Jenman Kayak Adventure – shorter & more affordable

Jenman Safaris have launched a brand-new 7-day Madagascar Barefoot Luxury Kayak Adventure package to kick off the year. There is no better way to experience Madagascar than discovering the untouched and secret wilderness, river systems, forests, cultures and beaches in the south east. Now shorter and more affordable, the brand-new 7-day kayak adventure includes only…

Classic Portfolio Introduces The River Club

Classic Portfolio is pleased to introduce their newest member, The River Club in Livingstone, Zambia. As of Monday, 30th March 2015, The River Club will be managing all their own reservations. Please contact reservations@theriverclubzambia.com for enquiries A full rates-update will be communicated by The River Club early next week. All past and present bookings with Wilderness Safaris…

Yoga Retreat in Zimbabwe

African Luxury Hideaways and YogaSpirit, both family-owned businesses based in Cape Town, team up to create a unique African experience at the Elephant’s Eye, Hwange eco-lodge in Zimbabwe. African Luxury Hideaways, a portfolio of luxury eco-lodges across Southern Africa, and YogaSpirit, owned by Kate Ball, one of Cape Town’s most experienced yoga teachers who has…

Goway launches 32-day Cape to Cairo Journey

Goway have launched their ultimate ‘Journey of a Lifetime’, from Cape to Cairo. The first journey is planned for 15 January 2016. Billed as the ‘President’s Journey’, it will be led by Goway’s President Bruce Hodge and his wife Claire. This 32-day journey incorporates Rovos Rail epic Cape to Dar-es-Salaam journey. Highlights include stays at…

Kasbah Tamadot Celebrates 10 Years

Kasbah Tamadot’s 10th birthday was celebrated in true Virgin Limited-Edition-style with special guests, including Sir Richard Branson, his mum Eve, General Manager Vincent Padioleau and many more of the Kasbah Tamadot team.  The year-long celebration kicked off at The Roof Gardens in London, with a star-studded guest list and plenty of Moroccan entertainment   Click here…

Zambia’s Proflight and RwandAir codeshare

Proflight Zambia and RwandAir have signed a codeshare agreement on the Lusaka-Johannesburg route, with RwandAir as the operating carrier and Proflight Zambia as the marketing carrier. As from March 27, the flights will be operated three times a week: on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, leaving Lusaka at 21:50 and arriving in Johannesburg at 23:50. Flights…

Kenya, Tanzania end bilateral stalemate

Kenya and Tanzania have agreed to end a stalemate that was affecting their long-standing bilateral relationship. Following talks between President Uhuru Kenyatta and his Tanzanian counterpart, Jakaya Kikwete, Kenya Airways’ flight frequency to Tanzania will resume to 42, up from 14 times a week.  Tour vans from Tanzania will also be allowed to pick up…

Private Safaris Announces new Market Manager

Private Safaris, a premier Destination Management Company within Africa, has been fortunate enough to work within the North American market for several years. Over time, the company has come to understand the needs and, more importantly, the unique „wants‟ of this market. In order to retain the high level of service whilst injecting a fresh…

Lion walks in Livingstone to be suspended

The Directors and Management of Lion Encounter have agreed to suspend lion walks in Livingstone as of November 2015, acting on recommendations by, and in consultation with, ALERT’s Executive Committee. The main objective of this decision is to reduce the number of lions entering into the African Lion Rehabilitation & Release into the Wild Programme,…

Sun International plans on buying Peermont

South Africa’s biggest hotel and casino operator, Sun International, plans to buy rival Peermont Global for R9.4-billion. Peermont owns Emperors Palace near OR Tambo International Airport, Johannesburg, as well as 12 other leisure and gaming complexes. Sun International, which owns Sun City and was founded by Sol Kerzner in 1975, said it would issue 10.4…

Saruni Wild is on the move

Saruni Wild tented camp in the Greater Mara, Kenya, will move to the Lemek Conservancy, on the border with Mara North Conservancy, and reopen on July 1. The camp will move from its current spot in the Mara North Conservancy, a wildlife concession bordering the Masai Mara, to the border between Mara North Conservancy and…

The Outpost becomes more accessible

APTA members Seasons in Africa are excited to announce that an additional flight has been added to their existing offering… This flight, from Lanseria, Johannesburg, brings guests to The Outpost in 1 hour 40 minutes, allowing them more time to enjoy the remote, untouched northern corner of the world-famous Kruger National Park. The Outpost rests…

Park Hyatt opens in Zanzibar

Hyatt Hotels has opened Park Hyatt Zanzibar, marking the first ever Hyatt hotel on the idyllic East African island and the 36th Park Hyatt hotel worldwide. Four more are currently under development in Africa, viz Hyatt Regency Arusha; Park Hyatt Marrakech; Hyatt Place Taghazout in Morocco; and Hyatt Dakar in Senegal.  Park Hyatt Zanzibar is…

Maputo gets a billion dollar makeover

Mozambique has been one of the world’s fastest-growing economies for more than a decade, but this is only now starting to show.  The main roads are paved and new pipes and cables are being run under sidewalks. Parks and museums have been scrubbed up. Hotels have undergone multi-million-dollar make-overs and new ones are being built.…

Rwanda wins Best Exhibitor Award at ITB Berlin 2015

Rwanda has been awarded the Best of the Best exhibitor award and also emerged as the best Continental Exhibitor at the just concluded ITB (Internationale Tourismus Börse) in Berlin, Germany. Kenya came 2nd and Tunisia 3rd on the African category. Other top ten African countries include; Egypt, Namibia, Ethiopia, Mauritius, Gambia, Seychelles, La Reunion. This year’s…

Mantis expanding into Amakhala Game Reserve

The Mantis company, which continually strives to offer in-the-know travellers the most exceptional properties and authentic experiences imaginable, is announcing a very exciting partnership with Bush Lodge and HillsNek, both located on Amakhala Game Reserve.  The resort is located in the malaria-free Eastern Cape of South Africa.  Bush Lodge is a five- star Game Lodge,…

Zambian Ground Handlers launch new website

Zambian Ground Handlers are proud to introduce their newly-renovated website: www.zambiangroundhandlers.com. The concept remains the same as before. Quite simply “… we aim to give you candid and useful information as well as a selection of useable images for each of the safari camps around Zambia,” maintains Nick Aslin.  “We specialize in providing a safe, reliable…

South African Tourism announces new CMO

Margie Whitehouse has been appointed Chief Marketing Officer at South African Tourism, with effect from Monday, March 2. She replaces former CMO, Jan Hutton, who resigned last year. Whitehouse has over 25 years’ marketing experience within both the public and private sectors. Margie’s career began when she joined the Unilever management graduate programme in 1988. She…

US panel chooses top 7 out of 40 products

Southern Africa Tourism Update recently asked their readers to submit products they deemed suitable for the US markets, and received over 40 different suggestions. These were put to a judging-panel of APTA members in the USA, who narrowed them down to the following  top seven products… in no particular order: • Victoria Falls Safari Lodge…

Tinstwalo Atlantic Lodge destroyed by wildfire

The Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge has been destroyed by the wildfire which spread across the Cape Peninsula on Monday morning. “We can confirm that between 60 and 80 percent of the property has burned to the ground,” said Michelle du Plessis, MD of Tintswalo Atlantic Lodge. Guests were forced to evacuate the premises early Monday morning and…