‘Vanilla Islands’ ready to absorb destination traffic shift after Maldives ban Spa’s
VANILLA ISLANDS TO BENEFIT FROM MALDIVES BLUNDER A regular source from Mauritius, one of the Vanilla Islands in the African part of the Indian Ocean the others being Seychelles, La Reunion, Madagascar and the Comoros Islands has, albeit reluctantly and on condition of strict confidentiality and anonymity commented on the most recent developments reported from […]
Kenya conservation news – Masai herders drive cattle into the Mara incited by rogue politicians
ROWDY POLITICIANS INCITE MASAI HERDERS TO INVADE THE MASAI MARA This is criminal incitement and government should arrest those responsible immediately, regardless of their status or connections said a regular source from Nairobi yesterday afternoon when discussing reports that Masai herdsmen had driven hundreds if not more cattle into the game reserve. The Ministry of […]
Kenya conservation news – Success and failure are close bedfellows
CONSERVATION SUCCESS AND FAILURE, CLOSE MATES (The Pangolin, aka scaly anteater another endangered species) Disturbing news emerged on New Years Eve when it became known that a mob of Masai youths had killed yet another adolescent lion on the Kitengela plains outside the Nairobi National Park, bringing to three such killings over the past few […]
2011 in review – Courtesy of the Word Press Team to whom I extend a special THANK YOU for their support!
Thanks to you, my readers, I saw the popularity of my blog rocket after I went ‘daily’ early in 2011. For the new year I promise you more news, close up and personal, and your reactions, comments and feedback, here, via Twitter or Facebook or by email continue to be most welcome. Have a […]
Uganda aviation news – Qatar Airways due to commence onward flights to Kigali by March 2012
QATAR AIRWAYS TO BEGIN ADD ON FLIGHTS TO KIGALI IN MARCH 2012 A usually well informed source within Ugandas aviation regulatory system has confirmed that Qatar Airways, since early November coming daily to Entebbe, will as indicated here earlier indeed commence onward flights between Entebbe and Kigali, come 21st March 2012. The flights will on […]
Uganda aviation news – SN starts promoting their own ‘Big Apple’ flights
BRUSSELS AIRLINES STARTS PROMOTING BIG APPLE FLIGHTS The Kampala office of Brussels Airlines must have thought what better to end one year than giving a sneak preview into the next, when they launched their 2012 promotional campaign for New York, New York. The airline will fly under their own flag from Brussels to New York […]
Seychelles – truly ‘Another World’
SEYCHELLES ENDS YEAR ON A HIGH NOTE At the end of every year I get swamped with stories, news and bits and bobs from around the entire region, with some notable absentees as usual being my own countrys tourist board, which seemingly still has to learn how to make better use of the new media […]
Rwanda hospitality breaking news – Kigali Serena Hotel takes the only 5 star rating in the city
SERENA TOPS THEM ALL, GETS FIRST 5STAR RATING IN RWANDA (The Kigali Serena Hotel courtyard with gardens and swimming pool Simply the Best) The Kigali Serena was the first to receive the coveted 5 star rating for any Kigali business and city hotel, following an exhaustive and extensive grading and classification exercise conducted by the […]
Tanzania conservation breaking news – Attempted denial of cross Serengeti Railway exposes yet more ‘projects’
OFFICIAL DENIALS EXPOSE YET MORE TIMEBOMBS FOR CONSERVATIONISTS (The most direct line from Mwambani to Musoma leads across the Serengeti) With much of official Tanzania on their year-end vacation to celebrate Christmas and New Year, the almost inevitable denials over the suggested direct routing of a new railway line from Tanga to Musoma through the […]
Kenya conservation news – New park fees from New Year
NEW YEAR, NEW FEES FOR KENYAS PRIME NATIONAL PARKS Effective New Years Day 2012 will Kenya Wildlife Service raise their premium park fees from the present US Dollars 60 per person per day for foreign nonresident visitors to US Dollars 80 per person per day, after making the announcement earlier in the year. Also discontinued […]
Tanzania tourism news – VAT refunds for tourists set to begin next week
