DINING IN DAR
Cosmopolitan cuisine in the commercial capital BAGAMOYO BREAK
Inside Firefly guesthouse
YOUR FREE PRECISION AIR MAGAZINE Issue 104, December 2021 - February 2022
Rhinos return HOW TANZANIA IS PRESERVING ITS WILDLIFE RICHES
/ TARANGIRE NATIONAL PARK / PILAU RECIPE / ABDULRAZAK GURNAH / ADVENTURE TECH / WISH-LIST
NUMBER ONE
Kenyan rapper Femi One's rise to greatness
Contents
Image: Brian Mwando
Femi One – Page 22
Issue 104, December 2021 - February 2022
Features
6
3 FOREWORD
21 PAA COMPETITION Win a stay at Gran Meliá Arusha
Welcome onboard
6 FESTIVE CARDS
Artist creates Christmas cards with a Tanzanian twist
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28 PAA TECH
Author becomes first Tanzanian to win Nobel prize in literature
13 EAT AROUND THE WORLD IN DAR Exploring the commercial capital's cosmopolitan dining scene
Gadgets for hikers
26
Festive gifts
17 WILDLIFE AT RISK
The work being done to preserve Tanzania's world-leading animal diversity
22 FEMI ONE
Kenyan rapper reveals her journey to greatness
35 TELLING THE TALE OF TARANGIRE
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Film captures life in and around national park
Paa Tanzania
31 PAA STAY
Culture and comfort at Firefly Bagamoyo
36 NO-NONSENSE TALK WITH SONA
16 THE WISH-LIST
26 PAA FOOD with Chef Monalisa Pilau recipe
8 ABDULRAZAK GURNAH
Regulars
Precision Air Info 5 Paa News 37 Paa Royal Benefits 38 Route Network 39 Paa Contacts 40 Welcome Aboard
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Foreword Precision Air Services Plc Diamond Plaza PO Box 70770, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Tel: +255 (0)22 219 1000 Fax: +255 (0)22 286 0725 www.precisionairtz.com Marketing and Corporate Affairs Manager: Hillary Mremi Email: hmremi@precisionairtz.com Paa Tanzania Magazine is published for Precision Air by: Land & Marine Publications (Tanzania) Ltd. 4th floor, Josam House Block A, along Coca Cola Road Mikocheni Area, Dar es Salaam Tel: +255 686 118 816 www.landmarine.com ADVERTISING: Catherine O’Callaghan Tel: +44 (0)7944 212063 (WhatsApp) Email: paa-tz@landmarine.org Godfrey S. Urassa Tel: +255 (0)686 118 816 (WhatsApp) Email: godfreyurassa@landmarine.com EDITOR: Mark Edwards Email: markedwards@landmarine.com Head office: Land & Marine Publications Ltd. 1 Kings Court, Newcomen Way, Severalls Business Park, Colchester, Essex, UK, CO4 9RA Tel: +44 (0)1206 752902 Email: publishing@landmarine.com The contents and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the editor, or any other organisation associated with this publication. While every care is taken to ensure accuracy in preparing the magazine, the Publisher and Precision Air assume no responsibility or liability for any inaccuracies or omissions. All submitted material is accepted on the understanding that the material can be edited, amended or abridged for publication. ©2021 Land & Marine Publications (Tanzania) Ltd.
Subscribe Request your e-version subscription by emailing: subscribe@landmarine.org
We've made flying easier and more affordable I am so glad that you have chosen Precision Air to connect you across Tanzania and beyond. The holiday season is upon us and we know plenty of you are using this opportunity to visit friends and loved ones to share in the festivities. We have made it easier and more affordable for even more of you to make those trips. Our Dunduliza scheme means you can pay in instalments for your flight while our partnership with telecoms operator Airtel gives customers discounts on all our flights. There are also now more awards for our frequent flyers with Paa Royal passengers getting a free flight once they have booked 10 trips with us. They can also take advantage of an expanded range of discounts from our partners in the scheme, including international hotel chain Holiday Inn. With all these benefits and our unparalleled choice of destinations in all corners of Tanzania as well as Nairobi over our northern border, we are connecting our passengers like never before. Upcoming additions to our route network include new flights between Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Tabora. We are also planning to double the amount of daily flights between our Dar hub and Dodoma and have also introduced direct flights from Dar to Bukoba instead of flying via Mwanza. Precision Air is continuing to offer young Tanzanians a head start in working in the airline industry with the second class of students on the Cabin Crew Initial Course at our Training Centre celebrating their recent graduation. The next intake is planned for January 2022. Don’t hesitate to share your feedback about our services through customer-relations@precisionairtz.com
You Are Why We Fly. Patrick Mwanri Managing Director and CEO Precision Air Services Plc
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Precision Air Latest news
Book now, pay later with our Dunduliza fare Desperate to jet off to your dream destination or connect with friends and family, but prefer to spread the cost? Well now you can with our Dunduliza fare travel plan.
Precision partners with Airtel for 5% off flights
The service allows Precision Air customers to lock in their flights now for TZS 50,000 and then pay the rest of the price in a series of small instalments. As long as the full amount is paid at least a week before your flight date you are good to go. Paying for flights in instalments is a smart way to treat yourself to that trip away you really need and deserve, but didn’t think you could afford. We believe everyone should have the chance to travel and the Dunduliza book-now, pay-later
What’s better than booking a Precision Air flight to one of our amazing 11 destinations? Getting five per cent off the price to do it!
scheme makes that a reality. Don’t put off your holiday, start with the funds you have now then let's meet in the air. This service is available in our sales offices or call us on +255 746 984100, +255 784 108800 and +255 222 168000
That’s the deal for all our Airtel customers whenever they buy their tickets through Airtel Money. All you need to do is visit precisionairtz.com, book your ticket, insert promo code ATLPW select pay via Airtel Money and you will get your discount. Don’t miss out!
Pamper yourself with Paa Royal Touch Spa is the latest prime Dar es Salaam business to offer discounts to our loyal Paa Royal passengers.
staff offering a range of treatments, such as a heavenly deep tissue massage with relaxing hot stones.
Frequent flyer passengers with Precision Air will now be able to receive up to 30 per cent off treatments at the chain of health spas and salons.
To save on spa treatments and a host of other perks, you can register through our leaflets found in the seat pocket on your flight today, call us on +255 684 202022 or visit our offices.
Touch Spa has four outlets in Dar – in Oyster Bay, Mikocheni, the CBD and Mbezi – and each is a haven of tranquillity with internationally trained
Keep in touch www.precisionairtz.com www.facebook.com/precisionairtz www.twitter.com/precisionairtz www.instagram.com/precisionairtz www.precisionairtz.com
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Paa Picks / Tanzanian Christmas Cards
Christmas cards with a Tanzanian twist Christmas is hugely popular holiday in Tanzania, but the wintry imagery that often illustrates festive cards and decorations can seem a little out of place in a country in which you’d have to scale Mount Kilimanjaro to find any trace of snow and Rudolph the Reindeer’s troublesome nose is likely to be the result of forgetting the sunblock again. But now you can get your Claus (sorry!) on some Tanzanianthemed Christmas cards thanks to an artist who works under the name Trailing Sprout. As he explains it, there is now “no need to send a ‘not very Tanzanian’ pine forest and snowman themed Christmas card this year. Rather go for Santa’s sleigh being pulled by a giraffe, a Kilimanjaro draped in Christmas lights or Rudolph being snagged by a crocodile while crossing the Mara river”. The artist, who resides in Dar es Salaam, was asked to design the cards after a series of similarly Tanzanian-centric post cards he created proved a huge hit, selling more than 1,000 copies in Dar alone. The Christmas cards are available to buy from outlets A Novel Idea, Make It Matter and TPH Bookshop in Dar, A Novel Idea in Arusha, and Kumi Gifts and Treats and East Africa Merchants Co. in Stone Town and Green Market in Paje on Zanzibar Island. To check out more of Trailing Sprout’s work, visit his Instagram page @trailing.sprout
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Paa Tanzania
Images by Trailing Sprout
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Nobel prize winner
Tanzanian novelist wins Nobel Prize in literature O
n October 11, when
in the literary world who have long
Zanzibar-born author
thought the 73-year-old author was
Abdulrazak Gurnah first
overdue such global recognition.
got the call informing him he had
Since starting writing seriously in his
won the Nobel prize in literature,
early 20s, he has published 10 highly
he assumed someone was playing
acclaimed novels and a number
a joke. It was only after he put the
of short stories. His fourth novel,
phone down and it immediately
‘Paradise’, was shortlisted for the UK’s
rang again, heralding a succession
Booker Prize in 1994, while his most
of calls from the world’s media
recent release, ‘Afterlives’, was among
desperate for an interview that it
the six nominated novels for this
began to sink in.
year’s Orwell Prize for Political Fiction
The Nobel prize in literature is the world’s most famous literary
Gurnah left Zanzibar in 1966 when he was 18 years old. The aftermath
that goes back to 1901 and which
of the revolution in 1964, when the
includes luminaries such as Ernest
Sultan of Zanzibar and his main Arab
Hemingway, Toni Morrison and Bob
government were overthrown, was
Dylan. Gurnah’s place on that list is
still being keenly felt by the islands’
a landmark with the writer not only
Muslims and the young Gurnah was
becoming the first Tanzanian to
forced to leave his family behind and
win but also the first black African
flee to the UK as a refugee.
in 1986.
