Africa Travel Information

The US State Department has done it again: issuing a travel alert for Kenya. They cite two main security concerns: the terrorist threat posed by Al-Shabaab, and the possibility of a repeat of violence after the August 4th constitutional referendum. You can see the travel alert here.

The concern over al-Shabaab is largely because of the Uganda bombings which I previously wrote about. The terrorist group acknowledged responsibility for the bombings. Since then, Kenya has been on a high security alert, considering that the country’s border with Somalia is very porous. Kenya has reinforced its security troops along the border. In the past one week or so, we have heard reports of some skirmishes between al-Shabaab militants and the Kenya police. But these are not very uncommon.

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A Male African Lion, One of the Most Popular Safari Attractions

So you are finally ready to take that trip to Africa you’ve been planning for for several years. Of course you are excited about the chance to see lions, elephants, the other African big five and other animals in their real wild habitats. Or probably the prospects of a luxury beach holiday in the Seychelles or Mauritius islands. Or the much anticipated tour to the great pyramids, Abu Simbel, and other monuments of ancient Egypt.  But, wait a minute, where do you start?

If you are like many other travellers, you’ll probably want to use the services of a travel agent to help you put your trip together. Even with the rising popularity of travel booking sites like expedia, kayak, orbitz, and others, you will at some point need to consult a “real” travel agent. Your choice will be between a travel agent based in your home country or one operating in the country/destination you will be visiting.

In a previous post, I mentioned that you should ideally use an agent in the destination country, but that does not mean you can not get a good deal from an agent in your home country. Whatever your choice, today I am highlighting what I think are the important things to consider when choosing a travel agent. The list in not completely exhaustive, is not arranged in any particular order, but I hope you will find it helpful.

1.  Destination and product knowledge
Your ideal travel agent should know more about your destination than the average guy on the street. You may not for example know that the bush lodge that your friends recommended last year is currently closed for renovations, or, say, the government has for some reason closed public access to a certain beach front. A good agent will have all this insider information.

Test the agent’s knowledge by asking questions.

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Two black rhinos in the Lewa conservancy in Kenya. The rhino is one of the African "big five". Image by Harald Zimmer courtesy of wikimedia commons.

1. Decide on what you are interested in
In a previous post in this blog, I mentioned five of the main Africa holiday activities, among them adventure travel, sightseeing tours, and wildlife safaris. If you are like most people, you may not have the time to do all of them in one visit. Which is why the first thing to do is to decide on want to see in Africa. This will help you narrow down on a few destinations.

For many first time visitors, the choice is easy: wildlife safaris, especially to see the big five in the wild. In this case, some of the most obvious options are East Africa (Kenya and Tanzania), and Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, and Zambia). However if your interest is to see rare and unique animals and plant species, you’ll definitely want to consider destinations like Madagascar.

If you are interested in cultural and historical sites in Africa, Egypt and Ethiopia are some of the possible destinations. Likewise, for a relaxing beach holiday, you may have to choose from among the Indian Ocean islands like Seychelles, Mauritius, Zanzibar, and Comoros. Sometimes, you may want to have a little bit of everything, in which case you may have to go on a multi-country tour, or pick a destination like Kenya which offers most of these attractions.

2. Research on the possible destinations, then pick one (or a few)
After prioritizing on your main area of interest, you should then compare each possible destination against others. For example, you may want to compare between East Africa or Southern African destinations for a wildlife safari. Botswana is ideal for exclusive safaris, because they deliberately regulate the number of visitors in their game reserves. Read the rest of this entry »

A Kenya Airways boeing plane taking off

Air transport is obviously the most convenient and fastest way to travel to Africa and also within the continent. You therefore need some information about African airlines before you embark on your next safari or beach holiday. I hope you’ll find this post on Africa airlines adequately helpful for your Africa travel plans.

The Top Four National Airlines in Africa
Several African countries have national airlines that operate regional flights within Africa as well as international flights to and from other world destinations. The top among these are South African Airways, Kenya Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, and Egypt Air.

• South Africa Airways (SAA)
SAA is the national carrier of South Africa. The airline’s headquarters and main hub is at the OR Tambo International Airport in Gauteng, near Johannesburg. Besides domestic flights in South Africa, the airline operates regional flights to several cities in Southern, Eastern, Central, and Western Africa. These include Nairobi, Victoria falls, Dar es Salaam, and Mauritius.

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Young African Elephant Bull

Two African countries, Zambia and Tanzania have requested for a “one-off” sale of their ivory stock piles. Their case will be heard this weekend (March 13).

When CITES imposed a ban on ivory trading about 20 years ago, it was because of the rampant poaching that had almost wiped out the African elephant population in many countries. The ban saved the elephant from extinction.

In November 2008, some Southern Africa countries successfully lobbied for a one-off sale similar to the one Tanzania and Zambia want. For obvious reasons, this created a loophole for poachers to “legally” sell their ivory. Since then, cases of elephant poaching have risen in many countries, reversing the gains made when the ban was imposed.

On this issue therefore, I side with the Africa wildlife conservationists in opposing the request by Tanzania and Zambia.

Surprisingly, this week alone, I have received e-mails from several safari operators and adventure camps in Tanzania, requesting me to sign a petition to voice my opposition to the one-off sale. Which raises the question: in whose interests is the Tanzania government acting, if most stakeholders in the Tanzania tourism business are opposed to the sale?

If you agree with my opinion, you can also sign the save the elephant petition here.

More information:

http://www.bloodyivory.org

http://www.kws.go.ke/info/promotions/detail/Road_to_Dhoha.html

Update 1
Thankfully, participants in the CITES meeting in Doha rejected Tanzania’s and Zambia’s proposal. Read details here.

NB: I originally posted the article below in qondio, a content website where people share lots of “intel” on various topics. I post as africantraveler at qondio.

The True Gems in Africa Travel

Maletsunyane falls near Semonkong in of Lesotho

In a previous post on Africa travel, I mentioned some of the most preferred Africa holiday destinations, among them Kenya, South Africa and Egypt. While these countries may be the favorite destinations among many travelers, their attractions are not necessarily superior to those in other less-traveled African countries. In fact, in my opinion, there are some countries that offer a more satisfying African safari experience, often with the added advantage of being less crowded. These include: Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, and Mozambique

Lesotho
This landlocked country is neighbored on all sides by South Africa. One of the things that make Lesotho a unique travel destination is its beautiful mountainous scenery. The entire country lies at over 1000 meters above sea level, and has arguably some of the best hiking trails in Africa. The traditional way of life of the Basotho is, to say the least, very fascinating. The best way to enjoy a holiday in this country is on horse back.
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