Inside and Out – Welcome to Lagos…

Inside and Out Podcast: Episode 1:

Mark and I talk a lot about the current perception of Africa and how it is changing. We talk about the many differences between African countries, and Mark’s experience, being white or a foreigner in Africa. 

We figured we would start recording some of these conversations. Our working title is Inside and Out. Both because we hope to evaluate certain topics inside and out. And also because for most topics, one of us will have an insider perspective and the other will not.

At a minimum, we hope to share stories about our lives in Lagos, Nigeria. At a maximum, help strip away the walls of misunderstanding and ego until we both have a better appreciation of each other’s cultures and experiences.

About Amarachi & Mark…

Well, you already know me! šŸ™‚ Iā€™m Amarachi, a systems engineer and lead content creator for Travel with a Pen. I met Mark on a super budget trip to Benin Republic a few years ago. We later took a trip together to Morocco about 2 years later and as they say, the rest is history.

Mark moved from Benin Republic to Mali and later to Nigeria, where we currently both reside in. We are looking forward to exploring more countries on the African Continent and sharing these experiences with you through our blogs and podcast.

We welcome you to join these conversations. Let us know what you think in the comment section below.

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Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan!

Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below!

Happy Travels!
Your Japan trip planning doesn't have to be so overwhelming! Here's a guide to help spread out the timeline for a stress-free holiday to Japan! Let me know if you found this helpful in the comment section below! Happy Travels!
2 weeks ago
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1/9
This lodge is the perfect place to start or end your trip to Namibia. It was certainly a highlight of ours! šŸ’™

šŸ“Voigtland Guesthouse šŸ‡³šŸ‡¦ Would you stay here?
This lodge is the perfect place to start or end your trip to Namibia. It was certainly a highlight of ours! šŸ’™ šŸ“Voigtland Guesthouse šŸ‡³šŸ‡¦ Would you stay here?
2 weeks ago
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2/9
Dreaming of visiting Hong Kong? šŸ‡­šŸ‡° If so, you're in luck because the visa application is one of the easiest (and cheapest) out there for Nigerian passport holders.ā£
ā£
šŸ’¬ š‚šØš¦š¦šžš§š­ "š•š¢š¬šš š‹š¢š§š¤" for a step-by-step guide, and I'll share all the details with you via DM! šŸ›«šŸ“Øā£
ā£
š—Ŗš”š² š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š ?: I first learned how easy the application process was via @travelletters_ ā£
ā£
Then I found out that I could save šŸ’øšŸ’øšŸ’ø if I rerouted my flights to East Asia through HK. Plus, this is a new destination for me anyway, so win-win! šŸ†ā£
ā£
š‡šØš° š­šØ š€š©š©š„š²: Visit the Gov.HK - comment "Hong Kong" and I'll share this directly to your DM šŸ“©ā£
ā£
š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š  š•š¢š¬š¢š­ š•š¢š¬šš šš«šØšœšžš¬š¬š¢š§š  š“š¢š¦šž: 4-6 weeks. So apply early!ā£
ā£
š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š  š•š¢š¬š¢š­ š•š¢š¬šš š…šžšžš¬: Ordinary visa $230 HKD, which = ~$30 USD. For a transit visa, it's only $120 HKDā£
ā£
Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below!
Dreaming of visiting Hong Kong? šŸ‡­šŸ‡° If so, you're in luck because the visa application is one of the easiest (and cheapest) out there for Nigerian passport holders.ā£ ā£ šŸ’¬ š‚šØš¦š¦šžš§š­ "š•š¢š¬šš š‹š¢š§š¤" for a step-by-step guide, and I'll share all the details with you via DM! šŸ›«šŸ“Øā£ ā£ š—Ŗš”š² š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š ?: I first learned how easy the application process was via @travelletters_ ā£ ā£ Then I found out that I could save šŸ’øšŸ’øšŸ’ø if I rerouted my flights to East Asia through HK. Plus, this is a new destination for me anyway, so win-win! šŸ†ā£ ā£ š‡šØš° š­šØ š€š©š©š„š²: Visit the Gov.HK - comment "Hong Kong" and I'll share this directly to your DM šŸ“©ā£ ā£ š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š  š•š¢š¬š¢š­ š•š¢š¬šš šš«šØšœšžš¬š¬š¢š§š  š“š¢š¦šž: 4-6 weeks. So apply early!ā£ ā£ š‡šØš§š  šŠšØš§š  š•š¢š¬š¢š­ š•š¢š¬šš š…šžšžš¬: Ordinary visa $230 HKD, which = ~$30 USD. For a transit visa, it's only $120 HKDā£ ā£ Let me know if you have any questions in the comment section below!
2 weeks ago
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3/9
Did you know Kenya had such stunning beaches? This is Diani Beach, located on the Kenyan Coast šŸ˜šŸ˜