VAT REFUNDS FOR TOURISTS DUE TO COMMENCE JANUARY 2012 A regular source from Dar es Salaam has provisionally confirmed that the long awaited VAT refunds for tourists on departure from either Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam or from the Kilimanjaro International Airport outside Arusha are due to start come the New Year […]
Kenya aviation news update – From the one and only Harro Trempenau
NEWS FROM THE ORLY AIRPARK GIVE AN ANNUAL ROUND UP Harro Trempenau, former and almost forever chairman of the Aero Club of East Africa at the Wilson Airport in Nairobi, has since his eventual retirement two years ago from that position been relatively quiet, much to the dislike of, […]
L’Esperance – A Rwandan orphanage with a difference
THE SPIRIT OF CHRISTMAS LASTS ALL YEAR ROUND AT LESPERANCE AN ORPHANAGE WITH A DIFFERENCE When on the newly created Congo Nile Trail a few weeks ago, which hugs the shores and mountains along Lake Kivu from Kamembe to Gisenyi, a side trip to a unique orphanage, LEsperance in Kigarama captured my attention and imagination […]
Seychelles tourism update – La Tribune honours Kathy Mason, a leading pioneer of Seychelles tourism
KATHY MASON A SEYCHELLOIS TOURISM PIONEER Every once in a while I come across some outstanding individual who has left her or his mark on the tourism industry of their respective countries, and yesterday my friend Alain St. Ange, himself a success story extraordinaire with the impact he has made on marketing the Seychelles and […]
Kenya tourism news – Swahili Beach opens its doors just in time for Christmas
SWAHILI BEACH HOTEL OPENED JUST IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS The first major new 5 star resort development over the past decade has opened in time for the Christmas and New Year season at one of Kenyas top beaches, Diani Beach south of Mombasa putting a smile on the faces of the owners, the management team […]
Rwanda hospitality breaking news – Hotel star awards set for today at the Kigali Serena Hotel
MORE THAN TWO DOZEN HOTELS AWAIT STAR RATING The Rwanda Development Board Tourism and Conservation, has concluded the first phase of the East Africa wide grading and classifying of hotels, resorts, lodges and other hospitality businesses and today about 30 hotels in Kigali will be awarded their stars at a ceremony held at the Kigali […]
Bahrain Air Show 2012 – Where ‘luxury and exclusivity’ make up for size and numbers
BAHRAIN AIR SHOW 2012 THE NEXT BIG STAGE FOR AIRCRAFT MANUFACTURERS The worlds leading aircraft manufacturers are gearing up to showcase their latest models, improvements and show off future aircraft designs, amongst many other presentations of keen interest to the aviation industry, during the upcoming Bahrain Air Show 2012. The second edition of BIAS is […]
Kenya aviation news – Kenya Airways set to double lounge spaces for frequent flyers and premium class passengers
KENYA AIRWAYS SET TO DOUBLE LOUNGE SPACE The Pride of Africa and its partner airlines KLM and Air France are poised to provide yet more space and a better environment to their frequent travelers and business class passengers, as an expansion of the upstairs JV Lounge is presently underway, literally doubling the available seating spaces. […]
Seychelles tourism news – ‘HM’ premature ending of European flights a cause for concern
AIR SEYCHELLES THE DOWNSIDE OF CLOSING EUROPEAN ROUTES SO SOON Still in the holiday mood and yet to celebrate the best ever annual arrivals record to the Seychelles come midnight on the 31st of December this year, the more sober of the archipelagos tourism stakeholders are nevertheless beginning to see the impact of Air Seychelles […]
Seychelles tourism news – Zil Air flies Santa to the President’s Village children at the MAIA Luxury Resort
ZIL AIR AND MAIA LUXURY RESORT FLY IN SANTA CLAUS In an extraordinary spirit of Christmas did the MAIA Luxury Resort and Zil Air team up with the Rotary Club of Victoria to fly Santa Claus to over 40 children of the Presidents Village, assembled near the MAIA helipad. Corporate Seychelles has for long made […]
Tanzania aviation update – Aerodrome reconstruction ‘on course’
