It’s been just over a year since we officially launched Waybird and we are proud to have built an amazing community of “Waybirders” as we like to call them. But every good business has a plan – and now it’s time for stage two of ours: Welcome to Waybird for Individuals! If you’ve ever wanted to…
The Sabi Sand Wildtuin has changed name to the Sabi Sand Nature Reserve. Inyati Game Lodge itself lies within the Western sector of the famed, now named, Sabi Sand Nature Reserve which was named after its two boundary rivers – the Sand and Sabie Rivers. Experience an exceptional safari in the African wilderness. The commitment…
Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis will be an eco-luxury experience within a bird and tree sanctuary. Accor, a world leading hospitality group, today announced its first hotel in Zimbabwe, in partnership with Mbano Hotels Limited. Mbano Manor Hotel Victoria Falls by Mantis will be the first internationally branded hotel in Victoria Falls in…
Mantis Soanambo Hotel & Spa Sainte Marie will be the first internationally branded resort in Nosy Boraha Accor, a world leading hospitality group, today announced plans to open Mantis Soanambo Hotel & Spa on Nosy Boraha (Ile Sainte-Marie) in Madagascar. The Mantis Collection, part of Accor, is a leading conservation-led hospitality company renowned for its…
“Rich in contrast, compact in size and big in hospitality!” That’s how Sarah Njanji, Vice Consul Tourism at the Malawi Consulate in Johannesburg describes Malawi in a nutshell. Malawi has several national parks, which are enjoying more and more attention for the successes of their conservation efforts over the past 20 years and for the richness…
Mauritius beach resort, Outrigger, on the south coast of the island at Bel Ombre, has been temporarily closed to visitors since February 18, due to the detection of the presence of Legionnella, the microorganism that causes Legionnaire’s disease. Although no new cases related to the hotel have been identified since February 18, the property has…
RwandAir has signed a new codeshare with Turkish Airlines. Passengers coming to Africa on Turkish Airlines’ flights into Kigali will have access to RwandAir’s growing African network in Southern, West, Central and East Africa, in a seamless experience, including their baggage. RwandAir passengers, when travelling from Africa, will now have access to the Turkish carrier’s…
Wilderness has revealed plans to open a new luxury tented camp in September on the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta. Wilderness Mokete will be situated in the game-rich Mababe concession. Nine solar-powered en-suite canvas tents, each with a retractable roof, will be linked by ground-level wooden walkways leading to a tented lounge area and…
Vered Tours is happy to announce its post Forum fam trip: APTA Taste of South Africa Tour! This fam will include visits to Soweto, Pilanesberg National Park, Sun City, then on to Johannesburg for your international flights onward. For more detailed information, please go to www.apta.biz where our pre and post fam trips are listed.
Silver Africa Tours and Safaris, in business for 20 years, is a boutique Kenya DMC with fully customized vehicles that have extra large windows, pop-up roof, padded seats, charging points and more. Their experienced guides are full time employees, their safari planners experts in all things Kenya and their internal air team can book flights…
The Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa (APTA), the largest and longest operating travel trade organization for African specialists in North America, is extending the early registration date for its Global Forum through April 15, 2023. The APTA Global Forum will be held in Cape Town, South Africa September 26-30, 2023 and the…
The Warm Heart of Africa will welcome guests to the 4th edition of “Takulandirani” Malawi International Tourism Expo (MITE) to be held from 26th to 27th April, 2023 at the Bingu Wa Mutharika International Convention Centre (BICC) in Lilongwe. More info here.
Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) will raise the conservation fees for accessing Victoria Falls National Park from April 1. This decision was made despite the previous backlash from stakeholders who claimed they were not consulted earlier this year when Zimparks first proposed the increase. Back in December, the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe…
SAUDIA, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, launched its first direct flight to Dar es Salaam this past weekend. The airline will be operating four weekly flights between King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah and Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The flights are operated with an…
J.W. Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands, officially announced the opening of J.W. Marriott Masai Mara Lodge, marking the company’s highly anticipated debut in the luxury safari segment. Located within the Masai Mara National Reserve in Southwestern Kenya, one of Africa’s most renowned wildlife and wilderness conservation regions, the lodge…
Marriott International has signed a franchise agreement with Tingana Hospitality Group to open a new Autograph Collection Hotel in the Kruger National Park (KNP). The property, called Leopard Sands, is currently being built and will undergo brand positioning before opening as a Marriott Autograph Collection property. Tingana Hospitality Group has a collection of luxury lodges…
While there are major actions needed to elevate the tourism sector – improving safety, increasing air access, increasing investment, and growing tourism’s contribution to the economy – the industry is ready to come back with a bang! This was the positive message from the Minister of Tourism, Patricia de Lille, speaking at WTM Africa, which kicked…
Continuing with its impressive international route expansion, Ethiopian Airlines is set to operate yet another route between New York and Côte d’Ivoire starting on May 23. The airline will resume the flight between New York JFK international and Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport in Côte d’Ivoire, commonly known as the Ivory Coast. This route was launched in June 2019…
Johannesburg to Nosy Be will re-commence from 25 June 2023 with a once-weekly direct flight on Sundays as part of the drive to restore flights between South Africa and Madagascar to pre-pandemic levels. “Having just recently re-established connectivity between Johannesburg and Antananarivo, which is a predominantly business and trade route. Airlink is preparing to re-ignite tourism…
Classic Africa Safaris is pleased to report that Ugandan officials have lifted the Covid-19 vaccination requirement for all arrivals into Entebbe International Airport (EBB) effective immediately. For departing passengers, proof of vaccination will be checked only if the airline or an onward country of destination requires it. CAS asks that trade partners confirm any Covid-19…
Africa’s Travel Indaba 2023 is expected to almost double in size, drawing growing revenue and attracting thousands of delegates and international buyers to the Durban International Convention Centre from May 9-11. This is the forecast business and government tourism leaders, including Tourism Minister Patricia de Lille, gave of the continent’s upcoming premier tourism and travel business…
Zimbabwe’s National Parks and Wildlife Authority (Zimparks) will raise the conservation fees for accessing Victoria Falls National Park from April 1. This decision was made despite the previous backlash from stakeholders who claimed they were not consulted earlier this year when Zimparks first proposed the increase. Back in December, the Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe…
Classic Africa Safaris is pleased to report the opening of a new luxury property in Uganda, the Entebbe Forest Lodge. Our general manager Hilda recently visited the property and reports that the lodge sits in a beautiful forested area overlooking Lake Victoria (approx. 30 minutes from EBB Airport). The six cabins have forest views and…
Shenton Safaris are offering the ultimate Zambian adventure. Launching all-new 2-week and 3-week itineraries, the emphasis is on personalized, owner-run camps in remote areas, with passionate guides, excellent wildlife and incredible experiences. “The Shentons and their extended family of extraordinary guides, have been sharing the magic of South Luangwa National Park with guests from all…
Banyan Tree Ilha Caldeira, on a private island off the coast of Mozambique’s Nampula province, is on track for opening in the first quarter of 2024. Prior to the COVID pandemic, the ultra-luxurious resort was slated for opening in the second quarter of 2022. The property will be only the third Banyan Tree resort in…
As of 22nd March 2023, Zambia no longer requires proof of Covid vaccination or a negative PCR test to enter the country. Botswana, Namibia and Zambia now offer free movement with regards to any Covid-19 restrictions. We hope that Zimbabwe will soon follow. For up-to-date travel information regarding Covid-19, please refer your clients to the…
Turkish Airlines is to relaunch its Lusaka service with two flights a week via Dar es Salaam from 26 March 2023. Outbound flights to Istanbul will operate on Mondays and Saturdays, and inbound flights on Sundays and Fridays. Flights depart from Lusaka at 02h50 and arrive in Istanbul at 14h40, after a flight of 10 hours…
TIME Magazine’s coveted list of 50 “World’s Greatest Places” for 2023 is now out and includes several African destinations including: Musanze, Rwanda Giza and Saqqara, Egypt Dakar, Senegal Rabat, Morocco Loango National Park, Gabon Chyulu Hills, Kenya Click here to check it out
Tanzania has launched an international tourist centre at the iconic Serengeti National Park in a bid to promote the country’s vast tourism offerings. Opened by Minister for Natural Resources and Tourism, Mohamed Mchengerwa, the visitor centre provides information on the country’s 22 national parks and 29 game reserves, including maps and key attributes of the various…
SAA has alerted the trade that clients who are holding open tickets and travel EMD vouchers (Electronic Miscellaneous Document), have travel credit vouchers that expire on Friday, March 31, 2023. Following its Business Rescue, SAA created the option for customers holding unflown tickets to exchange them for credit vouchers. These unused tickets and credit vouchers…
Zambia Airways will debut its regional operations with thrice-weekly flights between Lusaka and Harare from March 28, as the relaunched national carrier seeks to achieve its goal of carrying 1.9 million passengers annually by 2028. The airline was relaunched in December 2021 through a partnership between the Zambian Government, the Industrial Development Corporation and Ethiopian…
