BBN Travel Africa Summer 2016

Summer 2016

Africa by Rail

Contents: Africa By Rail Travel Industry News Africa’s Top Lodging Open Africa to Africans Cruising Spotting Human Trafficking

page 16 page 7 page 34 page 56 page 62 page 70

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In This Issue…

5 Publisher’s Message

Features

16 Africa by Rail 20 Rovos Rail Tours

58

7 Travel Industry News

26 Ugab Terrace Lodge

60

12 HNA to Buy Hotels in Africa

32 Sidai Designs

14 Editorial: “Weak Connections”

34 AFAR Magazine’s Top Africa Picks 38 Warwick Hotels Rebrand 40 10 Travel Apps 42 Matetsi Private Game Reserve 44 Rewilding in Chad 46 Travel Africa - Where to Go, What to Do 53 Travel Tips, Tools, Resources 54 Finding Travel Deals 56 Editorial: Open Up 3 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

62 67 70 70 74 83

Africa to Africans Rescued Lions Find A Home Where to Go in South Africa Crystal Yacht Cruises More Tools for Tourists & Business Travellers Spotting Human Trafficking More Tools for Tourists & Business Travellers I’m Black and I Travel “Tours” Golf Africa

Culture

87 African Cuisine Rovos Rail Recipes

Connecting the USA to West Africa and Beyond

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From the Publisher...

P

Earl “Skip” Cooper, II - Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Black Business News Group Sarah Harris - Associate Editor Narishima Osei - Production Manager Sarah Harris - Graphics La Sandra Stratton - Content Administrator Lion Communications - Layout/Typesetting Black Business News Group P.O. Box 43159 Los Angeles, CA USA 90043 1-323-291-7819 info@blackbusinessnews.net www.blackbusinessnews.net View the publication at: https://issuu.com/blackbusinessnews

icking up where I left off in the prior issue, tourism is a viable means of individual investment in Africa. A reasonable portion of the money that I spend while on travel, whether on business or for relaxation, is an investment in the lives and well-being of the people that I interact with during the travel perioid.

When you read the Editorial on page 14 by Mr. Greg Goss Earl “Skip” Cooper, II founder of “I’m Black and I Travel” you may come to the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Black Business News Group realization that the process of using tips to change the world might just take too long.

Greg is direct as he points out a major flaw in the “Investment by Tips” possibility. Not a sufficient number of African Americans are travelling to Africa as tourists. Here at the Black Business News we tried to respond to that question by creating the Travel Africa publication. Our purpose is to share information on travel in general and to inform our readers on the many, many wonderful places to visit on the African continent.

We will not run out of content any time soon. But getting that content to our African American community and enticing them to travel to Africa we need your help.

Please share our publication with the people you know that are candidates for travel to Africa. Help us be a force for change.

Thanks for reading our publication. 

Featured Destinations...

Railway through Mpumalanga

Republic of Egypt Republic of South Africa Republic of Namibia United Republic of Tanzania Republic of Zimbabwe 5 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

6 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Travel Industry News Handle Your Own Luggage

T

he airlines are losing far fewer bags these days.

A recent report released from SITA, an air transport IT company, shows that over the last 10 years, the number of lost bags per thousand passengers has consistently decreased since 2007, when they hit their peak. At the same time, more people are flying, with the numbers increasing to 3.54 billion last year from 1.89 billion in 2003.

Incredibly, the industry has gotten better at handling checked luggage, mostly by automating processes that occur between connecting flights.

But they’re also hoping to avoid mishaps by making passengers check their own bags. More airlines are using self-service kiosks at airports that let people print their own bag tags and present them directly for drop off. In the future, says the SITA report, airlines hope to introduce electronic bag trackers, to let passengers feel more in control of their stuff.

SITA collects information on mishandled bags from 440 airlines and 2800 domestic and international airports worldwide. Its data on the number of passengers flying each year comes from the International Air Transport Association.  http://qz.com/670567/to-lose-less-luggage-airlines-want-you-to-handle-yourown-bags/

U.S. Bans E-Cigarettes

T

he U.S. Transportation Department said that it was permanently banning e-cigarettes in checked baggage

or from being charged onboard an aircraft.

Transportation Secretary Anthony R. Foxx cited recent incidents that showed the devices could catch fire during transport.

Passengers may continue to carry e-cigarettes for personal use in carry-on baggage or on their person, but may not use them on flights, Mr. Foxx said.

“Banning e-cigarettes from checked bags is a prudent and important safety measure,” Mr. Foxx said in a statement.

The rule covers battery-powered portable electronic smoking devices including e-cigarettes, e-cigars and e-pipes, but does not prohibit passengers from transporting other devices containing batteries for personal use, like laptop computers or cellphones.  http://www.nytimes. com/2016/05/19/business/ us-bans-e-cigarettes-inchecked-bags-on-planes.html?_ r=2&t=head

Planners Education Conference 2016

S

uccessful Meetings and M&C join to conduct the Independent Planners Education Conference in Austin, Texas USA March 20-23, 2016.

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Again the conference will deliver the world directly to you - join your peers for this Industry-leading hosted event.

• MEET: Key International venues/destinations • GREET: attend Legendary Network Events • KNOWLEDGE: Enhanced Education Sessions The Independent Planner Education Conference will feature educational sessions uniquely tailored to meet the needs of today’s independent planners, as well as the suppliers that work with them. All sessions will be eligible for credit towards obtaining the CMP. For detailed information visit: http:// events.northstarmeetingsgroup. com/IPEC. 

6 Travel Reminders for Meetings Abroad

H

ere are six important travel reminders suggested for meeting planners to consider before taking groups abroad.

• Each attendee must have a minimum of two blank pages in his or her passport before traveling.

• A passport must be valid sixth months past the return date of the attendee.

• Make sure that all attendees have the necessary documentation required for visa applications.

• Set up an international credit card with no international fees, as fees can add up quickly when traveling.

• Some countries require credit cards with chips (for instance, taxis in Amsterdam), another see Travel Industry News on page 8

Travel Industry News from page 7

thing to consider before planning on making purchases abroad.

• Because of the different fees and requirements for credit cards abroad, it’s always smart to bring currency local to the destination your visiting, in the event that your credit card doesn’t work.  http://prevuemeetings.com/resources/ tools/meeting-tips/6-travel-remindersto-consider-before-meetingabroad/?utm_source=Prevue-Extra&utm_ medium=Email&utm_term=May&utm_ content=Head&utm_campaign=PrevueExtra-June-28-2016

www.konyagi.co.tz

http://wildafricacream.blogspot.com

8 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

https://www.goway.com/trip/africa-and-middle-east/cape-cairo-journey-lifetime 9 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

www.airnamibia.com.na

Monrovia, Liberia www.rljkendejaresort.com

First-class amenities catering to international leisure travelers. For the business minded traveler, the RLJ Kendeja Resort & Villas offers full service business amenities along with meeting and function space for business and personal events. Amenities include ocean front beach, pool, spa, dining room, and relaxing bar.

SAFARI SUPREME The Finest in Safari Travel Enjoy an adventure of a lifetime.

Bring a friend, share a memory.

Sign up with: Julien Dothard P.O. Box 1736, Hollywood, CA 90078 E-mail: dothard@sbcglobal.net Phone: 1-818-419-8639 11 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

China’s HNA to Buy Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group

Radisson Blu Hotel Lusaka Zambia

A

Chinese conglomerate with myriad interests including airlines and real estate reached a deal to buy the U.S. owner of mid-scale hotel chain Radisson, the latest push by Chinese investors into the hotel industry.

A unit of HNA Group said it would buy closely held Carlson Hotels Inc., owner of the Radisson and Country Inns & Suites chains, for an undisclosed sum. The purchase includes Carlson’s majority stake in Brussels-based Rezidor Hotel Group, which is publicly listed in 12 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Stockholm and manages more than 1,400 hotels across Europe, the Middle East and Africa.

Chinese buyers have been active in overseas deals this year, agreeing to at least $92.3 billion worth of foreign takeovers. Hotels have been a particular focus of that

Radisson Blu Hotel Dakar-Senegala Radisson Blu Hotel Lagos-Nigeria

deal making.

Beijing-based A n b a n g Insurance Group made an aborted $14 billion offer last month to buy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. after it had agreed to a deal with Marriott International Inc. In addition to the Anbang bid, Shanghai Jin Jiang International Hotels Group last year bought France’s Louvre Hotels Group—

the second-largest European hotel group—for 1.21 billion euros ($1.37 billion). HNA’s latest hotel purchase comes after it bought a 15% stake last year in mid-scale U.S. chain Lion Hotels Corp. for an undisclosed sum.

HNA’s biggest overseas deal

to date has been a $6 billion bid in February for U.S. technology distributor Ingram Micro Inc. That deal is pending. 

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www.wsj.com/articles/chinashna-to-buy-carlson-rezidor-hotelgroup-1461797802

Travel Editorial

I’m Black and I Travel! …on the radar!

Greg Gross @imblacknitravel

“Weak Connections”

W

hen it comes to Africa travel and the AfricanAmerican travel market, it takes two to miss a golden opportunity.

On one side of the Atlantic, you can find a lot of Black Americans who say they’d love to see Africa someday. On the other side, you find a lot of African nations looking for more tourism that would love to welcome them.

In between, you find…not much.

Black Americans are traveling the world in growing numbers, but the numbers traveling to the Mother Continent are nowhere near what they could or should be — and the reasons why have nothing whatever to do with Ebola.

So why haven’t the two sides hooked up in the name of travel and tourism?

What’s Missing?

On the whole, we Americans — and Black Americans, in particular — really don’t know Africa. What little we do know, we tend to draw from the crisis du jour menu served up daily in mainstream media and the world’s single greatest source of misinformation: “I heard.”

YouTube boasts a whole collection of videos devoted to asking people what they know about Africa, including African-Americans at HBCUs like Howard University (www.youtube.com/results?search_query=w hat+do+you+know+about+africa). The answers range from head-shaking to embarrassing to downright cringeworthy.

A TWO-SIDED GAP Africa has always been an afterthought in the United States. Our social and business ties to the Mother Continent are sparse compared with the rest of the world.

America’s schools have never taught kids about Africa in the same way it teaches about all things European. And while African food, art, music, film are global staples, you find precious little representation of any of that in US mass media.

The gap of knowledge and understanding between

Africans and African-Americans is huge. But the blame for that gap cannot be laid entirely on this side of the Atlantic. There are two uncomfortable realities here: The nations of Africa have put too little effort into developing the US market.

Safari travel in Africa has been over-marketed and over-promoted, to the detriment of African travel and tourism overall.

You find the best evidence of the first point at travel trade shows.

The biggest ones are in Europe, and ITB Berlin in Germany is by far the biggest.

We’re talking 10,000 exhibitors from 185 countries — and about 50 of those countries are African. Government tourism ministries, private tourism boards, tour operators, travel agencies.

Africa represents at ITB Berlin.

WHERE ARE AFRICANS?

THE

Here in the United States, Unicomm annually puts on the Travel and Adventure Show series — seven travel trade expositions in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, San Diego and San Francisco.

The perfect chance for African travel providers and tour operators to connect with travel agents and

14 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

potential visitors here in the States.

The total number of African tourism bodies, public or private, represented at those seven shows: One. Rwandan Tourism, with whom I’ll be meeting this weekend at the LA show in Long Beach, CA. The grand-daddy of US travel expos, the oldest and largest single show in the country, is the New York Times Travel Show. Their African exhibitors? Nine, maybe. Out of 55 sovereign African nations…nine.

Then, there’s the whole safari thing. Pick any ten people at random and tell them you’re contemplating a trip to Africa. At least seven out of ten will ask you: “Are you going on a safari?”

More likely, it’ll be all ten.

There’s absolutely nothing wrong with safari travel.

Done right, with respect for the environment and the

local people who depend on it, it can be one of the most unforgettable experiences of your life. Small wonder that safari travel is the first thing that comes to mind among Western travelers.

The problem is that it tends to be the only thing that comes to mind.

NOT JUST SAFARIS Talk to Black Americans, especially younger ones, who have an interest in Africa, and you’ll find out that their interest often reach far beyond wildlife. They want to know about the history and heritage — not just as it relates to the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but what happened before and what came after. They want a taste of Africa’s many cultures. They want to check out the music, the food, the styles. Everything.

And Africa has a mind-boggling amount of attractions to offer them in all of those areas. But Africa’s nations aren’t reaching out to tell them about it.

On the whole, the African and the African-American are much more culturally attuned to Europe than they are to each other, no surprise given our respective histories. And it shows in our disconnect when it comes to travel and tourism.

We’re like two blindfolded men sitting in a darkened room, each waiting for the other to get up and turn the lights on.

If Black Americans are going to take Africa seriously as a destination — and if Africa wants a bigger piece of the roughly $48 billion annual African-American travel market — that needs to change.

On our side, we need to insist that our schools and our news media do a better job of teaching us about Africa. And if they refuse to do it, then we need to start learning on our own. We need to reach out to the African expat communities we have in this country and start making some connections. They can teach us much, if we’re willing to listen and learn.

Meanwhile, Africa’s decisionmakers in the travel industry need to reach out to potential African-American visitors in the same way that they reach over to Europe.

They need to show up at the trade shows here. They need to advertise on Black American media. They need to work with Black American expats in African countries and African-American travel professionals over here.

International travel markets don’t build themselves.

It’s time to close this great divide.  http://imblacknitravel.com/african-americans-africatravel/

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Africa by Rail

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long held dream of colonialists, capitalists, entrepreneurs and tourists - The Cape to Cairo Railway.

The Cape to Cairo Railway is an uncompleted project to cross Africa from south to north by rail. This plan was initiated at the end of the 19th century, during the time of Western colonial rule, largely under the vision of Cecil Rhodes, in the attempt to connect adjacent African possessions of the British Empire through a continuous line from Cape Town, South Africa to Cairo, Egypt. While most sections of the Cape to Cairo railway are in operation, a major part is missing.

Egypt has a rail system that as early as 1854 connected Alexandria and Cairo, and that currently goes as far south as Aswan.

East Africa has a network of narrow gauge 1,000 mm (3 ft 3 3⁄8 in) railways that historically grew from ports on the Indian Ocean and went westward, built in parallel under British and German colonial rule.

The Tanzania-Zambia-Railway (TAZARA) was built to connect landlocked Zambia and its mineral wealth to a port on the Indian Ocean.

