ndege JUNE - AUGUST 2022
NEWS
AIRKENYA, AEROLINK UGANDA & REGIONAL AIR INFLIGHT MAGAZINE
Luxurious Resorts to experience in Zanzibar
Why you need to visit Uganda
Nanyuki
The Safari Paradise
Going on an African Safari?
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Conservation is Key in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
HELP KEEP KENYA’S WILDLIFE SAFE Protect threatened species with Born Free today Kenya is our charity’s heartland, where the Born Free story began: “Making the film Born Free in Kenya in 1966 had a tremendous impact. My husband Bill and I learned to love lions and love Africa. Guided by George and Joy Adamson we began to understand every animal in individual and that wild animals belong in the wild. The true story of Elsa’s journey to freedom inspires everything we do as charity.” Virginia McKenna OBE Born Free’s Co-Founder & star of the classic film Born Free with her husband Bill Travers MBE
Adoption is the perfect gift for animal lovers and supports vital conservation. Includes fun and educational gift pack (digital also available), regular updates and optional free cuddly toy.
JUST £3 PER MONTH
Elsa’s Pride
Giraffe Family
Rhino Family
Elephant Family
One of Meru’s oldest lion families, named after the star of Born Free.
Meru is a vital stronghold for around 1,400 rare, reticulated giraffes.
Meru is home to over 100 black and white rhinos, protected by rangers.
Amboseli’s large EB family, stars of BBC TV’s Echo of the Elephants.
Visit bornfree.org.uk/kenya to donate and adopt Registered Charity No: 1070906
Photos © georgelogan.co.uk, M Slough, ATE
Today our Born Free Kenya team works with local communities to protect wild species and YOU can get involved!
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Advertising Peter Ondabu Cell: 0722 770367 ondabupeter@gmail.com
REGULAR 05
Publisher The Business Platform Ltd P O Box 103364-00101, Nairobi. Tel: 254 -741 070001 Email: businessplatformkenya@gmail.com
Welcome Note
Design and Layout Digital Colour Business Ltd. info@digitalcolourbiz.com
06 - 14 News Updates
TRIBUTE 16 Conservationist Richard Leakey Leaves Rich Legacy in Kenya
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ADVERTORIAL 18 You can become part of the Born Free Family
20 Luxurious Resorts to Experience in Zanzibar
30 Why You Need to Visit Uganda
Wilson Airport P.O. Box 30357 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Reservations Tel: (254-20) 391 6000 Email: resvns@airkenya.com
FEATURES 26 Going on an African Safari? Conservation is Key in Kenya’s Maasai Mara
NDEGE which means aeroplane in Kiswahili is a quarterly Magazine publication of AIRKENYA Express Limited
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The magazine focuses on tourism, hospitality, travel, leisure, conservation and aviation related news in the East African region and beyond. The views expressed in NDEGE NEWS Magazine do not necessarily reflect those of either AIRKENYA EXPRESS, REGIONAL AIR SERVICES and / or AEROLINK UGANDA. © 2022 All rights reserved. No part of this magazine may be reproduced by any means without permission from the Publisher.
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WELCOME NOTE
Welcome on board Dear Reader, It is with great pleasure that I warmly welcome you to the true home of the African safari! East Africa is truly a wild realm of extraordinary wildlife landscapes and culture. We say welcome - Karibu! We are already in the middle of the year, and you cannot help but wonder how quickly time goes by! For our group of airlines, AirKenya, Regional Air Services and Aerolink Uganda, it is indeed an exciting time as we look forward to the greatest show on earth – the Wildebeest Migration! This is one of the phenomenal natural spectacles in the world - an annual movement by the vast number of Wildebeest, accompanied by Zebras, Grant’s gazelle, Thompson’s gazelle, Elands and Impalas across the greater Maasai Mara - Serengeti ecosystem, and is arguably the highlight of the East African safari. To draw near to such magnificence is to experience something so profound that lives forever in your memory. Our Group of airlines makes it possible for you to follow the great untamed migration from the Maasai Mara to the depths of the Serengeti on the same day through our Migori – Tarime service. The 45-minute flight leaves Maasai Mara at 0815 hrs to touch down at the Migori airstrip at 0900 hrs local time. The guests are thereafter transferred in an airconditioned bus to Tarime airstrip in Tanzania with a brief stop at the local immigration office for clearance. The onward flight leaves Tarime airstrip at 1100 hrs to arrive in Serengeti National Park at 1210 hrs.
We opened our recently remodeled exclusive departure lounge at the Wilson Airport in March this year to enhance our range of value-added services to our customers. We know that a lounge is an important part of the flying experience; you can now enjoy a small oasis before you embark on your long-awaited safari. You will be able to access free Wi-fi, and power outlets in case you need to recharge your electronic devices as you enjoy Kenya’s best freshly brewed coffee or any other beverage that excites your taste buds. What is so amazing about our modern lounge is its minimalistic safari theme, captured by beautiful eco-friendly nautical rope partitions. Inside the natural-lit lounge, you will find our friendly staff in their newly upgraded uniform, ready to serve you as always. We are all about the “safari” vibe - our new lounge and uniform resonate with this theme perfectly. You will probably want to take home a souvenir that reminds you of your adventures on this beautiful continent. There is a boutique within
the lounge fully stocked with travel essentials, unique holiday gifts and safari memorabilia. Thank you for flying with us today and taking the time to read Ndege News. Please feel free to take a complimentary copy with you or, even better, scan and download it onto your phone with the QR code found on Page 4. We are honored to be part of your safari experience and truly hope that you remember us when you visit this beautiful region again. Joan Githinji HR/Admin Assistant Airkenya
Our Group of airlines makes it possible for you to follow the great untamed migration from the Maasai Mara to the depths of the Serengeti on the same day through our Migori – Tarime service.
NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | 5
NEWS UPDATES
Air traffic recovery off to a strong start The war in Ukraine did not affect air traffic demand, with passenger numbers increasing for February 2022, according to the International Transport Association (IATA). Although Russia’s invasion of Ukraine did not affect passenger demand, ticket prices could rise with the increasing cost of jet fuel according to Iata DirectorGeneral Willie Walsh. Fuel tends to be the biggest single cost for the aviation industry. Walsh said: ‘It’s inevitable that these high oil prices will be reflected in higher fares, and I’ve heard a number of CEOs indicate that in recent weeks.’ Total air traffic in February 2022, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, rose 115.9% when compared to February 2021. In January 2022, traffic was 83.1% up on January 2021, IATA said.
Global tourism makes strong start in 2022 International tourism continued its recovery in 2022, with a much better performance compared with the comparatively weaker start to 2021. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has added pressure to existing economic uncertainties, coupled with many COVID-related travel restrictions still in place. Overall confidence could be affected and hamper the recovery of tourism, warns the UN World Tourism Organization. Based on the latest available data, global international tourist arrivals more than doubled (up by 130%) in January compared with the same month in 2021. The 18 million extra travellers recorded worldwide in the first month of this year is the same number as the total increase for the whole of 2021. While these figures confirm the positive trend already under way last year, the pace of recovery in January was affected by the emergence of the Omicron variant and the re-introduction of travel restrictions in several destinations. Following the 71% decline of 2021, international arrivals in January 2022 remained 67% below pre-pandemic levels.
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NEWS UPDATES
Maasai Mara Safety Policy Tourists visiting the Maasai Mara have been urged to strictly observe the park’s safety policy. This is against the backdrop of many cases of visitors flouting park regulations hence endangering their own lives. In the recent past, Maasai Mara National Reserve has suspended a tented camp and its client for flouting park regulations by allowing a close interaction with a leopard. The move came after 'Big cats of Maasai Mara' posted a video of a tourist playing with a leopard cub in a vehicle with a client filming the interaction in close proximity. In the video shared widely on social media, the cub is seen clawing on the tourist's shoes, which Maasai Mara Chief Park Administrator Christine Koshal noted placed the tourists, the driver and the guide in danger.She said the cub's mother was nearby. She said the incident was against the park’s rules as well as wildlife conservation ethics. The tour company involved in this incident was banned from operationg in the game reserve.But it is not the first
time the park’s management has banned tour companies for allowing their clients to breach the rules. Last year, three tour companies were banned from the game reserve for flouting park rules by allowing their clients to alight from their tour vans and film the wildebeest migration. This was against park rules and "wildlife conservation ethics as a whole".
Hotels in East Africa to Undergo New Classification
A new classification criterion for hotels and restaurants in East Africa is underway. The review is aimed at standardizing services offered by the accommodation facilities including tour operators and tour guides in the region. The goal of the exercise is to build resiliency, competitiveness and a safe destination for tourists from across the globe by improving the quality of tourism services offered in the region. This is because the current classification criteria ignored services offered by some industry players hence the need for review. The Common Classification Criteria for tourism accommodation establishments and restaurants is part of the EAC Tourism Marketing Strategy that was approved by the EAC Sectoral Council on Tourism and adopted by the Council of Ministers in November last year. The new standardization would be applied across the tourism value chain in the region. Available statistics indicate the region has so far classified a total of 906 hotels with Tanzania leading with 383 establishments followed by Kenya ( 215), Rwanda (176) Uganda (81) and 51 hospitality establishments in Burundi . Since last year, the tourism sector in the region has been on an upward trend with the easing of Covid-19 travel restrictions and increasing tourist arrivals. NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | 7
NEWS UPDATES
Tanzanian President Promotes Royal Tour Documentary Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan toured the US during the month of April to launch the Royal Tour documentary. The Royal Tour documentary was shot in Tanzania and will be used to market the country’s tourist attractions to a global audience, with the hope of reviving the tourism industry that was greatly affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Following the initial launch in New York on April 18, the film was also launched in Los Angeles on April 21, Dar es Salaam on April 28, and later in Zanzibar. President Samia was involved in the recording of the documentary last year, as she travelled to various tourist attraction sites with an American-based film crew. The Tanzanian President and the film crew toured Mount Kilimanjaro, the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) and Serengeti National Park for the film. Ngorongoro and Serengeti are Tanzania’s leading wildlife parks that attract thousands of regional and international tourists every year.
