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Conserve Your Heritage Through Tourism

Africa Business Association Publications December-January 2022

In This Issue…

December-January 2022

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From the Publisher…

Industry News 7 8 9

10 11 12 13 14 15

Africa Must Redefine its Tourism as it sets Post-Covid Recovery Strategy Online Passport Renewal Will Soon be a Thing for U.S. Citizens Passports are about to get more Expensive Thanks to Increased Fees from the State Department Brussels Airlines Plans to Grow its Offering in Africa Next Summer The UK is Scrapping its “Red List” of Restricted Travelers from Africa U.S. to Lift Travel Restrictions on Southern Africa Countries Over Omicron Variant Kenya Airways and South African Airways to Form New Airline to Launch in 2023 Wheels Up: Qantas Resumes Regular Flights to South Africa Unruly Airline Passengers Could now Lose their TSA PreCheck Eligibility

Feature Stories 16 Entertainer Jidenna Takes Us on a Journey Through His Love for Africa 18 These are the Top African Cities for Expats Seeking a Fresh Start 20 Discover the Best Beaches in Zanzibar

27 Beach in Egypt Rated in Top 10 in the World 29 10 Black Travel Advisors & Companies to Book Luxury Vacations with in 2022 30 After a Century and a Half, Ethiopian Artefacts Return Home 32 Nigerian Priest Saves Traditional Artefacts from Christian Converts 34 How the Passport Portal is Helping Underprivileged Youth Study Abroad 36 Traveler Story: I’m a Mother of Five Who Prioritizes Travel as a Form of Self-Care 38 Lewa Wildlife Conservancy 42 The Best Hotels in Africa: the Gold List 2022 & 2021 47 Amazing Wellness Retreats Around the

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48 49 50 52

World to Book in 2022 12 Sustainable Destinations to Visit in 2022 Senegal: Railway Opens in Darkar The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022 From “The Ardmore” in South Africa

Columns 56 58 60 66 68 73 77

Cruise Africa - Splendors of Egypt & the Nile World Heritage Sites Travel Africa Ski Africa Golf Africa African Cuisine! Republic of Madagascar Events Around the African Continent and the World 3 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | JAN 2022

From the Publisher…

Publisher’s Message

H

Ricky Katsuya

Publisher

ello Travel Africa readers.

In this edition of Travel Africa we are excited to feature Madagascar and its delicious cuisine (page 73).

And yes, you are welcome to start making travel plans to the fourth largest island in the world. Did you know Madagascar is the leading global producer of vanilla… that the sceneries in Madagascar are unlike anything else in the world (page 48). It is safe to say, if you want to make money in a startup tourism business, your best place to go and make this happen is Madagascar.

The nation, like all the other parts of the world, is facing challenges in global warming and rising oceans. With the world coming together in the cause to reduce effects of global warming, islands like Madagascar will be the hive of activity and booming business.

If you have watched the movie “Madagascar” you will relate to this song by Will.i.Am in the Madagascar 2 Music Video: I Like To Move It… Yes, lets move it. Let’s move to support Madagascar through tourism, through buying products produced there, and by supporting organizations working to preserve the environment of this unique and vital island nation. www.africabusinessassociation.com

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About the

Africa Business Association The 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 Katsuya

ADVISORY BOARD

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

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Ricky Katsuya

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING Lion Communications

AFRICA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS 6564 LOISDALE COURT, SUITE 600 Springfield, VA 22150 USA 1-240-467-6811 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: luxuryescapes.africa

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Industry News - Editorial

Africa Must Red sets Post-Covid R

By Peter Mathuki

we started to interrogate the effectiveness of travel restrictions by weighing their disruptive social-economic impact. This seems timely as recent studies suggest that reducing community transmission rates could be more effective in containing the spread of the virus than border closures.

Coordinated Response

T

he Covid-19 pandemic has disrupted our societies and economies, and continues to reshape the world with the emergence of new variants. The crisis has tipped the scales for the tourism sector in the region, which prepandemic, contributed significantly to the bloc’s economic growth.

In 2019, the sector contributed an average of 8.1% to the gross domestic product of East African Community (EAC) partner states and brought about an average increase of 17.2% to total exports.

Tourism plays a catalytic role in the broader economy through direct revenues for airlines, travel agents, hotels, shops, restaurants, and other tourist facilities. It also contributes to indirect economic impact through induced spending in agricultural produce, manufactured goods, transportation, entertainment and handicraft.

Travel restrictions to curb the pandemic saw EAC partner states lose 92% of revenues in tourism. Arrivals dropped from approximately 7 million in 2019 to 2.25 million in 2020 (Sixth EAC Development Strategy).

With Omicron, the latest variant of the coronavirus, prompting fresh border closures, it is about time

To trigger travel demand and keep global borders open, we must ensure equitable access to vaccines, coordinate international travel procedures, and embrace technology to authenticate test and vaccination certificates.

Like the rest of the world, the resumption of travel and tourism in Africa will depend largely on a coordinated response among countries regarding travel restrictions, harmonised safety and hygiene protocols, and effective communication to help restore consumer confidence.

We must, however, appreciate that the current global health concerns and barriers to travel may take time to wane. As such, the continent must self-reflect, and promote domestic and intra-continental tourism for a more sustainable recovery.

Africa needs to address critical tourism competitiveness drivers, to foster intra-continental tourism. Top on our agenda should be visa openness.

The Africa Visa Openness Report 2020 findings show that African citizens still need visas to travel to 46% of other African countries, while only 28% can get visas on arrival. These restrictive and cumbersome visa requirements diminish

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define its Tourism as it Recovery Strategy tourists’ motivation to travel and indirectly reduce the availability of critical services. The continent should prioritise ongoing efforts to enhance its visa openness.

Another critical pillar to address is the liberalisation of African skies to improve intracontinental connectivity. Try flying from any East African capital to northern Africa, and you will quickly discover how poorly connected we are as a continent.

A trip that should take no more than five-and-ahalf hours in some cases takes an estimated 12 to 25 hours, as one has to take connecting flights via Europe or the Middle East! A direct flight would probably cost an estimated $600; however, you will be lucky to get a flight for less than $850.

The African Union has taken steps to make open skies a reality through the Single African Air Transport Market (SAATM) created to expedite the full implementation of the Yamoussoukro Decision. Once operationalised, greater African connectivity will reduce air travel time and costs, catalysing intra-continental trade and tourism growth.

states. The EAC has also developed an EACPass that integrates and validates EAC partner states’ Covid-19 tests and vaccination certificates to ease entry across the region. Once fully rolled out, the EACPass will be integrated with other regional and continental digital health platforms to enhance transparency and guarantee the authenticity of certificates.

The continent could benefit from investing in targeted and effective tourism promotion campaigns for the African market. The EAC’s recently launched “Tembea Nyumbani” campaign (Visit Home) is a key step towards catalysing intra-regional tourism. A similar approach across all regional economic communities could fundamentally transform the continent’s tourism and reduce our reliance on international arrivals, as has happened in Europe over the years, where intra-regional tourists account for 80 per cent of total tourism arrivals.

Finally, allow me to quote an African proverb: “Until the lion learns how to write, every story will glorify the hunter.” For years, international media has created negative perceptions and representations about Africa. Scenes of civil wars, hunger, corruption, greed, diseases, and poverty have defined us. Perhaps it is time to start interrogating our role in their narratives, but even more importantly, define Africa ourselves. www.theeastafrican.co.ke/tea/kusi-ideas/ africa-must-redefine-its-tourism-in-post-covidrecovery-3664434 Image credit: Pinterest, blogspot.com

Early Warning The current Covid-19 crisis and past disease outbreaks have demonstrated Africa’s preparedness to manage pandemics. Early warning systems and continuous investments in public health have seen the continent handle infectious outbreaks relatively better. However, though well-intended, the requirements for testing before departure, confirmatory testing on arrival, and in some cases quarantine, are both costly and inconvenient, hence deterring travel, particularly for leisure purposes.

The African Union-backed PanaBIOS has been critical in disseminating Covid-19 test results on a secure digital platform accessible to all member 7 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Industry News

Online Passport Renewal Will Soon be a Thing for U.S. Citizens

By Ayah A.

U

nited States citizens will soon be able to enjoy convenient online passport renewal, making for a much faster turnaround time, according to Forbes. On Monday, December 13, 2921, President Joe Biden signed an executive order focused on increasing digital accessibility for various government services.

The administration is in the process of upgrading the USA.gov website, and it will soon function as a one-stop shop providing easier and more convenient access to many government programs and services, including passport renewals.

The executive order affects services offered by 17 different federal agencies, including the IRS and the Social Security Administration.

In addition to making passport renewal easier and faster, it will also make navigating airport security less of a hassle.

So far this year alone, more than 15.4 million Americans were issued passports, according to the State Department. Currently, renewing a U.S. passport can only be done in person or by mail.

Beginning this month, however, a limited number of Americans will be able to take advantage of online passport renewal. Over the next few months and beyond, more and more people will be able to do so.

The current turnaround time for a standard passport renewal is up to 11 weeks; seven for an expedited renewal. These are long wait times, in contrast to the pre-pandemic norm of six to eight weeks for a standard renewal and as little as two weeks for an expedited renewal.

According to the executive order, “Government must be held accountable for designing and delivering services with a focus on the actual experience of the people whom it is meant to serve. We must use technology to modernize government and implement services that are simple to use, accessible, equitable, protective, transparent, and responsive for all people of the United States.”

“Every interaction between the federal government and the public, whether it involves renewing a passport or calling for a status update on a farm loan application, should be seen as an opportunity for the government to save an individual’s time (and thus reduce “time taxes”) and to deliver the level of service that the public expects and deserves.” https://travelnoire.com/online-passport-renewalcoming-soon

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Image credit: TripSavvy

Industry News

Passports are about to get more Expensive Thanks to Increased Fees from the State Department

By Tom Boon

I

nternational travel costs are set to rise thanks to a price hike in passport book fees.

The State Department announced Monday, December 20, 2021, that it would increase its security surcharge fees for passport books by $20 for all customers starting Dec. 27, 2021.

Passport book fees vary by age: •

Travelers 16 and older who are applying for the first time must pay $145 in fees or $165 starting next week.

•

Travelers 16 and older who are renewing their passport book must pay $110 in fees or $130 starting next week.

•

Travelers under 16 must pay $115 in passport book fees or $135 starting next week.

According to the State Department, “the increased fee is necessary to ensure we continue

to produce one of the most secure travel and identity documents in the world.”

Travelers also have the option to pay $60 to expedite delivery and receive the passport in five to seven weeks or $17.56 for one-to-two day delivery.

Securing a passport has been a challenge for travelers in recent months, with nonexpedited wait times over the summer skyrocketing to 18 weeks due to high travel demand, staff shortages and delays within the U.S. Postal Service. Processing times have since dropped down to eight to 11 weeks. www.usatoday.com/story/travel/ news/2021/12/20/passport-book-fees-statedepartment/8971947002

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Image credit: Travel + Leisure

Industry News

Brussels Airlines Plans to Grow its Offering in Africa Next Summer

By Gaurav Joshi

B

russels Airlines is ready to increase its presence in West and East Africa by restarting flights to two destinations and increasing frequencies to five others. Two West-African destinations – Conakry and Ouagadougou – that were dropped from the carrier’s schedule in 2020 will make a comeback in June 2022.

From June 11th, the Belgian carrier will restart thrice-weekly services to Conakry and Ouagadougou.

The Belgian carrier also plans to add more flights to some of its existing routes to Africa.

Banjul, Lomé, and Monrovia in West Africa will have their flight frequencies increased to five a week. In East Africa, Kigali will be served five times a week, and Entebbe will see seven flights from Brussels in a week.

The East Coast of the United States will also receive more love from the airline, with Washington D.C. scheduled to see five weekly flights during the summer season. New York City, where the carrier presently flies four times weekly, will be connected with Brussels daily next year.

The carrier exclusively operates the -300 variant of the A330 and announced on November 22nd that it will be adding a 9th Airbus A330300 to its fleet. The additional airplane will help add capacity to the airline’s routes in Africa, facilitating growth in the continent’s market.

Brussels Airlines identifies Africa as

a key market and credits the A330 aircraft for fueling its growth in the region. The airline issued a statement, saying, “Brussels Airlines clearly chooses for growth in Africa, the airline’s most important market. With an additional Airbus A330 joining its fleet, the Africa expert of the Lufthansa Group will expand its offer to West and East Africa.”

However, there’s still some time before the latest A330 joins the carrier’s fleet, with delivery expected sometime in June next year.

Last month, Brussels Airlines announced a significant rebranding with a new logo, livery, and color scheme. The latest look was also accompanied by a new tagline, “You’re in good company.” With a change of look, and network and fleet expansion, the carrier sure looks prepared to emerge from the shadows of the COVID pandemic. https://simpleflying.com/brussels-airlines-africasummer-2022/ Image credit: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying

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Industry News

The UK is Scrapping its “Red List” of Restricted Travelers from Africa

By Courtney Vinopal

T

he UK government announced today (Dec. 14) that it’s scrapping its “red list,” which currently restricts travelers from African nations coming into England, at 4am local time on Dec. 15.

The international travel restrictions are now less effective because the omicron variant “has spread so widely across the world,” said British health secretary Sajid Javid.

Britain was one of several countries that imposed restrictions on many travelers from Africa shortly after the omicron variant was first identified

by South African scientists last month. African leaders described the bans as “discriminatory,” and even called them “travel apartheid.”

New rules should ease foreign travel to the UK Travelers from countries including Botswana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Zimbabwe should be able to enter England more easily starting tomorrow (Dec. 15), following the UK’s decision to scrap its red list. Since Nov. 26, non-UK citizens or residents from countries on the red list have not been allowed to enter the country.

British citizens and residents traveling from the 11 African countries on the red list are currently required to take a covid-19 test two days before traveling to England and quarantine expensively in a hotel for 10 days upon arrival, even if they’re fully vaccinated. Travelers who don’t comply with the restrictions may face fines up to £10,000 ($13,226).

Mandatory hotel quarantines—costing thousands—are scrapped tomorrow at 4am, but basic testing requirements will remain in place. All

travelers must take covid-19 tests before and after they arrive in England, and remain in isolation until they receive the results. Transportation secretary Grant Shapps said the government will keep travel measures under review, Travel bans are seen as ineffective Throughout the pandemic, travel bans enacted in response to the coronavirus have been largely ineffective, and that also seems to be the case with these most recent, hastily imposed restrictions.