The southern section was completed during British rule before the First World War and has an interconnecting system of national railways using the Cape-gauge of 1,067 mm (3 ft 6 in). Construction started from Cape Town and went parallel to the Great North Road to Kimberley, through a part of Botswana to Bulawayo. From this junction the link proceeds further north, today operated by the National

Railways of Zimbabwe, to the Zambezi crossing.

The Victoria Falls Bridge was completed in 1905.

The connection is picked up by Zambia Railways and continues to Kapiri Mposhi which is the transition point to the TAZARA link to Tanzania.

African Tourist Railways & Museums Here is a directory of tourist railways and railway museums throughout Africa.

• Apple Express - Narrow gauge steam excursions from Port Elizabeth, South Africa (www.appleexpress.co.za) • Blue Train - Luxury train between Pretoria and Cape Town, South Africa (www.bluetrain.co.za) • Bulawayo Railway Museum - Railway museum owned by the National Railways of Zimbabwe in Bulawayo (www.bluetrain.co.za) • Cairo Railway Museum - Transportation museum in Cairo, Egypt (www.touregypt.net/featurestories/ trainmuseum.htm) • Fianarantsoa-Côte Est (FCE) Railway - 163km link between the highland city of Fianarantsoa and the east coast town of Manakara, Madagascar (www.travelmadagascar.org/PLANNING/train.html) • Friends of the Rail - Steam train excursions, locomotive restoration, and railway club in Hermanstad, Pretoria, South Africa (www. friendsoftherail.com/joomla) • JB Train Tours - Offers budget and luxury rail tours

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Crossing the Zambezi River at Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

throughout South Africa (www.jbtours. co.za) • Livingstone Railway Museum Dedicated to the collection, preservation, exhibition, and study of Zambia’s railway heritage (www.geoffs-trains.com/ Museum/livingstonemuseum.html)

Watania Sleeping Car Trains from Cairo to Luxor

• Madarail - Operates passenger trains and charters in Madagascar (www.madarail. mg) • Magaliesburg Express - Steam train excursions from Johannesburg to Magaliesburg, South Africa (www. reefsteamers.com) 17 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

• Nairobi Railway Museum Preserves and displays relics and records of the railways of East Africa from their inception to the present day; Kenya (www. greywall. demon. co.uk/rail/ Kenya/nrm. html) • Natal Railway Museum - Railway equipment and antiques on display in Hilton, see page 18

La Micheline “Viko-Viko.” The little train like no other. This revolutionary invention of the 30s is an autobus that rolls on the rails between Antananarivo and Toamasina or Tana to Antsirabe at an average top speed of 50 km/h. Operated by Madrarail, Madagascar.

Nairobi Railway Museum - Preserves and displays relics and records of the railways of East Africa from their inception to the present day. While there are no steam excursions currently planned for Kenya or Tanzania both nations are planning to resume steam excursions in the future. Kenya does operate regular passenger train services each day starting from the National Railway Station in Nairobi. Destinations include Mombasa and Mount Kenya.

South Africa (www. outeniquachootjoe.co.za) • Patons Country Narrow Gauge Railway - Proposed steam or diesel excursions from Ixopo Village, South Africa (www.pcngr.co.za) • Rovos Rail - Operates several scenic rail journeys in South Africa KwaZulu Natal, South Africa (www.sa-venues.com/ things-to-do/kwazulunatal/visit-the-natal-railwaymuseum) • Nigerian Railway Museum - Railway preservation in Ebute Metta, Lagos, Nigeria (www. internationalsteam.co.uk/trains/nigeria02.htm) • Outeniqua Choo-Tjoe - Daily steam excursions between George and Knysna in the Western Cape,

(www.rovos.com) • Sandstone Heritage Trust - Narrow gauge railway restoration and museum in Ficksburg, South Africa (www.sandstone-estates.com) • Shongololo Express - Two luxury trains travel to nine countries on the southern African continent: Namibia, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia, and Tanzania (www.shongololo.com)

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GARRATTS TO VICTORIA FALLS RAILFAN TOUR The steam train tours to Zimbabwe are a great success. Both the Class 14A and Class 15A Garratt locomotives that we use perform well. The National Railways of Zimbabwe are keen to work with us.

We have had lengthy discussions that have now culminated in an agreement to run this tour. We use the NRZ premier class sleeper coaches and relax in a more than adequate twin dining car/lounge. Using this train rather than hotels improves the tour for participants, both financially and by putting them in the middle of the action.

Nothing can be guaranteed, but the prospect of great tours is good. The tour starts with charters in Harare, followed by two days on the Mbalabala branch line and a daytime run from Bulawayo to Dete. All of the traditional Thomson Junction to Victoria Falls charters are included. This must be one of the best mainline steam tours for 2016. Garratts locamotives thundering through the African bush, excellent run past locations, on-train accommodation, magnificent scenery (including Victoria Falls) and great wildlife.

• Shosholoza Meyl - Operates eight primary routes in South Africa with passenger and tourist train service (www.shosholozameyl.co.za) • Sierra Leone National Railway Museum African railway locomotives, coaches, wagons and artifacts in Freetown, Sierra Leone (www. sierraleonerailwaymuseum.com) • Trains & Travel International - Operates luxury rail tours and railfan charters in Africa (www. traintrips.biz) • TransNamib Railway Museum - Wide range of railway equipment, maps, and related items that date back to German colonial times and South African administration; Namibia (www.namibweb. com/railmuseum.htm) • Umgeni Steam Railway - Steam excursions from Kloof to Inchanga and from Pietermaritzburg to Baynesfield and Wartburg, South Africa (www. umgenisteamrailway.co.za) • Watania - Private company offering sleeping car trains from Cairo to Luxor and Aswan, Egypt (www.wataniasleepingtrains.com) 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_to_Cairo_Railway http://www.seat61.com/Botswana.htm#.VytL-tQrJR0 “Africa by Rail” http://www.railserve.com/Tourist/World/Africa/

East African Railway Steam Engine

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Rovos Rail Tours– a Very Different Experience

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uring its 27 years of operation Rovos Rail has earned an international reputation for truly world class travel experiences.

The privately owned company with its 60 acre headquarters at Rovos Rail Station in Pretoria has evolved from one overnight trip to offering eight different safaris across Southern Africa lasting from 48 hours to two weeks.

A trip aboard ‘The Pride of Africa’ is a journey like no other with guests experiencing the opulent elegance of rail travel on the most luxurious train in the world.

With discreet and friendly service, five-star cuisine (see page 87) and a selection of South Africa’s finest wines, Rovos Rail harks back to a simpler more elegant era, encompassing the timeless grace of grand African exploration.

Each of the different journeys of three to fifteen days has its own offtrain excursions and these range from safari, cultural and historical outings. “It was important to us from the very beginning that this wasn’t just a train ride. We wanted our guests to learn a bit about this country, it’s history and its diverse culture, and of course experience

Scenic Routes

Excellent Service our magnificent wildlife”, says Rohan Vos, owner and CEO of Rovos Rail. “Travelling with us isn’t about the destination, in fact, that doesn’t really matter. Our trips are about the journey”, he adds.

“Our first decision, which we’ve never regretted, was to make the ticket all-inclusive and to stock the train with excellent food accompanied by fine wines and liquor”, says Anthea Vos, Rohan’s 20 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

wife and partner in the business.

Suffice to say that the ticket price is fully inclusive all meals, all alcoholic and other beverages, the off-train excursions, room service and a limited laundry service.

Private Rail Charters Offerings include tailor made

Africa by Rail

Guest House Patio

exclusive charter options which can be combined with a luxury Safari Lodge or similar.

As an extension of the Rovos Rail brand, the company opened the doors to 15 suites across three beachfront guest houses in the well-to-do area of St James, situated on the southern peninsula in Cape Town. St James Manor, St James Seaforth and St James Homestead are individually decorated five-star homes offering

guests a relaxing getaway with easy access to the city centre and the winelands, on one of the Western Cape’s prettiest coast lines.

For more information on the guest houses please visit www. stjamesguesthouses.com.

In addition to the trains and guest houses, Rovos Air invites guests to step aboard a magnificent DC3 aircraft for a 13-day Southern Africa Air Safari. The itinerary

includes destinations such as KwaZula-Natal, Plettenberg Bay, Knysna and Cape Town in South Africa, Namibia, the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Victoria Falls in Zambia. The aircraft is also available for private charter and for further details visit http:// rovosair.co.za, www.rovos.com or reservations@rovos.co.za. ď ‘ April 2016 www.micemediamarketing.com

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PHGMEETINGS.COM PLANNING RESOURCES FOR THE WORLD’S MOST EXCEPTIONAL MEETINGS HOTELS. Preferred Hotel Group brings together over 700 individual meeting places. From breathtaking resort retreats to smart, city center hotels and boutique incentive experiences, find a unique solution to match every need. Explore the entire collection, find essential resources, access offers, and submit your RFP at PHGMeetings.com. Visit PHGMeetings.com to view properties in Cape Town, South Africa and Marrakech, Morocco.

23 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Management Buy Out at Dragonfly Africa Group

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he Dragonfly Africa Group (www.dragonfly. co.za), a leading Travel & Destination Management Company in Southern and East Africa, announced that a management buyout of the business has been concluded. Mike Waller - Chief Executive Officer and three other executives, Yolanda

Woeke-Jacobs - Director: Sales & Marketing, Barry Schreiber - Director: Finance and Kerry Roos Director: Operations and Product Development, will immediately acquire additional shares.

The acquisition was finalised on 15 January 2016 and includes both Dragonfly Africa and Green Route Africa with a combined staff of 55 persons.

Mr Rupert Jeffries, Executive Chairman, stated that after many months of discussion and consultation, a strong agreement had been reached regarding the way forward for the Group. Mr Jeffries will remain the majority shareholder over a minimum period of four years, after which time the shareholders will be able to acquire all of the remaining shares in Dragonfly Africa and Green Route Africa.

Mr Jeffries concluded, “We are all extremely pleased we have been able to conclude this agreement as an entirely internal matter, with no outside parties or institutions involved. It was certainly a challenging and complex negotiation, but the most important ingredient in the end, I believe, was the trust between us all after many years of knowing and understanding each other and the personality of our business. I find it very gratifying to envisage our Group, and our future, in the hands of the very people who have invested so much of their time and expertise over the years, and who were intimately involved in the success of the Group as it stands today.“ Dragonfly Africa looks forward to a successful 2016, especially considering the very favourable exchange of major foreign currencies against the ZAR (South African Rand), which is resulting in Southern Africa being seen as such a desirable destination.  April 2016 www.micemediamarketing.com

Delta: In-flight entertainment to be free for all fliers

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tarting July 1, all movies, TV shows and music available from the carrier’s “Delta Studio” offerings will be complimentary on all of Delta’s two-class planes. Delta says those aircraft account for about 90% of the planes that fly under the Delta brand.

Delta’s programming lineup varies by aircraft, though Delta Studio pulls from a collection of 300 movies, 750 TV shows, 2,400 songs, 18 channels of live TV and a variety of games. On planes that do not have inflight entertainment screens,

customers have the option of streaming the content to their personal devices.

Delta claims it will be the only U.S. carrier to make its entire in-flight entertainment available at no cost to all passengers.

“The only thing better than operating the world’s largest in-flight entertainment-equipped fleet is providing it free to all our guests,” Tim Mapes, Delta’s chief marketing office, says in a statement. “Our commitment is to provide Delta customers with the industry’s best on-board services – period.”  www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2016/06/03/ delta--flight-entertainment-free-all-fliers/85342210/

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Leeu House to Open in Franschhoek

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eeu House, an exclusive 5-star, 12-bedroom boutique hotel located in the heart of Franschhoek, South Africa’s gourmet capital in the picturesque Franschhoek Valley, will open its doors on 1st December 2015.

An oasis of comfort and luxury, Leeu House’s appeal lies in the fact that although it feels like a country guesthouse, it is situated on the main road in vibrant Franschhoek, within easy strolling distance of awardwinning restaurants, art galleries and boutiques, as well as the village’s many other attractions.

Leeu House promises to enchant with stylish neutral, calm and multi-textured interiors that are a contemporary take on the traditional Cape Dutch heritage, with a nod to the French Huguenot architectural style that is quintessential to Franschhoek.

The hotel and gardens will also showcase a number of important modern artworks and sculptures from various countries, including South Africa.

With just 12 individually styled rooms and suites, luxury is a priority and all rooms come equipped with premium technology, such as a media hub with highspeed Wi-Fi access, Nespresso coffee machines and under floor heating in bathrooms. In addition, Leeu House offers a host of complimentary items and services (including all local spirits, award-winning house wines and soft drinks, a laundry & pressing service and a tasting of Mullineux & Leeu family wines

per guest per stay).

Guests at Leeu House will be able to enjoy innovative cuisine prepared by a talented culinary team, headed by executive chef Oliver Cattermole, with lunch and dinner menus showcasing the best local organic and ethically farmed produce in creative fusion dishes with vibrant world flavours. Leisurely meals and fine South African vintages from the cellar are served inside The Conservatory or al fresco on The Terrace.

The Lounge, with comfortable seating and an open wood-burning fireplace, offers guests a place to mingle and relax. It has views over the serene and secluded landscaped gardens, where guests will find a 15-metre heated outdoor pool and a shady terrace.

The complimentary use of bicycles will be available to all guests to enable them to explore Franschhoek and the surrounds. Guests will also have access to the spa facilities and grounds of Leeu Estates, via a complimentary shuttle service, once it opens in the second quarter of 2016.

Leeu House is the second property in the Leeu Collection portfolio, the first being Le Quartier Francais, also in Franschhoek, which the group acquired on 1st September 2015.

Bookings can now be made by emailing reservations@leeucollection.com.

For more information on Leeu Collection, please visit www. leeucollection.com. 

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Ugab Terrace Lodge Namibia

The most breathtaking view on Earth!!!

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elcome to the Ugab Terrace Lodge set deep in the heart of a rare and untouched mystery situated within Namibia’s famous tourist attractions.

We provide a unique African experience with friendly staff and delicious cuisine that will make you feel at home. Indulge yourself with the breathtaking view enjoying a refreshing drink and overwhelming experiences of bathing in a splash pool constructed in the natural rocks at the top of the mountain surrounded by unspoilt valleys and bush.

