Travel Africa

travel africa

The Caretakers

pages 26-27, 31

Africa Business Association Publications August-September 2021

In This Issue…

August-September 2021

4

From the Publisher…

Industry News 6 7 8 9 10 12 13 14 15 16 17

More Than 450 Airlines can now use IBM’s Blockchain-based Vaccine Passport United Airlines Partners With Walmart For Easier COVID-19 Testing British Airways and Other Travel Services Launch Digital Covid-19 Info Travel Tools New Website Chronicles the History of Black Leisure Travel Across the Diaspora Sunscreen Concerns Escalate as Another Potential Carcinogen Found Inaugural Black Travel Expo to be Held in Atlanta, Georgia You’ll Soon be Able to Fly Non-Stop From NYC to Senegal Thanks to Air Senegal Hyatt Plans to Debut the Hyatt House Brand in Johannesburg Airlines are Banning Fabric and Vented Masks Giving Globally is Easier Than Ever Another Go-To Tool for Travel Guidelines

Feature Stories 19 ‘Spending Easter In Lalibela, Ethiopia Was An Experience I’ll Never Forget’ 24 Sussurro, an Ode to African Material Culture in Mozambique 26 Rangers Keep up Work to Protect African Wildlife Despite Pandemic 31 Team Lioness 34 How Aduke Africa is Encouraging You to Visit Africa Through the Lens of Benin 42 How One Woman Saved South Africa’s Oldest Language 44 Did You Know? The World’s Oldest Tribes Can Be Found In South Africa 47 Trevor Noah Teams Up with Duolingo to

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Team Lioness pages 26-27, 31 IFWA

48 51 52 54 56

Teach South Africa’s Popular Languages Destination Thumbnail Profiles - Explore Jewels in the Sand New Museum Links Africa to America The Greatest Show on Earth Travel and Leisure 500 - 2021: The Africa Sites

Travel Africa 22 Did You Know? Sudan Has More Pyramids Than Egypt 28 Voluntourism 101: How to Find a Reputable Wildlife Sanctuary in Africa 46 Seeking Dual Citizenship? Experts Share Steps for Acquiring Citizenship in Africa

60 Did You Know? West Africa’s Mali was One of the Richest Places in the World 62 Black Physician Creates Health Gujide for Managing Sickness when Traveling 63 Rwanda’s Traditional Imigongo Art is on the Rise

Columns 66 68 70 76 78 83 86

Cruise Africa - South Africa Spotlight WORLD HERITAGE SITES Travel Africa Ski Africa Golf Africa African Cuisine! Republic of Benin Events Around the African Continent and the World

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From the Publisher…

World Tourism Day 2021 “Tourism For Inclusive Growth”

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he COVID-19 pandemic has had a massive social and economic impact. Both developed and developing economies have been hit. And marginalized groups and the most vulnerable have been hit hardest

of all. The restart of tourism will help kickstart recovery and growth. It is essential that the benefits this will bring are enjoyed widely and fairly.

UNWTO has therefore designated World Tourism Day 2021 as a day to focus on Tourism for Inclusive Growth. This is an opportunity to look beyond tourism statistics and acknowledge that, behind every number, there is a person. UNWTO invites its Member States, as well as non-members, sister UN agencies, businesses and individuals to celebrate tourism’s unique ability to ensure that nobody is left behind as the world begins to open up again and look to the future.

World Tourism Day, celebrated each year on 27 September, is the global observance day fostering awareness of tourism’s social, cultural, political and economic value and the contribution that the sector can make towards reaching the Sustainable Development Goals.

Ricky Muloweni

Publisher

The Travel Africa team supports the UNWTO’s worldwide promotion of the role that travel plays in the economies of all nations. We work to offer you information that we hope will encourage travel to the vast variety of destinations across the continent of Africa. Your investment in your life enhancing experience is an investment in an enhanced life experience for those in the hospitality industry of Africa. Read the stories on Team Lioness, shown below, and the many other stories in this and past issues for a glimpse into the benefits your tourist dollars do to make in the lives of others better.

Happy Travels. www.africabusinessassociation.org

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About the

Africa Business Association

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he Africa Business Association is an independent international business development organization. We offer access to the latest resources, information, and best practices in advocacy and communications for the African Diaspora and the African entrepreneurs in Africa.

We work to help you have access to news and events as starting points for constructive conversations and calls to action. We seek to cut through the froth of the political spin cycle to underlying truths and values. We want to be so focused on progress that together we can provide a credible and constructive generation of Africans that take seriously our previous generations and act upon all their wishes, our hopes and aspirations to make lasting change for all future generations.

Africa Business Association

"Travel Africa" PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT Ricky Muloweni

ADVISORY BOARD

Earl 'Skip' Cooper, II, CEO, Black Business Association H.E. Sheila Siwela, Ambassador H.E. Kone L. Tanou, Ambassador

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ricky Muloweni

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications

AFRICA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS 6564 LOISDALE COURT, SUITE 600 Springfield, VA 22150 USA 1-571-278-9441 aba@africabisinessassociation.org dawn@africabusinessassociation.org www.africabusinessassociation.org

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by Africa Business Association News All Rights Reserved.

The posting of stories, commentaries, reports, documents and links (embedded or otherwise) on this site does not in any way, shape or form, implied or otherwise, necessarily express or suggest endorsement or support of any of such posted material or parts therein.

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Publisher’s Message: seeafricatoday.com

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Industry News

More Than 450 Airlines can now use IBM’s Blockchain-based Vaccine Passport

By Anne Quito

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n April, travelers at London’s Heathrow airport had to wait as long as six hours to be cleared to fly. The bottlenecks were a result of airline agents struggling to make sense of the various Covid-19 health clearances travelers were presenting. Imagine small cards, stamped documents, and digital apps in various languages and formats. The lack of standardization was a killer.

As international travel ramps up in parts of the world, Amadeus, a reservation system used by 474 airlines, has adopted IBM’s digital health passport solution called IBM Digital Health Pass.

Instead of presenting paper-based certifications, travelers need only scan a QR code sent by email at the gate. Travelers without smart phones can print a QR code. The backend technology authenticates credentials against requirements of each country—relieving from agents an onerous burden, given how frequently countries change travel restrictions as the pandemic evolves.

Six airlines are using the system so far: Air Europa, Air Corsica, French Bee, Air Caraibes, Air Canada, and Norwegian Air Shuttle. Starting today, other airlines using Amadeus can activate it in their systems. “This avoids cumbersome and time-consuming checks while traveling, and adds further reassurance to airlines and their passengers,” explained Christian Warneck, who oversees travel safety at the Madrid-based Amadeus.

Simplifying traveler credentials is especially crucial for international travel. Border agents faced a similar problem after World War I when European borders opened to tourists. The great diversity in passports from various nations produced delays in train station to such extremes it was considered a threat to “the economic recovery of the world.”

In 1920, 42 members of the League of Nations decided on the standard layout of passports that

we still follow for the most part today.

Beyond the AmadeusIBM partnership, several airlines have been testing other digital health passports.

For instance, JetBlue, Lufthansa, Swiss International Airlines, United Airlines, and Virgin Atlantic are using CommonPass, developed by the World Economic Forum and the Commons Project Foundation, on certain routes.

Concerns about privacy and accessibility Data privacy is a major issue in creating universally-accepted IDs. For instance, the French are up in arms about president Emmanuel Macron’s plan to introduce a national health pass to enter restaurants, shopping centers, museums, and any indoor gathering places. In Macron’s plan, anyone who gets the Covid-19 vaccine will be entered in a central database which could be used to track individuals. The perceived government encroachment on individual freedoms is a reason some in France aren’t getting the vaccine.

IBM Digital Health Pass, in contrast, uses blockchain encryption technology, eliminating the need to collect and store personal data. This allows user to manage what information they want to share through their smartphones. All border agents see is a prompt for whether a traveler is cleared for travel or not.

A future without paper passports?

Greg Land, IBM’s travel and transportation expert, believes the growing adoption of appbased health passes will energize initiatives to digitize all travel credentials which may one day make passport booklets obsolete.

Presentation of the new digital COVID-19

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United Airlines Partners With Walmart For Easier COVID-19 Testing

By Tom Boon

directly to the United Airlines app, where they are available within four to 48 hours of the test-taking place.

According to United Airlines, it is the only

rom today onwards, United Airlines is partnering with Walmart and Albertson Companies locations across the United States to make COVID-19 test appointments more accessible to its passengers. The partnership is an enhancement of a feature added to the airline’s digital infrastructure back in April.

Through the United Airlines app or website, passengers will be able to book an appointment at more than 3,800 test sites easily. Once the appointment is complete, test results are sent

F

airline that provides customers with the travel requirements of their destination and lets them complete and upload any relevant paperwork directly in its app and on its website. American Airlines, for example, is using the third-party app VeriFLY. So far, United has handled almost 3.3 million vaccinations, test results, and passenger locator forms through its app and website. https://simpleflying.com/united-airlines-walmartcovid-testing Image credit: eatthis.com, YAHOO!

vaccination passport COVPASS in PotsdamREUTERS A digital Covid-19 vaccination passport in Germany.

“Even before the pandemic, we were starting to see long lines at airports and other venues and it made us think that we just have to find a way to take that digital transformation to the next level,” Land explains. “It’s sad that it’s taken a pandemic to get progress in building these standards around

digital credentials. But I think what we’re going through right now, especially with airlines and other travel companies, is helping us realize the benefit of moving to digital IDs like passports or driver’s licenses.” https://qz.com/2036529/more-than-450-airlinescan-now-use-ibms-digital-health-pass/?utm_ source=email&utm_medium=daily-brief&utm_ content=6992129a-eb9f-11eb-aeb1-5e0f676510ff

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Industry News

British Airways and Other Travel Services Launch Digital Covid-19 Info Travel Tools

By Hannah Brandler

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ritish Airways has launched a new interactive map providing its customers with the latest travel restrictions and entry requirements.

The map can be accessed via its existing Covid hub and is set to be integrated into ba.com. It allows visitors to see the travel restrictions in place in each country before booking a trip.

Customers can search by traffic light colour or by typing in their destination, and a filter to indicate vaccination status will adjust the results.

The page was designed by global tech firm Sherpa and brings together up-to-date information for over 100 countries. The airline’s existing Covid-19 travel hub page includes information on flexible bookings, testing, voucher use, and onboard measures.

Jack Smith, British Airways’ Head of Digital said: “We know that travel in this new Covid era can feel overwhelming for our customers, and our job is to make their lives as straightforward as possible. This new tool, which has been tried and

is trusted by our joint business partner, American Airlines, will help people navigate the differing entry requirements, to allow for a smooth booking and travel experience.”

Max Tremaine, CEO of Sherpa, added: “Supporting the return to travel, we’re honoured to be working with the team at British Airways.

Together, we are providing their customers with the information they need to make informed booking decisions and travel confidently again.”

Easyjet has a similar online tool which features a live travel map showing the latest restrictions for travel to and from the 35 countries on Easyjet’s European network.

Airline alliance groups Oneworld and Skyteam recently enhanced their Covid-19 information portals, while London City airport launched a new passenger travel portal in May. www.businesstraveller.com/businesstravel/2021/07/21/british-airways-launchesdigital-covid-19-travel-tool/

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Industry News

New Website Chronicles the History of Black Leisure Travel Across the Diaspora

By Brunno Braga

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lack travelers recently gained another important source of empowerment on the internet, with the launching of the new History of Black Travel website. Created in partnership between Black Travel Alliance and Tourism RESET, the site intends to educate the public on Black leisure travel and how the African Diaspora traveled the planet— leaving their mark within the travel industry throughout history.

“We are excited to partner with Tourism RESET on this groundbreaking project,” said Ursula Petula Barzey, Research Committee Chair for Black Travel Alliance. “We brainstormed a number of research initiatives related to Black travel and in the end felt that The History Of Black Travel website with a timeline would have the most impact as it helps to educate and correct the misperception that Black people just started to travel for leisure. We have been traveling since the beginning of time and have made major contributions to the development of leisure travel and tourism.”

The History Of Black Travel site currently features 130 timeline entries from the Americas, focusing mostly on the United States. The site plans to continue expanding the timeline to add Black leisure travel stories from all continents and countries across the globe.

The organizers will also invite travelers, historians, scholars and tourism stakeholders to contribute with suggestions.

According to Black Travel Alliance, the feedback will assist with the development of the twelve main categories of the timeline that will help viewers focus on different aspects of Black travel throughout various eras, locations, and decades.

“Major categories include accommodations, explorers, groundbreakers, and leisure travel developments spotlighting cultural sites and

tours, festivals and major events, outdoor activities, food and drink, retail, and wellness,” said i a press release. l the organization in The website also has categories and entries related to slavery, migration, and the government with legislative and judicial rulings as they provide background and context for many of the Black leisure travel developments.

Ultimately, this will be used as a resource to educate and guide discussions related to the contributions of Black people to travel historically, presently, and for the future.

“History not only tells us the story of our past, but also informs our perspective as we move into the future. The History Of Black Travel timeline is a long-overdue tool for educators, researchers, and industry professionals to use in an effort to break down stereotypes and misconceptions of who the trailblazers in the travel industry really were,” Dr. Alana Dillette, Co-Director of Tourism RESET said.

“So often, Black people are plagued by the collective memory of slavery and the many injustices that followed. The History Of Black Travel timeline is an opportunity to shape-shift the narrative of Black travel history and own our stories – both the triumphs and the hardships.”

You can learn more via www.historyofblacktravel. com. https://travelnoire.com/new-website-chronicles-thehistory-of-black-leisure-travel-across-the-diaspora Image credit: HistoryofBlackTravel.com

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Industry News

Sunscreen Concerns Escalate as Another Potential Carcinogen Found

By Anna Edney

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esearchers asked U.S. regulators to pull some sunscreens from the market, including brands such as Coppertone, Banana Boat and Neutrogena, saying they’ve found evidence of a potential carcinogen.

Scientists petitioned the Food and Drug Administration to remove from sale all sunscreens containing the active ingredient octocrylene.

Products made with the chemical may contain benzophenone, a suspected carcinogen that also can interfere with key hormones and reproductive organs, according to a group led by Craig Downs, executive director of the nonprofit Haereticus Environmental Laboratory that studies risks to health and the environment.

A trade group called the report misleading.

Some 2,400 sun-protection products are made with octocrylene and “we don’t know what their safety is,” said Downs, who filed the petition Thursday. “The FDA doesn’t know what their safety is and it’s unconscionable that the FDA would allow something that we don’t know if it’s safe or not.”

Concerns about sunscreens began heating up in 2019 when the FDA asked manufacturers for safety data on chemical ingredients, including octocrylene. In May, an independent testing lab found levels of another probable carcinogen, benzene, in several products, leading to some recalls.

FDA research shows that the body absorbs enough of sunscreens’ chemical ingredients to warrant further testing. Yet there’s no indication companies have provided the safety data the FDA requested two years ago, said David Andrews, a senior scientist at the Environmental Working Group, an advocacy organization.

The FDA “takes seriously any safety concerns raised about products we regulate, including sunscreen,” said Courtney Rhodes,

a spokeswoman. The agency “will continue to monitor the sunscreen marketplace to help ensure the availability of safe sunscreens for U.S. consumers,” while it evaluates the contamination concerns, she said.

Similar Results Working with researchers at the Paris-based Sorbonne University, Downs and Joe DiNardo, a toxicologist who formerly worked in the cosmetics industry, tested 16 octocrylene-based sunscreens purchased in France and the U.S. The brands included Beiersdorf AG’s Coppertone Water Babies spray, Edgewell Personal Care Co.’s Banana Boat SPF 50 lotion and a Neutrogena Beach Defense spray and lotion from Johnson & Johnson. All of them tested positive for benzophenone.

Downs and DiNardo’s findings were published in the journal Chemical Research in Toxicology in March. Later, Belgian researchers published similar results after testing products containing octocrylene.

“We ensure that all Beiersdorf products, including our sunscreens, are rigorously evaluated for safety and efficacy,” Robert Nishiyama, a spokesman, said in an email. J&J and Edgewell didn’t respond

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to requests for comment.

Beiersdorf’s stock fell 1% at the close in Germany. Edgewell shares fell as much as 1.1% and J&J’s stock was little changed as of 2:16 p.m. in New York

The research “perpetuates misinformation and needlessly misleads and scares consumers about the safety of sunscreen products,” the Personal Care Products Council, a Washington lobby group, said in a statement. The European Union has approved octocrylene for use in sunscreens, the group said.

Missing Data Based on animal studies, the World Health Organization’s cancer research arm classifies benzophenone as a possible carcinogen. No data on a potential link with cancer in humans was available, according to the Geneva-based agency.

Research shows that benzophenone in sunscreens can interfere with estrogen, according to the WHO. The hormone plays a key role in the health of women, and disrupting it can lead to early puberty and altered functioning of reproductive organs.

Downs’ study suggests that benzophenone was formed by degradation of octocrylene. Only sunscreens containing the UV blocker tested positive for the contaminant, and the levels increased over time.

Downs has been studying the health and environmental impact of sunscreens for years.

His research led Hawaii and other beach tourist

destinations such as the U.S. Virgin Islands to ban the sale of sunscreens containing oxybenzone, which is chemically related to benzophenone and octocrylene, because of research suggesting damage to coral reefs.

The Maui City Council’s environment committee is considering even tougher laws for sunscreens. Sales and use of sun products should be restricted to those made with the minerals zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, both deemed safe by the FDA, Peter Landon, a natural reserve system specialist at the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources told the committee Wednesday. Narrowing the field to those two mineral sunscreens would prevent the industry from making small changes to the banned chemicals to get around the legislation, Landon said.

