Visa rates to Kenya have been cut in half to make the country more appealing to visitors.

The Minister of Tourism for Kenya, Najib Balala, has announced entry visa rates are to be reduced by 50% and completely cut for children under 16 from April 1 until the end of 2010.

The visa cost for adults has been reduced from US$50 to US$25 while there is no cost for children under 16.  Balala said: “With beautiful beaches and thrilling safaris, Kenya has a lot to offer families.This scheme will help to keep costs down for all when planning a trip to our diverse country and particularly benefit those travelling with children.”

Balala, who has been in office since April 2008, was awarded the title ‘Africa Tourism Minister of the year’ at the Africa Tourism Investors Summit in Maputo, Mozambique for his efforts in leading the tourism recovery programme in Kenya.

The move has been welcome by the industry operators who say the reduction will go along way in promoting Kenya as an affordable travel destination.

In January Kenya made it into this year’s top ten cheapest destination to travel, according to calculations from First Rate Exchange Services (First Rate), the money exchange provider for the Post Office.

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Superb golf courses in combination with an incredible array of wildlife and idyllic beaches make Kenya an excellent golf holiday travel destination.

Golfers especially find Kenya attractive because of the country  offers them a unique opportunity to play their favourite game, view wildlife and to laze on the sandy beaches all during the same holiday.

Kenya boasts 40 golf courses 12 of them being 18-hole. Interestingly 6 of Kenya’s best golf courses are within a 20 mile radius of Nairobi, the capital city of Kenya. These include Muthiaga Golf Club, Karen Golf and Country Club and Windsor Golf Club.The oldest 18 hole course is Royal Nairobi Golf Club founded in 1906.

Other fascinating golf holiday destinations include Mount Kenya Safari Club, Sigona and Leisure Golf Club - the only golf course on Kenya’s south coast on Diani Beach.

Most of Kenya’s golf clubs are private membership clubs and are generally very quiet and especially so during weekdays. A majority of Kenyan golf courses are at an altitude of more that 1500m (5000ft) thus giving golfers additional yardage to their stroke.

It’s worth noting that you are required to play with a caddie. He or she will not only carry your golfbag but will also find your balls in the bush, if need be. The caddie may also help you with the club selection or will show you the putting line.

Regardless of the course you choose to play, golfing adventures in Kenya will always recur in your mind every time you try to recount your Kenya safari adventures.

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I happened to read a complaint letter that was sent to Sir Richard Branson a while a go.

The letter which is currently being emailed globally is considered by many to be the world’s funniest passenger complaint letter as you can find out below:

Dear Mr Branson

REF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years.

This latest incident takes the biscuit. Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hell I was subjected to at the hands of your corporation.

Read the rest of the letter here.

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Laikipia Plateau Reserve is a leading game viewing safari destination in Kenya. Situated in the north-east of Laikipia District of northern Kenya, around 290 km from Nairobi, Laikipia boasts an incredible array of wildlife.

Some of the animals present in Laikipia include elephants (over 3,000), buffaloes, elands, grevy’s zebras (70% of the world’s population), bushbucks, cheetah, elusive leopard and lion.

Laikipia Game Reserve is one of the remaining refuges of the endangered Jackson’s Hartebeest and Kenyan Black Rhino (half of Kenya’s total population) and it hosts the largest population elephants outside the national parks of Kenya. Wildlife population densities in the Laikipia region now rank second to the internationally acclaimed Maasai Mara ecosystem, while the diversity of large mammals is higher than in any other part of Kenya.

Laikipia is indeed scenic with an escarpment giving way to dramatic wooded gorges and tangled riverine thickets. This breathtaking landscape indeed inspired Kuki Gallman to write the famous book entitled ‘I Dreamed of Africa’ that recounts her life in Laikipia.

Unfortunately, Laikipia has remained unknown to many Kenya luxury safari enthusists despite being a great wild safari destination in Kenya.  This is because all the accommodation is on private land where you are treated more like a house guest than a tourist. Read the rest of this entry »

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Egyptian archaeologists have discovered a 4,300-year-old pyramid in Saqqara, the sprawling necropolis and burial site of the rulers of ancient Memphis.

The pyramid is said to belong to Queen Sesheshet, the mother of King Teti, first king and founder of the 6th Dynasty of Egypt’s Old Kingdom.