Treat yourself with our adventure tours and activities. A guided walk in nature to experience our lustrous vegetation, a thrill ride on the 15th longest zip line in the world, a

nature drive to the historical Vinger klip and much more ‌ Local artifacts can be bought from the Ugab Terrace Lodge curio shop and there is a laundry service, 24hr security and parking, and 2 of the bungalows have disabled access.

Power is supplied from either a generator or batteries/inverter, providing 24hr electricity to charge cell-phones and cameras.

Chalets Ugab Terrace Lodge accommodates 32 guests in 16 Chalets, allowing maximum privacy and attention at all times.

The chalets are set in a semi-circle on the edge of the mountain with a panoramic view over open valleys and the ancient terraces formed by water corrosion millions of years ago. The accommodation at Ugab Terrace Lodge has been designed with comfort in mind, despite the

fact that guests spend most of the time outside.

The Chalet includes two ž beds for two adults per chalet but for minor children we have additional arrangements.

All chalets have a shower and toilet and cupboard and have a balcony situated on a terrace and allowing the visitor a breathtaking view on the Ugab Terrace. An unusual feature at the lodge is the swimming pool, constructed in the rocks at the top of the mountain. It has some great views and guests can take a dip, sunbathe or just unwind and read a book on a sunlounger.

Picture yourself on the verandah, sipping your favorite drink and experience the unbelievable view or take part in our activities. The peace and tranquility will take away the city rush, and allow you to

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once again look forward to a daily wonder, the sun rising and setting.

Artfully decorated walls and indigenous furniture create a warm and welcoming feeling. The ceiling of each room is decorated with wood to create that warm African look and feel. This is not only very decorative, but an insulation wonder to ensure cool and warm climate control in the chalet.

Please Note: Due to the fact that we generate our own electricity, our rooms do not have air-conditioning but are equipped with ceiling fans.

Campsite We have 3 stand alone campsites where you can park your RV or construct your own camp. The campsites are situated against the incline at the foot of a hill overlooking the Ugab terraces

and valley.

The campsites are approximately 40 meters apart from each other with shading by Mopani trees and large rocks.

Each campsite has got a braai with basin and fresh water.

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3 campsites share a ablutionblock, consisting out of 3 WC`s (toilets) and 3 showers with hot water.

Unfortunately there are no power points. see Ugab on page 28

Ugab Terrace Lodge from page 27

Activities Walking Trails - We offer different types of guided Walking Trails from Novice, Intermediate and Adventures level.

All trails are clearly marked and vary from 5 km (2.5 hours) to 10 km (4.5 hours), through the most beautiful scenic terrain.

Your camera is a “must� for this adventure.

Zip Line - We have one of the longest zip lines in the world with 2 lines, 880 meters (2887 feet) and

Mapapame Kindergarden

630 meters (2066 feet) respectively with a drop of 50 meters (164 feet). This is a unique adventure, carefully calculated for all ages.

Mountain Bike Trails - We offer different levels of mountain biking trails pinned by the wellknown Mannie Heymans whom has represented Namibia at numerous occasions as a cyclist at the All-Africa Games as well as the Summer Olympics. He was awarded as Namibian Sportsman of the Year in 2000.

Please note: We do not supply the Mountain bikes, ONLY the trails.

Nature Drives - We offer 2

types of nature drives, each approximately 2 Hours long with an option of a Bush lunch.

The nature drives include a visit to the historical Rock Finger (Vinger Klip) and various scenic places surrounding the lodge.

(Guided) Bush Lunch - We offer a Light lunch or Traditional bush lunch.

Stargazing - With billions of stars in the Universe our open an unpolluted sky offers an amazing Stargazing as an activity at night with an excellent spot for Stargazing and use the Celestron Sky Prodigy 6 telescope to involve the first timers and the intermediate gazers. (Guided)

Projects We Care - The lodge Sponsored Tent serves to house under privilege children at Mupapame kindergarden 60km east of Rundu.

Restaurant with Divine Food We offer a Restaurant with divine food and a bar overlooking the Rock Vinger and beautiful Ugab Terraces Valley. The chefs prepare delicious meals with

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Chalets

fresh vegetables and salads, seasoned with aromatic ingredients from the herb garden. Meals and drinks can be ordered from a set menu in the restaurant and bar, including light lunches of sandwiches or pasta, and a selection of starters, game meats and a dessert for dinner.

The lounge is a great spot to sip a sundowner as the sun sets, chat to other guests and there is also a fireplace and open-fire to ward off that winter chill. ď ‘ www.ugabterracelodge.com/ http://www.namibian.org/travel/lodging/private/ugab-terracelodge.html

Pool

Stay connected when traveling to your next meeting or event with Delta and the Delta Meeting Network! Visit www.Delta.com/meetings

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elta is now offering h i g h - s p e e d Internet access on all trans-Atlantic flights between the United States and the UK, mainland Europe, Israel and West Africa.

Delta’s Wi-Fi is provided by Gogo and powered by high-speed, Ku-Band satellite technology and is available on up to 83 daily round-trip flights to and from 27 European cities, in addition to Tel Aviv, Israel; Accra, Ghana; Lagos, Nigeria; and Dakar, Senegal.

Customers can also enjoy free access to Delta Studio, an in-flight streaming service, which allows them to view entertainment TV options direct to their mobile devices in addition to the airline’s existing on-demand entertainment.

With international satellite-based Wi-Fi now installed on Delta’s wide-body fleet, the airline operates the world’s largest Wi-Fi equipped fleet, giving customers more options to stay connected in-flight.

Enjoy your flight!

 31 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

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e collaborate with Maasai women to produce and market unique, handmade, high-end beaded jewelry using traditional techniques.

By bringing these products to international markets, we drive the demand that preserves the beading traditions and helps to economically sustain the women and their families.

DESIGN The rich heritage of the Maasai culture is a strong influence for many of our collections. We want our pieces to reflect the uniqueness of the culture while maintaining a contemporary aesthetic appeal.

This synergy is realized by drawing upon the experience of our team at Sidai Designs. It is the use of traditional artistry and creativity that characterizes the design DNA of our products.

COLLABORATE Working with Maasai women means more to us than just the empowerment and benefit it can bring to the individual, it is also about engaging a community.

Our organization is built on strong ethical principles and guiding values, creating hope and pride amongst the Maasai community.

Utilizing traditional craftsmanship empowers the women and builds a foundation for continued development.

PRODUCE From conception to design to finished product, we instill the highest level of attention to detail and quality control.

We use recycled materials as the backbone for many of our products while also incorporating high quality components to create exclusive pieces of jewelry.

SMWO Sidai Maasai Women Organization or SMWO is the charitable arm of Sidai Designs based in Tanzania.

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We empower Maasai women through income generation, community development, investing in installing skills, knowledge and education. This encourages sustainable livelihoods, giving the women financial independence while preserving the Maasai culture and showcasing it to the world. The beading project helps the women reach their full potential and gain independence through earning their own income.

Through creating sustainable employment for them, their social status improves which enables them to have freedom to make decisions, educate their children and break the poverty cycle. We aim to expand our reach through the powerful ripple effect of job creation. With your support, SMWO will continue to improve the lives of artisans, their families and their community members.

WORKSHOP & RETAIL STORE Our workshop and retail store can be found at the foot of towering Mount Meru, nestled amongst the hustle and bustle of Arusha in Tanzania. We welcome visitors throughout the year; providing a wonderful opportunity to meet the artisans, see how our jewelry is individually handcrafted and explore our retail store.

T h e store also contains a carefully selected range of handcrafted items from

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similar artisan enterprises across Africa.

ASHE NALENG: “Thank you” in Maa (tribal language of the Maasai) and don’t forget to spread the word!  http://www.sidaidesigns.com info@sidaidesigns.com

AFAR Mag Offers a List of Handpicked Hotels: The Two Africa Sites

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heck out the entire list of handpicked hotels and book the ones that interest you at www. afar.com/hotels/collection.

Singeta Grumeti - Tanzania Singita Grumeti, situated adjacent to the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, is an integral part of the Serengeti-Mara Ecosystem, the home of the Great Migration.

The Reserve was created by the Tanzanian government in 1994 in order to protect the path of the annual wildebeest migration and the indigenous biodiversity of this vast and important ecosystem.

In 2002, the Grumeti Community and Wildlife Conservation Fund, a not-for-profit organisation, was granted the right to manage and conserve these 350,000 acres, for the benefit of Tanzania, Africa and the world. Four years later, Singita took over the management of the property, at the request of the concessionaire.

Then began the task of generating, via low impact tourism, the funds necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the reserve through conservation and community partnerships.

Lions Rule - Singeta

Singeta Grumeti

The Experience Be there to watch the morning sun peek over the Serengeti at Singita Grumeti Reserves, Sasakwa Lodge, where magnificent views greet guests nearly as often as friendly smiles.

From infinity swimming pools that appear to float out over the plain, to guided equestrian tours and balloon safaris, the Lodge brings the wonders of the Serengeti up close. Think you’ve got a knack for spotting wildlife? Wait until you meet the guides of Singita Grumeti Reserves, Sasakwa Lodge! With over 140,000 hectares (350,000 acres) of wilderness, sightings of rare species are commonplace thanks to their practiced eyes.

Set on a private reserve and filled at 34 guests, Singita Grumeti Reserves, Sasakwa Lodge prizes its seclusion at the top of a scenic African hillside. But 34 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

if anything could rival the surrounding natural splendor, it would be the opulent interiors of the Lodge’s nine cottages and single villa. England meets Tanzania in stately ornamental pieces and warm browns echoing the colors of the landscape, while the extensive woodwork is simple, well-crafted, and beautiful to behold. The gracious staff also happily accommodates guest specifications for wheelchair accessible lodgings. http://singita.com/region/singita-grumeti

The Residence Boutique Hotel South Africa The Residence is an extraordinary boutique hotel that is truly one of a kind, no effort has been spared in creating the most sublime surroundings to surpass your greatest expectations. Whether you are a business professional with a demanding executive schedule or a leisure traveller with time to spend at your own discretion, we are here to ensure that your stay with us will be memorable.

Take a stroll through the manicured gardens and enjoy a game of tennis or swim a few lengths in the outdoor pools. Guests can work out in our fitness room, and arrangements can be made to play a round of golf on the nearby Houghton Golf Course.

A warm, hospitable welcome awaits you at The Residence, located in the historic suburb of Houghton, which is also home to many famous residents including former president Nelson Mandela. The Residence exudes a charming air of quiet dignity, with an abundance of bougainvillea blossoms cascading down the terraced gardens. This is a blissful oasis where guests are treated with personalised service and are invited to make themselves at home.

On arrival at The Residence, you are greeted warmly and graciously before being shown around the guest areas on the ground floor. There is an immediate awareness of the sophisticated splendour of the interior and an allpervading atmosphere of total tranquillity.

The entrance hall leads through to the sumptuous lounge and sitting room with plush furnishings inviting carefree relaxation for all seasons. A cosy log fire is lit in the fireplace on chilly days, while doors opening onto the long, spacious veranda offer a cool respite from the warm African sun. see page 36

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Singeta Grumeti

A walkway connects with the adjacent terrace area and leads into the Piano Bar and Dining Room.

The Boat Lounge is a popular venue for small informal gatherings. The dĂŠcor features a charming display of model boats from all over the world, including several marine antiques collected over the years and passed down through the family. On chilly days a welcoming log fire burning in the fire place adds a special warmth to the atmosphere.

The Residence offers guests the choice of two large swimming pools, one of which is heated to maintain a comfortable ambient temperature all year round.

The Piano Bar is a favourite meeting place for guests to enjoy leisurely cocktails before going through to dinner. On occasions an accomplished pianist playing the grand piano lends a special enchantment to the atmosphere.

The adjacent Polo Lounge is an informal area with a cosy fire place and a computer workstation.

We are happy to assist with all your requirements, from airport and business shuttle services in The Residence Rolls Royce or Mercedes Benz Viano. Special customised check-in and checkout times can be arranged to suit your individual schedule, as well as visits to local tourist attractions and other places of interest. Whether your stay is short and sweet, or allows you the indulgence of a more leisurely visit, The Residence is your personal home from home that awaits your return with great anticipation.

The Madiba Suite The entrance lounge features a specially commissioned oil painting of former president Nelson Mandela. Walking along the passage, there is a charming bespoke champagne and wine 36 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

cellar, which was transformed from what had been the original lift of the residence. The lounge area features a cosy fire place and leads into a separate bedroom with a well appointed bathroom.

The suite also has an inviting lounge and dining area on the outside terrace, as well as a Jacuzzi and outdoor loungers.

Dining Room At The Residence breakfast, lunch and dinner are served throughout the day. The menus offer a wide selection of inspired culinary creations.

There is a dining alcove leading off the formal dining area that is ideal for private dinner parties for up to twelve guests. The Ballroom

Residence Boutique Hotel Johannesburg

Residence Boutique Hotel Johannesburg

Residence Boutique Hotel Johannesburg Residence Boutique Hotel Johannesburg can be booked for dinner parties for larger groups.

In addition to the elegant formal dining area, guests may choose to order from the snack menu or request room service.

Conferencing The situated has a table to business

Meeting Room is on the first floor and U-shaped boardroom seat 20 delegates. All communications are

catered for, from a spider phone, overhead projector and screen, to refreshments throughout the day or alternatively dining in the restaurant. http://theresidence.co.za

37 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Warwick Hotels rebrands as Warwick Hotels & Resorts

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arwick International Hotels has completed a companywide rebranding initiative that includes a new corporate identity, a new logo and revised visual language. Going forward, the brand will be named Warwick Hotels & Resorts.

Previously, each hotel in the collection used its own individual logo. As the company has continued to grow over the past 10 years, however, to its current status of 50+ properties in 25 countries—including

properties throughout the United States, Caribbean, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa—the company needed to convey its brand values as a cohesive whole.

“Our company’s mission is to continue to invest in our hotels,” Warren Chiu, VP of development for Warwick Hotels & Resorts, said in a statement. “From a growth standpoint, our mission is to expand the Warwick brand in locations that will add strategic and financial value to the company as a whole.”

In the past three years, Warwick Hotels & Resorts has added new hotels in key locations, including Chicago, Dubai and Nassau Paradise Island, the Bahamas. The latter resort is expected to open in October.

In addition to new hotel openings, Warwick Hotels &

Misty Hills Country Hotel, Gauteng 38 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Kedar Heritage Lodge, Northest Province Resorts has invested more than $25 million in the past three years in the renovation and refurbishment of its core hotels, including properties in New York, Paris, San Francisco, Brussels and Fiji.

