So many activities take place during Christmas, ranging from church to social outdoor events. More often than not, history always repeats itself and so we keep doing the same things over and over again every Christmas, year in year out. Am not saying that anyone should go against their culture or ignore the practices put down by ones culture and/or community…but hey, why not try out something different this Christmas? A change is as good as a rest, so they say. I have a suggestion, why not toy with the idea of mountain climbing as this is something most of us hardly do. One can decide to go solo or with a group of friends, if you ask me, I prefer the latter as you get to have more fun especially if you are an extroverted kind of person.

So you may wonder and ask yourself which mountain in East Africa to climb! Without a doubt, Mount Kilimanjaro is the most climbed mountain in East Africa. What people don’t know is that there are also other mountains to explore, say Mount Kenya. Mount Kenya is one mountain one can never regret having climbed especially with its scenery which is very spectacular to say the least. Despite the fatigue and all other things that come with it, one gets to enjoy so many things while climbing this particular mountain.

Before proceeding with your adventure, you may want to get a travel cover for yourself which will ensure that the best first aid is administered to you and that you are airlifted to a hospital in case of any impromptu accidents. The Flying Doctors Society of Africa (FDSA) provides you with this travel cover. So please sign up for our travel cover and let us deal with the unexpected. Happy travels! Happy Holidays!

In most cases, December holidays see families and communities coming together and so a lot of traveling and even touring is involved. Hoping the cold season will make way for the warm season (we all want the heat creeping back into our bones), it’s time to stop this nesting and cocooning businesses, and get out there to discover new holiday destinations and festivals within East Africa during the coming December holidays.

While doing your December travels within East Africa, why not get a travel cover for yourself hence be assured that your life will be saved in case you got involved in any kind of accident. Not that this is something one should anticipate for, but then again, you never know when lightning may strike. Become a member of the Flying Doctors Society of Africa, who ensure you get to a well equipped hospital fast and also provide you with expert care in transit which could mean the difference between life and death. As a member of the Flying Doctors Society of Africa you are entitled to one free evacuation per year in case of a life threatening emergency that would necessitate the use of the flying doctors to transport you to a medical facility in Nairobi.

Christmas will soon be here with us! And a lot of events take place on Christmas day (at least that’s what happens where I come from) that see both adults and children participate. Question is, what next after Christmas day? What is it most of us do on Boxing Day? By this time, most people are beginning to get broke due to the huge amounts of money spent the previous day, others would be nursing hangovers, and others would be wondering what to do between this particular day and when that moment arrives when the new year gets to be ushered in. Well, I have a plan for you…why not visit Homa Bay as there are very intriguing events that take place in that neck of the woods.

For starters, there’s usually a sporting event where various football clubs from various counties get to take on each other. At times, teams playing in the national football league are also present at this very event. Anyone would totally love this, and even if you are not a fan of soccer, trust me you will love it…am talking from experience. However, there are other things to be enjoyed such as the cultural activities ranging from tribal dances, music festival, canoe regatta just to mention a few. The event kicks off on the 26^th of December through 31^st. I know most of us have never thought of being part of such an arrangement, and that’s why I still insist “a change is as good as a rest”. Have this on your radar screen, and as you plan your travels, consider getting a travel cover from the Flying Doctors Society of Africa. Happy travels!

Most people especially we East African locals only get to hear about this event on TV and the internet, and so we keep wishing that we could be part of it. Guess what! There’s a similar event in Kenya dubbed the “Mombasa carnival”, it takes place during the month of November and lasts for six days. How about having a “Rio carnival” away from Brazil.

As far as I know, Mombasa carnival is the best festival in Kenya. It’s an amalgamation of a number of activities which represent every race and cultural group in Kenya. Why not attend this festival hence get to enjoy the nice music (including traditional) and dancing, and also the brightly colored costumes that make everyone look different. It’s at this event you will happen upon artists and musicians of all kinds from all over Kenya, apart from enjoying their music, you also get to interact with them one on one. Every event usually has its highlights…the highlight of the Mombasa carnival is what intrigues me the most, there’s usually a lively street parade having people from all walks participating. What I have provided regarding the carnival is just a top line and so you need to attend the event yourself hence get to know what am really talking about. You will love and enjoy it.

Oh! Before this skips my mind. While enjoying all the things that the Mombasa carnival brings with it, head to the Muslim-run restaurants where you will get very nice/delicious and pocket friendly Swahili cuisine. Good luck while at it!

Planning an African safari is not an easy thing (at least not for me) and so, one might find themselves between a rock and a hard place especially if it involves two or more countries. For instance, let’s say you want to do a safari that involves visiting destinations that are located in two different countries say Kenya and Tanzania-am using these two countries as an example since they are the ones I have managed to tour in a single safari. Well, why not look for safari tours that visit both Kenya and Tanzania? This way, you will be able to kill many birds with a single stone! Plus, you are sure to find not only an ideal safari, but also that which will not exert too much weight on your wallet.