Leaving Zanzibar
8
– another UK award.
award with a roll-call of laureates
recipient since Nigeria’s Wole Soyinka
The country has become his adopted home. He now lives in Canterbury, in the south-east of England, where he continues to write
While Gurnah may have met the
and was until his recent retirement
news with incredulity, there are many
the emeritus professor of English at
Paa Tanzania
Congratulations to Abdulrazak Gurnah, who in October became the first Tanzanian to win the prestigious literary award. The writer left Zanzibar when he was 18 and exile and identity have been recurring themes in his work. Here we take a closer look at the career of the now US$ 1,150,000 richer author.
Zanzibar-born Abdulrazak Gurnah Image by Mark Pringle
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Nobel prize winner
Kent University. Still his East African
But these shopkeepers, homemakers,
roots and the indelible sense of
askaris, students and refugees all
dislocation that stemmed from being
matter to him and in the course of his
wrenched from his homeland never
writing, he makes them meaningful
left him and became predominant
and complicated, and reminds us
themes in his fiction.
that every single one is worthy of
While memories of his early years in Zanzibar remained strong, he
remembrance.” These elements of Gurnah’s work
Shopkeepers, home-makers, askaris, students and refugees all matter to him... and he reminds us that every single one is worthy of remembrance
looked even further back as a writer,
were also singled out by the Nobel
detailing the African experience – in
committee announcing the award
the intimate spaces created by
with chair Anders Olsson praising
families, companions and friend-
the author’s “uncompromising and
ships – during the warring British and
compassionate penetration of the
the language such as Chaucer’s
German colonial control in the late
effects of colonialism and the fate
‘The Canterbury Tales’ in his second
19th century.
of the refugee in the gulf between
novel, ‘Pilgrim’s Way’, and to Joseph
cultures and continents” in a body a
Conrad’s ‘Heart of Darkness’ in his
work that “recoils from stereotypical
most famous novel, ‘Paradise’, in
Novelist Maaza Mengiste, writing
descriptions and opens our gaze
which a young enslaved Tanzanian
for UK newspaper The Guardian,
to a culturally diversified East Africa
says these sensitive portrayals of
unfamiliar to many in other parts of
ordinary African lives in extraordi-
the world”.
African lives
nary circumstances create a fresh
Exile Gurnah left Zanzibar when he was 18 years old
follows his merchant owner on a treacherous journey into the Congo Basin. Despite leaving Zanzibar in his
understanding of history. “Each of
New audience
teens and not returning for close
Gurnah’s novels focus on the stories
Gurnah began taking his writing seri-
to 20 years – he was allowed to see
of those whose stories might not
ously in exile. Even though Swahili
his father shortly before he died –
have made it into the archives or who
was his first language, he wrote in
memories of the Swahili coast and
lack the documents that would make
English and the well-read scholar
its indigenous people remained vivid
them memorable to the larger world.
makes nods to literary classics of
from his place of exile. He conjures
Notable Nobel Prize in Literature winners
Lev Radin | shutterstock.com
Gurnah becomes the first Tanzanian winner on the list, but there are many more whose wins caused a stir.
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Paa Tanzania
Wole Soyinka (left). The Nigerian playwright, novelist, poet, and essayist in the English language was awarded the 1986 Nobel Prize in Literature, becoming the first sub-Saharan African to be honoured in that category. Jean-Paul Sartre. The French author and philosopher won in
1964 (France is the country with the most Nobel prize for literature winners with 15 so far) despite refusing to accept the award, claiming “a writer must refuse to allow himself to be transformed into an institution”. Bob Dylan (right). In 2016 the US singer-songwriter became the first musician to win the award. It sparked plenty of debate as to whether song lyrics could be considered literature. Dylan,
a cosmopolitan region globalised
deemed “the person who shall have
by trade connections with the
produced in the field of literature
entire world and yet betrayed by a
the most outstanding work in an
history of slave trading and colonial
ideal direction”. The winner gets a
oppression – Portuguese, Arab,
medal, a diploma from the King of
German and British – that challenged
Sweden and prize money, which
personal freedom. Such a shifting
this year is worth 10 million Swedish
sense of national identity and kinship
Krona (US$ 1,150,000).
is further complicated by becoming a refugee and many of Gurnah’s characters find themselves detached from their homeland and come to question their allegiances and place
Prize winner Gurnah’s latest novel, ‘Afterlives’. Image by Bloomsbury Publishing
in the world as a result.
Reading Abdulrazak Gurnah The writer has an extensive back catalogue of novels, short stories and essays, so here’s a few ideas on where to start.
Memory of Departure Gurnah’s debut novel was released in 1987 and centres on talented teen Hassan’s efforts to escape his stunted life on the East African coast for a new start in Nairobi only to be drawn back in.
Paradise
The Nobel prize should bring a new audience to an author
The story of a young Tanzanian boy, Yusuf, pawned by his father to work for a powerful Arab merchant and accompany him on a treacherous trading trip into the Congo Basin. It’s part coming of age tale, part love story and paints a vivid picture of an Africa increasingly corrupted by colonialism and violence.
who has flown under the radar of many readers, including those in his East African homeland. It has become the world’s most famous prize for literature since being established (along with awards in the fields of physics, chemistry, medicine and peace) in the will
By The Sea
of Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel
This tale of love and betrayal was longlisted for the 2002 Booker prize and shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times book prize in fiction. It focuses on two Zanzibari asylum seekers in the UK with an intimate shared history who struggle to truly leave their past behind.
in 1901. Gurnah joins a roll call of distinguished laureates, all of whom have in the words of Nobel been
Christian Bertrand | shutterstock.com
The Stateless Person’s Tale whose 60-plus-year career has made a habit of confounding expectations, seemed to relish the controversy, adding fuel to the fire by delaying his acceptance of the award and being absent from the official award ceremony. Toni Morrison. The American author became the first black woman of any nationality to win the prize in 1993. Her novels such as ‘The Bluest Eye’ and ‘Beloved’ relayed the injustices African
Americans experienced in their country in the 1940s and 50s and she was a pioneering force in developing a presence for black writers in American literature. Naguib Mahfouz. Regarded as one of the first contemporary writers of Arabic literature, the Egyptian novelist, playwright and scriptwriter became the first North African winner in 1988. Most of his works were set in his home city of Cairo.
This affecting short work is Gurnah’s relaying of the plight of a refugee he met who has lost his identity documents and been detained in the UK for 12 years. It is included in the Refugee Tales book series released to raise awareness about the situation of many refugees and migrants in the UK.
Afterlives Gurnah’s most recent novel focuses on the people enduring German rule in East Africa at the beginning of the twentieth century, including those whose allegiances and identity are tested by signing up as askari serving in the German Colonial Army.
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International cuisine
Eat around the world in Dar es Salaam
Tanzania’s busiest city has a thriving food scene to match with plenty of international cuisine options. So let your taste buds travel and take a globe-trotting culinary trip, Bongo-style, with us.
Ethiopian
Addis in Dar
This restaurant has been a hugely popular part of the Dar es Salaam dining scene for almost a quarter of a century. Its Ethiopian owner ensures an authentic culinary experience by sourcing all the grains and spices the country’s cuisine is famous for from his mother, who lovably sun dries them at her home in Addis Ababa. The restaurant also encourages the cuisine’s hands-on approach to eating with dishes served on injera, a spongy flat-bread made with gluten-free grain teff, used to scoop up thick vegetable or meat stews (called
wats or wots). It’s a style of eating that lends itself to sharing and many of Addis in Dar’s most popular options are the set menus that offer a mix-and-match variety of mouth-watering stews and sauces with plenty of vegetarian options and stacks of injera to go around. For the full Ethiopian experience, you can complement your food with a glass of the sweet homemade honey wine known as ‘tej’ or a cup of traditional home-brewed coffee. Word is spreading. Addis in Dar’s success is such that a sister restaurant in Cape Town has opened recently. Try this: It’s hard to look past the set menus, but the Doro Wot, a selection of chicken drumsticks marinated in fresh lime juice, simmered in chopped onions, garlic
and red pepper spice berbere is a fiery alternative. Opening hours: 5.30pm to 10.30pm every evening except Sunday. Address: Ursino Street, Dar es Salaam. Call +255 713 266 299
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International cuisine
Italian
Ristorante Bella Napoli This family-friendly eatery in the bustling thoroughfare of Haile Selassie Road brands itself the “The Best Italian Restaurant in Dar es Salaam” and it’s hard to disagree. Executive chef Giuseppe Vitiello, a Naples native, leads the kitchen with his team crafting a menu of southern Italian delights cooked in the traditional style and making use of homemade pasta and the freshest local ingredients. For proof of the love and care that goes into the food, check out the range of ravioli dishes in which every one of the filled envelopes of pasta is individually hand crafted. As you’d expect, there’s plenty of pizzas to choose from – including a
half-metre size ideal for sharing – but more surprisingly much of the pasta and pizza menu is also available gluten-free. The restaurant goes out of its way to cater for young diners with a play area in its lush outdoor area, a kids’ menu and even dedicated nannies to take care of young charges and give mum and dad a break! Try this: Italian culinary expertise and the seafood spoils of the Indian Ocean come together in the Pasta del Tagliere alla Pescatore, which features fresh pasta mixed in with chopped calamari, cuttlefish, prawns, tomato and chili and topped with fresh parsley. Deliziosa! Opening hours: Open 12pm to 9.30pm every day except Tuesday. Address: 530 Haile Selassie Road, Dar es Salaam. Call +255 222 600 326.