Warwick operates two hotels in South Africa - Misty

Hills County Hotel (mistyhillscountryhotel.com) and Kedar Heritage Lodge, Conferencer Center and Spa (http://warwickhotels.com/kedar-country-hotel).

In addition to the name- and logo-change, the rebranding includes changes in staff uniforms, guestroom collateral items, color schemes, communication materials, staff training programs, facade and interior signage. ď ‘ http://www.hotelmanagement.net/development/ warwick-international-hotels-changes-name-logo

39 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

10 Free (or Cheap) Travel Apps Worth Downloading

By Lucas Peterson

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fter a week of downloading and trying out various travel and navigation apps, I reached an unfortunate conclusion: Most of them are worthless — clunky, buggy, seemingly desultory efforts by developers rushing a poor product to market. There are a few, though, that provide elegant solutions to some of travel’s more common complications, doing what a good app should do: make life easier. Here are seven free travel apps that are worth your time, and three that are worth your money.

Free Hotspot Shield VPN A VPN, or virtual private network, can be used to bolster online security as well as to access resources that might otherwise be off-limits. I’ve found it particularly useful when I’m in countries that block certain websites. When I was in Bulgaria, for instance, the ticket resale website StubHub is blocked, as is Southwest Airlines. Why, I have no idea, but I had a Southwest reservation that I needed to manage. Using the VPN, I could circumvent the block by connecting with a server in a country that doesn’t have those restrictions. It’s not 100% reliable, and there are ads; you’ll get better service and faster load times with a VPN that you pay for. (Hotspot Shield VPN does have an “Elite” option, with faster servers and no ads, that costs $29.99 per year.)

Memrise Are you going to become fluent in French before your trip to Paris? Of course not, but that doesn’t mean you can’t commit a few choice phrases to memory. Memrise, developed by the memory champ Ed Cooke and Greg Detre, a Princeton neuroscientist, makes learning languages fun and strangely addictive through its mix of flashcards and audiovisual games.

Users of the free app can choose from among dozens of language courses, some of which are better thoughtout than others. The romance languages, including French and Spanish, are all very good. There’s also an entertaining option called “The Partial Polyglot,” which teaches you a few choice words and phrases in multiple languages. (Memrise offers a “Pro” option,

with more features, for $59.99 per year.)

Avast Photo Space Many of us have faced the predicament of running out of room on our phones and have been forced to choose pictures to delete.

Avast Photo Space is a new app that aims to eliminate this quandary by connecting to Dropbox or a Google Drive account and uploading the original, high-res photos for safekeeping. You’re left with a smallersized, lower-resolution copy of the picture on your phone. While Avast worked well for me — I was able to upload 100 photos and free up almost 200MB of space on my phone — there are complaints that the app is slow and buggy. An update was introduced on June 25 that clears up some of these issues, but you may want to wait another release or two before investing your time (and photos) in the app.

Flight Stats Despite their popularity, you don’t ever need to pay for a flight status app. You can easily Google the information, and if you really need an app to do it for you, FlightStats is the only one you need.

The last time I used it, it nailed the time of my flight’s departure, almost down to the minute. FlightStats allows you to search by flight number, airport and

route, and provides basic on-the-ground information at your departure and destination cities.

Units Plus The interface is a little simplistic, but this is the best free currency and units converter that I’ve used. While the app is open, it downloads currency exchange rates every 15 minutes, keeping it

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remarkably up-to-date. It will also convert weight, volume, area, distance and nearly anything else you can think of. There is an ad-free version available for $2.99.

5 Every Day It’s a situation we all find ourselves in from time to time: You just want to be told where to go and what to do. Claire Evans and Jona Bechtolt of the indie band Yacht created an app that curates a list of five off-the-beaten path events, restaurants and activities in Los Angeles every day of the year. You’ll get suggestions for theatrical productions, hikes, a Chuck Klosterman reading or dive bars you didn’t know about.

The app is simple and intuitive, and mines the city’s events calendar for interesting goings-on. 5 Every Day is free, but allows for the unlimited “fave-ing” of events (that is, saving them for later) for an additional $1.99. It’s Los Angelesonly for now, but hopefully will expand to other cities.

Mobile Passport This app from Customs and Border Protection does away with the annoyance of that long customs form you get before arriving in the United States — you keep your passport information and answer all the customs questions on this app. Once you land, you submit your e-form to customs — no more paper slips (you will have to do this every time you reenter the United States, however).

Best of all, you get to skip the line and use a dedicated mobile passport lane — at least at the airports where this is in place (about a dozen locations right now, including Kennedy, Newark Liberty and Chicago O’Hare, with plans for expansion).

Paid Touchnote If you’re no good at remembering to send postcards when you’re traveling, this app will do nearly all the work for you. Select any picture from your camera roll, and Touchnote will turn it into a postcard and mail it to any location in the world with a working

postal service. You can add a personalized message on the back, just as you would on an actual postcard.

It’s not perfect — a matte finish option would be nice — but that’s a minor complaint. It’s not as exciting as getting a stamp from a foreign country, but if you don’t have time to find a post office, or want to send a customized postcard, this app will do the trick. $1.50 to $2.99 per card.

Packing Pro Do you like to get organized? Like, really organized? Then Packing Pro is the app for you. It breaks down your pre-trip routine in such a granular way it’s almost impossible to forget anything.

Lists for clothes, accessories, medical needs and toiletries are all available, as well as the ability to set priorities, organize and even photograph clothing and other items you need to bring (or purchase before you leave). Lists can be reused, making it easy to get a solid travel organization regime down pat. $2.99.

Human Resource Machine If you’re anything like me, you occasionally need a puzzle game to get you through a particularly arduous flight or bus trip. Human Resource Machine is perfect for those who like logic puzzles — the game is essentially set up as a series of cartoony programming challenges, and you have to create progressively more complicated lines of “code” to complete them. This is not a spaced-out, Candy Crush-like game, mind you — it demands brainpower. $4.99 in the App store.  www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/travel/budget-travel-apps. html?t=head&_r=0

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AndBeyond Matetsi Private Game Rese Zambezi River, Zimbabwe

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ocated on a 123,000-acre wildlife concession on the Zambezi River and 25 miles upstream from Victoria Falls, Matetsi Private Game Reserve

( w w w. a n d b e y o n d . c o m / m a t e t s i private-game-reserve) lodge consists

of two camps with nine suites each and has more amenities than most safari getaways including a stateof-the-art gym, a massage room, an 82-foot-long pool stretched along the riverbank and a wine cellar.

Also, unlike many other African safari lodges, kids are welcome and entertained with AndBeyond’s WildChild program where they participate in activities such as making and using their own fishing rods and making plaster casts out of animal tracks. The biggest perk of a stay, however, may be the wildlife viewing: guests can expect to see herds of elephants and the rare sable antelope among other animals. “This property is a gamechanger in the luxury lodge sector on the Zimbabwe side of the Falls for its contemporary aesthetic and wow factor rarely seen on this stretch of the Zambezi,” Mr. Zur said.

&BEYOND MATETSI RIVER HOUSE Guests can enjoy the exclusivity of &Beyond Matetsi River House, a 4-bedroomed sole-use villa that is perfect for multigenerational travel.

This private villa boasts two rooms with lovely ensuite bathrooms as well as two interleading children’s rooms with an ensuite bathroom.

Matetsi River House has its own kitchen, indoor and outdoor dining areas, a veranda overlooking the Zambezi and a sparkling pool. It also comes with a complement of

staff, including a dedicated guide, private vehicle, chef and butler, ensuring a tailor-made safari unlike any other.

Prices from $675 per person per night. The lodge opens July 15, 2016.  www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/ travel/5-noteworthy-hotelsopening-this-summer. html?t=head&_r=0 42 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

erve

Rewilding the African Scimitar-Horned Oryx

By Jackson Landers In a historic first, an animal that went extinct in the African wild is reintroduced, giving hope for many endangered species

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magine the American west without the bison or Australia without kangaroos. That would approach what the African nation of Chad has been like since losing it’s most iconic animal, the scimitar-horned oryx.

Sometime during the 1980s, the last wild oryx died. It has been 30 years since the animal was last seen in Chad. Working in partnership, the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute, the Sahara Conservation Fund and the governments of Abu Dhabi and Chad will release later this summer 25 oryx into the wild.

The animals arrived in the country by air transport last month and are now acclimating to the area inside a large holding pen. This will be the first attempt ever to restore a large animal to Africa after it had completely disappeared.

Oryx are a species of antelope superbly adapted to living in the dry deserts of Chad and the surrounding Saharan region. They can stay healthy for long periods without water, and their bodies can survive high temperatures that would kill most mammals. Scimitarhorned oryx have survived several million years of droughts and predation.

But while they could outrun the cheetahs and hyenas, they couldn’t escape humans armed with modern firearms who could spot them in the wide-open desert and shoot from far away. The hide of the oryx was in high demand

among regional nomads. “It’s a very tough leather,” says John Newby, CEO of the Sahara Conservation Fund.

“Very good for making saddle bags for camels. For making rope, which was used for tying baggage. Making shoes, for example. Making shields during the early 19th century.

There was a large trade across the Sahara in oryx for use as raw material.”

Today, cheap Chinese rope and shoes have eliminated the market demand for oryx leather. Leather shields are no longer practical. The threat of commercial poaching seems to have passed.

Fortunately, the species was preserved in captivity. Game ranches in Texas, the royal family of Abu Dhabi and zoos around the world all maintained enough captive oryx to act like a set of lifeboats for the species.

The differing genetic profiles among the various captive populations have allowed a breeding program to be coordinated, which appears to be preventing the danger of a “genetic bottleneck.” Reduction of genetic diversity in an endangered species can create a whole new threat to their existence through inbreeding.

“The area where they’ll be released is the size of Indiana—70,000 kilometers or so,” says Steve Monfort, director and chief scientist of the Smithsonian 44 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Conservation Biology Institute.

“It’s not fenced. It’s not a protected area, its not a national park. It’s like Forest Service land or BLM land.”

It is hoped that putting the most important herbivore back into the habitat will help the entire ecosystem to function better.

The dorcas gazelle and the endangered dama gazelle are also present in the area in small numbers.

“You would have found them together in grazing habits in the past,” says Monfort. “A little bit like zebras and wildebeests or something. Two species that graze differently but would be found

together. …

We hope that there will be collateral b e n e f i t s to dama gazelles.”

The striped hyena is still present in Chad, and scientists expect that it will soon resume it’s role as a primary predator of the scimitarhorned oryx. Cheetahs were also a frequent predator of oryx but have been extirpated from the region. Because the people living in the region are primarily keepers of livestock including sheep, cattle and camels, it is unlikely that they would welcome the return of the cheetah.

The consortia of the Conservation Biology Institute, the Sahara Conservation Fund, the Environment Agency of Abu Dhabi and the government of Chad have a goal of a population of at least 500 wild oryx.

“The people who are going to be tracking the animals on the ground once they have been released will be responsible for communicating with the local people,” says Monfort. “Socialize the project to people and communicate about it. A lot of these people weren’t even alive when the species went extinct in the early 1980s. To put it simply, without the support of the local people, this project will never succeed.”

“The nomadic population that we’re talking to on a constant basis, they’re really excited about this,” says Newby. “Because this animal was so present in their lives.

It’s a really iconic species to them.

It’s part of their ecology and their habitat. When we started talking about bringing the oryx back, you could see the look of excitement on their faces.”

Public zoos have often claimed to serve a number of important roles in conservation. But there have been very few examples of zookept animals being successfully released after going extinct in the wild.

Some people hope that even if endangered animals like elephants 45 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

and white rhinos are all killed in the wild, they can eventually be returned when the political and economic forces that cause poaching are gone. The oryx restoration will be closely watched as a possible template.

The Sahara Conservation Fund will provide the expertise on the ground to monitor the oryx. “It’s critically important to monitor the population as it is growing,” says Newby. “How are they behaving, how are they moving. Are they dispersing into big groups or small groups?” The relative success of the animals will dictate how many additional oryx are stocked in order to reach the initial goal of five hundred. Eventually, scientists would like to create additional wild populations in other parts of Africa.

“I would say that. . . we can’t claim victory at this time,” says Montfort. “We can’t say, ‘we’ve got these animals back into Chad and we’re done.’ Its a continuum. We’re 10 steps down the road that’s 30 steps long. Conservation is hard.”  www.smithsonianmag.com/ smithsonian-institution/rewildingafrican-scimitar-horned-oryx180958796/#8rL8LXfzgfdlcIIL.99

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 Fort Sao Miguel Slave Depot Calandula Waterfalls

Kindia Cloth Market, Guinea

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

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

Burundi Chutes de la Kagera Waterfall Lake Tanganyika Craftwares Village at Giheta CAPITAL: Bujumbura Palmeirinhas Beach CAPITAL: Luanda www.angola.org

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

Botswana

www.burunditourisme.com

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

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

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

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

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

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

Côte D‛Ivoire (Ivory Coast) The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro Mount Tonkoui (mountain climb) Comoë National Park CAPITAL: Yamoussoukro Bushman Rock Paintings, Lesotho

www.tourisme.gouv.ci

46 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Ranch de Nazinga Game Reserve, Burkina Faso

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 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

CAPITAL: Addis Ababa

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

www.tourismethiopia.org

www.ltdc.org.ls

Gabon

Liberia

Cathedral of St Michael in

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

Addis Ababa TOTAL Great Ethiopian Race

Libreville Lopé-Okanda Reserve National Park (gorilla) M’Bigou (gold mines/crafts)

CAPITAL: Libreville www.legabon.org

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

Ghana Cape Coast Castle Slave Fortress Mount Afadjato and Togbo Falls (Volta Region) Kakum Nature Reserve (treetop walkway and stay in a tree house) CAPITAL: Accra

Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela

www.touringghana.com

(New Jerusalem) Home of the Queen of Sheba, Axum African Union Headquarters,

Guinea Kindia (cloth market) Kinkon Falls Îles de Los 47 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

www.micat.gov.lr

Libya 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

Travel Africa Mali

Where To Go, What To Do

Festival in the Desert Timbuctou La Boucle de Baoule National Park CAPITAL: Bamako www.le-mali.com/omatho/index.htm

Mauritania Parc National du Banc d’Arguin Chinguetti, a holy city of Islam Oualata CAPITAL: Nouakchott

www.visitmorocco.com

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

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

www.tourisme.mr

Niger

Mauritius

Agadez ‘W’ National Park Igouloulef CAPITAL: Algiers

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.niger-tourisme.com

Nigeria Cross River National Park Emir’s Palace, Kano Benin City CAPITAL: Lagos www.tourism.gov.ng

Republic of the Congo Loufoulakari Falls

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

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

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

São Tomé & Principe Bom Bom Island Deep Sea Fishing Humpback Whale Watching Agua Izé Plantation CAPITAL: São Tomé www.saotome.st

Senegal African Renaissance Monument Retba (Pink) Lake Maison des Enclaves (House of Slaves), Goree Island

CAPITAL: Dakar sentouroffice@aol.com

Igouloulef Mountains, Niger

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 48 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Travel Africa Where To Go, What To Do 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 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

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

Togo Koutammakou (World Heritage Site)

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

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

Uganda Mountains of the Moon (Mount Rwenzori National Park) Bwindi National Park (view gorilla) 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: www.worldtravelguide.net/africa www.internationaltouristboards.com www.worldtourismdirectory.com/directory/africa/index.html

Pyramides of Meroe, Sudan 49 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

AffinityWings

Connecting you to higher rewards with Affinity Wings

Affinity Wings is Arik Air’s new frequent flyer programme, aimed at giving something back to our customers and rewarding them for their patronage.

