(Take 5 on Nation Newspaper by Abigail Arunga 3 years back ?)

IN SUMMARY

• After a long time of taking photographs for the fun of it, and paying my travel fare and accommodation, hotels, airlines and tour operators are now happy to extend nice deals and discounts to me in exchange for mentions on my blog and my social media platforms.
• Getting a stiff neck when summiting Mt. Kenya. The victory was so near yet so far.
• If you can, always arrive early to your destination. Last but not least, most hotels in Kenya have a payment plan whereby you can pay for your Easter, August or December holidays in instalments. 

Bonnita Aluoch enjoys travelling. And then she writes about it and puts up the pictures for you to see. Does it leave a dent in her pocket? Not quite, and you can never quite put a price tag to the richness of a good experience. We all have the primal instinct to be on the move, to explore, to discover… Bonnita makes it happen and she can help you do it too! Check out her blog, aluochbonnita.com.

1. How often do you travel?

I travel most weekends and public holidays. For me, travel is therapeutic. The connection with nature and meeting new people is refreshing.

This is a hobby that I really value, so I am willing to spend money on it. After a long time of taking photographs for the fun of it, and paying my travel fare and accommodation, hotels, airlines and tour operators are now happy to extend nice deals and discounts to me in exchange for mentions on my blog and my social media platforms.

2. You say you help other people travel. How? 

I demystify travel. There is a common assumption that travelling is expensive. It doesn’t have to be, that is why, in my travel blog, I try as much as possible to show how, from even as little as Sh1,000, you can visit a tourist attraction site, have a light snack, meet new people and learn something new. The other way I do this is organise short trips for my friends to places I have visited.

3. What’s the worst travel experience you’ve ever had? 

Getting a stiff neck when summiting Mt. Kenya. The victory was so near yet so far. The excruciating pain and the nightly sub-zero temperatures were horrible. I was very tempted to turn back but the distance to either direction was the same, so I stayed put. 

4. What are some tips that domestic tourists need to remember when they are going around our beautiful country?

The easiest way to move around is to identify a domestic tour operator who caters for your travel needs. Not only is it cost effective, but it is also safer and better planned. 

If you are a solo traveller like me, do your research before you leave and have proper information about cost, transport, food and accommodation. 

If you can, always arrive early to your destination. Last but not least, most hotels in Kenya have a payment plan whereby you can pay for your Easter, August or December holidays in instalments. This means that it is possible to avoid the last minute rush, which also ends up being expensive.

5. What are some of the places you plan to visit in the near future?

I am a severely spontaneous and random traveller. Most of my planned trips always backfire, so I go with whatever comes first.

Interview by Abigail Arunga

Link to the article ??

https://nation.africa/kenya/life-and-style/mynetwork/take-5-bonnita-aluoch-468748?view=htmlamp