French Epi d’Or
This French family-run restaurant and bakery has been in Dar es Salaam, in one guise or another, since 1999. Its growing popularity prompted a series of upsizing moves – from Mikocheni to Samora Avenue and then the retail village at Sea Cliff Hotel – before, in 2008, the owners opened a spacious restaurant in Haile Selassie Road. Hard to believe, given the mass of bars, restaurants and nightclubs that now populate the thoroughfare, but Epi d’Or was the road’s first restaurant. The welcoming, relaxed place has held its own amid all the development that has sprung up around it and established itself as one of the most popular food destinations in Dar es Salaam. Pop in
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Paa Tanzania
for a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu of French and Lebanese delicacies, an extensive wine list, freshly made juices and specialty coffee as well as freshly made pastries, breads and cakes from its onsite boulangerie. The bakers here have quite a reputation and many of the city’s top hotels order their fresh breakfast pastries here, but anyone can turn up and get a host of baguettes, brioche, pain au chocolat and croissants hot from the oven. Try this: A ribeye steak with béarnaise sauce and dauphinoise potatoes. If you’re going out for ‘l’experience française’, the owners suggest you pair it a glass of Spier Chenin Blanc. Opening hours: Every day from 7.30am to 10.30pm Address: Plot 520, Haile Selassie Road, Dar es Salaam. Call +255 786 669 889.
Indian
Mumbai Spices CBD Hotel There is a large community of Indians who have migrated to Dar es Salaam and you will find a good number of them regularly dine at Mumbai Spices – always a good sign of a restaurant’s authenticity. Of course, the Indian influence in Tanzanian cuisine goes back to the early maritime spice trade and at Mumbai Spice you’ll find that tradition of delicate seasoning enriching the flavour of the classics such as Tandoori dishes, chicken tikka masala and a host of biryanis. You’ll also find classic Indian street food such as pani puri – crispy, fried, hollow dough balls that are stuffed with boiled potatoes and served with a spicy dip. Located on the ground
Japanese and Thai Thai Kani
floor of the Best Western Hotel in the heart of Dar’s CBD, this is a great spot for an evening meal or a business lunch – with a number of specials always on offer. Try this: Guju Thali is a selection of vegetarian curries, chutneys, salads and rices, which is ideal for sharing. Opening hours: Every day from 11am to 11pm Address: Best Western CBD Hotel Nkurumah Street. Call +255 689 933 010.
This family-run waterfront restaurant offers a winning combination of sushi and sunsets with diners able to take in views of Msasani Bay while enjoying dishes that fuse the flavours of Japanese and Thai cuisine with fresh ocean-caught seafood. Its signature sushi rolls are packed with fresh octopus, crab, lobster and now salmon while there are also a range of aromatic Thai curries to try. Thai Kani is a sociable spot with a live band on Friday evenings, happy hours Monday to Thursday with discounted cocktails and
local craft beers as well as a weekly curry night with a free bottle of Kilimanjaro beer to accompany your food, and free snacks to nibble on. Try this: The vitamin, mineral and protein-packed Thai raw tuna salad is an energy-giving treat with raw tuna chunks, chopped red onion and crushed rice grains topped with a tangy dressing. Opening hours: Every day from 11.30am to 10.30pm Address: The Slipway, Dar es Salaam. Call +255 715 486 014.
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The wish list
The Wish List FESTIVE GIFTS Christmas is a time for families to get together and those reunions are likely to be more keenly anticipated than ever after recent periods of isolation and disruption. Time then to show your loved ones how much they have been missed by presenting them with a thoughtful gift. Here’s some ideas to get you started…
BEESWAX PILLAR CANDLES shop@fivebeesyard.com
LEXON MIAMI SCENT AROMA DIFFUSER thedesigngiftshop.com
These candles are made by the ancient art of hand-dipping the wicks in beeswax. They also come packed in a beautiful wooden Christmas tree design gift box along with complimentary candle stand.
With its elegant vase-like design, this diffuser looks good and it smells good, dispersing aromatic oils without heat so all the benefits of the pure plant goodness are preserved.
US$ 27
US$ 96
SLEEP MASK sophieallport.com Ideal for the jet-setter who likes to catch a power nap so they arrive at their destination raring to go.
US$ 28.99
LARGE LEATHER ACCESSORIES POUCH stowlondon.co.uk If you’re a traveller who loves to organise their packing, so you know where everything is, this sapphire blue drawstring pouch is ideal for storing large and small charging cables, glasses even a digital camera. No more desperate rooting in your suitcase.
PERIDOT SQUARE EARRINGS tsaixtsai.com
US$ 67
These stylish earrings with a single peridot gem at the centre are ideal for the office or a night out.
US$ 67 FESTIVE REFILLABLE ESSENTIAL OIL CANDLE littlekarmaco.com
MAGENTA VELVET BEE ZIP thenorthernline.co.uk So glamorous and perfect for storing make-up. You could make it an extra special Christmas gift by filling it full of your loved one’s favourite toiletries.
US$ 30
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Paa Tanzania
This large (220g) natural wax candle fills any room with an aromatic Christmassy concoction of gingerbread, cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. It comes in a refillable bespoke terracotta matte finish glass. Once the candle runs out, order a refill for 20 per cent off the price.
US$ 39
Endangered animals
World-famous wildlife at risk Tanzania supports the greatest quantity of wildlife in all Africa, yet it may shock you to know that 762 species of animal found in this country are either endangered or critically endangered – a status given when last-resort efforts are required to avoid their near-future extinction. Here Samana Karim identifies some of the iconic creatures on that list and reveals how we can all play a part in ensuring they remain part of Tanzania’s rich wildlife tapestry.
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There are many species in Tanzania which are categorised as being endangered or critically endangered
I
f an animal is listed as endangered
those are endangered or critically
Endangered
International Union for the
endangered. Experts say the rapid
Conservation of Nature (IUCN),
loss of species is 1,000 to 10,000
(Clockwise from above) an African wild dog, a Thomson's gazelle, a pangolin and a lesser kudu
for their horns, skins, and teeth. There are many species in Tanzania which are categorised as being
what exactly does that mean and
times higher than the natural extinc-
is there anything that can be done
tion rate (the time it would take if we
including iconic species such as the
to rescue the species from terminal
humans were not involved).
black rhino, chimpanzee, African
decline? The definition applies to any species that is at risk of extinction
endangered or critically endangered,
wild dog, white-bellied pangolin,
Global crisis
Thomson’s gazelle and lesser kudu.
Unfortunately and in many cases, the
The precarious status of black rhino, Under threat
because of a sudden rapid decrease
increasing number of endangered
in population or a loss of its critical
species is due to little more than
habitat. Endangered species come
human greed. The illegal wildlife
herbivores can be found in eastern
in all different shapes and sizes, can
trade is valued between US$ 50
and southern Africa. Though they
be a plant or animal, living on land
to US$150 billion per year and is
have been living on earth for nearly
or sea.
one of the most profitable global
12 million years, there are now very
crimes. Illegal trading and killing of
few of them left.
So far, more than 96,500 species have been assessed for the IUCN’s
wild animals is a global crisis, with
Red List and more than 26,500 of
species being hunted to extinction
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Paa Tanzania
Tanzania's famous chimpanzees
in particular, is a source of shame for mankind. These massive browsing
Tanzania had many black rhinos in the 1960s, but the number decreased
Endangered animals
How we can help There are many things we can do to help endangered animals, here are a few suggestions.
Raise awareness Spend time doing some research of endangered species around the world or specifically in your country or area. Spread the word by reposting on social media, educate friends and family. People are more likely to want to save animals if they know about them.
Support someone Support an organisation and charity that helps the conservation of endangered species Volunteer and donate to organisations that support animals to thrive, for example- Conservation Serengeti and TANAPA which are both committed to conserve the rich natural heritage of the Serengeti where some of the endangered species inhabit.
