We can’t get enough of Kenya’s beauty

Interestingly the number of families leaving the comfort and predictability of routine life to explore the world and documenting their travel journeys round the globe has been on the rise. Some have made brave and daring moves to have no specific abode to call home having relocated from their country of birth to other foreign countries where they start life afresh and build new memories.

If you have ever come across the ‘Where Next’ family on social media pages, one thing that you will notice is that they are one happy family, travelling and documenting their travels around our country in catchy images and videos of the magical Kenya. They describe their life as one full of adventure and travelling and in the process, made destinations that seemed ordinary to many ordinary Kenyans look extraordinarily out of this world by their way of story telling through videos and photos.

But even as all this is happening, they never thought that they would find themselves in a country far away from their home and loved ones, touring and showing people around the world of the marvelous things they would do once they visit Kenya. 

Six years ago, YouTubers, content creators and founders of an outdoor adventure company called Where Next Escapes, Adam Rogers and Ina Plesca, took a bold step to leave the UK and set up and run two businesses remotely whilst travelling and exploring the world. Then the Covid-19 pandemic happened, which meant that the business had to be on hold and the two went back to the UK due to the travel restrictions. They also had a new baby to keep them on their toes.

“We used to bring our customers to Kenya for adventure holidays (pre-Covid) and then when everything in the world came to a standstill, we found ourselves trapped in the UK with no customers to show this amazing country. We decided to come only for ourselves and to embrace a new home,” narrates Ina.

It was love at first sight

The two had met in a gym back in London at Oxford Circus. Ina had gone to sign up at the gym, but despite the fact that she disliked the place, the sales person was able to sign her up. However, meeting the gym manager made her reconsider and he became her motivation for training every day.

“I walked out of there and “It was 100 per cent love at first sight for me”.  I basically called my mum and friends and told them I found my future husband. Sometimes when you know you know,” continues Ina.

Of the two, Adam was the one that was better travelled. He had been to Thailand, China and other countries prior to their meeting. So, when the two love birds met, they began their life of travel together. Within two months, they had gone to Morocco and within the same year, they started a new life in Thailand.

“Since that time, we never stopped moving around. So, I think it was definitely Adam that instigated and I followed because I always found the world fascinating. I guess I’m just a lucky one. Finding the one that had the same interests as me; fitness, travel and having a sense of freedom,” she says.

And even when their daughter, Malia came into their lives four years ago, she was also put into the travel plan.

“She’s included in our travels because that’s the lifestyle we chose to live. When I was pregnant, we both decided that nothing was going to change. When she grows older and we have to worry about things such as education or belonging to a community, we will rethink our options and plan accordingly,” continues Ina.

During this time, they had already quit their jobs and had a global adventure travel company where they would take people on holidays and Kenya was one of the destinations. When the pandemic started and then ended, they travelled to Kenya for a two months visit, which ended up being a two year stay.

“Coming to Kenya has been a blessing in disguise. We really had no idea what was going to happen when we came here. As the months rolled by, we started to explore more and the more we saw, the more we fell in love with the country. It is definitely a place you cannot forget and we hope that by spending our time here, and sharing the beauty of Kenya with the world, we managed to persuade more people to make it their next holiday destination,” says the mother of one.

Extremely expensive

They travel roughly twice a month due to financial and time constraints. The hardest part is the fact that they don’t own a car and flying to places can be extremely expensive, especially since they do it roughly twice a month. Sometimes, as content creators they also do barter services; like exchanging a skill for a service.

“We’ve used this option quite often. After a certain time, brands will start to discover you and invite you to come for a free stay, so that they can market their property or experience to your audience. This is the power of influencer marketing. It’s a win-win for brands and people to work together,” Ina explains.

But one thing that their travels have taught them is to always travel to places where they can afford. In addition, they embrace all the cultures and experiences and conduct very little research prior to going somewhere because they like to experience a place without someone else’s perception of it. Another thing that they consider while travelling with their daughter is safety and the usual stuff such as love, attention and affection.

“Nothing really changes when you travel with your children, except waking up in different countries. The usual precautions must be used as you would back home.”

Travelling around the world has also made them live minimalistic lives carrying just what they need for the places they go to. For instance, when they found out that they were coming to Kenya, they packed everything and left within two and a half weeks.

“Between the three of us, we own three bags. Adam and I have two big duffel bags that are as old as our relationship. Luckily they both lasted us almost 10 years. We’ve always owned the same amount of clothes throughout the years. All of our winter stuff (very few bits and pieces) are in the UK with our families. The rest can be packed into one bag. That’s all we own and we live a very minimalist lifestyle. We shop little and keep little so we can move around with ease.”