Chobe Safari Lodge set to benefit from new game drive ciruits

CHOBE AREA OF MURCHISONS FALLS NATIONAL PARK GETS EXPANDED TRACK NETWORK Uganda Wildlife Authority have completed the construction of more tracks in the Chobe area of the park above the falls, giving added opportunities to see game and explore the forests nearer to the Chobe Safari Lodge. One of the two sections is approximately 10 […]

Now the Tanzanian taxman is also chasing after FastJet

FASTJET NOW TARGET OF TANZANIA’S TAXMAN TOO The bad news for FastJet just don’t seem to end as information has emerged from Dar es Salaam, that the Tanzania Revenue Authority, aka The Taxman, is now chasing down the upstart over payment of both current as well as apparent legacy debts from past operations by Fly540 […]

Yet another Chinese arrested at JKIA for possession of blood ivory

ANOTHER CHINESE BLOOD IVORY SMUGGLER NABBED AT JKIA The Jomo Kenyatta International Airport dog squad, as well as the vigilance of security personnel, are credited with the arrest of yet another Chinese citizen, who was found in Nairobi with 58 kilogrammes of blood ivory stuffed in his baggage, as he tried to check in for […]

Rwanda exceeds 2012 tourism targets

RWANDA TOURISM RAKES IN 281 MILLION US DOLLARS IN 2012 Figures just released by the Rwanda Development Board for the year 2012 show a sustained growth of tourism arrivals and revenues, when it was announced by the agency that their own projected revenues were exceeded considerably with a final bottom line of over 281 million […]

Ethiopian set to add Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Manila

ETHIOPIAN PLANS FOR MORE FAR EAST CONNECTIONS A source in Addis Ababa confirmed reports seen earlier on that Ethiopian, one of the leading contenders for supremacy in the African skies, will be adding three more Far East destinations with the upcoming summer flight schedule. Ho Chi Minh City, Seoul and Manila can now be booked […]

Sauti Za Busara’s 10th edition ends on high note

SAUTI ZA BUSARA ENDS ON HIGH NOTE East Africa’s – if not the continent’s – biggest and most respected music and performing arts festival Sauti Za Busara ended this evening in Zanzibar on a high note after reaching new visitor records across the 4 days the 10th anniversary edition of the festival. ‘This was the […]

Desvaux sacked as MTPA Chairman

DESVAUX SACKED FROM MTPA CHAIR WHILE HAPLESS MOOTOOSAMY REMAINS, FOR NOW   Information was received yesterday that Robert Desvaux, hitherto Chairman of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority, and reportedly a close friend of the country’s Deputy Prime Minister who sponsored him to the position, has been relieved of his duties with immediate effect. It is […]

Jetlink owners set to meet FastJet UK executives next week

JETLINK SET TO DISCUSS FUTURE COOPERATION WITH FASTJET’S UK EXECUTIVES It was learned yesterday through a regular aviation source in Nairobi, that Jetlink’s principal owners Captains Elly Aluvale and Kiran Patel will be meeting executives from Fastjet’s UK offices next week, to discuss the recently signed Mou and the way forward, which would allow FastJet […]

TCAA gives FastJet payment ultimatum

TCAA TELLS FASTJET TO PAY UP OR ELSE Inspite of denying liability for legacy debts, incurred by Fly540 Tanzania before FastJet took over that company in 2012, the trend is now clear that the Tanzanian authorities, led by the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority, are vigorously pursuing payment now and have issued FastJet’s local management with […]

Precision Air gets new CEO

SAUDA RAJAB APPOINTED NEW CEO AT PRECISION AIR When long serving CEO Alfonse Kioko retires from Precision Air at the end of February, he will be able to look back at a success story Tanzanian aviation has never seen before, taking Precision from a relatively small domestic airline to the lofty heights of a major […]

Air Mauritius announces profits for last quarter of 2012

DO AIR MAURITIUS’ PROFITS MARK TURN OF THE TIDE? Information was received from a source in Port Louis that Air Mauritius has apparently announced a profit of over 6.4 million Euros for the quarter which ended in December 2012 in group profits, which is a 10 million Euro turnaround of fortunes after suffering a 3.6 […]

FastJet raises a further 4 million pounds capital but what for?