The Mozambique government has officially approved the addition of 28 countries to its visa exemption list, in what the tourism industry has touted as a significant move to boost inbound tourism to the nation. The expansion of the visa waiver list is part of a package of economic stimulus measures announced by President Felipe Nyusi in August…
A new ‘Star Bed’ tower and ‘Star Drift’ experience will debut at Chiawa Camp in the Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia on May 1. Located just downstream of the main camp, the ‘Star Bed’ tower – an open-to-the-skies sleep-out experience – is positioned on the banks of the Zambezi River, overlooking ‘Scout’s Hollow’, an…
Emirates is adding flights to Dar es Salaam and Entebbe to meet increased demand. Daily flights to Dar es Salaam will start on May 1, up from the current five times a week, and daily flights to Entebbe will start on July 1, currently six times a week. The flight schedules will be as follows:…
The cyclone has unleashed torrents of water in built-up areas of Blantyre along the rivers, and terrible landslides have swept down hillsides. Boulders more enormous than houses have rolled down the mountainside leaving no trace of dwellings, humans or life behind. The plains in Chikwawa and Nsanje have again disappeared under water, leaving thousands of…
Follow the incredible story of how the Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve in the Waterberg became the closest reserve to Gauteng providing sanctuary to South Africa’s endangered African Wild Dogs with the unexpected arrival of two male dogs on the reserve which have now been matched with two suitable females. In January 2022, in collaboration…
Extraordinary, an esteemed collection of luxury lodges and hotels in Southern Africa, is delighted to introduce the world-class luxury hotel, Angels View by HoyoHoyo, in Mpumalanga. The hotel is located 5km from the picturesque village of Graskop. Angels View offers a luxury product with a multi-market target, ideal for both leisure and business travellers looking…
The Greater Mabula Game Reserve’s smallest and most intimate tented camp reopens this week with a fresh and contemporary new look that enhances its special private location within this reserve in the Waterberg. Sporting five refashioned luxuriously appointed tents, each on a raised platform with their own private decks and incredible views of the surrounding…
Luxury property owner and management company Extraordinary to launch exclusive-use villa in the Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve Luxury property owner and management company Extraordinary is set to launch an exclusive-use luxury villa in Limpopo’s Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve in January 2023. Located only two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Johannesburg in the Waterberg, Kingfisher Villa…
Luxury property owner and management company Extraordinary has launched its exclusive-use luxury villa in Limpopo’s Greater Mabula Private Game Reserve. Located only two-and-a-half hours’ drive from Johannesburg in the Waterberg, Kingfisher Villa offers an exclusive and elegant bush getaway for family and friends to come together and enjoy a private safari experience. An airstrip on…
Five years ago, the river valleys and high plains that are now safeguarded by the Babanango Game Reserve in the KwaZulu Natal region of South Africa were virtually devoid of wildlife after decades of cattle grazing and unrestrained hunting. “All the big animals had been killed and most of the smaller ones had run away,”…
Airlink has appointed AVIAREPS as its GSA to consolidate the airline’s presence in the crucial North American and Asian source markets. “North America is a significant source market, not just for Airlink but for businesses, entrepreneurs and leisure travellers. Economic activity between South Africa and North America is increasing, including tourism, trade and commerce,” said…
SAUDIA, in collaboration the Saudi Air Connectivity Programme (ACP) and the Saudi Tourism Authority, is launching flights to four new destinations including Johannesburg, Kano (Nigeria), Birmingham (UK), and Beijing. The new direct flight routes are being launched in response to the increase in consumer demand from travellers looking to visit or transit through Saudi from…
St Helena has welcomed a new mid-week Airlink flight connecting the remote destination with Johannesburg from November 2023. The new seasonal flight, which will operate on Tuesdays, will complement the regular scheduled flights to St Helena on Saturdays. The additional flight will be available during the Southern summer season, from November 28 to the end…
The new year has seen some exciting changes within our Hideaways portfolio! In addition to our own lodges and camps, we’ve added a selection of partner properties that are privately owned and managed independently, in order to provide the absolute best experiences for our clients. These partner properties share the same values and views on eco-philosophy…
JENMAN African Safaris is opening the travel treasure chest of Mozambique with the addition of four exquisite villas to their already impressive Private Villa Collection. Situated on the unspoilt tropical island of Benguerra and in the vibrant coastal town of Vilanculos, these properties are the epitome of a sublime Mozambique getaway. The balmy turquoise waters of…
Phase I will be the launch at King Mswati III International Airport (SHO) in Johannesburg (JNB) with flights operating twice daily Eswatini Air announced its planned operating schedule, fare, and notice of reservations systems going live. This marks and brings to an end the long wait for the commencement of Eswatini Air flights. Recognizing that…
New airport meets ICAO standards, meaning the tourism sector may now accommodate Canadian Air, Finn Air, as well as other airlines he Board of Directors and members of the African Tourism Board congratulated the government and good people of Sierra Leone on the commissioning of the ultra-modern Freetown International Airport on March 3, 2023. The…
Sierra Leone will open a new airport in Freetown on Friday March 3rd. The new airport is located in Lungi. The new airport marks for the first time in history that Sierra Leone has built its own airport. More info here.
Durban’s King Shaka International Airport will be undertaking maintenance works on the canopy structure above the drop-off area (elevated roadway) from March 3 for completion by the end of July. The work entails the refurbishment of the canopy above the drop-off area and will be executed in phases. Paintwork to various elements of the structure…