Meet Kelly Yimo, a French digital nomad, social media influencer

Kelly Yimo is a young French traveller who has been having the time of her life for nearly two months now in Tanzania.

She was born in France but raised in Cameroon, where her parents are from. “Our best food in Cameroon is ndole, an aromatic Cameroonian stew made of spinach and bitter leaves, flavored with garlic and crayfish, and fortified with shrimp and beef.

She fell in love with Mishikaki during her travels in Tanzania, and she has documented it ever since she touched down. Kelly, a social media influencer, has been able to attract many people who marvel at her insightful videos of her every day in Tanzania.

Kelly is a digital nomad who is also here in Tanzania looking for opportunities to invest in Tanzania’s Information Technology market.

An impromptu trip to Selous National Park opened her eyes not only to the wild side of Tanzania but also to the kind nature of Tanzanians.

A group of Tanzanian strangers she was traveling with went out of their way to make her feel at home as much as possible; they even spoke Kiswahili slowly so she could understand, and sometimes they would just speak in English so she could keep up and feel included in the conversation. “This is why I wanted to go on a trip and meet local people, the real Tanzanians speaking Kiswahili, so I could learn,” she continued. At the end of the journey, they became my friends, and I even took contacts with some of them, and we are still in touch,” she said. She asserted the known fact that Tanzanians are very welcome, and she had a chance to see that for herself. She was most amazed when she found that the camp they were staying in had a full-sized swimming pool in the middle of the wilderness, and the food was deliciously unforgettable.

Kelly also visited Nyerere National Park and saw all the animals Tanzania brags about when it markets itself to the world, and they truly lived up to her expectations; mostly, she fell in love with the majestic elephant. “They are so big and strong, but peaceful and calm, but they are dangerous too; I love that contrast,” Kelly explained. She observed the giraffes walking across the plains with their long necks effortlessly reaching out to the top of the tree for food as the mischievous monkeys would be up to no good; the sight was so refreshing.

She took a boat trip to Zanzibar, and the food at Forodhani Garden was a must. That’s where she tasted our famous chips mayai; no country can replicate that. Kelly would feel the ancient history walking around Stone Town and the prison island, the former slaves’ prisons located on the island, and she learned about its history. “It is a sad history, but everyone has to know what happened there; we must teach the people so that they don’t forget,” she insisted.

Kelly’s next adventure in Zanzibar was in Nungwi, where she had a chance to swim with the tortoises and even feed them salad. “They are very peaceful; they are just chilling and swimming,” she laughed.

Kelly’s big contribution to Tanzania’s tourism is her frequent posts on social media, which have garnered so much interest from her thousands of followers.

The stunning French girl has been able to single-handedly introduce Tanzania and its tourist attractions to thousands of people across France and the world who just a few days ago didn’t even know about Tanzania and couldn’t locate it on the map. That is the uniqueness of Tanzania and its people. Once you get here and travel, the warm embrace from the locals and its beauty will have you telling the world about your experience in this country.

“I am sharing all my experiences here through my Instagram page,” she said. Kelly, who goes by the Instagram handle @kellydubeignet, has shared tens of pictures and videos while in Tanzania. She meticulously chooses the best pictures that one would think were taken by a professional photographer. “Since I started posting, I have had a lot of new followers and comments from people interested in Tanzania,” she said.

Kelly shares about her everyday routine in Tanzania, She even shared a video of when she went to buy a sofa for her new living room, which she has rented in Dar es Salaam. She shared her video of taking a daladala, the public bus, and going to Kawe market. At the hectic Kawe market, Kelly was surprised at how respectful people were despite the hustle and bustle of the bustling marketplace.

Kelly did learn a little Kiswahili using the bilingual mobile app while she was still in Paris, and that has helped her get along in Tanzania. For a French speaker, her Kiswahili is very dissenting. Kelly has been to the most exotic places in Tanzania, seen all the majestic animals, and had the most delicious food, but to her, the best thing about Tanzania is its people and the respect and peace she finds here. “People here are very respectful; they say sorry when they need to, and people are very welcoming,” she laments. That is the hidden germ, and I hope Tanzanians never lose their chivalry.