Become a Member now and you’ll find flying with us even more rewarding – whether it’s for business or leisure. Joining Affinity Wings is quick, easy and will cost you nothing.

even more Affinity Points, fast-tracking your way through the tier level. Affinity Points are valid for one calendar year, so make sure you come back and fly with us again to keep up your membership level.

Membership is open from age two and above, allowing your entire family to enjoy Affinity Wings substantial benefits.

Redeem Affinity Miles for rewards

Wherever you travel with us, each flight will earn you Affinity Points that will help you move between our four tiers – from Pearl up to Gold.

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Each tier has different benefits, for example: Pearl Members can collect Affinity Miles to spend on reward flights. Bronze Members are offered priority boarding, Silver Members can enjoy the comfort of our lounges, while Gold Members receive a generous extra baggage allowance.

As an Affinity Wings member, you can collect Affinity Miles across our domestic, regional and long haul international network.

Acquire status privileges even faster: Choose Premier Class or Flexi Fares and our advantageous mileage programme will reward you with

Affinity Miles can be spent in a variety of ways: Rewards flights across the entire Arik network.

Upgrades Lounge access Guest rewards

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Becoming an Affinity Wings member is very easy.

Registration is free and you can start earning miles immediately. Simply sign up at affinitywings.com and you will automatically be entered into our Affinity Wings Pearl membership level and receive 1000 bonus Affinity Miles.

JOIN TODAY For more information please visit

affinitywings.com

51 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Travel Tips

…expert tips to help your trips go smoothly

SimplyDeclare Helps Manage Purchase Information While on International Travel

H

ere is a simple, easy way to manage your travel receipts to help you have a stress free customs or border crossing experience?

Simply Declare Travel App(s), on the Appstore, will manage your travel receipts and will give you an itemized list with the information you need to fill out your declaration forms upon returning home from a trip abroad.

We have also added many new features to help with the day to day stresses of traveling abroad.

We have added notepads, a quick currency converter like no others on the market and the ability for you the traveler to itemize our lists the way you want them.

With a few simply keystrokes, Simply Declare lets you know in real time currency if you have reached or exceeded your limits.

You can even travel from country to country, because Simply Declare can work multiple currencies at the same time. Consider using Simply Declare as a simple currency converter before you buy something.

Take a photo of your receipt for handy bookkeeping.

Use Simply Declare to track what

Africa Travel Resources African Diaspora Tourism 351 California St, #950, San Francisco, CA 94104 1-800-466-2719 fas@blueworldtravel.com www.AfricanDiasporaTourism.com

351 California St, #950, San Francisco, CA 94104 1-800-466-2719 fas@blueworldtravel.com www.festivalatsea.com

Henderson Travel Service

gifts you are taking into a foreign country you’re visiting.

Don’t worry about roaming charges either; Simply Declare works with WIFI or offline Simply Declare will store your last exchange rate in its memory until you can update your currency lists from a hotspot.

Other features include: • 160+ World Currencies Available • Favorites List for Currency List so you don’t have to scroll forever • Notepad for Trip • Notepad for each item • Ability to make individual Declarations lists for all travelers • Maintain a History of Trips • iCloud syncing Simply Declare is available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Korean, Japanese and Simplified Chinese. Visit the website at www. simplydeclare.com. 

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Safari Supreme P.O. Box 1736, Hollywood, CA 90078 1-818-419-3639 dothard@sbcglobal.net 

I’m Black and I Travel!

Greg Gross @imblacknitravel

BlakGirlTravel BlackGirlTravel.com (CST #209434740) is a registered Seller of Travel under the California Seller of Travel Law. www.blackgirltravel.com

Blue World Travel Corporation

www.dreamflightsintl.com 52 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Marriott Adds Perks to its Rewards Program

by Nancy Trejos

S

tarting globally in late May, Marriott Rewards (www.

marriott.com/rewards/rewardsprogram.mi) members will be

able to use their points in a new “experiences marketplace.”

Members of The Ritz-Carlton Rewards Program (www.ritzcarlton. com/en/rewards), which is part of Marriott, will also have access to the marketplace.

how consumers were changing their behavior.”

Also in late May, Elite members of the Rewards program will have access to an Elite concierge service (www.marriott.com/marriottrewards/member-benefits/silver. mi). The concierge can arrange

amenities on the property such as spa treatments and golf sessions.

hotels and Marriott Vacation Club (www.marriottvacationclub.com).

The changes come just a few weeks after shareholders for both Marriott (www.marriott.com) and Starwood Hotels and Resorts (www.starwoodhotels.com) agreed to a merger (http://news.marriott. com/2016/03/marriott-internationalreaffirms-itscommitment-toacquire-starwoodhotels-resortsworldwide-says-it. html).

M a r r i o t t ’s purchase of Starwood has had many Starwood P r e f e r r e d Guests (www. starwoodhotels.com/ preferredguest/index. html?language=en_ US) worried that

Cairo Marriott Hotel & Omar Khayyam Casino The curated experiences could include tickets to a Broadway show or a private cooking class with a well-known chef.

Hotel companies are increasingly giving its frequent guests more flexibility when it comes to how they use their points.

Thom Kozik, vice president of Loyalty at Marriott, says hotel guests don’t always want to use their points to get a free hotel stay. Instead, they crave more personalized experiences.

“Points are not the point anymore,” he told USA TODAY. “We weren’t keeping track of

The service will launch first for U.S. members of the program traveling worldwide and then expand to all Elite members.

Finally, loyal guests who have reached Gold and Platinum level will get guaranteed late check-out starting May 16. They can request a check-out as late as 4 p.m. when making a reservation by phone, via Marriott’s mobile app, or upon arrival at the property.

The benefit will apply to members of both the Marriott and Ritz-Carlton programs at all participating Rewards hotels except for resorts, convention 53 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

they will lose the benefits they enjoy from that loyalty

program.

Kozik says the two companies are still figuring out how to merge the two programs, and that any changes are probably more than a year away.

“You’ve got nothing to worry about,” he says. “It’s not going to be one camp versus another.

It’s going to be the best of both programs. When we bring the programs together, it’s going to be a better program overall.”  www.usatoday.com/story/travel/ roadwarriorvoices/2016/04/20/ marriott-adds-perks-its-rewardsprogram/83283270/?t=head

The Best Tools for Tracking Travel Deals, Based on the Kind of Traveler you are

By Jonnelle Marte

G

oing on vacation is fantastic.

The act of planning one, however, can be far less glamorous.

Finding a good deal on a flight during travel dates that actually work for your schedule is only half the battle. Pairing those flights with a hotel and activities that fit your budget adds another challenge.

But there are newsletters, apps and travel websites that can help make the process a little easier.

We looked at a few tools you may want to consider, based on the kind of traveler you are.

I’m game for going anywhere, just get me a really cheap flight.

If you’re down to be spontaneous or just aren’t sure where to go, travel newsletters that alert you to cheap flights can be a place to start. Scott’s Cheap Flights is a newsletter that alerts people to cheap flights as they’re discovered, focusing mostly on international trips. It was launched eight months ago by Scott Keyes, who became a travel expert after booking several trips using rewards points and airline miles.

Unlike other newsletters that compile multiple deals, Keyes, who searches for many of the deals himself with the help of a partner, sends one for each sale, including recommendations for how quickly people should book.

About a quarter of the deals Keyes sends out each month are mistake flights, meaning prices are much lower than what the airline

intended. Recently, for instance, he found a $285 round-trip flight from San Francisco to New Zealand that he says normally costs about $1,100. Many of the flights are out of major cities with large international airports, such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, and users can’t specify which airports they want to follow.

Scott’s Cheap Flights has a free version, but people who pay for a premium subscription, which costs about $29 a year, receive more alerts and are notified about deals before the free subscribers.

Another free newsletter to consider is a one offered by Airfarewatchdog.com. The alerts sent to travelers are a combination of discounts found through automated searches and deals curated by a staff of travel experts, says George Hobica, founder of Airfarewatchdog.com. Consumers can sign up to hear about cheap flights leaving from the airports they fly out of regularly, tracking as many as 10 airports. People can rule out airlines they don’t like and can choose how often they want to receive the alerts — daily, weekly or every couple of days.

The website also lets people know about travel date restrictions and other fees they might have to pay.

Unlike more conventional flight comparison tools that help people track the cost of flying a particular route, these newsletters can draw attention to trips that travelers might not already have on their radar, Hobica says. Some of the

deals are also time sensitive, and rates can increase substantially over the next several minutes or hours.

I know where I want to go, but am flexible on timing.

Already know where you want to go but haven’t figured out the best time to go? The fare calendar on Fly.com can help travelers determine when a particular flight might be most affordable. The calendar is similar to the tools offered by some airlines that show travelers how fares might change if they left a few days earlier or delayed their trips to later in the week. But the Fly.com calendar aggregates flights for multiple airlines and shows how prices are expected to change over the next several months.

CheapAir.com has a similar “flexible dates” tool that lists cheap flights over the next several months for particular routes. Kayak.com also shows people how the cost of flights might change, but only by looking a few days before and after.

I need a hotel last-minute, but still want a good deal.

Sometimes, the travel tickets are booked but you still haven’t found a place to crash. The booking app HotelTonight caters to people who have every other part of their trip set but need a hotel at the last minute. Travelers can use the app to sort through hotels available near them to be booked that night or up to a week away. A recent search for hotels in San Francisco showed rooms available the next day for discounts of 15% to more than 30% off normal rates. As The Washington Post has reported, the app may appeal to people who weren’t planning to stay at hotels during their trip but changed their minds or had other plans fall through at the last-minute.

I want the complete package.

Those travelers who really want

54 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

to take the work out of planning can buy a pre-set vacation package that includes both flight and hotel, and maybe fun excursions, but usually limits when the trip can take place. For instance, websites like LivingSocial, Groupon and Travelzoo list discounts on travel packages that are restricted to specific dates. One package promoted on Groupon.com recently listed prices starting at $449 per person for airfare and a fournight hotel stay at an all-inclusive resort in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, compared to normal prices starting at $629 per person.

But the rates only applied for travel on select dates between April and August and flights needed to depart from one of the cities on the list, including Baltimore, Miami, Newark and others.

I want to do the planning, but need help.

Those people who want to choose where they go and when

can plan their own trips, but they don’t have to start from scratch.

A new tool from Google called Destinations comes up with various combinations of hotels and flights within a person’s price point.

Travelers need to do a Google search on their phones for the name of the place they want to visit, followed by the word “destinations,” no app required. People who know they want to do certain activities, like skiing or surfing, but aren’t sure exactly what cities are best can add those keywords to the search.

For example, the top results from a search for “Thailand destinations beach” turned up resorts in Ko Samui, one of Thailand’s largest islands, and Pattaya, a town on Thailand’s eastern Gulf coast.

Users can see the estimated cost of visiting each place, about $1,300 per person for a six-night stay, and swipe right to see how the cost is expected to change over the next several months.

The tool also recommends certain travel dates that Google projects will offer the best value, but travelers can also research other factors they may influence their decision. For instance, they can scroll down to see when that destination is most popular, what the weather should be like at that time of year and what the average cost of a hotel and flight is expected to be over the next several months.

Users can also change the number of travelers going on the trip, the number of stops they prefer for the flight and the hotel class.

These are only some of the tools available for saving on travel. Keep in mind that many of these websites offer multiple services that can cater to all kinds of travelers. https://www.washingtonpost.com/ news/get-there/wp/2016/04/26/thebest-tools-for-tracking-travel-dealsbased-on-the-kind-of-traveler-youare/?t=head

www.travel-42.com

55 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Editorial

We Must Open up Africa to Africans if we Really Want to Boost Growth

By Evans Wadongo

T

he African Development Bank just launched the Africa Visa Openness Report 2016, and it highlights a huge problem: as Africans, we cannot move easily between our countries.

On average, Africans need visas to travel to 55% of other African countries and can only get visas on arrival in 25% of other countries.

This means they can only travel to 20% of the countries without a visa.

Even though countries such as Seychelles, Mauritius, Rwanda, Ghana and Kenya have tried to reduce visa restrictions, other countries are not reciprocating.

This revelation is in sharp contrast to the African Union’s goal to introduce an African passport and abolish visa requirements for all African citizens in all African countries by 2018.

What is really appalling is that it is easier for Europeans or Americans to travel within Africa than for many Africans themselves.

In 2015, holders of a United States of America passport, for example, could travel to 172 countries and territories visa-free or with visa on arrival, including at least 20 African countries.

Ultimately, the visa restrictions mean that African countries are losing out.

One of the benefits of free movement of people that visa restrictions inhibit is increased tourism. Tourism contributes to

one in every 11 jobs and 9% of gross domestic product worldwide.

With high youth unemployment, improved tourism could create thousands of jobs and help reduce inequality. More visitors mean more hotels, restaurants, shopping malls, and a growth in transport and entertainment sectors. The impact could be felt in both urban areas and rural areas.

Currently, according to the Africa Tourism Monitor report, while Africa accounts for about 15% of the world population, it receives only about 3% of world tourism receipts and 5% of tourist arrivals.

