KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 4th Boeing 777-300ER named Amboseli National Park jetted into Kenya on Friday evening on its maiden commercial flight.

The  425-seater aircraft is the latest addition to  KLM fleet and it signals a double ‘first’ being the first aircraft to leave the Boeing plant using environmentally friendlier paint and the first to be named after a national park in Africa.

The Amboseli National Park aircraft is painted silver with dark blue accents of the SkyTeam Alliance – a deviation from the well-known KLM blue. The naming is aimed to educate people that responsible flying and enjoying the beauty of our planet can be combined.

According to the airline the PH-BVA has been named after Kenya’s “Amboseli National Park,” in honour of the parks biodiversity conservation efforts. Amboseli National Park which was branded “Kilimanjaro’s Royal Court” is a jewel in the crown of Kenya’s world-famous national parks. The 390-km sq park has fantastic views of Kilimanjaro and is surrounded by six communally owned ranches. It lies 250 km south of Nairobi in Loitokitok District and is one of the most popular Kenya safari destinations.

KLM is the only airline in the world that names aircrafts with none-coded names and have been using national parks since March 2008.

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Zambia is considered to possess the largest water resources in the whole of Southern Africa.

This is because the country has a wide assortment of rivers both big and small, all across the country. From these rivers hail not less than twenty awe inspiring waterfalls that make Zambia’s landscape look like illustrations of the Garden of Eden.

The thunderous roar of the steady flowing waterfalls as water goes over their rocky edged cliffs is one of the most powerful sounds of nature. Various hotels offer tours, picnics and brunches at various waterfall sites. If your Zambia hotel does not have this, you can pack up a basket and have your own perfect little picnic.

Except for stubborn little monkeys and baboons, the sites of the falls are fairly safe as long as you keep off the waterfall edges.

The most remarkable of these falls is the glorious Victoria Falls Zambia which falls on the Southern Province. The Victoria Falls hails from the Zambezi River and is classified as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. It covers a spectacular 1600m over a 100m high drop. The falls provide five vantage points; the devils cataract, horse shoe falls, rainbow falls, the main falls and the Eastern falls.

Each of these viewing points is an experience all on its own. If you happen to view the falls at sunset, then you will have no doubt that you are in the presence of a world wonder; sunset at the Victoria Falls has often been described as the most beautiful sight in the world.

Another beautiful cascade also falling on the Zambezi is the Ngonye falls. The falls is a wide spread of water falling 12m down below. Though Ngonye falls are not so high, the magnitude of falling water is close to that of the Victoria Falls. Ngonye falls are placed on the Western Province of Zambia and provide a wonderful picnic site.

Equally beautiful is the 20m high Nyambwezi Falls  situated in the Western Province on the Nyambwezi River. The falls provide a most unique camping site which is located under a natural rock shelter. The shelter contains pre-historic wall engravings and rock paintings among other evidence of late stone-age human existence in the area.

All the other popular waterfalls are located in the Northern Province of Zambia and make for interesting Zambia tours and safari. The most spectacular waterfall in this province is the Kalambo Falls which at 221m high is the second highest waterfall in Africa. The Kalambo falls are located on the Kalambo River which forms the border between Zambia and Tanzania. The falls are also home to the rare marabou stork as well as an array of many other creatures.  Read the rest of this entry »

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Surrounded by Eritrea and Djibouti to the North, Sudan to the West and Northwest, Somalia to the East and Southeast and Kenya to the South, Ethiopia is one of the most attractive countries in Africa.

The Simien National Park is one of the many popular and important sites boasted by Ethiopia. The park covers an overall area of approximately 14,000 hectares and is located on the vast Amhara plateau in the Western Simien highlands of Northern Ethiopia. The Simien National Park is a World Heritage Site and was made so in 1978. However, in 1996, the park was added to the list of delicate World Heritage Sites in danger as a result of continued encroachment of the land by humans.

Activities like cultivation, mining, woodcutting, hunting and construction of permanent as well as semi-permanent structures are threatening to completely deplete the resources within the park. Currently, there are a little over 30,000 people residing in villages within the park and they all rely on the park’s resources in one way or another. Therefore, 60 per cent of the total area of the park is under pressure from human settlement.

