Hollywood saw an incredible storyline from the country which was once referred to as the ‘Pearl of Africa’ and produced the Oscar winning “Last king of Scotland.”

Uganda has gradually slithered out of the astonishingly dark past characterized by the cannibalistic and oppressive President Idi Amin, several coup d’état’s and the racist expulsion of all Ugandan Indians in the 70’s just to mention a few.

A more benevolent regime under the leadership of Yoweri Museveni is metaphorically speaking a story of the phoenix from the ashes with major socio-economic gains. Part of the success story owes its gratitude to the tourism industry made blissful by the numerous attractions and the fact that Uganda tours are some of the most fascinating adventures in the East African region.

At 4, 800metres, on the border with Congo, The Ruwenzori, or Mountains of the Moon rise to expose their grandeur and that of the inhabitant mountain gorillas at its foothills. The Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in South western Uganda is one of the last refuges of the rare species. Half of the population of the endangered giants resides here and your trip will involve parting with at least $50, 000 for a maximum of 60 minutes with our close relatives. Never mind though, as long as you get to see the gorillas, every second and dime will be worth it. Read the rest of this entry »

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In an exclusive BBC interview on Friday of June 26, 2009, former Tanzania President Ali Hassan Mwinyi recalled Jackson’s visit to Tanzania in 1992 and described his sudden death as a huge loss to the music fraternity world wide.

Mwinyi remembered having a candid chat with the pop icon who had paid him a courtesy call during the 1992 tour, adding that his demise is great loss to the global music fraternity.

Jackson was pronounced dead last Thursday by the Los Angeles coroners’ office with reports suggesting he died from a cardiac arrest. He died at the age of 50 and leaves behind three children. RIP, Michael Jackson.

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Travelling to Kenya is one of the best ways to discover the beauty that is the East African region. The country not only gives you numerous chances to watch natural attractions and wildlife but it also offers you some of the best accommodation.

There are several hotel chains that can provide accommodation all over Kenya. One of these is the Serena Group of Hotels. The flagship, Nairobi Serena Hotel, is ideally located within the city yet is delightfully isolated from the confusion of city life.
The Sarova Stanley is the Nairobi branch of the Sarova Hotels in Kenya. It boasts good service, a good central location and an excellent Thai restaurant. For those guests who might prefer more calm, the Sarova Panafric might be a better choice. It is close enough to the city center to still do business, yet tranquil enough to let you escape from the hustles and bustles of the city. Sarova has other branches within the country.

The Hilton tower in the Nairobi City Center often acts as direction marker for most residents. But this hotel also provides good accommodations to guests coming to Nairobi. Its location is excellent for anybody planning to do business within the city or to experience proper city life. It is within viable distance of the Kenya National Archives and the Nairobi Museums as well as the Nairobi Snake Park.

After sampling the best of city life at any of the best Nairobi hotels, you might want to head down to the coast for a stay at the Serena Beach Hotel & Spa.  Here you can take walks on the beach or go deep sea fishing. You can also take a glass bottomed boat to see the vivid coral gardens. Read the rest of this entry »

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Alexandria is a huge attraction in the northern coast of Egypt and makes for some of Egypt’s best tours.

Known as “The Pearl of the Mediterranean”, Alexandria is the second largest city of ancient Egypt boasting an atmosphere that is more Mediterranean than Middle Eastern.

The city’s  ambiance and cultural heritage distance it from the rest of the country although it is actually about 200km from Cairo.

The city of Alexandria was founded by Alexander the Great in 331 BC and designed by architect Denokrates II in the shape of a chessboard. The modern day Alexandria is synonymous with commerce, cosmopolitanism and bohemian culture.’Gateway to Egypt’ for the Europe and Mediterranean countries, Alexandria is a busy trade port and a centre of tourist activity.

Alexandria has a population of over 3 million people. The city boasts a good number of Egypt’s major tourist attraction. These include ancient monuments, museums, as well as spectacular beaches.The most spectacular of all the beaches of Alexandria is the Abu Kir Suburb - also famous for fishing and specialty seafood restaurants.

