Is It Safe to Travel to Kenya – A View From Within

Map of Kenya

This post is prompted by the latest Kenya travel advisory issued by the UK and France governments.

A Brief Background to these latest travel warnings
Early last month (September 11, 2011), an armed gang raided an exclusive tourist resort in Lamu, killed a British tourist, and abducted his wife. See the full story in the Daily Nation.

Three weeks later, in October 1, 2011, another gang kidnapped a 66 year old French woman from her private home in Manda Island in Lamu. You can see this story too in both the Standard and the Daily Nation.

The minister for tourism, Najib Balala, has since then assured Kenya tourism stakeholders that the government has put measures in place to ensure such incidents do to occur again. Too late perhaps, coz the harm has already been done.

Under such circumstances therefore, the travel warnings about Kenya are somehow justified. And to be fair, the advisories only advise against traveling to Lamu and the region near the Kenya-Somali border. But I know safety is an important consideration for many people planning to come to Kenya, whether on a safari holiday or a business trip. So, is it safe to travel to Kenya? Continue reading →

Gorilla Trekking and Much More – 5 Reasons You Should Travel to Uganda

In the Africa tourism and travel industry, Uganda is not often considered among the top holiday destinations. The country is overshadowed by its more famous East African neighbours, Kenya and Tanzania, as well as South Africa, Zambia, Botswana and Namibia in the South. However, travel enthusiasts with better information know that a safari in Uganda is an experience incomparable to any you can have in other African countries.

If you have never considered traveling to Uganda before, read this post to discover why you should. Henry Morton Stanley and Sir Winston Churchill were not crazy to refer to Uganda as the pearl of Africa.

1. Gorilla trekking and other primates safaris

A mountain gorilla in Uganda. Image Source: Fiver Löcker at Wikimedia commons

Have you ever watched the 1998 movie Mighty Joe Young? Or the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Did you find them interesting? Of course, being movies, they have several exaggerations, but they well capture our (human’s) fascination with chimpanzees, gorillas, and other apes, considered our close relatives. What better way could there possibly be to satisfy this fascination, than tracking these primates in their natural habitat.

Gorilla trekking is without doubt the number one tourist attraction in Uganda. The country is home to one of the world’s largest population of mountain gorillas, the biggest of all apes. Every year, thousands of visitors travel to Uganda just to observe these mighty apes in their true home in the wild. The Bwindi Impenetrable National Park is the most popular gorilla trekking destination in Uganda. Generally though, gorillas are also found in the Virunga mountains forest region, which transverses the Uganda, Rwanda, and Democratic Republic of Congo borders. Continue reading →

10 of the Most Beautiful Places in Marrakech – Part 2

Marrakech is a stunning destination, rich in history and culture. Its architecture is second to none in terms of charm and heritage, and the people are warm and dedicated to maintaining the cities integrity and traditional ways. This makes it one of the most interesting and invigorating places to go in the world.

This is the second part of a run-down of ten of the most attractive places in Marrakech. They’re in no particular order, so don’t forget to check out part one!

6. Djemma el Fna (Jemaa el Fna)

A place of both beautiful sights and sounds, any respectable Marrakech tours have to include a stop here. At night, it is populated by musicians, dancers and story tellers; by day, you can expect to see snake charmers and people with monkeys. Continue reading →

5 Great Reasons Why You Must Travel To Southern Sudan

You must have seen it the news already. On July 9 2011, Southern Sudan became the newest nation in Africa and in the world. (See details in BBC, CNN, and Daily Nation). For the people of Southern Sudan, congratulations, it has been a long walk to freedom.

For travel enthusiasts, you may be happy to know that Southern Sudan provides you an incredibly rich experience, one that rivals or even surpasses other more established African destinations like Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Botswana, etc. This is despite the country’s prolonged civil war with its northern neighbor in the recent past. To this, add the fact that country is virtually a virgin destination, and you get a perfect reason for traveling to Southern Sudan now.

Here are 5 good reasons you should start planning your trip to Southern Sudan today. Continue reading →

Tips for Planning a Wildlife-friendly and Environment-Friendly African Safari

The summer holiday season is almost here. As usual, thousands of people will travel to Africa for a safari vacation, during which they hope to see elephants, lions, the big cats and other African animals in their natural habitats. Sadly however, this influx of tourists may also have a negative impact on the welfare of the wild animals.

To help you plan a sustainable and animal-friendly safari, the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has compiled the following travel tips for you:

Conduct a background check of the travel company before booking your trip: Some tour operators cater for very specific interests like hunting safaris or photographic safaris. Whatever your interests, ensure that the company uses professional and well-trained naturalists/tour guides, who are conversant with local rules, regulations, and acceptable practices. There are many operators that employ inexperienced persons as tour guides. Such individuals do not have adequate knowledge to make your safari trip enjoyable and at the same time animal-friendly. Continue reading →

10 of the Most Beautiful Places in Marrakech – Part 1

Like many North African cities, the Moroccan city of Marrakech is steeped in history, comprising as it is of an ancient fortified city and a modern adjacent city. This comfortable combination of ancient traditionalism and modern developments means that tourists will be in their element when seeking some of the city’s most sumptuous eye candy.

Here, I draw upon my own experience of holidays in Marrakech in this two part series dedicated to some of the most visually gorgeous Marrakech attractions to see during Marrakech holidays. In no particular order, here are ten Marrakech must-see’s.

1. El Bahia Palace

Apparently, the name of this palace, built between 1894 and 1900, translates to ‘palace of the beautiful’ – and it certainly lives up to its name. Sadly, you won’t find Monica Bellucci here, at one of the premier Marrakech landmarks, but you will see plenty of water features, stucco panels, tiled floors, smooth arches, an eight-hectare garden surrounding the palace, plus a lot more. Just be sure to employ a guide, so that you don’t get lost. Continue reading →

Africa Travel Information Blog

Information on African Safaris, Tourism and Travel