There are so many things one can enjoy while exploring Kenya and Tanzania. Usually, rather in my case, the safari departed Nairobi and the first stop was at the Masai Mara National reserve, commonly known to the locals as “The Mara”. In all honesty, I was amazed by this particular place-never knew it was such an intriguing place to be at. Just a sneak peek, Masai Mara is a large game reserve in South-Western Kenya which is marked by circles of trees, cloud shadows, savannas and scrubs. Here is where you will get a chance to witness the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra and Thomson’s gazelle which normally takes place between the months of July and October. I put it to you that this particular place is worth visiting, so why not mark it in your calendar and give it a try!

The next destination after Masai Mara was Lake Nakuru National Park then Amboseli National Park and finally Tanzania. The places I would recommend you visit in Tanzania are: Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro crater which is full of wildlife. Did I mention that I had a bird’s eye-view of Mount Kilimanjaro’s snowy peaks? Oh yes I did, and it was spectacular! Guess if am to visit Tanzania again, then Mount Kilimanjaro would be my first destination.

Finally, we all need travel covers…just to be on the safe side while doing our travels. Flying Doctors Society of Africa provides you with this. Please click here to see the various membership packages.

Before I made a trip to Burundi, I had this notion that it was not the best country to visit and so there’s no way anyone would have it on their radar screen…this was fueled by an article about Burundi I happened upon while surfing the internet. How wrong I was! On the contrary, this country has some amazing and wonderful things/places to do/visit – things that would tickle anyone’s fancy. Clearly, I had been living under a rock not to know about this bit. Actually I learned a lesson here; that we should not be fast to judge anything or anyone especially just because we heard or read something controversial about them.

In the past few years, Burundi has come out as a major tourist destination which is why you should consider visiting the country some day if not soon. I even have information that will give you some relief…Burundi being part of East Africa, you can acquire travel insurance cover from the Flying Doctors Society of Africa which caters for the health of individuals doing their travels within East Africa. For more information on the different packages, please click here

There are quite a number of places to visit in Burundi that would make your visit much more fun ranging from historic meeting place of Stanley and Livingstone, National Museum of Bujumbura, Kibira National Park and Craftwares Village at Giheta – at least these are some of the places I thought I would recommend to anyone if asked to. However, what I fell in love with the most is the Giheta’s Craftwares village. It’s here that I realized I had a thing for art, too bad I had to learn this after my teen years and only after visiting Burundi. But then again I have no regrets! They say, better late than never. At Craftwares you will gain new insights…you will gain knowledge regarding ivory, leather, wood carving, ceramics, sculptures and what I love the most which is paintings. For a moment, I felt like an artist even though am not really one.

National Museum and the craft-wares village in Burundi

Next time you want to go on holiday, consider visiting Burundi hence experience the good things it has to offer you!

The Flying Doctors Society of Africa was established in 1971 with the aim of raising funds to support the work of the Flying Doctors in Africa which includes providing travel cover to individuals living or visiting East Africa. Being a partners insurance company, it’s affiliated with a number of companies such as Jubilee Insurance Company, HP Insurance, CFC Life, Pan African Life, Ranger Safaris LTD, Wildlife Explorer just to mention a few.

One might wonder why they need this particular travel cover. Many are times we or even the people close to us fall very sick outside Nairobi and since we can’t control the traffic situation, the ambulance gets stuck which could probably lead to loss of lives. With FDSA, no more stuck in traffic with an ambulance going nowhere, this is because we fly to you wherever you are in East Africa, give you free hospital care and airlift you to hospital thus ensuring you get there on time without too many problems. Another thing is that you never know where you might fall sick from; you could be on holiday in a foreign country or even on a safari somewhere interior and far from a reasonable hospital which would limit your ability to get to hospital on time i.e. if you were to use a vehicle.

So when thinking of a partners insurance company, think of FDSA because we are here for you; to ensure you get to hospital on time without delay. To learn more about the different air ambulance rescue packages FDSA has for you, visit our
Membership Area

We have travel cover plans that meet the specific needs of travelers within East Africa. The four membership package groups we have are:
• Annual (East Africa) – which covers the whole of East Africa and this includes Rwanda and Burundi for twelve months
• Short stay (East Africa) – which covers the whole of East Africa including Rwanda and Burundi for up to to months
• Short stay (Kenya and Northern Tanzania) – this covers a radius of 500KM from Nairobi for up to two months
• Annual (Kenya and Northern Tanzania) – this covers a radius of 500KM from Nairobi for twelve months

We are not biased and so membership to the Flying Doctors Society is open to every individual regardless, especially those traveling and living within East Africa. It doesn’t matter what reason there is behind your travels, because FDSA will always be at your rescue whenever you need them. You could be on a business trip, leisure or on safari just to mention a few.

As much as no one is comfortable with the idea of them falling sick or getting involved in some kind of accident while traveling, still this is something each one of us should plan for, and this is for our own sake and that of our loved ones as well. Therefore, a travel cover is something worth considering as you never know what might happen to you while doing your travels.