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Amadiwe grew up in the Mkuru Maasai community and knows the bush like the back of his hand, sharing that for many Maasai men, bush walking is just a part of everyday life. I walked alongside Jay, the owner of Tarakwai safaris, while he shared his motivations for starting his new company: to take guests off the tourist trail and experience first-hand what he has come to love about his home country of Tanzania. He explained that Tanzania’s Indigenous peoples, like the Maasai, are some of the last in the world to truly live as one with nature through an interrelationship with the wilderness and wildlife, and it is this special connection to nature that Tarakwai seeks to share with visitors. The Mkuru bush walk with Amadiwe effectively highlighted this interconnectedness, capturing the special qualities of the plants and animals we came across and the ways the Maasai have and continue to co-create a sustainable life amongst them.

Over the years, I’ve come to rely on a few useful travel items that are always in my bag while traveling. In the past year, I’ve transitioned to more of a digital nomad lifestyle so these suggestions definitely reflect that style of travel, but some of these useful travel items might be things you’ve never thought to pack before! only packed one or two (because those babies are expensive), but you’ve got your phone, camera, bluetooth headphones, laptop, e-reader and whatever other device you brought to charge. For example, you might use it as a beach bag, to put extra items in if your luggage is full, to keep food items separate from your luggage, to put shoes or dirty laundry in, and the list goes on.

This aligned with the rise of social media in general, and as society became more and more inundated with images and videos, our experience of reality somehow began to feel less ‘real’. It’s was in those beautifully organic moments of self-reflection that arose through my uninterrupted thoughts, or perhaps while in an awe-struck state of wonder and child-like curiosity stemming from the novelty of a new environment or experience… I’ve definitely had moments since launching this blog, where I’ve got so caught up with social media that I wasn’t truly present. I also think that it’s important for each of us to consider how social media is influencing our daily lives – whether we are traveling or not.

I later learned from my friend George at Experience Kythnos, that the settlement of Dryopida was originally built in a maze-like pattern in a valley away from the water to ward off pirates. Depending on the day, I’d rotate between Zogaki beach, Kouri beach, Paralia beach and Lefkes beach. It’s possible to do several different hikes to these ancient landmarks and sites and I recommend George from Experience Kythnos. It’s basically like going to the beach and wading into the water, except the water is wonderfully warm!