The World Health Organization said today (Dec. 14) that omicron is set to become the dominant strain in the world, and is “is spreading at a rate we have not seen with any previous variant,” in spite of travel measures taken in many countries, mostly to the detriment of travelers from Africa.

The restrictions had also been criticized by the British travel industry, with some saying they don’t think scrapping the red list goes far enough.

They want to see the UK remove all restrictions, including testing. Tim Alderslade, head of trade group Airlines UK, told BBC News that “if the red list isn’t necessary…then neither are the costly emergency testing and isolation measures imposed on even fully vaccinated travelers.” https://qz.com/africa/2102334/why-the-uk-islifting-its-red-list-of-travelers-from-africa/ Image credit: REUTERS/SUMAYA HISHAM

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Industry News

U.S. to Lift Travel Restrictions on Southern Africa Countries Over Omicron Variant

By Brunno Braga

T

he U.S. government has decided to lift travel restrictions it imposed on eight southern African nations over Omicron variant.

The mandate, which went into effect November 29, affects South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Namibia, Lesotho, Eswatini and Malawi. The White House announced it would be lifted by New Year’s Eve. “The restrictions gave us time to understand Omicron, and we know our existing vaccines work against Omicron, esp boosted,” tweeted White House assistant press secretary Kevin Munoz.

The restrictions were first imposed by the EU and UK. The US and a host of other countries followed suit. United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres called it “travel apartheid.”

As we reported, the World Health Organization regional director for South Africa, said that countries should follow the science — not the propaganda — when determining if, and when, travel bans should be implemented.

African leaders also hit back against travel bans imposed over the Omicron variant, accusing wealthy countries of being hypocrites for delivering

new restrictions instead of the vaccine doses the continent desperately needs.

Justifying the move, the White House’s chief coronavirus adviser, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said earlier this month it was “done at a time when we were really in the dark” about Omicron.

“We all feel very badly about the hardship that might have been put upon not only South Africa, but the other African countries,” he said.

South African scientists were the first to identify the variant, which has since been detected in countries around the world. It has now emerged that Omicron was already present in Europe before the travel bans were announced. It’s still not known where Omicron originated.

The strain has spread faster than any previous variant in the US but has not yet resulted in a significant spike in hospitalizations. https://travelnoire.com/us-lift-travel-restrictionsosouthern-africa-countries-over-omicron-variant Image credit: beeforbeauty.com

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Industry News

Kenya Airways and South African Airways to Form New Airline to Launch in 2023

By Mike Avila

A

potential partnership between Kenya Airways and South African Airways appears to be a done deal. Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta announced during an address to the nation on New Year’s Eve that the airlines will combine operations to form a new carrier, Pan-African Airline, with operations expected to begin in 2023.

The partnership came about as both airlines sought options to expand their global coverage as well as stem the massive losses each has incurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to The Standard, Uhuru said the alignment will help “To boost tourism, trade, and social engagement; and to bolster continental integration.”

According to one aviation industry observer, a merger offers both carriers the best chance to stay solvent.

“Both of these airlines were struggling financially before COVID-19, so you know they’re hanging by a thread,” noted John E. DiScala, the founder and editor-in-chief of Johnny Jet. “I think it’s a great idea to keep them both afloat.”

A big question that remains unanswered at the

moment is what this means for the airline’s network partnerships. South African Airways is part of Star Alliance, the biggest international alliance of airlines. Kenya Airways belongs to SkyTeam.

There has been no information released about which network the new airline will be part of.

That decision will obviously impact a number of travelers who want to learn if they will be able to redeem Delta or United miles when Pan-African Airline debuts.

Back in September, Reuters reported Kenya Airways said in a statement, “It is not a merger but a partnership that seeks to re-organise (sic) KQ and SAA assets into an ecosystem that will make the South African and Kenyan aviation sector more competitive.”

Kenya Airways has suffered dire financial losses since the coronavirus crisis upended global air travel. It reported losses of more than $333 million in 2020, and lost more than $100 million in the six-month period that ended June 30, 2021.

South African Airways only recently resumed operations last September after grounding all commercial and cargo flights since September 2020. But even before the pandemic, SAA was hemorrhaging cash. Since 2018, the airline had amassed close to $1 billion in losses. It took an infusion of cash from the government to keep the country’s national carrier in operation.

It is believed that the deal to combine operations and form Pan-African Airline was finalized during Uhuru’s visit to South Africa last month. https://thepointsguy.com/news/kenya-southafrican-airways-partnership/ Image credit: mwakilishi.com, airplane-pictures. net

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Industry News

Wheels Up: Qantas Resumes Regular Flights to South Africa

By Andrew Curran

A

fter a long absence, Qantas is heading back to South Africa on Tuesday. The airline has resumed thrice-weekly return flights between Sydney and Johannesburg after last flying the route in March 2020.

Tuesday morning departure marks Qantas’ return to South Africa A Qantas spokesperson has confirmed to Simple Flying reports in South African media concerning flights restarting this week. On Tuesday, January 4, a slightly delayed QF63 has pushed back from Sydney at 10:30 with flights also on Friday and Sunday this week.

From next week, the mid-morning departures will occur every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday.

It will take 14 hours to cover the 6,682 miles (11,044 kilometers) across to Johannesburg’s OR Tambo International Airport, with QF63 scheduled to land there at 15:15 on the same day.

A Qantas Boeing 747-400 formerly operated these flights. Since suspending its flights to South Africa in March 2020, Qantas retired the last of its 747-400s. Now, Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners will operate the flights.

Returning to Sydney, QF64 will depart Johannesburg at 17:15 every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. The flight will touch down in Sydney at 14:00 the following day.

QF63/64 a bucket list flight for many travelers Johannesburg Airport is open to international travelers, subject to a negative COVID-19 test and jumping through some other hoops. At the other end of this sector, Sydney Airport accepts returning Australian citizens, permanent residents, approved skilled migrants, international students, humanitarian, working holidaymakers, and family visa holders of other nationalities.

Australia lifted its omicron-related black ban on all travelers from South Africa in mid-December.

At the time, Qantas flagged flights resuming to

Johannesburg sometime in early January. On Tuesday morning (Sydney time), VH-ZNG was warming its engines to operate the first scheduled flights between Australia and South Africa in nearly two years. Simple Flying is advised that demand for seats on QF63 and QF64 over the first few weeks of flying is strong.

When operating, the Sydney – Johannesburg sector is unusual in several regards. Melbourne readers may know the flight as the only scheduled airline service that passes overhead at a high altitude in a north-south direction. Spot the contrails from a plane heading south around lunchtime, and you’ll always know what the flight is.

From Melbourne, the aircraft normally takes a wide swing down into the sub-Antarctic region, with passengers often spotting icebergs. Few aircraft fly this far south, even fewer do so on a regular basis. That puts QF63/64 on the bucket lists of many travelers.

The flight is also unusual because eastwest flights between the Australian and African continents were rare even before the travel downturn. Up in the north Indian Ocean, there’s plenty of aircraft coming in and out of the big Gulf airports, but things were always far quieter down in the southern Indian Ocean zone.

Scarce flights between Australia and Africa Qantas previously shared the country pair with South African Airways, who flew between Johannesburg and Perth. But South African Airways is unlikely to resume flights to Australia anytime soon. That leaves the Johannesburg – Perth route as future low-hanging fruit for Qantas.

Between them, the Qantas and South African Airways flights to Johannesburg served as a gateway to Africa for Australians. In addition to tourist and VFR traffic, there is typically a decent amount of resource-related business travel

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Industry News

Unruly Airline Passengers Could now Lose their TSA PreCheck Eligibility,s Say

By Tanasia Kenney

U

nruly plane passengers could face new consequences as federal officials continue to crack down on bad behavior. Those fined by the Federal Aviation Administration for disruptive behavior now risk losing TSA PreCheck screening eligibility, the agencies announced Tuesday, Dec. 21.

PreCheck status provides expedited security screening at more than 200 U.S. airports, a “privilege” allowing low-risk passengers to get through TSA checkpoints in 5 minutes or less, according to federal officials. “If you act out of line, you will wait in line,” FAA Administrator Steve Dickson said in a statement.

The new punishments are part of a partnership between the TSA and FAA, which has seen a surge in reported incidents of unruly passenger behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since Jan. 1, the FAA said it has gotten nearly 300 reports of passengers behaving badly, mostly due to alcohol and intoxication, as of Nov. 22.

“TSA has zero tolerance for the unruly behaviors, especially those involving physical assault occurring aboard aircraft. We have tremendous respect for airport staff, gate agents and flight crews that get people safely to their destinations,”

TSA Administrator David Pekoske said in a statement.

“This partnership with FAA will help ensure the safety and security of all passengers and hold those who violate federal regulations accountable for their actions,” Pekoske added.

The FAA announced more than $161,000 in fines against eight passengers in November for alleged disturbances involving alcohol, according to a news release. In one case, a passenger on a Southwest Airlines flight was accused of drinking alcohol he brought on the plane illegally and later sexually assaulted a flight attendant, officials said.

Recently, a Delta Air Lines flight heading to Los Angeles had to be diverted to Oklahoma City after a passenger allegedly assaulted a flight attendant and an air marshal, McClatchy News reported, citing police. The man , 35, was subsequently arrested on “complaints of disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.”

between Australia and Africa. But airline routes between the two continents have always been few and far between Qantas ended its flight to Harare over 20 years ago. A tag flight to Cape Town ended around the same time. Qantas has never flown to eastern African cities like Addis Ababa, Nairobi, and Dar

es Saleem. On the flip side, airlines like Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airlines have never made it as far east as Australia. https://simpleflying.com/qantas-johannesburgflights-resume/ Image credit: Qantas

www.idahostatesman.com/news/nation-world/ national/article256766562.html Image credit: ABC 7 Chicago

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1st Person Africa

Entertainer Jidenna Takes Us on a Journey Through His Love for Africa

By Nasha Smith

G

rammy® Award-nominated multi-platinum rapper, singer, and songwriter Jidenna weaves elements of Africa into his life and art. On his sophomore album 85 to Africa, he connects the sprawling diaspora through a mix of hip hop and afro beats.

Jidenna also sits on the board of Birthright AFRICA, a global nonprofit committed to providing a free educational trip to the continent for every youth and young adult of African descent aged 13 to 30. But most notably, he grew up in Nigeria and takes an annual trip to the continent. So far he has visited 11 countries and is already plotting his next trip.

From the romance of Mozambique to the ‘bomb’ Moi Moi, the multi-hyphenate entertainer shared all his African favorites.

Travel Noire: What is your favorite memory from your first trip to Africa.

We had a great time.

TN: Where have you felt happiest in Africa?

Jidenna: I grew up in Nigeria until I was six.

But then I didn’t go back for about 12 years after that. And when I went back I went to Nigeria and my favorite experience was going to the movies.

They had just opened this movie theater called Silverbird and I saw Black people in the mall, and Black people going to the movie theaters. I grew up in Boston so I hadn’t had the experience that people in Atlanta, or certain parts of LA, for example, have had in terms of seeing an all-Black movie theater or cinema. I love that people were so excited about it when they just opened.

Jidenna: Honestly, every single country has its charm. What I love the most is getting a place that has a nice view where I feel like I can see the landscape. The beautiful thing is in a lot of Africa you get this mixture of really developed parts and then underdeveloped in terms of the building infrastructure, but I like the rawness of it. There’s this promise that always hovers over the cities.

There are never overly manicured or pedicured palm trees the way there are in LA where I live now. I actually appreciate the naturality of a lot of African cities. And then, obviously, the rural landscapes are always beautiful as well.

TN: Where was the last place you traveled to in Africa?

TN: Where have you felt most at peace in Africa?

Jidenna: I flew from South Africa to Uganda, because I was meeting up with a woman. She invited me to come back to town after the 85 to Africa tour, the Africa leg of it. So I flew up there as if it was the United States of Africa. I flew right up — quick little flight — and didn’t cost me much.

Jidenna: I found a lot of peace in Mozambique.

I found peace because it was one of the most romantic countries that I’ve been to in Africa.

Some people will say it’s because of the romance and some ethnic groups there, in combination with the romance of the Portuguese influence during

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Jidenna: The pyramids in Sudan. Sudan has more pyramids than Egypt, and many people do not know that. As far as national monuments? The monument in Dakar, Senegal. The Renaissance monument is way doper than the Statue of Liberty.

TN: If you could only eat one African dish for the rest of your life, what would you choose? colonialism. I don’t know what it is, but they got it.

Jidenna: Moi Moi. That’s a Nigerian dish and you can get it at your local Nigerian spot. It’s so good: black-eyed peas, some fish, and eggs all mashed up together. Bomb.

Moi Moi

TN: Tell us your favorite African city?

Jidenna: I’m like a Pan African, so I love so many cities, but Nigerians would kill me if I did not admit and confess that Lagos is my favorite city in terms of nightlife (laughs). It is so good. But my favorite city all around? I appreciate Lagos’ nightlife, but I actually love the feeling I get when I travel to Kigali. I feel like Rwanda is very futuristic in a lot of ways. The roads are amazing, which in western, central, and East Africa is a huge plus. I guess I got multiple cities that I love.

TN: What was the African country that surprised you the most?

Jidenna: South Africa. I’ve been going to South Africa for like a decade now every year. It surprised me because I felt both the rebellion and passion of Black South Africans and I felt the both visible and invisible oppression of white South Africans and the effect of apartheid for everybody in between. Black, white, Indian, Chinese, you can feel it. That’s not typical outside Southern Africa.

You don’t feel those kinds of feelings across Africa in the same way. I resonated with it because I’m both African American and Nigerian American. So I found myself actually understanding the plight, and it was more surprising than other places.

TN: What is something in Africa that you believe should be the eighth wonder of the world?

TN: Name an underrated African country or city.

Jidenna: Man, I didn’t want to tell y’all but Lamu and Diani in Kenya (laughs). These are like small towns. I love my little secret hideouts. I think that Dakar is an unsung hero in terms of cities. For one, it is eight hours from New York so it’s a very quick flight. Two, the beaches are really, really dope, and people are hella chill. I love Francophone Africa as well. It’s a different vibe from Englishspeaking Africa or Portuguese-speaking Africa.

TN: What was a view that blew you away?

