there though, I was able to splash around the cool water, so I enjoyed myself.

8) Can you share your favorite travel tips?

First thing I will say is to try to cut costs as much as possible. Use resources available to you to the best of your ability. Do your research and plan for uncertainties. Also, even though it is good to be spontaneous, you might also want to have a plan, sort of like an itinerary to know the places to hit; you might lose out on much if you don’t do this. You might also want to pick some place that is best suited to your personality. If you are an adventurous person, pick a place that has a lot of activities you can enjoy and exhaust. If you are a stay-by-the-beach kinda person, don’t force it. But try not to miss out on too much at the same time.

9) It would be nice if you can give a practical piece of advice for people struggling with identifying their adventurous side

Maybe for one reason or the other, you believe your adventurous side cannot be realized, maybe finance or location, etc. I suggest to start with the little you’ve been given. There might be locations you can visit, right there in your town, or things you can try out with little-to-no money, e.g. hiking, camping, cycling, etc. You can try those out. You’ll see that the more you do those things, the easier it gets for you to try out more complex adventures. Procrastination is one killer. Start today. Check the internet, you’ll find something, I guarantee.

10) Why do you think people should travel and what are the positive gains of traveling?

Amarachi from travelwithapen.com helped me realize that traveling is for anyone, not only the rich. It might just be that escape you need from a smothering life or job, or bring you inspiration that will help me complete that book, song or art, or it might just be what keeps you sane. Take that leap.

 

 

Thank you so much guyss for taking out the time to read this interview, you can follow Ada on her social media platforms; Twitter  and Instagram @ The_Ardah. If you want to be featured in the next dedicated blog post kindly send me an email, wanderlustwithanne@gmail.com. 

Stay Blessed.