Seychelles seeks to expand tourism and fight piracy

Seychelles is looking to expand it reach in Singapore by treating representatives from four travel agents from Singapore to some of the best food, attractions, accommodation and transport that the Seychelles has to offer. The travel agencies represented included Chan Brothers, HIS, Ramesh Travel and Eco Adventures. Their tour leader was from Air Seychelles.

To kick start the tour, the representatives got a taste of what it’s like to fly in both economy and business class on Air Seychelles. They visited the three major islands: Mahè, Praslin, and La Digue and enjoyed the most recommended activities on each, including Sunset Beach, Berjaya Beau Vallon Bay Resort and Casino and Le Meridien Fisherman’s Cove. After being wined and dined (with delicious Creole cuisine) to the extreme it’s not surprising to hear that the group was “blown away” by the experience. Tourism authorities now hope that that experience will translate into more flights booked and rooms reserved.

Seychelles’ drive to boost tourism from Asian markets received a boost from various international communities, especially in the Commonwealth, which have joined forces to combat the scourge of piracy. Seychelles President Michel has commended Commonwealth countries like Australia for taking the matter seriously enough to call for a counter-piracy conference, which will be held in Perth, Australia, next year.

President Michel has said: “The coast states of the Indian Ocean need more support – both in terms of maritime assets, in terms of prisons, and in terms of legislative and human resource capacity building. These coastal states are in the majority Commonwealth states- and we salute the efforts of our partners: Mauritius, Kenya, Tanzania, The Maldives, and Mozambique. We also thank the government of India for its proactive role in helping our Coast Guard and training our military for appropriate response to piracy at sea. We believe the Commonwealth is ideally situated to bring more support to the member states to provide technical assistance for legal framework for prosecuting pirates.”

Arusha and its national park

Tanzania is one of the most beautiful countries in the world, let alone on the mighty African continent. It encompasses all that a country should, rugged beauty, friendly people and an abundance of exotic animals. It’s close to a number of other popular African attractions, such as the Serengeti and Mount Kilimanjaro but is also home to a number of largely unsung destinations, like Arusha in the Arusha region, northern Tanzania

The majestic Arusha National Park ,Tanzania

One of the reasons for the region’s popularity is its position on the Northern Tanzanian Safari Circuit. This includes the Arusha National Park, which surrounds Mount Meru, the second highest mountain in the country. The park is not big, not by the standards of some of the other parks in Africa, but its landscape is varied, as is its animal life.

Arusha National Park is only 25km from Arusha city and is home to giraffe, buffalo, warthog, blue monkey, colobus monkey, elephant, leopard and zebra. Landscapes include woodlands, rain forests, lakes, mountain peaks and even a volcanic crater. The Ngurdoto Crater is 3km wide and 400m deep but visitors are only permitted to marvel at the view from the lip of the crater, there is a strict no entry policy.

The Momella (or Momela) Lakes are also worth a visit, as the different mineral content of each lake gives it its own unique colour. Canoe safaris around the lakes are available.

Hikers and climbers can enjoy the day walks and three- to four-day climbs in the park. Day visitors can enjoy the sites and well situated picnic spots. If you want to stay in the park you can choose between lodges, rest houses, campsites, and huts. There are plenty more accommodation options in Arusha itself. According to the official Tanzania National Parks website, the best time to visit the park (and climb Mount Meru) is between June and February. Bear in mind that November is the rainy season.

Waterfalls, gorges and Cape Vultures in Botswana’s Tswapong Hills

Botswana’s central district contains a number of tourist attractions, some of which are off the beaten track – or at least off the radar for the average Botswanan tourist who visits the country primarily for its abundant safari opportunities. One of the prettiest of these attractions is the Tswapong Hills.

The Tswapong Hills, as the name suggests, are not towering peaks. The highest point is around 400m, making hikes and walking trails accessible for anyone. It’s important to note, however, that much of the land in the hills is considered sacred by the locals and in many cases you will need permission from village chiefs before you venture forth.

Botswana

The hills contain a couple of gorges complete with waterfalls and some ancient settlements.

Of particular interest is the Moremi Gorge.

Moremi Gorge is one of those places where you should ask permission from the leader of Moremi Village before setting out. You’ll also find guides at the village if you so require.

You’ll need good walking shoes to climb up to the point of the gorge but once there you’ll find that all the effort was worth it. There are three waterfalls in the gorge, all of which fall into large waterholes. The waterholes are surrounded by thick green vegetation, which lends to the magical atmosphere.

In addition to the waterfalls, Moremi Gorge is a protected conservation area for several breeding pairs of Cape Vultures.

Malaka Gorge is slightly less spectacular than Moremi Gorge and is accessible from Malaka Village. The single waterfall is not very high but the gurgle of bubbling water is very calming and tops off some boulder jumping and any exploratory walks in the nearby valley. Watch out for baboons.

Phothophotho Gorge is easily accessible for all visitors, as well as all animals that come for the steady supply of water. In addition to the thirsty domestic animals – cows and donkeys – you’ll see some rock dassies, baboons and a number of different birds, including Cape Vulture, Blackcollared Barbet and Redwinged Starling.

Tswapong Hills should definitely feature on your travel itinerary.

 

Gootau is also home to breeding Cape Vultures. In fact, the colony at Gootau is much larger than at Moremi Gorge. As a result, it’s essential to get permission from the chief of Gootau before venturing into the site.

All in all the Tswapong Hills should definitely feature on your travel itinerary.

 

Namibia reigns supreme as a top African tourist destination

Namibia reigns supreme as a top African tourist destination

Namibia Hilton Hotel, Windhoek

The Hilton Hotel chain is arguably the most well-known accommodation franchise in the world. It represents the ultimate in luxury and countries know that they’ve made it as prime tourist destinations when they’re chosen for a brand new branch. Namibia is the latest country to be graced with a Hilton Hotel as Hilton Windhoek opened its doors at the beginning of June. Hilton Windhoek is the chain’s 40^th hotel in the Middle East and Africa, while Namibia is the 77^th country to benefit from the attractions naturally associated with a Hilton Hotel.

Speaking at the grand opening, Dave Horton, who is the global head of Hilton Hotels & Resorts, said: “Namibia is a growing market with tourist arrivals increasing every year; it offers travellers an opportunity to explore the best of Africa with its many conservation parks, wildlife reserves and the untouched Namib Desert.”

The opening of Windhoek Hilton was well-timed as it came just before the annual Namibian Tourism Expo which was held in Windhoek, but not at the Hilton. The expo was well supported by the Northern Cape, South Africa’s immediate neighbouring province with Namibia.

Dianna Martin, marketing manager at the Northern Cape Tourism Authority, described the relationship between the two countries as “symbiotic” and emphasised the importance of marketing the Namaqualand and Green Kalahari in South Africa along with some of the prime attractions in Namibia to encourage trans-border tourism.

The expo coincided with the Namibia Tourism Board’s (NTB) 10^th anniversary. Once again the timing was fortuitous as Lonely Planet had only recently named Namibia as the 5^th best value holiday destination for 2011. Namibia’s primary attractions, according to Lonely Planet, are the Namib Naukluft National Park for outstanding safaris, Sossusvlei as a travel itinerary essential and Windhoek as a stunning example of a cosmopolitan African city with world class accommodation.

The Namibia Tourism Board was even named as the best tourism board in all of Africa.