Safari trip to Kenya's Maasai Mara, Lake Nakuru and Amboseli

Images of highland savannas and wild animals roaming around were vivid in my mind as we landed in Nairobi, Kenya. Many have asked me what destinations I have not been to. And my ready answer always is, "A lot!" And one of the places I was about to tick off my bucket list was Kenya!

I was about to venture on an African safari in a fantastic country at the center of Africa's great migration. We spent the night in Nairobi, Kenya's capital, which sits 1600 meters above sea level. So despite its location near the equator, Nairobi can get really cold.

Despite getting up really early, we ended up leaving Nairobi late in the morning after having to go through the city's notorious rush hour traffic as we picked up other passengers. 

Our first stop was at one of the many viewpoints for the Great Rift Valley which stretches 6,000 kilometers from the Red Sea to Mozambique.

From there, we continued driving down the valley, passing through wilderness and occasional small towns and villages before we finally made it to Narok. It was several more kilometers through dirt road before we arrived at our tented camp, where we were to spend two nights, our jump-off for game drives at the Maasai Mara National Reserve.

Tented camps are a cheap but comfortable way to experience Africa's parks. Note that we slept on beds and that each tent had its own toilet. Electricity is available only at certain hours in the evening and morning. But since it gets really cold at night, there's no need for air conditioning.

After tea at the camp, we proceeded to the park. We passed by several Maasai villages. And I like it how locals would wave at us as our van passed by.

At the gates of the park, we were greeted by Maasai ladies selling various souvenirs. The best buys would be shukas (woven blankets used as garments) and beaded necklaces and bracelets. They give the best prices, unlike the many curio shops that try to get as much money from you as they can.

The weather at Maasai Mara was pleasant as we spotted our first impalas, buffalos, zebras, giraffes, elephants, lions and hippos. The excitement that I felt seeing animals in the wild was worth all the hours spent trying to get here from Manila.

I'll talk more about Maasai Mara in my next post. But if you're interested to join safari trips to Kenya next year, e-mail me at ivanhenares@redvinta.com. Also check out my Kenya Safari album.

Part 2: Game drive at Kenya's Maasai Mara National Reserve

Philippine holidays and long-weekend schedule for 2016 (Proclamation No. 1105, s. 2015)

Hunyo 12 by Claude Tayag (1989 Fiestas Serigraph Series)

Next year is one of those years when many holidays fall on a Sunday. Malacanang issued Proclamation No. 1105, s. 2015 declaring the regular holidays, special non-working days, and a special school holiday for 2016. Instead of just giving you the same list of holidays of the Republic of the Philippines for 2015, this list will help you plan your trips with confirmed and expected long-weekends:

• January 1 (Fri) - New Year's Day 
• January 2 (Sat) - Special Non-Working Day (five-day long weekend from December 30, 2015 to January 3)
• February 8 (Mon) - Chinese New Year (three-day long weekend from February 6 to 8)
• February 25 (Thu) - EDSA Revolution Anniversary
• March 24 (Thu) - Holy Thursday
• March 25 (Fri) - Good Friday 
• March 26 (Sat) - Black Saturday (four-day long weekend from March 24 to 27)
• April 9 (Sat) - Araw ng Kagitingan
• May 1 (Sun) - Labor Day
• June 12 (Sun) - Independence Day
• July 5 (Tue) - Eid'l Fitr (pending proclamation when date is confirmed)
• August 21 (Sun) - Ninoy Aquino Day
• August 29 (Mon) - National Heroes Day (three-day long weekend from August 27 to 29)
• September 11 (Sun) - Eid'l Adha (pending proclamation when date is confirmed)
• October 31 (Mon) - Special Non-Working Day
• November 1 (Tue) - All Saints Day (four-day long weekend from October 29 to November 1)
• November 30 (Wed) - Bonifacio Day
• December 24 (Sat) - Special Non-Working Day
• December 25 (Sun) - Christmas Day
• December 30 (Fri) - Rizal Day
• December 31 (Sat) - Last Day of the Year (four-day long weekend from December 30 to January 2, 2017)

BPI Credit Card is my travel card!

Travel is a very important part of my lifestyle. That must be the understatement of the year! I always have to plan my trip properly to make sure I make the most of my limited budget. An essential part of my travel is my credit card. Actually, I’ve had only one credit card since I got my own card nearly a decade ago, the BPI SkyMiles MasterCard, which is one of the many BPI Credit Cards available.

Like all BPI Credit Cards, it has the lowest foreign exchange conversion rate of only 1.75% among the top surveyed banks under the Credit Card Association of the Philippines (CCAP). Imagine, other banks charge as much as 3.525% for currency conversion. That’s something you have to look into especially if you are a frequent international traveler.

That’s why I prefer to swipe my BPI Credit Card instead of bringing cash for international trips. While cash has its obvious benefits, bringing too much of it also has disadvantages such as bad exchange rates, exchanging too much, or even theft.

My BPI Credit Card was very handy when I rented a car and drove around Europe in 2011. I used it to pay for the car rental, gas, accommodation, meals, souvenirs, and everything I could use the card with. I got a lot of points because of the purchases.

It was the same story for the five-week land trip I made around South America in 2013. You can imagine how many plane, train and bus tickets and hotels I booked using the card all these years, for trips in five continents. That’s because BPI Credit Cards are accepted anywhere in the world! How’s that for a travel companion?

But the biggest travel benefit that all BPI Credit Cards offer is free comprehensive travel insurance when you charge your travel fares to your BPI Credit Card. The BPI Credit Cards are so comprehensive, it covers life, health and other travel inconvenience. BPI Credit Cards give you automatic protection from travel accidents, trip delays, trip cancellations, and other inconveniences. All cards qualified for travel insurance have the following covered at different amounts: from death and permanent disablement, medical reimbursement, lost or delayed baggage, cancelled or delayed flights, personal liability, and even lost passports! It has the widest coverage compared to other credit cards.

No doubt, my BPI Credit Card has been one of my most important travel companions. I’ll never leave home without it.

I received this text a few days ago: Travel NOW on Real 0% Installment w/ your BPI Credit Card! Visit the Travel Madness Expo 4 on July 3-5 at the SMX Halls 1-4, SM MOA Complex to avail of exciting travel deals & huge discounts. Visit bit.ly/tme2015 for details.