Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First edition November 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 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 […]
East Africa news – The unseen enemy from above is now hunting Al Shabab on the ground
THE INVISIBLE ENEMY IS NOW HUNTING AL SHABAB FROM THE SKIES In what must have been one of the worst kept secrets, probably not meant to be kept at all, has it finally been made official last weekend by US army sources that a number of UAVs are now operating from Ethiopian territory, deployed against […]
Weekly roundup of news from the Eastern African and Indian Ocean region, First 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 First edition May 2011 Africa News SOMBRE MOOD IN NAIROBI AND DAR ON NEWS […]
Taita Hills Wildlife Sanctuary set for massive infrastructure boost
OWNERS WASTE NO TIME AS MAJOR INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENTS GO UNDERWAY AT TAITA HILLS WILDLIFE SANCTUARY (Posted 27th July 2020) When Sarova Hotels ended their long standing affiliation with Taita Hills and Salt Lick Lodges on the 01st of July this year, did the owners, Taita Hills and Salt Lick Wildlife Resort Limited, waste no time […]
Taita Hills and Salt Lick lodges return to the owners portfolio
SAROVA HOTELS RELINQUISHES MANAGEMENT OF TAITA HILLS AND SALT LICK SAFARI LODGES (Posted 07th May 2020) The news that Sarova Hotels will return Taita Hills and Salt Lick safari lodges to the actual owners of the two properties came for many in Kenya and the region as a surprise. Yet, the impact of COVID19 on […]
The early days of flying in Kenya
The county government of Taita Taveta will on the 08th of October this year celebrate and commemorate the 101st anniversary of flight, not just in Kenya but the entire East Africa. As written two days ago, with links to articles written by this correspondent on the topic, this event holds dear the memory of flight […]
Taita Taveta county government sets date for 101st anniversary of flight in Kenya
101ST ANNIVERSARY OF FLIGHT IN KENYA GIVEN HIGH PROFILE RECOGNITION (Posted 14th September 2016) October 08th has been set for a major celebration in Kenya’s Taita Taveta County, to recognize the 101st anniversary of flight in not just Kenya but the entire East Africa. As repeatedly written about here, did the ‘Battlefield East Africa‘ – […]
Those who are remembered are not forgotten, nor are their causes
ALLIED WORLD WAR I HERO TO BE REMEMBERED AT VOI WAR CEMETERY (Posted 02nd August 2015) A hundred years ago did one Lieutenant William Thomas Dartnell die a hero’s death at the hands of Von Lettow-Vorbeck’s savage askaris. Following a major engagement in the Taita area of Kenya, where the German troops kept raiding into […]
100 and counting – MV Liemba still going strong
MV LIEMBA TURNS 100 AS CENTENARY YEAR OF THE GREAT WAR APPROACHES (Posted 12th December 2013) (The former Graf von Goetzen, now known as MV Liemba, still going strong after 101 years) The MV Liemba, a Swahili word for Lake Tanganyika, has a long history of dominating the waves of Lake Tanganyika, since she was […]
Tanzanian government accused of dilly dallying over fate of MV Liemba
MV LIEMBA’S FATE IN BALANCE AS TANZANIA FAILS TO RESPOND TO RESCUE OFFER (Picture courtesy of Wikipedia) Tourism stakeholders, keen to promote Lake Tanganyika as an additional natural resource area beyond the traditional national parks and coastal beaches, have expressed dismay over reports that the Tanzanian government has failed to respond to an offer from […]
Kenya’s coast – Where some places still got what it takes to compete with the best in the world
BEACH HOLIDAYS IN KENYA SOME PLACES STILL GOT IT There are constant murmurs from within Kenyas tourism fraternity, and from the outside too, that in particular the beach resorts along the coast line have gone stale and tired and need some fresh impetus, fresh ideas, fresh investments, renewed focus and perhaps a new national vision […]
Taita Hills lodges publish new rates ahead of relaunch
ATTRACTIVE RATES ARE THE KEY TO BRING VISITORS BACK TO THE SAFARI LODGES (Posted 30th July 2020) The Taita Hills Safari Resort & Spa and the Salt Lick Safari Lodge, ahead of the relaunch on the 15th of August, have published rates valid for East African residents valid until the end of the year. The […]
… and the winners are …
#WTMA2019 ANNOUNCES WINNERS OF RESPONSIBLE TOURISM AWARDS (Posted 14th March 2019) Grootbos Private Nature Reserve scoops the top spot in the 2019 African Responsible Tourism Awards Grootbos Private Nature Reserve – the luxury lodge tucked between mountains, forest and sea just outside Gansbaai – was announced as the Overall Winner of the African Responsible Tourism […]
#Kenya set for major commemoration as the 100th anniversary of the end of World War 1 draws near
GUERILLAS OF TSAVO AUTHOR JAMES WILLSON LEADS CAMPAIGN OF REMEMBRANCE (Posted 09th May 2018) During a recent recce for the Organising Committee for the November Commemoration, the importance of ‘setting the scene’ to explain the background events was stressed. A decision was therefore made to raise funds to update and modernise the East African Campaign […]
