SkySafari Airborne Again This Month

SkySafari’s three newly launched, redesigned fly-in itineraries provide guests with a nonstop flying safari; visiting the best camps, offering the best wildlife viewing, and more time to experience more magic while on safari. Taking to the skies of Kenya and Tanzania from 10th May 2021. Taking to the skies of Kenya and Tanzania from 10th May…

The Nest Collection Launches this Month

The Nest Collection – a new hospitality management solution for owners and managers of boutique accommodation establishments – launched this month. Its aim is twofold: to bring together a bespoke collection of distinctive, individual, boutique properties to create a quality travel ecosystem, and to offer an array of solutions for those properties to help them…

SAA Aims to Resume Flights in July or August

South African Airways (SAA) aims to resume flights in July or August, but the restart date will depend on how the COVID-19 pandemic progresses and whether the airline can resolve a pilot dispute, its chief executive said on Friday. State-owned SAA, which was put into administration in December 2019, has not flown commercially since September,…

Victoria Falls Attains Herd Immunity

Zimbabwe President, Emmerson Mnangagwa says the city of Victoria Falls has now achieved herd immunity following the vaccination of over 77 percent of its residents in the ongoing countrywide mass COVID-19 vaccination programme. Statistics released by Zimbabwe’s Ministry of Health and Child Care show that more than 19 243 people, against a target of 25 000, had received…

New “Skylink Airways” Planned for South Africa

A new airline, Skylink Airways, has been established with the aim of filling the vacuum left by South African Airways (SAA). AeroTime Hub reported that Skylink Airways was founded by South African entrepreneur Clarence Andrea Steyn. Steyn told Aero Telegraph he has received backing from Russian and South African investors and has started hiring former SAA…

South Africa to End Controversial Captive Lion Industry

South Africa has taken steps to end its multimillion-dollar lion-breeding industry, which supplies cubs for tourism, lions for trophy hunts, and bones for traditional medicine. In a statement on May 2, Barbara Creecy, the minster of South Africa’s Department of Forestry, Fisheries and the Environment, acknowledged the “view that the captive lion breeding industry did not contribute…

Tourism Industry Welcomes Tanzania/Kenya Deal

Tourism players are upbeat following heightened negotiation between Kenya and Tanzania that aims at bolstering trade between the two nations. Stakeholders said that apart from Kenya which has been cooperating with Uganda and Rwanda on tourism, Tanzania has had a frosty relation with Kenya. They said the recent state visit by Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan to…

New Uganda Entry Requirements Clarified

Classic Africa Safaris (CAS) has liaised with the Ugandan Minister of Health (MOH) and all appropriate government bodies to clarify the new COVID-19 entry requirements for Uganda. Please be advised that this is a constantly – and swiftly – changing situation, but current requirements are outlined below. In keeping with existing COVID-19 entry requirements, all…

Cape Town Approves Major V&A Waterfront Expansion

City of Cape Town Mayor, Dan Plato, has approved a R3.9bn (€229.6m) expansion to the V&A Waterfront’s Canal District. The mixed-use development will lead to the creation of at least 1 100 jobs during the construction phase. This announcement follows the recent approval of the R14bn (€824.1m) mixed-use Harbour Arch Development, which will include the construction…

Namibia’s New Onduli Ridge Camp Now Open

Ultimate Safaris has shown incredible talent and innovation in bringing to life camps that stand apart from the rest, and their newest, Onduli Ridge, lives up to their high standard. The planning for Onduli Ridge was undertaken with the intentional absence of engineers, architects and interior decorators, allowing nature and its boundaries to determine the camp’s…

Seychelles Remains Safe Despite COVID Surge

In an exclusive interview with the Seychelles News Agency on Monday, the head of state of Seychelles – President Wavel Ramkalawan – said the island nation remains a safe destination for visitors and that the archipelego’s world-leading vaccination campaign has proven to be effective. President Ramkalawan said the Seychelles – 115 islands in the western…

Uganda COVID Status/Protocol Update in Relation to Travel

On 5th May 2021, Uganda’s ministry of Health issued a statement on the status of Covid-19. The document mainly covered statistics and measures being undertaken to avoid a resurgence of the pandemic. Adventure Consults is happy to share a summary mainly focused on tourism and travel in general. When the ministry released the first statement on 30th April 2021…

African Union Develops Digital COVID-19 Passport

The African Union has developed a common continental Covid-19 digital passport for travelers and airlines. It is an initiative by African Union’s lead health agency, the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The technology is known as Trusted Travel, a platform that will enable passengers across Africa to securely and easily verify compliance with Covid-19…