Major monuments in Alexandria are Pompeii’s Pillar, a granite pillar with a height of 25 m surrounded by the ruins of the Serapuim and Catacombs of Kom-al-Shoqafa, the largest Roman cemetery dating back to the 2nd century AD. The cemetery is built in three levels representing Pharaonic and Roman art. Alexandria, lined with many charming sandy beaches extending from the east to the west makes for some of the best Egypt tours.

Another great attraction in the city is the world famous Lighthouse of Alexandria. Read the rest of this entry »

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Vacations have great tendencies to be imperfect. Sometimes they don’t go well just because there are things that are missing. Like there isn’t enough money to spend for more places to visit. But sometimes vacations aren’t perfect because of wrong decisions that we make.

Here are a few things a traveler should avoid doing during a vacation.

1.    Not giving enough time to plan

A seasoned traveler will say that one can lose sleep over the many ‘what ifs’ that surround a vacation. There are those that should be given less thought simply because it’s a lot more exciting that way. If one gives enough time to go over every vital detail, he or she would be able to avoid last minute panic.

2.    Making mistakes in booking airline tickets or hotel rooms.

A slight difference in the numbers you agree upon over the phone or a slight error in typing your desired days of stay, for a hotel accommodation can define the failure of a vacation. Always have a recap made after making initial agreements, and make sure to keep all sorts of documentation with you at all times. Read the rest of this entry »

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Tanzania’s Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair, the largest and most ambitious travel industry event in East Africa, will celebrate its 10th Anniversary, June 5-7, 2009.

Originally created to promote Tanzania, Karibu Fair is now a regional event that also features many products and delegates from Kenya, Uganda and Rwanda. Karibu Fair, held annually in Arusha, enables travel agents and tour operators from around the world to browse, select and book safaris in four days or less in a relaxed and scenic atmosphere.

The event is jointly organised by organized by Tanzania Association of Tour Operators, Tanzania Tourist Board together with the Ministry of Natural Resource and Tourism.

“We are proud that with the success of the Karibu Travel and Tourism Fair, Tanzania is playing a major role in developing tourism to the region,” says Mr Shamsa Mwangunga, the Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism for Tanzania. “The Fair also provides Tanzania an opportunity to showcase its world famous safari tours, its rich cultural heritage and the warm hospitality of its people.” Read the rest of this entry »

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The great lakes of East Africa comprise of a series of large water bodies in and around the Great Rift Valley formed by volcanic actions of the East Africa Rift. They include Lake Victoria, Lake Tanganyika and Lake Malawi.

Lake Victoria, wrapped by Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, covers an area of 26,830 square miles and is 250 miles long at its greatest width thus making it the world’s second largest freshwater lake after Lake Superior in North America. Lake Victoria has an average depth of 120 feet, with its deepest point reaching 250 feet.

Lake Victoria is fed by numerous rivers of East Africa, the largest being the Kagera. River Kagera originates in Burundi and is believed to be the remote source of River Nile. Although it is the youngest of the three rift lakes, Lake Victoria drains into the longest river in the world – the Great River Nile. The Nile flows for about 6670 km nourishing the dry regions of the northern Africa before finally draining into the Mediterranean Sea.

Lake Victoria abounds in the Nile perch, a fish species that was introduced to the lake by the lake’s residents in the 1950s. Nile Perch is a dangerous preditor fish that can grow upto 6 feet long and has wiped out half of the 400 Chilid species of fish that inhabit Lake Victoria. Read the rest of this entry »

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Shimoni and Wasini Island are among the best grounds for snorkeling and scuba diving in the South Coast region of Kenya.

Situated 76 km south of Likoma, near the Kenya-Tanzanian border, the village of Shimoni is renowned for the famous Shimoni Caves where well-preserved wooden crates that were used to transport slaves to Arabia among other artifacts can be found.