Shop ethically due to poaching between the 1970s
as a heightened sense of smell. It has
and late 1980s. Since the 1990s
two horns which are made of keratin
Tanzania has committed to fight
(a type of protein that makes up hair,
against poachers to conserve the
skin, and nails) instead of bone. They
few remaining black rhinos. Humans
only consume vegetation and can live
are the adult rhinos’ only predator in
up to 45 years.
the wild and they are killed for their
The future of endangered animals
valuable horns, which are sold as
is in our hands. One of the greatest
decorations, for medicinal use and as
arguments for saving endangered
aphrodisiacs.
animals is for us and our future
Black rhino
generations to enjoy and see incredible species interact. Everything
Although the number of black rhino
is connected and therefore if an
is very low, some of the best sightings
animal or a plant is removed, it
are usually in the Ngorongoro Crater
then distorts the balance of nature,
where the short grass plains make
changes the ecosystem and, may
the them easily noticeable. The black
cause other animals to suffer in the
rhino has incredible hearing as well
food chain.
Be mindful of what your products contain. Avoid buying products that include material from endangered animals such as rhino horn.
Be an ethical tourist Sometimes when we travel, we don’t realise that the souvenirs we are purchasing are under threat. Avoid supporting the market in illegal wildlife such as tortoise shell and coral. There is a lot more we can do to protect vulnerable species from extinction, but we must make the changes now. Everyone who plays their responsible role helps protect these glorious species for the present and future generations to experience and enjoy.
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19
Paa Competition
WIN
Win a night’s stay at Gran Meliá Arusha
G
ran Meliá Arusha is an urban
Arusha is available to a lucky Paa reader
oasis set amid 18 acres of
and a guest of their choice as Gran Meliá
beautifully landscaped coffee
Arusha has kindly offered a one-night
and tea plantations. Its 171 rooms
bed-and-breakfast stay in a double
and suites look out to the city of
Deluxe Mount Meru View room as the
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Market Place or enjoy a buffet breakfast
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Questions: 1. Firefly guesthouse is the Bagamoyo venue for which annual Tanzanian music festival? 2. Kenyan rapper Femi One released her debut album this year. What is its title? 3. What is the name of Nobel literature prize winner Abdulrazak Gurnah’s latest novel?
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21
Femi One
‘So many African women rappers want to be Nicki Minaj…
I want to be original and stand out’
22
Paa Tanzania
Images by Brian Mwando
On top Nairobi rapper Femi One has become one of East Africa's biggest stars
Femi One’s musical journey has taken her from a schoolgirl growing up in Nairobi’s Mwiki neighbourhood with a talent for battle rapping to the first signing for record label Kaka Empire and her current position as the leading woman rapper in East Africa. Her 2019 single ‘Utawezana’ become a viral sensation and this year she built on that success with the release of her debut album, ‘Greatness’, which showcases a versatile artist willing to switch up her musical style as often as she does her striking dyed hair. Here the 27-year-old rapper, born Wanjiku Kimani, chats with Paa about sexism in the music industry, why she raps in streetwise ‘sheng’ and the Kenyan capital’s thriving music scene.
‘G
reatness’ is your first full album. Across its 14 tracks, there are elements of gospel, dancehall, r ‘n’b and Afrobeats as well as the
hip-hop you are known for. Is the album format an opportunity to show people the range of what you can do? The album was for me to show people how much I have grown as an artist. I came into the scene as a cipher artist [rapping improvised on-the-spot lyrics] and a rap battle artist [a head-to-head contest in which each rapper brags about themselves and insults their opponent]. I evolved into someone who makes relatable hit songs. I am very diverse, and I try to show it on ‘Greatness’.
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23
Femi One
The album is a showcase of East
in a group and she introduced me
African talent. Was that deliberate?
to them. I joined the group and we
Why did you pick those artists?
performed at WAP. There was a lot
‘Utawezana’ did very well across East
of important people watching. King
Africa, and I saw an opportunity to
Kaka [Kenyan rapper and CEO of
cement my name [in the region] by
record label Kaka Empire] was there
featuring artists from those countries.
and they could all see that this bunch
But also, I am a huge fan of those
of kids could rap really well.
artists – Jay Rox from Zambia, B2C from Uganda, Joh Makini from
Your record label Kaka Empire
Tanzania and Sainapei [Tande] from
signed you up as soon as you left
Kenya.
high school. What made you stand
The music industry is maledominated and women have to work 10 times as hard to be noticed, especially if you are a rapper because people expect women to be soft
out, do you think?
very cool group of dancers. Is it
I believe there is a documentary
I had just cleared high school and
important for you to spread the
about you that has been released
King Kaka contacted me via Facebook
word on other local talent in what
to coincide with the launch of the
and said he had a remix of his song
you do?
album. The film returns to your
‘Ligi Soo’. It came out really well and
Those two tracks are a mix of ragga
roots in the Mwiki neighbour-
he was very happy with it.
and hip-hop. I love the dancing scene
hood of Nairobi. How important
in Nairobi and love incorporating
was that time in shaping you and
Do you come from a musical
your music?
family?
The documentary is shot but
No, I wouldn’t say that I do, but my
What do you think about the
we have not released it yet. The
mum used to sing in church. My
health of the Kenyan music scene
documentary shows different stages
brother was a big influence because
at the moment?
of Femi One. I started showcasing
he used to rap and play a lot of music
It’s thriving. We are doing quality
my talent at an event called WAP
in the house.
audio and video, releasing project
Nairobi talent into what I do.
(Words and Pictures) where we could
after project. I am very aware of the
go and rap. In the film we visit the
Your raps are known to be witty
emerging artists on the scene and
venue and meet the owner. My mum
and imaginative. Does rapping
there is a lot of women, which I
is also featured. She has been very
in sheng – the urban slang that
think is a good thing. The record
supportive. Kaka Empire is there too.
mixes Swahili, English and other
companies and media are believ-
It shows how I got started and have
Kenyan languages – give you
ing more in women artists and
got my breakthrough. The doc will
freedom to be playful with your
supporting them.
be out soon and I really hope it will
lyrics?
inspire people.
Sheng gives me the freedom to express myself. It’s really who I am.
You always look amazing. A Album guest
very identifiable part of your
I heard you were rapping from
It makes me stand out. Women
primary school. Why was it hip-hop
rappers from Tanzania and Uganda
music that first appealed to you
all want to be and sound like [US
and what were you rapping about
rappers] Nicki Minaj or Cardi B. I
dyeing your hair?
as a pupil?
want to be original and stand out.
I wanted a different
My oldest brother used to play a
I’ve always been myself. Sheng is me
identity. I think it was in
lot of reggae and hip-hop. At that
being me.
2018 or 2019. I needed
time the hip-hop scene was big and
Tanzania's Joh Makini appears on the 'Greatness' album Image: Weusi WTV
look is your hair, which you dye all kinds of colours. When did you start
to stand out. Everyone
I loved to sing along. I had a friend
Your recent videos for tracks
was doing the braids so I
called Samantha whose friends were
‘Balance’ and ‘Donjo’ feature a
thought let me try dyeing
24
Paa Tanzania
Main images by Brian Mwando
my hair. I am very experimental with
very proud. ‘Utawezana’ will always
my image and like to try new things.
be a song with a very special place
I have one of the best images in the
in my heart.
music industry in East Africa. I feel the colours represent my personality
You were recently announced as
because I am a very bubbly and
the brand ambassador for Monster
colourful person.
Energy, becoming the first African woman artist to be appointed to
Is there a big difference between
such a position? Was this a proud
the Wanjiku Kimani at home
moment for you?
and the Femi One who raps and
That was a huge deal. It was a proud
performs? Is Femi One a character
moment for me and my team.
or the real you? There’s a huge difference! I
Have there been obstacles in your
meet people [when I’m not
career as a woman in the rap music
performing] and they don’t
business? Do you feel the level of
believe it’s me because
success you have achieved now
I’m very laid back. I’m not
is an inspiration to other young
what people see in the
girls with dreams of pursuing their
music videos. However, Femi
passion?
One is not a character. It is a
Obstacles have been there and they
combination of my character,
are still there. The music industry is
ego and my thoughts.
male-dominated and women have to work 10 times as hard to be noticed,
What was your take on the
especially if you are a rapper because
‘Utawezana challenge’ viral
people expect women to be soft. But
sensation that took over your
with hard work and consistency it
single with fellow Kenyan
can be done – as I have proved. Class
rapper Mejja during lock-
is also an issue. Because I’m from the
down last year? Was it strange
hood and rap in sheng, people have
to have your song take on a
undermined and belittle me, but I
new life?
kept pushing and here I am doing
I wasn’t really sure about releasing
great things. I am the female rapper
the single during the coronavirus
with the most YouTube subscribers
pandemic. People were panicking
in East Africa, I’m being endorsed. I
and we didn’t know when things
am showing women that you can
would be back to normal. My
be yourself and be great. I hope
manager pushed me to release it. I
my musical journey keeps inspiring
asked people to do the challenge
young girls. Keep pushing!