The Simien National Park receives over 2,000 foreign and even more domestic visitors per year. This rather impressive number goes to show that the park has a lot to offer despite its battle to survive depletion. The most attractive feature at the park is the landscape itself. According to various travel journals and documented testimonies of global travelers who have been on a Ethiopia tour, the landscape of the Simien National Park is one of the most thrilling in the world. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Ngorongoro conservation area was initially a part of the greater known Serengeti before the British set it apart in 1951.

The Ngorongoro conservation area, which  became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979, is located towards the north of Tanzania and covers an expansive area of over 7,000 square miles.

The park joins up with the Serengeti to the north-west and it is through here that wildebeest horde through during their world famous migration from the Masai Mara to Serengeti, then to Ngorongoro.

The Ngorongoro area has been the site of on-going experiments on multiple land use. This involves having human inhabitation among the presence of wildlife. The human inhabitants of the Ngorongoro are mainly the Masai. The use of land for these activities is highly controlled to maintain a strong balance of the land for the sake of the eco-system.

The Maasai are allowed to hunt most of the smaller animals like hare, dikdik and gazelles but this activity is also controlled. They are however not allowed to hunt for sport, and the hunting of bigger animals such as elephants, lions, rhino and buffalo among others is strictly forbidden .

The Ngorongoro is named after the long gone mountain which is said to have existed close to two million years ago. The mountain is said to have been 19,000 meters in height and among the tallest in the world. This mountain was an active volcano and at one time, an eruption caused it to cave in and form a 612 meter deep crater.

The Ngorongoro crater covers an area of 264 square kilometers and is easily the most stunning spectacle of the entire Ngorongoro conservation area. The two most eye-catching view points of the crater are from up above where you can see the floor of the crater, and from down below where you can look up at the unbroken, steep, and towering walls of the crater. The crater is doubtlessly one of the most popular Tanzania safari feature drawing over 360,000 annually. Read the rest of this entry »

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Table Mountain is one of the most well-known mountains in Africa, offering a magnificent backdrop to the city of Cape Town in South Africa.

Renowned for the sheet of clouds that pours incessantly down its slopes, the mountain provides mountain climbers a wide range of routes.

Table Mountain adventures depend on your preference; you choose whether you want to reach the peak and enjoy spectacular views of Cape Town or simply move around the cool shade of indigenous forest. But no matter your choice, you will never be disappointed.

Hiking on Table Mountain is a preferred activity among locals and tourists and several trails of varying difficulty are available. Steep cliffs around the summit limit the number of direct ascents from the city side. There is a prominent gorge up the centre of the main table known as Platteklip Gorge, which offers straight forward ascent to the summit. This usually takes between 1-3 hours depending on one’s fitness level.

Longer routes to the summit go through the Back Table, a lower area of Table Mountain placed to the south of the main plateau. From the Southern Suburbs side, the Skeleton Gorge and Nursery Ravine routes begin at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden.

The route via Skeleton Gorge to Maclears Beacon is referred to as Smuts Track in honour of the late Jan Smuts, who was a keen hiker. The Bridle Path, also known as Jeep Track, makes a less steeper ascent from Constantia Nek along the road used to service the dams on Back Table. Kasteelspoort, a gorge overlooking Camps Bay, is the most popular ascent on the Atlantic side.

Rock climbing on Table Mountain is also a popular activity for most people who undertake Cape Town tours. There are well-documented climbing routes of varying degrees of difficulty up the many faces of the mountain. The main climbs are placed on cliffs below the upper cable station. No bolting can be done here and only traditional climbing is allowed. Commercial groups also offer abseiling from the upper cable station. Read the rest of this entry »

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The western region of Kenya lacks those tourist attractions that are thought to be quintessentially Kenyan.

Here, you will find no roaming lions; there will be no charming vistas of motor vehicles giving the right of way to tall giraffes or magnificent elephants. But despite this, the land beyond the rift is perhaps Kenya’s best kept secret.