Widely used sunscreens were targeted in May by a separate FDA petition after an analysis by Valisure, an independent laboratory that monitors product safety, found benzene in a range of products. J&J recalled all lots of five brands of Neutrogena and Aveeno aerosol sunscreens after the findings were released.

CVS Pulls Sun-Care Products After Carcinogen Benzene Found Immediately after J&J’s recall, several classaction lawsuits were filed citing the sunscreen risk.

J&J is already facing suits from people claiming their cancers were caused by the company’s talcbased powders tainted with asbestos.

It’s not clear how benzene entered the products.

Some part of the manufacturing process may have led to the contaminant’s appearance in sunscreens, Valisure said at the time.

Pressure on the industry may continue into next year, when the U.S. National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, which assembles experts to study key, contentious issues, is expected to deliver a report on sunscreens. On Thursday, a National Academies panel heard a presentation on research linking benzophenones in sunscreens to endometriosis, a painful condition in which tissue that normally grows inside a woman’s uterus forms outside the organ. www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-08-09/ sunscreen-concerns-heat-up-as-another-potentialcarcinogen-found

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Industry News

Inaugural Black Travel Expo to be Held in Atlanta, Georgia

By Ey Pfalz

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he first-ever Black Travel Expo is set to be held this October 14-17, 2021 at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis in Atlanta, Georgia, an important event for people of color to learn more about the travel industry, plan their vacations and meet travel leaders and influencers.

According to a report by the Black Travel Alliance (BTA) and MMGY Global, Black leisure travelers from the U.S. spent $109.4 billion in the industry in 2019, which shows a larger need for accommodating diversity within the travel industry.

That’s why Maurice Foley, the Black Travel Expo’s founder and CEO, created the expo. The event is the only one of its kind held in the U.S. this year. Currently, the main sponsors include the City of Atlanta, Georgia, Delta Airlines and the Marriott Marquis Atlanta.

“The Black Travel Expo is important for the Black traveling public to learn how travel began for people of color. It is the place to hear amazing travel stories, receive great travel advice, learn how to travel on various budgets, and find out who’s who in the black travel industry. Most importantly, support Black travel entrepreneurs, products, services, and brands over one weekend and under one roof,” said Foley.

Keynote speakers include: • Kellee Edwards, adventurer and Travel Channel host; • Evita Robinson, founder of Nomadness Travel Tribe; • Stephanie Jones, founder of the National Black in Travel and Tourism Collaborative; • Denella Ri’chard, travel executive product and TV host of “Traveling with Denella Ri’chard”; and • Jay Cameron, founder and CEO of Maximum Impact.

Mike Foley Subjects of presentations will include everything from the latest travel news to travel trends and inspiration.

Individuals who love to travel or who are part of the travel industry are welcome to register here for a $99 early bird fee. To see the full schedule, speaker and panelist profiles, exhibitors, live entertainment and more, please click here. www.travelpulse.com/news/features/inauguralblack-travel-expo-to-be-held-in-atlanta-georgia. html

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You’ll Soon be Able to Fly Non-Stop From NYC to Senegal Thanks to Air Senegal

By Brunno Braga Fly Air Sénégal @FlyAirSenegal

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isiting Senegal is going to be easier starting in September through newly announced nonstop flights. State-owned airline company Air Senegal revealed on its website that it will soon offer twice weekly flights with nonstop service from New York’s JFK airport to Dakar’s Blaise Diagne International airport.

According to Air Senegal, the flights will be operated by its second Airbus A330 neo widebody, equipped with 32 flatbed seats in Business Class, 21 in Premium Economy and 237 in Economy class. In addition to the in-flight Wi-Fi service, passengers will have a baggage allowance of 64KG in business and premium economy and 46KG in economy (two pieces).

Air Senegal also stated that this new route would also offer connections to and from destinations in Senegal and other African cities such as Ziguinchor, Cap Skirring, Banjul, Conakry, Praia, Abidjan, Nouakchott, Bamako Cotonou, Douala, Libreville and Casablanca.

For Air Senegal CEO Ibrahima Kane, this announcement helps to solidify the United States as a high priority for the company.

“It’s with great pleasure and pride that we are

announcing this new milestone for our flag carrier Air Senegal, which is part of the strategy of our intercontinental expansion.

In addition, the United States remains a high priority market for our diaspora, which is well represented in the area”, he said.

Kane added that, with this new service, Air Senegal will make the US even more accessible for the West African communities.

“And therefore strengthen the economic and sociocultural ties between the USA and Senegal”.

Air Senegal will be the only African carrier to offer direct flights between Senegal and the US. US-based carrier, Delta Air Lines, flies between New York JFK and Dakar.

Hitting hard by Covid-19, Senegal is working to resume its tourism activities. This tropical African country is one of the most popular tourist destinations in West Africa, which is home to Dakar and Saint Louis, two dynamic cultural hubs.

Senegal offers several wildlife parks, including the Niokolo-Koba National Park, the Oiseaux du Djoudj National Park, and the Bandia Game Reserve. It also has beautiful beaches along its coast and the people are considered friendly and welcoming. https://travelnoire.com/non-stop-from-nyc-tosenegal-air-senegal

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Industry News

Hyatt Plans to Debut the Hyatt House Brand in Johannesburg

By Hyatt Hotels Corporation

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yatt announced that a Hyatt affiliate has entered into a management agreement with an affiliate of Millat Properties for Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton. The planned opening of the property will mark the introduction of Hyatt’s select service and extended stay brand, Hyatt House, to the continent and the third Hyatt-branded hotel in South Africa.

The Hyatt House brand offers a flexible, elevated approach to extended stay and helps guests enjoy the comforts of home when they are away from theirs. Built on guest insights, Hyatt House hotels drive satisfaction and loyalty by allowing guests to maintain familiar routines, with spacious suites and studios featuring full kitchens, comfortable living rooms, large bedrooms and stylish bathrooms.

Slated to open in October 2021, the hotel will be situated in the well-established Sandton area, where business and leisure tourism blends together in Africa’s economical hub. Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton will boast 43 studio guestrooms and 19 apartment-style suites, all with fully equipped kitchens and separate living areas reminding guests of the conveniences of home. Additional amenities will include a unique concept for an alternative dining experience in the Treehouse, H Market offering grab-and-go snacks and drinks, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and an outdoor swimming pool in which guests can unwind and enjoy themselves.

“We’re delighted to announce plans to introduce the Hyatt House brand to Africa, which

will be Hyatt’s second hotel in collaboration with an affiliate of Millat Properties,” said Ludwig Bouldoukian, regional vice president of development for the Middle East and Africa, Hyatt.

“We are proud to hold such strong relationships with exceptional owners who share our ambition and values. They are essential to powering Hyatt’s brand growth.”

“We are very pleased to continue our work with Hyatt in South Africa to open the first Hyatt House hotel on the continent,” said Hamza Farooqui, Chief Executive Officer of Millat Group. “Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton will join Hyatt Regency Cape Town and we look forward to further building our relationship with Hyatt, with the aim to collaborate together on more Hyattbranded hotels in the future. We have every confidence in the resilience of the tourism sector in South Africa; it is a significant growth driver for the economy, which generates jobs and drives local development.”

Hyatt House Johannesburg Sandton will join two existing Hyatt-branded hotels in South Africa, Hyatt Regency Johannesburg and Hyatt Regency Cape Town.

Hyatt’s portfolio in Africa consists of seven properties: Hyatt Regency Algiers Airport, Hyatt Regency Taghazout, Hyatt Place Taghazout Bay, Hyatt Regency Casablanca, Hyatt Regency Dar es Salaam, The Kilimanjaro, Hyatt Regency Addis Ababa and Park Hyatt Zanzibar. www.4hoteliers.com/news/story/21618 Image credit: https://citizen.co.za/travel

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Airlines are Banning Fabric and Vented Masks

By Joe Cusmano

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tarting August 16th, Finnair, the air carrier known for connecting flights between Europe and Asia, will require all passengers on board to wear surgical masks, the airline said, joining Lufthansa and Air France in prohibiting fabric face coverings on flights.

Why the ban on cloth and valved masks?

There’s currently no more scientific debate regarding the importance of wearing a mask to prevent COVID-19 infections. While a cover is not a substitute for social distancing, they are a tool to slow the current pandemic spread. Nevertheless, not every mask works the same way.

U.S. Airlines have once again moved the goalpost when it comes to face masks and mouth coverings, banning the use of those masks that feature a vent/valve citing the latest CDC recommendations.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recently changed its guidelines to say vented masks do not help prevent the spread of COVID-19 causing airlines to ban this type of face covering.

American Airlines is the latest carrier that has banned the use of such masks after Alaska, Delta, Frontier, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit and United have already done so.

The ever-changing policies are confusing airline passengers and regular people who aren’t even travelling as coming out with such news more than half a year into the Covid-19 crisis doesn’t exactly instil confidence in authorities after people have been donning these masks for months without anyone voicing concern.

In the US, the CDC does not recommend the

use of the following masks: » Masks that do not fit properly, either because they have large gaps, are too loose or too tight. » Masks are made from materials that are hard to breathe through, such as plastic or leather. » Wearing a scarf or a ski mask. » Masks with exhalation valves or vents. The CDC does not recommend using masks with exhalation valves or vents because the hole in the material may allow respiratory droplets to escape and reach others. » Masks are made from fabric that is loosely woven or knitted. » Masks with one layer.

While cloth masks may be better than any protection at all, they aren’t sufficient protection against the new coronavirus variants.

A Duke University study released during the summer found that cloth masks including knitted masks and folded bandanas didn’t offer much protection and further found that Gaiter masks increase the transmission of the wearer’s respiratory droplets.

The aviation industry has been thoroughly advocating the safety of travelling. Despite growing numbers of COVID-19 cases worldwide, airlines state that the risk of infection on board an aircraft is close to zero.

Nevertheless, to restore the passenger’s confidence, the airlines are taking more cleaning and safety measures across the board. www.traveldailymedia.com/airlines-are-banningfabric-and-vented-masks/

TSA Extends Mask Rule for Airline Passengers to January 18, 2022 15 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Industry News Ugandan women gathers bottles for recycling

Giving Globally is Easier Than Ever

By Scott Bay

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ulu Luchaire created PLANET BUYBACK, a community that supports land and ocean conservation through land purchase, ecosystem management, climate mitigation strategies, empowerment of indigenous peoples and plastic pollution solutions, because she was frustrated by the complexity of choosing charitable organizations to support.

She decided to establish a very simple platform where you can donate monthly and experts handle the selection of the projects.

The premise - we have more power as a collective than as individuals. Join the Planet Buyback community and ask your friends, family, co-workers to do the same. Now is time for real change. Let’s get our voices heard. $5 per month subscriptions by 1,000,000 people = $60,000,000 a year: • can neutralize carbon emissions • can make us greener and happier

• can protect our resources for our children • can make us proud of who we are • can remove plastic from the ocean • can stop the deforestation • can bring clean water to remote villages • can neutralize carbon emissions.

Planet Buyback funnels subscriber contributions to eco-conscious initiatives, such as a plasticrecycling plant in Uganda or coastal preservation in Indonesia. The organization vets potential recipients based on factors like leadership, scalability, and fiscal transparency. Final selections are then made by co-founder Gillian Wynn, who sits on the leadership council for Conservation International.

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www.travelandleisure.com Image credit: teorema.com.mx, globalpressjournal.com

Another Go-To Tool for Travel Guidelines

By Sherpa

T

o help customers prepare for the air, American Airlines is making travel planning easier for customers who are eager to reconnect with the people and places that matter most. The airline has launched a

travel tool, powered by Sherpa, to help customers quickly see the current coronavirus (COVID-19) travel guidelines for domestic and international destinations.

travel africa

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en! africa’s doors are op

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lications ociation Pub iness Ass 2021 Africa Bus April-May

Promoting Africa-focused Tourism Since 2011

Travel Africa www.Issuu.com/blackbusinessnews | www.africabusinessassociation.org 17 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

1st Person Africa

‘Spending Easter In Lalibela, Ethiopia Was

By Ayah A.

S

olo budget traveler/backpacker and international trade compliance specialist Auzzi Aiken recently spent two months in Ethiopia, including spending Easter in Lalibela.

Originally from Jamaica, the 31-year-old grew up in both Kingston and Miami.

Based in Kingston for the past five years, Auzzi is now living the nomadic life; he sold everything he owned to become a true minimalist and complete his goal of visiting every country.

During his two months in Ethiopia, Auzzi completely immersed himself in the culture, doing and seeing as much as he could. He hung out with the locals, and made lifelong friends. He visited people’s homes, ate and drank like a local, and even participated in the nightly cultural dance shows.

“The Ethiopian people are nice and, for the most part, it’s a very safe country. I stayed in the villages in the Omo Valley with different tribes that still live a hunter-gatherer nomadic lifestyle.

Raw meat was offered every weekend; I ate it

(and paid the iron price for it) and I drank the local tea wine made from honey, called tej. I laughed, ate, and got sick. And I would do it all again.”

Auzzi also spent some of his nights at the Black-owned Andromeda Boutique Hotel in Addis Ababa. The hotel is owned by an Ethiopian American father and daughter who moved back from Boston to create something in their homeland.

“The hotel is within 1.1 km of Matti Multiplex Theatre and 1.1 km of Edna Mall. It feels like a home away from home and the aunties that run the hotel always make sure you’re comfortable and well-fed.”

While in Addis Ababa, Auzzi visited the beautiful and fairly new Friendship Park, which he considers the best city park in Africa. The park is adjacent to Unity Park, and together, the two parks offer a host of cultural attractions, including a small museum, a grand banquet hall, and the former palace complex of Emperor Menelik II. There’s also a small zoo that contains rare black-maned lions, which were once common

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s An Experience I’ll Never Forget’

across Ethiopia. The parks are set high on a hill in the center of the city, offering sweeping panoramic views of Addis Ababa.

“Traveling in Africa, green spaces are limited because, as we know, economic development takes center stage. This was also true in Ethiopia until 2019 when Unity Park was opened and then Friendship Park. The park is huge and helps with pollution. It’s so peaceful on the grounds, a sanctuary away from the chaos of the bustling city.”

Visiting Addis Ababa’s Red Terror Martyrs’ Memorial Museum, Auzzi learned about a horrific genocide by a communist regime that occurred in Ethiopia in the 1970s.

A series of adverse events and a hostile political climate set the scene for the tragedy: famine, recurring drought, failed harvests, conflict that prevented aid from reaching people in the occupied territory, and government policies that relocated families and routed relief to certain areas.

“‘As if I bore them all in one night, they slew them in a single night.’ This is a famous quote from a mother who lost her children. Many locals don’t like to talk about it. Most didn’t want to visit the memorial with me. It was a bone-chilling feeling.

I was the only person there when I walked in. It was dark with barely any light. I wondered if it was on purpose. It felt like a place of contemplation; a place of remembrance and warning.”

“The Wall of Death is all that’s left. The victims lives are forever immortalized in the museum.

It’s hard to fathom that this genocide occurred just over 40 years ago. The people look like me and the pictures are graphic. Many women and children were killed. It was a sad moment for Africa and Black history overall. Worst of all, many of the

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to page 20

1st Person Africa

Ethiopia - from page 19 guilty parties were not convicted of their crimes until the 2000s. In fact, two senior regime officials were just granted parole in 2020.”

The highlight of Auzzi’s trip was undoubtedly Easter Sunday in Lalibela, an experience he says was magical, though he almost missed out on it.

With the roads from Addis Ababa blocked due to protests and domestic direct flights sold out, Auzzi found himself with limited options. He ended up having to fly to Gondar and charter a van to get to Lalibela a few hours before.

“It cost me a ridiculous amount, but it was worth it. Visiting Lalibela was like going back in the past.

A story of light and darkness, history and mystery, faith, devotion, celebration, sacredness, and

reverence. It’s a place you must experience for yourself.”

Although Auzzi has been traveling for many years now, and has seen hundreds of churches and mosques, he says the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela are one of the most impressive religious sites he has ever been to. It is not only their incredible architecture and privileged location that makes them so special, but also the fact that the churches still fulfill the purpose they were built for.

In Lalibela, Auzzi witnessed devoted Christians engaged in deep prayers and chants that made him feel like he was living in biblical times. The only problem he had was with the numerous depictions of white Jesus. A priest explained that

20 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

this was due to them not being able to find Black Jesus photos anywhere.

“I sat in a corner and enjoyed the rhythms and heavenly scent of what smelled like sandalwood and frankincense. In the distance, I could hear faint singing…more like a hymn followed by prayer. I decided to seek out the voice. As I came down from the mountain top, I saw a woman and a child dressed in all white. They did not move or give notice to my presence. She continued to pray, sing, and focus on her faith.”

As with the previous 67 countries Auzzi has traveled to, visiting Ethiopia was an amazing cultural and historical learning experience.

However, there was one new and very important

lesson he learned on this trip: “Don’t move so fast that you miss out on the present.”

“I’m usually moving through countries and cities at a fast pace. I never know what day it is. I’m usually over-stimulated.

Everything is happening at one time. Sounds, tastes, sights, and how I feel; I’m experiencing it all at once. Even as a seasoned traveler that has seen so much of the world, I’m learning to enjoy the present more.”

Auzzi plans to continue traveling for the foreseeable future. His upcoming destinations include Somalia, Sudan, Egypt, and Jordan before heading back home to Jamaica for a wedding.

Afterwards, he’ll be going to Colombia and Italy, and then returning to his solo travels around Eastern Europe and the Middle East in the fall.

You can follow Auzzi’s travels via YouTube and Instagram. https://travelnoire.com/easter-alibela-ethiopianever-forget Image credit: Courtesy of Auzzi Aiken

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Not A competition

Did You Know?