[post a short video of themselves miming and dance along to the song] and it blew up. I always feel like this song is a reward for me because I’ve really put in the work. I was very grateful. It was really a sign from God. Me and my team were
'Greatness' by Femi One is available to buy and download on all major music streaming services.
www.precisionairtz.com
25
Paa Food / Make it with Monalisa
It’s not a party without pilau! Paa’s cookery columnist Monalisa Rwechungura is feeling festive this issue and has prepared her take on holiday favourite pilau, with instructions in Swahili and English
‘T
is the season to be jolly indeed!
country by Arab settlers. The recipe
And no food represents the
usually involves cooking the rice soaked
festive season in Tanzania
in stock or broth, adding meat, spices and
more than pilau. Believe me, it is not a festivity in Tanzania unless pilau on the menu. We just love it! Pilau or pilaf is a rice dish of South Asian, Central Asian and Middle Eastern origin that was brought to this
26
Paa Tanzania
other ingredients. I am going to show you a quick and simple recipe that will ensure you end up with a soft, moist and most importantly flavoursome pilau. Let’s get to it!
Ingredients
• Rice • Beef • Onion • Garlic • Ginger • Pilau Masala • Peas
• Carrots • Peppers • Potatoes • Beef Stock • Salt • Oil
by Chef Monalisa Rwechungura
Mahitaji
Mapishi
• Mchele vikombe • Nyama • Kitunguu maji • Kitunguu swaumu • Tangawizi • Viungo vya pilau • Njegere • Karoti • Pilipili hoho • Viazi • Supu ya nyama • Chumvi • Mafuta
• Katika sufuria weka mafuta vijiko vya kula 4 • Acha mafuta yapate joto kwa moto wa kati • Weka vitunguu maji na uvikaange mpaka viwe rangi ya kahawia • Weka kitunguu swaumu na tangawizi na uvikaange mpaka vitoe manukato • Weka nyama na ukaange kwa dakika 2 (koroga ili isishike chini) • Weka viazi na uvikaange kwa dakika 2 • Weka Njegere na karoti kisha uvikaanga kwa dakika 1 • Weka hoho na ukoroge ichanganyike vizuri • Weka viungo vya pilau na uendelee kukaanga kwa dakika 2
• Weka mchele na uukaange kwa dakika • Weka supu ya kutosha, ifunike mchele kwa sentimita 1 (hakikisha unakwangua chini ya sufuria ukiwa unakoroga supu ili kutoa vilivyogandia chini) • Weka chumvi • Pika kwa moto wa kati mdogo mpaka supu ikaribie kukauka (pilau bado iwe imeloa) • Funika pilau na foil kisha funika sufuria • Weka moto mdogo na upike kwa dakika 20 (geuza baada ya dakika 10) • Furahia pilau yako na kachumbari ya kiswahili na ule wakati ni la moto!
Cooking 1. Add four tablespoons of oil to a pan 2. Heat the oil over medium heat 3. Add the onions and fry until they become a coffee brown colour 4. Add garlic and ginger and fry until aromatic 5. Add the beef and fry for two minutes (stir continuously to avoid the mix sticking to the bottom of the pan) 6. Add potatoes and keep frying for another two minutes 7. Add carrots and peas and fry for one minute 8. Add peppers and stir 9. Add pilau masala and cook for two minutes
10. Add the rice and stir fry it for a minute 11. Add enough beef stock to cover everything by a cm (be sure to scrape the bottom of the pan when stirring to release any stuck bits) 12. Add salt to taste 13. Cook on medium low until almost all the stock is gone (the pilau should still be significantly wet) 14. Cover the pilau with foil and cover the pan
15. Switch the heat to low and cook for 20 minutes (stirring half way through) 16. Serve your pilau with a traditional Swahili salad and enjoy it while it’s still hot!
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27
Paa Tech
Tech for hikers Tanzania is a hiker’s dream with a cornucopia of trails to follow through its forest, hills and mountains. There are numerous health benefits to be had from clocking up 10,000 steps each day and if you can get them in within the beauty of the Kilimanjaro foothills or the Usambara mountains then all the better. While striding out into nature provides an opportunity to unplug from modern life, don’t leave all your tech behind. Here are some essential gadgets that would make the ideal gift for the walker in your world.
ANKER ASTRO E1 6700 Image: Anker Innovations Limited
GOPRO HERO9 BLACK Image: GoPro Inc
From gorgeous sunrises and sunsets, wandering wildlife to panoramic hilltop views, there are likely to be plenty of sights that you’ll want to capture forever on your hike. GoPro are renowned for making high quality cameras that are designed for active lifestyles, being easy to use, robust and lightweight. The Hero9 Black model is ideal as a hiking camera with its class-leading stabilization for video, smartphone connectivity via the GoPro app, super sharp 5K video footage and long battery life. It also has a detachable lens so if you want to upgrade and fit something like the GoPro’s Max Lens Mod, which provides an ultra-wide lens and improves the stabilization, you can. gopro.com US $350
28
Paa Tanzania
If you are going on multi-days backpacking trip or even just a long hike, bringing along a fully charged battery pack to ensue your tech can be topped up is crucial. As with all your kit, portability is key and the compact Anker Astro E1 6700 is about the size of a small candy bar and weighs just 120 grams. It still holds enough juice to charge a smartphone up to two times over and Anker’s patented Power IQ technology means it detects your device to deliver its fastest possible charge speed, which is four times faster than a computer USB port. amazon.com US $35
Tech for hikers
GRAYL ULTRALIGHT WATER PURIFIER Image: Grayl
Even on your greatest hiking escapes, you can’t escape your body’s need for water and out in the wild you can’t guarantee that water sources will be clean. With the Grayl Ultralight there’s no need to weigh yourself down with bottled water from the start of your hike as it enables you to get clean drinking water from pretty much any fresh water source in the world. Its filter removes 99.999% of bacteria, protozoa and viruses along with chemicals like chlorine and benzene, and heavy metals like lead and arsenic. It even eliminates the smell and improves the taste of the water. All this is done with just a touch of a button and gives you a bottle full if clean water to use as you please. grayl.com US $US$ 89.95
SUUNTO CORE OUTDOOR WATCH Image: Sunnto
If you are off for a day’s hike, the Edge is light and agile enough to not hold you back while providing plenty of versatile features. You’ll hardly know it’s on your back with its venting channels and harness yoke for all-day comfort while other handy extras include a removable hip belt, a front map slot, a reflective bike light loop and the capacity to carry a pair of trekking poles. It also has a water bladder pocket and mouthpiece so you can stay hydrated without needing to fumble for a bottle each time thirst hits. This bag can double up for work when you’re done playing with the water bladder doubling as a secure 15-inch laptop sleeve.
The adventurous hiker would quite literally be lost without the Suunto Core Watch as among this durable piece of kit’s features is a compass to keep track of your direction. Other built-in features include a barometer and altimeter so the adventurous hiker can keep track of performance and the elements. If bad weather is on the way, an alarm will sound and flash to let you know. The barometric altimeter is accurate to 29,500 feet and the watch records your hikes so you can look back at them later. The Core has an average battery life of one year, has buttons you can use underwater, is waterresistant up to 30 metres, and gives you accurate depth readings up to 10 metres. Whether you’re hiking or mountaineering, the Suunto Core Watch will give you all the metrics you need.
rab.equipment US $55
amazon.com US $155
RAB EDGE DAYPACK Image: RAB
www.precisionairtz.com
29
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Paa Stay / Firefly Bagamoyo
Soak up a stay in the other Stone Town If you’re looking for a place to stay where you can soak up the storied cultural heritage of Bagamoyo, check out boutique hotel Firefly in the heart of historic Stone Town. Guests get to stay in a meticulously restored merchant’s palace first built in the town’s mid 19th century trading heyday while its lush, landscaped grounds regularly play host to live concerts that showcase the region’s renowned musical talent. And for those travellers who prize comfort as much as culture, Firefly boasts seven stylish en-suite rooms and four luxury tents as well as its own restaurant and spa to enjoy. Location
for whom Bagamoyo was their last
It was also the starting point for a host
Mention Stone Town in Tanzania
sight of the mainland before being
of European explorers on celebrated
and most people assume you are
shipped to Zanzibar and beyond – a
expeditions to find the source of the
talking about the historic quarter
final farewell that is thought to be
Nile. Architectural remnants of these
of Zanzibar’s capital city, which
the reason behind the town’s name,
earlier eras are to be found in varying
draws in tourists in their hundreds
which translates from Swahili as “leave
states of faded grandeur in Stone
of thousands each year. But there is
your heart behind”. The city’s promi-
another Stone Town to be found on
nence would continue for years to
the Tanzanian mainland, in Bagamoyo,
come. In 1866 it was named the first
with its similarly crumbling collection
capital of German East Africa – hold-
mosques, old markets and plenty of
of coral rock buildings a legacy of an
ing the title for a quarter of a century
grand houses built by wealthy Arab
equally complex and cosmopolitan
before Dar es Salaam took over. At
and Indian merchants. Among the
Swahili heritage. Like its Zanzibar
around the same time it became
latter is the former palace that now
namesake it too was an important
the first city in the region to house a
houses boutique lodge Firefly. Here,
Indian Ocean trading post. Sadly, that
Catholic mission and still attracts local
you are in the heart of Stone Town, a
shared trade included human slaves
and international pilgrims to this day.
city whose history created centuries
Town. Wander its narrow streets and Shady spots There are plenty of places to relax
you’ll find the Old German Fort, the Catholic Historic Museum as well as
www.precisionairtz.com
31
Paa Stay / Firefly Bagamoyo ago, is still being lived and breathed
keeping with the general sense of
every day. You’ll certainly get a sense
welcome and relaxation here. The
of that at Firefly as it neighbours
Firefly staff are friendly to a fault,
the dhow harbour where fishermen
whether in the bar, restaurant or tend-
continue a tradition as old as the
ing to the lush, landscaped gardens.
city itself, launching their handmade
The hotel even keeps the environ-
craft into the Indian Ocean to return
ment pristine beyond its boundaries,
with the day’s catch to be cleaned
having established a Bagamoyo
and smoked at the also close by fish
beach clean service that guests are
market.
welcome to join in with.