The report further says that visa requirements imply missed economic opportunities for intraregional trade, and the local service economy (such as cross-country medical services or education).

Visa policies are among the most important governmental formalities negatively influencing international tourism.

This is not just about nonAfricans visiting our continent. As the new generation of middle class is ushered into Africa, spending on holidays and shopping is increasing, but African countries may not fully benefit. Many of my friends opt to travel to Europe for holidays and shopping as opposed to other African countries. They cite as major reasons the ease of travelling in the Schengen area, which allows a visitor access to 26 countries within Europe, with 56 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

DATA: African D one visa. Combined with the costeffective and easy interconnectivity through rail, air and road transport, it is no surprise that Europe receives the highest number of tourists globally.

Businesses beyond tourism are affected, too. As an entrepreneur, when choosing a new country to venture into, I consider the openness and ease of doing business, with free movement of labor, goods and services as key indicators. I’m not alone. The ongoing integration in the East African Community has seen many businesses that were initially based in one country expand into the others. For instance, a number of Kenyan based banks have expanded into Rwanda, Uganda and South Sudan because of the

Development Bank, Quartz | qz.com improved ease of doing business within the region.

According to the paper Economics and Emigration: Trillion-Dollar Bills on the Sidewalk? open borders could lead to a one-time boost in world gross domestic product by about 50-150%. Hence, African countries should strive to make the dreams of the founders of the then Organization of African unity (OAU) true by allowing Africans to move easily and encourage intra Africa trade and investments.

Easier movement could also help the unemployment rates. I have often found European or Chinese ‘expatriates’ doing jobs that could be done by highly skilled Africans, some of whom lack opportunities in their home countries, if only they

could more easily move between countries for work. Movement of people can also be a driver of technological change and a fresh source of entrepreneurs. Much innovation comes from the work of teams of people who have different perspectives and experiences.

This can also make countries within Africa to be more attractive to foreign direct investment.

While some have argued that strict travel regulations, including visa requirements, are necessary for security purposes, there has been no direct link showing how free movement of people has perpetuated terrorism. President Paul Kagame of Rwanda has been on the forefront saying that a few bad elements should not be used to restrict millions of good citizens 57 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

who want to travel for leisure or business.

Political executive editor of the Telegraph James Kirkup recently argued too that “Simply, all the border checks in the world will not keep us safe. Passport controls can’t stop the spread of ideas, and it is ideas, not people, that are the essence of the terrorism that has just killed so many in Paris and Beirut and Baghdad.”

I agree.

Ultimately, there are many more reasons to remove visa restrictions for Africans traveling in Africa than keeping them. I hope that by 2018, that truly is a reality.  http://qz.com/632658/we-mustopen-up-africa-to-africans-if-wereally-want-to-boost-growth/

Rescued Lions Find Home in South Africa

Iron is the first to be released! He’s enjoying a satisfying rub against a tree! #33lions http://bit.ly/1YRzhlV

I

r o n , Zeus, a n d Rapunzel are part of the group of rescued lions that arrived in South Africa on 1 May. They are three of the 33 big cats saved by Animal Defenders International (ADI) from circuses in Peru and Columbia and rehomed at the Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary in Limpopo (www.facebook.com/ EmoyaBigCats).

Iron’s release into the enclosure is the fairy-tale ending for 33 mistreated circus lions.

A former circus lion is released into an Sanctuary in Vaalwater, South Africa, on

“Iron is one of the Colombian 9, the first animals to be handed over after the country’s wild animal circus ban was passed,” wrote ADI on its Facebook page. “With his cage mate Ojiclaro, Iron was a pitiful sight, the years of suffering clearly visible on his face.”

According to the ADI, this is the largest transfer of lions, a process

58 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

which started 18 months ago. The cost per cat per transfer was $10 000 (approximately R142 000).

Care needed The animals are no longer able to function in the wild, and will need to be taken care of.

“Almost all of the rescued lions have been mutilated to remove

Former circus lions plays after being released into an enclosure at Emoya Big Cat Sanctuary.

enclosure, at Emoya Big Cat n Sunday. Themba Hadebe/AP

A worker straps down cages that hold former circus lions on their arrival at OR Tambo International airport in Johannesburg. their claws, one has lost an eye, another is almost blind, and many have smashed and broken teeth so would not survive in the wild,” ADI said in a statement.

Their new South African home is a large natural enclosures containing drinking pools, platforms and toys.

“The lion habitats will be steadily

expanded over the coming months as the lions become familiar with their new life and are introduced to each other.”

ADI president, Jan Creamer, said this is the first time the animals are in their natural habitat. “It’s the best environment for them.

They have been beaten, they 59 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

have been starved, and they have been deprived of everything that makes life worth living for a lion.

We have brought them back to paradise, where they belong.”  http://www.southafrica.info/ about/animals/lions-arrive-southafrica-030516.htm#.VyqOGNQrJR0

Where To Go In South Africa from Prevue Magazine Unearthing The Past

H

ere are some of the best South African experiences for groups. New attractions surrounding Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first democratically elected president. At the top of the list are the Mandela House Museum in Soweto, where Mr. Mandela lived with his family, and Nelson Mandela Bridge, part

of downtown Johannesburg’s rejuvenation tat links lower Braamfontein with the Newtown Cultural Precinct and spots like the historic Market Theatre, Museum Africa and Gramadoelas restaurant.

Touring the places that Mandela has been can bring the history and the new country together.

About 30 miles northwest of Johannesburg, the Cradle of Humankind is one of eight UNESCO World Heritage sites in South Africa. In an area of undulating grasslands, subterranean limestone caves and

Cradle of Humankind river courses, some of the world’s oldest human fossils have been unearthed. Here, groups will find the Sterkfontein Caves, Swartkrans and Kromdraai - all places that tell the story of humankind’s evolvement over the past 2 to 3 million years. There are a range of conference centers on-site, as well as accommodations and restaurants, with cycling and horseback riding trails and hot air balloon rides and special events.

Culltural and heritage trails are plentiful throughout the region-from pre- and posttours to Limpopo province for a brush with the to guided walks, conservation safaris and 4x4 rides through Kruger National Park, a stronghold for rhino conservation.

Kruger also has more than 255 archaeological sites - ranging from the Stone Age to Iron Age many with cultural and spirital significance.

L i g h t from Africa Foundation in Cape Town provides visitors with opportunities to connect MuseumAfrica

directly with local culture. The teach orphaned children the ancient and healing art of pottery making.

South Africa’s Western Cape

offers 18 wine routes and two brandy routes that trace some of the most scenic trails in the world, many featuring centuries-old wine estates. South Africa’s winelands stretch across the region, with plentiful options for wine tasting, harvesting and wine making tours. 

60 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

International Conference Centre in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

Accra International Conference Center, Accra, Ghana Desert Denizen

61 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Crystal Exprit

C

rystal Cruises (www.crystalcruises.com), the world’s most awarded luxury cruise line, officially welcomed Crystal Esprit to its fleet of ultra-luxury vessels in December 2015 as the sleek yacht was christened in an elegant ceremony held at Eden Island Marina in Mahé, Victoria, Seychelles.

Crystal’s president and CEO, Edie Rodriguez, welcomed a distinguished audience of local dignitaries, yacht guests, travel partners and professionals and executives from the line’s new parent company, Genting Hong Kong (GHK), for a day of celebration, as Crystal Esprit marked the beginning of one of the most significant brand expansions in luxury travel and hospitality history.

Crystal Esprit can accommodate 62 people. The cabin sizes on board are more spacious than on most lines, ranging from 250 to 280 sf. As with all Crystal products, the Esprit is all-inclusive (other than the submarine ride), with tours and tips as part of the price.

The Esprit begins the ocean journeys in the Seychelles then travels to Dubai.

The pinnacle of bucket-list experiences will be the chance to ride in the private submarine attached to the Esprit, which will hold just two people and the captain.

The sub will take guests on a 30-minute ride hundreds of feet deep in the ocean.

The Esprit is available for chartering. When you charter the yacht select the itinerary, create your own menus and eat at designated times, fly your own flag, bring your own entertainment, even determine your own dress code.

The yacht can accommodate meetings to seat all passengers in a private room outfitted with an AV wall.

An entirely new class of luxury small ship cruising has been introduced with the launch of the Crystal Esprit.

Sleek and nimble, the yacht-like vessel features a shallow draft that allows it to visit secluded harbors, coves

62 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Introducing Crystal Esprit

and islands that are simply not accessible to larger cruise ships.

New itineraries, excursions and activities – all designed with the yacht’s size in mind – enable you to maximize your engagement with the destination in ways not previously possible aboard a ship. The Crystal Esprit features a variety of watersports equipment that can be used directly from the marina deck aft. Snorkel or swim in the inviting waters of the Adriatic or Seychelles; water ski and jet ski, or paddle a kayak in the early morning quiet.

The hallmarks of the Crystal Cruises brand – service, space, quality and choices – will continue to thrive on a yacht that offers the best of all inclusive.

Butler service for every room, six-star service and food, unique Crystal Adventures designed for a more intimate, exclusive feeling translating the World’s Best

Ocean Cruising to the World’s Best Yacht Experience. Crystal Esprit will redefine Luxury Adventure in some of the most beautiful cruising areas in the world.

One of the appeals of the Crystal Yachting Lifestyle is the unregimented environment, leaving you free to set your own pace, which is the ultimate luxury in itself. You can opt to explore on your own, join an active or cultural excursion with fellow guests, or simply relax on the deck while admiring the views.

This sleek and sophisticated yacht is characterized by Crystal’s unique understanding of luxury and is designed to deliver an exceptional c u s t o m e r experience.

The overall atmosphere is classic elegance mixed with modern comfort.

Suites feature a refined color palette of bright neutrals that are complemented by a series of soft grays and warm taupes.

Natural materials, traditional patterns and subtle navigational cues offer a refined nod to nautical traditions.

The textures of rich woods, lavish marbles and natural fabrics combine to create a welcoming environment where guests feel at home. Each suite is is further enriched by thoughtful appointments that accentuates the yacht’s unique interior design while providing superior guest comfort. Every detail has been accounted for – a variety of integrated cabinetry accommodate longer stays; architectural and task lighting can be adjusted on preference; an custom designed bathroom featuring high-end finishes and modern technology enhance guest comfort; and a tranquil master bedroom and lounge area help travelers unwind.  www.crystalcruises.com

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Welcome to Henderson Travel Service...

“We take you to Africa and the World!”

With nearly six decades of expertise in the travel and tour industry, our experienced professionals are dedicated to creating exciting tours to destinations throughout Africa, the Orient and beyond. We also offer cruises, Caribbean holidays, and meeting planning/events for all types of travelers.

By reducing overhead and seeking the best value in the current travel environment, Henderson Travel Service delivers quality service at competitive prices. Our team fosters a work ethic that caters to families, organizations, groups, couples, and solo travelers who require a diverse spectrum of travel services.  Gaynelle Henderson-Bailey, Ph.D., President & CEO Henderson Travel Service / Henderson Associates 7961 Eastern Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20910 TEL: 301-650-5700 E-mail: gaynelle@hend.com

66 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Tools for Tourist & Business Travelers Airlines Encourage Passengers to Tweet about Long Security Lines

By Robert Silk

T

he trade organization Airlines For America (A4A) (http://airlines.org) has turned to crowdsourcing in an effort to take on long TSA security lines.

Last week, A4A went live with IHateTheWait.com, which encourages people to tweet or post Instagram photos of excessive security lines.

The site, said A4A spokesman Vaughn Jennings, is designed to

travelers can click on a link that enables them to tweet their airport location to @AskTSA along with the problem they are encountering and the hashtag #iHateTheWait.

Alternatively, users can click off the website to post a photo of the line on Instagram with the tag @TSA. Excessive security lines led Homeland Security secretary Jeh Johnson (www.dhs.gov) to announce last week that he would add more screening staff, increase the number of bomb-sniffing dogs and expand enrollment efforts in the TSA PreCheck program.

Airports, airlines and the federal officials fear that lines will only get worse once the summer travel season begins.  http://www.travelweekly.com/ Travel-News/Airline-News/ Airlines-encourage-passengersto-tweet-about-long-securitylines?t=head&cid=eltrMtgNews

American Airlines Launches New Business Class raise awareness of the issue while giving both passengers and the TSA a heads-up on trouble spots.

“The Department of Transportation’s benchmark of the maximum acceptable wait time is 29 minutes, but we are seeing lines that go 60 or 90 minutes at some major airports,” Jennings said. “That’s why we are doing everything we can to help make the process more efficient for passengers and the TSA alike.”

From IHateTheWait.com, 67 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Seats

By Grant Martin

A

merican Airlines has unveiled a new design for its long haul business class cabin. The seats will be installed in the upcoming Boeing 787 Dreamliners and the Airbus A350 that American has on order as well as on and a handful of retrofitted Boeing 777-200s.

American’s new business cabin design follows closely in step with recent innovation in the global space. Each business class seat will recline into a fully flat position instead of the angled-lie flat design popular in the 1990s — a dated configuration still installed in many of American’s legacy international fleet. In addition to better sleeping space, each seat in this so-called “Super Diamond” configuration will also have aisle access, improving on earlier generations with three or even four seats across in business class. http://www.forbes.com/sites/ grantmartin/2016/05/09/americanairlines-launches-new-business-classseats/?t=head#5dd6f796a1db

Tools for Tourist & Business Travelers Anywhere, Anytine Charger

T

he Pocket Socket 2 (www.ktor.com/pocket_socket.php) is a hand-cranked generator that provides electrical power on the go! It is perfect for anyone who needs to charge a portable

electronic device immediately, but does not have access to a wall outlet. From the business traveler to outdoor enthusiast, commuting student to emergency personnel, the Pocket Socket is a great ecofriendly source for emergency backup power. Fully functional anytime, anywhere, it lets you charge a wide variety of electronic devices, including, but not limited to, your cell phone, mp3 player, camera, GPS, or tablet. If you need an adapter included to convert to European two pin standard from US, please let us know. Size: 2.5 x 2.25 x 6.875 inches Weight: 14oz.

Power Output: 10W 120V DC @2Hz 

Take Your Hair Care on Board

R

eady to travel and need your hair to look radiant?

You still can with the Travel and Trial pack (www.mixedchicks. net/travel-pack-resealable.html) with resealable zip lock bag. Same great products, in an airplane/TSA

friendly see-through bag.