Sudan Has More Pyramids Than Egypt

By Parker Diakite

Y

ou can’t mention t h e country Egypt without almost immediately thinking about the iconic pyramids. The pyramids of Egypt are one of the most-visited attractions in the region, especially as the Pyramid of Khufu in Giza is the only Seventh Wonder of the Ancient World that still exists.

But Sudan shouldn’t be missed.

On average, more than 9 million people visit the pyramids in Egypt, but there is a place that boasts more pyramids than Egypt: Sudan.

The country has between 200 and 250 pyramids compared to Egypt’s roughly 138, making it the country with the most pyramids.

Located in the eastern desert of Sudan, the Meroe Pyramids which are part of the Nubian

Pyramids, were built far later than Egypt’s world wonder.

The area of the Nile valley, known as Nubia, which now lies in what we know today as Sudan, was home to three Kushite kingdoms that ruled areas along the Nile River from around 2600 BC to 350 AD. According to the African Exponent, the first kingdom’s capital was located in Kerma between 2600 and 1520 BC. The second was centered in Napata between 1000 and 300 BC, and the last kingdom was based around Meroë between 300 BC and AD 300.

While the Kushites started building pyramids

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about 500 years after the Egyptians, both cultures used them for burial customs.

One key difference is the sizing of the pyramids.

The average Kushite pyramid stands anywhere between 20 and 98 feet tall, while the average Egyptian pyramid is a little more than 450 feet tall.

And when it comes to boasting the world’s largest pyramid, you will have to travel to the other

side of the world as Mexico’s Great Pyramid of Cholula—which is actually hidden inside a mountain— is the largest. https://travelnoire.com/10-african-islands-toknow-about?item=9 Image credits: face2faceafrica.com, charismaticplanet.com, corinthia.com

23 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

1st Person Africa

Sussurro, an Ode to African Material Culture in Mozambique

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eated on the secluded shores of a warm turquoise lagoon in Southern Mozambique, Sussurro is a thoughtfully designed space for you to align with nature and immerse yourself in a more meaningful travel experience. Sussurro’s profound commitment to create a more conscious African experience is reflected in each design and amenity.

BUNGALOWS Private bungalows provide over a thousand square feet of personal space surrounded by nature. Each suite includes indoor and outdoor bathing facilities and generous water front verandahs.

Mozambican vernacular architecture weaves a natural canopy above billowing mosquito nets.

Large apertures allow the colours of an ever changing landscape to permeate the space.

Rooms are dressed with furniture created and carved onsite and thoughtfully collected artisanal pieces from sub-saharan African.

Living spaces include a Gallery, Library, Lap Pool, Guest bar, Restaurant, Beach and Elemental Yoga Deck. Places to gather and restore.

INTIMATE BUSH EXPERIENCE Mindful wilderness itineraries that utilize Sussurro’s inherent knowledge of Mozambique and the African bush are personalized for each guest. Two to four day guided excursions into the Mozambican National Parks of Gorongosa and Zinave.

Rest under the clear glittering night sky, in canvas tents that redefine luxurious minimalism, wake to the timeless rituals of the bush.

DHOW SAFARI Set sail on one of Sussurro’s traditional lateen rigged Mozambican dhows. Drift through waterways flanked by floating forests and small fishing villages. Venture out on the warm Indian ocean wind and experience an East African

brunch on a deserted island in the Bazaruto Archipelago.

MORE EXPERIENCES Indulge in Yoga, Artisinal fishing, Weaving workshops, SU Paddle boarding, Snorkeling, Scuba Diving.

FOOD The restaurant harvest table embraces Sussurro’s real-food philosophy. An open plan kitchen breaks the traditional divide between host and guest.

Mindful attention is placed in sourcing fresh produce, ensuring your stay maximizes the support of our community’s local fishermen, organic farmer’s markets and sustainable traders.

Drawing from traditional East African ways of living in our food ideology, Sussurro’s plantrich menu includes indigenous superfoods such as baobab and moringa and our Organic food garden informs the menu seasonally. However, the kitchen is open to adapting and personalizing our menu to your requirements.

AN ODE TO AFRICAN MATERIAL CULTURE We believe that craft serves as an important link between humanity and nature, and that maintaining this connection is imperative for our collective development with the natural world.

Intuitive Exploration - We seek meaningful experiences within a unique and undiscovered terrain; our guests and their journey forming the heart of our service.

Honouring an Invaluable Ecosystem - We look to engage with land and community with a tender and intuitive touch; to slow down enough to appreciate the reciprocal nourishment we offer

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each other. It’s our responsibility and accountability to share Sussurro in a way that is non-intrusive to our community and the natural environment.

Our Commitment - Only ever 100% African sourced and made; Community built and serviced; Powered by renewable energy; Zero single use plastics; Organic wherever possible, including residence guest consumables; Supporting only sustainable artisanal fishing and local farming; and Mangrove Reforestation.

Pledge - To enable each guest to physically offset the emissions of their trip through the reforestation of the Nhamabwe Salt Pan with

indigenous mangroves from our nursery by 2022.

RESIDENCE ENQUIRIES: reservations@sussurro.co https://sussurro.co Image credits: Pinterest, TRENDLAND

25 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Caretakers

Rangers Keep up Work to Protect African Wildlife Despite Pandemic

By Emily Beament, PA Environment Correspondent

W

ildlife rangers across Africa are continuing to protect animals and reserves despite the coronavirus pandemic, conservationists have said.

The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) has released images of rangers at two projects it supports in Kenya and Zimbabwe continuing their work to look after threatened wildlife such as elephants.

But, because of Covid-19, they are not able to return to their homes and families between their shifts, while a lack of tourism has had a huge impact on local communities and economic pressure has increased the risk of poaching.

Rangers still hard at work include Team Lioness (page 31), eight women working to protect wildlife from poachers and safeguard people from conflicts with elephants and other animals in community lands that surround Kenya’s Amboseli National Park, on the border with Tanzania.

IFAW warned that hotels and lodges in the park have closed, incomes have dried up and there is a growing temptation to poach to provide food for families and for economic gain.

That has pushed up the risks for the female rangers, who also cannot see their children or the rest of their families, but some of whom are the only remaining breadwinner.

Community ranger Ruth Sikeita said: “I look after wild animals, providing security for the wildlife.

“It’s important because animals are like us, they need to be safe like us. They benefit us, tourists visit here because of the wild animals and we are employed.”

And at the IFAW-supported Panda Masuie Release Project in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, rangers are continuing to help a herd of 14 rescued and rehabilitated elephant orphans which

▲ Community rangers on patrol in Kenya (IFAW/Will Sw ► The handlers at the elephant rehabilitation projec look after their individual animals (IFAW/Lesanne Dunlop/ ▼ Community ranger Ruth Sikeita carries out a d in Kenya (IFAW/Will Swanson/PA)

are learning to live as wild animals.

The project aims to help young elephants slowly integrate with wild herds in what is now a protected forest reserve, but had once been used for hunting.

Handlers looking after individual elephants and forestry rangers who protect the animals and prevent them coming into conflict with local communities have been on site for up to eight weeks without a break, and are not expecting one soon.

But the long quarantine ensures their health and they are not currently having to wear protective gear, IFAW said.

The forest reserve has not been exempt from the economic pressures brought on by the pandemic and has seen an increase in the number of poaching-related activities.

Neil Greenwood, IFAW’s regional director, Southern Africa, said: “IFAW believes in the importance of rescuing and protecting individual animals as well as whole populations so this

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wanson/PA)

ct are continuing to

/PA)

daily wildlife patrol

is a vital project which continues to provide daily care and protection, despite the challenges of the global pandemic.”

J o s Danckwerts, project manager at the Panda Masuie release site, said: “It’s impossible to put this kind of rehabilitation work on hold – it simply can’t be interrupted.

“Every day sees each individual take one step closer to living their lives as a free-roaming elephant.

“The handlers are selfless in their commitment, better still they can do their work knowing the elephants are secure and all thanks to the forestry

rangers. It’s a remarkable team effort.”

The Panda Masuie Release Project is helping its staff cope in different ways, including building a small bush chapel and extending the vegetable garden for them to tend in downtime. https://uk.news.yahoo.com/rangers-keep-protectafrican-wildlife-085158609.html

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https://pa.media Image credit: ifaw

Participatory Tourism

Voluntourism 101: How to Find a Reputable Wildlife Sanctuary in Africa

By Adam Welz

A lion in the Okavango Delta, Botswana Photo by Jennifer Flowers

W

ant to make a positive impact on your next trip to Botswana or South Africa? Read on and learn how to vet voluntourism programs—and how to spot the fakes.

Let’s face it: Africa has the best big wildlife, and you want to get close to it on your next vacation.

How? Well, you could pony up for a luxury safari and be driven right up to a lion munching on a freshly-felled wildebeest, which is cool, but being led around by a guide in a tourist-packed vehicle can seem not just passive, but positively passé.

Perhaps you’d prefer to provide hands-on help to animals, like your friend who recently bottle-fed orphaned baby rhinos at a secret sanctuary deep in the bush.

You’re not alone in craving this type of

intimate interaction.

Wildlife volunteer tourism ventures have mushroomed across Africa as increasing numbers of travelers seek out more meaningful engagement with the continent’s creatures.

Hundreds of organizations now offer the public the chance to work directly with wild animals in exchange for a fee, but before you book your beast-benefiting voluntourism vacation, be warned: Few such outfits genuinely benefit wildlife.

Many make no contribution to conservation and some are harmful scams.

With that in mind, here’s the low-down on volunteering with a reputable African wildlife organization so you can make the most of your good intentions and precious vacation days.

First, decide whether you want to volunteer at a sanctuary-type facility with captive animals or out in a natural area with free-roaming wildlife. These are quite different experiences: Captive animal programs usually allow more time in close proximity to wildlife. Wilderness-based programs require you to be comfortable in the great outdoors, dealing with heat, dust, and the occasional dangerous critter; if that’s your type of thing, check out our story here.

If you want to work with animals in captivity, note that there are different types of facilities: Wildlife sanctuaries house animals that can’t be released. Although sanctuaries arguably

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VulPro, a vulture conservation project near Johannesburg, South Africa Photo by VulPro

have animal welfare and educational value, they are not conservation projects because their animals remain captive and don’t contribute to wild populations. Wildlife orphanages are just that—they raise orphaned animals. Ethical orphanages prepare their charges to go back into the wild, and this can be highly specialized work.

Wildlife rehabilitation centers, on the other hand, care for injured wild animals of all ages with the aim of rehabilitating them for release.

These are not strict definitions and some facilities perform overlapping roles.

Unfortunately, a large number of places that call themselves sanctuaries or wildlife rehabilitation centers are not. Experts warn that facilities working with high-value animals like big cats, rhinos, or elephants are more often involved in unethical practices than facilities working with smaller, less “valuable” species; you should be especially cautious before volunteering with these.

Ethical captive centers always put the needs of animals before the wishes of the paying public and volunteers.

A classic African wildlife voluntourism scam plays out in “lion sanctuaries,” many of which are in South Africa. Paying volunteers are told that they’ll be helping to hand-raise orphaned lion cubs for conservation. “Volunteers are seldom told

the truth about where the so-called orphaned cubs come from and where the older lions go,” explains Pippa Hankinson, a producer on Blood Lions (a must-see documentary for anyone interested in voluntourism or conservation).

The truth is that these are not sanctuaries; the lions are not released into the wild but are instead sold for trophy hunters to shoot in “canned” hunts, slaughtered and boiled down so their bones can be sold for traditional medicine in Asia, or put back into breeding cages to make more cubs. Using captive-bred lions to increase wild populations “is a bad idea,” says Guy Balme of big cat conservation charity Panthera. Not only are captive-bred lions often genetically compromised, but they’ve also lost their fear of humans and haven’t learned to hunt efficiently.

“I’m not aware of any captive-bred lions that have made it successfully in the wild,” he says.

“Voluntourists should do their own research and ask lots of questions before committing to a program,” says Jane Edge, managing director of Fair Trade Tourism, an industry certification body.

It’s a minefield out there for the ethical wildlife volunteer, but here are eight questions to help you find a reputable program.

1. A good idea is to check if a facility is legally registered, says Edge. Does it have a registration number? Is it open about finances?

Some organizations have slick websites that make them look legit, but they’re actually profit-

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to page 30

Sites to Visit in Africa Voluntourism - from page 29 oriented businesses where animals’ needs come second to income.

2. Does it breed animals? If the answer is yes, dig deeper. Strict sanctuaries don’t allow their animals to reproduce; if a so-called sanctuary breeds animals, it’s often for profit. “Sanctuaries” that breed lions are a particular no-no, as outlined above. There are a few exceptions to the breeding rule, like the VulPro vulture conservation project near Johannesburg, which encourages injured birds that can’t survive in the wild to breed in sanctuary cages. VulPro releases their offspring, thus boosting wild populations.

Rhinos in Botswana Photo by Jennifer Flowers 3. Does the facility sell animals? If it does, this is a major red flag. Legitimate nonprofit captive animal centers generally do not sell their animals. They are housed at the facility for life if they cannot be released, are released into the wild if they can be, or are exchanged with other reputable institutions involved in scientifically managed conservation breeding programs.

4. Does it allow public animal interaction? If so, this is another cause for concern. Most experts consider direct public interaction with animals— such as posing for photos with them—generally harmful to wildlife because it can stress animals and habituate them to people. According to Karen

Trendler, one of Africa’s most experienced wildlife rehabilitators, ethical captive centers always put the needs of animals before the wishes of the paying public and volunteers. Animals that are being prepared for release into the wild should only have the minimum necessary contact with people.

5. Where do animals come from and end up?

Captive animal facilities should have solid records of the sources and ultimate destinations of their animals; otherwise they might be housing healthy animals that were captured from the wild and are thus merely zoos or trading facilities by another name. If a facility is vague about this information, it may be trafficking animals. Walk away.

6.

How rigorous is the volunteer recruiting process?

Trendler warns against “pay to play” facilities that take all applicants w i t h o u t screening for skills or commitment levels or that promise volunteers lots of close contact with animals.

Unethical facilities often put volunteers to work without undergoing training and take lots of short-term help. Longer periods are better for the animals’ welfare, Trendler says. “Ask for a written copy of volunteer terms and conditions, as this will indicate whether animals’ needs come first.”

7. What does it cost? According to Trendler, facilities that charge reasonable or no volunteer fees tend to be more ethical than very expensive ones, which are often just interested in profit. “Your time is a donation,” she says, “and if volunteers are not paying, the facility has a greater ability to move them out if they’re not suitable for a care

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Caretakers team or the animals.”

8. What about security? As wildlife crime has ramped up around the world, a few sanctuaries and orphanages have been raided by criminal syndicates in search of high-value species.

Voluntourists have occasionally been hurt in these raids, so security is especially important if the facility houses valuable species such as rhinos, elephants, and big cats, says Trendler. See if a facility informs its volunteers of risks up front, she advises, and then “look for visible security like guards and fences. Are there security protocols and briefings for staff and volunteers?”

Once you’ve decided on the type of program you’d like to join, you can research your options online or through an agency, but always be skeptical and check the basics: Can you find the project on a map or is the location vague?

(Agencies sometimes fudge locations so they can do a bait-and-switch.) Are volunteer testimonials real or cut-and-pasted fakes? Are photos recent or out of date? You should also ask exactly what you will be expected to do, how many hours per day you’ll work, and whether you’re able to leave the premises or not; many voluntourists have found themselves effectively trapped in remote locations doing mind-numbing, round-the-clock manual labor.

The Facebook group Volunteers in Africa Beware maintains an extensive list of voluntourism destinations. Using information supplied by volunteers themselves, it ranks destinations on a “Good, Bad and Ugly” list according to how ethical the group perceives them to be. Note that some of the venues are sanctuaries that deliver no conservation benefit because they don’t release animals into the wild as part of a reputable conservation program; they are rated “good” because they don’t trade their animals, hunt them, or allow interaction. (AFAR can’t endorse all the listed programs on Volunteers in Africa Beware, but it may be a useful resource and a good place to start.)

Finding the right wildlife volunteer program can be a time-consuming process, but if you choose correctly, you could be rewarded with a lifechanging experience in Africa. www.afar.com/magazine/voluntourism-101-howto-find-a-reputable-wildlife-sanctuary-in-africa

Team Lioness from ifaw.org

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ince its formation in 2019, IFAW Team Lioness - a pioneering all-woman ranger unit in Kenya - has transformed its members’ lives. Under the auspices of the International Fund for Animal Welfare, this project has given each of its eight members a chance to gain economic and social independence. “My work before was to fetch firewood, taking care of a baby, milk the cow, and do house chores,” says Purity Lakara, who, with her colleagues, patrols Masai land surrounding Amboseli National Park (Kenya Wildlife Service tangers oversee the park itself.) “My community sees me differently,” says Lakara, whose income has paid for improvements to her family’s home. She also mentors girls in her village. The members of Team Lioness also take a more collaborative approach than the men who typically do this job. “We talk with our fellow women and they forget we are security guards. They give us useful information - who is going, the time the hunters usually come - and we set an ambush,” Lakara says. Offering the team’s capture of giraffe poachers last year as an example of the success.

“W have a soft side that allows us to communicate with all types of community members. They will not tell the men these things.”

Travel and Leisure Image credits: furtherafrica.com

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Restorative Tourism

28 Trips That Will Absolutely Change Your Life -

By Lindsay Cohn Travel Africa is highlighting the 6 Africa-based destinations featured in the a Read the full article at: www.purewow.com/travel/life-changing-trip #5 UGURHAN/GETTY IMAGES

I

f the pandemic has taught us one thing, it’s the importance of traveling. Getting out of your comfort zone, exploring new cities and eating different types of food can change everything.