H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, Tanzania President
These two premier tourist parks are counted among the most visited sites in East Africa, mostly by wildlife safari tourists.
Amboseli Trust for Elephants Celebrates 50 years of Research and Advocacy Amboseli Trust for Elephants celebrates their golden anniversary since the founding of the research project in 1972. For the past 50 years, the organisation has collaborated with over 30 scientists and researchers from international academic institutions and published over 135 scientific papers, articles, and edited volumes. Their contributions to science have covered a wide array of studies including elephant social dynamics, behaviour, reproduction, and population genetics amongst other important topics. The organisation has also made significant contributions to conservation and capacity building, as well as the well-being of elephants in captivity. Elewana, and in particular, Tortilis Camp, proudly supports this esteemed organisation and the amazing work that they do with gentle giants.
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Breakfast in the Mara
Lunch in the Serengeti
NEWS UPDATES
First Glass-Bottomed Hot Air Balloon in Africa! Miracle Experiences, a hot air balloon safari company based in Tanzania, is proud to announce that they are now offering a one-of-a-kind experience with their latest glass-bottomed balloon - the first ever in all of Africa! Their first flight soared over Seronera this month, above the plains of central Serengeti. Join them for a thrilling experience you will never forget.
Sanctuary Retreats Opens a New Camp in Kenya Nestled amongst fever trees in the shadow of Mount Kenya, Sanctuary Tambarare, opening in June 2022, delivers the perfect balance of adventure and serenity. Sanctuary Tambarare looks out across the grassy plateau of the award-winning Ol Pejeta Conservancy, 90,000 acres of unspoilt African landscape, where the Big Five roam, including the last two northern white rhinos on earth.
With just 10 luxurious guest tents, Sanctuary Tambarare is a peaceful haven that reflects its surroundings – with a generous helping of indulgence – with floor-to-ceiling cinematic views of the landscape. The camp’s colours are inspired by nature, from ‘sun-bleached’ wood and wicker lampshades to intense bursts of colour in the exuberant fabrics, like wildflowers dotted around the landscape. The tented ceiling and soft lighting create a sophisticated ambience. At Sanctuary Tambarare, guests can explore Ol Pejeta Conservancy with daily game drives, where expert guides enrich the experience. In addition to the Big Five and many other animals (from cheetahs and jackal to hippos and hyena), the conservancy is home to over 130 black rhinos. At an additional cost and dependent on availability, guests can participate in a variety of activities, including night game drives, rhino encounters and lion tracking. Other guest activities include horse riding, guided bush walks, the Hippo Hide nature trail, viewing chimpanzees, and meeting the K9 anti-poaching unit. Sanctuary Retreats was born in Africa with the launch of their first luxury safari camp, Sanctuary Olonana, in Kenya, in 1999. Today, the Sanctuary Retreats portfolio of luxury safari lodges and expedition ships brings a much wider choice of boutique adventure than ever before – but their standards remain the same.
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Sunrise in Zanzibar
Sunset in the Serengeti
ZANZIBAR - ARUSHA - SERENGETI MORNING SCHEDULE Zanzibar AM Arusha 7:30 9:05 Kogatende 7:30 10:30 Lobo 7:30 10:30 Sasakwa 7:30 10:30 Seronera 7:30 10:30 DAR ES SALAAM - ARUSHA - SERENGETI MORNING SCHEDULE Dar es Salaam AM Arusha 8:00 9:05 Kogatende 8:00 10:30 Lobo 8:00 10:30 Sasakwa 8:00 10:30 Seronera 8:00 10:30 Timings above are estimates and will vary depending on aircraft routing
Resumption of Tarime Route We are pleased to inform you that we have resumed flights to Tarime. This service operates with a minimum of 2 passengers. The Serengeti – Maasai Mara service seamlessly connects with our sister company Airkenya Express Ltd hence enabling clients to enjoy breakfast in Serengeti and lunch in Maasai Mara or vice versa.
Operations: ops@regional.co.tz / +255 (0)753 500 300 / (0)786 021 102 NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | Reservations: resvns@regional.co.tz / +255 (0)754 285 754 / (0)784 285 753 www.regionaltanzania.com
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NEWS UPDATES
Kigali Upbeat on Conference Tourism Rebound Rwanda has lined up 45 key events to boost its revenues from its MICE (meetings, incentives, conferencing and exhibitions) sector from the $12.5 million earned in 2021to $27 million targeted this year as regional and international travel resumes fully. This target is modest when weighed upon the pre-pandemic earnings in 2017 that hit more than $60 million. So far, the country has already hosted 10 events in 2022 with its major event being the much-anticipated Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (Chogm) slated for June that will bring up to 10,000 delegates from 53 Commonwealth countries. The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) is a pivotal agenda-setting and decisionmaking gathering for the diverse community of 54 Commonwealth countries, with varying economic statuses. CHOGM is customarily held every two years and is the Commonwealth’s highest consultative and policy-making gathering. Commonwealth leaders selected Rwanda as
host for their next gathering when they met in London in 2018. The 2022 CHOGM to be held in Rwanda will be the first Commonwealth Summit to be held in a country that is not a former British colony. Rwanda joined the Commonwealth in 2009. At Bishops House hotel, a high-end amenity in Musanze that mostly houses foreign tourists who come for gorilla trekking, inquiries and bookings for the high tourism season of June-September are already streaming in.
UWA Signs Agreements to Support Tourism The Uganda Wildlife Authority (UWA) signed concession agreements with Wildplaces Africa and Tian Tang Group to develop high-end tourism accommodation facilities in Murchison Falls National Park and Kyambura Wildlife Reserve in the Queen Elizabeth Protected Area. The concession agreements were signed as a result of an initiative between Space for Giants and the Uganda Wildlife Authority to attract conservationsupporting tourism providers to invest in Uganda’s National Parks. Launched by Uganda President, HE Yoweri Museveni, the Giants Club Conservation Investment Initiative seeks to find new sources of finance to help support the Uganda Wildlife Authority deliver on its mandate successfully, for example by expanding tourism in protected areas. Murchison Falls National Park
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NEWS UPDATES
Hair-Raising Moment For Tourists on Safari Two American men on safari in Tanzania had a hair-raising moment after two cheetahs got closer than they expected while on the Grand Ruaha Safari in Tanzania. As the men were photographing one cheetah on the Grand Ruaha Safari, another decided to jump onto the backseat of the vehicle and a third decided to climb the hood of their jeep. According to a report in Daily Mail, Britton Hayes from Seattle, Washington, was with a tourist group when he had this unique experience in the Gol Kopjes of Serengeti National Park. Hayes' stepfather Peter Heinstein, who was accompanying him on their first trip to Africa, filmed the video, according to the Daily Mail report. Hayes told the The Sun this was 'the scariest moment of his life' and he tried to slow his breathing so the animal wouldn’t sense his fear.Heistein, posting the picture on social media, wrote, "Britt credits our experienced guide
Alex Mnyangabe with helping him stay calm and asked me to film him. While Britt was frightened we never felt any threat coming from the cheetah. After a short exploration, the three of them moved away to continue their hunt. An amazing experience we will never forget."
Rare Albino Spotted in the Serengeti, Tanzania Africa is blessed with diverse wildlife and it always has a surprise or two in store as a rare albino zebra, without black and white stripes, was recently spotted in Tanzania's Serengeti National Park. The young zebra is thought to be one of the most complete albino zebras ever seen, much
paler than others ever seen in East Africa . According to The Daily Mail, the distinctive zebra is eight months old and was discovered with a herd of zebras in the eastern part of the national park. The foal is covered almost entirely in white fur with its neck, head and torso having a few faint black and white stripes. The young animal is thought to be one of the most fully albino zebras ever seen - much paler than others spotted in East Africa, In 2019, a zebra with partial albinism was spotted in the same national park and was described as 'strange' and 'rare'. Partial albinism means that the animal has significantly less melanin — a natural pigment found in the skin — than typical zebras. As a result, stripes appear pale in colour. Due to albinism, the Zebra is unique and is said to be doing well and blending in. Albinism is the congenital absence of any pigmentation or colouration in an animal caused by genetic mutations, inheritance, diet, living conditions, age, disease, or injury. Albinism can reduce the survivability of an animal due to the lack of protection from UV radiation and their lack of camouflage to avoid predators.
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NEWS UPDATES
The United States to Support Wildlife Corridors in Tanzania THE United States Government through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), has launched a conservation project to address dynamics that threaten wildlife movement and the long-term preservation of biodiversity in Tanzania. The five-year project, to cost USD 30.5 million (Tshs 70.3bn), is called USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili (Preserve Natural Resources) and is implemented by Research Triangle Institute International, a nonprofit research and global development institute. Over the last few decades, Tanzania has lost at least one-third of its ecosystems and seen its number of threatened species triple. In addition, approximately 25 per cent of the country's foreign income comes directly from tourism-the majority of which is wildlife-based. At the current rate of species decline, the impact on economic stability is expected to be significant. Over the next five years, USAID Tuhifadhi Maliasili will work with the government, local communities, and the private sector to address these challenges. The project intends to create an environment where movement corridors will improve quality of life for not only wildlife but also the surrounding communities.
Poaching Declines in Tanzania Once known as the world’s elephant killing fields, Tanzania appears to have halted the worst ivory poaching within its borders, making more than 2,300 arrests of poachers and traffickers over the last five years. Investigators say that by the beginning of 2020 they had identified and penetrated at least 11 organized wildlife trafficking syndicates and arrested several culprits. Conservation groups, including the wildlife trade monitor TRAFFIC, reckons that Tanzania previously suffered poaching on an “industrial scale”, leading to a 60% decline in its elephant population between 2009 and 2014. The figures, from a government census, equate to a loss of more than 60,000 elephants. The IUCN categorizes the African savanna elephant as Endangered. Elephant populations in Tanzania have however risen from 43,000 in 2014 to 60,000 in 2019. More recent figures from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism state that the number of elephants in the Serengeti Ecosystem has risen from 6,087 in 2014 to 7,061 in 2020.Tanzania now is no longer seen as a major exit for ivory.