Shimoni is also the launching point for Wasini Island which is located just a few minutes from the village.

Wasini Island is a small traditional fishing centre located close to Tanzania that has remained unchanged for ages. The island is popular for the Ancient Swahili ruins and the coral gardens; a landscape of exposed coral reefs. Wasini has an Arab settlement dating back to the 18th and 19th Century and it features ruins of ancient architecture. The 6 sq km island has no cars or roads and is generally reached by dhow. The coral island is occupied by the friendly fuba people(an indigenous group of the Niger Congo, Bantu speaking dialect) who speak Swahili and Kifuba. The fuba population is about 1500.

Next to Wasini Island is the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park, the most accessible marine park in Kenya. Kisite is situated about 75 miles south of Mombasa and it has a wide variety of fishes and coral. The weather conditions at Kisite are excellent for diving throughout the year. Snorkeling is also possible off the fringing reef of a large rocky islet and a wonderful sand bar which appears out of the blue ocean at low tide.

The park and reserve are both a haven for marine life, snorkelers and divers alike with the protected areas boasting diverse plants and animals. The bird-life is particularly interesting and includes the rare palm-nut vulture and the more common fish eagle. Those who have been to Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park have confessed that the spot is one of the best Kenya tours and safari destinations. Read the rest of this entry »

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Red Sea in Egypt is a perfect place for scuba diving adventures. This is because the sea, famous for its clear waters and wonderful corals, enjoys all year-round sunshine.

Enclosed to the north by the Gulfs of Suez and Aqaba, and at its southernmost point the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the Red Sea comprises an enormous basin 2350km (˜1400 miles) long by about 350km (˜220 miles) broad at its widest point and hundreds of metres deep.

A Red Sea diving holiday in Egypt is simply unforgettable. Well-established diving centres will gladly provide you with scuba diving information and arrange courses, daily excursions, and live-aboard trips to almost anywhere, from the gigantic coral outcrops of Taba to the vertical walls of Ras Mohammed, from the wrecks of Sha’ab Abu Nuhas to the lonely offshore islands of The Brothers and Zabargad.

Christened Egypt’s “Garden of Allah” due to the wealth of underwater pristine life, Red Sea diving adventures are among the most sought-after Egypt holidays.

At the Egyptian Red Sea, you will find superb visibility (up to 50 metres), abundant and diverse fish life (over 1,000 species), countless varieties of hard and soft coral (over 400 species), and year-round diving in comfortable water temperatures (18° to 26° Celsius).

You will also find incredibly diverse underwater topography, spectacular wall and shipwreck destinations, sunny weather and pleasant air temperatures (18° to 40° Celsius), and easy access to diving locations. Browse through our Red Sea dive sites maps and you will be impressed by the range of diving possibilities.

Read the rest of this entry »

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Today’s post is a little off-topic but bear with me as it relates to travel. It’s got all to do with the Zimbabwean president Robert Gabriel Mugabe.

I couldn’t believe it when I heard that Mugabe’s government had denied visas to three senior international figures who were to visit Zimbabwe on a humanitarian mission last Friday.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former American President Jimmy Carter, and Nelson Mandela’s wife - Graca Machel had scheduled a visit to the southern Africa country but were denied travel visas on arrival in Harare last week.

I’m so disheartened to learn that Mugabe is trying to cover up the humanitarian crisis in his country at the expense of innocent Zimbabweans. Read the rest of this entry »

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Deadly animal battles continue at Cairns, Australia. This time round, a giant spider has resolved to make a meal out of a python as these photos by The Cairns Post can reveal.

View thousands of Africa Safari Photos here

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A giant spider has been snapped devouring a bird in the backyard of a private property at Atherton, west of Cairns in Queensland, Australia.

This amazing image of the mammoth spider feasting on a bird has been circulated via email worldwide and wildlife experts have confirmed that it is real.

Normally giant spiders prey on large insects and it’s very rare to see one eating a bird.
View thousands of Africa Safari Photos here

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