You get: MIXED CHICKS 2oz Shampoo, MIXED CHICKS 2oz Deep Conditioner, and MIXED CHICKS 2oz Leave-in Conditioner.

Y o u ’ l l love the way MIXED CHICKS non-sticky, lightweight curly hair products leave your hair inviting to touch as they define and lock moisture into every curl.

And yes, it not only works on wavy, tightly curled or straight hair but it also works on weaves - http://www. mixedchicks.net. 

You Can Use Your Phone to Check This Smart Luggage In

T

here is one overriding reason to consider paying as much as $1,300 for a suitcase with Rimowa’s electronic tag: It makes checking your bag a breeze, saving loads of time.

The tech uses an app, an electronic ink display, and backend integration with airline baggage systems to create and display a baggage tag. This lets you skip the part where an airline counter clerk loops one of those sticky paper tags through the handle of your luggage.

Just check your bag using your phone, drop it at the counter, and head for the nearest Cinnabon.

The E Ink screen on the side of the bag can display a unique airline baggage tag every time you fly.

Of course this requires an app.

68 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

You download it from the App Store (Android is coming) and pair it to your bag via Bluetooth. However, you must use a supported airline’s check-in app to complete the process. So far only Lufthansa supports the electronic tag process, but United is testing it.

When you check in, a digital luggage tag containing all the appropriate barcodes and other info appears on the bag’s E Ink display strip. Rimowa says its tests showed airport scanners read its e-tags correctly 98% of the time, compared to 93% for those handle-befouling paper tags.

The company also says the AAA batteries powering the screen— no charging!—are good for 800 Bluetooth pairings, and the e-tag itself is 10 times stronger than Gorilla glass. And don’t worry if one of the gorillas loading your bag manages to break it; a five-year warranty covers it.

Bag It, Tag It Beyond quicker check-ins and expedited luggage-dumping, the app taps an airline’s baggage

pipeline to provide a measure of bag-tracking. It’ll let you know if your bag is on the plane safely, but it won’t help you chase down the guy who stole it.

In that sense, Rimowa’s techenhanced baggage is more limited than other “smart” luggage” we’ve seen. And smart luggage is now a thing, with companies like Bluesmart, Barracuda, and Raden are packing their bags with batteries, USB ports, and GPS trackers. But each of those companies is a startup, while Rimowa’s been at it since 1898.

You’ll find the electronic tag option on Rimowa’s aluminum Topas cases and polycarbonite Salsa, Limbo, and Bossa Nova line later this spring. Depending on the size and style, prices will range from around $500 to $1,300.

Baggage fees not included.  http://www.wired.com/2016/05/ rimowa-smart-luggage-e-ink-screen/

Taking a Smartphone Abroad

W

hile the idea of disconnecting from technology when on travel seems relaxing, the stress of visiting a foreign country without a smartphone connection can quickly counteract the benefits of a digital detox. After landing in an unfamiliar place, you may realize that an inability to look up mobile maps or places to eat on a phone can be crippling. Relying on a printed tourist guide may feel primitive and immediately inform muggers that you are holding lots of cash.

So what to do? There are two ways to take your cellphone abroad and get data — the frugal way and the pay-full-price way. The inexpensive method involves some tinkering and planning ahead, while the full-price way is easy but requires paying even more money to your carrier.

First, the full-price option.

For many years, American wireless customers have been able to pay extra to their carrier

for international roaming, or the ability to seamlessly use a foreign network. Among other options, AT&T sells an international package with a modest amount of data (800 megabytes, enough to last about a week) for $120, and Verizon Wireless charges $10 a day for roaming in many countries.

T-Mobile USA and Sprint offer free international roaming, but with a caveat: The data speeds are very slow.

For frugal travelers To get a good deal, bring an “unlocked” smartphone, which is a phone not restricted to use with one carrier, into a foreign carrier’s store, buy a data package and insert its SIM card into the phone.

(In wireless industry jargon, these are called prepaid international SIM cards.) Even better, some overseas carriers let you order a SIM card ahead of time so you can get it before your trip or have it delivered to your hotel.

Unlocking Your Smartphone First and foremost, to use a foreign carrier’s SIM card, you usually have to unlock your smartphone or buy a cheap unlocked phone. Typically, when you buy a new smartphone, it comes locked so you can use it with only one carrier. After you have fully paid off the phone, you can ask the carrier unlock it.

Each carrier’s unlocking process can be found online with a web search. Verizon generally does not lock newer smartphones, but you should call customer service to check that yours is unlocked before traveling. Sprint requires requesting the unlock through customer service on its website or over the phone. T-Mobile offers an app for Android users to ask for an unlock; otherwise, you can contact T-Mobile on the phone or through a web chat to request it.

Alternatively, you can buy a cheap unlocked phone. Motorola offers its second-generation Moto 69 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

G, a well-reviewed cheap Android phone, for about $150 on Amazon.

Download Apps for Messaging If you get a foreign SIM card, you will be using a different phone number from your regular one.

To simplify taking a smartphone abroad, we recommend ignoring traditional phone and texting services and relying on free communication services that rely purely on data connections.

There are many data-based apps for messaging and calling.

WhatsApp is a reliable service that can be used in most countries for placing phone calls or sending messages over a data connection.

Apple iPhones include iMessage and FaceTime, services for sending messages and placing calls over a data connection.

If someone wants to contact you, tell them to use one of those services.

Bottom Line We recommend foreign SIM cards with a few caveats. If you are traveling to multiple countries you will (may) need a separate SIM card for each country, and the costs will add up quickly. In that situation, contacting service providers to set up international roaming may be better than the extra trouble of juggling multiple SIMs. Or if you are a business traveler with a good expense account, paying for AT&T’s or Verizon’s international packages are headache-free options.

Verizon also offers its $10-a-day TravelPass for roaming in more than 100 countries — a nice option, though the cost will pile up during a longer trip You can save a lot of money and get a lot more high-speed data by planning ahead and buying a foreign SIM card.  www.nytimes.com/2016/05/26/ technology/personaltech/a-travelersguide-to-taking-a-smartphone-abroad. html?_r=1&t=head

How to Spot Human Traff icking in Hotels

By Barbara Scofidio

E

very hotel—including the 4and 5-star properties used by meeting planners—is a potential site for sex trafficking, which affects nearly 100,000 children each year.

Signs to look for can be subtle, but when identified in combination, could point to human trafficking.

For example, a front desk clerk might think nothing of a young female guest whose partner is holding her identification and wallet for her, but when the room she checks into then has a “Do Not Disturb” sign hanging from the door all week, there’s reason for suspicion. Several hotel companies, including CarlsonRezidor, Accor, Wyndham and Hilton Worldwide, are leading the fight against trafficking by signing “The Code” (the Tourism ChildProtection Code of Conduct), training their employees, and putting policies and programs in place to address this issue.

Among the signs to look for in hotels: • A traveler pays in cash one day at a time • A guest escorts various men into their room • An older male or female stays around the room until the visitors leave, watching the door • The victim will rarely be left alone • The victim will also have little control of money and identification.

Michelle Guelbart, private sector project coordinator for ECPATUSA (End Child Prostitution and Slavery), joined Prevue Editor

Barbara Scofidio twice during the recent IMEX show in Las Vegas to educate attendees about human trafficking and how to spot victims.

A new ECPAT video, “Does Your Hotel Know?” was featured in their sessions.

Guelbart and Scofidio will be part of an upcoming webinar, “Your Role in Spotting and Combatting Human Trafficking,” sponsored

by SPIN (Senior Planners Industry Network) and Prevue, on November 3 at 2 p.m. EST. Other panelists include Lesley Young Cutler, owner, Envision Meetings & Incentives, and Jennifer Keltner, travel and meeting manager for a large automotive company. Half of all proceeds will be donated to ECPAT-USA. ECPAT-USA educates first-

responders and others to better understand the issue so they can act when needed.

ECPAT-USA is different from other anti-trafficking organizations for two primary reasons. While many organizations conduct research or offer services afterthe-fact, ECPAT-USA works to stop Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children at the source. In addition, ECPAT-USA is focused solely on children.  http://prevuemeetings. com/magazine/how-tospot-human-trafficking-inhotels/?utm_source=PrevueExtra&utm_medium=Email&utm_ term=October&utm_ content=Head&utm_ campaign=Prevue-ExtraOctober-20

70 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

West Africa Airways Inc. is a low-cost airfare Passenger airline offering air charter airline services along with our Partners in Aviation and the fleet of B767-300 Extended Range aircraft.

The company was formed in 2004 when it reached an agreement with some of the countries in West Africa, to begin flight operations from Thurgood Marshall BaltimoreWashington International Airport, (BWI) USA.Fax: (775) 882-6818 E-mail: info@westafricaairways.com Website: www.westafricaairways.com Destinations: Roberts Field International Airport, Liberia (ROB); Dekar Yoff International Airport, Senegal (DKR); Kotoka International Airport, Ghana (ACC)

www.gov.rw

Black Cultural Travel Made Easy http://soulofamerica.com/international-guides.phtml 71 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Be in touch

Be in tune

Be independent

Nesting international standards with African hospitality.

Kuramo Waters, Victoria Island, Lagos | Nigeria Phone: +234 1 277 2700 | Fax: +234 1 270 4071 E-mail: reservation@ekohotels.com | info@ekohotels.com Website: www.ekohotels.com 72 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

73 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

I’m Black and I Travel! …on the radar!

Greg Gross @imblacknitravel

“TOURS”

IBIT IS GOING TO WEST AFRICA IN 2017...

AND YOU’RE INVITED!

I

’m leading a 10-day land tour in ‪#‎Ghana‬ to mark its 60 years of independence. See where African captives were sold into slavery. Meet a tribal king and be christened with your own Ghanaian name! Get a taste of West African cuisine and African jazz. Prices start at $1,900. For more info, send me at email at info@tripsbygreg. com. Subject: GHANA TOUR. Join us for an unforgettable journey to the birthplace of modern independent ‪#‎Africa‬! ‪#‎travel‬ ‪#‎IBIT‬ ‪#‎TripsbyGreg‬

IBIT readers first met her.

A few years later, she sent for her 11-year-old son to join her in the Ghanaian capital of Accra.

For all its goodwill and good intentions, taking up Ghana on its trans-Atlantic invitation to reset your life in Africa is not easy for Black Americans. Dealing with the country’s bureaucracy is enough to deter all but the most determined.

Which pretty which describes Latoya Brown. Which explains why she and her son today have a Ghanaian home address.

Now, she’s launching a venture through which she hopes to share the wonders of southwestern Africa

Soul Adverturers Safari: Essence of Namibia Tour

F

irst, she moved herself from the US to Ghana as an expat and a solo Black woman.

Now, she’s making moves on the African travel industry, organizing safaris for women of color.

When Ghana became the first Black African nation to win its independence from colonial Europe in 1957, it also became the first nation on the Mother Continent to formally extend a standing invitation to Black Americans to return to the land of their ancestors.

Four years ago, Latoya Brown accepted that invitation, leaving behind the United States for a new life in Africa. That’s when 74 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

with eight to 10 women of color — and perhaps, leave them feeling as empowered as she is.

It’s a 10-day trip to explore Namibia, near the tip of the continent on the southwest Africa coast, on the boarder with South Africa.

She’s calling it Soul Adventurer Safaris.

She organized this journey, she says, “to bring together ladies interested in an African safari — to see something more magnificent than ourselves. Small and quaint and still fun for us all to learn about

each other, enjoy nature, and get some reawakening or refreshing in 2016.”

If that sounds good to you, give Latoya a shout on her Facebook page — and start preparing yourself for the journey of a lifetime.

THE BREAKDOWN The safari hits the main highlights of northern and central-western Namibia first, then heads south to the Namib Desert.

This is assisted comfortable camping, with participation limited to only helping with the tents.

See the highest sand dunes in the world, wildlife, cultural visits, the art of the San peoples and a trip to the seaside! You’ll get up close with the Big Cats at Okonjima and photograph amazing wildlife in Etosha National Park. Learn the tribal structures, religions and daily life of the Himba. Walk Namibia’s highest mountain, the Brandberg, to view the ‘White Lady.’ Drive through the beautiful desert landscape of Damaraland. Enjoy Namibia’s premier seaside town, Swakopmund on the Skeleton Coast. A visit to the Namib Desert sand dunes at Sossusvlei.

Your flight and visa costs are separate and you will be responsible for securing this part.

I have found flights for as little as $900 up to $1300 round-trip from the U.S. You may also use your traveler’s points if you have any.

Hosea Kutako airport in Windhoek.

Airport code is WDH. Contact Trips

by Greg for flight information and booking.

Arriving at least the day before, and then staying in Windhoek, is ideal to rest after such a long flight. On the 1st, all will be picked up from the airport – that specific information (time) will be given to participants closer to the date.

You may find a hotel on your own to stay in during that time. I have found 1 hotel at about $30 for the night.

F O R T H O S E

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CAMPING — Total: $1500.

FOR THOSE IN HOTELS — Total: $2,000 Payments can be made in installments. Contact Latoya Brown as soon as possible for pricing and payment schedule, or any other questions you might have.

NOTE: VERY IMPORTANT that you place in the description for the PayPal payments that you are with ForBlackWomen Group. Payment email is Namediting@gmail.com.

You will receive a formal receipt by email.  http://imblacknitravel.com/

76 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

77 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

www.starrafricanrum.com product of Madacascar

Made For Walking - CH Zambia Safari Boots The Vintage Shoe Company http://blog.vintageshoecompany.com/index.php/2012/08/cool-hunting-vintage-shoe-company-safari-boot

79 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Welcome to the

Djibouti Palace Kempinski Experience the extraordinary... www.kempinski.com/en/djibouti

80 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Vacations in Africa Take Your Pick!! www.africaguide.com

O

ur travel center has more than 700 different African Holidays and Volunteer / Conservation Projects that you can easily search through to find your perfect holiday. 

USD $4,545 - 14 Days, Cape Town, Garden Route, Kruger Park

www.africaguide.com

Escorted Small Group tour from Cape Town, Garden Route, Durban, Zululand, Kruger Park, Panorama Route. Includes: activities, breakfast, dinner, local flights.

USD $2,586 - 11 Days, Tanzania Wildlife Safari & Zanzibar Beach Holiday

USD $1,207 - 12 Days, Nature & Culture Tour of Madagascar Discover the beautiful Island Madagascar with its unique nature and culture - the only place where you can see Lemurs and other unique wildlife.

An unforgettable trip with a competent guide.