A number of ecosystems come together to create this magical region of Kenya. Gentle lolling hills blanketed by tea plantations; sedate lakes that support rare populations of birdlife and fish; grasslands that are only broken by pockets of densely forested woodlands and dank swamps; little agricultural towns, each unique and different from the last.

This is a portrait of Western Kenya, an image of rich culture and fertile lands, and best of all, it has not been trampled upon or been cheapened by millions of tourist vans and feet. The region is becoming popular Kenya safari destination, especially due to its association with US President Barack Obama whose father was born in Kogelo, Kisumu.

Kisumu is a city that has been described as languid, sultry, easy-going and friendly. Sitting on the edge of Lake Victoria, this city is the third largest in Kenya and is the hub of the west. Kisumu was a colonial port that connected Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. It remained in relative isolation from the rest of the country until the railway line was finished in 1903. But this was not the first attempt to connect Kisumu with the outside world. Read the rest of this entry »

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The Selous Game Reserve, in the remote south-east Tanzania is the largest protected wildlife reserve in Africa and covers 5 per cent  of Tanzania’s total area.

It is no wonder that statistics of mammals habituating here are more than 100 000 buffalo, 40 000 hippos, 150 000 wildebeest, 5 000 zebra and 50 000 impala.

There are lots and lots of the ever-towering giraffes hovering above the Selous grounds, that’s why some people call Selous the ‘Giraffic Park.’ The sheer size and numbers of game to see in Selous is phenomenal enough to make you pack your vacation bags and head there. The diversity of the park saw it earning the honor of being considered a World Heritage Site in 1988.

If adventure be your middle name, Selous will be your first choice of vacation because the restrictions here are close to zero. Due to the fact that it is a Game Reserve as opposed to a national Park, you can engage in tracking lions by foot, rowing a kayak over some fat hippos, driving under the giraffes or flying above their heads.

Roaming elephant populations, the reserve’s famous wild dogs and some of the remaining Black rhinos share in its rivers, hills and plains. The scenery is simply enchanting, and a wonderful Tanzania wildlife safari destination. Read the rest of this entry »

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The city of Alexandria, christened “The Pearl of the Mediterranean” is the second largest city of ancient Egypt and an important tourist resort. Located some 200km from Cairo, Alexandria boasts a good share of Egypt’s major tourist attractions.

Alexandria, a city with a population of more than 3 million people, was founded by the renowned  Alexander the Great in 331 BC and designed by architect Denokrates II in the shape of a chessboard.

Alexandria became the capital of Graeco-Roman Egypt, its status as a beacon of culture symbolised by Pharos, the legendary lighthouse that was one of the Seven Wonders of the World The setting for the stormy relationship between Cleopatra and Mark Antony, Alexandria was also the centre of learning in the ancient world. However ancient Alexandria declined, and when Napoleon landed, he found a sparsely populated fishing village.

From the 19th century Alexandria took a new role, as a focus for Egypt’s commercial and maritime expansion. This Alexandria has been immortalised by writers such as E-M- Forster and Cavafy. Generations of immigrants from Greece, Italy and the Levant settled here and made the city synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture. Read the rest of this entry »

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Lusaka has been accorded several names its enthusiasts. ”The real Africa” and the “Sleeping giant” are some that come to mind as rapidly as the Victoria Falls-considered a wonder of the World.

The ‘Real Africa’ due to some of Africa’s purest game parks and ‘sleeping giant’ for its mineral stock, untapped energy sources such as the mighty Zambezi River and vast expanses of arable soil underutilized.

Zambia’s capital city is one of the highest points at an altitude of 1, 300m above sea level and it lies at the junction of the main highways to the north, east, south and west covering about 70km square. There are air links to most of the major tourist destinations in Zambia from Lusaka International Airport which also acts as landing for most international flights 25km from the centre.
Zambia airways flies to and fro Jo’ burg and has scheduled flights to Mfuwe, Chipata, the Copperbelt and Livingstone. The domestic railway goes to Livingstone, Kapiri Mposhi and the Copperbelt while the Tanzania Zambia Railway - Tazara - comes down as far as Kapiri Mposhi, where the Zambia Railways train links it to Lusaka. Buses arrive from Harare, Lilongwe, Johannesburg, Livingstone and the Copperbelt. Check out Lusaka flights here.

