Emirates Places Restrictions on Flights to Africa

Concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant of Covid-19 have led Emirates airline to place restrictions on flights from a number of African countries. Bans initially covered southern African nations, following a decree from the UAE government in November preventing travellers from seven countries, including Eswatini, Lesotho, Botswana, Mozambique and Namibia, from entering the UAE. Restrictions have since…

Zambia Opens to South Africas

The Government of Zambia has announced that, with immediate effect, the entry regulations have been changed. This is contained in a government-issued notice ‘Guidance for travel to Zambia in view of the Covid-19 Pandemic’. Arrivals from all countries need only a negative PCR test certificate, from a test taken in the 72 hours before departure.…

Holiday Message from Holden Safaris

Holiday Message from Holden Safaris Dear colleagues and friends, As we get ready to say good riddance to 2021 here is our last Newsletter for the year. The first thing to say is a Big Thank-you from all of us at Holden Safaris for your support and interest during the frustrations of 2021, with Covid…

Latest Testing and Quarantine Procedures for Visitors to Rwanda

In response to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, Rwanda has recently updated their entry and exit requirements. Direct flights between Southern Africa and Rwanda have resumed. All international travelers to Rwanda must complete a Passenger Locator Form before arriving. Passengers coming to Rwanda must possess a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate taken within 72 hours before travelling. Children…

New Entry Requirements for Travel to Kenya

Please be advised that the Government of Kenya has just announced new Covid safety requirements for travelers visiting Kenya. Effective 21st December 2021: All passengers arriving into Kenya through any point of entry must have a certificate of COVID-19 vaccination. Travelers below the age of eighteen (18) years are exempt from this requirement. All passengers coming to…

Crackdown on Rhino Poaching Following Massacre

Four suspects have been arrested following the massacre of four rhino, including a pregnant female, on Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve in the Western Cape last week. This was confirmed by Inverdoorn owner, Searl Derman: “As previously mentioned, the South African Police Service, Cape Nature, forensic investigator Wayne Stoltz – who was instrumental in solving the 2011 Aquila poaching incident –…

RwandAir Returns to South African Skies

RwandAir has announced the resumption of daily services to Southern Africa, to both Johannesburg and Lusaka, effective December 23. Entry requirements, destination by destination, can be seen here: https://bit.ly/2T73OVu Note: A certificate of a negative COVID-19 test is required for all travellers arriving or transiting in, or departing from Rwanda. The only accepted test is a…

Seychelles Again Wins World’s Most Romantic Destination at World Travel Awards

Seychelles has won the World’s Most Romantic Destination title for the second consecutive year at the 28th World Travel Awards, the Tourism Department said Thursday. The island nation came in first in the romance category ahead of other nominees which included Antigua & Barbuda, the Atacama Desert, Chile, Bali, Indonesia, Jamaica, Jordan, Maldives, Mauritius, Saint Lucia, the Bahamas…

The Moutya, a Traditional Dance in Seychelles, Added to UNESCO’s List of Intangible Heritage

The Seychelles’ traditional Moutya dance has been added to UNESCO‘s list of intangible heritage — the first cultural tradition of the island nation to receive such recognition, an official said on Thursday. Moutya was added to the list on December 15th and the Secretary General of the Seychelles Institute of Culture, Heritage and the Arts, David Andre, said that…

Rwanda Welcomes 30 White Rhino

Adventure Consults joins the rest of the Rhino conservation world to celebrate the arrival of 30 white Rhinos in Akagera National park. The movement of the giant treasures to Rwanda is a historical one since it’s the largest single Rhino translocation ever undertaken. On 27th November 2021, 30 white rhinos were introduced to Akagera National Park –…

Uganda’s ‘Dr. Gladys’ Honored by U.N. for Work Linking Conservation and Health

Years before the obsession with wild-borne pathogens latching onto humans gripped the world, Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka was already dealing with disease spillovers. Except, she worried about humans infecting gorillas in her native Uganda. “Disease transmission goes in both directions,” says Kalema-Zikusoka, a trained wildlife veterinarian. It demonstrates, albeit narrowly, an idea gaining currency in the COVID-19…

New Zambia Airways Takes Flight

The new version of Zambia Airways has taken to the skies and the airline has ambitions to fly to Johannesburg and to service at least two routes in Zimbabwe. The new airline forms a building block in Ethiopian’s hub strategy across Africa. The publication New Business Ethiopia says Ethiopian Airlines has a 45% stake in the joint…

Crackdown on Rhino Poaching Following Massacre

Four suspects have been arrested following the massacre of four rhino, including a pregnant female, on Inverdoorn Private Game Reserve in the Western Cape last week. This was confirmed by Inverdoorn owner, Searl Derman: “As previously mentioned, the South African Police Service, Cape Nature, forensic investigator Wayne Stoltz – who was instrumental in solving the 2011 Aquila poaching incident –…

Cape Town and US – United Again!

United Airlines has resumed its thrice-weekly non-stop service between its New York/Newark hub at Newark Liberty International Airport and Cape Town, with a special (grey) water salute marking the arrival of the first flight UA1122 into Cape Town International Airport last night (Thursday, December 2). The seasonal service was operated for the first time from December 2019…

New Airport Opens in Mozambique

The government of Mozambique has opened a new international airport, Filipe Jacinto Nyusi Airport, at Chongoene, near Xai-Xai in the Gaza province, making the region accessible by air for the first time. The airport was officially opened by President Filipe Nyusi, who said it would promote the development of the local and regional economy, especially with…

Testing and Quarantine Procedures Updated for Visitors to Rwanda

In response to the COVID-19 Omicron variant, Rwanda has recently implemented the following entry and exit requirements. Direct flights between Southern Africa and Rwanda are temporarily suspended. All international travelers to Rwanda must complete a Passenger Locator Form before arriving. Passengers coming to Rwanda must possess a negative Covid-19 PCR test certificate taken within 72 hours before…

Ethiopian Airlines Wins ‘Best African Airline’ Award at the 2021 Business Traveller Awards

Africa’s largest aviation group, Ethiopian Airlines, has been crowned as the ‘Best African Airline’ at the 2021 Business Traveller Awards. The votes made by the business travellers for this year took into account the COVID period with key questions covering airlines’ effectiveness in communication, effective implementation of COVID precautionary measures, handling of loyalty program member…

Kenya Airways and South African Airways Seal Strategic Partnership Towards Starting a Pan-African Airline Group

The new advanced partnership is a key milestone towards both airlines’ ambitions of co-starting a Pan-African Airline Group by 2023. The partnership framework follows the Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) that the two airlines signed two months ago to foster the exchange of knowledge, expertise, innovation, digital technologies, and best practice between the two airlines. The…