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AEROLINK UGANDA From ...a UNESCO World Heritage Site
E B B NTE
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A R A -M
... to the most phenomenal natural spectacle in the world
For more information, contact: Tel: +256 317 333000 www.aerolinkuganda.com
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info@aerolinkuganda.com NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | 15
TRIBUTE
Conservationist Richard Leakey Leaves Rich Legacy in Kenya World-renowned Kenyan paleoanthropologist, conservationist and politician, Richard Erskine Frere Leakey who passed on in January this year at the age of 77 saved Kenya’s tourism industry from the jaws of vicious Elephant and Rhino poachers in the 1980s. Born on December 19, 1944 in Nairobi to famed archeologists, Louis and Mary Leakey Richard made his mark on the field of wildlife conservation after he assumed the helm of Kenya’s Wildlife Service in 1989 and cracked down aggressively on poachers. He is widely credited with fortifying Kenya’s national parks, restoring wildlife populations and revitalizing the tourism sector. Up until his death, Leakey had held a number of official positions in Kenya, mostly in institutions of archaeology and wildlife conservation. He was Chairman of the Kenya Wildlife Service, Director of the National Museum of Kenya and founded the NGO WildlifeDirect among many other accomplishments. While aged 11 in 1956, Richard fell from his horse, fracturing his skull and nearly died as a result. Incidentally, it was this incident that saved his parents' marriage. Louis was seriously considering leaving Mary. As the battle with Mary raged in the household, Leakey begged his father from his sickbed not to leave. That was the deciding factor and the family lived in happy harmony for a few years more. On July 19th, 1989, Kenyan President Daniel arap Moi lit the match on twelve tons of elephant tusks soaked in gasoline. The brains behind this burning which made huge headlines around the world was Richard Leakey, the new head of Kenya’s Wildlife Service. The elephants had been the victims of a relentless poaching spree in Kenya. Leakey convinced the government to burn its stockpile of elephant tusks, sending a message to the world and hoped that the gesture would help build pressure for banning the ivory trade. It did. CITES banned the ivory trade in 1990 for the first time and the ban resulted in an immediate decline in elephant poaching. The Kenya wildlife service had been riddled with corruption and wildlife numbers were declining rapidly. Well-armed and well-funded poachers had decimated Kenya’s elephant population. Leakey immediately ordered rangers to shoot poachers on sight, a hugely controversial decision. Before he could save Kenya’s tourism industry, Leakey had to get his rangers back on their feet.
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The Late Dr. Richard Erskine Frere Leakey
The World Bank and other donors invested around $150 million to revamp Kenya wildlife service. Part of these funds were used to re-equip rangers with new automatic rifles, boots, uniforms and daily allowances. In 1993, Leakey’s plane crashed. He survived, but lost both of his lower legs. Leakey believed that the crash was deliberate sabotage and an attempt to kill him, though this was never proven. In 2004, Leakey founded WildlifeDirect, a Kenya-based wildlife NGO, focused on raising funds via blogs by local conservationists and rangers. Leakey’s support for a raised train line in Nairobi National Park surprised and angered many conservationists in Kenya, who considered the proposal as entirely at odds with conservation. Even at the end of his life, Leakey was still undertaking new projects. At one time the director of the National Museums of Kenya, Leakey planned a new museum, called Ngaren, that would not only look back on Africa as the crucible of our evolution, but also explore our current problems of overpopulation, war, disease and climate change. He stood for integrity, hard work and excellence in all areas.
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Tsavo National Park
Contact Us: +254 20 391 6000 resvns@airkenya.com
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ADVERTORIAL
B
You can become part of the Born Free Family
orn Free Foundation’s President Will Travers encourages everyone who truly cares about Kenya, her people and her wildlife to help secure a brighter future for all life on earth. I first travelled to Kenya as a young boy, aged five, when my mother, Virginia McKenna, and late father, Bill Travers, took their family with them as they embarked on the making of the film Born Free, the compelling true story of Joy and George Adamson and their ultimately successful efforts to return an orphan lion cub, Elsa, to a wild and free life. That was 1964. I was five – just old enough to appreciate what a great adventure it was and to be ‘bitten’ by the wildlife bug – an incurable illness that makes you fall in love with nature, be amazed by its complexity and beauty – and never want to be cured! That film changed my mother and
father’s lives. They became fascinated by wildlife, inspired by the great George Adamson, and came to know many people in the wildlife sector – Dr Perez Olindo, David and Daphne Sheldrick, Alan Root, Simon Trevor and, latterly, Dr Cynthia Moss, Dr Winnie Kiiru, Raabia Hawa and more. Of course, our family’s journey started with lions, especially those who starred in the film, three of whom – Boy, Girl and Ugas – were subsequently and successfully returned to the wild in Meru by George Adamson, the father of lions. But it was the death, in 1983, of a little elephant in the London Zoo, originally sent as a gift from the Kenya government of the day in 1969, that turned my parents from concerned individuals into activists. Our tiny little not-for-profit organisation, Zoo Check, was founded by six of us in March 1984 with a starting fund of just £6 (860KSh). My father then spent the
Will Travers OBE
remaining years of his life exploring issues including the impact of zoo captivity on wild animals right up until his untimely death in 1994. Meanwhile, the charity, renamed the Born Free Foundation in 1991, began to grow. More and more people were interested in and distressed not only by the plight of captive wild animals in zoos and circuses, but what was happening to wildlife and its natural habitat. The dreadful illegal ivory
photos © georgelogan.co.uk
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trade, fuelled by rampant poaching, had decimated Africa’s elephants, so much so that Kenya’s once magnificent elephant population had been reduced to a precarious 16,000 by 1989. Lion numbers were falling, rhinos too. But then the fightback began! Despite the enormous pressures of a human population which has more than doubled in the last 20 years, Kenya now has 35,000 elephants. Its lion numbers went up 25% between 2010 and 2020. Rhino numbers have trebled in the last 30 years. These are all testament to the extraordinary efforts of the Kenya Wildlife Service and its partners, of whom Born Free is proud to be counted as one. Some people say that ‘it’s not the same’ that ‘everything has changed’. Well, of course, in some respects they are right. There are many more people, many more houses, roads, infrastructure. But many more people now care. In Kenya, the passion with which its citizens campaign for wildlife and wild areas, their resolute opposition to trophy hunting, their defence of their National Parks and Reserves, is inspiring.
And Born Free Kenya’s Tim Oloo and his amazing team, is honoured to stand alongside them: building over 350 predator-proof bomas (enclosures) in the Amboseli ecosystem to prevent the killing of livestock at night and to reduce revenge attacks; working with our partners and the local communities in Meru National Park (where the famous Elsa was released into the wild and where she is buried) to safeguard lions and, more recently, elephants and giraffe. Supporting KWS when times get tough to help protect the nation’s natural heritage for current and future generations. It all started with George and Joy Adamson and the famous Elsa. It was kicked into life by the premature and tragic death of Pole Pole; it has blossomed to embrace many species in many countries, employing 150 people worldwide, including in Kenya, Ethiopia, and South Africa. But, perhaps, Kenya remains Born
Free’s heartland. It is where our journey started nearly 60 years ago. I hope to be back one day soon, to visit our teams, meet my friends at KWS and other conservationists, work with the community leaders of today to help resolve the challenges they face, and talk with the children who are the leaders of tomorrow. We all have a role to play, including you, as you read this article, probably aboard a flight operated by our trusted partners at Air Kenya, the pioneer safari airline of East Africa. If you truly care about Kenya, her people and her wildlife, as I do, then I invite you to step forward and become part of the Born Free Family by supporting our work to secure a brighter future for all life on earth. Thank you Will Travers OBE Co-Founder and Executive President The Born Free Foundation NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | 19
FEATURE
Luxurious Resorts to Experience in Zanzibar — Sarah Kingdom
J
ust the name Zanzibar evokes images of a tropical paradise with white sand beaches, shimmering turquoise waters, beautiful sunsets, and palm trees swaying in the ocean breeze — all kissed by the spice-laden East African trade winds. And the “Spice Island” is all that, but it is also more. This is an island steeped in culture and history. With a mixture of cultures from African to Arabian, some Indian, Portuguese, and English are thrown in for good measure. Trade of one kind or another is an intrinsic part of the island’s culture and has shaped its history for thousands of years; from its dark past in the slave trade, to its position as a trading hotspot in the spice trade thanks to its abundance of valuable spices including cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. All this has culminated in an island that is a heady mix of sights, sounds, and smells.
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When it comes to where to stay in Zanzibar, there’s something for everyone. If you like “castaway cool” then you’ve come to the right place, or if you’d prefer something more luxurious and special, then let me tell you about some of my favorite spots on the island for a truly memorable holiday.
Stone Town, Zanzibar Resorts Stone Town, a World Heritage Site, is Zanzibar’s historical capital. No visit to Zanzibar would be complete without exploring Stone Town’s jumble of narrow, cobbled streets, its people, the mosques, churches, bazars, architecture, and food.
FEATURE
1. Double Tree By Hilton Hotel Zanzibar Stone Town The Double Tree By Hilton is housed in the old court house, a building that had fallen into disrepair before being renovated and brought back to life to become a hotel. It’s perfectly situated in the heart of Stone Town, amongst the winding alleyways and historic buildings. Wake to the muezzin’s call to prayer as the day dawns and the town wakes up for the day. The hotel is in my favorite part of Stone Town, hidden away in the maze of streets, with a feeling of old world timelessness. Breakfast on the rooftop terrace is a fabulous way to start the day. Looking out over the rooftops towards the beautiful blue of the ocean, you are bound to spot a white-sailed traditional dhow or two while you enjoy your morning coffee. As an added bonus, hotel guests have access to a beautiful indoor swimming pool, perfect for cooling down after a day of wandering through town. Pro Tip: The slices of smoked tuna available on the breakfast buffet are delicious. Get some before it disappears onto someone else’s plate!
