Kenya travel story – 80 and counting, a return to Lake Naivasha
80 AND COUNTING – A RETURN TO LAKE NAIVASHA (The new enlarged entrance to the Lake Naivasha Country Club, welcoming as ever) The calls of the fish eagles echoed across the extensive manicured grounds in the early hour of the day as the first rays of light crept across the horizon, just as […]
Kenya aviation news update – KQ going places staying green
KENYA AIRWAYS GOING PLACES, STAYING GREEN AT HOME The Kenya Airways sponsored tree planting project at the Ngong Hills outside Nairobi continues with now about 750.000 trees already planted of an intermediate target of 1.000.000 trees before assessing the success of the ‘Trees for Future’ engagement and launching fresh initiatives. KQ now also gives all […]
Rwanda conservation breaking news – Another twin birth at ‘Susa Group’
ANOTHER SET OF GORILLA TWINS BORN Births of gorilla babies in Rwanda are always a cause for celebrations, by conservationists and the tourism fraternity alike. Yet, when a gorilla gives birth to twins this really sets all the bells ringing and excites the media too. Overnight did confirmation arrive of a pending and until just […]
Seychelles tourism news update – STB team makes waves around the globe
ST. ANGE AND TEAM DO IT SEYCHELLES STYLE www.lekirroyal.com www.seychelles.travel A recent weeklong visit to the archipelago gave this correspondent plenty of opportunity to sample the island’s hospitality and interact with the who is who, including shaking the re-elected President’s hand upon his swearing in ceremony and wishing him well. While on the roads around […]
Seychelles news update – Abu Dhabi gifts three desalination units to Seychelles
SEYCHELLES GETS THREE FREE DESALINATION UNITS FROM ABU DHABI The current drought condition across the archipelago has caused water supplies to dwindle in recent weeks and before the emerging crisis got worse did the Ruler of Abu Dhabi and President of the United Arab Emirates Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al-Nahyan dispatch three complete water desalination plants to the […]
Seychelles yachting update – ‘Sealegs’ makes an immediate impact
SEALEGS – A NOVEL WAY TO KEEP THE GUEST’S FEET DRY The MAIA Luxury Resort and Spa recently introduced an innovation to the archipelago, allowing their guests to keep their feet dry and their shoes on when either returning from their yachts moored off the resort’s beach or else leaving for a day […]
Rwanda conservation news update – Prime Minister at Tropical Rain Forest Summit
RWANDA ATTENDS GLOBAL MEETING ON TROPICAL FORESTS The Prime Minister of Rwanda, together with the Minister for Environment and Natural Resources is in Brazzaville this week to attend the head of state and government summit on cooperation for the world’s most important tropical forest systems which include the extensive rain forests of the Congo basin […]
Uganda news update – Inflation at new highs
INFLATION HITS 17 YEAR HIGH The high cost of fuel in recent months has driven inflation across East Africa to new heights and in Uganda the figures have now reached 16 percent, the 7th straight rise in the consumer price index prepared by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics in conjunction with the Bank of Uganda and […]
Seychelles resort review – Le Meridien, One Island Two Stories
LE MERIDIEN – ONE ISLAND, TWO STORIES Starwood Hotels, one of the world’s foremost international hotel groups, operates two resorts on the island of Mahe / Seychelles, under their Le Meridien brand. During a recent visit to the archipelago I had the privilege to stay in both, located on the opposite sides of the main island, and […]
Seychelles aviation breaking news – AF and HM renew codeshare agreement
AIR SEYCHELLES RENEWS CODE SHARE WITH AIR FRANCE Information was received that Air Seychelles and Air France / KLM have signed a renewal of their exisiting and long in place code share agreement, with will allow as many as six weekly flights between Paris CDG and Mahe. All flights are operated on the Air Seychelles B767 aircraft but with a […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Brand new E190ER arrives at Kenya Airways
KENYA AIRWAYS TAKES DELIVER OF NEW E190ER Today saw Kenya Airways release of their financial year results but alongside more good news emerged when it was confirmed that their latest addition to the fleet, a brand new Embraer 190 had arrived overnight and was being readied for operations with the maiden flight due in under two […]
Rwanda conservation breaking news – Akagera fence construction commences
AKAGERA FENCE CONSTRUCTION HAS BEGAN Information received overnight from RDB sources confirms that the long awaited fence construction around key sections of the Akagera National Park has finally commenced, to the relief of neighbouring communities. The entire fence will be approximately covering a distance of 120 kilometres at a cost of almost 2.8 million US Dollars at present […]
Uganda news update – Kisoro road construction greatly advanced
KISORO ROAD COMPLETION DRAWS NEARER The main contractor for the road reconstruction and tarmacking between Kabale and Kisoro will within the month of June hand over two more completed sections of the new road to government, after completing all the work and inspections recently. Tourist visitors already enjoy a smooth ride, but for some 10 miles which will be […]
Kenya aviation breaking news – Kenya Airways announced 2010/11 results
KENYA AIRWAYS RELEASES RESULTS The Pride of Africa released their annual results today at 07.00 a.m. at the Intercontinental Hotel in Nairobi, when Group CEO Dr. Titus Naikuni was addressing the media in the presence of other senior Kenya Airways staff including their Finance Director. The regional airline giant posted after-tax profits which were 73.9 […]
Uganda news update – UWA’s woes continue unabated
UWA’S WOES REACH NEW LEVELS The Uganda Wildlife Authority, torn apart as a result of the ill fated appointment of a friend as chairman last year by the then minister, is now seemingly facing new woes, as the Commission of Enquiry chaired by retired Supreme Court Justice George Kanyeihamba is showing its ‘teeth’. Armed with […]
Uganda conservation news update – Dr. Okurut to head NEMA
DR. OKURUT TO HEAD NEMA As the lackluster and widely perceived mediocre two terms of office of Dr. Aramanya Mugisha at the helm of the National Environmental Management Authority came to an end, the Minister of Environment wasted no time after her re-appointment to cabinet to appoint Dr. Tom Okurut at the new NEMA boss, effective immediately. […]
Ethiopian aviation news update – Lagos gets the new B777
ETHIOPIAN CHANGES TO B777 ON LAGOS ROUTE Effective beginning of June this year has Ethiopian Airlines introduced the B777 on the route between Addis Ababa and Lagos / Nigeria. Cross Africa traffic has grown stronger that the global average growth in aviation and ET is one of only two airlines to have fully understood and exploited the […]
Uganda tourism news update – Ministry of Tourism, at last!