FASTJET COMPELLED TO RAISE MORE CAPITAL Reports from a regular aviation source in the UK indicate that FastJet appears to have hurriedly raised additional capital of over 6 million US Dollars, as the no holds barred exchange of broadsides with erstwhile partner Fly540 continues unabated. Fly540 demands what now amounts to well near 8 million […]

Kenwyn House, a piece of Seychelles history at the heart of the Carnival experience

KENWYN HOUSE – A PIECE OF SEYCHELLES HISTORY IN THE HEART OF VICTORIA When the Carnaval de Carnivals parade juggernauts through the centre of Victoria, many vantage points avail themselves to capture the floats and performers through the lenses of cameras, and visitors from all over the world queue, jostle for positions and push for […]

Serengeti Highway case update following hearing before the EACJ on 23rd January

UPDATE ON SERENGETI HIGHWAY CASE BEFORE THE EAST AFRICAN COURT OF JUSTICE The legal case filed by ANEW, the African Network for Animal Welfare, before the East African Court of Justice in Arusha against the Tanzanian government, came up for mention and a so called scheduling conference on the 23rd of January and since then […]

Uganda’s River Nile makes it into the top 7 natural wonders of Africa

UGANDA SCOOPS RECOGNITION FOR THE NILE AS TANZANIA TAKES THREE OF SEVEN The award ceremony on Monday in Arusha for the 7 natural wonders of Africa, chosen from 12 accepted nominations, saw the River Nile, which starts its journey to the Mediterranean Sea at the ‘Source of the Nile’ in Jinja elected as Uganda’s only […]

UCAA announces strong growth for 2012

UGANDA CAA RECORDS 14 PERCENT TRAFFIC GROWTH IN 2012 Ignie Igundura, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority spokesperson, has just released the 2012 performance statistics in terms of passenger and cargo movements. Passenger traffic grew by a margin of 14.1 percent while cargo traffic added a round 15 percent, compared to the year 2011. Passenger numbers […]

Baker’s ‘Discoveries’ to be celebrated in Uganda on the 150th anniversary

BAKER’S DISCOVERIES IN UGANDA TO BE CELEBRATED ON THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY Uganda’s tourism and conservation organizations are planning a special commemoration of Sir Samuel Baker’s first visit to Uganda on the forthcoming 150th anniversary. Credited to have ‘discovered’ the source of the River Nile, back then at the Rippon Falls which got submerged in the […]

Kenya Airways joins hands with Born Free Foundation against poaching

KENYA AIRWAYS SIGNS UP WITH ANTI POACHING COALITION The Pride of Africa yesterday signed a partnership agreement with the Born Free Foundation to join hands in opposing the wave of poaching currently inflicted on Kenya’s wildlife, where since the beginning of the year at least 70 elephant have been poached and at least four dead […]

Sauti Za Busara ante portas

SAUTI ZA BUSARA VERSION 10.0 READY TO RUMBLE East Africa’s best known performing arts festival, Sauti Za Busara is about to kick off its 10th anniversary edition on the 14th of February on the spice island of Zanzibar and the eyes of Africa, and in fact the world, will once again focus on what extraordinary […]

Notting Hill claims Seychelles Carnival top prize for third year running

NOTTING HILL MAKES IT THREE IN A ROW (Seychelles’ Minister of Tourism and Culture Alain St. Ange seen with some of the performers) It came as no surprise that the three top foreign teams competing for the honours of claiming first prize in the just concluded Carnaval de Carnivals, the Carnival International de Victoria 2013, […]

Water shortages set to threaten tourism growth

COAST TOURISM WARY OF WATER WARNING Warnings over a water deficit of some 65 percent were looming large when the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Water admitted at a function in Malindi district a few days ago, when opening a refurbished water station at Baricho. After the improvements at the pumping station and water […]

Likoni Ferry again involved in run away truck accident

ANOTHER FERRY ACCIDENT SPARES LIVES BUT SCARES COMMUTERS TO BITS Saturday morning brought the memories of the gruesome ferry accident of two weeks ago back to the forefront, when yet another lorry failed on Saturday to climb the steep ramp, the driver lost control and started rolling back towards the ferry before crashing into it. […]

It is all lies says Fly540 … says who?

IT IS ALL LIES SAYS FLY 540 In yet a further escalation of the tone and intensity of the raging dispute between the erstwhile partners has Fly540 now made sweeping allegations against FastJet, telling them in all but name that they are telling lies and challenging them to check signed agreements and other documents with […]

And the Carnival is Over

AND THE CARNIVAL IS OVER – FOR THIS YEAR The classic song by the Seekers from 1968 came to mind when the Notting Hill Carnival Road Show Company once again had the cat whistles in the air and screams of approval fill the streets of Victoria, being the last highlight and the last in fact […]