Don’t believe us? We’ve rounded up 28 totally transformative trips, from visiting the Grand Canyon to gorilla trekking in Rwanda. So, if you’re daydreaming about the day you get to leave your pod and explore the rest of the world (or country), start here.

#5. GO ON AN AFRICAN SAFARI A safari is the epitome of #travelgoals. Whether you choose the Serengeti or South Africa as the setting for your game drive, expect scenes straight out of National Geographic. Elephants will pause for a thirst-quenching drink at a watering hole while leopards chase gazelles across the savanna, all right before your eyes.

#10. STROLL THROUGH ARASHIYAMA BAMBOO GROVE Envision lying on a blanket, surrounded by pristine sand dunes and gazing up at the midnight sky studded with twinkling cosmos. Just broach the topic of stargazing in the Sahara and we’re ready to buy a ticket to Morocco. Glamping at a luxury desert camp is an added bonus.

#13. GORILLA TREK IN RWANDA A safari isn’t the only way to get your animal fix while in Africa. For a primate-centric expedition you’ll never forget, head to Bwindi Impenetrable National Park. Sure, it’s expensive (in the ballpark of $1,500 per person), but can you really put a price on peeping endangered apes?

#15. VISIT THE VICTORIA FALLS Located on the border of Zimbabwe and Zambia, this majestic body of water is a sight to behold.

Nicknamed “The Smoke that Thunders,” Victoria Falls is a UNESCO heritage site and it’s been

#10 EDENEXPOSED/GETTY IMAGES

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6 are in Africa

article below. ps

#15 GUENTERGUNI/GETTY IMAGES #16 CHIARA SALVADORI/GETTY IMAGES

#13 JEN POLLACK BIANCO / EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

cited as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World.

#16. SOAR TO THE TOP OF TABLE MOUNTAIN Complete your southern Africa trip with a stop at Table Mountain. The most photographed attraction in South Africa, Table Mountain boasts a breathtaking view of Cape Town and is home to over 2,000 plants. And it’s not just another crag that you trek in order to get to the top. The most popular way to get to the peak is by cable car, courtesy of the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway Company.

#18. VISIT EGYPT’S GREAT PYRAMIDS

#18 MARIE-LOUISE MANDL / EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

Channel your inner Lawrence of Arabia and head into the desert on camelback to see the Great Pyramid of Giza. Built by a Fourth Dynasty pharaoh in 2560 B.C.E., this 481-foot structure is the oldest wonder of the ancient world. Let that settle in.

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1s5 Person Africa

How Aduke Africa is Encouraging You to Visit Africa Through the Lens of Benin

By Ayah A.

M

eet Adébissi Bello, the founder of Aduke Africa.

The 28-year-old financial analyst is a Benenise and French national born in Benin Republic.

Adébissi moved to Paris at age nine, which is where she primarily grew up and is currently based.

“I belong to the Yoruba African ethnic group from Benin and Nigeria mainly,” she told Travel Noire. “I’ve always loved traveling and have always been curious about discovering new amazing places in the world, and gaining international experience.”

Aduke Africa originally started as a travel blog to share Adébissi’s experience as an expat in the U.S. while she spent two years living in Miami. However, since the beginning of 2021, she has been working to refocus her brand. Now, Aduke Africa is focused on helping Western-based millennials with African-born parents gain a deeper connection to their country of origin.

“Due to them living in Western countries, there is often a disconnect between these individuals and their home country. Many of them feel overwhelmed when they think about traveling to Africa. We support them by providing positive resources and tools along with grounding travel experiences to inspire them to start their own journey towards gaining a deeper connection to Africa at their own pace.”

The mission of Aduke Africa revolves around changing the narrative of tourism in Africa by

encouraging these African millennials, through the lens of the Benin Republic, to tackle their doubts about traveling to Africa and place more African countries on their travel bucket list, starting with their origin countries.

Adébissi’s primary inspiration behind the decision to repurpose her brand in this manner were her personal experiences and journey as an African woman living in France.

“I have lived most of my life in Europe and have enjoyed traveling in Europe and internationally. I am always curious about a country’s history and culture and love visiting museums and exhibitions, but grew tired of finding myself unrepresented in those. At some point, I asked myself, ‘Do I want to die having experienced the world but not knowing

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about my own country?’ I realized I’d prefer knowing more about Benin and other African countries than the rest of the world.”

Being born in Benin, the country always had a special place in Adébissi’s heart. Despite growing up in France, she was raised surrounded by Beninese culture, traditions, and food. As she grew up, she matured enough to let go of the social stigmas, trauma, negative narratives, fears,

and doubts she had about Benin and returned to her motherland in search of more of herself.

Adébissi took her first solo trip to Africa in January 2018. She spent a month between Benin and South Africa and promised herself it would

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1st Person Africa

Benin - from page 35 not be her last visit. Once she began exploring Benin and its history, Adébissi unlocked a world of priceless cultural wisdom. Visiting the Royal Palace of Abomey and learning how the Kingdom of Oyo impacted the Dahomey Kingdom’s history was a life-changing experience.

“Indeed some Yoruba families from Porto-Novo are originally from some states of Nigeria. My family is from Oyo state in Nigeria. This situation can be explained by the fact that the borders that we know for many West African countries were artificially designed at the Berlin conference in 1884-1885 by most of the European colonizing countries. It also explains why you can find the same ethnic groups in different bordering countries in Africa.”

In February 2021 Adébissi returned to Benin for another month-long trip. This time she was able to visit the south and central parts of the country.

In the south of Benin, she discovered authentic African culture and history in Porto-Novo and Ouidah. She visited the Negro and African Pantheon in Porto-Novo and the Dasilva Museum,

honoring the memory of many of Benin’s heroes and martyrs.

“Porto-Novo has the biggest return Afro-Brazilian community. They came back after the abolition of slavery and made it their home. In this town, you can visit the Ouadada Cultural Art Center and see all the voodoo temples that they are renovating.

The royal palace of Honme, residence of the last king of Porto-Novo is another great spot. Ouidah is where you can find the Door of No Return and the Slavery Route. This town is full of historic spots that teach African descendants how slavery happened and welcome them back home.”

Ouidah is also home to a beautiful beach and amazing accommodations for tourists. Visitors can take a boat ride to Ganvié, the African Venice, where some ethnic groups ran away to in order to escape slavery. You can also visit Bab’s Dock for a lakeside brunch or a boat ride through some amazing West African mangroves.

In the north of Benin, one can enjoy a safari in Pendjari Park, viewing the amazing Kota Waterfall in Natitingou or the Dassa Hills landscape. The Vodoo Carnival is celebrated in

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Benin each January 10, and emphasizes the link between Afro-descendants in the Caribbean and Latin America and the people of Benin.

With so many things to explore and so many breathtaking landscapes to enjoy, Adébissi believes Benin is a prime candidate to be Africa’s next hot spot. A unique country that manages to stay authentic to itself and loyal to its ancestors’ traditions, more and more Afro-descendants are getting to know this country better as they feel their ancestors calling them home.

Since 2016, one of the main projects of the new government has been the development of the tourism sector in Benin. In November 2021, the International Museum of Memory and Slavery will be inaugurated in Ouidah. They have been rehabilitating tourist sites and improving the infrastructures in hopes of attracting more tourists.

The Netflix documentary High on the Hog showcases Benin as a important country to visit if you want to bond with the African heritage, culture, traditions, and history you may have lost due to slavery. Her amazing month spent in Benin this year was the final confirmation Adébissi needed to take her brand in its current direction.

“I wanted people like me to be able to experience what I experienced. There is a proverb that says in order to know where you are going, you need to know where you are from. Knowing about your roots, culture, traditions, and heritage will bring you a fulfilled vision of who you are and

help you be more confident about how you carry yourself in this world. As individuals, our cultural heritage plays a huge role in our development.”

“Knowledge is power. Do not lean on only what you learn at school, online, or on TV. Telling your own stories and being your own firsthand source of information will change the narrative for sure. So I’m building a unique brand around this experience and changing the narrative about traveling to Africa for African millennials and the Afrodiaspora at large.”

Adébissi says there a number of factors contributing to some Black people’s hesitation in considering Africa as a top travel destination. In many places, there are negative stigmas surrounding the continent. Positive imagery of Africa is simply not shown.

“Also, some Africans living in Western countries have experienced traumatic situations, which led to the immigration of their family, so they associate the country with that. The fear that is often transmitted by their parents’ experience in Africa and the negative mass media narrative around the African continent does not help either.”

Other issues Adébissi cites are a lack of great infrastructures, lack of reviews and intel on tourism offers, fear of security issues and political instability, unclear visa application information, and language barriers. These are some of the issues Aduke Africa can help people navigate and provide clarity on.

As Adébissi works on building awareness about her brand, her goal is to be able to provide digital products by the end of 2021 to support African millennials in their quest of gaining a deeper connection with their origin country. She is organizing an exclusive retreat to Ghana and Benin for the New Year and looks forward to sharing this journey with people. For more information, follow @adukeafrica. https://travelnoire.com/aduke-africa-visit-africalens-of-benin

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Image credit: Aduke Africa

Growing a Destinationa and a People

How a National Park in Africa is Thriving After War - Mozambique

By Dan Tham, CNN

I

n the middle of Mozambique, at the southern end of the Great African Rift Valley, Gorongosa National Park is a haven for wildlife.

Crocodiles patrol its rivers, hippos splash in its lakes, antelopes graze on the floodplains and lions stalk the savanna, looking for their next meal. Some of the park’s creatures, such as the Mount Gorongosa pygmy chameleon (only as long as a pinky finger), are not found anywhere else.

The 1,500-square-mile (4,000 squarekilometer) park is flourishing now -- but it has had a tumultuous history.

Gorongosa was first established as a hunting reserve by Mozambique’s Portuguese rulers in 1920. They gradually opened it up to tourists and in 1960, declared it a national park.

However in 1977, two years after Mozambique declared independence from Portugal, a bloody civil war erupted and Gorongosa became a battleground. Elephants were poached for their ivory, which was used to buy weapons, and almost all the other large animals were butchered to feed the soldiers.

When the war ended in 1992, the landscape was devastated and more than 90% of Gorongosa’s large mammals had been killed.

Efforts were made to rehabilitate Gorongosa after the war but it wasn’t until 2004, when American philanthropist Greg Carr partnered with the Mozambican government to restore the park, that it started coming back to life.

It was a massive undertaking.

Pedro Muagara, Gorongosa’s current warden, says that when he flew over in a helicopter in 2006, he saw “a disaster.” It took two weeks for him to see an elephant and a month passed before he spotted a lion.

Since then, millions of trees have been planted, animals -- including wild dogs, elephants, hippos,

zebra and buffalo -- have been translocated into the park, and a team of rangers has been trained to combat poaching.

These efforts have paid off. During the last aerial survey, in October 2018, more than 100,000 large herbivores were counted in the park.

But the work didn’t stop there. As well as restoring the park, Carr and his team have created new opportunities for women in a bid to tackle Mozambique’s entrenched gender inequality.

Currently, a third of the park’s 600-strong workforce is female -- with a goal to reach 50%.

Before Gorongosa closed in March because of the Covid-19 pandemic, CNN visited and spoke to three of the women who are working to rebuild this natural treasure.

The importance of educating women Under the shade of a tree, in a village just outside the national park, girls are singing, clapping and dancing in unison.

They are attending Girls Club, a free education program that operates in 50 villages around Gorongosa.

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►Ele spe

▼ larg G ▼A li Go

ephants are a “keystone ecies” in the Gorongosa ecosystem ▼Waterbuck -- a type of ge antelope -- graze on Gorongosa’s floodplains on lounges on a tree in orongosa National Park

Larissa Sousa, the program manager, says the club offers supplementary lessons to girls from poor families aged 10 to 16.

Mozambique has one of the highest rates of child marriage in the world, with almost half the country’s women becoming brides before the age of 18.

Sousa says that Girls Club encourages girls not to drop out of school to get married. Girls who complete high school have better employment prospects and more life choices -- which can help to break the cycle of poverty.

A key focus is moving the needle on literacy.

According to UNESCO, 58% of Mozambique’s women are illiterate (compared to 45% of the

adult population as a whole).

Sousa points to the trickle-down effect of female education. “If the mother is educated, she will ensure that kids are educated.”

Beyond reading, writing and mathematics, the girls participate in discussions on sexual reproductive health, conservation and the role of women in society.

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Sousa’s mission is to help girls break the cycle of poverty

Thriving After War - from page 39 Having fun is also on the curriculum. “Normally, the girls are the ones that take care of the siblings, they are the ones who cook, they’re the ones who need to carry water,” says Sousa. “So we said in the club, you have a time that you just play.”

Bringing back Gorongosa’s elephants Dominique Goncalves remembers crying the first time she shared her story at a Girls Club.

The girls reacted with amazement to photos of her working with elephants. It was “a magical moment,” she says.

Goncalves manages the park’s Elephant Ecology Project, which she started in 2018.

With her team, Goncalves monitors Gorongosa’s growing elephant population -- which is bouncing back now that poaching has been curtailed.

“Once the wildlife starts feeling that they are safe ... they start to be less stressed, and they start to reproduce more,” she says.

Elephants are a “keystone species” in the Gorongosa ecosystem. By knocking down trees and eating tall grasses, they keep the landscape open and clear, which allows grazing mammals to flourish.

Fewer than 200 elephants survived the war, but

▲Larissa Sousa with members of Girls Club education program

►Gabriela Curtiz’s life experiences reflect th Gorongosa and the parallel efforts to empow

the population has grown to around 800 since then, says Goncalves, who is pursuing a PhD on interactions between elephants and people at the UK’s University of Kent.

Sometimes elephants stray beyond the park boundaries to raid crops such as maize and bananas -- angering local farmers. Goncalves says her team’s top priority is to improve well being for both elephants and the people who live alongside them. Elephants are “intelligent and learn to adapt ... so we have to use many different strategies,” she says.

The team have put GPS collars on 20 elephants so far. When a tracked elephant heads towards a farm, rangers will try to usher them back to the park by making loud noises with firearms and fire crackers and, on occasion, swooping above in a helicopter. The team also takes advantage of the elephants’ fear of bees by stringing beehives along fences to dissuade them from breaking through.

Despite these challenges, Gorongosa’s growing elephant population “gives us a lot of hope,” says Goncalves.

The first female safari guide in Gorongosa Gabriela Curtiz’s life experiences reflect the revival of Gorongosa and the parallel efforts to

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- a free

he revival of wer women.

empower women.

Curtiz and her four siblings grew up in a single-parent household in a village 60 miles (96 kilometers) from the park. As a child, during the civil war, she remembers hearing gunfire nearby. As an adult, she became “the first woman ever trained as a safari tourism guide in the history of Gorongosa,” she says, with effusive pride.

Curtiz’s mother, a teacher, Girls Club members listen to Dominique Goncalves as she recounts instilled a love of education in her experiences with elephants her children. In her last year of high school, Curtiz visited the park for the first time -- and that sparked her only boys could do what they wanted in life. Curtiz has led by example. Now, four of the park’s 13 interest in working there.

Curtiz trained as a tour guide and started taking guides are women.

“I want to keep being a role model,” she says, groups of tourists on safari last year.

She says she loves showing visitors around, “inspiring other people’s lives, too.” although she has to deal with disappointment, www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/how-aoccasionally, if the lions and elephants don’t show national-park-in-africa-is-thriving-after-war/arup. “I always remind them it’s not a zoo and this is AAN92ff?ocid=msedgntp a national park,” she says.

Image credit: © Brett Kuxhausen/Gorongosa Growing up, she says, girls were often told that Media, © Bruce Buttery/CNN 41 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

For The Culture

How One Woman Saved South Africa’s Oldest Language

By Padraic Flanagan

G

rowing up on a white-owned farm on the fringes of the Kalahari Desert in apartheid-era South Africa, Katrina Esau was forbidden by her employer to speak the language she had learnt from her mother. For half a century, the click-rich language N|uu, once spoken by the hunter-gatherers of the Northern Cape, today known as San or “bushmen”, was almost forgotten.

The muting of Esau’s community spread widely across the Afrikaans-speaking Northern Cape province, following centuries of extermination and assimilation of the San. For several decades it was thought that N|uu, like many of southern Africa’s original click languages, was extinct.

But in the late 90s, after the country had transitioned to majority rule, Elsie Vaalbooi, a N|uu speaker, appealed on local radio for other speakers to come forward. It emerged that there were around 20 ageing speakers of the language in the Northern Cape region.

Within a few years, that number had dwindled drastically. Today, there is one known fluent speaker of N|uu – Esau, who is in her late eighties.

After decades of being banned from speaking the language of her forebears, Esau has dedicated the past two decades to teaching N|uu in an effort to preserve the San language and culture. Despite years of silence, she never lost her fluency. “I didn’t learn this language; I sucked it out of my mother’s breast,” she says in Lost Tongue, a film about N|uu made in 2016.

“But I buried it at the back of my head.”

In a schoolroom at the front of her home in Upington, Esau teaches local children the original language of her homeland. Africa is the only continent with languages in which clicks are regular consonants. The single pipe after the “N” represents a dental click consonant which is produced with the tip of the tongue against the

upper teeth. N|uu, now classified as critically endangered by Unesco, is one of just three languages known to feature a “kiss-click” produced with both lips.

To teach this extraordinarily rich language, Esau – who was never taught to read or write – uses song, play and images. It helps her pupils, aged from three to 19, learn basics such as greetings, body parts, animal names and short sentences.

They are the only students of N|uu in the world, learning a language with 114 distinct sounds, including 45 clicks, 30 non-click consonants and 39 vowels. To place this in context, English, Russian and Chinese have about 50 sounds.

