US carrier Delta Air Lines applied on Thursday (February 17) to the US Department of Transport for the rights to operate a non-stop direct service between its hub in Atlanta and Cape Town. Should the application be approved, Delta plans to operate three flights a week year-round on the route using a 306-seat Airbus A350-900…
Last week, South African Tourism met with its bid partners for Africa’s Travel Indaba – including Durban Tourism, Tourism KwaZulu Natal and the Inkosi Albert Luthuli International Convention Centre in Durban – and preparations for the show are in “full swing”, said Chief Convention Bureau Officer of the South African National Convention Bureau, Amanda Kotze-Nhlapo. She…
Border Air has finally been folded into the aviation GSA, Rogers Aviation, after Rogers Aviation increased its South African footprint by acquiring the company, which previously belonged to Lu Dowell, in March 2019. This means that, effective from January 1 this year, the name Border Air became defunct and the company became known as Rogers Aviation…
Botswana has increased its park and licence fees for all its visitors and guides, effective April 1. For visitors, citizens, residents and non-residents, current entry park fees are BWP10 (€1), BWP30 (€3) and BWP120 (€9) respectively. The revised user and service fees for citizens, residents and non-residents in Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve…
Tanzania has ranked fourth in natural beauty and entered the group of 10 countries listed for natural beauty in the world. According to the World Report on Natural Beauty (Natural Beauty Report) produced by the UK website Money.co.uk which collected statistics and information from travelers has listed Tanzania holds the position by scoring 6.98 points…
If some inspiration is required for creating bucket-list safari itineraries in 2022, we’ve got you covered with our beautiful, hand-picked selection of boltholes hidden across the continent. Low-key yet highly luxurious, these are places that guests will want to return to again and again. Places where the G&Ts are always crisp, the pillows are plump,…
Our Botswana Wildlife Breakaway itinerary celebrates the diverse landscapes of Botswana as well as Zimbabwe. Our product team has spent time adapting the itinerary, now starting in Maun and ending in Victoria Falls. This means only one border crossing, a lot less time on the road and fewer PCR tests. Taking into account responsible travel, we have…
Africa is transitioning out of the pandemic phase of the COVID-19 outbreak and moving towards a situation where it will be managing the virus over the long term, the head of the World Health Organization on the continent has said. “I believe that we are transitioning from the pandemic phase and we will now need…
As of February 16th, 2022, the Ugandan government has suspended all mandatory COVID-19 testing upon arrival at Entebbe International Airport. Citing a decline in positive cases detected at the airport and a reduction in global threat of new variants of concern, mandatory testing upon arrival is no longer in effect. All incoming and exiting travelers…
The Ministry of Health and Wellness in Botswana has confirmed that, with effect from today (February 14), fully vaccinated travellers do not need to show a negative PCR test result on entry. Travellers who are unvaccinated must present a negative PCR test result obtained within the 72 hours preceding travel, and will be vaccinated at…
Tsogo Sun Hotels has welcomed the newly rebranded Garden Court Victoria Junction into its portfolio. The industrial-chic Green Point hotel opened its doors today (February 15). In November last year the Protea Hotel by Marriott Victoria Junction closed and handed the property back to HPF Properties, which is owned by Tsogo Sun. “The impact of…
The luxury Blue Train will return to service after it has undergone a thorough technical assessment, according to Transnet spokesperson, Ayanda Shezi. A specific date for restarting operations has not yet been set. “We would like to apologise to guests who have booked trips, for the inconvenience that this has caused,” Shezi said. Lekkerwater…a luxurious off-grid…
Two female giraffes under two years old and one male, four years old, recently arrived in their new home at the River Club Lodge in Zambia. They will live in their holding boma at the lodge for a few more months until they can be released to roam the property at their leisure. Geraldine, Justyne…
The Radisson Hotel Group has opened three properties in Madagascar – Radisson Blu Hotel, Antananarivo Waterfront, Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront and Radisson Serviced Apartments Antananarivo City Center. Radisson Blu Hotel, Antananarivo Waterfront is close to the recently developed premier business district, which is surrounded by shops, entertainment and businesses. The hotel has 168 rooms and…
Hyatt House Johannesburg Rosebank opened yesterday (Tuesday, February 15), marking the expansion of the Hyatt House brand globally. Hyatt House Johannesburg Rosebank is the third Hyatt hotel opened in collaboration with an affiliate of Millat Investments. “Hyatt House Johannesburg Rosebank is everything the name represents – a welcoming and warm environment that encourages guests to…
Dubai-based hotel management company, Aleph Hospitality, has debuted in Uganda following the signing of a management contract to operate two boutique hotels, Masheda Palms in Buyala and A’lure Hotel & Suites in Kampala. Bani Haddad, Founder and MD of Aleph Hospitality said: “I am personally very excited to start operations in Uganda. This is a…
Kariba Safari Lodge is the ultimate relaxation station; the perfect reprieve for before or after a safari. Situated on a mountainside with panoramic views over the vast waters of Lake Kariba, the property and its surroundings encompasses a very special and unique Zimbabwean experience. Set in the largely unknown eastern basin of the lake, Kariba…
The United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reshuffled its four-tier travel advisory list on Monday (February 7), dropping South Africa from ‘Level 4: COVID-19 Very High’ to its ‘Level 3: COVID-19 High’ category. While the CDC originally recommended that holidaymakers ‘avoid travel’ to South Africa, the new risk assessment has seen the advice relaxed to…