Jidenna: I had the privilege of staying at a hotel called the Daze House and it was on the Observatory, which is the highest point in Johannesburg. So that view is crazy. https://travelnoire.com/jidenna-journey-throughhis-love-for-africa Images credit: HipHopDX

Nigerian Moi Moi/Moin Moin: Steamed Bean Pudding https://nkechiajaeroh.com/kechis-kitchen/ nigerian-food/how-to-make-the-most-delightfulnigerian-moi-moi

17 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Living in Africa

These are the Top African Cities for Expats Seeking a Fresh Start

By Ayah A.

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eeking to start a new life in a new international city? You definitely don’t want to rule out the motherland. In a new global report by InterNations, the world’s largest expatriate community, four African cities ranked among the top cities for expats.

Examining important factors such as cost of living, leisure activities, and social life, the report, titled Expat City Ranking 2021, found that these cities on the continent offer the most ideal conditions for expats from around the world.

Devon Janse VanRensburg

2. Cape Town, South Africa

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outh Africa’s legislative capital, Cape Town also performs well in the finance and housing categories. Expats report being able to easily get settled in, and have been found to be generally happy with the availability of leisure activities, as well as the cost of living.

In fact, Cape Town places third in terms of leisure and climate, with the beautiful weather largely contributing to the plethora of available outdoor leisure options.

Yonko Kilasi

1. Nairobi, Kenya

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airobi, Kenya’s capital, ranked as the top African city for expats, and 12th globally.

The city is well praised by expats who enjoy a healthy social life as well as the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and the ease with which they are able to find affordable housing.

The majority of expats find the locals to be friendly and have been able to easily make friends and get settled in. They are generally pleased with the affordability of the city and their financial comfort while living there.

ahlan-world.org

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3. Cairo, Egypt

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he Egyptian capital of Cairo excels in the areas of friendliness and affordability. Expats report enjoying access to affordable food and housing.

The city ranks 7th globally in terms of cost of living. The majority of expats in Cairo find the locals to be friendly and report being able to make new friends and settle in with ease.

travel africa

vintagenewsdaily.com

4. Johannesburg, South Africa

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ounding up the list of the top African cities for expats is Johannesburg, South Africa.

The country’s largest city, it ranks well for ease of getting settled in as well as for finance and housing.

Though Johannesburg, along with Cairo and Cape Town, all rank relatively low among expats in terms of the quality of urban living and urban work life, Nairobi was the one African city ranking fairly well in these areas. So, when it comes down to it, Nairobi comes out on top overall.

Promoting Africa-focused Tourism Since 2011 Nairobi - afktravel.com

https://travelnoire.com/jidenna-journey-throughhis-love-for-africa

Travel Africa www.africabusinessassociation.org

19 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Beach Life - Zanzibar

Discover the Best Beaches in Zanzibar

By Kyle Browning

T

his travel guide by Kyle Browning from Survival Footprint outlines all you need to know about the best beaches in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Zanzibar lies approximately 25–50 kilometers (16–31 miles) off the coast of mainland Tanzania. The Zanzibar archipelago consists of many small islands including two big ones, Pemba Island & Unguja. The latter being referred to informally as Zanzibar.

Click Here for your interactive map of Zanzibar Beaches Zanzibar has more than 25 beautiful, white, palm fringed beaches, the sea is warm, and the atmosphere is easy.

11 Best Zanzibar Beaches To date, this is the most comprehensive guide on the best beaches in Zanzibar – for swimming, snorkeling, kitesurfing and of course soaking up that African sun.

Paje Beach – Kitesurfers Dream If you are into kitesurfing, then look no further because this is the best beach of Zanzibar for you!

Paje Beach is located on the Southeast coast right in the middle Bwejuu and Jambiani village.

The lagoon is super popular for beginner kitesurfers as the reef protects the lagoon from waves. As if flat water wasn’t enough Paje has a consistent side-onshore wind blowing year round.

In addition, clear, warm waters home to thousands of colorful starfish, turtles, trumpet fish and moray eels make Paje beach one of the best scuba diving destinations in Zanzibar.

Right now, Paje Beach is still charmingly

Paje Beac peaceful and quiet. Many tourists prefer the busier (who knows why), more developed north beaches of Zanzibar.

Suggested Zanzibar Hotels on Paje Beach • Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa is an eco-luxury resort. With high-end amenities and plus a high-end kitesurfing and water sports center.

• Cristal Resort – Is a more affordable resort located right on Paje Beach for less than $100 USD.

Nungwi Beach – Dhow Tours, Sunsets Nungwi beach is an all-time favorite amongst adventurous backpackers and hippies. It even made TripAdvisor’s Top 25 Beaches in the World in 2018.

Over the years the atmosphere has transformed from a peaceful delicate fishing village into an energetic shoreline lined with hotels, bars, hostels, and dive centers.

The beach remains a center point for Zanzibar shipbuilding, where talented shipwrights use ageold methods past down from generations to turn raggedy old timber into sea-worthy dhows.

Village tours can also be arranged for those

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Kiwengwa Beach

ch interested in discovering the cultural side of Nungwi village and how the art of dhow building tradition has persisted over the years.

Where to Stay in Nungwi • The Royal Zanzibar Beach Resort – Luxury property located on the beach with infinity pool and swimming pools, fitness center, and spa.

• Rui Palace Zanzibar – We’ve stayed at Rui Palaces before and they are a great option for a Zanzibar all-inclusive vacation if you are looking to just relax on the beach.

• Ras Nungwi – We stayed at the Ras Nungwi which has been a popular Zanzibar Hotel for years. It is currently being renovated after a fire.

Jambiani Beach – Seaweed Solitude One of the best beaches in Zanzibar for me, would be a less crowded one. Jambiani is a beach with miles and miles of fine white sand. It would take LOTS of tourists to crowd out this slice of paradise.

There are no swimming pools, no casinos, no disco, no bars and believe it or not, no electricity – except for the odd guesthouse here and there.

Does this sound attractive to you? Then welcome

to Jambiani beach.

Jambiani is home to quaint fishing villages.

Fishing here is not for commercial gain, but rather to support the local community. With that being said, due to the nature of the reef, which lies about a mile out, wave turbulence causes lots of seaweed to wash up onto the beach at low tide.

Here you will notice locals harvesting seaweed which they then dry and sell to exporters (make sure to bring your best backpack to join in on the harvest). Most of the seaweed is exported to Japan where it is used as a nutritional product (hello sushi).

Suggested Jambiani Beach Hotel • Red Monkey Lodge is a smallish beach lodge that combines chilled out backpacker vibes with 14 lovely rooms. The Monday jam sessions are Jambiani’s biggest party – If you prefer peace and quiet don’t arrive on Monday. $120/per night – Double Room.

Kiwengwa Beach – Little Italy Kiwengwa beach is also referred to as Little Italy because many Italian hotels line the beachfront.

The tide has a major influence on this beach.

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Beach Life - Zanzibar

Matemwe Beach

Kiwengwa Beach

Beach Life - from page 21 During low tide Kiwengwa beach is the best for long walks. The soft white sand – feels like talcum powder. You can walk for miles and miles and be completely absorbed into your own world.

Do bear in mind that sea urchins tend to wash up here, so keep an eye out when walking with no shoes. If you are into snorkeling, take a boat out to the reef, you will find beautiful sea stars there.

Suggested Kiwengwa Beach Hotels • Melia Zanzibar – gorgeous high end resort with five star ammenities.

• Kiwengwa Bungalow Boutique Resort – Quiet boutique bungalows with private beach.

An upscale affordable option.

Matemwe Beach – Relaxation, Local Culture If you are looking to kick back and relax, then I’d have to say that Matemwe is one of the best beaches in Zanzibar.

If you are looking for lots of entertainment and

activities, then perhaps another beach would be better for you.

Matemwe is the best beach to relax with a book in one hand and a drink in the other.

A quick heads up to all the water enthusiasts: depending on the season, it can be a bit difficult to swim at this beach.

Low tide affects this beach a bit more than the rest of the island.

When the tide is so far out, a barrage of seaweed and sea urchins stand between you and the ocean, this can be quite a mission to walk through. I’d recommend popping on some shoes and powering through, but make sure not to destroy the ecosystem whilst you are at it.

Who knows what keystone species rely on those sea urchins.

If you are looking for activities, I’d recommend going to Mnemba island on a snorkeling trip, or to Prison Island to see the Giant tortoises.

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architecture. Make sure you try out the threecourse dinner. $220/per night – Double Room

Pingwe Beach – One of a kind restaurant Pingwe Beach is an incredibly beautiful little piece of paradise situated far from the main tourist hotspots. The lack of amenities means most holidaymakers prefer other beaches. So again, if you prefer quiet calm beaches then Pingwe Beach is best for you.

If you are keen on a bit more action, Pingwe beach is also perfect for kitesurfing and snorkeling.

One place worth a special mention is The Rock restaurant, for its unique setting if nothing else.

Built atop a small coral outcrop about 30m offshore, they serve fresh seafood at lunchtime every day. Depending on the tide, you may have to catch a boat back or swim?

Where to Stay in Pingwe Beach • Baladin Zanzibar Beach Hotel – An upscale boutique hotel with infinity pool, yoga classes and spa.

Bwejuu Beach – Mangrove Forest Safari

Pingwe Beach

Those looking to stay on mainland can learn all about spices and where they came from on a spice tour.

Recommended Beach Hotel in Matemwe Matemwe Lodge – is an upscale lodge, overlooking coral lagoon and Mnemba island. It’s a good option for those looking to scuba dive.

Hodi Hodi Zanzibar Beach Houses – comprises three boutique beach villas under incredibly long and tall palms, with original Zanzibari doors and

If you are looking for one of the best beaches in Zanzibar, Bwejuu is your beach.

Bwejuu beach is located on Southeast side of Zanzibar. The beach is lined with dreamlike palm trees (a staple here in Zanzibar) and is only 30 minutes away from Stone Town.

One of the quietest parts of Zanzibar, those seeking peace and relaxation will find this beach perfect.

There are also loads of activities to do around the beach. For one you could visit the mangrove forest via a dhow boat trip, or you could check out the local village of Bwejuu. If you are looking to get wet, then perhaps a reef safari interests you.

We recommend a day trip to the Jozani Forest here you could spot Zanzibar Sykes’ monkeys, bush babies or duikers. The Jozani forest reserve is the only place in Africa to spot the red colobus monkeys, and it’s a must-visit during your holiday on the island.

Suggested Beach Resorts on Bwejuu Beach • Baraza Resort and Spa – Upscale allinclusive resort with full amenities and VIP room facilities.

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Beach Life - Zanzibar

Kizimkszi Beach Bwejuu Beach

Beach Life - from page 23 • Mustapha’s Place – is a hippie oasis of bougainvillea and frangipani in Bwejuu. All the rooms are unique and made from local materials. $55/ per night – Double Room – View Place

Kizimkazi Mtendeni – Dolphin Sightings The beaches on this part of Zanzibar take a different form from the classic palm-backed coastline of the east coast. Here, the beaches take the form of small coves rather than vast expanses of snow-white sand.

You are more likely to experience authentic Zanzibar here with much less accommodation options in the area.

One activity Kizimkazi Beach is popular for is its dolphin safaris. However, we ask you to be mindful of joining one of these tours. Dolphin safaris are a great way for local people to earn an income and it also prevents dolphin hunting (which used to occur here).

Check out this Ethical Dolphin Tour offered by African Impact Dolphin & Marine Conversation Project.

However, there are no regulations that control dolphin tourism in Zanzibar. This attracts unexperienced boat drivers who literally chase the animals at high speed, often cornering them and threatening them with the boat’s propellers (unintentionally).

If you want to enjoy the dolphins at Kizimkazi beach, we recommend that you bring a pair of binoculars and watch Pongwe Beach them from a distance. Do not promote unethical tourism.

• The Residence Zanzibar – a five-star luxury forested escape.

Pongwe Beach – Swimming & Snorkeling Arguably one of the best beaches in Zanzibar for swimming! Pongwe’s quiet beach has the classic palm tree decoration which is backed by dense vegetation. Make sure to bring your hammock!

An offshore reef protects the whole of Pongwe beach, the effect is calm crystal clear water, perfect for swimming and snorkeling.

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lot of fisherman that have their dhows anchored on this beach. So; if you plan on swimming for the day, we would rather recommend Pongwe beach.

If you are interested in the life of a fisherman and their traditional boats, then I’d say this is the best beach for you.

Where to Stay • Xanadu Luxury Villas – Ultra-luxury allinclusive experience in one of only 7 villas complete with a private butler and private plunge pools.

• Sands Beach Resort – More affordable yet chic hotel with pool and spa, 10 minutes from the beach.

Kendwa Beach – Full Moon Parties

Recommended Hotels • The Island Pongwe Lodge – Built on a natural coral rock, this luxury retreat is a one of a kind destination.

• Seasons Lodge Zanzibar – An affordable option with pool, massage and breakfast included.

Dongwe Beach – Dhow Anchorage A tidal beach that has a much longer period of low tide coming in and high tide going out than most beaches in Zanzibar.

One thing to bear in mind is there are quite a

Kendwa Beach is often referred to as the little sister of Nungwi Beach, a much quieter get away than its sibling in the north. This is one beach in Zanzibar where the tide doesn’t really change, this means you can enjoy the crystal clear waters pretty much the entire day!

If you walk slightly out to shore, you will find beautiful starfish relaxing in the turquoise waters. Make sure not to disturb these creatures, that means no touching, and please for the love of animals do not pick them up. One thing you definitely can pick up is a beer whilst you watch the sunset, on Kendwa beach the sunsets are legendary.

Kendwa beach tends to pump up the volume each full moon with a lively beach party that attracts tourists from all around the island. If you are looking for a peaceful sunset, don’t arrive on full moon.

Zanzibar Beach Hotels on Kendwa • Rui Palace Zanzibar – We’ve stayed at Rui Palaces before and they are a great option for a Zanzibar all-inclusive vacation if you are looking to just relax on the beach.

Best Time to Visit Zanzibar & Its Beaches Zanzibar is hot year round being located near the equator. While differences in temperatures remain quite constant, the average rainfall varies depending on the season.

June to October is the dry season and is a

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Beach Life - Zanzibar

Chumbe Island

Beach Life - from page 25 great time to visit Zanzibar and expect consistent weather. But this is also the high season so expect higher prices at hotels and accomodation.

Late November and December is considered a season with light rains but is a good time to visit. It is the hotter months of the year. So you’ll want to get in the water. Expect prices to rise over Christmas and New Years.