TRANSPORT MINISTRY INSPECTS ONGOING WORK ON SECONDARY AIRPORTS The Acting CEO of the Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority accompanied the Deputy Minister for Transport on a tour of secondary airport facilities currently under reconstruction, to provide details on the ongoing programme launched last year (2010) to upgrade, improve and enlarge such infrastructure across the country. This […]
Tanzania hospitality news – SOPA Lodges sets eyes on Zanzibar and the southern safari circuit
SOPA LODGES TANZANIA CONFIDENT IN FUTURE, VOWS TO INVEST IN ZANZIBAR It was learned over the Christmas holiday that Sopa Lodges, already a major stakeholder in both Kenya and in Tanzania, has expressed their desire to enter the holiday resort market in Zanzibar with a new property, as a result of encouraging financial returns from […]
Weekly roundup of news from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, Fourth edition December 2011 and final edition of the year
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean islands A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates instantly via Twitter by following @whthome or read the daily postings on my blog via: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Many of these articles then also […]
Uganda tourism news – Lack of funds may negate impact of Lonely Planet ranking for Uganda as Number 1 Global Destination for 2012
TOURISM MINISTER OPENS NEW HERITAGE MUSEUM, LAMENTS LACK OF FUNDS The Minister of Tourism, Minister Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu lamented the lack of funding when opening a new privately owned heritage museum in Mbarara just before Christmas. He used the opportunity to ask for equitable funding for his ministry and the tourism sector, commensurate with the […]
Uganda conservation news – NFA finally gets new Executive Director, prompting immediate controversy
NFA GETS NEW EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BUT CHOICE IMMEDIATELY QUESTIONED The National Forest Authority, which has been without a substantive Executive Director for the past two years following the initial suspension and then, depending where one stands either sacking or non renewal of contract for Damian Akankwasa who suffered from a wide range of personal and […]
China’s double edged Christmas present to Tanzania and Uganda rattles conservationists
CHINAS CHRISTMAS PRESENT TO EAST AFRICA RATTLES CONSERVATION FRATERNITY News emerged just before the long Christmas weekend that Uganda and Tanzania have signed a joint agreement with CCECC, the China Civil Engineering Construction Company, worth over 450 million US Dollars, to prepare a feasibility study for a new proposed railway route from Tanga port to […]
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2012
My dear readers, as the Christmas season is upon us and the final countdown of 2011 is now underway, I take a much needed break from my daily postings with news and updates from Eastern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands. ‘Normal service’ will resume in the first week of 2012 and while I will […]
Kenya conservation breaking news – Keen family signs ‘easement’ contract to add crucial land to Nairobi National Park
NAIROBI NATIONAL PARK GETS 100 EXTRA HECTARES (Nairobi National Park main gate at Langata) The conservation fraternity had reason to celebrate this week when the park was expanded by 100 hectares or over 250 acres of land, courtesy of John Keen and his family, who through an easement gave Kenya Wildlife Service control to administer […]
Lake Baringo Club – Where I was chilling with the birds
LAKE BARINGO CLUB, WHERE I WAS CHILLING WITH THE BIRDS Leaving the hustle and bustle of Kenyas capital city Nairobi behind is the desire of many of its residents, while the proper wagenis of course in any case spend little time there, perhaps a day or two at most on arrival and departure again, while […]
Tanzania aviation breaking news – Precision places order for 5 more ATR’s
PRECISION STAYS EXPANSION COURSE WITH NEW ATR ORDER (Picture courtesy of ATR) Information was confirmed overnight that Tanzanias leading airline, Precision Air, has put aside their disappointing IPO performance and are set to stay the course of expansion as announced earlier in the year with an order for a further 5 ATR aircraft. A usually […]