USD $2,000 - 7 Days - Circle of Life - Wildlife Safari

Visiting the best of Tanzania’s wildlife parks, ending with beach relaxation in Zanzibar. Private Safari with camping or Lodge option. Perfect for Honeymooners and families.

USD $5,061 - 11 Days, Great Wildebeest Migration Lodge Safari, Tanzania

Safari means ‘journey’ – this journey is your passage into the soul of Africa’s greatest wildlife area. Take advantage of the strong US dollar and pounds sterling rate - the rand is now more than 15 to the US$ and the pound over R21 to the pound!! 17 Rand to the Euro!!

USD $871 - 8 Days, Egypt: Sights of Cairo and 5 Star Nile Cruise Spend 4 days in Cairo, enjoying the historical sights then relax on a Nile Cruise taking in the ancient wonders of Egypt.

You to witness the very best of Tanzania. You will revel in all the wildlife viewing opportunities on the fabled plains of the Serengeti, around Lake Manyara, Tarangire & Ngorongoro

USD $1010 - 7 Days, Kenya Safari Catch the Big 5 Kenya Camping Safari to Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru and Samburu National Parks. Starting/finishing in Nairobi.

Beach holiday extension to Mombasa can be added. Book and get a 10% discount 81 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

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

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

Mena House Golf Course

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

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

82 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Golf Africa www.golfworldmap.com/africa/#9.622414142924805,17.05078125,3 Windhoek Country Club Resort, Windhoek

Freetown Golf Club, Freetown

Town

www.windhoek.co.za

South Africa

www.clovelly.za.net

Nigeria

www.akasiacountryclub.co.za

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

Akasia Golf Clue, Pretoria Atlantic Beach Golf Club, Cape Town www.atlanticbeachgolfclub.co.za/ capetown/index.asp

Reunion

Bellville Golf Club, Cape Town

Golf du Bassin Blue, St Gilles les Hauts Golf Club de Bourbon, Etang Sale les Bains

Benoni Country Club, Johannesburg

www.golf-bourbon.com/spip/spip.

www.bellvillegolf.co.za

www.benonicountryclub.co.za/pro/ Default.aspx

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

Lost Palace Golf Course South Africa

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 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

Blair Atholl, Fourways www.blairatholl.co.za

Blue Valley Golf & Country Estate, Olifantsfontein

Germiston Golf Club, Germiston www.germistongolf.com

Glendower Golf Course, Johannesburg

www.bluevalley.co.za

www.glendower.co.za

Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston

www.hgc.co.za

www.bryanstoncc.co.za

Centurion Country Club, Centurion

www.starwoodhotels.com/ lemeridien/property/overview/index. html?propertyID=1821&EM=VTY_ MD_1821_DAKAR_OVERVIEW

www.centurioncountryclub.co.za

Sierra Leone

Clovelly Country Club, Cape

Champagne Sports Resort, Winterton www.champagnesportsresort.com

83 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Hermanus Golf Club, Hermanus Houghton Golf Club, Houghton www.houghton.co.za

Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth www.humewoodgolf.co.za

The Country Club Johannesburg, Rivonia see Golf Africa on page 84

from Golf Africa page 83

www.ccj.co.za

Killarney Country Club, Johannesburg www.killarneycountryclub.co.za

Kingswood Golf Estate, George www.kingswood.co.za

www.kloofcountryclub.co.za www.knysnagolfclub.com

Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate, Nylstroom

www.leopardcreek.co.za

Lost City, Sun City

www.suninternational.com/ Destinations/Resorts/Golf/Pages/Golf. aspx

Malmesbury Golf Club, Malmes-

www.metropolitangolfclub.co.za

Reading Country Club, Alberton

Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town

www.readingcc.co.za

www.milnertongolfclub.co.za

River Club Golf & Conference Center, Cape Town

www.monkscowl.co.za

Knysna Golf Club, Knysna

Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane

Randpark Golf Club, Randburg

Monks Cowl Coutry Club & Lodge, Winterton

Kloof Country Club, Kloof

www.langebaanestate.co.za

www.ptacc.co.za

Metropolitan Golf Course, Cape Town

www.mgclub.co.za

www.kleinmondgolfclub.co.za

Langebaan County Estate Golf & Leisure, Langebaan

Pretoria Country Club, Pretoria

Modderfontein Golf Club, Modderfontein

Kleinmond Golf Club, Kleinmond

www.korocreek.com

bury www.malmesburygolfclub.co.za

Mossel Bay Golf Club, Mossel Bay

www.randpark.co.za

http://riverclub.co.za

Riviera on Vaal Country Club, Vereenigning www.rovcountryclub.co.za

Royal Cape Golf Club, Cape Town www.royalcapegolf.co.za

www.mosselbaygolfclub.co.za

Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban

Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town

www.royaldurban.co.za

www.mowbraygolfclub.co.za

Paarl Golf Course, Paarl

San Lameer Country Club, Margate

www.paarlgolfclub.co.za

www.sanlameer.co.za

Pearl Valley Signature Golf Estate and Spa, Cape Winelands

Scottburgh Golf Club, Scottburgh

www.pearlvalley.co.za

www.scottburghgolf.co.za

Pecanwood Golf & Country Club, Hartbeesportt

Selbourne Golf Estate, Pennington

www.pecanwoodgolf.co.za

www.selborne.com

Plettenberg Bay Country Club, Plettenberg Bay

Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club, Pretoria

www.plettgolf.co.za

www.silverlakes.co.za

84 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

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

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 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 85 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

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 

African Cuisine!

Rovos Rail Recipes

T

hese recipes are from The Foody Traveler website

( w w w. f o o d y t r a v e l l e r. c o m / reviews/at-the-pass/217-rovos-railrecipes). And we add our thanks

for theirs to the statement of appreciation offered by the Foody Traveler. to Rovos Rail.

With thanks to Rovos Rail (see our story about railway travel on page 20) for allowing us to reproduce some of the recipes of dishes enjoyed on their trains and special thanks to the chefs who produced them for us. Please note that these recipes are the chefs’ own working recipes and the measurements are in the metric system.

Seared Loin of Springbok with a Port and Black Cherry Demi-Glacé set on Stir-Fried Vegetables and a Creamy Parmesan and Sage Polenta Ingredients: Springbok loin Tinned black cherries 500ml fresh stock Polenta Parmesan cheese Cream Loin of Springbok

Chopped fresh herbs Mixture of stir-fry vegetables Directions: Seal off the loins and season well, finish in the oven, taking care not to overcook.

Reduce the stock and the cherry syrup together until thick, adding the whole cherries at the last minute. Make polenta according to instructions, mix in herbs, cream and parmesan cheese, adding more vegetable stock/water if mixture is too thick.

Serve soft polenta on a plate with slices of springbok loin set on stir-fried vegetables.

Finish off with cherry sauce.

Balsamic and Lemon Marinated Ostrich Steak, sliced on a bed of Baby Potato Salad, Julienne Courgettes (zucchini) Ingredients: Juice of 2 lemons 50ml balsamic vinegar 5 ostrich portions Salt Pepper Directions: Marinade the ostrich in the balsamic and lemon juice with the zest for two hours.

Preheat the sauce pan until smoking hot.

Cook the ostrich until golden brown, or rare.

Potato salad with a whole grain mustard

Ostrich Steak

mayonnaise Ingredients: Mayonnaise (1 litre) 2 whole eggs 2 egg yolks 5ml whole grain mustard 5ml salt 2ml white pepper 30ml wine vinegar 30ml lemon juice 750ml flora oil Directions: Beat the eggs and egg yolks into the mustard with salt and pepper until pale and thick.

Gradually add the vinegar and lemon juice drop for drop alternately, then the oil in a steady stream.

Be carefull the mayo will split if too much oil is poured too quickly.

Courgettes Ribbons of courgette, blanched.

Warm Pumpkin Fritter with Peach and Fruit Chutney Ingredients: 250gr raw pumpkin cubes 230gr soft butter 250ml (1Cup) sugar 5ml (1tsp) vanilla essence 4 extra-large eggs 440ml (1 ½ cup) cake flour 250ml (1cup) self-raising flour

87 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

see African Cuisine on page 88

African Cuisine from African Cuisine page 87

5ml (tTsp) baking powder Oil for deep frying Cinnamon sugar for sprinkling Directions: Cook the pumpkin in a little salted

Pumpkin Fritters

water until soft. Drain if necessary, mash and set aside.

Beat the butter until pale and fluff, beating continuously, add the sugar a little at a time.

Add the vanilla essence, add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.

Sift together the cake flour, selfraising flour and baking powder and add.

Stir in the mashed pumpkin.

Heat enough oil in a pan for deep frying and drop spoonful of batter into the oil.

Fry until brown all over and drain on paper towel.

Chutney Boil sugar and ginger together in water for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and add apricots, almonds, peppers and kiwi and some Mrs Balls chutney. Stir gently and allow to cool.

Garlic and Lemon Grilled Prawn Salad on a bed of Julienne Vegetables and toasted Cashews, served with a Ginger and Coriander Dressing Ingredients: 1.2kg prawns 2 tablsp garlic crushed and made into a paste 100ml olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Directions: Marinade the prawns, dry them on paper towel in a flat plate before pan frying (If not dry, they will not brown). Take

Prawn Salad

care not to over-cook 12 servings

Vegetables & Nuts Ingredients: 500g of mixed lettuce leaves 2 red peppers julienne 2 yellow peppers julienne 3 tomatoes julienne (Slice off the firm body of the tomato keep the pulp for tomato sauces) Mange touts julienne 1 cucumber julienne 250g cashew nuts toasted

Dressing Ingredients: 250ml olive oil 1 teaspoon mustard 100ml sesame seed oil 1cm of crushed fresh garlic 1cm of crushed fresh ginger 2 tablespoons of freshly chopped coriander Directions: Make vinaigrette with the above ingredients dress the salad and “voilà tout etpret” 

Rovos Rail Chefs

Rovos Rail Chefs

Rovos Rail Dining Car 89 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

UPS WorldShip™

Your Desktop Guide Through International Shipping Preparation Download Free Software www.ups.com

Pan-African CHILDREN’S FUND

people-to-people, church-to-church initiative to contribute to a better future for the children of Africa Please send your contribution to:

Pan-African Children’s Fund P.O. Box 8386 Los Angeles, CA 90008

323-733-1048 pacf@westa.org

The KARIDERM products for hair care, body care and facial care are made from certified organic shea butter, offering all the benefits of this African green treasure.

Rich in nutritious fatty acids and regenerating vitamins, KARIDERM’s shea butter nourishes and balances the skin, giving a superior level of protection, revitalization and hydration.

Available in Canada & Africa.

Order directly from

www.kariderm.com

90 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Kasamore International Calling Card Low Rates for International Calls & Domestic Calls No Contract • No Fees Quaranteed High Quality Sound

www.kasamore.com 1-866-507-7144

ENJOY!!

The many beers, wines and liquors of Africa.

On the continent and in the U.S.A. 91 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Black Business News International Edition www.blackbusinessnews.net World Business & Philanthropy International Edit

ion

Black Business News

Serving the Globa l African Economic Community

Fall 2008 USD$5.00

Contents Corporate Givin

g: EOY charita opportunities in health, education, ble housing, and more.

Tourism: Investm

ent in Africa’s tourism industr y is active, all across the contine vital and is evident nt.

Feature Articles: “Strategies For Cons Engagement with tructisve the African Diaspora” “Diaspora Enga gement: Remittances & Beyond” Investment ProƤ le: Moyo District

of the Republic

of Uganda

Professional Direc

tory

Charitable Inves

tments

Rev. Leon R. Perry , III in Ghana with

see Corporate Giving recently orpaned twins page 21

Online Videos Offer Businesses the Basics of Exporting

An Export Ready Product.

Available in Natural and Lime Send your e-mail inquiry to

ask.energyplus.com

A new series of 12 online videos offer exporters another tool in learning about the technical aspects of exporting and dealing with the intricacies of trade rules and paperwork.

In these videos, viewers see Trade Information Center (TIC) trade specialists, explaining how to fill out a NAFTA Certificate of Origin.

The presenters in the videos all do customerfacing work for their Department of Commerce agencies and, thus, are intimately familiar with the subject matter of each video.

The 12 export training videos are available on the Web at www.census.gov/foreign-trade/aes/ exporttraining/videos. Each video runs about three or four minutes and can be viewed online or downloaded for off-line viewing.

For additional sources of export counseling, contact the Trade Information Center at 1-800-USA-TRAD(E) (1-800-872-8723); www. export.gov.

92 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

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1-773-888-9999 1-800-MONEYGRAM® www.moneygram.com

ASSIST THE PEOPLE OF SOUTH SUDAN Sudan Sunrise

S

Help Build Schools in the South Sundan www.sudansunrise.org

outh Sudan is the most underdeveloped region of the world today. 85% of the population in South Sudan is illiterate. Only about 7% of teachers in the south have any professional training, and it is not uncommon to visit a school where the teachers themselves have not been educated beyond fourth grade. Some 1.5 million children who should be in school are not, due to lack of schools. The majority of schools that do exist consist of a chalkboard under a tree. Read about the camapign and contribute to the program to build over 41 schools at www.sudansunrise.org.

Southern Sudan Literacy Project (SSLP)

T

Build a Primary School • www.thehopealliance.org/?q=node/77

he Southern Sudan Literacy Project (SSLP) is designed to build a Primary school in Dongchak Payam, Duk County, Southern Sudan. Solomon Awan, who was one of the “Lost Boys from Sudan,” now lives in Salt Lake City, Utah.

He desires to help the village he is from, Duk Padiet. Villagers are just now returning after so many years of war and genocide. During the Spring of 2008, Solomon traveled back to his home village where he was reunited with his mother and sister. He met with the village community and agreed that the education of their children is the most critical need. We hope to finish building the school before the 2011 rainy season. To further this goal, SSLP has partnered with Hope Alliance, allowing our donors the benefit of a tax deduction. Please help SSLP accomplish this worthwhile project: send donations to The Hope Alliance (www.thehopealliance.org) For further information please contact: solomonawan@ yahoo.com.  93 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016

Blue World Travel Corporation

351 California Street, Suite 950 San Francisco, CA 94104 Telephone: 800-466-2719 Facsimile: 415-882-9985 E-mail: fas@blueworldtravel.com Website: www.festivalatsea.com 94 | blackbusinessnews/TRAVEL | Summer 2016