In recent years, Esau’s mission has been assisted by academics Sheena Shah and Matthias Brenzinger. Together with community members, the three established a N|uu orthography – a set of conventions for writing a language – and created educational resources for Esau’s school.

The crowning achievement is an illustrated, 160-page trilingual N|uu-Afrikaans-English reader, which has transformed the oral language into a written one. The reader serves as a device through which Esau’s granddaughter, Claudia Snyman, can teach pupils the written language.

“What Ouma Katrina desperately wanted were teaching and learning materials,” says Dr Shah. “She said children in her community went

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▲(Left to right) Katrina, Matthias, Sheena, Claudia and David with the N/uu reader (Photo: Matthias Brenzinger) ◄ Katrina Esau teaching N/uu to her pupils (Photo: Matthias Brenzinger)

to school in the morning and had textbooks for maths, English and Afrikaans. But at her afterschool classes, they had no printed material. She wanted her language to be treated on the same level.”

The reader’s title, Ouma Geelmeid ke kx’u ||xa||xa N|uu (Ouma Geelmeid teaches N|uu), takes up a story from Esau’s past. As a child, the Afrikaans owner of the farm where she worked called her “Geelmeid” – “meid” means “maidservant” and “geel” means “yellow” – in an offensive reference to her skin colour. Today, she is known as Ouma (Grandma) Katrina.

“For Ouma Katrina, N|uu is a central part of her life,” says Dr Shah, who divides her time between universities in Hamburg, London and Bloemfontein in South Africa. “As linguists, we are interested in how people use language in everyday communication. With Ouma Katrina, you could sit there listening for hours to the stories she tells and the songs she sings.”

Given her advanced age, work is going on to ensure the language will continue to be heard in the future. Dr. Brenzinger, of the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, said audio and video recordings have been made of Esau so that the spoken language can be preserved.

Another hopeful sign is the recent publication

by Esau and her granddaughter of a children’s storybook in N|uu, Afrikaans and English,

called !Qhoi n|a Tjhoi (Tortoise and Ostrich).

The folk tale, recounted by Esau, is aimed at inspiring youngsters through the wily antics of a tortoise.

Elinor Sisulu, executive director of Puku, the literature children’s foundation behind the illustrated storybook project, believes passionately that Esau’s work should be recognised financially. “Ouma Katrina is the world expert in the N|uu language and the culture of her people,” she says. “No one knows more than she does. As such, she should be given the status of professor of the N|uu language and paid a professor’s salary.”

For Esau, who was awarded one of South Africa’s highest honours, the Order of the Baobab in silver, in recognition of her efforts to preserve the San language and culture, the vital work continues. After receiving her award from the then-president Jacob Zuma, she explained: “Other people have their own languages. Why must my language be allowed to die? It must go on. As long as there are people, the language must go on.” https://inews.co.uk/news/world/how-onewoman-saved-south-africa-oldest-languagesan-bushmen-1044641Image credits: thesoleadventurer.com

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Historical Perspective

Did You Know? The World’s Oldest Tribes Can Be Found In South Africa

By Parker Diakite

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he world’s oldest tribes can be found In South Africa, according to anthropologists.

This comes as no surprise, since it’s a commonly held belief that human life evolved from Africa millions of years ago.

Many indigenous African tribes are believed to be direct descendants from the earliest human groups as they have unique DNA markers, genetic features, as well as languages that experts say are unlike anything that currently exists today.

At least seven of these ancient tribes exist today and out of the few that are left, at least two of the world’s oldest tribes and people can be found in the southern region of Africa.

One of the tribes is referred to as the Nama.

They are believed to be the last true descendants of the Khoikhoi, who are closely related to the San. Collectively, the Khoikhoi and San are called the Khoisan and often called the world’s first or oldest people, according to the biggest and most detailed analysis of African DNA. A report from NPR details how more than 22,000 years ago, the Nama were the largest group of humans on earth and a tribe of hunter-gatherers.

The Nama are believed to be anywhere from 100,000 to 140,000 years old. They inhabit Namibia and Botswana. The population is relatively small as there are a reported 130,000 left.

Known to be cattle farmers – a tradition that reportedly emerged when some San people acquired cattle stock more than 2,000 years ago – the Nama started calling themselves the Khoikhoi to distinguish themselves from the rest of the Khoisan.

Meanwhile, the San Bushmen tribe inhabits Botswana, Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Lesotho, and South Africa. With a reported population of 90,000, the San Bushmen are believed to be 100,000 to 140,000 years

old as well and known to be direct descendants of one of the original ancestral human groups. https://travelnoire.com/worldsoldest-tribes-south-africa Image credit: Dan Kitwood, Pinterest, Twitter, ivygordonphoto.com, linksfonteinsafarilodge.co.za

Nama Girl

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Khoikhoi Hunter

San

Ju’Hoansi San Bushmen

Khoisan Painting

San Bushmen 45 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Dual Citizenship

Seeking Dual Citizenship? Experts Share Steps for Acquiring Citizenship in Africa

By Nasha Smith

I

n declaring 2019 The Year of The Return, Ghana’s President Nana Akufo-Addo appealed to African Americans to visit the continent and the country, as well as apply for citizenship and source investment opportunities. The move sparked an increase of visitors to the West African country — 45% according to the Ghana Tourism Authority — and an interest in applying for citizenship in Africa.

The racial reckoning that swept through the United States after the murder of George Floyd also played a part in African Americans considering dual citizenship and finding a haven overseas.

Celebrities also took advantage of the opportunity. Actor Samuel L. Jackson and rapper Ludacris received Gabonese citizenship, actress and comedienne Tiffany Haddish gained citizenship from her father’s homeland Eritrea, and actor Idris Elba became a citizen of his father’s native Sierra Leone.

In partnership with Sierra Leone’s Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs, Black-owned genetic tracing company AfricanAncestry.com is helping people who can prove their African heritage apply for citizenship in Africa.

As we previously reported, this path to citizenship program was designed by the company’s partnership director and Diallo Sumbry, an architect of Ghana’s Year of Return. The two worked closely with the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Affairs to foster the relationship and establish core guidelines for the now official program.

AfricanAncestry.com’s Nichole Taylor outlined the process for African American’s to apply for citizenship in Sierra Leone.

Use Certified Experts Anyone interested in acquiring citizenship needs to work with a certified tour operator in Sierra Leone. A list of approved operators is available at www.mrcsl.org, www.ntb.gov.sl/, and www.tourism.gov.sl/.

Collect the Relevant Documents A letter of request needs to be sent to the Government of Sierra Leone via the Monuments and Relics Commission showing a desire to acquire citizenship. This letter must include your full name as shown on your passport, current address, phone number, and e-mail address.

Applicants need to prove maternal or paternal lineage through AfricanAncestry.com or a similar company that explicitly states maternal or paternal descent in their results. A copy of the results and certificate of ancestry must be submitted.

Submit a birth certificate and proof of name change on the birth certificate if applicable, a copy of the biodata page on your current, valid passport, at least two references from reputable persons such as your employer, banker, or personal lawyer, and a certified state and federal police report.

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Trevor Noah Teams Up with Duolingo to Teach South Africa‛s Popular Languages

By Parker Diakite

S

outh African comedian Trevor Noah has teamed up with the free language app giant Duolingo to help teach South Africa’s most popular languages.

Zulu and Xhosa are two of the country’s most spoken languages, as they are two of 11 official languages in the country and among the most widely spoken in homes.

Duolingo says it has teamed up with the Trevor Noah Foundation and its partner Nal’ibali, an organization that promotes multilingual reading, to create the courses.

Adding Zulu and Xhosa to Duolingo means there will be three African-language courses offered on the app. The Swahili course, which was added in 2017, has more than 363,000 active users, as reported in QZ Africa.

Trevor, who speaks five languages fluently including, English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Tswana, and Tsonga, says he’s excited that two South African languages will be offered on the app.

“Xhosa because I want to start learning it and

Miscellaneous The government will ensure that the certificate of ancestry provided is authentic, as well as any other certificates presented to support your case.

Once approved, all applicants will need to physically be in Sierra Leone at least five days prior to the conferment ceremony to complete the administrative processes like fingerprinting and immigration interviews. A mandatory two or three-day workshop focused on heritage, investment, and civic education will also be held. Once completed, the request for passport processing will be made.

speaking it fluently. And then Zulu, just so I can brush up while I’m not in my country,” he told Duolingo co-founder and CEO Luis von Ahn in a discussion about the new languages being added, but warned, “you’re gonna need a whole section in Xhosa just to teach people about the clicks.”

Xhosa, known as the “click-click language” is said to be one of the most difficult languages in the world for native English speakers.

Spoken in South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Lesotho, Xhosa is one of many African languages that use click consonants.

There are 18 clicks that get articulated in three different places: the back of the teeth, the roof of the mouth, and the side of the mouth, according to Translate Day. In addition to Zulu and Xhosa, Duolingo announced that the Austrialnesian language Tagalog, Eastern Polynesian language Māori, and Haitian Creole will also be added to the lineup.

The languages will be offered to the world beginning in 2022. https://travelnoire.com/trevor-noah-teams-duolingosouth-africa Image credit: GQ

A conferment ceremony will be confirmed by the authorities and successful applicants will be asked to take an oath of allegiance in front of the president during this time.

For further information about acquiring citizenship abroad in Sierra Leone contact info@ mrcsl.org, mfkargbo@gmail.com, or fm.momoh@ mrcsl.org and annmariekay81@gmail.com. https://travelnoire.com/steps-for-citizenship-inafrica Imaage credit: maximumimpacttravel.com

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Destination Thumbnail Profiles

Destination Thumbnail Profiles - Explore

T

ravel magazines often provide thumbnail profiles on hotels and destinations around the world. Travel Africa is sharing some of those profiles of Africa destinations.

Explore. We hope you will find some destinations that help you refine your plans for that next trip to the African continent.

CAIRO, EGYPT - St. Regis Cairo Peace and calm define Cairo’s latest high-end opening, where the double-glazed windows in guest rooms silence the nonstop action outside

breakfast on a verdant stretch of the riverbank.

Nicola Chilton, marriott.com, Travel and Leisure SOUTH AFRICA - Kruger Shalati Suspended high above the Sabie River, in an engineering feat that balances heritage status with sound environmental management, Druger Shalati feels like s total departure from conventional safarilodge style. The hotel is actually a repurposed train comprising 24 glass-walled rooms set on former rail tracks. Romantic touches, like maroon leather headboards and whimsical suite-numbering font, are complemented by vernacular notifs. A favorite example? Silky bathrobes commissioned from rising textile-design star Bonolo Chepape which riff on the bridge’s angular arches. I wore one during an inroom spa treatment during which I could admire hippos and elephants in the river below. I later set off on a game drive. As part of the hotel’s concession agreement, most of the guides and hospitality staff hail from communities surrounding the park.

The commitment to economic impact and

Sin

The St. Regis also offers an indoor and an outdoor pool.

on the Nile Corniche. Serenity also reigns at the reflecting pools of the hotel’s Water Garden, where you can sip mint tea or a Bloody Mary made with hibiscus-infused vodka amid design details like arabesque lanterns and decorative mashrabyhas (windows covered with laticework).

When it’s time to explore the city’s extraordinary histor, fuel up on some of Cairo’s best falafel at La Zisa - one of six restaurants on property - before heading off to experience the wonders of the new Egyptian Museum, Khan el-Khalili bazaar, and the Pyramids. The hotel can also arrange a speedboat up the Nile for scenes of palm groves, farms, and fishermen, complete with a picnic

Unique touches in Kruger Shalati’s carriage rooms include flowing silky robes. Image: Sanet Oberholzer

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conceptual innovation is a welcome shake-up.

Melanie Van Zyl, krugershalati. com, Travel and Leisure

Bar and lounge at Singita Pamushana

ngita Pamushana suite with private pool. | credit: courtesy of Singita, Travel and Leisure

Singita Pamushana Lodge nestled in Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve thetravelspecialists.net.au

ZIMBABWE - Singita Pamushana Lodge Singita has rightfully earned its stellar reputation for running the slickest safari properties in Africa, and Pamushana is no exception. Insiders choose the untrammeled, biologically diverse reaches of Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve’s 321,000 acres over and over again for long, immersive stays and private animal sightings. The terrain here is strikingly difference from other destinations in the region: deep-red soil, colossal boulders, 87 documented rock-art sites, and forests of ancient baobab trees. Even after several days of driving and walking with the excellent guides, spotting large herds of elephants and buffalo, wild dogs and big cats, there is never a sense that you’ve seen it all. A visit to nearby Kambako Cultural Village is essential. Hands-on and interactive, it’s a living museum of Shangaan culture. The lodge’s hilltop suites overlook Malilangwe Dam, where boat-based birding and fame fishing add to the already long list of activities.

Food is modern and sustainably sourced. One of the Malilangwe Trust’s initiatives is providing the seed funding fro small-scale producers of goods, including honey and eggs, which are then bought by Singita’s kitchens. It also supports equally visible community and conservation endeavors, from a school-feeding scheme to antipoaching patrols.

This is a pioneering property for the future of Zimbabwe. singita.com, Condé Nast Traveler

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1st Person Africa

Jewels in

S

pace, miles and miles of space. Locals seem to revel in the sheer emptiness of Namibia, and they’re quick to drop into conversation the fact that, on average, there are only eight people per square mile there. Which is exactly why I keep coming back, flying from my home in Johanesburg, where we have more than 7,000 people per square mile.

I’ve been visiting Namibia for years, but lately-thanks in part to spending so much time in lockdown in South Africa-I’ve been drawn to the stark desert landscape of the Sossusvelei. Part of the NamibNaukluft Park, this wide swath of dunes and salt flats is filled with a type of desert adapted antelope called gemsbok as well as other wildlife. (The famously photographed Deadvlei, with its denuded trees and ocher dunes, is a short drive away.)

Accommodations in this corner of the country have historically been simple, but that’s changed thanks to the recent addition of two new lodges and a just finished refurbishment of a luxury camp. In December, shortly after travel restrictions on entering Namibia were lifted, I set out to visit them.

The first property was a study in social distancing with panache. Desert Whisper is a solitary onebedroom villa on a cliff top above the sands. A sister resort, the 65-room Namib Desert Lodge, is a 15-minute drive away, but I felt blissfully alone.

As light filtered through windows punched in the structure’s curved weathered-steel shell, circles danced on the wooden floors, I bounced between the outdoor pool and the indoor reading nook, refilling my glass of South African sparkling wine from the en suite bar. I left the wispy linen curtains open throughout my stay, content to drink in the endless views.

Seventy miles south, I checked in to Kwessi Dunes, inside the privately managed NamibRand Nature Reserve. This massive expanse abuts the Namib-Naukluft Park, and guests have the

By Mela

option to embark on adventures in either. I opted first for a quad-biking trek through the private conservancy, led by veteran Namibian guide Gert Tsaobeb. Along the way, he pointed out various animal tracks - gemsbok, hyena, leopard - before we stopped for a break in the shade of some towering boulders.

Wildlife has blossemed in this stretch of seemingly uninhabitable desert, Tsaobeb told me, after a decades-long rewilding effort to convert what was once farmland back into wilderness.

Thanks to a lack of light pollution, the NamibRand Nature Reserve is one of 18 certified International Dark Sky Reserves in the world-and the only one in Africa.To take advantage, each of the 12 solar-powered chalets at Kwessi Dunes has an outdoor “star bed,” where guests can sleep

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n the Sand

Desert Whisper

anie Van Zyl

Little Kulala

“star bed” Kwessi Dunes

under a vivid, twinkling sky.

Nearby, and just outside the national park, Little Kulala was the final stop of my weeklong visit.

It was a fitting bookend to my circuit: opened in 1996 by Wilderness Safaris, Little Kulala was one of the first luxury-minded camps to put this destination on the map. Today, it’s still managed by the pioneering outfitter, which has recently overhauled the interiors and redoubled the property’s sustainability efforts. There are now 11 solar-powered, thatched-roof cabins; all have plunge pools and other thoughtful extras, such as exercise equipment and an activity basket filled with adult coloring books.

The best reason to stay a Little Kulala, though, may be the exclusive access that Wilderness can arrange-not only to the preserve surrounding the

lodge but also to the Namib-Naukluft Park, by means of a private gate. That “back door” access means guests can get to the top sites, like the towering Dune 45, earlier than other people-and stay out later, too.

One evening, I set off for the park with a guide, Akser Simeon, and watched the twilight spill a spice rack of color across the Namibian desert.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sands turned first a soft saffron, then cumin, cinnamon, and finally the shade of pink peppercorns. We were, it seemed, the only two people in the whole of the Deadvlei. Later, back at the camp, the light show continued. Tucked into another star bed-this one laid on the deck of my villa-I gazed up at the sequined sky. Stars emerged, then constellations, and the universe stretched on and on. www.travelandleisure.com (June 2021) Image credits: wbpstars.com, Natural Selection, micato.com

51 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Africa to South Carolina

New Museum Links Africa to America

I

n Charlestown, South Carolina, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden at the International African American Museum, which opens in 2022, sits on the site of Gadsden’s Wharf where enslaved Africans were brought after enduring the Middle Passage.

Designed by MacArthur Fellowship recipient Walter Hood, the garden has “hush harbors,” echoing the secret landscapes where enslaved people gathered to celebrate their culture and keep their traditions alive.

A Journey of Centuries This museum is about a journey that began centuries ago in Africa, and still continues. It is about the journey of millions of Africans, captured and forced across the Atlantic in the grueling and inhumane Middle Passage, who arrived at Gadsden’s Wharf in Charleston, South Carolina and other ports in the Atlantic World. Their labor, resistance and ingenuity and that of their descendants shaped every aspect of our world.