The End of the Great War – #Kenya Remembers
LOGISTICAL CHALLENGES PREVENT THE ‘PATROL IN ZAMBIA‘ BUT EVENT IN KENYA ON COURSE (Posted 02nd April 2018) Plans to stage a great commemorative ‘Patrol‘ in a very remote part of Northern Zambia at Mbala, where the German troops finally surrendered when they belatedly learned of the Armistice having been signed in Europe two weeks earlier […]
Kafunta News from Zambia
News from Kafunta Safaris in Zambia November was another extremely busy month for Kafunta River Lodge, as we were fully booked for 2 weeks straight with guests who were not put off by the heat or by the risk of rain, and who were rewarded with great sightings – again! And some of them right […]
It can only get better say Kenyan tourism sources
FIGURES ARE NOT ALL – A RENEWED SPIRIT OF HOPE EMERGES IN KENYA (Posted 13th October 2015) Presently are 174 hosted buyers and about a dozen invited media organization representatives in Kenya, travelling across the country to sample and experience the wide range of attractions the country offers to tourist visitors. The pre-Magical Kenya Travel […]
Kenyan aviation is nearing the 100th anniversary of the first flight
A HUNDRED YEARS OF FLIGHT – KENYAN AVIATORS SET TO CELEBRATE IN TAITA (Posted 11th July 2015) (A BE2C aircraft as used by allied forces in the East African WW1 theatre) On the 04th of October will it be 100 years since the first recorded flight in Kenya took to the skies and as often […]
Tourism ministers take to Twitter instead of talking in a conference room
NOW NYALANDU HITS BACK AT KENYA WITH A BLISTERING TWITTER VOLLEY (Posted 10th February 2015) A war of words is now underway between Tanzania and Kenya over the ban for Tanzanian registered tour vehicles to access Jomo Kenyatta International Airport. One of the battlefields is the social media scene where Tanzania’s Minister for Natural Resources […]
MKTE 2014 sets new attendance records
MAGICAL KENYA TRAVEL EXPO ENDS ON HIGH NOTE (Posted 11th October 2014) Participants from East Africa in the just ended Magical Kenya Travel Expo, namely delegations from Uganda, Rwanda and representatives from South Sudan, were invited by the East African Tourism Platform, the regional tourism trade apex body, to a meeting at the Sarova Stanley […]
Remember the ‘Choices have Consequences’ talk by Western powers?
CHOICES HAVE CONSEQUENCES – BOTH WAYS (Posted 18th May 2014) When Western powers, ahead of Kenya’s general and presidential elections last year harped on about ‘Choices have Consequences’ few could fathom the full extent of what Kenya’s supposed Western friends had in store for the country. While publicly eating humble pie and trying to make […]
Mark August 15th when the Taita Taveta County Government commemorates WW1
TAITA TAVETA COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO HOST WW1 COMMEMORATION ON 15TH AUGUST (Posted 04th May 2014) (James Willson seen here on Friday signing his book ‘Guerillas of Tsavo’ for this correspondent) On the 15th of August 1914, more than two weeks after the war had broken out in Europe, were the first shots fired in anger […]
Taita Taveta county – New Road, New Game
TAITA TAVETA EXPECTS TOURISM BOOST FROM NEW ROAD (Posted 23rd November 2013) The planned new highway between the border town of Taveta and Voi will open up the area to more tourist visitors when complete, allowing easier access to the more remote parts of Tsavo West and of course the Taita Hills Game Reserve, a […]
2012 in Review – The Highlights of a Travelling Life
2012 IN REVIEW – HIGHLIGHTS REMEMBERED (Dedicated to my Muse) Looking back on 2012 and the many trips across the region, to the Indian Ocean islands and as far as to the Gulf, some experiences stand out to be remembered and treasured while others are best forgotten. Those best forgotten I shall not mention, leaving […]
Rwanda commemorates the 18th anniversary of the genocide
18 YEARS AND COUNTING Never again has too often been spoken in haste, lacked honest conviction or was a convenient utterance aimed to capture an audience or score cheap points. When Rwanda this Saturday commemorates the 18th anniversary of one of the swiftest and most cruel genocides in human history in 100 days between 800.000 […]
South Sudan breaking news – More bombings by regime aircraft target UN and refugee compound in Upper Nile State
KHARTOUM AIRFORCE TARGETS UN COMPOUND AND REFUGEE CAMP WITH BOMBINGS Alarming news emerged from South Sudan when it became known that the regime in Khartoum had targeted a UN compound and refugee camp housing people forcefully displaced in acts of ethnic cleansing from disputed territories, in this case Blue Nile, by the regimes army and […]
Sudan news update – Bashir threatens renewed war
KHARTOUM’S REGIME THREATENS RENEWED WAR Stung by an internal revolt last week leading to the sacking of his national security advisor, Khartoum’s regime leader Bashir, true to his colours finally shown in public again, threatened to go back to war to keep the disputed oil state of Abyei under Northern domination. This was learned overnight […]