2. Zanzibar Palace Hotel The Zanzibar Palace Hotel, a boutique hotel located right in the heart of Stone Town, is a small and personal hotel with only three rooms on each of its three floors. The building was built between 1885 and 1890 by an Indian merchant and is still full of original features, including a solid wooden staircase that runs through the center of the building like a spine, to the thick walls, tiny wooden balconies, wooden shutters, and old hooks and pulleys left over from its trading past. Following the revolution in 1964, the building was abandoned for many years. In 1978, it was restored, ultimately becoming a hotel in 2005. We stayed in a suite on the very top floor with a huge traditional wooden Zanzibar bed, so high off the ground that we had to climb into it using old wooden trunks positioned on either side of the bed, like a step ladder! Our bathroom was on the rooftop terrace and had views looking out over Stone Town and down to the port. Pro Tip: With all the old world charm of an antique building, the Zanzibar Palace Hotel does not have a lift. So if stairs are not your thing, this is not the best place for you. NDEGE NEWS MARCH - MAY 2022 | 21
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3. Emerson On Hurumzi Rooftop sundowners are an essential part of a Stone Town experience in my opinion, and one of the best places to do this is at the beautifully restored Emerson on Hurumzi hotel. Come for cocktails and stay for dinner in the Tea House Restaurant with 360° views of Stone Town and across to the ocean. Arrive for cocktails at sunset and know that dinner starts promptly at 7 p.m. Remove your shoes and sit on the floor carpets and cushions to dine (or take your place at a table if you prefer). Dinner is a three-course set menu celebrating Zanzibari cuisine and combining Swahili, Persian, and Omani influences. Dinner is accompanied by traditional music and singing by musicians from the Dhow Countries Music Academy. Pro Tip: Before dinner, call in at the Princess Salme Museum (beside the hotel’s main entrance) and learn about one of Zanzibar’s most famous women, Sayyida Salama bint Said (Salme), Princess of Zanzibar and Oman. Born in 1844, she was the youngest of Sultan Said’s 36 children. She fell in love with German merchant Rudolph Reute, becoming pregnant with his child and causing such a scandal that she had to flee Zanzibar and settle in Germany. She married Rudolph, bore him more
children, and, after his death, wrote Memoirs of an Arabian Princess from Zanzibar, published in 1886.
Head to the Beach – Zanzibar Beach Resorts Beautiful white sand, lapped by azure and turquoise waters, and fringed with palm trees swaying in the warm breeze, the beaches of Zanzibar are stunning, and equally stunning are a number of resorts found at these beaches. Whilst I’ve been visiting Zanzibar for more than 20 years now, on our latest trip, my husband and I left Stone Town behind and worked our way around the island clockwise, staying in a variety of special properties.
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4. Chuini Zanzibar Beach Lodge Our first stop was the island’s west coast. There are fewer lodges here and it feels a little more remote. The west coast is home to Stone Town, so we only had to travel for 20 minutes for our first night out of town. In 1873, the second Sultan of Zanzibar — and brother to Princess Salme mentioned above — built the Chuini Palace, perched on the rocks right on the very edge of the island. The palace was an impressive complex that occupied both sides of a small protected bay. Mysteriously, most of the buildings burnt down in 1914. Chuini Beach Lodge is built amongst the ruins of the royal complex, giving it a rather unique outlook and feel. There’s a small, private beach beside a tiny working bay where local fishermen moor and repair their boats.
5. Nungwi Dreams An hour’s drive north, we reached Nungwi Beach, and Nungwi Dreams exceeded my expectations. Our room was modern, sleek, bright, and positioned just a few feet from the beach. With two swimming pools to choose from, and the beautiful warm ocean just steps from our room, we were spoilt by a choice. At low tide, I walked along the white sand and had it pretty much to myself, except for a few friendly fishermen striding along the beach and chatting as they went. My husband spent a day scuba diving at nearby Mnemba Island while I relaxed at the spa. They had great food and a great atmosphere. I particularly enjoyed all the seafood while cocktails on the hotel’s rooftop “Sky Bar” were delicious. With 56 rooms and one villa, this is a modern resort-style place, with all the comforts you’d expect from a luxury resort, yet it’s still small enough to feel friendly and personal. Pro Tip: As a general rule, the north and northeast coasts tend to be the island’s prime locations, and most of Zanzibar’s high-end accommodations are found here. The diving is also excellent here, there’s not much tidal variation, and the archipelago’s best reefs (around Mnemba Island) lie not far offshore.
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6. Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar
Just a short drive away — nestled in a tropical garden on a secluded stretch of beach on the northwest coast of Zanzibar — is Kilindi. This is an oasis of luxury. Fifteen white-domed, multi-story villas set in 50 acres of natural bush and tropical gardens, this is a haven of tranquility in what has become a rather too busy northern part of the island. Originally designed for Benny Andersson, of 1970’s pop group ABBA, the architecture is dramatic. Wooden shutters and arched glassless windows look out over the ocean. With our private plunge pool, rooftop verandah that overlooked the ocean, and a private butler, we rarely needed to leave the villa. The open plan rainfall shower room, combined with visits from brightly colored geckos, bushy tailed squirrels, and the rare Sykes’ monkeys really had us feeling like we were a part of the surrounding nature. This really is a special place. The Elewana Collection of 16 boutique lodges, camps and hotels is known for its unique accommodations in iconic locations across Kenya and Tanzania. Elewana crafts authentic and memorable safari experiences, providing the highest quality of luxury and comfort. Warm and genuine East African hospitality characterises a safari with Elewana, where guests are indulged with a luxurious and personalised stay.
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7. Matlai Boutique Hotel The next stop on our circumnavigation of the island was Matlai Boutique Hotel on the northeast coast. There are two villas at Matlai: the four-bedroom Asili House and the two-bedroom Villa Kidosho, both of which have beautiful views out over the beach and ocean. Each villa has its own beautiful private pool, as well as well-positioned hammocks and sun loungers. There’s also a spa and a private open-air cinema — all this just a few steps from the beach. A short wade and then swim off the beach lies a small but gorgeous patch of coral, complete with tiny bobbing seahorses, colorful fish, and tentacle waving anemones — we had it all to ourselves. Dinner on the beach with warm sand underfoot and the gentle sound of the waves just a few feet away was a perfect end to our stay.
8. Le Mersenne A couple of miles further south on the Michamvi Peninsula is Le Mersenne, a larger style resort with a variety of different sized rooms to choose from. Ours was spacious, airy, and modern. Up on the rocky cliff overlooking the water, Le Mersenne has views out over the seemingly endless ocean. Being on the east coast, the views of sunrise were spectacular and definitely worth waking up for, though luckily we could see it from bed and didn’t need to actually get up. The hotel has a long pier that stretches out over the water with some innovative villas currently under construction above the water. We borrowed masks and snorkels and went down the wooden steps, directly into the water, and a short swim had us amongst colorful clumps of coral. After our swim, a long beach walk at low tide kept us busy until the early afternoon.
Regional Air has long been synonymous with exemplary scheduled and charter services in Tanzania. From its base in Arusha, you can explore the best of Tanzania, from the Serengeti Plains to the beautiful spice island of Zanzibar. Together with its sister airline, Airkenya, Regional Air offers unique and seamless connections between safari circuits in East Africa, such as Maasai Mara to Serengeti.
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Going on an African Safari?
Conservation is Key in Kenya’s Maasai Mara — Basecamp Explorer
©KEN GEIGER
B
asecamp Explorer manages unique safari accommodation camps in the Masai Mara and Mara Naboisho Wildlife Conservancy in Kenya. A global leader in sustainable tourism since its inception in 1998, Basecamp's operations create community partnership development and long-term solutions for wildlife conservation while developing models for conserving nature and empowering the local community.
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Leopard Hill in the heart of Mara Naboisho Conservancy is the newest camp in the collection. Six spacious deluxe tents, including one honeymoon suite offer an almost 360-degree view of the surroundings and include a remote-control skylight over the beds, which provide an unhindered view of the African night sky. Also, in Mara Naboisho Conservancy, the collection includes Eagle View, which consists of nine
spacious deluxe tents with en-suite bathrooms and a private terrace. Bordering the Masai Mara National Reserve on the Talek River, Basecamp Masai Mara offers 17 tents, including two family tents. Basecamp Kenya camps have been designed to give travelers a taste of the different dimensions of being on safari, including exclusive wildlife safari experiences like night game
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Svein Wilhelmsen, Founder and Chair of Basecamp Explorer Group
drives, guided walking safaris, and authentic cultural interactions with the local Maasai people. With direct flights to Kenya, it's now becoming easier and more affordable for Americans to go on safari. We talked to Svein Wilhelmsen, founder and chair of Basecamp Explorer Group, about the link
Leopard Hill in the heart of Mara Naboisho Conservancy
between conservation and travel in Kenya. What made you decide to start Basecamp Explorer? Pure love for Africa and the passion that stems from that. People often talk about a life-changing moment, a moment in life when perspectives are changed, and futures are formed. In 1996, I was on holiday in Kenya, when I met Ole Taek, a Maasai elder. We talked late into the night sitting around an open fire under the savannah night sky. Ole Taek aired his worries about the future. He spoke of his worries of nature perishing faster every year. The local ecosystem was vanishing. And with that, their way of life would be under threat. Maasai tribes could not survive without nature around them. If you destroy the Maasai Mara, you destroy something that is irreplaceable. A year later, inspired by the old man's words, I launched an adventure travel company known today as Basecamp Explorer, a company with a mission to care for indigenous people; one that would leave a
positive footprint in the places we operate and on the people whose homelands it would bring visitors to. Only two years later, in 1998, Basecamp Masai Mara opened. So, I would say that at the original core of what is now Basecamp Explorer Kenya was that personal relationship with Ole Taek, the Maasai elder, who educated me on the pressing need for long-term sustainable efforts to conserve wildlife populations in the Masai Mara region. My passion for securing conservation land for wildlife has since grown in those 20 years past that small tract of land we used to open Basecamp Masai Mara. The next vision was to establish what is now called Mara Naboisho Conservancy– a 54,000-acre tract of land adjacent to the Masai Mara, which would serve as a community conservancy and allow wildlife populations to thrive and flourish. Mara Naboisho Conservancy opened in 2010, in collaboration with other tourism partners and the Masai landowners. Basecamp Explorer now operates four camps in Mara Naboisho Conservancy – Eagle View, Leopard Hill, Wilderness Camp, and a fly camp called Dorobo Mobile Camp.