History Comes Alive The museum will sit on the shoulders of 18 strong columns. On the ground level, the African Ancestors Memorial Garden will highlight the original shoreline—the exact spot where so many captive Africans first set foot in America. There will be gardens for quiet contemplation, as well as space for performances and programs.

Take a visual tour of the new museum and enjoy Walter Hood’s description of the Memorial Garden at: https:// iaamuseum.org/museum. www.travelandleisure.com Image credit: The New York Times, treasurechestofmemories. com, charlestonchronicle.net

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Abundant Africa

O

ne of the most

The Greatest Show on Earth

compelling conservation stories in the animal kingdom is not about extinction, it’s about abundance.

Each year, nearly two million African herbivores — including more than 1.5 million wildebeest, 400,000 zebra, 300,000 Grant’s and Thomson’s gazelle, and 12,000 eland— follow the seasonal rains in a clockwise direction across the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, searching for fresh pastures on which to graze. The circular journey, over 500 miles (800 kilometers), is the planet’s largest overland annual migration, one of the seven natural wonders of Africa—and considered by many wildlife enthusiasts to be the greatest show on earth.

When and Where to Go As the wildebeests make their dramatic crossing of the northern Serengeti plains and the rushing Mara River in Kenya between July/ August (depending on the shifting rainy season) and October, many consider this the best time and place to take in the spectacle. Because predators pay close attention to the crossing from the riverbanks, it’s also prime time viewing for lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the Masai Mara.

Guests at andBeyond Bateleur Camp have a front-row seat to the action. In fact, Bateleur Camp is one of the premier places in Africa for viewing the Big Five (lions, leopards, elephants, cape buffalo, and rhinos) year-round, as well as more than 500 bird species, hippos, giraffes, and

some of Africa’s largest crocodiles, either during game drives, from hot air balloons, or just gazing out at the vast plains, with complimentary Swarovski Optik binoculars, from a tented suite.

A Cinematic Experience With its copper bathtubs, hardwood floors, antique furnishings, private butler and housekeeper for each tent, and impeccable attention to detail, the camp evokes the glamour of a bygone era—it is located close to where Out of Africa’s famous final scene, with the lions, was filmed. At the same time, Bateleur Camp’s amenities are firmly rooted in the 21st century. Guests can swim in the sparkling camp pool; take advantage of a well-equipped gym and array of wellness treatments; enjoy the coffee bar by day and gin bar by night; and, of course, connect to the outside world through camp-wide wifi.

A Sustainable Experience The resort’s commitment to the care of the land, its wildlife, and its people is part of all that they

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health crisis, but also an economic crisis due to the tourism shutdown.

A Cultural Experience

do. For the past 20 years, they have partnered with local Maasai communities on conservation and anti-poaching projects—contributing to the apprehension of many poachers and the removal of many thousands of snares. They are also committed to preparing meals with organic vegetables from their own gardens, and sourcing honey from a local Maasai women’s group.

In partnership with Africa Foundation, Bateleur Camp has provided employment, skills training, healthcare, and education initiatives to Maasai villagers, as well as much needed food distribution and other help during the COVID-19 pandemic, when local communities were not only facing a

Maasai culture is also an important part of the Bateleur Camp discovery experience. Guests have the opportunity to learn first-hand about Maasai music and dance traditions, modernday warriorhood, and can also visit a Maasai homestead to learn about the intricacies of beadworking and other cultural traditions.

Nearly every person who’s had the good fortune to witness the great wildebeest migration has considered it a life-changing event, and the team at Bateleur Camp are working together with local communities and conservationists to keep it that way.. https://staybeyondgreen.com/good-stories/ greatest-show-earth Image credit: Nat Hab, latteluxurynews. com, africadirect.us, karellafrica.com, southerndestinations.com

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Reader’s Choice

Travel and Leisure 500 - 2021: T

A

s the travel industry confronts unprecedented challenges, resorts, hotesl, and safari lodges around the world are rising to meet the moment, acting as beacons of resilience and hospitality for both guests and their local communities. Drawing on results from the past year’s World’s Best Awards survey, we’re bringing back this iconic list to recognize the 500 best properties, as chosen by our discerning readers. We hope it will serve as a trusted resource for your next adventure, wherever - and whenever-it may be.

Note: left click on the destination name to view the website and be enticed to travel.

- AFRICA andBeyond Ngala Safari Lodge Kruger National Park area, South Africa

andBeyond Ngorongoro Crater Lodge Ngorongoro Caldera, Tanzania

Four Seasons Safari Lodge Serengeti

Angama Mara Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Belmond Mount Nelson Hotel

Gibb’s Farm Karatu, Tanzania

Cape Town, South Africa

Giraffe Manor

Bisate Lodge Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda

Nairobi, Kenya

Govenors’ Camp

Cape Grace Cape Town, South Africa

Elewana Arusha Coffee Lodge Arusha, Tanzania

Four Seasons Hotel Casablanca Casablanca, Morocco

Serengeti National Park, Tanzania

Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya Kasbah Tamadot Atlas Mountains, Morocco La Mamounia Marrakesh, Morocco La Residence

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The Africa Sites Edited by Sarah Bruning

Tongabezi Lodge, Zambia

Franschhoek, South Africa

The Silo

Lion Sands Game Reserve Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

One&Only Cape Town

Cape Town, South Africa Singita Kruger National Park Singita Kruger National Park, South Africa

Singita Sabi Sand

Cape Town, South Africa

Sabi Sand Game Reserve, South Africa

Oyster Box Umhlanga Rocks, South Africa The Ritz Carlton Cairo Cairo, Egypt

Royal Mansour Marrakesh, Morocco

Saxon Hotel, Villas & Spa Johannesburg, South Africa

The Silo, Cape Town, South Africa

Tongabezi Lodge Livingstone, Zambia

Victoria Falls Safari Lodge Zambezi National Park, Zimbabwe www.travelandleisure.com/worlds-best/tl5002021 Image credit: hotelyouwant.com, Pinterest

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Travel - Be Safe

TSA: What to Know Befo Face Coverings and Social Distancing

TSA officers ar required to we surgical masks and gloves.

Practice social distancing.

6 feet

TSA

Phased installa of plastic shiel at points of int between passe and TSA office (e.g., checkpoin checked bagga drop-off, etc.)

Checkpoint floors have visual reminders of appropriate spacing.

Travelers should wear face coverings.

Travelers who require an accommodation due to a disability or medical condition should alert the TSA officer.

Travelers may have to adjust their face coverings for IDverification or remove for secondary screening.

Cleaning and Disinfecting 12 oz.

TSA is allowing one liquid hand sanitizer container, up to 12 ounces per passenger, in carry-on bags.

TSA officers will change their gloves with each pat-down and upon passenger request.

New Explosives Trace Detection swab used for each person.

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Increased cleaning an disinfecting of frequen touched surfaces and screening equipment, including bins.

ore You Go

re ear

ation ding teraction engers ers. nt, age

Reduced Physical Contact

WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO

Travelers keep possession of their IDs and boarding passes, place on the reader, and hold up for visual inspection.

TSA Website: www.tsa.gov/coronavirus

Remove belts and all items from pockets and put them in carry-ons instead of bins.*

TSA Safety Video: www.tsa.gov/videos/stayhealthy-stay-secure

Remove food items from carry-on bags and place in bin for screening.*

Travelers may be directed outside of the checkpoint to remove or repack items (e.g., laptops, liquids, gels, aerosols and large electronics).

d ntly security * Does not apply to TSA PreCheck™ members.

CDC Dashboard: www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/ whats-new-all.html COVID-19 Testing: www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/ symptoms-testing/ testing.html COVID-19 Travel Recommendations by Destination: www.cdc.gov/ coronavirus/2019-ncov/ travelers/map-and-travelnotices.html

Stay Healthy. Stay Secure. tsa.gov/coronavirus 59 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Bringing History to Life

Did You Know? West Africa’s Mali was One of the Richest Places in the World

By Brunno Braga

T

he city of Timbuktu, located in West Africa’s Mali, was one of the three richest places in the world in the 14th and 15th centuries. While Western Europe was living in an era known as the Dark Ages, Timbuktu was seen as an important intellectual and scientific center, and the home of the first university in the world, the University of Sankoré Although Timbuktu today does not show the beauty it had in its heyday, the city had an estimated population of 115,000 inhabitants, which is 5 times more than that of medieval London.

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) made it a cultural heritage site in 1988.

This remarkable African city flourished during the rule of Mansa Musa, who was the emperor of the Mali empire, in the 14th century, and considered the richest man in the world who ever lived. The empire covered Mali, Senegal, Guinea and Gambia. When he died, Musa was worth the equivalent of 400 billion US dollars. At that time, the Mali empire produced more than half of the world’s supply of gold and salt.

When Musa went on a pilgrimage to Mecca in 1324, he took so much gold that the value of that metal fell for 10 years in the region. 60,000 people accompanied him on this pilgrimage.

But even before Musa’s reign, Timbuktu could be considered a powerful intellectual and scientific hub. It was there that the University of Sankore was founded— the first university in the world, according to some Historians.

The University of Sankore attracted students from all over the Islamic world (even from the Arabian Peninsula), where they could study medicine and surgery, astronomy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, philosophy, language and linguistics, geography, history, as well as art.

Along with Sankore, Djinguereber and Sidi Yahya formed the three main centers of learning and medieval writings.

The university was made up of other independent schools and faculties, and each master had its own school. Students followed a single professor, and classes were held in open courtyards within the university premises or in private residences.

The sale and purchase of books became an even more lucrative market than the local gold trade.

In Timbuktu, there are still thousands of books and manuscripts that have survived over time.

Writings include medicine, mathematics, law, astronomy and poetry.

From 1460 onward, the Mali Empire was

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Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons

of its sanctuaries have been destroyed.

Many of the priceless scriptures were burned by Jihadists, before their removal in 2015.

UNESCO ensured it will do everything to save what is left. But the once thriving Timbuktu has now turned into a ghost town, where residents live in fear and poverty.

In 2016, the International Criminal Court (ICC) found the jihadist leader Ahmed Al-Faqi Al-Mahdi guilty of war crimes. He was sentenced to 9 years in prison for his responsibility in the deliberate destruction in 2012 of nine mausoleums and the secret gate of the

plagued with succession disputes at certain critical stages, including several civil wars, and finally the Mali Empire faced its downfall in the 15th century. It

Courtesy of: UNESCO Bureau of Mali Shoaee

Photo Credit: Lazare Eloundou

was succeeded by the Songhai Empire. After becoming independent of France in 1960, Mali began suffering several domestic crises.

In 2012, the country suffered a coup d’Etat after which Islamist fighters captured several towns.

Since then, numerous mausoleums

Sidi Yahia mosque in Timbuktu.

“The decision of the International Criminal Court is a landmark in gaining recognition for the importance of heritage for humanity as a whole and for the communities that have preserved it over the centuries. It also supports UNESCO’s conviction that heritage has a major role to play in reconstruction and peace building,” said the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova after the verdict was announced. https://travelnoire.com/west-africas-mali-was-richestplace-in-world

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Safe Travels

Black Physician Creates Health Guide for Managing Sickness when Traveling

By Parker Diakite

A

s more people begin to travel again, Atlantabased physician, Dr. Yvette McQueen, wants to make sure you are prepared. She just released Travel 911: A Health Guide For Adventurers.

While the COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the way we travel and highlighted how easy diseases can spread, Dr. McQueen is spreading awareness about other sicknesses and medical concerns travelers are susceptible to when traveling.

“I was inspired to write the book prior to the pandemic and finished it during the lockdown,” she tells Travel Noire. “I have traveled with several groups, including a group of physicians and sometimes just with a group of people and what I found is that someone always gets sick unexpectedly.”

Dr. McQueen says she wants travelers to enjoy their adventures and be prepared for any medical emergency as a nonmedical person.

“You have planned and paid for your [travel] experience, but the one thing you probably didn’t plan for is sickness and emergencies,” said Dr. McQueen. “The book provides the reader with the preparation and simple solutions for medical and health problems while traveling.”

Dr. McQueen is an emergency medical physician, who has worked in the U.S. and Caribbean. She has traveled to more than 40 different countries and organizes medical missions, hospital training, and teaching in places such as Rwanda and Tanzania.

Her book guides readers through handling common medical concerns. Topics range from traveler’s diarrhea to skin issues. You will be introduced to and advised on a wide range of possible, unfortunate occurrences that could affect not only how pleasant your trip is, but also how

well you recover from unexpected medical events.

“This health guide gives valuable information about items to pack, wellness while traveling, health situations to anticipate, common travel-related medical problems, and how to recognize and handle a medical emergency as a nonmedical person,” a statement on the website reads. “A bonus chapter of quick basic first aid.

Carry it with you on all your travels and be ready cDr. Yvette McQueen for the unexpected.”

In addition to a book, Dr. McQueen has made it easier to pack the essentials. She has also created a mini travel and hygiene pack for the on-the-go traveler. The kit comes with three-layer disposable masks; antibacterial wipes); a compressed cotton towel, mini toothbrushes with toothpaste inserts; body wash squeeze pods; deodorant wipes, and more.

Both items are small for you to keep handy in your carry-on.

You can purchase the health guide and Dr. McQueen’s other items here. https://travelnoire.com/black-doctor-health-guidetraveling Image credits: greaterdiversity.com

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Heritage and Culture

Rwanda’s Traditional Imigongo Art is on the Rise

By Yulia Denisyuk

I

n Rwanda, bold, geometric Imigongo art adorns the homes of traditional villages and the lobbies of the country’s finest boutique hotels (including the recently opened One&Only Nyungwe House). The hottest fashion design shops and artisan studios in the capital of Kigali proudly carry pieces of Imigongo art on their shelves.

But there’s more to this distinctly Rwandan

stands as a symbol of incredible resilience and ingenuity—like Rwandans themselves. Here is what you need to know about imigongo and where to find it.

A royal tradition In the small landlocked Eastern African nation of Rwanda, cows have been revered for centuries.

Owning a cow in this traditionally agrarian society was a symbol of wealth and noble social status;

A replica of a traditional Rwandan village near Volcanoes National Park features homes with Imigongo designs. Photo by Yulia Denisyuk craft than meets the eye: It is created through a remarkable process that uses an abundant material—cow dung—and, with the help of artistry and natural dyes, turns it into an object of admiration. In the disarray that followed the genocide, the art form nearly disappeared; but now, riding the wave of cultural resurgence that’s taking over the country 25 years later, Imigongo

the animal was so important that a subset of the breed called inyambo was developed specifically for the kings in the 17th century. These elegant royal cows with long, arched horns and a stately appearance paraded past royal villages in elaborate ceremonies that honored the ruling king.

Perhaps the idea for Imigongo was sparked during one of these royal parades. According

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to page 64

Heritage and Culture

An artist at the Imigongo Art Center. Although supposedly invented by a prince, imigongo has traditionally been a women’s art form. Photo by Yulia Denisyuk

Inyambo cows, which featu bred for roya Kimenyi of Gisaka in the eastern Kibungo region near the Tanzanian border.

Mixing cow dung, a readily available medium, with ash and clay, Prince Kakira adorned the dull walls of his hut with the paste-like compound. He then taught local women his method, and they passed it on through the generations.

At Azizi Life, artist Alex Nsengiyimva marks the plate with lines to ensure From dung to his designs are proportional. Photo by Yulia Denisyuk

art Imigongo Art

- from page 63

to local beliefs, the practice of decorating with cow dung was invented in the late 18th or early 19th century by Prince Kakira, the son of King

Most contemporary imigongo is now found off hut walls as smaller-scale artworks, but the process of making it remains the same. It starts with a wooden base plate that can range in size from a

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tiny photo frame to large-scale wall mural.

The artist divides this plate into equal parts using banana fibers to ensure that the finished design is proportional t h e n sketches geometric patterns— zigzags, spirals, diamonds, o r squares— ure long, elegant horns, were originally onto the alty. Photo by Yulia Denisyuk plate with charcoal.

The main medium is a mixture of fresh cow dung and ash, which kills bacteria and odor. The artist applies this malleable, dough-like paste by hand and painstakingly traces the desired pattern with the fingers, creating a raised relief. It takes the work about a day to air dry, and then it’s sanded for smoothness and covered in a neutral base coat of ochre to ensure that the rest of the colors will show up in uniform hues.

Once the work is dried, the artist paints designs in a simple palette of no more than four natural pigments. Traditional colors include white, derived from the clay mineral kaolin; red from the ironrich Rwandan soil; yellow from ochre, another natural clay pigment; and a black created from banana peel ashes, aloe (ikakarubamba) sap, and poisonous soda apple fruit (umutobotobo).

Increasingly, artists use a broader range of colors in more modern designs, but the traditional look continues to feature four colors or fewer.

A contemporary revival Twenty-five years after the genocide, the unimaginable series of events that tore the nation

apart, Kigali’s clean, leafy streets are abuzz with a radiant energy that suggests that the country is on the rise. Delegations from other African nations visit to study governance and green energy practices, and young, ambitious Rwandan artists flock here to explore their cultural heritage and traditional art forms.

You can find imigongo in the several design shops and artisan studios in Kigali that profile these artists’ work. One of them is Haute Baso, an ethical fashion design brand that collaborates with nearly 300 local artisans to create high-quality, sustainable products.

In the busy neighborhood of Kimihurura, the local Azizi Life artisan studio carries imigongo products by artist Alex Nsengiyimva, who learned the craft from his wife. (While imigongo is a traditionally female art form, it is now attracting male artists as well.) Shelves inside the airy studio also display colorful woven baskets and jars of local honey, all supplied by nearly 30 Rwandan cooperatives. Here, you can purchase a stunning imigongo to take home or create your own in a weekly workshop run by Nsengiyimva. The studio even ships products in the United States from a stateside warehouse.

