Travel – ThatAshantiGirl

Sunset Resort

Hotel Sokhamon also known as the Sunset Resort located in Dakar Senegal is one of the hotels that got me from Wow to Damn! It has got this naturalesque yet eerie vibe to it. No doubt it has the most amazing sunsets! Ah-Mazing!!! If you know me, you will know that I love SUNSETS!! Here are some beautiful shots I took with my iPhone X last year on a trip to Dakar.

Waking up to this view for 3 straight days was paradise in itself. Watching the sunrise and catching the sunsets was just magical.

Morning Sunrise… the birds chirping and the sea waves clashing are literally therapeutic!

Only negative about this place is that they don’t have a lot of variety for their breakfast menu. This was me on all 3 days. The view made up for it though.

I fell in love with the ambiance of the sitting area (there must be a name for this!) and the whole aesthetic flavor of the hotel in general. I mean look at this!!!

In tune with nature. Look at the nest chairs. You can even see and hear birds flying and chirping away in this space.

Heard about the “Monument de la Renaissance Africaine” and decided to check it out.

Beautiful Monument. Also said to be the tallest statue in Africa. It is a 49 meter tall bronze statue located on top of one of the twin hills known as Collines des Mamelles, outside Dakar, Senegal. Built overlooking the Atlantic Ocean.

Have you been to the Sokhamon Hotel before or heard about it? What were your impressions?

Hope you enjoyed the photos. If you’re planning a trip to Dakar anytime soon, make sure you polish up on your French! I had some really interesting moments whilst there but thanks to Google translate, I got through. lol!

With Love

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ThatAshantigirl

Why I travel light…

I don’t know about you, but my preference for travelling is to always go light!! I simply don’t understand why people get a bit annoyed when you politely tell them that it’s just one bag you’re travelling with and NO you cannot carry along an extra bag!

When you aren’t travelling to one particular destination, the whole idea of taking extra luggage with you can be a pain and literally tiring! I have been in situations where I had drag two heavy bags from one city to the next before finally moving them to the airport and running to the baggage drop off area like a crazy confused woman because I was close to missing my flight! Not a good look and not a good memory I want to keep forever. Lol. I am still trying to forget this but looks like it’s a story I’ll keep telling for a while longer. Lol. Imagine the state I was in. I felt light-headed, dizzy and tired the whole damn time! Lol!

My personal advice to anyone who is a newbie at this travelling thing is to keep it simple. Don’t try to please anyone!! Rather aim at having a stress-free travel experience.

If you’re wondering what the big deal about travelling light is, here are a couple of reasons:

no excess baggage fees (Yay)
quicker to pack at home and at your destination
makes multi-destinations trips less of a hassle
less risk of bodily injury moving all that weight around
smugness – you can’t overestimate the wonderful smugness that comes with packing light and throwing your bag on the airport scales with confidence

So tell me, do you also travel light? Got any bad travel experiences or tips for travelling light? Do share. Eager to read your comments.

❤ ❤ ❤

ThatAshantigirl

Beautiful “Rainy” Manchester

Ever visited Manchester in the United Kingdom?! Gosh its such a beautiful sunny city (haha! You wish!). Manchester, also the second biggest city in England is known as “Rainy Manchester” but that shouldn’t deter you from visiting. Just have a brolly (umbrella) on you all the time. The buildings are a sight to see if you’re a weirdo like me who likes to stare at architectural pieces and takes delight in doing just that. It is also a Foodies haven as on every street, you’re bound to find something delish to try out!

Thanks to Google maps, finding your way through the city is not a difficult task!

Here are my top 5 places I recommend you visit whenever you’re in the city. Good thing is you can do all 5 of them in just a day!

Manchester Art Gallery for the Art Lovers is a must see and one of the first places i visited during my first trip to Manchester (literally got of the plane, dropped my bags and walked straight into it) It is in the city centre and is one of the best places to go for art and culture in the city.
You have got to visit Old Trafford especially if you are a football fan or better still a Manchester United Fan!!! Unfortunately i missed out on the experience tour i paid for as i got my whole planning mixed up!! Check out the tours here and make a booking in advance. You will love it!! Im gutted i missed it.
Manchester Chinatown is the second largest Chinatown in the UK. Chinatown is colourful and diverse, with some of the best ethnic restaurants in the city. For authentic Szechuan cuisine, try Red Chilli. Just google for directions. There are other restaurants that are equally good! Don’t forget to take a picture in-front of the large paifang arch as i did.
Explore the Northern Quarter. Its a beautiful shopping haven with artsy streets. You will find lots of commercial art galleries dotted around the area. Perfect spot for picture lovers!
Explore the Shopping Malls in the City Centre. There are lots of shops in the city centre to explore and get lost in. Make sure you discipline yourself and buy ONLY what you need! Lol! I usually suck at this and try not to shop especially when I’m alone!

Have you been to Manchester? Got any places we need to check out? Share away!! I’d love to know!!

Have a look at these shots i took during my stay in Manchester.

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ThatAshantigirl

First Road Tripping of the Year!

I’ve finally found my travel buddy!! A lot of you can probably relate to this. I’ve been searching for a fun and crazy person to be road tripping with since forever! It’s always always a hassle trying to plan a trip and making sure people’s schedules do not clash with the dates. But thank God I found a buddy with a schedule as flexible as mine! Woop woop!

So on the second day of the new year we decided to drive our crazy selves to Aqua Safari. All packed up we started our journey which took us approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes from the Tema Motorway. The road network isn’t bad at all so it made the journey very enjoyable.

I was a bit skeptical about the choice of resort as I was looking for a quiet place where i could think and strategize and of course enjoy their recreational facilities. It ended up being the best choice as every expectation I had was met despite the bad reviews I had seen online! Everyone who works there is super nice and very polite.

Ok…enough of the long talk! My travel buddy for this trip was Wendy! She totally made this trip worth it! If you’re wondering what the fuss about road trips with friends are, check out my top 5 reasons why I think it’s a must for everyone to go on a road trip sometime in their life and some pictures from the trip.

It deepens your friendships!

2. You get your own personal photographer to capture your experiences 🙂 .

3. The memories you make will stay with you forever!

4. You get to save on group expenses. (You can share costs on fuel, accommodation and food)

5. Plus travelling with friends gives you a little comfort and a zit of confidence!

See below our Goofy Car Moments! Obviously someone wasn’t hitting the right note. Hahah!

What is your favourite part of travelling with friends? Tell me more about it in the comment section below. Also please do share with me places you visited that was fun. I may add that to my list as well and share it on here.

❤ ❤ ❤

ThatAshantiGirl