Registrations for Africa Travel Week (ATW) 2022 – held in Cape Town from April 11 to 13 – have opened. The trade show will once again bring together pan-African and international exhibitors as well as buyers from across the globe at headline shows, World Travel Market Africa (WTM Africa) and International Luxury Travel Market Africa (ILTM Africa). The highly anticipated…
Africa Showcase North America will return IN-PERSON April 5th in Fort Lauderdale and April 7th in Los Angeles. The event format delivers productive meetings and networking, face-to-face. You can choose the time that works best for you: the morning meeting session with lunch (09:30AM – 2:00PM) or, the afternoon meeting session with cocktails (2:30PM –…
Following its success in the Maasai Mara, Angama will expand with a second location in Kenya — Angama Amboseli NAIROBI, KENYA (9 February 2022) — With exclusive traversing access to Kimana Sanctuary — a 5,700ha game-filled oasis and critical wildlife corridor linking the greater Amboseli, Chyulu Hills and Tsavo ecosystems — Angama will bring its signature blend of…
The pandemic has all but ended in South Africa. Sure, there are still signs warning everyone to maintain a social distancing. And people continue to wear masks in public. But talk to South Africans, and you get the sense that it is, as they say in the American South, all over but the shoutin’. The…
South African Airways will reinstate its popular twice-weekly service to Mauritius will resume on March 1, 2022. The Mauritius government suspended SAA flights late last year due to COVID-19 and concerns over the spread of the Omicron variant. Flights between Johannesburg and Mauritius will be operated with Airbus A320 aircraft, featuring Business and Economy Class…
Emirates will make a full return of passenger services to and from Casablanca from 8 February. The return of Casablanca in Morocco marks a full restoration of Emirates’ pre-pandemic African network including 21 cities spread across the continent. Customers flying to and from Casablanca can safely travel on Emirates to Dubai, and enjoy an array of…
Classic Africa Safaris reports that as of 02 February 2022, quarantine/isolation in Kigali hotels has been waived. The negative PCR Covid-19 test taken 72 hrs prior to arrival is still required, as is the on-arrival rapid antigen test. The timeframe for testing for entry into National Parks and for primate trekking has been modified to…
After two months of uncertainty about mandatory quarantine for travellers arriving in Zimbabwe, including reports of quarantine not being implemented, the government has now lifted the requirement for all arrivals with immediate effect. The removal of mandatory quarantine will be welcome news to local tourism businesses as well as those in the hospitality industry who have spent…
When the results of his study came in, Kondwani Jambo was stunned. He’s an immunologist in Malawi. And last year he had set out to determine just how many people in his country had been infected with the coronavirus since the pandemic began. Jambo, who works for the Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, knew the total number…
National carrier of the UAE, Etihad, intends to resume flights between Abu Dhabi and Johannesburg from March 3, following the UAE Government’s approval of passenger flights to South Africa and 11 other African countries. The UAE lifted the restrictions on flights from the 12 countries and a ban on passengers from those countries, plus a…
The long-awaited announcement from Emirates regarding the restarting of its passenger services on the South African route was finally made today. This came after the news broke yesterday that the UAE would begin to allow in foreign visitors from African countries that had been ‘red-listed’ due to the Omicron variant. The airline says it will…
A new chapter began yesterday (February 1) when one of the Western Cape winelands’ most iconic hotels, The Lord Charles, opened its doors. The hotel closed in August 2020 after the Spanish-based NH Hotel Group said it would not renew the contract. The new owner-managed organisational structure allows for flexibility in managing the day-to-day operations…
African Bush Camps will open a new luxury lodge in June in the eastern part of the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia. Lolebezi is African Bush Camps’ second safari property in the country, along with Thorntree River Lodge in Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park. Accommodation includes standard suites and two family suites with riverfront views. Each…
After a successful relaunch in September last year, South African Airways (SAA) has just recorded operating over 1,000 flights and is now leading its local competitors when it comes to on-time performance. Furthermore, since its restart in September last year SAA has also recorded a 100% completion rate – the percentage of completed scheduled flights…
The 131-room voco The Bank luxury hotel – the InterContinental Hotel Group’s first voco in Africa – officially opens to guests tomorrow (February 1). Situated in the trendy suburb of Rosebank Johannesburg, the hotel – managed locally by Valor Hospitality – appealed to international and domestic leisure and corporate travellers, said GM, Jessica Redinger, speaking to Tourism…
One of the most popular African nations for tourism is reopening to international travel. Morocco, which has had a ban on visitors since November 29, 2021 due to the Omicron variant breakout, announced it will reopen to visitors beginning February 7. The Moroccan government made the decision and announcement but did not provide any details…
For those who missed our first Hideaway’s ‘Beyond the Lodge’ episode of 2022, we invite you to click here to explore the wild landscapes of Mana Pools National Park. From its Zambezi River life source to its blue forests and intimate animal encounters, Mana Pools is the definition of untamed Africa. Managing Director Garth Jenman talks…