While you’ll get a sense of the
Rooms
animated city, Firefly is cloistered enough to provide escape should you
Firefly has options for eco travellers on Simple style
want it. Its large camp site shelters
a Zimbabwean entrepreneur who fell
the hotel from the beachside bustle,
in love with Bagamoyo on her travels,
meaning spots such as the outdoor
was keen to stick as close as possible
suites on the main building’s first floor,
swimming pool, shrouded by coconut
to the original building’s rustic look
including the recently refurbished
trees, are tranquillity itself.
by making use of traditional materials
Citrus Suite, which with its double
and methods. Lime pits used by the
bed and two twins makes for an ideal
but if you want to explore a little
original builders were discovered in
family room. There are also three
further Firefly can arrange the hiring
the grounds of the palace and were
appealing, but slightly smaller suites
of bicycles so you can reach fascinat-
used to hydrate the limestone –
on the ground floor. All the rooms
ing attractions such as the Kaole
brought over from Zanzibar by dhow
come with en-suite bathrooms and
Ruins – the site of the first mosque in
– before being cured and heated
with their high ceilings and shuttered
East Africa, and a three-mile ride from
onsite to make a mortar for the walls,
windows provide cool and classy
the hotel. For longer trips, such as the
ceilings and floor.
escape from the coastal heat.
Stone Town is made for wandering,
hour’s drive to the unique beach and
These cool, whitewashed surfaces
safari experience of Saandani National
magnify the wealth of natural light
Park further north up the coast, car
in the rooms and the hefty, ancient
hire can be arranged.
Swahili doors, artfully placed antique
Firefly rhad set up its own ferry link from Bagamoyo to Zanzibar (a far
Guests' rooms have a clean and crisp look
wooden furniture, local artwork and house plants add texture.
a range of budgets. You can go all out on Swahili style with the four spacious
The main building also houses two Fresh food Firefly's restaurant offers plenty of dishes with locally sourced ingredients
unisex dorm rooms, that collectively sleep 12 in single beds. Alternatively, go glamping in the shelter of the garden with four en-suite cottages equipped with
shorter crossing than that from Dar
Outside, there is a series of rustic
and also cutting out the 60km drive
pergolas that incorporate the plentiful
Or, if you want to get even closer
to the country’s commercial capital),
coconut palms growing here and
to nature, there is a breezy, shady
but the dip in tourist numbers as a
provide shade for an array of cush-
campsite just footsteps from the
result of recent international travel
ioned seating as well as a king-sized
beach to set up your own tent or rent
restrictions has led to it being put on
swing bed for ultimate lounging.
one from Firefly.
hold. The plan is for it to return in the
If you’re looking for a moment to
new year so guests can continue their
yourself, you’ll find plenty of cosy
deep dive into Swahili culture.
corners – a hammock here, a cushion-
Style/atmosphere
strewn bench there – to chill or catch up on a book (Firefly even has its
It took 18 months of restoration work
own little library is you’ve run out of
to return the ruined palace to its
reading material).
former glory. Firefly founder Jo Turner,
32
Paa Tanzania
double beds, fans and solar lighting.
The rustic, shabby chic vibe is in
If you’re looking for a moment to yourself, you’ll find plenty of cosy corners – a hammock here, a cushion-strewn bench there
All guests are entitled to use the hotel’s facilities such as the swimming pool and bar and make use of the free wi-fi.
Food and drink Whether enjoying its shaded seating during the day or dining out under fairy lights at night, the poolside bar and restaurant area is the hub of social activities at Firefly. Most stays here include breakfast and you can kickstart your day with plenty of healthy options from the Firefly omelette – complete with inflammation-busting turmeric and sauerkraut – to Zanzibar coconut beans with wholewheat chapatti. There are plenty more Swahili favourites on the dinner menu, which make use of fresh, local ingredients, including the catch of the day from the returning dhows. Try the steambaked kingfish fillet with fragrant
Activities
Sip and swim Firefly has created a cosy oasis around its outdoor pool
Boutique at Firefly. Here you can
lemongrass, coconut milk, ginger and
Cosmopolitan Bagamoyo has a
lime leaves. Vegetarian dishes include
thriving arts scene, and the town
Israeli Skashuka and the Firefly salad,
has been given a leading role in
souvenirs. The boutique is run by
drizzling in homemade baobab and
preserving and promoting traditional
Bagamoyo entrepreneur Esther, who
lime dressing. There is also a sprinkling
Tanzanian music, art and drama at its
is also a skilled masseuse and offers a
of European comfort food favourites
internationally renowned Bagamoyo
range of treatments for guests.
such as spaghetti bolognaise and
Arts & Culture Institute. You’ll also find
Hungarian goulash. The hearty,
‘Zawose Village’, home to generations
ing excursions, whether that’s a
healthy food attracts diners from
of a musically gifted family of the
walking tour of historic Stone Town
beyond the hotel so at busy times you
Wagogo people. Firefly is a great
or a romantic sunset dhow cruise.
may have a bit of wait until your dish
place to sample the wealth of musical
arrives, but it’s worth it. You can also
talent here. Its outdoor performance
fill that time by ordering from the bar,
space has played host to many local
which serves some sublime soft drinks
acts – including some of the Zawose
such as frozen date and coconut milk-
clan – at its regular Friday music
shakes and thirst-quenching rosella
sessions and has for the past couple
(hibiscus) juice. There’s also a wide
of years provided the Bagamoyo
US$ 16. All prices are per night and
range of cocktails, spirits and wines.
venue for the Marafiki Music Festival.
include breakfast. Camping rates
The hotel also supports the local
start at US$ 10 a night, excluding
plastic-free zone so filtered water is
creative scene by accommodating its
breakfast. For more information,
served chilled in glass bottles or you
own artist in residence.
visit fireflybagamoyo.com or
The eco-friendly guesthouse is a
can fill up your own water bottles for a small fee.
The work of eco-minded artisans is also showcased at the Upendo
browse a range of upcycled clothes and crafts that make ideal gifts and
The Firefly team can help organis-
Rates Authentic touches The hotel, a former palace, retains plenty of its original features
First floor suites start at US$ 60, ground floor suites from US$ 50. The garden cottages start at US$ 50 for two people sharing. Dorm beds are
@fireflybagamoyo on Facebook and Instagram. www.precisionairtz.com
33
Telling the tale of Tarangire In October a group of Tanzanian youngsters experienced the beauty and wonder of Tarangire National Park for the first time – through film. They were among the audience at the premiere in Arusha of 'Tarangire: Our Heritage, Our Future', a very special documentary created by community-driven conservation organisation African People & Wildlife and shot by Ngoteya Wild – a Tanzanian production company that tells the story of the film here.
T
arangire National Park is an
popular trips on hold, however APW
understand the importance, benefits,
often-overlooked gem that
has created a special film so that
and challenges of the park while
is packed with bird life, big
Tanzanian children can experience
telling a powerful story of hope and
cats and baobabs. Its attractions
Tarangire National Park virtually. Some
inspiration during difficult times,”
are even a mystery to many among
of them were lucky enough to attend
he says.
the communities of Tanzanians
the film’s premiere on October 22 at
that live on the park’s fringes in the
the Regalz Cinemaxx, in Arusha.
Arusha region. This is a situation that
The film is shot throughout the
African People & Wildlife (APW) – a
park and its surrounding lands, which
Tanzanian conservation organisation
are home to some of the world’s
with its headquarters just outside the
most incredible and important animal
park that works to create sustainable
species as well as indigenous commu-
solutions that support the land’s
nities that have lived alongside the
people and wildlife – seeks to
wildlife for centuries.
change. It has been running annual
Filmed in the autumn of 2020,
trips to Tarangire National Park for
Tarangire, Our Heritage, Our Future
rural youth to foster an appreciation
was created by and for Tanzanians. It
of the wildlife on their doorstep,
was directed by National Geographic
which they hope will filter through to
Explorer and filmmaker Hans Cosmas
generations to come.