© KIRSTI IKONEN
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Why is sustainability so important to you? Because there is no alternative. Just look at the facts the scientists show us, of destruction – including biodiversity reduction. I see the devastating impact human encroachment, residential or commercial land development, industrialization, consumption of natural resources has on our wildlife populations. Africa has lost at least half its wildlife population over the last generation, and 90–95% of its key species, such as elephants, rhinos, and lions, over the last hundred years. And the rate of wildlife depletion is accelerating – thus, the urgency to do something. One smaller "wildlife oasis" stands out: the Masai Mara (Kenya) and Serengeti (Tanzania) ecosystem. This area contains only 1/1000 of Africa's landmass but could be home to some 40% of the remaining larger mammals. These two national parks, which are joined together – with a country border that is not fenced – are thus indispensable.
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How do you think Basecamp Explorer is different from other safari camps in Africa? There are very many good ones! As a company, we don't think of ourselves as competitors with other safari companies because we understand that to achieve large-scale change for the Masai Mara, for Kenya, or for African wildlife regions generally, we have to work alongside our competitors as wildlife guardian conservation partners. Basecamp Explorer was the driving force behind the establishment of the Naboisho Conservancy, a community conservancy that was the result of a partnership with over 500 Masai local families, who offered us a lease – a privilege and opportunity – to utilize their rightly-owned property for tourism and wildlife conservation. We empower the local communities in the process and provide long-term income and revenue to them, which is critical for poverty alleviation in rural Kenya in and around the Mara wildlife ecosystem.
We believe that we cannot be successful in long-term wildlife conservation without the intentional collaboration with the Masai landowners and local communities. We simply cannot come in as outsiders and make decisions on land use without engaging the Masai, the local Kenyans in this region, to whom the land rightfully belongs. Talk about changes you've made since the company was founded. Since the company was founded, we have not just been working amongst ourselves as a singular tourism company but have teamed up with something called the Masai Mara Wildlife Conservancies Association (where I have the honor to serve as a member). The MMWCA is an association of all the other community conservancies which operate around the Mara region. Mara Naboisho Conservancy is one of many member conservancies in the Mara region—16 conservancies at present and expanding— protecting more than 350 thousand acres. Naboisho's management structure and success
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as a conservancy has become a model for other conservancies and wildlife areas in the region. There are lots of lessons we can share and also learn from the other conservancies and tourism partners with regard to wildlife conservation management. Also, we have grown the number of properties under our management, from our first camp, Basecamp Masai Mara, to additional camps in the Naboisho Conservancy—Eagle View, Leopard Hill, Wilderness Camp, and Dorobo Mobile Camp.
Dorobo Mobile Camp
Talk about the demographic of the traveler who stays at Basecamp. Has the profile of the traveler going on safari in Africa changed over time? Scandinavians and Americans are our two biggest traveling markets. We are also seeing more young professionals traveling now, say 25-years old and above, so I would say that perhaps some of our safari market has diversified a bit and includes now younger people. We are also seeing what we might call "Conscious Travelers" – people who want to experience the best of safaris AND contribute themselves AND
©KEN GEIGER
learn from us. People are looking for a more transformational journey when they come to us, and we are
delighted to see that because that's exactly what our mission is.
Airkenya flies to the Maasai Mara 4 times daily
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Why You Need to Visit Uganda — Rough Guides
“For magnificence, for variety of form and colour, for profusion of brilliant life… Uganda is truly the pearl of Africa.” – My African Journey, Winston Churchill, 1908 More than a century after he penned the line, Winston Churchill’s oft-quoted quip about Uganda still stands. Located at the point where the East African savannah meets the Central African rainforest, the country
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is one of the most bio-diverse in the world, and within its comparatively diminutive frame lie the continent’s highest mountain range, its largest lake, and the source of the world’s longest river. For much of its (at times turbulent) history, however, Uganda has struggled to escape the shadow of its noisy neighbours, the safari powerhouses of Kenya and Tanzania.
But times are changing. Nationwide peace has reigned for well over a decade, the government has started investing properly in roads, hotels and other tourist facilities, and visitors are at last waking up to its compelling mix of spectacular scenery, incredible wildlife and warm and welcoming people. Here are just some of the reasons why you should be one of them...
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1. To track chimpanzees in Kibale A beautiful swathe of thick equatorial rainforest, Kibale National Park boasts the highest concentration of primates in all of Africa. Its thirteen species include black-and-white colobus monkeys and impish grey-cheeked mangabeys but everyone is here for the chimpanzees. On a day-long Chimpanzee Habituation Experience, you’ll follow a troop of whooping and hollering chimps as they swing through the forest, gathering in the treetops to play, doze or feast on figs. When the midday heat burns through the upper canopy, the chimps descend, sliding down vines and striding right past you. If such an extraordinarily close encounter doesn’t give you goosebumps, the sound of the males messaging each other will: they drum on the buttress roots of giant fig trees with such force that the ground around you shakes. Where to stay: Primate Lodge Kibale is set slap bang in the middle of the park, just a few minutes from the start of the tracking trailhead. Swish refurbished cottages look out into a wall of forest, and there’s a tree house for the intrepid. Chimpanzee
2. To raft the Nile
3. To meet the Karamojong
The unassuming colonial-era town of Jinja is East Africa’s adventure capital, its smorgasbord of watersports growing out of the unique opportunity to raft at the source of the Nile. The surge of tumultuous white water that runs 20 kilometres downriver from Lake Victoria rivals the Lower Zambezi, and is a heart-thumping ride over rapids bearing names such as Hair of the Dog and Bad Place.
Rubbing shoulders with Kenya and South Sudan in the far northeast of the country, the disparate Karamoja region sees only a few visitors bound for the remote wilderness of Kidepo Valley National Park. Yet the area is home to one of Uganda’s most intriguing peoples: the Karamojong, a historically fierce tribe of cattle-raiding pastoralists. Visits to a Karamojong manyatta explore their traditional homesteads – beehive huts encircled by a protective wall of spiky brushwood – and usually feature cultural dancing, or “high jumping”, which is similar in style to the more famous Masaai just across the border.
Where to stay: Occupying an island in the middle of the Nile, Wildwaters Lodge is spectacularly sandwiched between two sets of deafening rapids, with lovely wooden cottages and a natural riverside swimming pool.
Where to stay: Apoka Safari Lodge in Kidepo can arrange visits to nearby Karamojong villages. Check your government’s travel advice before booking, as some areas of northeast Uganda are subject to travel warnings.
4. To swim in a crater lake
White water rafting on the River Nile
There are dozens of volcanic crater lakes in and around the Ndali-Kasenda region of western Uganda, but shimmering Kyaninga is the jewel. Fringed with forest and crisscrossed by gliding hornbills, the lake is
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rewards are considerable: remote trekking through a pristine wilderness of craggy peaks, glacier lakes and a lunar landscape dotted with giant groundsel plants. Where to stay: Rwenzori Trekkers, located in the shadow of the mountains, is the closest accommodation to the Kilembe trailhead, but you’ll be more comfortable, and still within range, staying in the Ndali-Kasenda region.
7. To cruise the Kazinga channel
Kyaninga Crater Lake
a mesmerising granite blue. It’s semi active, so although 225 metres deep in parts, the water hovers around a pleasant 21 degrees. Add in the fact that it’s one of East Africa’s few lakes that are free from bilharzia and you have the perfect place for a spot of wild swimming. Where to stay: The gorgeous thatched cottages at Kyaninga Lodge are staggered along a ridge overlooking the lake. The huge rooms all have stunning views, and the range of local activities include an early morning Crater Walk and time spent with village elders at a nearby farm.
5. To spot a prehistoric beast Uganda’s oldest conservation area, Murchison Falls National Park draws visitors to its famously thunderous cataracts, where the full force of the Nile is explosively squeezed through a gap in the Rift Valley Escarpment. But this is also one of the best places in the country to see the primevallooking Shoebill, a towering, hook-beaked bird that feeds on baby crocodiles and looks like it was dreamt up by the creators of The Dark Crystal.
Queen Elizabeth National Park is blessed with a variety of beautiful habitats, from the open plains of the Kasenyi sector to the densely wooded scrub of the Mweya Peninsula and fig-tree-studded Ishasha. But it’s the boat launch on the Kazinga Channel that’s the real highlight of a visit to Uganda’s most popular national park. You’ll drift lazily past huge pods of hippos; close-up encounters with buffalos, crocodiles and Nile monitors are virtually guaranteed; and herds of elephants regularly come down to the water to drink and bathe in the shallows. Where to stay It’s worth spending a night in different sectors of the park. Mweya Lodge is a fairly large bush hotel with a personal feel, and an infinity pool that overlooks the Kazinga Channel. In the far south of the park, spectacular Ishasha Wilderness Camp makes the most of its beautiful setting, with luxurious safari tents spread along a scenic stretch of the Ntungwe River.
Where to stay: Baker’s Lodge enjoys a superb setting on the banks of the Nile, its eight cottages hidden among acacia trees and fronting the river. Watch out for hippos munching on the grass outside your room at night.