January to Early March – is a good window of weather. We visited in March and had hot, dry days our entire stay. But it can start to turn into the rainy season by mid-march.

Late March to May is the rainy season. Since this isn’t the high season, you will probably be able to find some good deals for this time of year.

Best Eco-Friendly Places to Stay in Zanzibar • Chumbe Island offers beautifully designed eco-bungalows equipped with rainwater filtration systems and eco-friendly compost

toilets.

• The profits gained from these seven bungalows fund two of its projects (including 40 educational trips a year for young school kids). Price per night includes all meals, boat transfers, and all activities. $588/per night – Double Room.

• For more information on Responsible Tourism in Zanzibar, visit RTTZ.org

Local Language in Zanzibar There are 3 official languages spoken in Zanzibar.

• Swahili • Arabic • English Zanzibar is an island paradise and to visit its beautiful beaches is a vacation you’ll never forget.

So what are you waiting for? It’s time to book a trip to Africa now! https://theplanetd.com/best-beaches-zanzibar Image credits: Geothermal Spa Kenya| Facebook, kengensrbs.co.ke, karibu.mambozuri.com

26 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Beach Life - Egypt

Beach in Egypt Rated in Top 10 in the World

By Brunno Braga

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mong 100 beaches around the world, Copacabana Beach (Brazil) was chosen as the world’s best beach to vacation, according to Bounce. The other ‘top 10’ entries may surprise you.

Miami Beach (USA) was among the top five, along with three others in the United States, including trendy Venice Beach, which was listed in third place.

To make the determination of world’s best beach, several travel guides and blogs were consulted on the most popular and beautiful beaches in the world. The research took into account factors such as weather, hotel prices, sea temperature, number of restaurants and visibility on social media for the final ranking.

According to the survey, Copacabana Beach stands out not only for its beauty, but for boasting a view of one of the most iconic cities in the world, with the famous statue of Christ the Redeemer in the backdrop.

If you want to vacation among the best, here’s a

list of the world’s best beaches.

1. Copacabana Beach, Rio de Janeiro - Brazil 2. Miami Beach, Florida - USA 3. Venice Beach, California - USA 4. South Beach, Florida - USA 5. Santa Monica, California USA

6. Naama Bay, Sharm el-Sheikh - Egypt The first and only African beach on the Bounce list, Naama Bay in Sharm elSheikh in Egypt. The iconic beach is dotted with umbrellas to provide shade in the baking heat of 25.1 degrees Celsius (77.2°F) on average.

7. Pink Sand Beach, Antigua & Barbuda 8. Barceloneta Beach, Spain 9. Mui Ne Beach, Vietnam 10. Cayo Coco, Cuba https://travelnoire.com/copacabana-beachworlds-best-beach

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Image credit: bloglovin.com

In The Black

10 Black Travel Advisors & Companies

By Parke

L

et 2022 be the year that you take your travel experiences to the next level by investing in luxury travel.

Luxury travel is more than traveling like the wealthy and celebrities. It’s more than five-star hotels, dining at Michelin-star restaurants, or traveling on a private jet.

Luxury travel is also about getting spoiled with the experiences and moments you’ve always dreamed of.

Life is short, so, take the luxury trip. When you do, be sure to book it with one of these 10 Black travel advisors specializing in luxury.

1. Lux Travel Girl Kamala Cummings has over 15 years of experience in the luxury travel market with a focus on entertainment, leisure, and sports travel.

According to Cummings, her niche has always been offering clients an “experience” and not just a service.

She has an impressive profile, working with highprofile clients from the Sports arena to Wall Street.

Lux Travel Girl was created to offer existing and future clients an outlet to capture the luxury of fashion, spiritual, culinary, and entertainment travel.

2. Perspectives Travel Amina Deamon is the founder of Perspectives Travel. Based in New Orleans, she is affiliated with SmartFlyer and Virtuoso – two of the most prestigious companies in the travel world – enabling her to get her clients what she calls the VIP perks they deserve.

3. Up In The Air Life Up in The Air Life CEO Claire Soares created a multimillion-dollar travel empire focusing on luxury travel.

Soares wanted to create a space for you to

let your guard down and travel with confidence amongst other like-minded Black people.

4. BWP Travel Bruce Powell is the Lead Travel Consultant and Owner of BWP Travel, LLC. Powell has more than 70 countries under his belt and has sent his clients to even more!

With more than ten years of experience as a travel agent, Bruce’s agency, BWP Travel, LLC, is a Virtuoso Affiliated Agency.

5. Travel With Sparkle Travel with Sparkle was founded in 2007 by Nadia “Sparkle” Henry. Fueled by her genuine

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to Book Luxury Vacations with in 2022

er Diakite

love of traveling with friends and family, she created a fullservice travel c o m p a n y devoted to group travel, individual travel, and family travel.

She calls herself the “ C C I G ” specialist: concentrating on the Caribbean, Cruises, and International Group travel to make dream vacations come true.

Sparkle is also an expert in planning discreet celebrity travel, including Love & Hip-Hop New York reality star Yandy Smith’s vow renewal ceremony in Dubai.

6. Milk + Honey Brianna Glenn is the brains behind Milk + Honey.

With more than 30 countries under her belt, Glenn designs beautifully curated travel experiences.

“Consider us your matchmakers: the connection between the trip you’ve been dreaming about and the vacation we create that makes those dreams a reality,’ a statement reads on the website.

LaVon Travel & Lifestyle was founded by Tiffany LaVon Layne after realizing there was a gap in the industry to deliver high-touch personalized service to discerning private travelers who wanted more from their travel experiences.

Her ethos is that luxury travel is not just about booking your next trip, but a lifestyle.

8. African Travel, Inc Sherwin Banda is the president and founder of African Travel – the longest established luxury safari operator focused exclusively on the African continent.

The company’s extensive infrastructure in both the U.S., and Southern and Eastern Africa has made it a leader in providing extraordinary, authentic journeys that are tailored to each client’s desires, travel style, and budget.

9. Wells Luxury Travel Kemi Wells is a Canada-based travel advisor and founder of Wells Luxury Travel. Wells is a UK native currently residing in Vancouver, Canada, and has visited more than 60 countries and six continents.

Creating exceptional travel experiences is a top priority for her client. She can help you travel on a private jet or sail on a yacht.

10. Showtime Travel Belvin Baldwin II is the owner of Showtime Travel: an agency that has curated luxury travel vacations and experiences since 2002.

Luxury villas, cruises, resorts, private jets, and high-end excursions are all amenities and services Baldwin offers. https://travelnoire.com/black-travel-advisorscompanies-luxury-vacations Image credit: The Lazy Artist Gal

7. LaVon Travel & Lifestyle 29 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

History as a Destination

After a Century and a Half, Ethiopian Artefacts Return Home There is a video with ths article, follow the link below

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fter a century and a half hidden in private collections, 13 stolen Ethiopian artefacts have finally returned home following months of negotiations.

“Our country’s ancient civilization’s history, artefacts, fingerprints of indigenous knowledge, culture ... have been looted in war and smuggled out illegally,” said Ethiopia’s tourism minister, Nasise Challa.

The items, which include an intricately latticed processional cross, a richly coloured triptych depicting Jesus’ crucifixion, and an ornate red and brass imperial shield, are part of the largest act of restitution in Ethiopia’s history, officials said.

These artefacts were taken in 1868 after the Battle of Maqdala between the British and Ethiopian empires. Some of the objects had been offered in an auction in Britain in June 2021 by a private seller descended from a British soldier who fought in Maqdala.

“There are many artefacts that were looted from Maqdala,” said Teferi Meles, Ethiopia’s ambassador to the United Kingdom, where many

By Ayenat Mersie

of the treasures were. “We couldn’t manage to bring back all of them, but this is the first time in the country’s history to bring back looted artefacts in this quantity.”

Several of the objects were acquired by The Scheherazade Foundation, a cultural nonprofit, and handed to the Ethiopian embassy in September 2021. They were returned to Addis Ababa this weekend and will go on display in Ethiopian museums. But the work is far from over, officials said.

“We have started negotiations with the British Museum to bring back 12 tabots,” said Teferi.

Tabots are replicas of the Ark of the Covenant that are sacred in the Ethiopian Orthodox Church, one of the world’s oldest churches. The tabots were also taken after the Battle of Maqdala.

“We believe we will be successful in bringing them back and the negotiations will continue, with other artefacts abroad,” Teferi said.

The British Museum said it held “cordial discussions” with an Ethiopian delegation in September and noted “The Museum has long-

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Artefacts that were looted during the colonial-era by British forces at the Ethiopian National Museum after they were restituted from the United Kingdom, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, November 20, 2021.

standing and friendly relations with the National Museum in Addis Ababa and with the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church in London and in Ethiopia.”

British museums have long resisted campaigns for the return of artworks, often citing legislation that bans them from disposing of their collections.

But the debate has heated up and British Museum said last year it would loan some works from Nigeria to a new museum there due to open in 2023.

“At this moment, it is clear that our treasures are being destroyed; it is obvious our treasures are being looted and smuggled out of the country illegally,” said Teferi, without offering detail.

Ethiopia has been m mired in conflict for over a year, with the federal government fighting the Tigray People’s Liberation Front and cultural artefacts are believed to have been damaged in the fighting.

“If there is no treasure, it means there is no history; if there is no history, there is no nation,” Teferi said. www.reuters.com/world/africa/after-century-halfethiopian-artefacts-return-home-2021-11-22/ Reporting by Addis Ababa newsroom; Writing by Ayenat Mersie; Editing by Gerry Doyle and Giles Elgood Image credit: REUTERS/Tiksa Negeri

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History as a Destination

Nigerian Priest Saves Traditional Artefacts from Christian Converts

By Seun Sanni

Reverend Father Paul Obayi conducts a mass service for community members in Obollo-Afor, Enugu Nigeria September 29, 2021.

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everend Paul Obayi, a Roman Catholic priest, is collecting and saving hundreds of traditional pre-Christian religious artefacts in southeast Nigeria that new converts to Christianity had planned to burn.

The collection includes carvings of pagan deities and masks, some of them more than a century old and considered central to the pre-Christian religion of the Igbo people, who traditionally believed them to be sacred and to have supernatural powers.

But Christianity is now the dominant faith in the region and many converts burn their artefacts, which the churches say are associated with evil spirits.

Reverend Paul Obayi, who is collecting the objects from towns across the region, said his aim was to preserve the local cultural heritage.

Reverend Father Paul Obayi po amidst several artefacts that h shrines and stored in his museu

“So it is just for us to remember that these are cultural artefacts and nothing more, that generations will come here and see, ‘oh this is what our fathers regarded as gods’. They will see it with enthusiasm,” Obayi said.

The collection is being housed in a museum in the compound of his Saint Theresa’s Catholic Cathedral, in the city of Enugu.

Not everybody is convinced that the artefacts are just cultural objects, however.

Akinmayowa Akin-Otiko, research fellow, Institute of African and Diaspora Studies at the University of Lagos said that, in his experience, it was not easy to completely neutralise the artefacts’ reputed supernatural powers.

“I think he is keeping history, he is telling a story, but I am also wary because of my experience,

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▲Reverend Father Paul Obayi conducts a mass service for community members in Obollo-afor, Enugu Nigeria ▼Reverend Father Paul Obayi poses for a picture as he sits amidst several artefacts that he recovered from various shrines and stored in his museum in Nsukka, Enugu Nigeria

oses for a picture as he sits he recovered from various m in Nsukka, Enugu Nigeria

because of my knowledge, those things don’t go away easily,” said Akin-Otiko.

“The potency in them doesn’t go away but if he is so sure that he has neutralised them, then they are good enough for museums,” he added.

www.reuters.com/world/africa/nigerianpriest-saves-traditional-artefacts-christianconverts-2021-12-01/ Image credit: REUTERS/Temilade Adelaja, September 29, 2021.

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Helping College Students Obtain Passports

How the Passport Portal is Helping Underprivilege Youth Study Abroa

By Ayah

H

ulda Destin is the President and Founder of The Passport Portal (TPP). The 30-year-old was born in Haiti, and moved to New Jersey in 1993, where she has spent most of her life. Hulda attended Rutgers University and also studied abroad in Greece at The American College of Thessaloniki.

Passionate about teaching and traveling, Hulda has been living and working abroad for the past seven years. After a two-year teaching stint in Shenzhen, China, she relocated to Kuwait, where she has been for the past Hulda Destin in Ethiopia five years. She launched The Passport Portal in November 2020 during the COVID-19 information and scholarships to these students pandemic. when they venture off to study abroad. Hulda’s “The year 2020 was an exhausting and scary experiences traveling and studying abroad have time for so many. However, one great thing largely contributed to her desire to help students about 2020 was that it gave me time to follow my in this way. dreams and visions. Ciarra Hodges, currently the “I got my first passport in 2013 after being Vice-President, and I had been trying to work on accepted into a study abroad program in Greece.

TPP for about a year, but something would always It was my first international experience. It was truly get in the way. Starting a nonprofit is scary, and it life-changing, and led me to discover my love and requires a lot of work and time. Eventually, Kiara passion for traveling. Being able to visit 47 foreign Thompson and Eliada Destin got on board with countries and live in two has been phenomenal. us, which made everything seem a bit less scary. I want underprivileged youth to know that it’s They helped turn a dream into reality!” okay to step out of their bubble and experience A nonprofit organization that promotes the this beautiful planet. I want them to be able to be importance and value of travel to marginalized immersed in different cultures to broaden their and underprivileged students, The Passport Portal horizons and become global citizens.” believes that traveling can broaden the horizons Hulda knows firsthand the many merits of of the youth by giving them valuable perspectives travel that extend well past the initial feelings of and experiences they can carry with them for the excitement. Exploring different cultures allows rest of their lives. students to learn and experience new things and The company’s mission is to help qualifying open their minds to different perspectives. Living students afford and obtain a U.S. passport on their own away from their families and culture so that they may benefit from traveling helps to sharpen their sense of independence, opportunities. In addition, TPP also provides responsibility, flexibility, and self-awareness.

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Hulda Destin in Kenya

Furthermore, living abroad helps youth build character and allows them to make global friendships and connections.

“The Institute of International Education reports that only 29.2% of U.S. students who study abroad self-report as minorities—and only 6.1% identify as Black Americans. The Passport Portal is looking to increase these numbers and open doors to endless possibilities for tons of college students in the United States. Too often, African Americans, other minorities, and students from low-income families miss the opportunity to study abroad due to finances. I founded TPP to help cut some of those costs for these students.”