Ngoteya from our team at Ngoteya
The pandemic has put these
34
Paa Tanzania
Wild. “The film will help youth to
The film takes young people and Wild open space Tarangire National Park
other viewers on a learning safari through different areas of the park’s diverse habitats with narration by
Tarangire
was followed by a networking event in which attendees were able to share more thoughts on the film with the creators and each other. Godwell Meing'ataki, of Tanzania National Parks Authority (TANAPA), also attended the premiere. He said: “The film not only tells us about wildlife but demonstrates that we need to continue working closely with different partners in neighbouring communities if we want to see the park flourish.” 'Tarangire: Our Heritage, Our Future' also aims to help audiences understand the essential role that communities play in conservation
We want to emphasise that [Tarangire] is one of the earth’s last wild places and needs our urgent protection
and how local efforts can be powerful drivers of environmental protection. APW’s continued partnerships with local people serve as an example throughout Tanzania and beyond to promote more community engagement in conservation.
Ngoteya Wild traveller and APW’s monitoring and
is one of the earth’s last wild places
Ngoteya Wild is proud to play a part
evaluation officer Yamat Lengai, who
and needs our urgent protection. The
in APW’s growing efforts to share
was born and raised in a community
future of Tarangire depends on us
inspiring stories through film and
on the edge of the park. Audiences
now to conserve its natural resources
other media to help build a new
will see breath-taking landscapes and
in a better way for future generations.”
generation ready to fight to protect
exciting wildlife up close, whether it
Esta Saimon, a local student who
the natural world. Our film will be
is lions roaring, elephants rolling in
attended the premiere, gave her
shown to schoolchildren throughout
the mud, vultures vying for a meal
verdict. “I was very impressed with
northern Tanzania as well as being
with other animals or ostrich chicks
the women who were selling beaded
made available on different media
dutifully following their parents.
jewellery outside the park gates. It
platforms for every Tanzanian to
shows that women too are benefit-
access. We have joined forces with
Premiere
ting from the park and therefore it
APW to ensure that we reach as many Park life
The film also shows viewers the
serves them well to protect it.”
neighbouring lands and showcases
Joining local youth at the Arusha
the local people who work at the
premiere were several APW partner
APW for bringing this project into our
forefront of preserving Tarangire’s
organisations and local government
lives and to extend our gratitude to
wealth of biodiversity.
agencies. After watching the film,
other organisations, and partners who
the audience engaged in a lively
contributed to the success of this film,
the film aims to showcase Tarangire’s
question and answer session with
including USAID, Northern Tanzania
incredible wildlife and landscapes,
APW staff, park authorities and one of
Rangelands Initiative (NTRI), Nomad,
we also want to emphasise that this
the Ngoteya Wild team. The session
TANAPA, and Tarangire National Park.
At the premiere, Yamat said: “While
Giraffes thrive in the park
people as possible. Ngoteya Wild would like to thank
www.precisionairtz.com
35
No-nonsense talk with Sona Sona Parmar
Be
Clinical Nutritionist Paa has a new columnist. Sona Parmar is a Nairobi-based clinical nutritionist certified by the Nutrition Therapy Council. In each issue the mum-of-three will take a wry look at the human condition inspired by events in her own life. To find out more about her work, visit nutritionbysona.com and instagram. com/inspirationbysona
A
s I sit down to write this week’s blog post, it feels like forever since I last put metaphorical pen to paper. As I sit and stop, I realise how tired I am. I also realise that I haven’t been sitting and stopping much. But this is a good thing. I simply love it when life takes over, when my three beautiful children tell me the most ridiculous stories, and when it feels like I don’t know what’s coming next – and I’m not worried. I think what I have discovered, after
I think what I have discovered, after many years of being away, is flow 36
Paa Tanzania
many years of being away, is flow. I am able to watch and adapt, cry and fall apart, ask for help when I need it, and find joy in the smallest things. I am finally not trying. I am finally trusting. I am finally letting go. I am finally at ease. The old, keep-your-head-down-tosurvive me sometimes pops up and wonders, if any of this is real. But I assure her, it is. Because I have been here before. But just as even the memory of a good night’s sleep is forgotten by new parents, I had forgotten what normal felt like. No, not normal; flow. Part of me doesn’t want to jinx it. Part of me wonders if it can last. And yet, part of me knows it can – so long as I keep getting out of my own way. As I sit and write, feeling the ache in my lower back from wrapping what seemed
like a million schoolbooks the other day, my feet are toasting by the fire. I am at ease. I don’t need to go anywhere. I don’t need to do anything. I am able to be, in that elusive way that I sometimes talk about. It's happening to me. I thought it might take winning the lottery or moving to Bora Bora. It did not. I just had to be willing to have the courage to show up, and let myself be seen. Vulnerability. Opening the heart. Creating space. Breathing. Being. I am doing this. I can do this. I can let this be done to me. I can be.
Paa Royal Benefits
Benefits that will make you feel like royalty Precision Air is always looking to give its customers an exclusive and memorable service experience; and the Paa Royal benefits programme is part of that mission. The membership categories* are as follows:
Jade Member benefits
Silver Member benefits
Upon enrolment, members will be given their unique Paa Royal number, which they must always show whenever they buy tickets as well as during check-in at the airport. After flying three times or more, members will be given a Jade membership card. With the card, they will be recognised as members of the Paa Royal Programme.
After attaining Silver membership level, the member will be issued with a Silver membership card which he (or she) must show at all Precision Air point of sales in order to receive the recognition that he deserves. Should a member book online by logging into Paa Royal Pages, he will automatically receive points earned to his account.
Other benefits of Jade membership:
Members will be entitled to special treatment and priority treatment whenever they travel.
• Priority membership baggage tags to ensure tagged bags will be handled with special care and delivered first on the conveyor belt at the passenger’s arrival destination • An opportunity to get a free ticket within the Precision Air’s network after accumulating enough points in their account.
*Please note that, in each membership category, if a member is unable to maintain the required number of flights in a year, he or she will be downgraded to their tier level achieved in that current year.
Other benefits of Silver membership: • Free 5 kg baggage every time member travels on a PW operated flight • Priority membership baggage tags to ensure tagged bags will be handled with special care and delivered first on the conveyor belt at member’s arrival destination • Opportunity to obtain a free ticket within the Precision Air network after accumulating enough points in your account • Priority telephone reservation in those times when you want to make your reservation and cannot visit our office or travel agent. Booking is a call away through our Paa Royal helpdesk line.
Gold Member benefits
Tanzanite Member benefits
After attaining the Gold membership, members will begin to experience royal and exclusive treatment whenever they fly. Members will be opened up to a new world of opportunities and experiences and, of course, receive more rewards. Should a member book online by logging into Paa Royal Pages, he (or she) would automatically receive points earned to his account. Other benefits of Gold: • Free 10 kg baggage every time member travels on a PW operated flight • Priority membership baggage tags to ensure tagged bags will be handled with special care and delivered first on the conveyor belt at member’s arrival destination • Opportunity to obtain a free ticket within the Precision Air network after accumulating enough points in your account • Priority telephone reservation at times when you want to make your reservation and cannot visit our office or travel agent. Booking is a call away through our Paa Royal helpdesk line • Priority waitlist/airport standby each time you want to travel and your selected flight is full.
When members reach Tanzanite member they attain ultimate royalty. We will always strive to give these royal members an exclusive and memorable flight experience. At this level, members will already be used to royal treatment; royalty will be their way of life. Other benefits of Tanzanite: • Free 15 kg excess baggage every time the member travels on a PW-operated flight • Opportunity to obtain a free ticket within the Precision Air network after accumulating enough points in your account • Confirmation on any flight if a member is prepared to pay Y class fare, regardless of the flight booking status • Priority waitlist/airport standby whenever you want to travel and your selected flight is full • Priority telephone reservation at times when you want to make your reservation and cannot visit our office or travel agent. Booking is a call away through our Paa Royal helpdesk line. • Priority membership baggage tags to ensure tagged bags will be handled with special care and delivered first on the conveyor belt at member’s destination.
• Silver,Gold and Tanzanite members also get discounts of up to 20 per cent when visiting GSM shopping malls Msasani and Pugu, Southern Sun Hotel, Akemi restaurant, East Point Restaurant and the Colosseum hotel and sports club - all in Dar es Salaam.