6. To hike the Rwenzori Forming an imposing border with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and snow-capped even at the height of summer, the legendary Mountains of the Moon are Africa’s highest range. The hiking is tough – it’s a good eight or nine days to complete the Kilembe Trail in the southern section of the park, though much shorter routes are available – but the 32 | NDEGE NEWS JUNE - AUGUST 2022
Shoebill
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8. To track gorillas in Bwindi A full day spent tracking mountain gorillas in Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is probably the most remarkable wildlife experience on earth. On the Uganda Wildlife Authority’s new Gorilla Habituation Experience, you’ll accompany park rangers and researchers as they track (and monitor) these powerful yet peaceful creatures, first locating their overnight nests before following a trail of broken branches and tell-tale silver hairs to the gorillas themselves. What follows is 3 or 4 hours of lifelong memories, as you watch immense silverbacks tearing up and munching on huge bundles of vegetation while playful youngsters roly-poly amongst the undergrowth. Where to stay The group of gorillas currently being habituated in Bwindi are tracked from the trailhead at Rushaga, where the staff at the forest-facing Gorilla Safari Lodge are super-friendly and the chef serves up some of the best meals in Uganda.
Rough Guides has been publishing trusted travel advice for over 40 years and features not only an extensive guidebook selection, but also a new platform facilitating tailor-made travel: connecting with local travel agents allows you to explore the best of East Africa and beyond.
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Gorilla
With its hub at Entebbe International Airport, Aerolink offers flights into Uganda’s world-famous national parks. Destinations include Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, Queen Elizabeth National Park, Murchison Falls, Semuliki National Park and Kidepo Valley. NDEGE NEWS JUNE- AUGUST 2022 | 33
AIRKENYA FEATURE
Nanyuki
The Safari Paradise Nanyuki is the epitome of safari paradise, surrounded by premium safari destinations such as Ol Pejeta Conservancy, Solio Ranch, Mt. Kenya, and the Aberdare Ranges. Heading North to Nanyuki On this background, Airkenya recently added Kamok airstrip to its route network to serve the popular Ol Pejeta Conservancy. The two flights to the Northern safari circuit depart Wilson Airport at 0900 hours and at 1000 hours respectively, arriving at the destination in time for the morning game drive. Nanyuki to Mara Safari Expansion You can expand your exploration further south to the Maasai Mara
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National Reserve with Airkenya's direct flight from Nanyuki. A morning game drive in any of the conservancies within Nanyuki is quickly followed by an afternoon game drive at Maasai Mara, deemed one of the best safari locations in the world – an hour-long flight apart. Is there a better way to explore both sides of the Equator in Kenya? Cross-country Safari Circuit Better yet, start with the South and end up in the North. A safari circuit starting from Maasai Mara, Amboseli or Tsavo National Parks can be seamlessly combined with an adventure in Nanyuki. The flight from Maasai Mara departs at 0815 hours to arrive in Wilson at 0945 hours. Meanwhile, the flight from Amboseli
and Tsavo departs at 0845 hours to arrive in Wilson at 0930 hours. These flights connect to Nanyuki on the 1000 hours flight. From Nanyuki to Kilimanjaro From Nanyuki you can proceed to Tanzania on Airkenya's Kilimanjaro flight, if Maasai Mara is not on your itinerary. With unparalleled destination reach and guaranteed flight connections, you are spoilt for choice – from cross-country safaris to multi-country safaris.
AIRKENYA NEWS UPDATE
Nature Kenya Golf Tournament Airkenya has been a long supporter of Nature Kenya, Africa’s oldest environmental society. Every year, Airkenya participates in the society’s Golf tournament to raise funds for their noble activities. This year was not different. Here are a few images from the day.
Airkenya Open Day Every year, we host our business partners for an educational tour of our premises including our engineering hangar. This year, we were also showcasing our newly renovated check-in lounge, currently in phase two of the planned refurbishment. The day ends with a quiz and the winning business partners are presented with various gifts.
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AIRKENYA NEWS UPDATE
First Look of Our Remodeled Check-In Lounge The renovations are still ongoing, although we couldn’t help ourselves. We are too excited to wait for the complete
look. So, here are a few images to give you a glimpse of our newly-remodelled check-in lounge.
Unveiling Airkenya's New Uniform
Staff on the Move – Phiona Asasira
Phiona Asasira has joined the Airkenya reservations team from Aerolink where she held the same position. Phiona has a rich experience in the reservations department having joined Aerolink in 2018. We wish Phiona all the best in her new environment.
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AIRKENYA NEWS UPDATE
Visiting Emarti Primary School The Airkenya team visited the 2021 Emarti Primary School candidates back in March 2022 to proffer exam supplies, represented by the Reservations Manager, Maryanne Ngángá, and the Marketing Manager, Jean Uku. Airkenya has been part of this school’s journey for almost a decade during which it has been transformed from basic tin-panel structures to a modern eight-classroom facility.
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World Pilots’ Day 2022
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JINJA
KISUMU MBARARA
LAKE MBURO NAT. PARK
LAMU
MALINDI
DIANI
1. Amboseli 2. Finch Hattons - Tsavo 2. Kilimanjaro 3. Lewa Downs 4. Masai Mara 5. Meru
6. Nairobi 7. Nanyuki 8. Samburu 9. Migori 10. Loisaba 11. Kisumu 12. Entebbe
1. Bwindi Impenetrable Forest - Kihihi and Kisoro airstrips 2. Queen Elizabeth National Park - Kasese, Mweya and Semliki airstrips 3. Murchison Falls National Park - Pakuba, Bugungu and Chobe airstrips 4. Kidepo National Park - Kidepo Airstrip 5. Lake Mburo National Park - Mbarara Airstrip 6. Entebbe - Mara Via Kisumu
1. Arusha 2. Dar es Salaam 3. Fort Ikoma 4. Grumeti 5. Kilimanjaro 6. Kogatende 7. Lake Manyara 8. Lamai
9. Lobo 10. Ndutu 11. Sasakwa 12. Serengeti South 13. Seronera 14. Wasso 15. Zanzibar 16 Tarime
AIRKENYA AIRCRAFT FLEET BOMBARDIER DHC 8-202 (DASH 8) Manufacturer: Bombardier Crew: 5 (2 pilots, 1 flight attendant, 1 engineer, 1 Baggage Master) Passengers: Maximum 37 Description: Pressurised aircraft ideal for both African bush and city flying No in Fleet: 1
DHC 7-100 (DASH 7) Manufacturer: Dehavilland Canada Crew: 5 (2 Pilots, 2 Flight attendants and 1 Engineer) Passengers: Maximum 50 Description: Pressurised STOL (short take-off and landing) aircraft ideal for African bush flying No in Fleet: 2
DHC 6-300 (TWIN OTTER) Manufacturer: Dehavilland Canada Crew: 2 pilots Passengers: Maximum 18 Description: STOL (short take-off & landing) aircraft with fixed landing gear ideal for African bush flying No in Fleet: 3
CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN C208B Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company Crew: 2 pilots Passengers: Maximum 11 Description: STOL Aircraft with fixed undercarriage ideal for African bush flying No in Fleet: 3
AIRKENYA FLIGHT SCHEDULE 2022 FLT NO
FROM
TO
AMBOSELI P2 883 P2 884
WILSON AMBOSELI
AMBOSELI WILSON
DEPART
ARRIVE
07:30 08:15
08:05 09:30
• Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • The Inbound Amboseli -Wilson service via Finch Hattons immidiately connects to Nanyuki, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Meru, Loisaba at 10:00;connects the Maasai Mara at 10:30 and Kilimanjaro at 13:30 FINCH HATTONS - TSAVO P2 883 WILSON FINCH HATTONS 07:30 08:30 P2 884 FINCH HATTONS WILSON 08:45 09:30 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate; Starting 01st January 2022 via Amboseli • The Inbound Finch Hattons -Wilson service immediately connects to Nanyuki, Lewa Downs, Samburu, Meru, Loisaba at 10:00; connects the Masai Mara at 10:30 and and Kilimanjaro at 13:30 KILIMANJARO P2 821 WILSON KILIMANJARO 13:30 14:25 P2 822 KILIMANJARO WILSON 14:40 15:35 • Daily Service, minimum of 4 pax to operate; • This airport is your gateway to a safari between Kenya & Tanzania as it easily connects to Arusha, Manyara, Grumeti, Seronera,Kogatende, Lobo, Fort-Ikoma and Sasakwa with Regional Air Services at 14:30 • Kilimanjaro To Wilson inbound service connects Masai Mara at 1600hrs between 01st July and 30th September 2022 LEWA DOWNS P2 861 WILSON LEWA DOWNS 09:00 10:25 P2 871 WILSON LEWA DOWNS 10:00 11:00 P2 872 LEWA DOWNS WILSON 11:10 13:25 P2 862 LEWA DOWNS MASAI MARA 10:35 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight into & out of Lewa Downs, operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Flight from Lewa to Masai Mara may route via Wilson to connect Masai Mara Service at 14:00 in the low season • The inbound flight Lewa to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30 and to Masai Mara at 14:00 • You can now connect to Lewa from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00 LEWA DOWNS (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON LEWA DOWNS 08:00 09:25 P2 864 LEWA DOWNS MASAI MARA 09:35 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022 • Flight into & out of Lewa operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • Inbound pax to Wilson can use the Service Lewa - Wilson at 11:10. LOISABA P2 861 WILSON LOISABA 09:00 10:25 P2 871 WILSON LOISABA 10:00 11:30 P2 872 LOISABA WILSON 11:40 13:25 P2 862 LOISABA MASAI MARA 10:35 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight into & out of Loisaba, operate Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Flight from Loisaba to Masai Mara may route via Wilson to connect Masai Mara Service at 14:00 in the low season • The inbound flight Loisaba to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30 and to Masai Mara at 14:00 • You can now connect to Loisaba from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00 LOISABA (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON LOISABA 08:00 09:25 P2 864 LOISABA MASAI MARA 09:35 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022
