#TembeaNaKaluhi – My Jozi Through 30 Photos

I can safely and confidently conclude that my best travel trip this year has been to Johannesburg. The island paradise Lamu was enchanting and Dublin was great, however Johannesburg was simply magical!!!!! I met AMAZING young, driven, passionate creatives from different parts of the continent doing amazing things with their gifts. I discovered and fell in love with the vibrance this South African city has to offer. I sharpened my networking skills and indulged in South African cuisine which I absolutely fell in love with. It felt a lot like home, yet spoke of a culture so different. My mind has been opened to so much more and I just cannot wait to go back!! If you follow me on Instagram (If you are not, what on earth are you waiting for??!), you must have seen my daily adventures for our week long excursion through my InstaStory. It is an experience that is one of my 2016 highlights. This post is a highlight of many such moments through 30 photos. It was not a road trip for sure, but I will use the guide below to take you through snippets of Jozi. The hashtag #TembeaNaKaluhi is swahili and in translation could mean Journey with Kaluhi. I hope you get to feel the essence of Jozi through my post relive my experiences through what I share :))

Clouds

This was on our way to Johannesburg early Monday morning on the 12th. Can you spot Mt. Kilimanjaro in the back ground? This trip started off on a great note! We were already site seeing even before we arrived :DD

Morning

My favorite morning was when we woke up at 3.30 a.m. to catch our Hot Air balloon ride at 4.30 a.m courtesy of Air Ventures! I had never been on a hot air balloon so my excitement was over the top!! I was so excited that waking up that early did not even bother me. We flew over the cradle of mankind, also got a chance to see some wild animals in their natural habitat and caught the sunrise from up above!

Taking a picture

I am all for being in the moment, especially during such experiences. But capturing such a moment is also just as important :DD.  (Phot Cred: Richard Schuster)

Close up

One of my favorite desserts we had through out the trip was Panna Cotta. It is a rich creamy Italian dessert, but this particular one in the image below was infused with some Amarula, which is a Southern Africa ingredientI loved it; Italian dessert with a South African twist! I ate 16 and carried 5 more to my room because greed just two and left the rest for my friends to enjoy too.

 

Technology

I am huge on preserving memories and keeping track of what I did in one particular time.  And google maps has made that so much easier through ‘Your Timeline’ feature. It tracks where you have been on a particular date and saves the location for you. Since I will be returning to Johannesburg one day (AMEEENNN!) and my saved locations will come in handy for places I wish to return. Some people may find it super creepy, but the tracking is available to only you unless you choose to share it.

Also, since I backed up my pictures on my google photos, it also shows you a chronological lay out of photos you took and experiences you had as per your timeline. Check out some screen shots from my 9th of November. From the balloon ride, and back to Glenburn for breakfast, then to Casalinga Italiano Ristorante for chocolate tasting and truffle making and finally back to The Radisson Blu Sandton.

What I wore

I love dressing up!! And I love that the weather, which was pretty warm and a lot similar to Nairobi’s  hot season, in Johannesburg was kind enough to favor that. As a dress and skirt lover, I was in the perfect city!

After dark

After our visit to Soweto, we went to Glenburn Lodge to spend the night. That place is SO beautiful, tranquil and reminded me a lot of Naivasha!!! In the evening, we were treated to a braai dinner. Braai is the South African equivalent to Kenyan Nyama Choma. It was a bountiful feast! (Photo cred : Leon van Rooyen)

Breakfast

If you follow me on Instagram and Twitter, I raved about how much I love salmon! So much so that I had to have it every single morning along with other breakfast choices. Chef Raphael found that rather strange, LOL, but in my book, stomach gets what stomach wants. Nairobi being an inland city makes salmon is quite hard to find and expensive too. This was a chance to indulge in one of my favorite fish and I savored each moment.

 

Locals

Song is part of the African DNA. We love song, be it while welcoming guests, as we were in the short clip below, or weddings, and even funerals. The African spirit is made of son, joy , love and resilience.

Plants or tree

This of course had to be flowers <3

Black and White

Music

As I told you on this Instagram post, I am not one to let an opportunity to dance pass me by. The music came to me, and I went with it :DD Life is meant to be lived!

Watch the video HERE.

 

Plenty of Color!

Like most African cities, Johannesburg was an explosion of color. We do not just do greys and browns, we surround ourselves with color!!

A sign

#SoCute

Something glass

Yes, it had to be a glass of champagne! We were treated to  some champagne in the bush after we landed from our balloon ride. There was no better way to conclude the ride than with some sparkly! The sun had just risen and the surrounding plains were bathed in golden light. It was magical!!!

Self reflection portrait

The sticker on my mirror asks “What is South Africa’s National Flower”. Well, google hooked me up with the answer and you should use the app to find the answer too. And while we’re at it, can we have an official Kenyan National flower? I asked this on twitter and some of you suggested weed :DD. No! It’s not even a flower :DD

Something I want

I want Chicken sosaties. I want traditional bobotie. I want salmon. I want plenty of litchi and blood orange. I want boerwores. I want samp. I want ox tail. I want lamb. I want South African food!!! I really loved South African food!! It had it’s own distinct character yet spoke of home and had the same freshness and vibrance as Kenyan food. (Photo cred: Leon van Rooyen)

Eyes

5 p.m

On the day we had some free time in our itinerary, I did some touring of Sandton City. Yes, Nelson Mandela square visit was a must. And yes, a picture at the statue, right at the center, was a must! Let Tourist be tourists! :DD

For all those who love some good retail therapy, shopping at Sandton City Mall will speak to your soul!!!! They have all stores imaginable, most or which we do not have in Nairobi. If you are ever in Johannesburg, Sandton Mall is a MUST visit.

Shadow

Soft shadows. Golden morning light. Glorious African expanse. (Phot cred: Leon van Rooyen)

Feet

Well, one foot and a whole lotta leg!

Wall

Work that wall Fena!!!! If you guys have not listened to any one of her songs, I don not understand why you choose to live in a hole away from civilization :DDD. Just google her, you’ll see what I’m talking about

Smile

With the squad!!! Picture taken by the very talented Leon van Rooyen!

Check them out on social media and get a mighty dose of creative inspiration: Patricis (@misskihoro), Austin (aust_malema), Twiggy (twiggy_moli), Lucia (@luciamusau), Theo (@theodora_lee), Meruschka (@mzansigirl), Raphel (@chefraphaelkn), Tuke (@tukemorgan), Oluwatosin (@lifeofalagosgirl) and Fena (@fena_menal)

Thank you so much Google Africa for an experience I shall live to remember! I cannot wait for our next adventure :)) To all my readers from Johannesburg who I would have loved to meet, there is always a next time. Remember, I will be back :**

Cheers!

-Kaluhi

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All images belong to Kaluhi’s Kitchen unless otherwise stated. 

Do not copy in part or in whole without giving due credit.

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