Afroglobetrotter's Diary

Before you travel, make sure to check the rules for your country and weigh the risks!     London Heathrow Terminal 5: Where have the planes gone? It's been a while but it's great to be back on the blogosphere. Phew! It is a completely different world we live in now. Social distancing, face masks and travel restrictions have now become the norm and will most likely remain so for the near future. If you are wondering what international travel looks like these days, here's my experience of a recent trip abroad and a rough guide to some of the things to expect when travelling in this COVID era. Before the flight Before considering a trip abroad, check the latest travel advice for your destination and be mindful that this could change without any prior notice. My travel plans changed three times and the decision to travel to Barbados was made less than 24 hours before my flight. The airline thankfully changed my ticket as my previous travel destination had closed its borders l...

Cap-Haitien, Haiti Quick facts: Capital: Port-au-Prince Currency: Haitian Gourde (1 USD=95 Gourde in August 2019), the US dollar is widely accepted.  Official Languages: French, Haitian Creole Known for: historical landmarks, The Haitian Revolution, Labadee beach, Haitian vodou. My trip to Haiti had been in the works for a while so when it was time to get on the plane bound for Cap-Haitien, Haiti’s second city, I was excited but apprehensive as well. Travel advisories of the UK, US and Canada discourage all but essential travel to the country due to perceived “political instability and insecurity” but I was soon to find out, these concerns were probably (at least in Cap-Haitien) unfounded. A street in Cap-Haitien, Haiti. A bit of Haitian history... On the 1st of January 1804, following a 14-year brutal revolution ( The Haitian Revolution ) which saw the defeat and expulsion of French troops, this small island nation made history by declaring Ind...

Sunset at Beau Vallon Beach Seychelles Quick facts: Capital : Victoria  Known for : beautiful beaches, unspoiled nature and biodiversity, Coco de mer, Aldabra tortoises. Islands : 100+; the three largest are Mahe, Praslin and La Digue. Languages : Seychellois Creole, English and French Currency : Seychellois Rupee, SCR (the Euro is widely accepted). 1€=~15 SCR (July 2019) Visa policy : Visa-free but evidence of return flight and accommodation booking will be required. Aldabra Giant Tortoise  When you think of Seychelles, images of endless miles of Idyllic beaches immediately spring to mind but my trip to this country made me realise that there is much more to this country than beautiful beaches. This island country situated in the Indian Ocean about 1500km off the East Coast of Africa, has the smallest population of any independent African nation and the highest Human Development Index  (HDI). Having exchanged hands between French and Briti...

Toronto's Caribbean Carnival, popularly known as Caribana, involves a series of events culminating in the Grand Parade on the first weekend of August. Attracting well over 1 million visitors to Canada's biggest city, the carnival is officially North America's biggest street party. The Parade starts around midday until dusk and follows a course around Exhibition Place and Lakeshore Boulevard in Downtown Toronto. While there is an entrance fee of $25 to watch the parade at the main judging stage, one can watch the parade on the rest of the route absolutely free of charge. As you would normally expect for a Caribbean carnival, the atmosphere was truly electric; happy people of various ethnic backgrounds dressed in colourful costumes dancing to the latest soca anthems, endless kiosks selling tasty Caribbean-inspired meals and so on. The thing I find most thrilling about these carnivals is how people of various backgrounds put their differences aside and ju...

View of Vancouver skyline from Granville Island  It’s great to be back blogging after what has been an unintended a 6-month hiatus!  I’m back for good now and very keen to share more stories from my recent travel adventures including Iceland, Andorra and Slovenia. First, here is the concluding part of my Vancouver experience. Canada Place Having returned from the more laid-back atmosphere of Whistler, it was time to experience a taste of city life but despite being the main city of Western Canada and the country's third largest, Vancouver retains the relatively calm vibe of the province of British Columbia. I found Downtown Vancouver compact enough to get around by foot or public transport. The city bikes were also very useful but note that cyclists are required by law to wear a helmet.  My first stop was Canada Place, a huge complex comprising a convention centre, hotels, restaurants and the main cruise ship terminal. For most people arriving on cruise...