Latest Africa Articles

Rwanda Safari Holidays And Best Time To Visit

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 23:34:20 -0500

Rwanda is a beautiful East African country supporting a wide diversity of flora and fauna, including the famed Mountain Gorillas. It offers many other attractions too including hiking, walking and chimp tracking. There are 170 species of mammals, 670 birds and 400 butterflies.

The most visited park is the Parc National des Volcans which is dominated by the Virunga volcanoes, the tallest of which is Karisimbi at 4507m. Landscape and vegetation is similar on both this and the Ugandan side of the mountains with swathes of bamboo forest and woodland. This park is where Dian Fossey worked in her study of Mountain Gorilla behaviour. There are other nature walks in the area as well as the gorilla treks and there are a handful of hotels in the area.

The main airport is Kigali which is quite centrally placed and has a good range of hotels as well. If you have any time here you can take a tour of the genocide museum.

To the south of the country is the Nyungwe Forest National Park which is home to around 1000 chimps and huge troops of Colobus Monkey plus some more unusual mammals such as Giant Forest Hogs. There are masses of tree species and butterflies and orchids here too and many forest trails can be hiked.

To the west is Lake Kivu the Rwanda equivalent of 'the beach'! If you want you can spend a few days here relaxing and mixing with the local fishing communities who live along the shores.

Rwanda - Weather and climate ::

In the heart of Africa, fractionally south of the equator, Rwanda's relatively high altitude provides it with a remarkably pleasant tropical highland climate, albeit also with plenty of rain. Temperatures vary considerably between locations depending on their altitude, but very little from month to month in the same place. In the capital, Kigali, the average daily temperature is about 21°C.

Rwanda's long rainy season lasts from about March to May, when the rain is heavy and persistent. Then from June to mid-September is the long dry season; this is generally the best time to visit if you have the choice.

October to November is a shorter rainy season and it's followed by a short dry season from December to February.

During both of Rwanda's dry seasons, there is often light cloud cover. This helps to moderate the temperatures, but also occasionally brings light rain showers.

Underwater Fun and Diving in Mauritius

Sun, 16 May 2010 12:11:03 -0500

If you love the water, you can go snorkeling or diving and look at interesting sea life. If you just prefer a relaxing time, then you can just stay by your cottage, sit in the shade, and revel in the soft hum of beach waves. The coast of Mauritius is lined by white coral beaches, and the island itself is encompassed by a barrier reef. In some parts, the reefs have formed natural lagoons where you can swim or do some snorkeling in the clear water.

Mauritius, an emerald jewel in the Indian Ocean, attracts large numbers of holidaymakers who flock there for the sun, sea and silvery sands. But increasingly, the hotels in Mauritius are playing host to visitors looking for a different kind of scuba diving.

The warm waters that lap the island's shores are popular with underwater fans of all levels who enjoy year-round diving holidays in Mauritius. A coral reef extends around the entire island creating an enchanting, underwater playground. If you are a beginner, you can explore the shallows close to shore, and most hotels in Mauritius will offer an expert to guide you through your dive. The more adventurous underwater explorer can head out to one of the many wrecks or caves around the island.

The Cathedral is a "must-visit" site on your diving holiday to Mauritius. The dive begins at 18m, then drops very sharply to nearly 30m. Although the bottom is quite sandy and bare, along the cracks and crevices of the chamber you can make the acquaintance of an abundance of marine life characters. You may brush shoulders with Gropers, Wrasse, Sweetlip, Angelfish and Clownfish.

Rempart Serpent or "Snake Reef" is another incredible rocky pocket over 100m long. As its mesmerising blanket of seaweed bends and sways in the slow moving waters, it resembles a slow moving snake sliding across the ocean floor. Strangely barren looking, Rempart Serpent is not only home to the usual brightly coloured tropical fish, but also home to huge numbers of sinister looking stonefish, scorpion fish, lionfish and Moray Eels.

Note that, most hotels in Mauritius will arrange diving excursions to unique sites under the guidance of a knowledgeable marine expert.

