African Travel Solutions News Update -“THE WORLD FAMOUS ANNUAL WILDEBEEST MIGRATION HAS BEGUN”
The endless plains of East Africa are the setting for the world’s greatest wildlife spectacle – the 1.5+ million wildebeest migration. From the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne coloured hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle, migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain-ripened grass.
The Great Wildebeest Migration is a ‘must-see’ event on every traveller’s calendar. It offers spectacular sights of millions of wildebeest crossing rivers and always keeping one step ahead of the many predators that follow the herds. It is a wildlife photographer’s dream and the perfect opportunity for amazing photographs and video footage. The migration of the animals depends on the rainfall in the different areas and this can cause the movement of the wildebeest and zebra to be earlier or later than indicated. It is important to keep in mind that the millions of wildebeest and zebra are always somewhere in the Serengeti and Masai Mara. The herds gather when they prepare to move towards the rains and fresh grass. The annual migration offers an incredible opportunity to appreciate the sheer numbers when they are spread out over the grass plains in their thousands.
SAFARI TRAILS NOW BOASTS NEW – OPEN-SIDED 4×4 GAME DRIVE VEHICLES
Safari Trails introduces a unique collection of Open-sided Game-viewing vehicles to its fleet of 4×4 vehicles.
The six-seater Toyota Land Cruiser vehicles, which are permanently stationed in the Masai Mara National reserve, are fully equipped with state-of-the-art features including GPRS satellite tracking gadgets, VHF radio calls, fridges, power charging points and Wi-Fi on board, to name a few.
Our valued clients can now have a spectacular introduction to the bush and witness natures most magical sights and sounds. The vehicles are perfectly configured for guests to capture breath-taking images with ease during Game drives, experience a huge variety of habitats and enjoy the rich open African savannah.
SAFARI TRAILS CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE 3 OFFICIALLY APPOINTED SAFARI PROVIDERS FOR THE GLOBAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP SUMMIT 2015
Safari Trails has been chosen as one of the 3 tour companies, to handle safaris for the delegates attending the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in Nairobi on the 25th and 26th of July, 2015. Organized annually since 2009, the GES has emerged as a global platform connecting emerging entrepreneurs with leaders from business, international organizations, and governments looking to support them. This will be the first time the GES will take place in sub-Saharan Africa.
UK LIFTS TRAVEL ADVISORY AGAINST KENYAN COAST
The Kenya Tourism Board has welcomed the removal of the British Foreign Commonwealth Office travel advisory for Mombasa and the entire stretch of the Kenyan coast from Watamu to the border with Tanzania. While the South coast has always remained open for business, tourists will now be able to once again enjoy the majority of the Kenyan coast, with the only exclusion now being Malindi and areas further north, including Lamu County. Kenya’s coastline offers 500 kilometres of tranquil beaches on the Indian Ocean, with Mombasa (including Mombasa Island), Nyali, and Likoni among the areas open for tourists to enjoy.
SAFARI TRAILS HOSTED FAMILY TRIP FROM FAR EAST
Safari Trails hosted a very successful Familiarization trip for several agents from the Far East in June 2015. The Agents enjoyed their visit to Kenya and got to learn a lot about our beautiful country, the diverse culture in addition to the wildlife. We are confident this endeavour will open up further opportunities for Kenya in this upcoming market.
KENYA’S LAKE SIDE CITY KISUMU TO WELCOME THE BEST WESTERN HOTEL CHAIN!
Best Western International, the world’s biggest hotel chain with more than 4,000 hotels in over 100 countries will invest in a facility in Kisumu County in Kenya. The international four-star hotel is set to be built at the Kisumu International Airport. Best Western CEO Kaushik Manek says plans to put up the first ever multi-million shilling globally branded hotel in the lake-side city, are underway. This facility will resemble Best Western Premier Hotel in Nairobi’s Hurlingham estate. He says the facility will attract many tourists because of its proximity to the airport and Kisumu town.
BRUSSELS AIRLINES ANNOUNCES END OF NAIROBI FLIGHTS
As announced, due to a new Lufthansa Group strategy, Brussels Airlines will cease flights between Brussels and Nairobi from 24 October 2015. From then on, flights between the two cities will be operated by Lufthansa Group partner airlines SWISS (via Zurich) and Lufthansa (via Frankfurt).
POPE FRANCIS TO VISIT KENYA
It is now official: Pope Francis will visit Kenya in November 2015. State House has confirmed the Vatican had officially reached out to the Kenyan government and agreed on a papal visit at the end of the year after the Pope had hinted that he may visit Kenya during his maiden tour of Africa, visiting Uganda and the war-ravaged Central African Republic. However, the two governments are working on the specific dates. This will follow the visits of Italy’s Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and President Barack Obama in July. The visit by the Pope also shows the focus by the global community on Kenya as the gateway to Africa.
NOW YOU CAN GET YOUR KENYA VISA ONLINE!
Foreign nationals can now apply for the Kenyan visa from the country’s Department of Immigration Services’ eCitizen portal. This announcement was made public by the Kenyan Department of Immigration Services on 24th June 2015. Visitors to Kenya need to log on to the e-citizen website www.ecitizen.co.ke and register as a visitor. Once logged in, click on the Department of Immigration button and submit their application after which the applicant can select visa type and pay for the visa application fee using Visa Card, MasterCard or any other credit/debit card. An Approval email will be sent to the user and once printed, the e-visa (printout) can be presented to immigration officers at the port of entry. The e-visa portal became operational on July 02nd, 2015.
It is important to note that there is now a two month grace period whereby visas may still be purchased on arrival. This grace period expires on 31st August 2015. Visitors are being advised by Kenya’s tourist office to register their application well in advance of travel as approvals may take up to seven days to process. Effective 01st September 2015, visitors may be denied boarding of their flight to Kenya or denied entry to Kenya if they do not have a printed copy of their e-visa with them.
To book or for further information contact Mel @ African Travel Solutions Ltd
Tele: + 44 1476 530927 / Mobile: + 44 7780 579306