Easily doable as a weekend trip, but better to stay longer šŸ¤
Did you know Kenya had such stunning beaches? This is Diani Beach, located on the Kenyan Coast šŸ˜šŸ˜ Easily doable as a weekend trip, but better to stay longer šŸ¤
2 weeks ago
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4/9
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3 weeks ago
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5/9
Japan peak travel season is here! šŸŒø Everyone on your travel TL is about to be in Japan! šŸ¤­

Just in case you're planning your own trip and it's starting to get a little overwhelming šŸ„¹, here's a quick framework to help!

1. There are lots of castles, temples, shrines, etc. in Japan. Some cities even have all the groups listed above. You can tailor your itinerary to have a mix of popular destinations and lesser known places.

2. There's a lot to see and do in Japan! Just accept that you can not possibly see and do everything in a single short-term trip. Prioritise your list of places and make the best use of your time. ā°ļø

3. Missing in the list on the video: a fun train ride (could be a ride on shinkansen, a limited express train with great views and scenery, or a themed carriage).šŸš† But don't forget about buses - especially if you're on a budget. They're often times a cheaper alternative, and sometimes, the journey time is practically the same.

4. Visiting the major cities is nice - especially for first-time travellers to the country, but as these places grapple with the effects of overtourism, it'll be great to explore lesser visited places, too.

5. I'll always recommend the overnight trip, rather than a day trip if you're keen on exploring places without the crowd.

Are you heading to Japan soon, or is it on your travel wishlist?
Japan peak travel season is here! šŸŒø Everyone on your travel TL is about to be in Japan! šŸ¤­ Just in case you're planning your own trip and it's starting to get a little overwhelming šŸ„¹, here's a quick framework to help! 1. There are lots of castles, temples, shrines, etc. in Japan. Some cities even have all the groups listed above. You can tailor your itinerary to have a mix of popular destinations and lesser known places. 2. There's a lot to see and do in Japan! Just accept that you can not possibly see and do everything in a single short-term trip. Prioritise your list of places and make the best use of your time. ā°ļø 3. Missing in the list on the video: a fun train ride (could be a ride on shinkansen, a limited express train with great views and scenery, or a themed carriage).šŸš† But don't forget about buses - especially if you're on a budget. They're often times a cheaper alternative, and sometimes, the journey time is practically the same. 4. Visiting the major cities is nice - especially for first-time travellers to the country, but as these places grapple with the effects of overtourism, it'll be great to explore lesser visited places, too. 5. I'll always recommend the overnight trip, rather than a day trip if you're keen on exploring places without the crowd. Are you heading to Japan soon, or is it on your travel wishlist?
3 weeks ago
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6/9
The perfect way to end an evening safari @thehildanalodge šŸŒ™
The perfect way to end an evening safari @thehildanalodge šŸŒ™
3 weeks ago
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7/9
A delicious stop in Diani @nomadbeachbar šŸ¦€

I tried the crab samosas, spaghetti bolognese & stracciatella ice cream, and I rate them a 10/10 šŸ‘ŒšŸ½ I'm quite ready to revisit Diani the crab samosas alone!

The moctails and a fish skewer dish I tried get a 7/10 rating. Overall, it's a great place to dine at when in Diani.
A delicious stop in Diani @nomadbeachbar šŸ¦€ I tried the crab samosas, spaghetti bolognese & stracciatella ice cream, and I rate them a 10/10 šŸ‘ŒšŸ½ I'm quite ready to revisit Diani the crab samosas alone! The moctails and a fish skewer dish I tried get a 7/10 rating. Overall, it's a great place to dine at when in Diani.
3 weeks ago
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8/9
I would go back to Diani, specifically for these crab samosas! šŸ¦€
I would go back to Diani, specifically for these crab samosas! šŸ¦€
3 weeks ago
View on Instagram |
9/9
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