Officially, Nicanor Sabula is the CEO of Kenya Association of Travel Agents (Kata). Unofficially, he is the arbiter of taste of what’s hot in the cushion world. The man loves a good pillow.
Among his stated dreams is to return to Chamonix, in the French Alps, an idealised destination; a metaphor for freedom. But it is South Africa that first fluttered its eyelashes at him, and he winked back. “God created the world, and then He rested. And then God created Cape Town.”
If he is living his life right, then perhaps his three children might fall closer to his tree: outdoorsy, mountaineering, running. All this counterweighted by a good steak, which he also makes, to the chagrin of his wife. Money, you often hear said, can’t buy happiness, but it can buy good steak, and if you are not happy with a good steak, then this is not a problem that money, or a good pillow, can fix.
Now that travel is your work, how do you switch off when you’re not working?
You know, it’s interesting because people assume that since I work in travel, I spend my day on holiday. But that’s just a part of it. That said, I’m an outdoors person. I spend my time in the wild. I’m in love with bush experiences and would be camping every day were it not that my wife is a luxury traveller.
I do a lot of running and walking on the weekends. I have done mountaineering, and occasionally I love visiting new places. It’s work outside work. But the weekend is also for my family.
What’s the first thing you do when you get to your hotel room or Airbnb?
Haha! I throw myself on the bed and test the pillow [chuckles]. This will determine whether I’m going to have a good sleep or not. Then I’ll walk to the window and hopefully I am on the 40th floor to see the world, and what awaits me. That’s my ritual. Bed, pillow, window.
What makes a great pillow?
I need a fluffy, white, balanced pillow that is not too soft and not too hard, one that gives me comfort, which assures me that when I’m deep asleep, my wellbeing is taken care of. It’s got to come in the right size. At some point, I even contemplated carrying my own pillow.
Are you also the kind of guy who shops for pillows often?
No, I don’t shop for pillows. I only use one pillow. I don’t experiment. My body has gotten used to a certain specific pillow. So when I go to a hotel and I find a pile of them from which you have to select, I keep on testing until I find the one that fits me [chuckles].
What’s the best lesson you’ve learned on the road?
Your destination is not necessarily determined by the road you take. You can have very different experiences on the road towards your destination, bumpy or smooth, or clear. I once went to a place deep in the interior of Elgeyo Marakwet on a very bumpy road, but when I got there, all my troubles just dissipated. The road does not matter.
What is a travel tip that you think people should ignore?
Haha! Many people are told that if they book their own trips, it will be cheaper. But cheap is very expensive. And now that I’m in the travel industry, I’ve come to discover that one should let the professionals do what they need to do for you. It may look slightly expensive, but in the long run, it’s always cheaper for you, because travel is very unpredictable, which is why they say ‘Safari ni mjinga’ (The journey is foolish (unpredicable)). If you can, use a professional to book your travel.
How do you take care of yourself?
I exercise, which gets even more important as you age, when your body becomes vulnerable. Recently I have taken an interest in going to the spa to pamper myself. But I’ve found a lot of value in disappearing in the wild and just going and unwinding, and I realise that when I do that, I have a lot of time to think about myself and my purpose, and that renews me. Spending time listening to my music and walking around gives me clarity of mind.
What habit are you trying to kick?
My love for steak. But I’m increasingly being told I need to slow down.
By your cardiologist?
Actually, by my wife. She doesn’t like it the way I like my steak. So she’s always encouraging me to cut down on red meat. I’m struggling a bit. But hopefully I can manage it.
Can you make a good steak?
Yes, I do. That’s the only thing I cook in the house when it’s my shift for cooking. Everyone enjoys my steak; I practise what I preach. I love the steak, so I also know how to prepare it.
Does it remind you of someone, something or somewhere?
Maybe it reminds me of my childhood. Growing up, eating meat was not a very common thing. I guess when I could afford it, I decided to compensate for the meat that I never ate when I was young. I’ve found that some of the best steaks are in South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana.
For Nicanor Sabula, travel is both work and a way to recharge.
Photo credit: Pool
What is the weirdest thing that has happened to you while you were travelling?
The late mountaineer Joshua Cheruiyot Kirui lured me to summit Mt Kenya in a day and back. We left at 6am, and I was coming back to Camp Moses at about 8pm. So I spent 14 hours climbing a mountain [chuckles]. I think it’s something that I will never do again, considering I was just an amateur.
What do you do when you procrastinate?
Haha! Procrastination, of course, is a killer of dreams. In the past, I would dismiss self-help books, but I have been reading ‘Atomic Habits’ by James Clear, one of my favourites. I hand it over to anybody who I feel needs to kick out certain habits. It has been a powerful tool to remind me about the power of building habits, and it is a book I have read numerous times.
What’s your weekend soundtrack?
Music is my love, and it is perhaps what I inherited from my late dad. I have a taste for good music, which should have good arrangement, composition, and message. My son introduced me to a new jam: ‘Taya’ by Okello Max. I love that song.
What are you looking forward to doing this weekend?
I am on dad duties this weekend. I shall be taking them for a hike without their mum, and I want to see what that will look like. I have three children, a son and two daughters, and I will be with the daughters only. We will unwind and get to connect.
Through my children, I get to see the growth in my life, the mistakes I made, and the power to shape and make a better version of who I could have become through them.
What has been the best compliment your children have paid you?
The investment I have made in my children is presence. During my last birthday, my daughter said something about me, that she is proud I have been to every event of hers in life and school. That made me proud because I have been deliberate, which is something I did not have growing up.
Congratulations. What’s your number one guilty pleasure?
Haha! Travel because I’m the kind of guy when I go into a new city, I want to explore and experience the city. And I get a certain excitement just when I’m out in a new place. But I am moderate in my expenditure.
What is the one place you went to that altered the way you see the world?
That’s a very good one. My best experience was going to Chamonix on the French side of the Alps. It’s a beautiful mountainous place, a small city in France. I had never been in a vastness of snow with very clear rivers. I feel that should be the end of the world. I am also a big fan of Cape Town. I feel like God created the world. And then created Cape Town. It’s got everything for everyone.
Are you beholden to the window seat or you don’t mind the aisle?
I’m a window seat guy [chuckles]. And I love take-offs when I’m on the plane, I just want to be able to see the world as the plane comes down. But as I grow older, I’m realising that I also need to sit at the aisle for the bathroom visits [chuckles].
Lastly, please settle this debate for us once and for all, professionally: Who gets the armrests?
I think the middle seat guy needs somewhere to rest [chuckles]. It’s the worst sitting space, and I’ve even contemplated walking out of the plane. Give the middle guy something to hold on to!
