In a special ceremony at World Travel Market Africa in the City on 17 April, Gansbaai took the coveted position of Overall Winner in the African Responsible Tourism Awards out of 22 finalists gathered from around Africa. “It is exciting to bring the World Responsible Tourism Awards to Cape Town & Africa,” said Harold Goodwin,…
The Bulawayo-Victoria Falls main-line runs almost dead straight along the northern boundary of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. At Impofu Siding, in the shade of ancient Zambezi teak trees 8km from the Hwange main camp, tourists board the newly-tested Elephant Express rail-car for a two-hour, 70km rail safari to Ngamo Siding, for transfer to the Bomani…
Cape Town – The Robben Island Museum will reduce the frequency of its daily tours, from the usual four per day during peak season to only three per day for the off-peak season, which starts from the middle of April. From this week, until the end of August, ferries will depart from the V&A Waterfront…
There’s something about Kenya that makes you feel there’s magic in the air, wonder at every turn, and an ever-present sensation of oneness with nature. A trip to Kenya can be an incredibly cleansing experience. Open spaces, so vast and untouched, lend perspective and instil a sense of peace. I love to visit the country, and,…
Cape Town – Tsogo Sun announced on Tuesday that it is investing a total of R680m in building a new 500-bedroom hotel complex in the heart of Cape Town’s central business district. The hotel group has reached an agreement with the owners of the site where the Tulip Hotel was recently demolished on the corner…
Lupita Nyong’o is currently in Uganda to begin work on her next project, Disney’s Queen of Katwe. The film will tell the story of Ugandan chess wunderkind Phiona Mutesi, whose rise to prominence in the international chess circuit was documented in a 2011 ESPN The Magazine article by Tim Crothers. Crothers subsequently expanded the article…
WEBINAR EDUCATIONAL SERIES: NEW African Travel, Inc. Safari Academy African Travel, Inc. is thrilled to announce our NEW African Travel Safari Academy webinar series. We have partnered with our associate company Wilderness Safaris, widely acclaimed as the continent’s foremost ecotourism safari camp operator, to create an educational, informative and unique program. Wilderness Safaris’…
Air Botswana will no longer operate direct flights between Maun and Cape Town from May 4. The service will be routed through Gaborone. Consequently, from May 4, flight frequency between Gaborone and Cape Town will increase from twice a week to four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. All reconfirmations/rerouting must be…
Airlink will launch a lodge-link system of scheduled flights between Skukuza Airport and a number of luxury lodges in the Kruger Park. Guests travelling from anywhere in the world will now be able to fly in to a number of luxury lodges in the Kruger on a single ticket. The tickets will be bookable through…
South African Tourism held its Ubuntu Dinner and Awards Ceremony at the Museum of Natural History in New York. The Ubuntu Awards recognize the top contributors to the tourism industry in South Africa. The name of the awards is based on the Zulu word “Ubuntu,” which translates to “I am because you are.” The awards…
GOVERNMENT plans to relocate the Zambia Tourism Board (ZTB) and National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) headquarters from Lusaka to Livingstone. This is aimed at enabling the two institutions to market the tourist capital’s potential aggressively, Vice-President Inonge Wina said last Monday, when she called on Chief Mukuni of the Toka-Leya people in Kazungula. Ms…
Malawian Airlines plans to connect flights between Lake Malawi and Victoria Falls, a development that will improve tourism and increase frequencies into Zimbabwe. Speaking at a function to celebrate Malawian Airlines’ first anniversary of the Harare-Lilongwe Blantytre route in the capital yesterday, a senior official from the Transport ministry, George Manyaya, who spoke on behalf…
As of April 1st, SA Express has introduced three weekly flights between OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) and Pilanesberg International Airport (NTY) and two flights a week between Pilanesberg and Cape Town International Airport. The CRJ 200, a 50-seat passenger jet, will be deployed for the service. SA Express is confident that adding this route…
The City of Cape Town will be undertaking major road works along Camps Bay Drive this winter, closing the roadway for general traffic from Monday 20 April 2015. Residents and visitors should expect major traffic delays along the alternative routes to and from Camps Bay. Camps Bay Drive has not been refurbished for the past…
John Riley first travelled to Ethiopia in 2008 when his wife, Dr. Margaret Gadon, accepted a job in northern Tigray with The Clinton Foundation. The couple settled in Mekelle and learned the local language. Within several months, John was volunteering with The Mekelle Institute of Technology. As the school’s director of business development, he created…
Egypt will install an electronic visa system within six to eight months and individual tourists will only have to take three steps to obtain a visa, the tourism minister said on Monday.During a meeting with members of the association of tourist writers, Minister Rami Khaled was cited by state news agency MENA as saying that the government’s decision to…
Richard Leakey, Kenyan politician, paleoanthropologist and conservationist, is the second of the three sons of the archaeologists Louis Leakey and Mary Leakey, will be speaking at the World Travel & Tourism Council Global Summit in Madrid on April 15th, 2015. Read his interview with the WTTC here:
Kalahari Plains Camp, set in a remote part of Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve, recently lost one twin room to a fire, the cause of which is not yet known. There are no immediate plans to rebuild the 10th room, so Kalahari Plains now offers a total of 9 rooms only, namely 2 family rooms…
ADAM IHUCHA reports in the Arusha Times newspaper that tourism has overtaken gold as Tanzania’s leading foreign exchange earner. The industry earned Tanzania $2.5 billion in the year ending January 2015, up from $1.89 billion in the year ending January 2014. Stakeholders estimate that the country received one million plus holidaymakers in the period under…