Of course, a trip to Mauritius cannot possibly be complete without a visit to the local beaches around the area. You will find the beaches here to be clean and sanitary, and you can actually swim here, not like other beaches whose purpose is not attained. In Mauritius, bathing and swimming is absolutely safe and fun.

Heritage Zambia - Tourism and Culture Overview

Sun, 21 Mar 2010 20:59:44 -0500

Zambia is stunning and tourism is increasing. Despite this many would prefer Zambia to stay exactly as it is - a place that is fascinating, a rich resource of natural habitat and animals that few other people visit.

Zambia is a country located in Central Africa. It is bordered by Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Namibia, Angola, and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Its a landlocked country is famous for the adventures experience coming from wildlife activities and the striking river coasts adding a flavor of romance in the life of people visiting the place. This amazing country shares it's borders with Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Namibia and Angola.. The fascinating capital Lusaka is located in the south-central part of the Zambia.

Best Time To Visit Zambia

Mostly in the dry season or hot weather when animals are more concentrated around rivers, is the best time to visit the place. Thus June to November is perfect period.

Rich Cultural Heritage

With a population of only 10 million people in a country of 753,614 sq km Zambia is large country. It's larger than Texas in the USA and has one of the lowest populations to land ratio in Africa. The high urbanisation has resulted in massive tracts of uninhabited land across the country. But, however, many of the rural inhabitants have retained their indigenous and traditional customs and values.

The government recognizes this and has set up institutions to protect and promote Zambian culture. The National Heritage Conservation Commission is one. Government and private museums and cultural villages promote the expression of artistic talents.

Over 73 dialects are spoken in Zambia but the official language is English and most Zambians speak it fairly well. All media and business is in English. Bemba is the next most commonly spoken language, followed by Nyanja. Other large languages are Tonga, Luvale, Lozi. Being a haven of peaceful Zambia has hosted many refuges from the neighbouring countries in the past and still do today. It's an epitome of unity in diversity.

Traditional Ceremonies

Would you have known it? Zambia has numerous traditional ceremonies. But a word of advice! They generally do not follow the normal calendar. The weather elements and a bit of "sniffing around" or such related matters bring things to bear on the date... if you get the drift...

But seriously, the timing of most traditional ceremonies depend more on natural factors such as rainfall, the season, the position of the moon, the month, etc. If you happen to be around when one of these ceremonies is on don't miss the opportunity. Just ask your tour operators they'll advise you.

There are more than 21 annual traditional ceremonies cerebrated in Zambia. They generally manifest customs, social life, rituals, oral history, material and spiritual culture. They provide a valuable insight to a traditional culture that has been passed down from generation to generation.

CAPITAL: Lusaka

CLIMATE: There are three distinct seasons: Aug-Oct is warm to hot and dry offering the best time for game viewing as water is scarce; Nov-Mar is hot with thundershowers, but excellent bird watching season as migrants come from the north; and Apr-Jul when days are dry and warm and evenings and early mornings are cold - also good for game viewing.

CURRENCY: 1 Kwacha = 100 Ngwee. Foreign exchange is at authorized banks and bureaux de change. American Express is widely used, with more limited use of Access/MasterCard, Diners Club and Visa. US dollar traveller's cheques are recommended.

ELECTRICITY: 220volts, 50Hz. Plugs are 3-pin square.

HEALTH:

You are advised to take pre-arrival precautions against hepatitis A, polio, typhoid, malaria (risk throughout the year in the whole country) and yellow fever. Other health concerns are dysentery, diarrhoeal diseases, cholera (avoid street vendors; filter and boil water), influenza (risk extends throughout year), limited medical facilities and AIDS. The climate aggravates chronic sinusitis. Dust in the dry season, molds in the rainy season and pollens much of the year can affect allergies.

Typically, the WHO (World Health Organization) will certify a doctor whom will be located within the airport terminal (in Zambia). He/she will be issuing a WHO certified Yellow-Fever vaccine and give you a yellow vaccination book that may/may-not be required for additional border crossings within Africa. Your return destination may also request proof of your vaccination.

