Healthy Travel Tips on a Kenya Safari

by Grace Carmel, Masimba Hills Safaris
(Nairobi, Kenya)

Healthy Travel Tips on a Kenya Safari

Holiday and vacation time is a time to relax and break away from work, stress, and the daily routines. It is not a time to indulge in unhealthy habits but it should in fact help maintain if not help in your weight loss and overall fitness.

Making a few changes and allowing Masimba Safaris you, you can enjoy your holiday or African Safari and still maintain your current weight and fitness levels or even better get an improvement by losing more weight. In our Kenya African Safari, be it a Beach Holiday or Vacation, Game watching, Mountain Climbing, Sightseeing, walking tours, family trip, you can avoid pilling on those dreaded holiday pounds by packing some healthy foods and workout gear to allow you join our Active Tours and Safari Activities.

When Flying

Despite many fast food restaurants at airports and food served in flights, select what you eat wisely, ignore deserts and eat veggies. Some healthy tips while flying are:
• Eat a healthy meal at home before you depart for your flight. You’ll be less likely snack on high-calorie snacks for fun and entertainment
• If eating in an airport, it’s worth it to spend the time searching out healthy foods. Look for salads, fresh fruit, vegetables, grilled white meats etc
• Instead of sitting around waiting for boarding time, use your free time to walk, climb stairs if any. After all your flight may have sitting time of more than eight hours as most flights to Africa have a lot of waiting time for connections.
• Drink plenty of water. .
• Walk through the aisles a few times when you are feeling tired during a long flight. Remember not to be a nuisance to other passengers sitting with you.
When on the road

In our Kenyan Safaris, we do offer active tours and safaris, activities include;- walking, trekking, hiking in and around the game reserves, which means you enjoy game as you lose weight. If you’re traveling with kids you need not worry because children can be kept busy by involving them in activities that suit their ages. Below are a few tips as you embark on your Kenya Active tours and safari:-
• Pack healthy snacks, as you move around ask our driver guide to stop at supermarkets to replenish your healthy snacks, fruits and even carry own Chopped veggies, juice, low-fat yogurt etc
• Don’t skip meals, and try not to go more than 4 or 5 hours without eating. Being famished at mealtime may hinder your ability to make healthy choices and trigger overeating.
• We avoid serving meals in the vehicle on longer trips, we take time to stop, relax and enjoy your meal. This way, you can pay closer attention to your hunger and satiety signals.
• After every two hours we have a 15 mins break, Go for a quick jog or walk, stretch and run around, back in the car, you’ll be more alert and energetic.
• Avoid coffee and caffeinated drinks and Sodas. While they do give you a short energy burst, the drop when caffeine wears off can make you even more tired. For stable energy levels, drink plenty of water or natural juice.
• Be wary of fast food and roadside restaurants. If you have no other options, choose the healthiest possible items and keep portion sizes small. One way to avoid excess calories and fat is to hold the mayo, special sauces, cheese and dressings. Also opt for non-breaded items and kid-sized portions.

When in Hotels & Lodges

The demand for healthy eating, weight loss and fitness is on rise, some hotels are responding to their guests needs by introducing gyms and fitness centers some have respond to customer’s requests by including a bike in the rooms. There’s no reason not to work out or eat healthy just because you are on holiday. Plan ahead and make your requests known to us and we shall see how to best organize for you an active hotel stay. Meals in most hotels in Kenya are buffet, which means you can avoid what is bad and eat healthy throughout your trip.
• Avoid alcohol, ask our driver guide to take you through a supermarket and have your selected snacks, fruits in your room. Most rooms (not in lodges) come with a mini fridge, stock healthy snacks and water.
• Before making a booking ask us to find hotels or lodges that offer some fitness activities, While most will have a pool, others may have tennis, squash courts where rackets are available on rent, walking paths, bike rentals like in Hells Gate National Park in Nakuru, and fully equipped gyms.
• Always travel with your sports shoes, track suit, bikers and t-shirts for the purpose of working out.
• Ask your Tour Guide where you can take a nice walk without exposing yourself to risks, know your environment.
• Do some exercises in your hotel room, if you are travelling with your laptop, buy some workout CD’s.
• For our Active Tours & Safaris that end with Beach Holidays, there are lots of activities, snorkeling for two hours (standard time) can really full fill that dream of an fitness holiday. Our Group Tours offers many activities that include kayaking, boat rides beach football and volley ball and many more
It’s worth the time it takes to plan ahead for a healthy trip, but be realistic. You probably won’t lose weight on your safari but NOT putting on some weight is absolutely necessary. Remember, your Kenya African Safari is about having fun!


Women Tours Organiser

www.masimbasafaris.com

email: carmel@masimbasafaris.com

Tel: +254 720 941701