U.S. citizens who are enrolled as full-time undergraduate and graduate students at an accredited college or university in the United States are encouraged to apply at the website at www.thepassportportal.com/apply. Questions

about applications can be emailed to apply@ thepassportportal.com.

Individuals or organizations looking to donate to The Passport Portal may do so at www. thepassportportal.com/donate. All donations are tax-deductible within the guidelines of U.S. law. Questions about donating can be sent to donate@thepassportportal.com or info@ thepassportportal.com.

“If you have any cool travel pictures or would like to tell us how studying abroad or traveling changed your life, please feel free to email us at info@thepassportportal.com or tag us in a post on Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter.” https://travelnoire.com/passport-portal-helpingyouth-study-abroad Image credit: The Passport Portal

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Travel Story

Traveler Story: I’m a Mother of Five Who Prioritizes Travel as a Form of Self-Care

By Spencer Jones

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arenthood permanently alters your life, and Iris Martin believes that travel is not only a form of self-care, it has helped her be an effective mother for her five children. Three are adults with their own homes and families, while the other two reside with their mother in North Carolina.

Iris thinks the world of her children and her two grandsons, but does that mean she can’t enjoy what else the universe has to offer?

For her, the answer is a resounding no.

“Being a mom is hard!” Iris told Travel Noire.

“Mama needs a break, and she needs it often.”

Simply put, travel allows her to be the most balanced version of herself. To understand why this form of self-care has been so invaluable, it helps to be familiar with her formative years. Iris became a mother for the first time at fifteen, and shouldered a kind of responsibility that would be challenging for an adult, let alone a child.

“I have roots everywhere,” Iris said. “As a child, I lived with a lot of family members and friends. At one point, I was a homeless, teen mom living in an abandoned building in Buffalo, New York. Perhaps that is what truly sparked my interest in travel because I had lived in California, Mississippi, New York, Illinois, Texas, and Virginia by the age of twenty-five.”

Back then, all that domestic travel wasn’t for pleasure. But it was still a growth experience for Iris, who saw each state’s unique qualities firsthand. Once circumstances allowed, she was determined to not only up the ante on her own travel, but bring her children along for the ride.

However, this hasn’t come without moments of hesitation and self-doubt.

“I do often think about the guilt associated with traveling while still having two children under my

roof and three adults that rely on me,” Iris said. “But I have to prioritize my happiness so that I can show up for those that need me. There’s sacrifice with everything. I do travel without my kids quite often, both for work and pleasure.

However, I also travel with my kids. They’ve been all over the United States and also the Dominican Republic, Grand Turks, the Bahamas, Puerto Rico and Mexico, just to name a few.”

Iris describes herself as an eclectic, random woman, and one could draw the same conclusion about her travels. In the travel group Live Be Do, she posted pictures and a glowing review of her experience with Virgin Voyages, an adult only cruise line. It had everything you would expect an adult playground on the sea to have. Gambling?

Yes. Alcohol flowing in excess and delicious food?

Yes. Themed parties and plenty of raunchy fun?

Well, obviously.

“Next time, I’m bringing friends!” Iris declared.

“I’ve been on a lot of cruise lines, but there is nothing like an adults-only experience, whether that is on a cruise or at a resort. This particular cruise was very edgy, exciting, and inappropriate, which I love. Nothing was kid-friendly.”

Iris has spent much of her life being innovative, and it hasn’t failed her yet. As a young mother, she had to be for her own survival and that of her children. As an adult, her innovation spawned a series of businesses, once she determined that

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working for somebody else would inhibit her professional growth.

In 2006, following the birth of her twins, Iris started a daycare center. The success of that allowed her to create Queens Entertainment Group, an event planning agency. Finally, she founded Surreal Journeys Travel, which is entirely run by Black women, each with her own area of expertise.

“Surreal Journeys Travel has a great social media following, and a group of 10,000+ clients that travel the world with me, or allow me to craft their dream vacations,” Iris said. “I offer trips for a wide range of budgets, with low deposits, and flexible payment plans. That makes it possible for people that have never been on a vacation, to finally experience the world. I’ve always said, ‘do what makes you happy and the money will come’.

Lucky for me, that love is travel, and I’ve been able to turn that into a full-time job.”

Iris plans to go full steam ahead in 2022, and has a trip scheduled each month. In January, she’ll be in Mexico, followed by trips to the Caribbean,

Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. She’ll round out that year with a flight to Dubai, and if you can believe it, her 2023 itinerary is already in the works.

“I get a bit of surprise from non-Black people when they try to travel flex with me, until they realize I’m more well-traveled than they are!”

She knows what it is to start with nothing, and fought tooth and nail to get where she is today.

For the child inside her, forced to mature before her time, it’s a dream come true.

“I know my inner child is loving my current life.

I didn’t have a lot of opportunities growing up, so when something piques my interest, I make sure to try it at least once. I never would have guessed that I’d be able to travel back when I was homeless and feeling unsure, unloved and misguided. I’ve learned so much about the importance of selfcare while enjoying each and every moment.

When I need solace and relaxation, which I don’t often get at home, travel allows for that.”

When Iris isn’t hopping between states and continents, she loves spending time with her children, cooking, laughing and kicking back with an adult beverage of one kind or another.

Follow this extraordinary woman on Instagram @SurrealJourneysTravel. https://travelnoire.com/mother-of-five-prioritizestravel-as-self-care Image credit: Iris Martin

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Conservancy Tourism - World Class

Lewa Wildlife Conservancy: Experience World

By ABA Editors Elewana Kifaru House Borana Lodge

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he Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, based at the foothills of Mount Kenya, works as a model and catalyst for the conservation of wildlife and its habitat. We do this through the protection and management of species, the initiation and support of community conservation and development programmes, and the education of neighbouring areas in the value of wildlife.

For the last three decades, our practices have resulted in thriving black rhino habitat and population, which in turn has created a robust ecosystem for a multitude of species including the endangered Grevy’s zebra, elephant, lion, cheetah, giraffe and more. We envision a future where people across Kenya value, protect and benefit from wildlife. This future depends on

Lewa Management Team

communities being able to derive their day-today livelihoods in ways that are compatible with thriving wildlife habitat. As a result, we invest heavily in the livelihoods of our neighbours through programmes in education, healthcare, water, micro-enterprise, youth empowerment and more.

As a catalyst and champion of this model that puts people at the centre of conservation, Lewa has influenced and supported the conservancy management for both private and community lands across northern Kenya.

What We Do The Lewa Research and Monitoring section collects continuous data on the conservancy that allows evaluations of trends in ecosystem health.

This is done through two main approaches: Monitoring, which allows us to answer the ‘what’ question about the trends in wildlife and vegetation on the landscape, and Research, which helps us answer the ‘why’ these trends are occurring. To effectively deliver on this mandate, the department collects data in various fields that we refer to as thematic areas. Below we briefly outline these thematic areas and the main questions they seek to answer.

• Rhino Monitoring - Our department works closely with field rhino monitors from the

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Class Tourism With Lasting Impact Elewana Lewa Safari Camp

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general security department, collecting data on rhino births, deaths, and movements.

Predator Monitoring - Predator-prey dynamics are an important part of ecosystem balance. Our team collects data on numbers and distribution of our large carnivores, tracking not only births and death rates, but also prey preferences across the year.

Ungulate Monitoring - Ungulates, or hooved mammals, make up the bulk of Lewa’s prey base. By monitoring population structure, landscape usage, and body condition, we are able to identify any large scale and widespread changes in population dynamics of these animals that would indicate an underlying ecosystem change.

Elephant Monitoring - Elephant numbers have been on the increase across northern Kenya thanks to successful anti-poaching policy and security efforts. By identifying specific individual offenders and their strategies, we are able to develop targeted responses ranging from fence redesign, use of novel technologies like bee-hive fences, and in the most extreme of cases, translocation to other less crowded landscapes.

Avifauna Monitoring - Birdlife is generally considered as an important ecosystem

indicator functional group since birds are highly responsive to environmental change. Lewa acts as a key habitat to many bird species, of which some like the Grey Crowned Crane are globally threatened. It is also an important stopoff point for some migratory birds, especially Palearctic Migrants, and is an important wetland area that is an attraction and feeding ground to many bird species.

• Transforming Lives Through Education Many children in rural Kenya lack access to quality education. This is a problem because when young people are unable to complete their education, they cannot develop their unique talents, grow with new perspectives, and achieve their dreams. Without access to opportunities that unlock their potential, young people risk relying on livelihoods that depend on finite natural resources.

Lewa recognises that good education that leads to sustainable opportunities remain an important part of long-term conservation.

For conservation to be sustainable, young people need to be equipped with the skills and knowledge they need to access gainful jobs in the future, lift their families out of poverty, and make responsible choices as future leaders of their communities and stewards of the environment.

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Conservancy Tourism - World Class Conservancy - from page 39 • Pack for a Purpose - an initiative that allows travellers like you to make a lasting impact in the community at your travel destination. If you save just a few kilos of space in your suitcase and take supplies for the projects we support in need, you’ll make a priceless impact in the lives of children and families. Please click here to see what supplies are needed for our project/projects.

The Lodges at Lewa There are 10 different accommodation options across the Lewa/Borana landscape. So whether our guests want to focus on luxury, exclusivity, adventure, fine food, wildlife or culture, they’re sure to find something that suits. While each lodge offers something different, all of them promise an unforgettable safari experience.

Contact the lodges directly to inquire about availability.

Borana Lodge - is steeped in history and style.

Located at the heart of Borana Conservancy, Kenya’s newest and most successful rhino sanctuary, Borana Lodge is set against a beautiful hillside with an organic design and panoramic views.

A stay at Borana Lodge is a unique opportunity for total immersion in the life and goings on of a working wildlife conservancy. Environmental and ecological considerations rank alongside the responsibilities we feel towards our neighbouring communities, be they pastoralists or agriculturalists.

This is in the form of community development, water safety, the mobile health clinic, the education programme and much more.

By staying at Borana Lodge you are making a direct contribution to conservation, allowing us to continue on our truly sustainable journey, committing all profits to securing conservation integrity.

Elewana Kifaru House - A haven of luxury in the bush, guests will immediately feel at home on arrival, warmly welcomed by the friendly and attentive staff. The comfortable sitting room with

well-stocked bar and elegant dining area extend out to a large, comfortably furnished terrace. Here, guests can enjoy a sunny breakfast al fresco and watch the busy goings-on at the waterhole below, or they can choose to relax by the picturesque infinity pool and enjoy the magnificent views over the distant plains.

The property luxuriates in total exclusivity with five charming thatched cottages tucked away in an oasis of vibrant lawns, filled with birdsong. All have well-appointed bedrooms, with sumptuous four-poster beds and generous en-suite bathrooms.

With an excellent library and log fires in the lounge and dining rooms, guests can truly sink into delicious, cosy comfort during the cool evenings, and luxuriate in the peace and serenity of the African night.

Elewana Lewa Safari Camp - Featuring large tented bedrooms with verandahs and full en-suite bathrooms, Lewa Safari camp offers authentic comfort for its visitors; cozy log fires in the sitting room are perfect for relaxing after a day in the Conservancy. This unique and exclusive retreat offers privileged access to 65,000 acres of private protected wilderness.

Underpinning the glamorous magnetism of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy is a serious mission: a pioneering and pragmatic approach to conservation, founded in the 1970’s, that has developed into a thriving and globally recognised rhino conservation habitat.

Lewa Safari Camp is the only tourist facility within the Conservancy that is owned by the Conservancy. Profits and conservancy fees generated by the camp are reinvested directly into the conservation and community efforts of Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

Lewa Wilderness - with just nine accommodation options – six cottages perched along the hillside with expansive views and ultimate privacy and a further three garden cottages that are both

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Arijiju

cozy yet sizable and family-friendly – Lewa Wilderness provides a spacious yet personal experience.

Walk, ride, fly, drive and camp – the safari opportunities at Lewa Wilderness are as exhilarating as they are varied – all types of travelers will find the safari activity of their wildest dreams.

Other accommodations are: Laragai House, Lewa House, Sirikoi Lodge, Sirai House, Arijiju, and Lengishu. www.lewa.org/ Image credit: www.lewa.org, The Daily Telegraph

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Survey Says…

The Best Hotels in Africa: the Gold List 2022 & 202

By CONDÉ NAST TRAVELLER AND DIVIA THANI This selection of hotels is part of the annual Condé Nast Traveller Gold List 2022.

hospitality academy. But the main takeaway of Grootbos is that just stopping and looking – at the interconnectedness and mad beauty of life – is the most mesmerising thing of all. By Jane Broughton

Johann Lourens Photography

The B Th Bestt Hotel H t l iin S South th Af Africa i 2022 Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, Western Cape, South Africa www.booking.com/hotel/za/grootbos-private-naturereserve.en-us.html

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or a long time, lodges in South Africa tended to be geared towards the Big Five. Grootbos, on the fynbos slopes near Walker Bay, south of Cape Town, is different. This 2,500-hectare private reserve is about treasuring the smaller, finer things. With 889 plant species, seven of which are newly discovered, it is first and foremost a rare botanical treasure trove, in which owner Michael Lutzeyer has employed some of the Cape’s leading botanists and entomologists.