LANGUAGE:

English is the official language and all media and business is conducted in it. There are over 73 tribal dialects of which the main languages are Bemba, Nyanja, Tonga, Luvale, Lozi, Mambwe and Tumbuka.

PUBLIC HOLIDAYS:

New Years' Day (1 Jan); Youth Day (12 Mar); Good Friday (9Apr); Easter Monday (12 Apr); Labour Day (1 May); Africa Day (25 May); Heroes Day (5 Jul); Unity Day (6 Jul); Farmers' Day (2 Aug); Defence Day (12 Aug); Independence Day (24 Oct); All Saint's Day (1 Nov); Christmas Day (25 Dec)

SHOPPING:

ebony carvings; woven baskets; copper, brass and malachite objets d'art; printed cloth; masks; drums; thumb pianos; xylophones; conical fishtraps; clay pots. Souvenirs may be exported without restriction, but game trophies e.g. tooth, bone, skin, feather, etc. are subject to export permits.

SOCIAL CONVENTIONS:

The majority follow traditional animist beliefs and this is reflected in their social culture and customs. Hand shaking is the common form of greeting.

TIME DIFFERENCE: GMT+2

Safari Kenya - East Africa Beach Holidays

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 01:01:30 -0600

Kenya and other locations in East Africa, like Zanzibar Island truly has some of the worlds best beaches. In Kenya, they have mile upon mile of sunny, tropical sandy beaches, clear warm waters and all year round good weather and blue skies, perfect for a beach holiday.

Kenyan Beaches, South of Mombasa :: In general, the coast south of Mombasa is quieter than the northern beaches; this is partly because to get to the southern Kenyan coast from Mombasa, you will take the Likoni Ferry that crosses the Kilindini harbour. The two double ended ferries alternate across the harbour and carry both people on foot and vehicles. This is usually a pretty colourful experience with plenty of noise of the locals going about their daily business. Popular beaches in the south include Diani, Tiwi and Gazi that go right up to the Pemba area. The accommodation on the southern coast varies from hotels to private beach villas and cottages.

:: Q an A ::

how much a visa costs to enter kenya ?

Visitors to Kenya are required by law to have passports valid for not less than six months. You can obtain your Kenyan visa at any Kenya Embassy near you or on arrival at the airport in Kenya.

Single Journey Visa : US $25.00
Multiple Journey Visa : US $50.00
Transit Visa : US $10.00
Administrative fee for Referred Visas : US $ 5.00
Gratis for Diplomatic,Official,Service and Courtesy Visas.
Persons aged 16 years and below -NO VISA REQUIRED (Therefore DO NOT mail in your Passports).

For Updated info: http://www.kenyahighcommission.net/visas.htm

South Africa Holiday trip

Sun, 24 Jan 2010 02:37:50 -0600

South Africa should be your first choice as far as holiday destinations are concerned. This is so because it has all the ideal destinations from the likes of waterfalls features to the wildlife all in one stop. A South Africa travel normally blends the favorite packages that have seen visitors coming back year after year. This is so because all the available delicacies have been complemented by a special offer package meant to satisfy customer’s needs.

If you love hiking, bird watching rock or even ice climbing, then you have no need to worry because the available Drakensburg Mountain will do you justice. This Mountain forms the boundary between South Africa and the popular Kingdom of Lesotho. While at it, you get to have a drink at one of the highest pub in Africa that is 3000meters above sea level. What a memorable adventure that can only be experienced in South Africa.

Shark viewing is another exciting adventure that can be experienced in the Mossel Bay during the summer periods. Here you’ll get to see the great white sharks at their natural environment doing what they love best, diving and swimming. This area is usually targeted by the tour operators since its rich in white’s food sources that are on demand. You’ll get to learn how the process is carried out by the so called expert tour guides. A South Africa travel will no doubt educate you as far as sharks habitats are concerned.