Cape Town Tourism has revamped its trade toolkit and updated the content on the site. The toolkit offers an array of video, images, maps, visitors’ guides, itineraries and exceptional activities for the trade to download. Users can download this content and share it with their clients, or incorporate it into their packages. The site also…
The U.S. Department of State will discontinue the practice of adding pages to passports and, instead, require a filled passport to be replaced with a fresh book. Documentation will have to be submitted by December 18 in order to have the extra pages added before the new policy takes effect. New passport holders on the…
For NEW GROUP bookings made and deposited through 30th April 2015 Booking agents will receive $250 when booking groups with Kenya Airways from USA to Nairobi / Entebbe / Kisumu / Lusaka / Lilongwe / Kigali / Zanzibar/ Kilimanjaro / Dar Es Salaam / Gaborone / Mombasa / Harare / Johannesburg / Addis Ababa and…
In accordance with the update on 27th March 2015 by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office to the UK’s travel advice for the Kenya coast, the Kenya Tourism Board would like to clarify that the revised advice advises against all but essential travel within 15km of the coast from Tiwi up to the border with Somalia.…
CEO of African Bush Camps, Beks Ndlovu, has penned a sobering open letter to the travelling public, which he shares here for the sake of anyone in the industry dealing with objections surrounding the intention of Zimbabwe’s Wildlife & Parks Service’s to export wildlife, particularly live elephants, to foreign countries. DBB Syndrome – DEATH BY…
Currently only reachable by ship, the quaint island of St Helena is undergoing what promises to be something of a tourism revolution, as the first airport is set to open in 2016. In a press statement released late last week, the St Helena Government and Department for International Development announced that air services would be…
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…
Safari Trails can now make flying in a Helicopter a reality for your clients! Whether they are in Nairobi for a short business trip, celebrating an anniversary, a birthday, or simply celebrating life, Safari Trails are excited to share the following information about Helicopter Scenic flights: Airkenya Helicopter Scenic Safaris adds a new dimension to flying safaris.…
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…
SOUTH AFRICA SAFARI including Airfare FLEXIBLE DATES: Nov. 01-30, 2015; Jan. 15 – Mar. 31, 2016 RATES: $2,999 per person includes international and internal air. Bring your companion for the same price. This 10-day South African independent educational safari is designed for those of our Travel Partners who want to explore the life-changing destination at…
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 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’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…
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 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, 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…
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,…
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (03/2015): This year for the first time, Stelae Axum, the legendary field of ancient obelisks in Ethiopia, joined the list of famous landmarks world-wide that ‘go green’ on Saint Patrick’s Day. The ruins of the ancient city of Axum is one of nine sites in Ethiopia which are listed as UNESCO World…
ANDY Conn has been appointed Africa Albida Tourism’s new group operations manager to oversee the running of the company’s portfolio of properties that include the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. He is a former general manager at Victoria Falls Safari Lodge (1998 to 2006). Andy took up his new position this month, following his return to…
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…
Sulphurous hot springs, salt-encrusted wastelands, temperatures that soar as high as 50C – Ethiopia’s Danakil Depression is home to a kaleidoscopic world unlike any other A harsher spot to call home than Africa’s Danakil Depression is hard to imagine. Not only is it one of the planet’s hottest places, it is also one of the…
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…
Within the lush rainforests of Rwanda, amidst the ancient mountains of Volcanoes National Park, lives the endangered mountain gorilla. Jenman Safaris have decided to branch out their scheduled tours into this beautiful country, by providing a 3-day luxury adventure in search of these rare creatures as of 2016 (bookings available now). This is an opportunity…
MAUN: The minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama, has confirmed that no new applicants for the mobile Safaris will be allowed to operate in Chobe and the Okavango Delta, as these prime areas are already congested. The minister broke this disappointing news at a media briefing in Maun recently. Khama announced that the…
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…
Registration is now open for the first international conference on design and trends for tropical beach hotels of the Indian Ocean. This will be held on 26 – 28 August 2015, at the Sugar Beach Resort in Mauritius, and is being organized by Tomorrows Hotel Ltd, managed by Didier de Senneville and Melissa Dalais, professional…
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…
Effective this week, members of Marriott Rewards will be able to earn and redeem points at 26 of Protea Hotels’ properties in South Africa. Under the programme, members will be able to enjoy full Elite benefits at participating Protea Hotels, Protea Hotels Fire & Ice! and African Pride Hotels in Johannesburg, Cape Town and Durban…
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 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…
Karim S. Wissanji – Chairman & CEO, Elewana Collection, and Stefano and Liz Cheli – CEO, Cheli & Peacock Safaris, are extremely pleased to announce the completion of the acquisition of Cheli & Peacock Group of Companies by the Elewana Collection, which received final Government approval at the end of January 2015. The acquisition will…