Local buses are generally available for those with a character of steel to guard against petty theft scenarios, and the discomforting pushing and shoving that comes with it. There are several local car rental services to counter that, and even though they are expensive, they might save you more in comparison to the theft. Read the rest of this entry »

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Located in the Western Cape Province of South Africa, Robben Island was used as a prison, a hospital for socially unacceptable groups, and a military base between the 17th and 20th centuries.

In the 20th century the maximum security prison facilities of Robben Island held for over twenty years within their walls Nelson Mandela and some of his comrades who were most vocal in the fight against apartheid.

Though the original intention was to detain and quiet anti-apartheid political activists here, the results were the total opposite. Robben Island turned out to be the central and pivotal point that propelled the struggle for democracy and representation onto the international stage.

Today this island is a reminder of the refreshing power of forgiveness. For many, it is a destination of political pilgrimage. Robben Island is, according to UNESCO, a witness to the triumph of democracy and freedom from oppression and racism. The institution has, since 1999, enlisted the entire 6 square kilometers of the island as a world heritage site. Read the rest of this entry »

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Although landlocked, Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries in Africa bordering Kenya, DRC, Sudan, Rwanda and Tanzania.

Said to be the safest country in the region, it provides a more or less serene environment for traversing form one part of the country to the other.

More or less because some parts are still ridden with traces of rebel activity, especially at the borders therefore calling for careful decision-making when planning your routes.

The main entry point to Uganda is Entebbe International Airport 35km southwest of Kampala, the capital city. Regular flights are available from London via Alliance Air and British Airways. Alliance Air operates flights to Entebbe from Heathrow on Monday and Friday, with returning flights on Thursday and Sunday. British Airways flies three times a week: Tuesday, Thursday, and Sunday. Other airlines flying to Entebbe are Sabena which flies from London via Brussels.

Air France also has regular flight into Uganda. Alliance and Ethiopian Airlines both connect with the main cities of East and Central Africa. However, it’s important to note that most flights to East Africa from Europe and North America use the Kenyan capital of Nairobi as a gateway so few travelers enter Uganda directly by air. Many travel form Nairobi to Uganda by bus. There are flights to Entebbe from Kenya, Rwanda South Africa and Tanzania.

A tech savvy search for travel deals and discounts is necessary when planning your trip to Uganda and one of the tricks is to check out bootsnall.com for consolidated airfare prices. Other than this there are few ways around getting to Uganda cost-effectively. Flying into Nairobi and catching a connecting flight on one of Africa’s budget carriers is one of the ways to do this. Read the rest of this entry »

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The most recommended way of getting around Ethiopia is by air. The best airline for domestic flights is Ethiopian airlines; offering good discounts flights to Ethiopia.

There domestic flight schedule cover all destinations on the historical route and what’s more you can fly in between these destination without having to go back to Addis Ababa for connections. The destinations covered include; Axum, Bahr Dar, Gondar, Lalibela, Arba Minch, Gambela, Dire Dawa, Jijiga, Mekele and Debre Markos. Check Addis Ababa flights.

Alternatively you could tour Ethiopia by road. The roads in Ethiopia are not that great generally so road trips are usually bumpy and long. Combining your road trips with a few domestic flights  really makes a difference especially if you have less than two weeks to tour, otherwise a good chunk of this time will be spent on the road.

There are two categories of bus companies in Ethiopia; the government bus service and the private bus services. With the government bus services you get to book your seat before the intended day of travel. The only drawback with them is that they leave a little later than the stipulated time of departure. The private bus services don’t give the option of reserving a seat. Seats are awarded on a first come first serve basis. The private buses have no set time for departure they just take off when they are full.

It is important to note that standing in the aisles of long distance buses is highly illegal although the tout will be telling you its not. This makes the whole bus ride experience relatively civilized. The buses also don’t operate at night. Read the rest of this entry »

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