#AFRICANADVENTURES
One of the world’s oldest active volcanoes, Erta Ale, can be found in the Danakil Depression in the Afar region of Ethiopia. It is also only one of four active lava lakes in the north-eastern part of the country. The volcano was formed between the divergence of three tectonic plates in the Horn of Africa. Alienesque in appearance, with its salt mines and unusually colourful landscape, the Danakil Depression is the hottest place on earth, where temperatures soar over 50°C in the summer.
KENYA Sharing its borders with Ethiopia, South Sudan, Somalia, Tanzania and Uganda, Kenya offers a wide range of experiences spanning bush, beach and inner-city escapades. The country’s MICE industry is growing rapidly and has garnered global attention as a destination. According to the Kenya Tourism Board, over the past three years, the nation has successfully hosted a number of international meetings, conferences and exhibitions, which have attracted more than 100 000 international delegates and significantly contributed to Kenya’s travel and tourism industries. Kenya is blessed with an abundance of natural attractions, with one of its greatest being the
EAST AFRICA AT A GLANCE East Africa’s landscape has been shaped by global plate tectonic movement that has resulted in the creation of the East African Rift. The region is home to two of Africa’s tallest peaks: Mount Kilimanjaro (5 885 m) and Mount Kenya (3 825 m). As part of its natural bounty, East Africa also includes Lake Victoria, the world’s second largest freshwater lake, and Lake Tanganyika, which is the world’s second deepest lake.
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Maasai Mara National Reserve. Each year between July and October, approximately 2 million wildebeest make the Great Migration across the Serengeti National Park to the Maasai Mara – an impressive spectacle that can be viewed during a game drive or from a hot air balloon. Kenya is also home to some of Africa’s most idyllic beaches and, 30 km south of Mombasa, Diani provides a 17 km stretch of white sandy beaches and clear waters protected by a coral reef. Diani’s coastline is dotted with trendy beachfront bars and restaurants, as well as an assortment of outdoor activities such as jetskiing, kite surfing, sky diving and snorkelling.
RWANDA Rwanda is making a name for itself internationally. Prior to Covid-19, the small East African nation was on track to generate US$88 million (R1.47 billion) in revenue from its MICE industry. The nation has made remarkable strides, both as an economy and as one of Africa’s
leading MICE destinations – in 2016, the Kigali International Conference Centre (KICC) was officially launched by Rwanda’s president, Paul Kagame. The KICC complex is an experience in itself and comprises: a conference centre with seating capacity of 2 600; the five-star, 292-room Radisson Blu Hotel Kigali; the Kigali Information Technology Park, with 32 200 m2 of office and retail space; as well as a museum on the bottom floor of the office park. Rwanda is popular among nature lovers and conservationists, and the country has dedicated
MEETINGS l SEPT/OCT 2020 •
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