The lodges are glassy and contemporary, but there’s a constant call outdoors – from the outside showers to tracking elusive aardvark and Cape leopard, or having lantern-lit dinners in a 1,000-year-old milkwood forest, all fairytale tangles. I’ve ridden horses across the sands, past ancient sea caves; been on flower safaris, tree-planting expeditions and whalewatching flights to see the calving southern right whales that migrate inshore between July and December. Most of the food on the carbonnegative reserve is grown on site, and nothing comes from more than 30 miles away, with many of the staff graduates of the in-house

Ana Lui

The Best Hotel in Morocco 2022 La Mamounia, Marrakech https://mamounia.com/en

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here’s a very particular effect exerted by La Mamounia, which seems to take hold the moment you head up the green tiled steps to this most bohemian of grandes dames. Upon seeing La Mamounia’s faded pink walls, Churchill was wont to ditch the suit and pick up his watercolour brushes; Paul McCartney wrote ‘Mamunia’ (meaning ‘safe haven’ in Arabic) during a 1973 stay; and Hitchcock, who filmed The Man Who Knew Too Much here, got his inspiration for

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The Birds from some over-zealous finches on a jardin-facing balcony. La Mamounia was always a curious mash-up of Art Deco, Berber and opulent Moorish, and the old place has had numerous facelifts over almost 100 years – from Jacques Majorelle’s bright stylings in 1946 to a theatrical Noughties revamp by Jacques Garcia (Hotel Costes) and most recently a series of sly additions

by Parisian futurists Jouin Manku, including a new cinema and teahouse. There are all the columns, foliage-filled courtyards and mosaics of the most photogenic medina riad – except that there’s also the smoky Churchill speakeasy, an Asian-focused Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant with its sultry blacks and reds, and that legendary, vast square pool, around which I find the people-watching irresistible (bring dark sunglasses). There’s a reason that the actors and rock stars have kept coming; the fashionistas with kaftans and cigarettes. For all that it is woven into Marrakech like the knots in a Berber rug, La Mamounia has never, ever been boring. DM

www.lewawilderness.com

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ithin a few hours of beginning my first game drive at this safari lodge and conservancy near the foot of Mount Kenya, I had seen all the animals in the ‘Big Six’, as my guide Johnson Gilishe called them – the usual Big Five of buffalo, elephant, lion, leopard and rhino, plus a cheetah sunning on a termite mound in the late-afternoon light. I’d also spotted crowned cranes, kingfishers, an eland antelope, a waterbuck and several endangered Grévy’s zebras, whose numbers in the wildlife sanctuary comprise about a sixth of the species’ remaining global population.

Founded 50 years ago by former cattle ranchers as an adventure camp, Lewa has become one of the most successful community conservancies in the world, a model emulated throughout Africa and by the USA’s National Park Service. It’s also an extraordinarily pleasant place to stay, from the rustic thatched cottages with fireplaces overlooking the Western Marania Valley to the communal outdoor meals prepared with ingredients from the conservancy’s small farm, plus a pool, clay tennis court and comfortable sitting room in which to tell stories at the end of the day. Lewa owner Will Craig will take guests up in his rebuilt openair Thirties biplane – spot Anthony Bourdain in it during one of the final episodes of his TV series Parts Unknown (‘Better than sex,’ he is reported to have said off-camera). There’s also horse- and camel-riding, birding, archaeology walks and more. But nothing beats the game drives, or the crisp taste of a G&T as a sundowner, looking out over some of the most beautiful landscapes and creatures on the planet. JA

The Best Hotel in Morocco 2021 El Fenn, Marrakech, Morocco www.expedia.co.uk/Medina-MarrakechHotels.0-n6084765-0.Travel-Guide-Filter-Hotels

A Stevie Mann

The Best Hotel in Kenya 2022 Lewa Wilderness, Laikipia

nyone with an enduring crush on the city will recall the Great Riad Gold Rush of 20 or so years ago. Dot-com boomers and designer downshifters began buying up Marrakech’s crumbling townhouses to rework as boho hotels, chasing the freewheeling Sixties Morocco of Jimi Hendrix and Talitha Getty, although results were mixed. Today the standouts can be counted on one hand – or in one digit. El Fenn, co-owned to page 44

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Survey Says…

Best Hotels - from page 43

While Marrakech gathers more big-brand hotels, reassuringly, El Fenn pursues its rebel-chic streak. It’s only Maroc’n’roll – but we like it. By Nick Redman

Willem Smit

by V Vanessa Branson, B sister i t off Richard, Ri h d is i an enfilade of acid-bright spaces that launched with six bedrooms in 2004 on the edge of the Medina.

Now it sprawls across 12 riads in its latest expanded incarnation, set to open in January 2021, revealing a spectacular new rooftop pool.

Mingling with scents of jasmine in summer and olive-wood hearth embers in winter, a whiff of insouciance fills the pulse-slowing spa, courtyards of bougainvillaea and orange trees, and the 31 head-turning rooms – mid-century modern goes to Morocco – finessed by local craftspeople. Fiftiesfuturistic sofas cohabit with beds sprouting barleytwist poles. Maison Jansen palm-tree lamps, favoured by Jackie Kennedy in the White House, illuminate sheeny tadelakt walls. It feels like the home of a philanthropic collector, which Branson is (her privately owned art is hung up for all to see), thrown open for rock stars in retreat. On the vast roof at the violet hour, the bartender stirs preserved-lemon gin Martinis as the darkening sky exposes a cityscape spiked with minarets.

Crookes & Jackson

The Best Hotel in Zimbabwe 2021 Singita Pamushana Lodge, Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve https://singita.com/lodge/singita-pamushana-lodge

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ith its food, wine, dedicated staff and prime locations, Singita has rightfully earned its stellar reputation for running the slickest safari properties in Africa, and Pamushana Lodge is no exception. It may not be as high profile as the ones in the Serengeti or South Africa, but insiders choose the untrammelled, biologically diverse reaches of Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve’s 130,000 hectares over and over again for long, immersive stays and private animal sightings. In comparison to other destinations in the region, the terrain here is strikingly different: deep-red soil, colossal boulders, sandstone outcrops, 87 documented rock-art sites and forests of ancient

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baobab trees. Even after several days of driving and walking with the excellent Zimbabwean guides, spotting large herds of elephants and buffaloes, wild dogs and big cats, there is never a sense that you’ve seen it all. If community tours elsewhere in the country have felt a little contrived, a visit to nearby Kambako village is essential. Hands on and interactive, it’s a living museum of Shangaan culture and customs. The lodge’s hilltop suites – where the unmistakably elegant stamp of designers Cécile & Boyd has introduced a lighter aesthetic that is still rich in texture – overlook Malilangwe Dam, with boatbased birding and game fishing adding to the already long list of activities. There is a real oldschool sense of occasion to being hosted by the wonderful staff. Food is modern, nourishing and sustainably sourced. One of the Malilangwe Trust’s initiatives is providing the seed funding for 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 endeavours, from a school-feeding scheme to anti-poaching patrols.

A pioneering property for the new Zimbabwe. By Jane Broughton

985ft above the Maasai Mara’s plains, is so extraordinary it brought owner Nicky Fitzgerald and her late husband Steve out of retirement after decades spent running many of Africa’s most talked-about camps. Swahili for ‘suspended in mid-air’, Angama Mara is a clever distillation of the couple’s lifetime experience, understanding what their guests really want. A picnic in the spot where scenes for Out of Africa were filmed, lunch in the kitchen garden, printing the day’s best shot in the photography studio, crafting in the beading gallery – or just staying slouched in their seat and staring in awe. The property is split into two camps of 15 glass-fronted tents, balanced on the rim of the valley. At sunrise, hotair balloons float by; as the heat builds, eagles circle on the thermals. It goes without saying that the game-viewing is superior. Private access to the Greater Mara Conservancies means that in 10 minutes you’re by the river. During migration, the predator action of a wildebeest crossing is less than an hour’s drive away – close by East African standards. The fact that the staff village was built with the same attention to detail as the lodge is evidence of a thoughtful approach to taking care of the female-strong team so they can take care of the guests. The Angama Foundation’s active role in conservation, education and healthcare, and its support of small businesses, backs this up.

There’s also an exclusive mobile camp, providing all the up-close thrills of fly camping but with the elevated food and intuitive service of its sibling.

This place will leave you speechless, just like the views. By Jane Broughton

The Best Hotel in Mozambique 2021 &Beyond Benguerra Island, Bazaruto Archipelago www.andbeyond.com/our-lodges/indian-ocean-islands/ mozambique/bazaruto-archipelago/andbeyond-benguerraisland Emma Jackson

The Best Hotel in Kenya 2021 Angama Mara, Great Rift Valley https://angama.com

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t’s hard to imagine how heady the views here are until you flop into one of the Fermob metal armchairs with a medicinal Dawa (a Kenyan Caipirinha) in hand. This unique location,

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he Bazaruto Islands represent the African coast as it once was – authentic, low key and empty. Relative inaccessibility until as recently as five years ago prevented a luxury-hotel scene from springing up, and a civil war that ended in the early 1990s probably saved it from overtourism.

These days, you can fly out of Johannesburg in the morning and be here in time for lunch.

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Survey Says…

Best Hotels - from page 45

coast, as a result of conservation project Oceans Without Borders, which tirelessly addresses the many challenges facing the ecosystem and the communities depending on it. A stay here adds funds to that pot, so the good work can continue.

By Jane Broughton

Pinterest

There’s here’s only a handful of lodges, lodges all of which remain modestly below the tree line, including this long-time favourite on a sheltered stretch of the north-western shore of Benguerra, the second largest isle in the archipelago. Since Africa expert &Beyond took over in 2015 with its inimitable safari-camp style, this has remained the hippest yet most laidback hideaway in the area, despite stiff competition from Azura half a mile down the sand. Cool, dark interiors in the 12 thatched-roof bungalows meld the region’s Arabic-African roots with Portuguese influences: gleaming mahogany four-posters with block-printed bed linen, carved wooden doors and antique chests. The huts have private pools and a gazebo for dining on prawn curry before retiring to a shaded daybed. Time is deliciously spent with kayaking, dhow sailing, deep-sea fishing, on boat trips to the shell-strewn shallows of Pansy Island or a safari drive across the interior, passing freshwater lakes and coastal dunes on the way to a picnic. Snorkelling at reefs such as Two-Mile reveals some of the most diverse, pristine coral and marine life off the continent’s

Elsa Young

The Best Hotel in South Africa 2021 Londolozi, Sabi Sands www.londolozi.com/en

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his family-owned property is one of the oldest private concessions in the Sabi Sands – still considered the gold standard for safaris in South Africa. Simply put, there is no better place to tick off Africa’s most famous species in record time. The high density of leopards to be seen at close quarters is fact, not fiction. Choosing Londolozi opens up a choice of five characterful, individually run camps, primely positioned above a stretch of the Sand River, a magnet for all animals, especially in the dry winter months

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Personal Care Tourism

Amazing Wellness Retreats Around the World to Book in 2022

By Perri Ormont Blumberg for Travel+Leisure Travel Africa Highlights the Africa Destination

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here’s just something about Marrakesh, Morocco that soothes the soul. At Royal Mansour, travelers can book this immunity-supportive agenda on an individual basis (from $12,785 for five days). As you follow your bliss, you’ll be showered with programming running the gamut from private sport lessons and Tibetan singing bowl therapies to oxygen facials and massages. Consultations with a nutritionist and wellness advisor, as well as a body composition and scalp analysis, are also part of the retreat, as are personalized menus. When you’re not flooding your cells with delectable fare from acclaimed chefs, enjoy the 27,000-square-foot spa, art therapy class in a glass-paneled greenhouse, or a chaise lounge by the pool. www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/yogawellness/wellness-retreats-around-theworld Image credit: Isaac Ichou/Courtesy of Royal Mansour

when other water sources on the reserve dry up.

The magic ingredient is not just the quality and quantity of the game viewing or the elegance of the accommodation, but the Varty family and their enlightened approach to the healing power of nature and an unwavering legacy of doing good – the charge led these days by fourthgeneration siblings Bron and Boyd. Suspend any preconceived notions of a typical safari to become hooked on the power of silent, meditative game drives or waking early to squeeze in a yoga class outdoors while elephants splash in the river below.

Service appears impromptu, laid-back even, but don’t be fooled. It’s orchestrated with military precision behind the scenes to ensure every

minute counts without making anyone feel rushed.

A crack squad of guides will have the crankiest guest leaping enthusiastically off the four-wheeldrive to crouch in the dirt with their Shangaan tracker and discuss the freshness of paw prints.

Offerings at the Healing House wellness centre include wilderness walking and ancient forms of sound therapy. While courses to chart your life’s true purpose based on animal tracking and the annual self-transformation adventure retreat with guru Martha Beck add to Londolozi’s reputation for putting the soul into safari. By Jane Broughton www.cntraveller.com/gallery/best-hotels-middleeast-africa-indian-ocean

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Sustainability Tourism

12 Sustainable Destinations to Visit in 2022

By Juliet Kinsman, Sustainability Editor, Condé Nast Traveller Travel Africa Highlights the Africa Destination

A

s sustainability editor, I’m always up for championing the destinations that are showing a whole lot of love for the wellbeing of the world.

Whether powering their nations on renewables, or addressing specific environmental or community issues, these nations are making the planet a better place while inviting us to explore them in an eco-friendly way, with the widest-flung of open arms.

Weighing up what makes an entire country sustainable is a daunting task, and these countries are in our sights for lots of different reasons. Yes, hopping on longhaul flights might not feel like a fast-track to tackling the climate emergency, but if you are planning on travelling anyway, then why not become a more conscious traveller? Here, we steer you to hosts with a conscience, too.

Voluntourism in Madagascar Transformational travel adventures tackling the climate emergency Showing support for a nation in need of tourism revenue and booking a naturesaving holiday is what sustainability travel is all about. With these criteria in mind, Madagascar qualifies to the max. Unexplored primaeval rainforests await on this giant African island which is host to a compelling cast of wildlife characters that can’t be witnessed elsewhere. It may have been made famous recently by the animated movie of the same name, but this Indian Ocean island country has sadly gained news coverage most recently due to the fact it has been hit by the world’s first climate-induced famine in the south.

SEED Madagascar is an NGO which has been

working hard to raise awareness and sustainable tourism company Earth-Changers.com has been organising volunteerism trips. Near SEED’s conservation base is Manafiafy Beach and Rainforest Lodge, while Eden Lodge, half an hour from Nosy Be island, is the first Green Globe in Mada and the Tamboho Boutik Hotel is the first property to get a Green Key seal of approval. www.cntraveller.com/gallery/sustainabledestinations-2021 Image credits: Getty Images, Sonke Gender Justice

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Getting Around Dakar

Senegal: Railway Opens in Darkar

By Rédaction Africanews with AFP

S

enegal, on Monday December 27, welcomed a new commuter railway line after having to wait for the past 5 years for work on the project to be completed.

This transport system is aimed at reducing journey times and also decongesting the city once the TER regional express begins full operation.

According to the general manager for SETER, the TER operating company, Frédéric Bardenet only a selected group pf people will be allowed to use the train when operation begins. “…we will transport all the school children on the line, as well sports and cultural associations. We are still in the phase of programme implementation.”

Travelling at up 160 kilometres per hour, the trains will ply the 36-kilometre route between Dakar and the new city of Diamniadio in about 20 minutes.

The trains will carry 115,000 people per day, saving passengers hours otherwise spent in vehicular congestion.

