FOOD FOR THOUGHT
We all know the feeling—whether you have kids in school or know someone who does, that familiar phone call or email arrives, sharing the exciting news that a young person is on a mission to raise funds for their school band, to support an unforgettable class trip, or perhaps to expand their library with more books. These are not just fundraising efforts; they are wonderful opportunities that help our children flourish and grow.
Now imagine if they came to you asking you to consider donating to help FEED the students… you probably wouldn’t think twice about donating. After all, how are children expected to pay attention and learn at school if they haven’t had anything to eat all day?
Sadly, that is the reality for the 520 primary school students at the Naivasha Highway Primary School. Experts say that food-insecure children have a harder time getting along with others, and they are more likely to repeat a grade. Not only does food insecurity translate to lower math and reading scores, it can also lead to more absences and tardiness. There are also school-related emotional and social setbacks when a child doesn’t have enough to eat.
For those of you who have joined us on the incomparable Kenya Walking Safari, undoubtedly one of the most indelible impressions was our visit to the Naivasha Highway Primary School. It is one of neediest schools in the area. You witnessed firsthand not only how warm, kind and welcoming they were, but also the very sad reality that they were in dire need of the basic school supplies, clothing and especially food. Comfortable Hiking Holidays has a long history of helping this particular school, from buying shoes for all the students to repairing broken desks, bringing school supplies and this year, purchasing a new printer for them.
It’s now time to make a long-lasting impact. One that will fill bellies in the short term, but help them succeed in their studies in the long term. It’s time to build them a
SAFARI SO GOOD
(Kenya Walking Safari 2024)
We rolled into to the Masai Mara, just in time for an afternoon game drive, and we hit the jackpot right off the bat with our first lion sighting - and not just one lion, but four lionesses and one juvenile male. They were so close to our jeep that we could almost reach out and pet them 🦁 
TOUR DU MONT BLANC 2025
TOUR DU MONT BLANC 2025!
Get on the Interested List NOW!
Having just completed the TMB, we can tell you unequivocally that it’s the highlight of anyone’s hiking career. Watch the short video to see what our guests said about it and then, if you think you’d be up for the challenge, email us at [email protected] to get on the Interested List for 2025. We’ll be doing it all again in July of next year.
There is no financial obligation to be on the Interested List; it is simply a notification process so that you know when we will begin taking reservations for the next TMB trek.
🥾🏔️🥾🏔️🥾🏔️
HAPPY ST.PATRICK’S DAY!
HAPPY ST.PATRICK’S DAY…from Portugal! ☘️
How to use your hiking poles to your best advantage.
OVERCOMING HIKING CHALLENGES - #1
Every hiker has his/her challenges. Some of us with creaky knees find the descents hard. Those of us with less cardio endurance find the uphills a challenge. There are things we can do though that can help improve our relationship with those challenges, and the better we get at lessening the stress, fear or reluctance associated with those parts of hiking that we don’t particularly love, the more trails are available to us and the better hikers we become. In a recent Facebook post, we asked you what YOUR challenge was? Today we are going to highlight the top 3 and what to do about them.
NUMBER 1 - GOING DOWNHILL
There are so many reasons why hiking downhill can be a challenge. The one we most often hear about is sore knees, which is no joke especially on long descents. There is also the uncertainty of uneven ground, gathering too much speed and therefore feeling out of control, especially if the terrain is wet or slippery. Here are some things for you to try:
1️⃣ Poles. Poles. Poles. Hiking downhill with poles is akin to having 4-wheel drive on a car. It gives you much better balance AND it takes a load off the knees so that it is much less jarring.
2️⃣ Ensure you hiking boots have enough room in the toe box. If your toes are getting crunched on the downhills, you are more likely to step incorrectly in order to avoid hurting your toes, and therefore making the descents that much harder.
3️⃣ Adopt the correct posture – keep your knees slightly bent, keep your body upright over your hips or even lean forward slightly, which will create better stability but try not to lean back.
4️⃣ Consider wearing a knee brace, which will support your knee by adding some temporary structural support. Another device we’ve found helpful is the Kneed-It (available on our Amazon storefront), which can help with minor knee pain commonly associated with arthritis, tendonitis and chondromalacia (aka runner’s knee).
5️⃣
DOWN & DIRTY IN DOMINICA (Dominica Holiday)
DOWN & DIRTY IN DOMINICA
The most iconic hike on the island is the one to Boiling Lake. It requires grit, stamina, endurance, strength, flexibility, and a positive attitude. We had all of that and more! What we didn’t have is enough time on our side to complete the entire hike all the way to Boiling Lake, but we did the hardest and most exciting part from Titou Gorge to the Valley of Desolation and back!
The Kalinago Territory in Dominica is reserved for its indigenous peoples and it also hosts Segment 6 of the Waitukubuli National Trail. The hike had its ups & downs - LITERALLY but it was beautiful and lush and challenging 🥾🌺
Happy Holidays to all our wonderful hikers and their families.
Happy Holidays to all our wonderful hikers and their families. Wishing you all good things 🥾 ❤️🎄
TOUCAN DO IT
(Mystery Destination)
This country has about 2000 species of birds, the most of any country in the world. While we didn’t see all 2000 on today’s special excursion, we took at least 2000 photos! I wanted to share ALL of them with you but had to show some self restraint 😜
MYSTERY DESTINATION UPDATE