The five metres high pyramid, believed to have been 14 metres, has a square base - with each side having a length of 22 metres. According to the archaeologists, the sides of the unique and well preserved pyramid slopes at an angle of 51 degrees.

There seems to be no end to all the treasures coming out of the Egyptian sands. There’s a lot more buried under the ground. Currently, archaeologists are working on four major excavation missions- between Giza, Saqqara and Luxor’s Valley of the Kings.

PHOTO/Mohamed Megahed

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American tennis superstar Serena Williams is in Kenya for a three-day charity tour as a global ambassador for Hewlett Packard (HP),a leading computer manufacturer.

Serena, who is accompanied by her mother,Oracene Williams, will open a secondary school in eastern Kenya named after her.

The superstar’s foundation, which concentrates mainly on education projects for the poor, has set up another school in Senegal.

Serena was on a similar trip in Johannesburg, South Africa, working with the Starfishgreatheart Charity for orphans infected with HIV Aids. PHOTO/The Standard

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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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The city of Cairns, Queensland, Australia is becoming a battleground for some of the world’s deadliest animals.

The locals are witnessing fascinating battles such as snakes eating antelopes or spiders eating birds.

Recently, a hungry snake, estimated to be about 4m long, ambushed a hapless wallaby in at the James Cook University grounds.

The amethystine python tried to swallow a whole wallaby in the car park, enthralling students and staff, but before it completed its meal it found it had bitten off more than it could chew and gave up. Read the rest of this entry »

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Delta Air Lines swallowed rival Northwest Airlines Inc on Wednesday in a $2.6 billion merger that created the world’s biggest airline and prompted new speculation about further industry consolidation.

The all-stock transaction, the first domestic airline combination in three years, closed after clearing its biggest and last regulatory hurdle earlier in the day — U.S. Justice Department antitrust review.

Justice officials cited the likelihood of “substantial and credible efficiencies” without harming consumers or competition.

Government approval was expected. Industry vigorously made the case to regulators earlier this year, when airline finances were rockier than they are now, that consolidation was an important tool for remaining viable with fuel prices high and the economy worsening.

“The airline industry faces a very difficult economic environment around the world and this merger gives Delta increased flexibility to adapt to the economic challenges ahead,” said Richard Anderson, the Delta chief executive who will head the combined entity.

The new, larger Delta will be an international powerhouse with unparalleled scheduling and pricing strength with service to 375 cities worldwide, experts said. The company estimates a combined $2 billion in cost savings and revenue enhancements annually. Read full story here.

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The other day I saw an interesting cartoon in the local daily newspaper of Queen Elizabeth shaking hands with an Aids victim for the first time in Uganda. What was interesting was the cartoon putting emphasis on her hands where she wore black gloves as she shook the person’s hand. I think the subtle message that was being passed in the cartoon was that she did not want to “contaminate” her hands.

The gloves might have been fashion accessories to complement her outfit but for some people they might have interpreted it differently. Queen Elizabeth was in Uganda to attend the Commonwealth heads of Government meeting. You can read the news item of her visit in Uganda here

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According to a report I’ve just read from the BBC website released by conservation groups, nearly one third of the primates existing worldwide might face extinction due to destruction of their habitats.

The report, compiled by a team of 60 experts and presented at at the International Primatological Society (IPS) on the Chinese island of Hainan, reveals that Apes, Monkeys and primates are being pushed from their natural habitats or killed for food and medicines.

Read more on the world primates report here on the BBC site. This report made me reflect on our mountain gorillas in Africa commonly found in Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The animals are classified as being critically endangered species and they get killed as a result of poaching, habitat loss and diseases.

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I was watching the news yesterday evening (11th Oct) and their was one item that caught my attention. The reporter said that it was feared that over 15,000 wildebeest died as they tried to cross the crocodile infested Mara river during the annual migration. I did some research on the the internet and National Geographic and Time also claim over 10,000 of the animals died.

To verify this I called Kenya Wildlife Service, http://www.kws.org and i had an interesting chat on cellphone with the PR guy handling this matter and he said the figures being reported were over inflated. He said the actual figures on the ground were about 3,000 drownings. He further added that every year they lose about 2,000 animals but this year it rose to 3,000.

He said the probable cause was due to heavy rainfalls experienced over the country which caused the river to be swollen which resulted in the increased number of deaths in the river.

3,000 and 10,000..that a huge difference if you ask me

The annual Great Wildebeest Migration was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in November 2006 by a panel of experts in America

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