Frédéric Bardenet, explained “ I know that in Dakar, there has is controversy about the TER being behind schedule, but this is not the case,

we are almost breaking world records in terms of construction, in terms of completion of this project.

Critics say the true cost of the project is over $1.7 billion.

SETER will use 15 four-car dualmode trains with diesel and electric power, built by French company Alstom.

The city’s five million inhabitants make up almost one-third of Senegal’s population and account for nearly all of the country’s economic activity.

Traffic jams cost the city the equivalent of $172 million per year, according to official figures.

The TER stations will link up with express buses, which will operate on reserved lanes on a toll highway that has been operating for the last decade.

In the project’s second phase, the line will be extended another 19 kms to the Blaise Diagne International Airport, which opened in 2017.

Travel time to downtown Dakar from the airport would take less than 50 minutes. www.africanews.com/2021/12/24/senegalrailway-to-open-in-darkar-on-monday-amidstprotests/ www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/senegalrailway-opening-overshadowed-bycompensation-protest/ar-AAS7iIv Image credit: SEYLLOU

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Recommendations from Travel+Leisure

The 50 Best Places to Travel in 2022

By Travel + Leisure Travel Africa Highlights the Africa Destinations

P

lanning new adventures as a new year approaches is always a thrill, but finding the best places to visit in 2022 is unique. After two years of border closures, cruise cancellations, and travel restrictions galore, 2022 is the year we hope to get back out there, uninhibited (albeit vaccinated and COVID tested), return to our favorite destinations, and cross new ones off our lists.

Though the hospitality industry was hit hard by the pandemic, many properties used the forced downtime to renovate rooms, add new amenities, and expand outdoor spaces to offer even more once guests return. 2022 is when many travelers will venture further from home, and even overseas, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, finally reaping the benefits of these valiant efforts.

Although COVID variants remain, regulations are still evolving, and precautions must still be taken, many of the destinations we chose for 2022 offer what we believe travelers are looking for in a post-pandemic world, from hotels with private accommodations to destinations teeming with fresh-air activities.

As cruising makes its comeback, we included unforgettable places to see by water, from Antarctica to the Nile.

Our 2022 list, organized alphabetically, doesn’t hold back, with aspirational trips as far away as India, Mozambique, Qatar, and even space.

Because no matter what type of trip you’ve been dreaming of, we want to help you turn 2022 into the year you get back out there and make it a reality.

— Edited by Nina Ruggiero and Scott Bay

21. Ilha Caldeira, Mozambique While South Africa and Uganda grab headlines for African wildlife, Mozambique has been quietly

making strides protecting 17% of its land 21. Banyan Tree Ilha Caldeira — including beaches, coral reefs, and islands — showcasing its dedication to its natural beauty both on land and underwater. Ever since the country’s 16year civil war ended in 1992, the southeastern African nation has been aiming to build back in the right ways. Case in point: the private island of Ilha Caldeira, less than seven miles off the coast as part of the Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago, located within the marine-protected area with 20% of the country’s intact living coral.

It’s here that the eco-luxury Banyan Tree resort chain has developed one of its most ambitious projects yet, a five-star property — accessible by jetty or helicopter — with 40 private pool villas that will be completely solar powered. Add to that a fish market restaurant with a 270-degree ocean view, the brand’s trademark Banyan Tree Spa, and world-class diving, all in a too-pristine-tobelieve beach setting, and this island escape is sure to draw attention away from its Indian Ocean neighbors when it opens at the end of 2022.

— Rachel Chang

23. C

23. Kafue National Park, Zambia

Straddling three regions of Zambia, Kafue National Park is the largest (and oldest) in the country, measuring 8,648 miles. In the wildliferich Busanga Plains — located in the secluded northern side of the park — spend the night at 23. Il newly opened Chisa Busanga Camp in their bird’s nest shaped rooms. Enjoy a silent safari, thanks to e-cruisers or an e-bike safari provided by the property. See wildlife from above with a hot air balloon safari from Shumba Camp or Busanga

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32. Uniworld S.S. Sphinx

23. MukambiSafari Lodge

Chisa Busanga Camp

la Safari Lodge

Bush Camp.

Other offerings in the park i n c l u d e riverfront Ila Safari Lodge and Mukambi Safari Lodge.

Both properties offer fishing, walking safaris, boat cruises, and have Instagram worthy pools (perfect for a soak and the traditional safari sundowner: a gin and tonic).

— Mazuba Kapambwe

32. Nile Cruise, Egypt

There is no trip that will convert you to a life of river cruising quite like a sail down (well, technically, up) the Nile. In fact, the world’s first river cruises sailed in Egypt, a country designed around the central waterway, where it makes sense that the Nile would act as your home base. A typical Egyptian river cruise sets sail from Cairo to Luxor and then Aswan, with the occasional stop to visit an island temple along the way — complete with sights like the Pyramids, Valley of Kings and Queens, Nefertari’s tomb, and the Temple of Kom Ombo. In 2022, there’s more than one new river cruise to choose from, between Uniworld’s newly launched S.S. Sphinx and AmaWaterways’ Amadahlia, both of which sailed their inaugural voyages in fall 2021.

— Maya Kachroo-Levine www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/best-placesto-travel-in-2022 Image credit: wantedonline.co.za, Uniworld Boutique River Cruises, Chisa Busanga Camp, zambia-in-style.com, mukambi.com

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Art Africa

From “The Ardmore” in South Africa

Giraffe Candle Holders

T

he Ardmore was established almost thirty years ago when in 1985 Fée Halsted started on a journey teaching ceramics to a talented group of rural people on a farm in a remote corner of the Kwazulu-Natal province, South Africa.

“Ardmore” is derived from the name of the first farm Fée lived on in the entrancing Champagne Valley in Kwazulu-Natal, this farm being the place she first met Bonnie Ntshalintshali. Bonnie became Fée’s first student and in 1990 under Fée’s mentorship they were jointly awarded the standard bank young artist award. Bonnie along with other artists then sadly passed away from AIDS in 1999, and the Bonnie Ntshalintshali Museum was erected in her honour.

Today the bustling studio is home to over 70 African artists whose ceramic works have been recognized as modern day collectables by auction houses Christies, Bonham’s and Sotheby’s.

Ardmore Design has emerged creating vibrant and elegant fabric collections sought after by leading interior decorators as well as working in collaboration with renowned French fashion house Hermès, producing a line of lavish scarves of the highest quality, and British wallpaper manufacturers Cole and Son. Ardmore has now proudly earned itself a reputation for its iconic imagery through its uniqueness in its family values and the authenticity that exists at the heart of every artwork.

How our items are made Each Ardmore creation begins with a moment of inspiration – it could be an early morning walk

Dancing Elephant Moonlight Velvet Cushion Cover

Cheetah King S Cushion

Elephant and Monkey Teapot along a misty river, an afternoon game drive in the Sabie wilderness, or watching the antics of a bird in the Ardmore Studio garden. The seeds of an idea are sown – as they so often are in Africa – by a serendipitous meeting between Nature, an enquiring mind and an artist’s eye.

The idea is discussed in the studio, where Fée and the Ardmore artists tease out the essential elements of the story, and start sketching ideas.

Each Ardmore ceramic piece is a collaborative process – from the design sketches, the sculptor or thrower will begin to mould the clay. Fantastical beasts and foliage take shape in skilful hands,

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Elephant Vase

tone Outdoor Cover

Sabie Kings Silk Scarf Chalk 90

Sabie Tablecloth in Tanzanite

Table Runners

before the finished piece is fired in our kilns and allowed to cool.

Deft brushstrokes add colour and bring the art works to life. Thus, each ceramic art work has at least two parents – a sculptor and an artist.

Traditional African wisdom asserts that it takes a village to raise a child; at Ardmore, we know that it takes a community to hold Ardmore together, “we are because of others” is truly a central tenet of Ardmore.

Similarly, each Ardmore Design fabric pattern tells a story and is often the work of many

hands, from initial pencil sketches which are then hand painted in the finest detail before being turned into graphic designs and then printed onto the final designs.

Ardmore Collections The Ardmore Collections include: ceramics, decor, fashion, tea time treasures, table cloths and decor designs and more. Visit the offerings at www.ardmore-design.com. www.ardmore-design.com Image credit: www.ardmore-design.com

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Travel - Be Safe

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WHAT TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO TSA Website: www.tsa.gov/coronavirus TSA Safety Video: www.tsa.gov/videos/stayhealthy-stay-secure 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

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Cruise Africa

Splendors of Egypt & the Nile Uniworld Cruises Sundeck

French Balco Restaurant

S

ailing by river means enjoying all the conveniences of a traditional cruise, along with all the benefits of inland travel.

Stopping in multiple destinations on every trip, you’ll visit bustling cities and hidden gem villages, only unpacking once. Even while onboard you’ll be immersed in the local sights, with ever changing views right outside your window. River cruising is absolutely the best way to cruise.

Uniworld ships have an average capacity of just 120 passengers, which means you get to enjoy an intimate onboard atmosphere and unmatched service, with a crew-to-passenger ratio of 1 to 2.3.

By nature, sailing on the rivers means constant proximity to land and shoreside resources—and, by extension, the ability to stop the ship and disembark at any time, if necessary.

Never restricted to coastal towns and oceanliner ports, river cruise ships can take you to the heart of your destinations and dock in the center of town, so you can step right off the ship and start exploring.

When river cruising, every room has a view.

Relax and enjoy the ever-changing scenery as you sail to your next destination.

With signature attention to detail and the Tiny

Noticeable Touches, each one-of-a-kind ship in our fleet is artfully designed to be an extension of the destinations they sail through. With custom fabrics, unique color palettes and original works by renowned artists, no two ships—or even suites for that matter—are alike.

The health and well-being of our guests and team has always been, and always will be, our primary concern. You can rest assured that we have put numerous new measures in place to elevate our hygiene standards and protocols, including the introduction of innovative, nontoxic cleaning solutions as well as hand sanitizer stations throughout each and every ship.

Splendors of Egypt & the Nile Cruise the Nile in a manner once reserved for queens and pharaohs.

For 12 adventure-filled days, experience Egypt and the Nile’s most wondrous sites in style and luxury.* Wander amongst the towering ruins of the Temple of Karnak, the world’s largest ancient

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ony Stateroom

religious complex, and the entrancing Temple of Luxor. Visit temples dedicated to Hathor, Horus, and other mythological figures, and pay homage to the country’s first female ruler at the Temple of Hatshepsut. Follow in the footsteps of renowned scholars and explorers as you venture forth into the Valley of the Kings, the ancient burial grounds of Egyptian royalty. You will enjoy an exhilarating ride in a felucca, a traditional Nile River sailboat.

This captivating itinerary begins and ends in Cairo, where you’ll visit the famous new Egyptian Museum and its stupendous and unrivaled collection of pharaonic artifacts, including treasures recovered from the tomb of King Tutankhamun. Journey to Giza to gaze upon the mighty ancient Pyramids and the timeworn,

enigmatic Sphinx—iconic images that continue to amaze.

An enchanting land of marvels, myths, and wonders old and new, Egypt is an extraordinary destination no culturally curious traveler will want to miss.

S.S. Sphinx The S.S. Sphinx offers two gourmet dining venues, a swimming pool, massage room and 42 gorgeously appointed suites. This Super Ship offers an authentically immersive onboard experience, with bespoke decor by local artisans and materials sourced regionally—such as fine Egyptian cottons, marble and hand-carved blonde wood—to highlight Egyptian craftsmanship while minimizing our carbon footprint. www.uniworld.com/us/river-cruise/egypt/nile/ splendors-of-egypt-and-the-nile/2022-cairo-tocairo Image credit: www.uniworld.com/us/ships/sssphinx

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WORLD HERITAGE SITES

African World Heritage Day

P

roclaimed by the 38th session of the General Conference of UNESCO (November 2015), African World Heritage Day (5 May) is an opportunity for people around the world, and particularly Africans, to celebrate the Continent’s unique cultural and natural heritage.

While Africa is underrepresented on the World Heritage List (African properties account for some 12% of all inscribed sites worldwide), a disproportionally high percentage (39%) of these properties are on the World Heritage List in Danger. Faced with various contemporary threats, such as climate change, uncontrolled development, poaching, civil unrest and instability, many of Africa’s wonders risk losing their outstanding universal value. It is therefore more urgent than ever that this irreplaceable heritage be protected and preserved for the enjoyment of future generations.

UNESCO is committed to spearhead international efforts to draw on the vast potential of Africa’s cultural and natural heritage as a force for poverty reduction and social cohesion as well as a driver of sustainable development and innovation. Through this international day, UNESCO aims to increase global awareness of African heritage, with a special focus on youth, and to mobilise enhanced cooperation for its safeguarding on the local, regional and global level. #MyAfricaHeritage Africa is one of UNESCO’s Global Priorities. The African Renaissance is underway, with the adoption of the African Union Agenda 2063 and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development paving the ground for the African development.

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The Africa region has currently 98 properties inscribed on the World Heritage List, including 54 cultural properties, 39 natural properties and 5 mixed properties. Conservation of UNESCO World Heritage in the Africa region is continuously monitored by the Reactive Monitoring mechanism.

There are 15 properties are inscribed on the List in Danger. While working to ensure the conservation of all inscribed properties, the Africa unit is working to develop the Desired State of Conservation for the Removal (DSOCR) for these properties for their eventual removals from the List in Danger.

As the Africa region represents only 9% of the World Heritage List, the Africa unit is also working closely with partners and the African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) to increase the number of sites nominated on the World Heritage List from the Africa region.

African World Heritage Fund The African World Heritage Fund (AWHF) strives towards the effective conservation and protection of Africa’s natural and cultural heritage.

AWHF is for African Union (AU) member states that signed the 1972 UNESCO World Heritage Convention in support of these goals. The AWHF is the first regional funding initiative within the framework of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention.

The AWHF was launched in May 2006 under South African Trust Law in order to provide finance and technical support for the effective conservation and protection of Africa’s natural and cultural heritage of outstanding universal value. The fund was established as a result of work undertaken by African member states of UNESCO with the objective of developing an ongoing strategy to deal with the challenges that most African countries have in implementing the World Heritage Convention.

Sustainable Tourism The UNESCO World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme represents a new approach based on dialogue and stakeholder cooperation where planning for tourism and heritage management is integrated at a destination level, the natural and cultural assets are valued and protected, and appropriate tourism developed.

