This charming, cozy, and TYPICALLY African town by Lake Victoria has been my home for a long time! It was my base for developing quirky, adventurous, and off-the-beaten-path trips throughout East Africa, as well as the birthplace of Charlie's Travels.
Kisumu
Here's the story: when Charlie settled in the small African town of Kisumu, on Lake Victoria in the far west of Kenya, in 2014, he quickly realized that his financial job was not for him at all. He bought a motorbike and began traveling around the region. During those travels, he had his hallelujah moment: this side of Africa was completely unknown to travelers. Goodbye finances, I'm going to develop trips for like-minded people!
125CC
And so, Charlie zoomed through East Africa on his 125cc motorbike. Bit by bit, he discovered new regions, got to know the Kenyan people, and stumbled upon incredibly beautiful parts of the earth where no mzungu had ever set foot. To share his experiences, he started documenting everything in vlogs and began selling his trips to other expats in Kisumu.
Charlie’s unique selling point: he paved the way for travelers to venture into the real Africa, a gateway only for adventurous souls who, like him, detest the crowded tourist circus and worn-out paths. This eventually became the foundation of what Charlie’s Travels is today: an off-the-beaten-path travel agency! Always exploring, always curious.
CT goes Nairobi
When all the expats in Kisumu had booked a trip with Charlie, he moved to Nairobi, where Charlie made a major expansion. Suddenly, there was a large team of employees selling trips, and it was high time to create new adventures. During the journey development, we crossed into Tanzania, Uganda, South Africa… until now, we’re even going off the beaten path in Morocco with our pioneers.
Charlie travels with other Africa experts: That motorbike safari across the desert or a multi-day hike with the Maasai were ideas he and his friend Rueben came up with! By having visited first-hand and doing business with Kenyans, Tanzanians, and Ugandans, you truly get a deeper taste of this rugged, sultry, beautiful continent. Developing travel experiences in the purest sense of the word.
During Charlie's big Africa Inside Out journey, Charlie is not only traveling a lot, but also discovering new routes and experiences!
Africa Inside Out
Now it's time for the next step: Charlie's Travels must keep innovating, so we're traveling through even more of East and Southern Africa to discover even cooler hostels, hikes, and plateaus across the continent. Charlie will venture down unknown paths again – and, like last weekend, his partner will sometimes have to settle for a sleeping bag by the campfire, as the inhabited world turned out to be further than our hero had anticipated. We'll be documenting all of this, sharing it, and passing it along so you can know what new adventures and discoveries have been made!
During Charlie's big Africa Inside Out journey, not only will Charlie be traveling a lot, but new routes and experiences will be uncovered! By traveling, connecting with the local population, and diving into the ins and outs he encounters along the way, he returns each time with fresh, innovative African routes, stories, and adventures!