But to get to the heart of imigongo, you must go east to where the art form was born. Head out along the RN3 road and you’ll pass several artisan cooperatives such as the Imigongo Art Center and craft coffee shop in Kayonza (a 90-minute drive from Kigali) and the Ikora Imigongo Kirehe (KOIIK) in Kaziba village (a three-hour drive from Kigali).

Perhaps the most famous collective is near the town of Nyakarambi, about three hours east of Kigali. Over a dozen women, many of them genocide widows, carry on the prince’s tradition at his namesake cooperative, Kakira Imigongo.

The organization was established after the 1994 tragedy to revive the practice, which came to a halt during the genocide, while giving grieving women a creative outlet. Today, a replica of the prince’s homes houses a staggering array of black-andwhite patterns in a maze-like space. Here, and across Rwanda, Imigongo is more than cow dung art. It is a way to preserve tradition while moving on from a more recent past. www.afar.com/magazine/from-the-ashesrwandas-traditional-imigongo-art-is-on-the-rise

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Cruises are Back

South Africa Spotlight OCEANIA CRUISES

Oceania Cruise Lines Nautica

Nautica Bar

T

his cruise roundtrips from Cape Town back to Cape Town. The ship visits Walvis Bay, Namibia then returns to South Africa beginning with Port Elizabeth, then Durban, Richards Bay and Mossel Bay. The exuberant wilderness of Africa takes center state on these visits to breathtaking ports, ideal staging points for exciting safaris across beautiful nature reserves.

To take part in this excursion you must be vaccinated. The 12-day cruise on the Nautica departs from Cape Town on January 6, 2022 and docks at Cape Town on January 18th. Visit www. oceaniacruises.com for details. www.travelandleisure.com Image credit: www.oceaniacruises.com

Nautica Suite

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WORLD HERITAGE SITES

The Kong Mosque or Grand Mosque of Kong, called Missiriba, was built in neo-Sudanese style, using mud and logs; it is the oldest symbol of the Islamization of the populations of the Northern Ivory Coastand has maintained its function as a place of prayer and assembly to nowadays. www.exploring-africa.com/en/viaggi-e-spedizioni/ivory-coast-heart-west-africa/city-kong-and-its-mosques

UNESCO Adds 33 New Sites to Its 2021 World Heritage List

T

he recent announcement of 33 newly inscribed UNESCO World Heritage sites is larger than usual because it covers two years, 2020 and 2021. (The committee that selects the sites did not meet in 2020 because of the pandemic.) They join a list of more than 1,000 natural and cultural sites around the globe. Culture, especially modern—rather than nature— rules in these choices.

Recognition by UNESCO means the landmark is of “outstanding universal value.” It also means the site can obtain funds and advice from UNESCO to help maintain it. Both types of aid may be necessary because the new status frequently means an increase in tourist visits, sometimes too many, especially when a site has the dubious distinction of being “Instagrammable.”

While the pandemic continues to make some of these sites off limits, you may want to include them in your future travel plans.

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One of the last virgin forests to explore in the world. An exploration of Ivindo National Park should go through the kongou falls then langouai bay for elephant trekking.

Make sure you are in good physical shape and do not worry about your expectations, you will be served with the observation of wildlife and nature in the middle of nowhere. place of prayer and assembly to nowadays. www.exploringafrica.com/en/viaggi-e-spedizioni/ivory-coast-heart-west-africa/ city-kong-and-its-mosques

We highlight the two sites in Africa included in this listing with images:

Africa • Sudanese Style Mosques in Northern Ivory Coast • Ivindo National Park, Gabon

Asia

• •

• • • •

• Quanzhou: Emporium of the World in Song-Yuan China Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Northern Japan Amami-Oshima Island, Tokunoshima Island, Northern part of Okinawa Island, and Iriomote Island, Japan Getbol, Korean Tidal Flats, South Korea Kaeng Krachan Forest Complex, Thailand Dholavira: a Harappan City, India Kakatiya Rudreshwara (Ramappa) Temple, Telangana, India

Europe • Colonies of Benevolence, Belgium/ Netherlands • Cordouan Lighthouse, France • Nice, Winter Resort Town of the Riviera, France • Mathildenhöhe Darmstadt, Germany • Frontiers of the Roman Empire—The Lower German Lines, Germany/the Netherlands

• ShUM Sites of Speyer, Worms and Mainz, Germany • The Porticoes of Bologna, Italy • The Works of Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana— Human Centered Urban Design, Slovenia • The Slate Landscape of Northwest Wales, United Kingdom • Petroglyphs of Lake Onega and the White Sea, Russia • Padua’s Fourteenth-Century Fresco Cycles, Italy • Paseo del Prado and Buen Retiro, a landscape of Arts and Sciences, Spain • Roșia Montană Mining Landscape, Romania • The Great Spa Towns of Europe, Austria, Belgium, Czechia, France, Germany, Italy, United Kingdom • Colchic Rainforests and Wetlands, Georgia

Middle East • As-Salt—the Place of Tolerance and Urban Hospitality, Jordan • Trans-Iranian Railway, Iran • Cultural Landscape of Hawraman/Uramanat, Iran • Ḥimā Cultural Area, Saudia Arabia • Arslantepe Mound, Turkey

South America • Settlement and Artificial Mummification of the Chinchorro Culture in the Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile • Sítio Roberto Burle Marx, Brazil • Chankillo Archaeoastronomical Complex, Peru • The Work of Engineer Eladio Dieste: Church of Atlántida, Uruguay www.afar.com/magazine/new-unesco-2021world-heritage-sites Image credit: atelier-crabe.com, discover-afrika. com, bradtguides.com

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Travel Africa Where To Go, What To Do

Festival National des Arts et de la Culture (FENAC) in December CAPITAL: Yaoundé www.cameroun-infotourisme.com

Algeria

Tamanrasset Camel Trekking Sahara Dune Skiing The Turquoise Coast CAPITAL: Algiers www.algerie-tourisme.dz

Angola

Fort Sao Miguel Slave Depot Calandula Waterfalls Palmeirinhas Beach CAPITAL: Luanda www.angola.org

Benin

Lake Village of Ganvie Nakoue Lagoon Pendjari National Park CAPITAL: Porto-Novo www.benintourisme.com

Botswana

Kisantu Botanical Gardens, DRC

Okavango Delta Central Kalahari Game Reserve Transfrontier Park (Kgalafadi National Park) CAPITAL: Gaborone www.botswanatourism.co.bw

Burkina Faso

International Arts and Crafts Fair, Oct-Nov Ranch de Nazinga game reserve Mare aux Hippopotames CAPITAL: Ouagadougou www.ontb.bf

Burundi

Chutes de la Kagera Waterfall Lake Tanganyika Craftwares Village at Giheta CAPITAL: Bujumbura www.burunditourisme.com

Cameroon

Mandera Mountains (hiking, climbing) Bouba Ndjidah National Park

karly.be

Cape Verde

Baia das Gatas Festival Scuba Diving and Snorkelling at Boa Vista UNESCO world heritage old fort site at Cidade Velha CAPITAL: Praia Ministry of Tourism, Praia, Santiago: +238 615 697

Central African Republic

Boali Waterfalls Manovo-Gounda St Floris National Park Lobaye Region CAPITAL: Bangui ministere_tourisme@yahoo.fr

Chad

Camel racing in the Tibesti Mountains Galawa Beach on Grande Comore Lake Chad CAPITAL: N’Djamena Office du Tourisme, Tel: 01 45 53 36 75

70 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

The Comoros

Climb Mount Karthala (active volcano) Nzwani Island Hot Sulphur Springs at Lac Salé CAPITAL: Moroni Comoros National Tourist Board Office, Tel: 269 73 3044

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Frère Gillet Botanic Gardens world-famous rare orchids (Kisantu) Ruwenzori Range Virunga National Park CAPITAL: Kinshasa Ministère des Affaires Foncières, Environment et Tourisme, Tel: (+243) 8802093.

Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro Mount Tonkoui (mountain climb) Comoë National Park CAPITAL: Yamoussoukro www.tourisme.gouv.ci

Djibouti

Gulf of Tadjoura (snorkling/diving) Lake Abbé Lake Assal (windsurf on wheels) CAPITAL: Djibouti www.office-tourisme.dj

Egypt (Kemet)

Nile River Cruise, Aswan Temple of Ranses II, Abu Simbel Alexandria CAPITAL: Cairo www.tourism.misrnet.gov.eg

Equatorial Guinea

Arena Blanca Pico Malabo Volcano (mountain climbing) Cascades of Moca

CAPITAL: Malabo www.embarege-londres.org

Eritrea

Dahlak Archipelago Tour of Eritrea (bicycle race) Akordat CAPITAL: Asmara eritreantourism@tse.com.er

Ethiopia

Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela (New Jerusalem) Home of the Queen of Sheba, Axum African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa TOTAL Great Ethiopian Race CAPITAL: Addis Ababa www.tourismethiopia.org

Gabon

Cathedral of St Michael in Libreville Lopé-Okanda Reserve National Park (gorilla) M’Bigou (gold mines/crafts) CAPITAL: Libreville www.legabon.org

The Gambia

Deep Sea Fishing, Atlantic Ocean Exhibition of the slave trade at Albreda and Jufureh Makasutu Culture Forest CAPITAL: Banjul www.visitthegambia.gm

Ghana

Cape Coast Castle Slave Fortress Mount Afadjato and Togbo Falls (Volta Region) Kakum Nature Reserve (tree-top walkway and stay in a tree house) CAPITAL: Accra www.touringghana.com

Guinea

Kindia (cloth market) Kinkon Falls Îles de Los CAPITAL: Conakry www.ontguinee.com

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to page 72

Travel Africa

- from page 71

www.micat.gov.lr

Libya

Guinea-Bissau

Akakus Mountains (prehistoric rock art) Ubari Lakes (dune surfing) Leptis Magna (tribute to African Roman Emperor Septimus Severus) CAPITAL: Tripoli www.libyan-tourism.org

Bijagos Archipelago Cantanhez Natural Park Museum of African Artefacts CAPITAL: Bissau www.guineabissautourism.com

Kenya

Madagascar

Mount Kenya National Park Tsavo West National Park Watamu-Malindi Marine Park

The Mobee Museum

Fianarantsoa (Capital of Wine) Montagne d’Arbre National Park Queen’s Palace

Badagry, Lagos State, Nigeria

CAPITAL: Nairobi www.magicalkenya.com

CAPITAL: Antananarivo www.madagascar-tourisme.com

Bushmen Rock Paintings Ski Lesotho Highlands (www.afriski.co.za) Sehlabathebe National Park CAPITAL: Maseru www.ltdc.org.ls

Lake Malawi Marine Park Nyika National Park Liwonde National Park CAPITAL: Lilongwe www.malawitourism.com

Lesotho

Malawi

Liberia

Mali

Sapo National Park Kendeja National Cultural Center Firestone Rubber Plantation CAPITAL: Monrovia

Festival in the Desert Timbuctou La Boucle de Baoule National Park CAPITAL: Bamako

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www.le-mali.com/ omatho/index.htm

Mauritania

Parc National du Banc d’Arguin Chinguetti, a holy city of Islam Oualata CAPITAL: Nouakchott www.tourisme.mr

Mauritius

Black River Gorges National Park Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve Rodrigues Island CAPITAL: Port Louis www.mauritius.net

Morocco

Oualata, Mauritania Wall designing Pinterest

Todra and Dades Gorges Talassemtane National Park Essaouira CAPITAL: Rabat www.visitmorocco.com

Mozambique

Maputo Elephant Park Gorongosa National Park Bazaruto Archipelago CAPITAL: Maputo www.futur.org.mz/index-en.html

Namibia

Mahongo Game Reserve Etosha National Park Skeleton Coast CAPITAL: Windhoek www.namibiatourism.com.na

Niger

Agadez ‘W’ National Park Igouloulef CAPITAL: Algiers www.niger-tourisme.com

Nigeria

Cross River National Park Emir’s Palace, Kano

Benin City CAPITAL: Lagos www.tourism.gov.ng

Republic of the Congo

Loufoulakari Falls Loango (main embarkation port for slaves) Congo Rapids CAPITAL: Brazzaville Direction Generale du Tourisme et des Loisirs, Tel: 830 953

Reunion

Piton des Neiges Plaine d’Affouches Le Voile de la Mariée (The Bride’s Veil) CAPITAL: Saint-Denis ot.saint-pierre@wanadoo.fr

Rwanda

Cards From Africa, Kigali Parc National des Volcans Gorilla Trek Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk CAPITAL: Kigali www.rwandatourism.com/

São Tomé & Principe

Bom Bom Island Deep Sea Fishing Humpback Whale Watching to page 74

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Travel Africa

- from page 73

Agua Izé Plantation CAPITAL: São Tomé www.saotome.st

Senegal

African Renaissance Monument Retba (Pink) Lake Maison des Enclaves (House of Slaves), Goree Island CAPITAL: Dakar sentouroffice@aol.com

Seychelles

Marlin Fishing in Denis St Anne Marine National Park Aldabra CAPITAL: Victoria www.seychelles.travel

Sierra Leone

Outamba-Kilimi National Park Freetown Peninsula Bunce Island, Slave Trading Station CAPITAL: Freetown www.welcometosierraleone.org

www.zulu.org.za www.southafrica.net

Hargeisa National Park Neolithic Paintings Las Geel Indian Ocean Coastal Beaches CAPITAL: Mogadishu www.somali-gov.info/Tourism/index.html

Boma National Park Nimule National Park Nile River CAPITAL: Juba www.goss.org

South Sudan mikakuplanet.com

Somalia

South Sudan

Somaliland

Sudan

Hargeisa National Park Neolithic Paintings Las Geel Indian Ocean Coastal Beaches CAPITAL: Hargiesa www.somalilandgov.com (Ministry of Tourism & Culture 252-225-7917)

South Africa

Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory & Dialogue, Johannesburg Great White Shark Festival, Cape Town/ Gansbaai The Elephant Coast, Zulu Kingdom CAPITAL: Johannesburg www.whitesharkfestival.org www.nelsonmandela.org

Port Sudan, The Red Sea Gemmeiza Tourist Village Pyramids of Meroe CAPITAL: Khartoum www.sudan-tourism.gov.sd/english/index.php

Swaziland

Mkhaya Game Reserve Phophomyane Nature Reserve Usutu River (white-water rafting) CAPITAL: Mbabane www.welcometoswaziland.com

Tanzania

Bagamoyo Slave Trail Katavi Plains National Park Ngorongoro Crater

74 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Source of the Nile,Owen Falls Dam, Jinja CAPITAL: Kampala http://visituganda.com/index.php

Western Sahara City of El-Aaiún Dakhla (surfing) CAPITAL: El-Aaiún dajla47@hotmail.com

Zambia

Walking Safari, South Luangwa National Park Musi oa Tunya (Victoria Falls), Livingstone Zambezi White Water Rafting CAPITAL: Lusaka www.zambiatourism.com

Zimbabwe

Great Zimbabwe Lake Kariba Chizarira National Park CAPITAL: Harare www.zimbabwetourism.co.zw Stone Town, Zanzibar CAPITAL: Dodoma http://tanzaniatouristboard.com/

Togo

Koutammakou (World Heritage Site) Whale Watching, Gulf of Benin Fosse aux Lions (Lions’ Den) National Park CAPITAL: Lomé www.togo-tourisme.com

Sources:

www.worldtravelguide.net/africa www.internationaltouristboards.com www.worldtourismdirectory.com/directory/africa/ index.html

Tunisia

Desert Trekking from Douz Matmata (Star Wars film site) Sidi Bou Saïd CAPITAL: Tunis www.tourismtunisia.com

Uganda

Mountains of the Moon (Mount Rwenzori National Park) Bwindi National Park (view gorilla)

Iles de Los, Conakry, Guinea 75 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Ski Africa

Overview: Skiing in Africa

T

here are currently 10 indoor and outdoor ski resorts set in the nations of Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Egypt, Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Namibia, and the Republic of South Africa.

There are 4 unconfirmed ski resorts. The following facts provide an overview of the ski regions of Africa: Elevation of the Ski Resorts 70 m - 3268 m Elevation Difference max. 658 m in one ski resort Slopes 21 km (max. 10 km in one ski resort) Ski Lifts 23 (max. 7 in one ski resort) Ski Passes € 14.40 to € 30.74

Oukaimeden

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ oukaimeden The ski resort Oukaïmeden is located in the Marrakesh-TensiftEl Haouz Region (Morocco). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 10 km of slopes available. 7 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 2,610 and 3,268 m.

Chréa

Afriski Mountain Resort, Lesotho

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ chrea/ The ski resort Chréa is located in the Province of Blida (Algeria).

For skiing and snowboarding, there are 0.5 km of slopes available. 3 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,460 and 1,550 m.

Afriski Mountain Resort

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ afriski-mountain-resort The ski resort Afriski Mountain Resort is located in the ButhaButhe District (Lesotho). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1.8 km of slopes available. 2 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 3,030 and 3,222 m.

AfriSki, the only skiing resort in the Kingdom of Lesotho, is located

3222 m above sea-level in the Maluti Mountains. It offers a main Ski slope, a beginners slope and operates during the winter months.

Tiffindell

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ tiffindell The ski resort Tiffindell is located in the Province of Eastern Cape (South Africa). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 2.4 km of slopes available. 5 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 2,700 and 2,930 m.

Tiffindell is the highest resort in South Africa. It is nestling snugly on the slope of Ben McDhui (3001m), the highest pass in South Africa and the highest peak in the Cape. Within 15 acres of terrain, there are pistes suitable for all abilities. In an average season, Tiffindell is open for skiing and snowboarding in June, July

76 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ michlifen The ski resort Michlifen is located in the Meknès-Tafilalet Region (Morocco). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1 km of slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,880 and 2,060 m.