Vision - World Heritage and tourism

stakeholders share responsibility for conservation of our common cultural and natural heritage of Outstanding Universal Value and for sustainable development through appropriate tourism management.

A key goal of the UNESCO WH+ST Programme is to strengthen the enabling environment by advocating policies and frameworks that support sustainable tourism as an important vehicle for managing cultural and natural heritage.

Developing strategies through broad stakeholder engagement for the planning, development and management of sustainable tourism that follows a destination approach and focuses on empowering local communities is central to UNESCO’s approach.

People Protecting Places is the public exchange platform for the World Heritage and Sustainable Tourism Programme, providing education and information, encouraging support, engaging in social and community dialogue.

The UNESCO World Heritage Centre has developed a capacity building tool for site managers (“How To” Guides) to help them manage tourism at their sites more sustainably.

Assistance to site managers and other stakeholders is essential to ensure that the guides are used as effectively as possible and adapted accordingly to the sites. To achieve this, the World Heritage Centre and the African World Heritage Fund are carrying out a project ‘Sustainable tourism capacity building in 4 African World Heritage destinations’. The project consists of organizing a series of practical training and workshops in four World Heritage sites in Africa.

• Ngorongoro Conservation Area (Tanzania) • Lake Malawi National Park (Malawi) • Maloti-Drakensberg Park (South Africa / Lesotho) • Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls (Zambia / Zimbabwe) The aim is to help each site develop a sustainable tourism strategy using the guidance tools in order to enhance broad stakeholder engagement in planning, development and management of sustainable tourism. https://whc.unesco.org/en/ Image credit: Mosi-oa-Tunya / Victoria Falls (Zambia, Zimbabwe) © Evergreen

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Travel Africa Where To Go, What To Do Algeria

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

Angola

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

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

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

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

Lobaye Region, CAR

thecrazytourist.com

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

Central African Republic

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

Chad

Cameroon

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

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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

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

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 Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Frère Gillet Botanic Gardens world-famous rare orchids (Kisantu) Ruwenzori Range Virunga National Park CAPITAL: Kinshasa

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

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- from page 61

(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

oreintamenti.it

Liberia

Sapo National Park Kendeja National Cultural Center Firestone Rubber Plantation CAPITAL: Monrovia www.micat.gov.lr

Libya

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

Guinea-Bissau

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

Kenya

Mount Kenya National Park Tsavo West National Park Watamu-Malindi Marine Park CAPITAL: Nairobi www.magicalkenya.com

Lesotho

Mendafera, Eritrea

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

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

Madagascar

Fianarantsoa (Capital of Wine) Montagne d’Arbre National Park Queen’s Palace CAPITAL: Antananarivo www.madagascar-tourisme.com

Malawi

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

Mali

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

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

Mozambique

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

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

Celebration Burundi aveholidays.com

Senegal

Republic of the Congo

African Renaissance Monument

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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

Somalia

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

Somaliland

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 www.zulu.org.za www.southafrica.net

South Sudan

Boma National Park Nimule National Park Nile River

Nile River South Sudan Sci-News

CAPITAL: Juba www.goss.org

Sudan

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 64 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Rwenzori National Park) Bwindi National Park (view gorilla) 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

Sources: Stone Town, Zanzibar CAPITAL: Dodoma http://tanzaniatouristboard.com/

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

Togo

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

Tunisia

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

Uganda

Mountains of the Moon (Mount

Dakhla, Morocco travelocity.com

65 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

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

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

66 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 20221

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/

manners.nl

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.

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 67 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

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.

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

South Africa showme.co.za

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

68 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

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

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 www.blairatholl.co.za Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate, Olifantsfontein www.bluevalley.co.za Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston

Nigeria

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

Uganda Wins Africa Region IV Tournament, Bujubura see Golf Africa on page 70

69 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Tiger Woods

from Golf Africa page 69 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

70 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

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

Kenya Railway Golf Club kuduhills.com 71 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

see Golf Africa on page 72

from Golf Africa page 71 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

The Gambia

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

Tunisia

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

72 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

African Cuisine!

Republic of Madagascar

M

adagascar vanilla beans are considered to be the gold standard for quality vanilla beans in the spice world. The humid, northeast corner of Madagascar, known as the Sava region, produces the majority of the world’s finest vanilla beans. While vanilla growing conditions in Sava, Madagascar are nearly perfect, it is the people of Madagascar that make this regional spice so special. The art of growing and curing quality vanilla beans is completely done by hand.

Duckling Madagascar Style

Vanilla-Fragranced Duckling, Madagascar Style

• Rinse the duckling inside and out, removing the neck, heart, gizzard and liver. Place the “innards” in the bottom of a roasting pan.

• Season the duckling with salt and pepper inside and out. Place onion pieces into the duck cavity. Squeeze juice from the orange over the duckling, then put rinds into duck cavity. With a thin knife, cut a slit on each side of the breast and in each leg/thigh, and insert the vanilla bean halves. Put duckling on top of “innards” in roasting pan.

• Roast duckling for 15 minutes in a 500 degree oven, then lower oven to 350 degrees and roast until a thermometer inserted into the duckling registers 165 degrees. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

• Remove and discard onion and orange rinds.

Using a cleaver, remove the back bone by standing the roasted duck on its neck end and cutting down each side of the back bone.

Remove the rib cage and hip bones by slipping your finger tips around them, then lifting up and twisting the bones off the meat. The wing and leg bones remain.

• Set innards aside and defat the roasting pan, then deglaze pan with the duck or chicken stock. Bring stock to a boil, adding bones and innards, and reduce stock to 1 cup. Remove the two half beans from the legs of the duckling and add to the cup of reduced stock, then reduce again to ½ cup.

https://vanillaqueen.com/duckling-madagascar-style/

With the infusion of oranges and hint of vanilla, this is a flavorful and delightful way to serve roast duck. Serve with pan fried potatoes or dumplings.

Serves 4 Ingredients: • 1 whole fresh duckling • 1 tablespoon kosher salt • 1 teaspoon ground white pepper • 1/2 yellow jumbo onion, split into quarters • 1 orange, cut into four wedges • 2 Rain’s Choice pure Vanilla Beans, split lengthwise • 2 cups duck or chicken stock Directions:

Steak w/Madagascar Sauce https://www.culinarylion.com/steak-madagascar-sauce/

This is the sauce to end all sauces! Madagascar sauce is rich and buttery as well as keto friendly.

The green peppercorns add a briny punch and make this the perfect low carb topping to pair with any steak. Cognac and Dijon round out the flavor profile of this sauce balancing the brininess of the peppercorns.

Ingredients: • 2 cloves garlic • 2 tbsp shallot

73 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

see page 74

African Cuisine!

Madagascar

absorbs into the sauce and becomes glossy.

page 73

• 2 tablespoons green peppercorns rough chopped • 1 tablespoon brine liquid • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard • 4 tablespoon butter • 1 cup heavy cream • 1.5 oz cognac • ¾ cup beef broth • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire

Mofo Gasy: Madagascar Pancakes

Madagascar Sauce

Mofo Gasy https://honestcooking.com/mofo-gasy-madagascar-pancakes/

Directions: • Mince your garlic and shallots very fine or even grate using a micro-plane if you have one.

• Heat a tablespoon of butter in a large sauce pan on medium heat and add your garlic and shallots.

• Stir the pan making sure not to brown the garlic or shallots but soften them.

• After about 2 minutes add the peppercorn/brine and cognac.

• Burn off the alcohol and reduce by half. Then add beef broth, Dijon and Worcestershire.

Reduce by half again • Next add the heavy cream and again, reduce by half. You’ll want the sauce just thick enough to coat the back of a spoon • Once the sauce has thickened remove from heat and begin whisking in the remaining butter 1 tablespoon at a time making sure the butter

A slightly sweet cake or bread, Mofo Gasy is served as a breakfast street food with coffee in Madagascar. In the coastal regions this mofo (or bread) is made with coconut milk and is known as Mokary. Think of it like a pancake.

Makes 15 cakes Ingredients: • Whole-wheat pastry Flour - ½ cup (or use all purpose flour) • Cream of Rice or Rice rawa - ¼ cup+2 tbsp • Instant yeast - ½ tsp • Sugar - 2tbsp, divided use • Lukewarm Water - ¾ cup • Condensed Milk - 1½ tsp (optional) • Vanilla extract - ½ tsp Directions: • In a mixing bowl, combine flour, cream of rice, yeast, 1 tsp sugar and water. Mix well, cover the bowl and set aside to rise for 1~2 hours.

The more the batter rests, the more chance cream of rice has to soften.

• Stir in the remaining sugar, condensed milk (if using) and vanilla extract. Mix to combine.

Cover and set aside until the mixture gets frothy, about 30~45 minutes.

• A. Heat an aebleskiver pan on medium heat.

Put ¼tsp oil and pour about 1tbsp batter in

74 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

each well. Cook for 1~2 minutes or until the bottoms get golden brown. Using a fork or a wooden skewer, flip them over and cook on the other side until golden and the inside is cooked through.

• or B. Place about 2 tablespoons of coconut oil in a large non-stick skillet and set over medium heat. Swirl to coat the bottom of the skillet.

You’ll know it’s up to proper heat when a drop of batter sizzles on contact. Drop spoonfuls of the batter into the skillet to form small pancakes, about 2 inches in diameter, leaving plenty of space in between them. Cook until they start to bubble, 1-2 minutes, and then carefully flip and cook another minute on the other side. Transfer to a plate and cover to keep warm while you repeat with the remaining batter, adding coconut oil to the pan between batches.

• Serve hot for breakfast with honey or syrup.

Serve at room temperature as a snack.

• Heat a large heavy sauté pan over medium high heat Pour in oil • Season shrimp with salt and pepper • Sauté the shrimp in the oil for 1 minute on each side • Remove shrimp from the sauté pan and set aside • Pour out oil from the pan • Add peppercorns back to the sauté pan and heat for 30 seconds • Deglaze with Pernod*.

• Add fresh Goat Cheese and chicken stock and bring to a boil • Reduce until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

• Whisk in mustard and return to a simmer.

• Place shrimp back into simmering sauce to heat • Place 6 shrimp on each plate and ladle sauce over each shrimp • Garnish with chopped scallions • Great served with rice and carrot julienne * licorice flavored liquor

National Dish of Madagascar Romazava https://nationalfoods.org/recipe/national-dish-of-

Shrimp Masagascar

Shrimp Madagascar www.bigoven.com/recipe/shrimp-madagascar/188327

Serves 4 Ingredients: • 1 5.3 ounce package of goat cheese, such as Chavrie • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 24 large shrimp • 2 tablespoons green Madagascar peppercorns • 2 ounces Pernod, licorice flavored liqueur • 1 cup chicken stock • 1 tablespoon dijon mustard • 1 tablespoon green scallions Directions:

Romazava madagascar-romazava/

Romazava is a stew made with meat and leafy greens. It is considered to be the national dish of Madagascar and is served with steamed rice at almost every meal, together with Sakay, a spicy condiment made of chilies, garlic, and ginger.

75 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

see page 76

Madagascar

page 75

Authentic Romazava is made with zebu meat and local greens grown there such as paracress, mustard greens, and anamamy but spinach and arugula are good substitutes.

Serves 4 Ingredients: • 1 lb. beef chuck/zebu meat (cut into bite sized pieces) • 1 lb. pork loin (cut into bite sized pieces) • 1 lb. skinless chicken breast (cut into bite sized pieces) • 1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes • 2 tbsp. vegetable oil • 2 cups beef / chicken stock • ½ yellow onion (diced) • 5 cloves garlic (minced) • 2 ½ inch piece of ginger (peeled and minced) • 3 serrano chili peppers (finely chopped) • 1 bunch mustard greens (chopped) • 1 bunch spinach / anamamy greens • 1 bunch arugula / paracress greens • Salt • Pepper Directions: • Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven pot.

• Add the beef/zebu meat to the pot and cook until brown on all sides.

• Stir in the can of diced tomatoes to the beef.

• Add the chili peppers, onion, garlic and ginger to the beef and tomatoes.

• Pour in the stock, cover the pot and let the ingredients simmer over low heat for thirty (0:30) minutes.

• Add the chicken and pork to the stew, then bring to a boil.

• Reduce the heat and let it simmer for fifteen (0:15) minutes.

• Add the greens to the pot, then place the lid on the pot and allow them to wilt into the stew.

• Cook the stew for ten (0:10) minutes more.

• Season the stew with salt and pepper.

• Stir the ingredients together and then turn off the heat.

• Serve the Romazava over hot steamed rice, together with a bit of sakay condiment.

Malagasy Sakay (Spicy Condiment) https://www.internationalcuisine.com/malagasy-sakay/

Ingredients: • 5-10 Thai bird chilies whole • 1 clove garlic peeled • 1 “ piece of ginger peeled and thinly sliced • About 1/2 cup olive oil or just enough to make the paste • salt to taste.

Directions: • Put the chilies, garlic and ginger into a blender or food processor along with a bit of the olive oil. Blend until smooth adding oil as needed to get the desired consistency. Add salt to taste. If you want to make it authentically you should grind the chilies, garlic and ginger with a mortar and pestle. Put a dab or a spoonful on everything.

Homemade Madagascar Vanilla Extract https://www.bigoven.com/recipe/homemade-madagascarvanilla-extract/2540190

Ingredients: • 10 beans Grade B Madagasgar Bourbon Vanilla Beans • 12 ounces Tito’s Vodka (any good vodka) • 1 pint Ball Jar Directions: • Slice beans open from top to bottom and place in a pint sized ball jar.

• Fill the jar with 12 ounces of Vodka.

• Put the lid on and shake well. Store in a cool, dark spot and shake weekly.

• The vanilla needs to sit for at least 3 months before using.

• Be sure to label the jar with the date you started the vanilla.

With the infusion of oranges and hint of vanilla, this is a flavorful and delightful way to serve roast duck. Serve with pan fried potatoes or dumplings.

76 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Seal: madamagazine.com

Events Around the African Continent and the World September 27, 2022 https://observances.global/worldtourism-day/

Afrochella 2022-3 December 26, 2022 through January 4, 2023 https://afrochella.com/ Accra, Ghana

AFROZONS DuBai SoundOff March 3-9, 2022 https://afrozonsdxb.com/packages/

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World Tourism Day 77 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022

Humans are encroaching on the habitat of giraffes.

(Reuters) h

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78 | ABA Publications | Africa TRAVEL | Jan 2022