Travel, Work, Play, Pray: Reflections from Kenya

I'm sitting in the restaurant of Hotel Ambassadeur, looking out at the colonial-era Kenya National Archives and the whirl of dozens of matatus and buses jostling through a crowded Sunday afternoon. Amid the noise and motion, my heart is full as I find myself reflecting on the last one and a half months I've spent in Kenya.

This was my first true solo trip in years, and my first international one at that. I'm thankful to my life partner, Suhas, whose hands I joined as he set off for his East Africa tour. I asked myself, why not? Especially now, when my work allows me to be in any part of the world.

After a week together, I stepped into deeper layers of the unknown. On a new continent, and for the first time, outside Asia. I chose to Couchsurf my way through Kenya, to experience the country and its diverse cultures through local perspectives that knit together the melting pot of Africa.

This blog isn’t about the Masai Mara or Kenya’s famous wildlife safaris. It’s about something less photographed and far more personal; what it felt like to live in Africa for a month and a half as a South Asian, finding my rhythm as a digital nomad while navigating the chaos, warmth, and everyday life of Kenya.

From the land of Hakuna Matata, Here are some ways I stretched my comfort zone, and what felt like small but meaningful victories over fear:

1. Wise Spending, Wild Living: I spent on experiences that enriched my spirit, renewed my sense of being, and connected me with myself, nature, and others. To budget travel, I took buses, used public transport, and ate supermarket meals that were healthier and cheaper than street food. But when it came to experiences I felt deeply called to, I didn't convert currencies. I just said yes.

This meant traveling all the way to Lamu, a UNESCO World Heritage site where 10,000 donkeys replace motor vehicles, or cycling 20 km through Hell’s Gate National Park before hiking deadly gorges and returning alive to resume work on a laptop screen, or riding a motorboat (just for a short stretch) on 56-km wide Lake Naivasha alongside Hippos.

It meant spending a week on a quiet farmstead, or accidentally stumbling into an Afro-Swahili wedding on Lamu Island, where even uninvited guests arrived on donkeys, carrying chairs to watch from the sidelines. Once, I even got lost in a desert on Shela Island, only to be “donkey’d” back to the mainland by a wrangler. These experiences made me feel more alive than ever.

Finding Para-Para-Paradise in Hell's Gate: my microblog on experiencing Kenya's iconic Hell's Gate National Park.

Spending money here felt good, it went straight to the people and places that gave me these unforgettable moments. On a practical note, I used a Thomas Cook One Currency Card, pre-loaded with USD, which made transactions seamless wherever Mastercard was accepted (no, Thomas Cook didn't sponsor this). And Kenya's Mpesa service is a master of all fintech services I've ever seen, especially in the developing worlds. I didn't have to carry cash anywhere, at all. Even the street vendors selling the worldbest Avocados accepted Mpesa.

2. Warrior Balance: Work + Wander: While in Kenya, I juggled three key projects and continued writing my first book, working with clients spread across 12 time zones. I managed it without burning out by planning days and weeks with enough space for rest, recovery, unplanned adventures, and quality time with the people I was with. I don't do parties. Instead, meditation kept my mind and body at ease, even in rapidly changing environments. One Saturday, I joined a group of Vipassana meditators for their monthly picnic in Karura Forest, a day etched in my memory. Working continuously also refueled my financial tank as I spent on these experiences.

3. Friendships Across Borders: Through Couchsurfing and Vipassana, I built genuine connections here, friends I could lean on during tricky moments. Once, I lost my bag in a matatu (local minibus), and my host stood by me through the crisis. In Lake Naivasha, I stayed with a family of artists for three days, even using my old radio jockeying and TV anchoring skills to interview them for a video they wanted for social media. These friendships feel real enough that if any of them ever showed up at my door, I'd welcome them with open arms.

4. Spiritual Encounters: Christianity and Islam: In Mombasa, I casually met a Couchsurfer who happened to be a pastor, a solo world traveler, and a life coach. After our long conversation about Christianity, I self-invited myself to church the following Sunday. My new friend Ciku's teacher, another pastor, was giving a sermon on the power of prayer and gratitude. It sounded less like preaching and more like science. It touched the deepest cells of my body, reminding me of moments when my own prayers had been answered, and when they hadn't. For someone like me, who studies the mind-body connection through Vipassana meditation, it also spoke as an interpretation of the power of the mind, and how we shape our reality.

Similarly, one evening in Lamu, I followed the sound of hymns, something like a kirtan in my Sikh culture, and found myself in a mosque. A group was practicing Dua, a calling to the divine through song and dance in a way that felt almost meditative. These experiences rooted me more deeply in my own culture while widening my understanding of interconnectedness.

5. On Safety & Shared Humanity: Kenya is safe, and people here are the warmest. I don't say this just because I Couchsurfed with some of the kindest, most hospitable hosts. I say this also because of the countless interactions I had on roadsides, in small towns, and in big cities, people who went out of their way to help. Their actions reflected thoughtfulness and deep care. Of course, petty crimes exist, just as they do everywhere, even in developed parts of the world where homelessness, addiction, and mental suffering often push people into crime. I remained vigilant here, but no more than I would in my own country when in places known for crime. These reflections on safety also reminded me of our need to debunk and decolonize; not just in thought, but in how we see one another. To work on our own peace and liberation as human beings, while supporting others on their journey too.

This post is featured in my September newsletter: Change, Creation, and Contribution. Read the full issue here.

Also, if this glimpse of Kenya spoke to you, you might also enjoy: Finding Para-Para-Paradise in Hell's Gate: my microblog on wandering through Kenya's iconic Hell's Gate National Park. Read here.