Cameras for Kibera, a non-profit project to help Kenyans

by Jamie Rhein on

The Dutch project Cameras for Kibera is aimed towards helping young Kenyans become video journalists in order to help them tell the stories about Africa’s largest slum. Kibera, Nairobi is home to possibly as many as 2.5 million people who live in crowded conditions of poor sanitation, poor housing and very little possibilites. For the most part, the plight of the people who live there has been largely overlooked which is one reason for the video project. This particular video was created by Rocketboom Field Correspondent Ruud Elmendorp who videotaped one of Camera for Kibera’s video journalists at work.

The thing I like about this project is its matter of fact approach. It shows people having a life despite the odds, but also points to the fact that help is urgently needed without making the people themselves sound pitiful. Cameras for Kibera is an offshoot project of the Dutch Hot Sun Foundation. If you have video camera you’re no longer using, here’s a possibility for putting it to use.

Laid off? Take off with Intrepid Travel

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Lost your job and need to get away for a bit? Intrepid Travel understands. So, you can get a 15 percent discount if you’ve been laid off recently … and you can use it one trips to more than 100 countries.

While it’s easy to see today’s economic conditions as all doom and gloom, bookings for some of Intrepid Travel’s overland trips have increased this year. Sales for trips between Kenya and Cape Town (45 days long) doubled from January to November last year. CEO and co-founder Darell Wade says, “It appears that some people see being laid off as an opportunity to take a career break, reassess where they are at and see the world. By offering this discount we hope to make this opportunity a reality for them.”

Where To Go To Truly Get Away From It All

by Kraig Becker on

Everyone has different reasons for why they like to travel, and their destinations of choice vary just as much. Some love to visit noisy, bustling foreign cities, others prefer the quiet tranquility of a secluded beach. Then of course, there are the travelers who truly like to get away from it all. They prefer to visit remote wilderness places, far off the beaten path, with few, if any, amenities.

Veteran traveler and adventurer Jeremy Lazell has put together a list of the best wilderness getaways for the Sunday Times of London, spotlighting some of the premiere spots on the planet for those that prefer their journeys to take them to unique, and out of the way places. These are true backcountry destinations, some of which are still very wild and untamed.

All told, there are 12 dstinations on Lazell’s list, from all corners of the globe, including Mongolia, Morrocco, Patagonia, and more. His personal favorite is a place called Knoydart in the Scottish Highlands, which we learn boasts “85 square miles of Highland heather, mountains and midges”. The place has one pub, which requires an 18 mile hike to reach, and the deer outnumber the people 10-1. Paradise for any adventure traveler.

The other places offer a similar level of remoteness, as well as a variety of activites, such as trekking, dogsledding, white water rafting, and camping. Any of these destinations would serve as a perfect escape for the active traveler looking for isolation and adventure in their next vacation.

Exploring the Kenyan Coast by Dhow

by Kraig Becker on

A dhow is a small sailing vessel that is traditionally found along the coasts stretching from India to Eastern Africa. They have their origins in Arabia, and were once trading vessels that ran far and wide, delivering precious goods far and wide, and while they have been replaced by modern freight ships, the tradition of the dhow still lives on in many countries.

Kevin Gould, travel writer for the The Guardian, found his own dhow experience in the Lamu archipelago, a series of small islands stretching along the northern coast of Kenya and the Somalian border. The archipelago is a place that still holds tightly to its roots, with simple villages with huts fashioned from palms. It is a place where the inhabitants still catch fish using a spear and relax in the shade of mangrove trees hundreds of years old.

Gould describes a place that few outsiders visit. He notes that the locals are friendly and open to visitors from abroad, welcoming them warmly. The crystal clear waters of the archipelago give way to pristine beaches, under cloudless skies, and traveling by dhow grants access to some prime snorkeling locations.

For adventurous travelers on the look out for unique travel experiences, this looks like another amazing experience. The chance to visit a place that few others have the opportunity to see, and to travel there in such a unique fashion, makes this a tempting journey.

A&K does the unimaginable

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent is getting ready to surprise you. On February 19, 2009, it will celebrate its newly redesigned website with an unusual discount program. Starting at 9 AM (CST), a savings of 5 percent will be offered on each of five itineraries. Every half hour, another 5 percent will be cut from the price. By 3 PM, the discount will reach its final level of 60 percent off. Of course, departures are limited and on a first-come, first served basis.

So, this is your chance to spend for an A&K experience what conventional travel would normally cost.

For example, the “Once in a Lifetime Egypt” trip could sell for as little as $3,328 (a savings of close to $5,000). You’ll get 10 days that include the Four Seasons Cairo, not to mention a Nile cruise on Sun Boat IV. “Once in a Lifetime Kenya” consists of eight days for possibly as little as $2,118 (with a stay at the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel, among others), and the experience in Spain could cost $6,000 less than usual. The other destinations are Botswana and Zambia and a voyage to Melanesia aboard “Clipper Odyssey.”

Remember: the sale begins at 9 AM (CST) on February 19. Put a reminder in your calendar and be ready to click fast!