FLT NO MASAI MARA P2 851 P2 852
FROM
TO
WILSON MASAI MARA
MASAI MARA WILSON
DEPART
ARRIVE
07:30 08:15
08:10 09:45
P2 853 WILSON MASAI MARA 10:30 11:10 P2 854 MASAI MARA WILSON 11:15 13:00 P2 951 WILSON MASAI MARA 14:00 14:40 P2 952 MASAI MARA WILSON 14:45 16:15 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • The inbound flight Masai Mara to Wilson arriving at 09:45 connects to our Wilson-Northern frontier Services i.e Lewa, Loisaba, Meru, Nanyuki and Samburu at 10:00 • Masai Mara services operates into multiple airstrips, therefore timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • The arrival and departure times depict the first stop. • Call Airkenya operations on departure date to confirm arrival and pick up times for various airstrips MASAI MARA (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 953 WILSON MASAI MARA 16:00 16:40 P2 954 MASAI MARA WILSON 16:45 18:15 • These flights would operate with minimum of 2 pax between 01st July and 30th September 2022 • Flight into & out of Mara, operate Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing MERU P2 861 WILSON MERU 09:00 09:55 P2 871 WILSON MERU 10:00 12:00 P2 872 MERU WILSON 12:10 13:25 P2 872 MERU NANYUKI 12:10 12:35 P2 872 MERU SAMBURU 10:20 10:40 P2 862 MERU MASAI MARA 10:05 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight into & out of Meru, operate Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Flight from Meru to Masai Mara may route via Wilson to connect Masai Mara Service at 14:00 in the low season • The inbound flight Meru to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30 and to Masai Mara at 14:00 • Meru - samburu is a one direction service • You can now connect to Meru from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00 MERU (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON MERU 08:00 08:55 P2 864 MERU MASAI MARA 09:05 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022 • Flight into & out of Meru, operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Inbound pax to Wilson can use the Service Meru - Wilson at 12:10 NANYUKI / KAMOK P2 861 WILSON NANYUKI 09:00 09:35 P2 871 WILSON NANYUKI 10:00 10:35 P2 872 NANYUKI WILSON 12:45 13:25 P2 871 NANYUKI MERU 10:45 12:00 P2 862 NANYUKI MASAI MARA 11:00 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight into & out of Nanyuki operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Nanyuki to Masai Mara may route via Wilson in low season to connect Masai Mara 14:00 departure. • The inbound flight Nanyuki to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30 and to Masai Mara at 14:00 • Airstrips served Nanyuki Civil & Kamok Airstrips • You can now connect to Nanyuki from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00
AIRKENYA FLIGHT SCHEDULE 2022 FLT NO FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE NANYUKI/KAMOK (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON NANYUKI 08:00 08:35 P2 864 NANYUKI MASAI MARA 10:00 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022 • Flight into & out of Nanyuki operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • Inbound pax to Wilson can use the Service Nanyuki - Wilson at 12:45 SAMBURU P2 861 WILSON SAMBURU 09:00 10:25 P2 871 WILSON SAMBURU 10:00 11:30 P2 872 SAMBURU WILSON 11:40 13:25 P2 862 SAMBURU MASAI MARA 10:35 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight into & out of Samburu operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • The inbound flight Samburu to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30. Samburu to Masai Mara may route via wilson in low season • Airstrips served Samburu Buffalo & Kalama. Samburu to Masai Mara may route via Wilson in low season to connect Masai Mara 14:00 departure. • You can now connect to Samburu from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00 SAMBURU (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON SAMBURU 08:00 09:25 P2 864 SAMBURU MASAI MARA 09:35 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022 • Flight into & out of Samburu operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Inbound pax to Wilson can use the Service Samburu - Wilson at 11:40. SASAAB P2 861 WILSON SASAAB 09:00 10:25 P2 871 WILSON SASAAB 10:00 11:30 P2 872 SASAAB WILSON 11:40 13:25 P2 862 SASAAB MASAI MARA 10:35 12:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate; Starting 01st January 2022 • Flight into & out of Samburu Sasaab operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • Flight from Sasaab to Masai Mara may route via Wilson to connect Masai Mara Service at 14:00 in the low season • The inbound flight Sasaab to Wilson connects Kilimanjaro at 13:30 and to Masai Mara at 14:00 • You can now connect to Sasaab from Masai Mara via Wilson on the morning flight at 10:00 SASAAB (ADDITIONAL FLIGHT) P2 863 WILSON SASAAB 08:00 09:25 P2 864 SASAAB MASAI MARA 09:35 11:00 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate. The flight will operate between 01 July - 30 September 2022 • Flight to Sasaab operate into Multiple Airstrips and timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • Inbound pax to Wilson can use the service Sasaab - Wilson at 11:40 MIGORI & TARIME P2 454 MIGORI MASAI MARA 11:35 12:40 P2 453 MASAI MARA MIGORI 08:15 09:00 P2 453 MASAI MARA TARIME 08:15 10:10 P2 454 TARIME MASAI MARA 10:30 12:40 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Service operates into multiple airstrips therefore timings may vary depending on aircraft routing • The service connects Serengeti services and Masai Mara with Regional Air and Airkenya Services. • Contact Airkenya reservations if connecting Auric and Coastal Aviation
FLT NO FROM TO DEPART ARRIVE MASAI MARA - SERENGETI - MARA VIA MIGORI/TARIME P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA SERONERA 08:15 11:20 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA NDUTU 08:15 11:45 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA KOGATENDE 08:15 11:20 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA LOBO 08:15 11:20 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA FORT IKOMA 08:15 11:20 P2/8N 453/432 MASAI MARA MANYARA 08:15 12:00 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA SERENGETI 08:15 11:20 SOUTH P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA SASAKWA 08:15 11:20 P2/8N 453/422 MASAI MARA GRUMETI 08:15 11:20 8N/P2 431/454 MANYARA MASAI MARA 08:40 12:40 8N/P2 115/454 NDUTU MASAI MARA 08:00 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 FORT IKOMA MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 LOBO MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 SERENGETI MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 SOUTH 8N/P2 421/454 SERONERA MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 SASAKWA MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 KOGATENDE MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 8N/P2 421/454 GRUMETI MASAI MARA 09:15 12:40 • Daily Service; minimum of 2 pax to operate • Flight services route via Migori and Tarime • Airkenya provides road transfer and handling between Migori and Tarime • Service operates into multiple airstrips therefore pick up and drop off timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • The service connects Serengeti services and Masai Mara with Regional Air and Airkenya Services. • Contact Airkenya reservations if connecting Auric and Coastal Aviation MASAI MARA - UGANDA VIA KISUMU/ENTEBBE P2 551 MASAI MARA KISUMU 08:15 09:20 P2 551 KISUMU ENTEBBE 10:00 11:00 P2 552 ENTEBBE KISUMU 11:45 12:45 P2 552 KISUMU MASAI MARA 13:25 14:00 P2 551 MASAI MARA ENTEBBE 08:15 11:00 P2 552 ENTEBBE MASAI MARA 11:45 14:00 P2/A8* 551/121 MASAI MARA KIHIHI (BINP) 08:15 14:40 P2/A8* 551/ 121 MASAI MARA KASESE/MWEYA 08:15 14:15 (QENP) P2/A8* 551/121 MASAI MARA SEMILIKI 08:15 14:15 P2/A8* 551/121 MASAI MARA BUGUNGU/ PAKU08:15 13:00 BA/CHOBE (MFNP) P2/ A8* 551/ 131 MASAI MARA KIDEPO (KVNP) 08:15 14:45 A8*/P2 112/552 KIHIHI/KISORO MASAI MARA 09:45 14:45 (BINP) A8*/P2 112/552 KASESE/MWEYA MASAI MARA 10:20 14:45 A8*/P2 112/552 SEMILIKI MASAI MARA 10:20 14:45 • Flights are daily with a minimum of 4 pax to operate. • Flight services route via Kisumu and Entebbe Airports for Customs and Immigration • Service into multiple airstrips therefore pick up and drop off timings may vary depending on aircraft routing. • BINP -Bwindi Impenetrable National Park • QENP - Queen Elizabeth National Park • MFNP - Murchison Falls National Park • KVNP - Kidepo Valley National Park • Kidepo Service will require a minimum of 7 pax and will operate on Wed, Fri and Sun
HIGH SEASON: 21 DEC 2021 - 28 FEB 2022; 01 JUNE 2022 - 31 OCT 2022 LOW SEASON: 01 MARCH 2022 - 31 MAY 2022; 01 NOV 2022 - 20 DEC 2022 Valid from 21st Dec 2021 to 20th Dec 2022 • CHECK IN TIME is 60 minutes before flight time in Nairobi (Wilson), Kilimanjaro, Kisumu and Entebbe Airports. • Gate closes 30 minutes before departure time after which passengers will not be allowed to check in. • Check in time from all bush airstrips is 30 minutes before departure time. • Airkenya Operations can be reached on the morning of schedule flights to get approximate arrival and departure times for various bush airstrips. • Airkenya guarantees all its connecting flights within Kenya and across East Africa in conjunction with its subsidiaries; Regional Air Services and Aerolink Uganda.