TOURISM GETS OWN MINISTRY BACK As projected here a few weeks ago, President Museveni has indeed re-constituted a separate Ministry of Tourism, leaving Trade and Industry behind as a ‘stand alone’ ministry again to the great relief of the entire industry. New cabinet minister is the Hon. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu, who already served as state minister […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, Fifth edition May 2011
TOURISM, AVIATION AND CONSERVATION NEWS from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region A weekly roundup of reports, travel stories and opinions by Prof. Dr. Wolfgang H. Thome Get daily breaking news updates via Twitter @whthome or on my blog: www.wolfganghthome.wordpress.com Fifth edition May 2011 Africa News STOP MOUTHING OFF ABOUT GULF CARRIES – […]
Seychelles news update – Tourism Academy records 50 percent increase in demand for course places
TOURISM FEATURES BIG IN CAREER DECISIONS Seychelles Tourism Academy Principal Flavien Joubert last weekend led over 140 students to the Seychelles International Conference Centre for their annual graduation ceremony, which was graced by the presence of President Michel and other government officials. In his address Mr. Joubert confirmed the increasing trend of applications by young Seychellois […]
Rwanda breaking news – Kwita Izina 2011 the biggest and best ever
KWITA IZINA THE ‘BIGGEST AND BEST EVER’ Rwanda’s annual gorilla naming festival is now only just over two weeks away and 22 new born gorillas will be formally named in Ruhengeri on the 18th of June. As has become almost customary now Rwanda is organizing a week of events, covering the country with a cycling tour, holding […]
Rwanda news update – Hotel assessors graduate
HOTEL QUALITY ASSESSORS GRADUATE A dozen hotel assessors did last week graduate after a two month training course which focused on the East African Community’s common standards of classification and grading of hotels, lodges, inns, resorts and other hospitality businesses. The course was organized by the East African Community Secretariat and the Rwanda Development Board’s […]
Rwanda news update – Parliament in Kigali asks for more Akagera ‘fence money’
RWANDAN PARLIAMENT ASKS FOR ‘FENCE MONEY’ Government was asked to allocate at least 350 million Rwandan Francs out of the overall 30 billion Rwandan Francs budget likely to be set aside for the Rwanda Development Board, to be used to erect a fence around key parts of the Akagera National Park where small scale farms reach […]
Tanzania conservation news update – Eastern Arc Mountains get Norwegian funding
EASTERN ARC MOUNTAINS GET NORWEGIAN FORESTRY SUPPORT Inspite of many misgivings over the President’s directive a few weeks ago to cancel an application for UNESCO recognition as a world heritage site for the Eastern Arc Mountains has Norway now concluded pending negotiations with the Tanzanian government over a support initiative worth nearly 6 million US […]
Tanzania conservation news – Wildlife smuggling investigation underway
MORE REVELATIONS ON SMUGGLING SHOCK CONSERVATIONISTS Information came to light in Tanzania last week that influential ‘people’ – allegedly from the government in Qatar using an air force aircraft, were late last year flying out live animals and birds with customs officials conniving in the scam in contravention of the country’s laws and regulations governing […]
Kenya news update – Another record year for Kenya in the making
GOOD NEWS FOR KENYA TOURISM Kenya projects a 15 percent growth overall for the year 2011 according to sources at the Ministry of Tourism in Nairobi, setting the stage for another record year for the country’s tourism industry. In particular ‘traditional’ markets have recovered strongly since the 2008 downturn although new and emerging markets, as […]
South Sudan news update – Abyei will make or break CPA
ABYEI WILL MAKE OR BREAK PEACE AGREEMENT The blatant violation by regime troops and loyalist militias of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between Khartoum and the SPLM/A led Southern liberation movement 10 days ago has again highlighted the reckless disregard by Khartoum’s ICC wanted leader Bashir and his goons. Tens of thousands of refugees are streaming […]
Kenya breaking news – Serena Hotels holds Annual General Meeting
SERENA HOTELS HOLD ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING East Africa’s leading hotel, resort and safari lodges company, Serena Hotels, is holding their annual general meeting today at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, preceded by a meeting of the Board of Directors at their Kenyan flagship property, The Nairobi Serena Hotel. While the group is traditionally reserved about […]
Stop mouthing off about Gulf carriers – go match them!
STOP MOUTHING OFF ABOUT GULF CARRIERS – GO MATCH THEM In recent months were more than the usual periodical spats observed between European airline chiefs and CEO’s of some of the Gulf region’s leading airlines. Using different forums suggestions were made by the Europeans about the growing ‘threat’ by Gulf based carriers, siphoning traffic from […]
Uganda news update – President submits list of ministerial appointments to parliament
CABINET APPOINTED AT LAST President Museveni made his cabinet announcement yesterday with a number of significant changes, entrusting key ministries to women who now hold 10 of the total of 29 cabinet ministerial seats including such portfolios like Finance, Health, Education, Trade, Energy, Information, President’s Office and Gender. The list has been officially submitted to […]