Ski Egypt

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ ski-egypt/

and August. It has slope-side accommodation available for 150 guests and many more day visitors in the surrounding valleys. There is a restaurant, coffee lounge, 2 bars, ski clothing shop and ski school.

Non aspiring skiers join in to enjoy a unique experience, making snowmen, throwing snow balls or tobogganing, making it the perfect family holiday for young and old.

Matroosberg

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ matroosberg/ The ski resort Matroosberg is located in the Province of Western Cape (South Africa). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 2 km of slopes available. 2 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,794 and 2,132 m.

Michlifen

The indoor ski resort Ski Egypt is located in the Mall of Egypt, 6th October City, Cairo (Egypt). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 0.6 km of slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 150 and 180 m.

With over 7,000 tons of snow, Ski Egypt is launching the first ski resort in Africa with the world’s largest indoor snow park, offering everything from skiing, slope snowboarding, sledging and a Polar Express Train to a jolly kids area and a professional Ski School, all in a one stop, breathtaking experience for family and friends.

skiing and snowboarding, there are 1 km of slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,800 and 2,000 m.

Ski Namibia

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ ski-namibia Options for Dune Skiing in the Namib Desert, Namibia (high dunes, breathtaking landscapes, long dune belt) are manifold.

Not only the fast ski runs on the dunes bring the kick, but also the landscape and nature aspect are simply one-of-a-kind amidst the world’s oldest desert. For information and arrangements: www.ski-namibia.com, henrik@ ski-namibia.com, P.O. Box 8140, Swakopmund, Namibia.

Jbel Hebri

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ jbel-hebri The ski resort Jbel Hebri is located in the Meknès-Tafilalet Region (Morocco). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1 km of slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,950 and 2,090 m.

Azrou

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ azrou The ski resort Azrou is located in the Ifrane Province of the FèsMeknès region (Morocco). For

77 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Unconfirmed Ski Resorts

Cape Town, South Africa (In development, possibly) www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ snowfun-cape-town-planned Kingdom of Morocco (mountain climbing resorts that may include skiing opportunities) www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ djebel-bou-iblane www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ hoher-atlas www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ rif-gebirge www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/ africa

Golf Africa

www.golfworldmap.com/africa/#9.622414142924805,17.05078125,3

Anfa Royal Golf Club, Casablanca

Botswana

Gaborone Golf Club at the Gaborone Sun Hotel Phakalane Golf Estate Hotel Resort www.phakalane.com

Egypt

Alexandria Sporting Club, Alexandria Cascades at Soma Bay Golf and Country Club www.residencedescascades.com Dreamland Golf & Tennis Resort, Cairo www.dreamlandgolf.com Golf City, Cairo Katemeya Heights Golf & Tennis Resort, Cairo www.katameyaheights.com Madinat Makadi Golf Course, Madinat Makadi www.madinatmakadigolf.com Mena House Oberoi Golf Course, Cairo www.oberoihotels.com/oberoi_menahouse/index.

asp Mirage City Golf Club, Cairo www.golf.jwmarriottcairo.com/golf Steigenberger Al Dau Beach Hotel, Hurghada www.steigenbergeraldaubeach.com

Kenya

Karen Country Club, Nairobi Kiambu Golf Club, Kiambu Leisure Lodge Beach & Golf Resort, Mombasa Muthaiga Golf Club, Nairobi Nyali Golf & Country Club, Mombasa www.nyaligolf.co.ke Railway Golf Club, Nairobi Royal Nairobi Golf Club, Nairobi The Golf Park at the Jockey Club of Kenya, Nairobi Windsor Golf Hotel & Country Club, Nairobi www.windsorgolfresort.com

78 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Mauritius

Ile aux Cherfs, Trou d’Eau Douce Le Paradis Hotel & Golf Club, Le Morne Peninsula www.paradis-hotel.com Legend Golf Course, Poste de Flacq www.bellemareplagehotel.com Links Golf Course, Poste de Flacq www.princemaurice.com One&Only Le Saint Géran Golf Course, Poste de Flacq http://lesaintgeran.oneandonlyresorts.com Shandrani Golf Club, Blue Bay www.shandrani-hotel.com Troux aux Biches Golf Club, Troux aux Biches www.trouauxbiches-hotel.com

Morocco

Anfa Royal Golf Club, Casablanca Cabo Negro Royal Golf Club, Tetouan Royal Golf of Dar es Salam, Rabat www.royalgolfdaressalam.com/english/index.cfm Club Med les Dunes, Agadir El Jadida Royal Golf Club, El Jadida Fes Royal Golf Club, Fes Marrakech Royal Golf Club, Marrakech Meknes Royal Golf Club, Meknes Mohammedia Royal Golf Club, Mohammedia Settat University Royal Golf Club, Settat Tangier Royal Golf Club, Tangier

Nambia

Keetmanshoop Golf Course, Keetmanshoop Okahandja Golf Club, Okahandja www.okahandja.net/sport/default.html Orandjemund Golf Club, Oranjemund Rossmund Golf Course, Swakopmund Tsumeb Golf Club, Tsumeb Walvis Bay Golf Course, Walvis Bay Windhoek Country Club Resort, Windhoek www.windhoek.co.za

Nigeria

IBB Golf Course, Abuja IITA Golf Club, Ibadan Ikeja Golf Club, Lagos www.ikejagolfclub.org

Reunion

Golf du Bassin Blue, St Gilles les Hauts Golf Club de Bourbon, Etang Sale les Bains www.golf-bourbon.com/spip/spip.php?lang=en Club du Colorado, La Montagne

Senegal

Golf de Saly, Mbour www.golfsaly.com/intro/presentation_fr.htm Golf International du Technopôle, Dakar Le Méridien President Resort & Golf Club, Dakar www.starwoodhotels.com/ lemeridien/property/overview/index. html?propertyID=1821&EM=VTY_ MD_1821_DAKAR_OVERVIEW

Sierra Leone

Freetown Golf Club, Freetown

South Africa

Akasia Golf Clue, Pretoria www.akasiacountryclub.co.za Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town www.atlanticbeachgolfclub.co.za/ capetown/index.asp Bellville Golf Club, Cape Town www.bellvillegolf.co.za Benoni Country Club, Johannesburg www.benonicountryclub.co.za/pro/ Default.aspx Blair Atholl, Fourways Members of the Freetown Colf Club, Freetown, Sierra Leone

see Golf Africa on page 80

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Tiger Woods

from Golf Africa page 79 www.blairatholl.co.za Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate, Olifantsfontein www.bluevalley.co.za Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston www.bryanstoncc.co.za Centurion Country Club, Centurion www.centurioncountryclub.co.za Champagne Sports Resort, Winterton www.champagnesportsresort.com Clovelly Country Club, Cape Town www.clovelly.za.net Crown Mines Golf Club, Johannesburg www.g-i.co.za/clubs/?c=274 Darling Golf Club, Darling www.darlingtourism.co.za/sportdetail. htm#golfclub De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate, Stellenbosch www.golfdezalze.com Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate, Stellenbosch www.devonvale.co.za Durban Country Club, Durban www.dcclub.co.za Durbanville Golf Club, Durbanville www.durbanvillegolfclub.co.za East London Golf Course, East London www.elgc.co.za

Emfuleni Golf Estate, Vanderbijlpark www.emfulenigolfestate.com Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate, George www.fancourt.co.za Gary Player Country Club Golf Course, Sun City www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Resorts/ Golf/Pages/Golf.aspx George Golf Club, George www.georgegolfclub.co.za Germiston Golf Club, Germiston www.germistongolf.com Glendower Golf Course, Johannesburg www.glendower.co.za Hermanus Golf Club, Hermanus www.hgc.co.za Houghton Golf Club, Houghton www.houghton.co.za Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth www.humewoodgolf.co.za The Country Club Johannesburg, Rivonia www.ccj.co.za Killarney Country Club, Johannesburg www.killarneycountryclub.co.za Kingswood Golf Estate, George www.kingswood.co.za Kleinmond Golf Club, Kleinmond www.kleinmondgolfclub.co.za Kloof Country Club, Kloof

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www.kloofcountryclub.co.za Knysna Golf Club, Knysna www.knysnagolfclub.com Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate, Nylstroom www.korocreek.com Langebaan County Estate Golf & Leisure, Langebaan www.langebaanestate.co.za Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane www.leopardcreek.co.za Lost City, Sun City www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Resorts/ Golf/Pages/Golf.aspx Malmesbury Golf Club, Malmesbury www.malmesburygolfclub.co.za Metropolitan Golf Course, Cape Town www.metropolitangolfclub.co.za Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town www.milnertongolfclub.co.za Modderfontein Golf Club, Modderfontein www.mgclub.co.za Monks Cowl Coutry Club & Lodge, Winterton www.monkscowl.co.za Mossel Bay Golf Club, Mossel Bay

www.mosselbaygolfclub.co.za Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town www.mowbraygolfclub.co.za Paarl Golf Course, Paarl www.paarlgolfclub.co.za Pearl Valley Signature Golf Estate and Spa, Cape Winelands www.pearlvalley.co.za Pecanwood Golf & Country Club, Hartbeesportt www.pecanwoodgolf.co.za Plettenberg Bay Country Club, Plettenberg Bay www.plettgolf.co.za Pretoria Country Club, Pretoria www.ptacc.co.za Randpark Golf Club, Randburg www.randpark.co.za Reading Country Club, Alberton www.readingcc.co.za River Club Golf & Conference Center, Cape Town http://riverclub.co.za Riviera on Vaal Country Club, Vereenigning www.rovcountryclub.co.za

San Lameer Club, South Africa southafricacheck.com 81 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

see Golf Africa on page 82

from Golf Africa page 81 Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town www.royalcapegolf.co.za Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban www.royaldurban.co.za San Lameer Country Club, Margate www.sanlameer.co.za Scottburgh Golf Club, Scottburgh www.scottburghgolf.co.za Selbourne Golf Estate, Pennington www.selborne.com Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club, Pretoria www.silverlakes.co.za Somerset West Golf Club, Somerset West www.somersetwestgolfclub.co.za St Francis Bay Golf Club, St Francis Bay www.stfrancisgolf.co.za St Francis Links, St Francis Bay www.stfrancislinks.com Steenberg Golf Club, Cape Town www.steenberggolfclub.co.za/ Framework/index.asp Stellenbosch Golf Club, Stellenbosch www.steenberggolfclub.co.za/ Framework/index.asp Umdoni Golf Course, Pennington www.umdonipark.com Umhlali Country Club, Umhlali www.umhlalicountryclub.co.za Westlake Golf Club, Cape Town www.westlakegolfclub.co.za Wingate Park Country Club, Pretoria www.wingateparkcountryclub. co.za Swaziland Royal Swazi Spa Country Club www.suninternational. com/Destinations/Resorts/ RoyalSwaziSpaValley/ FacilitiesActivities/Pages/Golf. aspx

Djerba Golf Club, Midoun www.djerbagolf.com El Kantaoui Golf Course, Port El Kantaoui www.portelkantaoui.com.tn/golf Flamingo Golf Course, Monastir www.golfflamingo.com/english/flamingo.htm Golf Citrus, Hammamet www.golfcitrus.com Palm Links Golf Course, Monastir www.golf-palmlinks.com/english/presentation. htm Tabarka Golf Course, Tabarka www.tabarkagolf.com/en/index.htm Yasmine Golf Course, Mannamet www.golfyasmine.com/en/index.php

The Gambia

Fajara Club, Fajara www.smiles.gm/fajara.htm

Tunisia

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African Cuisine!

Republic of Benin The cuisine from Benin is very a appreciated in all Western Africa. Staple foods in Benin include yams, cassava, rice, corn, millet and rice. There are many fruits rising on the productive grounds of Benin, mostly in the south, like oranges, bananas, mandarin oranges, pineapples, kiwi, avocado and others. Many Beninese dishes are served with rice or corn dough. Generally, people from Benin fry vegetables or meat in peanut oil or palm oil depending on the region.

Ago Glain

Ago Glain (Crab with Peanut Sauce) www.internationalcuisine.com/category/benin/

Ago Glain is a crab dish with a great blend of flavors with tomato, onion, peanut butter and some heat from the piri-piri peppers. Serve with some hot basmati rice for a great meal from Benin.

Serves 4 Ingredients: • 6 large fresh crabs about 1½ lbs.

• 1 cup vinegar • 2 cups peanut butter • 3 large tomatoes • 1 bay leaf • 1 sprig of parsley chopped • 1 large onion

• 2 large onions finely chopped • 3 whole cloves • Juice of 3 limes • 1 tablespoon palm oil • 1 tablespoon piri-piri chilies minced • Salt and pepper to taste Directions: • Wash the crabs and place in a large pot full of boiling water, add in the vinegar.

• Season with salt and pepper, cook for 10 minutes, skim off any foam that forms at the top of the pot.

• Add in the whole tomatoes, bay leaf, parsley and the whole onion with the cloves stuck into it.

• Continue cooking for 5 minutes then remove the tomatoes and continue cooking the other ingredients for another 5 minutes.

• Remove the crabs, remove their shells and take out the crab meat from the body and the claws.

• Mix the crab meat with the lime juice and set aside.

• Heat the palm oil in a pan and add the finely chopped onion and fry until translucent.

• Add the tomatoes and peanut butter and cook until they form a paste before adding the chilies.

• Now add in the crab meat and stir to heat through.

• Stuff the crab meat into the cleaned shells and serve with rice.

• Garnish with some parsley.

Spicy Peanut Sauce https://foreignfork.com/spicy-peanut-sauce/

This Spicy Peanut Sauce is made with a blended onion base and a hearty helping of habanero pepper. Depending on your spiciness preference, you can range your habanero portion from “no addition” to “alllll the spiciness.” Enjoy this Spicy Peanut Sauce on…almost everything. Rice, vegetables, potatoes, meat (consider topping roasted sweet potatoes with this sauce).

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see page 84

African Cuisine!

Benin

• • • • •

3⁄4 cup no-sugar-added peanut butter 1 habanero pepper, minced 1 bunch green onion, washed and chopped 4 onions, peeled and chopped 6 tomatoes, blanched, peeled, de-seeded and chopped • 1 cup red palm oil • salt & freshly ground black pepper

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Spicy Peanut Sauce Serves 4 Ingredients: • ½ large, yellow (Vidalia) onion, chopped • 1/2 habanero pepper, more or less to taste • 1 beef bouillon cube • 2 tbsp oil • 2 tbsp Tomato paste • ¾ tsp salt • ¾ cup Water • ½ cup creamy all natural peanut butter (no added sugar) Directions: • Blend onion and habanero pepper together in a blender until smooth.

• In a frying pan on the stove, use oil to fry the blended onion and pepper with tomato paste, salt, and bouillon cube. Fry for about 5 minutes.

• Add peanut butter and water to the pan. Mix to combine.

• Reduce to simmer, cover, and cook for 15 minutes.

• Use to top meat, vegetables, rice, or potatoes.

Chicken Meatballs with Red Sauce

Directions: • Take about half of the peanut butter and mix it with a little bit of hot water. It should still be a paste, but it should be just thin enough so you can stir it. Set aside.

• Take the remaining peanut butter, the diced chicken, the habanero, the green onions and salt and put them in a food processor. Pulse Chicken Meatballs with Red Sauce

• • • •

until smooth.

Shape the mixture into meatballs.

Chop the blanched tomatoes and the onions and toss them with the peanut butter/water paste.

Melt the palm oil in a pan and fry the meatballs in the palm oil until they are nicely golden all over.

Add the onion, tomato and peanut butter mixture. Cover the pan and reduce the temperature to low. Simmer for 15 minutes or so, then remove the lid and check the internal temperature of the meatballs (they should be at 165 degrees or higher).

https://www.food.com/recipe/chicken-meatballs-with-redsauce-benin-477347

Yovo Doko (Beninese Sweet Fritters)

If you like chicken with peanuts then you will definitely want to try this dish.

Serves 6 Ingredients: • 1 chicken, cut up, deboned and diced

Try these fritters for breakfast with your favorite jams, jellies or butter spreads..

Makes up to 40 fritters Ingredients: • Peanut oil

84 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

Pep

Yovo Doko

• 500g plain flour • 170g caster sugar (refined white sugar but in smaller granules) • 1/2 tsp vanilla powder • 15g yeast • 500ml water • Salt Directions: • Put the flour, yeast, salt, sugar and water in a bowl and mix with your fingers until it is well blended.

• In a large frying pan, heat the oil to low – medium.

• Place spoonfuls of the mixture around the pan and fry for 6 minutes on each side and then 2 minutes again on the first side.

• Drain on kitchen towel and serve with a dusting of icing sugar.

pers for Sale

Carmelized Bananas in Orange Sauce

Carmelized Bananas in Orange Sauce https://foreignfork.com/caramelized-bananas/

These Beninese Caramelized Bananas in fruit juice are a great topping for ice cream.

Serves 4 Ingredients: • 2 large bananas • 6 oz fresh squeezed orange juice (or whatever fruit juice you’d prefer) • 2 tablespoons lemon juice • 3/4 cup brown sugar • ¼ tsp vanilla Directions: Make sure to pay attention that your brown sugar boils the right way. You’ll want it to simmer very low for about 15 minutes and then plop the bananas in just to warm them through. Any longer and they won’t be as enjoyable.

• Put all ingredients besides bananas in the pan.

Boil then simmer for 15 minutes.

• Peel bananas and slice in half vertically. Add bananas into the sauce and cook for another 2 minutes, until the bananas are warmed through.

Flag: nationalpedia.com Image credit: lonelyplanet.com

85 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Sept 2021

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