Contact the Charter Department for tailor-made services or if the scheduled service does not meet your requirements: charters@airkenya.com
Call Centre - +254 (0)20 391 6000 / +254 (0) 20 3925000 Operations: +254 (0) 706 085534 / +254 (0) 727 131977 Email: resvns@airkenya.com / marketing@airkenya.com Website: www.airkenya.com
REGIONAL AIR SERVICES
2
FLIGHT SCHEDULE 2022
YEARS
1997-2022
SCHEDULE VALID FROM 1ST JANUARY 2022 UPTO 31ST DECEMBER 2022
FROM Arusha AM
TO Fort Ikoma Grumeti Kogatende Lobo Manyara Ndutu*** Sasakwa Seronera SGS Wasso
ETD 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00 08:00
ETA 10:05 09:30 09:55 09:25 08:25 09:05 10:05 10:30 TBA 09:55
Arusha PM
Kilimanjaro Manyara Seronera
13:00 16:00 16:00
13:15 16:25 17:15
COMMENTS
FROM TO ETD ETA COMMENTS Manyara AM Arusha 11:50 12:15 Dar 11:50 16:40 High Season Only Dar 11:50 15:20 Low & Mid Season Only Fort Ikoma 08:40 10:05 Grumeti 08:40 09:30 Kilimanjaro 11:50 13:10 Kogatende 08:40 09:25 Lobo 08:40 10:20 Ndutu *** 08:40 09:05 Sasakwa ** 08:40 10:05 Seronera 08:40 10:30 Tarime 08:40 10:15 Connects with Airkenya at Migori Zanzibar 11:50 16:00 High Season Only Zanzibar 11:50 14:35 Low & Mid Season Only Manyara - Zanzibar flight in the high season is via Ausha and will have a lay over of 2 hours and connect on the 1500hrs flight to Zanzibar
Arusha Dar Arusha Zanzibar Zanzibar
LOW AND MID SEASON (1ST JANUARY – 14TH JUNE 2022 AND 16TH SEPTEMBER - 31ST DECEMBER 2022) Dar 13:00 15:20 Arusha 15:50 17:40 Zanzibar 13:00 14:35 Dar 15:00 15:20 Arusha 15:00 17:40
Arusha Dar Arusha Zanzibar Zanzibar
HIGH SEASON SCHEDULE (15TH JUNE 2022 - 15TH SEPTEMBER 2022) Dar 14:30 16:20 Arusha 16:40 17:50 Zanzibar 14:30 15:35 Dar 16:05 16:20 Arusha 16:05 17:50
Zanzibar AM
Dar es Salaam AM
Grumeti AM
ZANZIBAR - ARUSHA - SERENGETI MORNING SCHEDULE Arusha 07:30 09:05 Kogatende 07:30 10:30 Lobo 07:30 10:30 Sasakwa 07:30 10:30 Seronera 07:30 10:30 DAR ES SALAAM - ARUSHA - SERENGETI MORNING SCHEDULE Arusha 08:00 09:05 Kogatende 08:00 10:30 Lobo 08:00 10:30 Sasakwa 08:00 10:30 Seronera 08:00 10:30 Arusha Dar Dar Kilimanjaro Kogatende Lobo Manyara Ndutu *** Sasakwa Tarime Seronera Zanzibar Zanzibar
09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:50 09:15 09:50 09:50 09:50
12:15 13:10 15:20 13:10 10:10 10:35 11:35 11:20 10:00 10:15 10:30 12:30 14:35
Arusha ** Manyara** Seronera** Kogatende** Lobo** Ndutu**
15:30 15:30 15:30 15:30 15:30 15:30
15:45 16:25 17:15 TBA TBA TBA
Arusha Arusha Dar Dar Grumeti Kilimanjaro Lobo Manyara Ndutu *** Sasakwa ** Seronera Tarime Zanzibar Zanzibar
09:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 10:00 09:15 10:00 10:00
10:10 12:15 13:10 15:20 10:25 13:10 TBA 11.35 TBA 10:15 10:30 10:15 12:35 14:35
Seronera AM Arusha Dar Dar Grumeti ** Kilimanjaro Kogatende Lobo Manyara Sasakwa ** Tarime Zanzibar Zanzibar
11:00 11:00 11:00 09:30 11:00 09:30 09:30 11:00 09:30 09:15 11:00 11:00
12:15 12:35 15:20 10:00 13:10 09:55 09:50 11:35 09:45 10:15 12:35 14:35
Seronera PM Arusha * Arusha*
17:30 12:45
18:30 13:40 High season only
Lobo AM
09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:45 09:15 09:45 09:45
12:15 13:10 15:20 10:25 13:10 09:55 11:35 10:15 10:05 10:30 10:15 12:35 14:35
Kilimanjaro PM
Kogatende AM
Arusha Dar Dar Grumeti Kilimanjaro Kogatende Manyara Ndutu *** Sasakwa ** Seronera Tarime Zanzibar Zanzibar
Manyara PM Arusha * Grumeti * Sasakwa *
18:05 16:40 16:40
18:30 TBA TBA
Ndutu AM
Arusha *** Dar *** Dar *** Grumeti *** Kilimanjaro *** Kogatende *** Lobo *** Manyara *** Sasakwa ** Seronera *** Tarime *** Zanzibar *** Zanzibar ***
11:35 11:35 11:35 09:20 11:35 09:20 09:20 11:35 09:20 09:20 09:15 11:35 11:35
12:15 16:40 15:20 09:50 13:10 10:00 09:50 12:00 09:50 10:30 10:15 16:00 14:35
SGS
Tarime Arusha
09:15 TBA
10:15 TBA
Sasakwa AM
Arusha Dar Dar Kilimanjaro Kogatende Lobo Manyara Ndutu *** Seronera Tarime Zanzibar Zanzibar
10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 09:15 10:15 10:15
12:15 13:10 15:20 13:10 TBA TBA 11:15 11:20 10:30 10:15 12:35 14:35
High season only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori
Wasso AM
Arusha **
10:00
12:15
Fort Ikoma AM
Arusha Dar Dar Kilimanjaro Lobo Manyara Ndutu Tarime Zanzibar Zanzibar
10:00 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 10:15 09:15 10:15 10:15
12:15 13:10 15:20 13:10 TBA 11:35 11:20 10:15 12:35 14:35
Ndutu** Kogatende** Lobo**
16:00 16:00 16:00
TBA TBA TBA
High season only Low & Mid Season Only
Arusha PM High Season Only All Year Schedule High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Arusha 11:00 13:40 Fort Ikoma 11:00 TBA Grumeti 11:00 TBA Kogatende 11:00 11:15 Lobo 11:00 TBA Manyara 11:00 TBA Ndutu 11:00 TBA Sasakwa 11:00 TBA Seronera 11:00 12:10 SGS 11:00 TBA Above Rates to and from Tarime are exclusive of road transfers charged at $ 55 per person and the sector Mara - Migori - Mara is operated by Airkenya Express
Tarime
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Connects with Airkenya at Migori High Season Only Low & Mid Season Only
Arusha Nairobi, Wilson 13:00 15:20 Grumeti 9:50 15:20 Kilimanjaro 14:25 15:20 Lobo 9:45 15:20 Kogatende 10:00 15:20 Manyara 11:50 15:20 Ndutu 11:35 15:20 Sasakwa 10:15 15:20 Seronera 11:00 15:20 Kilimanjaro - Wilson Sector Operated by AirKenya Express Nairobi, Wilson
Arusha 13:15 15:45 Grumeti 13:15 TBA Kilimanjaro 13:15 14:10 Manyara 13:15 16:25 Sasakwa 13:15 TBA Seronera 13:15 17:05 Wilson - Kilimanjaro Sector Operated by Airkenya Express
NOTES • All timings are estimates and will vary depending on aircraft routing more • *ON REQUEST means we will only operate where there is sufficient traffic to justify the operation and timing or when extra cost is covered • **ON INDUCEMENT means flights which we will operate at scheduled rates for 4 passengers or more • ***SEASONAL is June to October and December to March • ****TBA means time to be advised depending on flight plan that day • A minimum of 2 pax is required for RAS to operate into any airstrip that’s not on inducement or request.
Operations: ops@regional.co.tz / +255 (0)753 500 300 / (0)786 021 102 Reservations: resvns@regional.co.tz / +255 (0)754 285 754 / (0)784 285 753
www.regionaltanzania.com
REGIONAL AIR FLEET
CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN C208B Manufacturer: Crew: Passengers: Description: Fleet No.:
Cessna Aircraft Company, USA 2 pilots Maximum 12 STOL Aircraft with fixed undercarriage ideal for African bush flying 1
DHC 6-300 (TWIN OTTER) Manufacturer: Crew: Passengers: Description: No in Fleet:
Dehavilland, Canada 2 pilots Maximum 18 STOL (short take-off & landing) aircraft with fixed landing gear ideal for African bush flying 1
BOMBARDIER DHC 8-202 (DASH 8) Manufacturer: Crew: Passengers: Description: Fleet No.:
Bombardier 2 pilots 1 flight attendant Maximum 37 Pressurized cummuter aircraft 1
AEROLINK AIRCRAFT FLEET
CESSNA GRAND CARAVAN C208B Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company, USA Crew: 2 pilots Passengers: Maximum 11 Description: STOL Aircraft with fixed undercarriage ideal for African bush flying No in Fleet: 3
NAIROBI Airkenya Express Limited, Wilson Airport P.O. Box 30357 - 00100 Nairobi, Kenya Telephone numbers: Call Centre (Reservations) +254 (0)20 391 6000
Airkenya Express
@airkenya_official Administration:
(Operations, Sales Marketing & Accounts) +254 (0) 20 3925000, 6005745/6, +254 (0) 206005730 Mobile: +254 (0) 721 415346, 0733 731865, +254 (0) 727 131977 E-mail: resvns@airkenya.com, operations@airkenya.com charters@airkenya.com & helicopters@airkenya.com
@AirKenyaExpress
www.airkenya.com
AEROLINK ENTEBBE INTERNATIONA AIRPORT - UGANDA P.O. BOX 689 Entebbe RESERVATIONS Tel: +256 31 7333000 OPERATIONS Tel: +256 776 8882205 ADMINISTRATION Tel: +256 31 733000 Email: info@aerolinkuganda.com
www.regionaltanzania.com
www.aerolinkuganda.com
#KCAACares
Email: https://www.kcaa.or.ke/covid-19 for requirements for travelling into Kenya.
Confirm your destination country’s Covid-19 travel protocols before booking your travel to avoid any inconveniences.