New 24/7 COVID-19 Testing Laboratory Opens in Seychelles

Seychelles Medical Services Pty, a new healthcare company registered in Seychelles opens the first state-of-the-art dedicated Covid-19 testing laboratory in Seychelles. The private facility is the second in Seychelles to provide exit Covid-19 PCR testing services aside from Euro Medical Family Clinic which started their service a few months back, although this one facility has…

Mack Air Newest Airline for Victoria Falls

Zimbabwean tourism is set for a boost as a new airline is venturing into the Victoria Falls, Botswana route with the maiden flight expected to happen this coming Saturday. Mack Air, a Botswana based airline becomes the latest addition to the assortment of airlines lining up to tap into the Victoria Falls market, which is…

Air Kenya Back in the Air

AirKenya has notified the tourism industry that, following a presidential directive and an authorisation by the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority released on May 1, the airline has fully resumed its operations, offering services from its exclusive terminal at Wilson Airport Nairobi, to the following destinations: Serengeti (via Kilimanjaro), Kilimanjaro, Entebbe (via Kisumu), Maasai Mara, Amboseli,…

SAA to Exit Business Rescue

The business rescue practitioners (BRPs) of South African Airways’ (SAA) have filed a notice of substantial implementation with the Companies and Intellectual Property Commission (CIPC) that effectively brings to an end the airline’s 17 months in business rescue. Simultaneously, while this took place on April 30, the operations of SAA were handed back to its board.…

Mango to be Placed in Business Rescue

Mango is preparing to be placed in business rescue, as it will have no aircraft available for operations from May 1. Acting CEO, William Ndlovu, sent a communication to major travel agencies and tour operators yesterday, outlining the “operational challenges” the airline has, which appear to have been caused by a string of broken promises relating to…

South Africa to Prioritize Vaccinating Frontline Tourism Workers

The National Coronavirus Command Council (NCCC) has approved in principle that tourism sector frontline workers should be prioritised for vaccinations. “We are now waiting on the National Economic Development and Labour Council (NEDLAC) to decide on how and when this will be rolled out,” said Tourism Business Council of South Africa (TBCSA) CEO, Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, speaking to Tourism…

Uganda’s Murchison Falls and the Nile in Flood

Classic Africa Safaris co-founder Mel Gormley just visited Uganda’s Murchison Falls NP and reports that the Nile River is at its highest recorded levels. The flood makes for an amazing and historical experience for visitors in the park. Travelers can cruise the Nile while it’s in full flood – both the Nile Delta and Base…

Turkish Airlines Returns to Seychelles

Turkish Airlines has returned to the sandy shores of Seychelles, landing in paradise on the morning of Friday, April 23, 2021. Restarting its COVID-safe international passenger services, Turkish Airlines A330-300 aircraft from Istanbul carrying 171 passengers was greeted by a traditional water salute upon arrival at the Indian Ocean destination. Contributing to the revival of…

Uganda Relocating Rhinos from Ziwa Ranch

Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) is in final stages of relocating rhinos from Ziwa Rhino & Wildlife Ranch to other sanctuaries in Uganda as the sanctuary transitions to other uses. The program was created in 2005 as a collaborative effort between UWA, the Rhino Fund Uganda and Ziwa Ranchers Ltd, owners of the 16,000-acre property where…

Discovering Sustainable Tourism in Southern Africa’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas Online

Boundless Southern Africa, the tourism marketing and investment promotion initiative for Southern Africa’s Transfrontier Conservation Areas (TFCAs), has developed a new e-learning tool for tourism in the region. The first courses on the Maloti-Drakensberg Transfrontier Conservation Area and the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Conservation Area are now live online. What is a Transfrontier Conservation Area (TFCA)?…

United Airlines Sets to Launch Daily Newark-Johannesburg Service June 3rd

United Airlines will launch a daily Newark-Johannesburg service on June 3, subject to government approval. Last year, the carrier suspended its seasonal summer Cape Town flights and also postponed the original launch date of its daily flights to Johannesburg from March 2021 to June this year. United is also adding two new African routes from Washington Dulles, with services to Accra, Ghana, beginning next month,…

The Advantages of Traveling in Green Season

Edison Komora, Assistant General Manager at Elewana Tortilis Camp, Talks About The Advantages Of Travelling In Green Season. What do you consider to be the main advantages of traveling in Green Season There are a surprising number of benefits from traveling during the green season compared to the dry season. No crowds is the obvious…

Airlink Adds More Regional Routes

Airlink has announced the resumption of its Nelspruit-Livingstone service from May 1. This will enable travellers to combine the Victoria Falls with the Kruger National Park and surrounding areas. The airline is also starting Johannesburg-Livingstone flights on May 26. The new service augments Airlink’s presence in Zambia, provided by its daily services between Johannesburg and…