Leone Odongo

Photo of Leone Odongo
Follow
Location
Nairobi, Kenya
School
University of Nairobi
Expertise
Mental Health & Wellness Travel, Remote Work Travel, Budget and Backpacker Travel
  • Leaving his home country, Kenya, in 2019 with just a carry-on and a curiosity for the unfamiliar, Leone set off on what was meant to be a short trip east — but that brief adventure quickly turned into years of writing, wandering, and learning from the road. Every journey since has been an extension of that first step into the unknown.
  • He writes about travel at the intersection of mental health and wellness, remote work, and the realities of life on a backpacker's budget. His writing aims to offer a sense of clarity, helping travelers find grounding in places that might otherwise feel out of reach.
  • He prefers to move without a fixed itinerary, following small cues rather than grand plans. A quiet courtyard café can become a remote office for a week. A train ride through unfamiliar terrain might be the most restorative part of the trip. The aim is not just to see the world, but to learn how to feel at home within it.

Experience

Leone's professional path began with documenting public health initiatives across East Africa, but it was the in-between moments — long bus rides, conversations with strangers, and the quiet drift of unfamiliar places — that pulled him toward travel writing. He brings to the page a deep curiosity about how people move through the world and how places shape the lives lived within them. His reporting is grounded, observational, and attentive to the textures of both geography and emotion. He approaches travel writing with a journalist's restraint and a fieldworker's eye, attentive not just to where people go, but why they go — and who they hope to become along the way.

Education

Leone Odongo holds a Bachelor's degree in Economics from the University of Nairobi and a diploma in Diplomacy & International Relations. He also earned a Certificate in Chinese Language & Culture from the Confucius Institute.

Islands Editorial Policies

Islands content is created by a team of veteran writers and editors passionate about travel. Outside experts with deep field knowledge sometimes inform our work with additional context and perspectives by way of exclusive commentary. Our goal is to offer readers well-rounded and diverse articles that inform, entertain, and inspire.

Our editors consistently review and update articles to ensure they're providing current, relevant, and useful information. Complete information on our editorial process is available here.

Stories By Leone Odongo