Contact Us For more details, email paaroyal@precisionairtz.com or call +255684202022
www.precisionairtz.com
37
Paa Contacts
Your nearest Precision Air office anywhere in the world TANZANIA DAR ES SALAAM HEAD OFFICE
Diamond Plaza, 1st Floor, Plot no 162 / 38, Mirambo Street / Samora Ave, Dar es Salaam Tel: +255 (0)22 219 1000 Contact Centre: +255 (0)787 888 409 / 408 / 417 Email: pwreservations@precisionairtz.com
DAR ES SALAAM SALES OFFICE
NIC HDQ Building, Samora Ave / Pamba Road, PO Box 70770, Dar es Salaam Tel: +255 (0)22 213 0800 / 212 1718 Fax: +255 (0)22 211 3036 Email: salesdar@precisionairtz.com
E-COMMERCE
(For users of VISA and MasterCard) Diamond Plaza, 1st Floor, Plot no 162 / 38, Mirambo Street / Samora Ave Dar es Salaam Tel: +255 (0)686 177 458 / (0)689 669 446 Fax: +255 (0)22 211 3036 Email: pwreservations@precisionairtz.com
ARUSHA
Ngorongoro Tourism Center First Floor Goliondoi & Makongoro Road P.O. Box 1636 Arusha - Tanzania Tel: +255 27 254 5489 / 254 5503 Email: pw-arksales@precisionairtz.com
BUKOBA
Bukoba Office-GSA, Bukoba Machinery and General Supplier, Bukoba Centre Kawawa Road Tel: +255 (0) 28 222 0545 / 222 0204 Mob: +255 (0) 713 316 806 / (0) 787 616 806 Email: bukobamachinery55@yahoo.com
DODOMA
Mtendeni street, Dodoma Tel: +255 787 845 200 / 754 972 173
MOSHI
KNCU Building, Ground Floor, Old Moshi Road Tel: +255 784 686 418 +255 (0)272 753495 / 753498 Mob: +255 (0)787 800820 Email: sales@acobtravel.com info@acobtravel.com
MTWARA
Tanu Road, Posta Building, PO Box 1066, Mtwara Tel: +255 (0)23 233 4116 Mob: +255 (0)787 818 442 / 767 818 442 Email: pw-mwzgsa@precisionairtz.com
MWANZA
Along Kenyatta Road, Plot no 002, Mwanza Tel: +255 (0)28 250 0819 / 250 0204 Fax/Tel: +255 (0)28 250 1054 Mob: +255 (0)784 402042 Sales Office Mobile: +255 (0)784 968427
ZANZIBAR
Zanzibar Airport Tel: +255 (0)24 223 4521 Fax: +255 (0)24 223 4520 Email: pwznz@precisionairtz.com
KENYA NAIROBI
Barclays Plaza, 7th Floor, Loita Street PO Box 50990-00100, Nairobi Tel: +254 (0)20 327 4282 / 4290 / 4297 Mob: +254 (0)724 76 0736 / +254 (0)736 046 595 Airport: +254 (0) 733 934 795 / 731 530 000 Email: pw-nbo@kenya-airways.com
SOUTH AFRICA
OR Tambo International, International Departures Terminal A, AVIAREPS Counter Johannesburg, South Africa Tel: +27 11 783 6415
UGANDA
Pan Africa House, Plot no.3 Kimathi Avenue P.O. Box 5619 Kampala Tel: +256-790 381 431 (24hr Emergency) Mob: +256 784(704) 329793 Email: precisionair.eva@utb.co.ug
AUSTRIA
Argentinierstrasse 2/4 A-1040 Vienna, Austria Tel: +43 1 585 3630 Fax: +43 1 558 536 3088
AUSTRALIA
Suite 1302, 109 Pitt Street Sydney, Australia Email: helpdesk@apg-ga.com.au
BELGIUM
Park Hill, J.E Mommaertslaan 16B 1831 Diegem, Belgium Tel: +32 (0)2 712 0584 Fax: +32 (0)2 725 8392 Mobile: +32 (0)47 770 9971
FINLAND
Precision Air C/o Aviareps PL 10 00750 Helsinki, Finland Finland Tel: +46 8 55569162 Email: PWres.scan@aviareps.com
FRANCE
Precision Air, 11 rue Auber 75009 Paris, France Mob: +33 (0)6 21 824 908 Reservation: +33 (0)1 534 35397 Fax: +33 (0)1 5343 7919
GERMANY MUNICH OFFICE
Josephspitalstrasse 15 80331 Munich Germany Tel: +49 (0)895 525 3373 Fax: +49 (0)895 450 6842
FRANKFURT OFFICE
Kaiserstrasse 77 60329 Frankfurt / Main Germany Tel: +49 (0)69 770 673 010 Fax: +49 (0)69 770 673 018
GREECE
7 Stadiou Street Athens 10562 Greece Tel: +30 (0)210 9341 500 / 501 Fax: +30 (0)210 934 1620 Email: precisionairsales@tal-aviation.gr
IRELAND
Precision Air GSA APG Ireland 27 Lower Ormond Quay Dublin, Ireland Reservations: +353 (0)1 804 5100 Email: info@apg-ga.ie
NETHERLANDS
Beechavenue 104 1119 PP Schiphol, Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)20 520 0280 Fax: +31 (0)2 6 23 0151
SPAIN
Bravo Murillo 101, Planta 6 Oficina 3, 28020 Madrid, Spain Tel: +34 (0)91 458 5560 Fax: +34 (0)91 344 1726 Email: Precisionair.spain@aviareps.com
SWEDEN
Aviareps, Riddargatan 17 11457 Stockholm Sweden Tel: +46 (0)8 55569162 Email: PWres.scan@aviareps.com
SWITZERLAND
Badenerstrasse 15, 8004 Zurich Switzerland Tel: +41 (0)44 286 99 60 Fax: +41 (0)44 286 99 00 Email: Precisionair-Switzerland@ aviareps.com
TURKEY
Discover The World -Turkey Nef22 E Blok 13. Kat No:194 Atakoy/ İstanbul 34156 TURKEY Tel: +90 212 806 11 87 Email: info@discover-tk.com
USA and CANADA
AirlinePros 420 Lexington Ave Suite 358-360 New York, NY. 10170 Tel: +1 877 496 9887 Email: reservations@precisionairlines.us Precisionair_tanzania@airlinerpos.ca
UNITED KINGDOM
APG Global Highbridge House, 581 Bath Road Longford, West Drayton Middlesex, UB7 0EW Reservations: +44 (0)844 482 2313 Email: info@precisionair.co.uk
OVERALL INTERNATIONAL MARKETS CONTACT LILIAN MUSYOKA
Tel: +254 (0)786800640 +254 (0)20 3274297 / 82 / 90 Email: imusyoka@precisionairtz.com lilian.musyoka@kenya-airways.com
www.precisionairtz.com
39
Welcome Aboard
Fly with a face mask
Safety and well-being on board PASSENGER SAFETY Precision Air takes passenger safety very seriously. Aviation safety isn’t just the pilot’s or the cabin crew’s job – it takes all of us. It is easy for our natural sense of caution to be dulled in our modern environment, where things don’t go wrong very often. Whether in the air or on the ground, your life and the lives of your family members could some day be saved if you make it a point, in every situation, to create a mental plan of action in case of emergency. Here are some important tips to help you enjoy your travel experience with Precision Air – in flight and around the airport.
EXIT ROW SEAT A passenger who is allocated an emergency exit seat: A. Must be both willing and physically able to open the exit doors in an emergency B. Must completely understand the printed emergency evacuation techniques C. Must be 16 years old and above.
PAY ATTENTION TO PRE-FLIGHT BRIEFING Although the information seems repetitious, the locations of the closest emergency exits may be different depending on the aircraft that you fly on and the seat you are in.
CARRY ON BAGGAGE There are strict rules about what you can bring on board an aircraft. Because:
Carry-on bags must be small enough to fit under the seat in front of you or in the overhead bins. Please confirm with Precision Air rules before your travel to avoid delays. *Remember: All carry-on baggage must be left behind in an evacuation.
SAFETY ONBOARD Boarding and leaving an aircraft requires your full attention. As you move to and from the aircraft, you may be in a busy area with many other passengers and cargo, moving vehicles, other aircraft, slippery walkways and/or stairs.
RESPECT YOUR CREW AND FELLOW PASSENGERS Everyone has the right to safe and secure travel. That is why Precision Air employees and the aviation authority will not tolerate any behaviour that interferes with the flight or puts the safety of passengers and crew at risk.
SEATBELTS Seatbelts must be fastened during take-off, landing, during turbulence and any time the crew deem it necessary. Keeping the belt on when you are seated provides that extra protection you might need in case of emergency. If you are responsible for an infant or a child, you must first ensure that your own seatbelt is properly fastened, then secure the child and, if it is an infant, secure the child’s or the infant’s restraints.
A. Not all aircraft have space to store your carry-on baggage.
Important note: There are a number of events involving air turbulence that highlight the importance of keeping seatbelts fastened throughout the flight.
B. In an accident, baggage in the aisles makes it harder to get out of the aircraft quickly.
Though rare, in-flight turbulence is the leading cause of injuries to both passengers and crew.
40
Paa Tanzania
For the your own safety and the safety of your fellow passengers and crew, we ask you to wear a face mask during the entirety of your flight today. Thank you!
You Are Why We Fly It’s a good idea to keep your seatbelt fastened even when the seatbelt signs are not on.
MEDICAL CONDITIONS AND PREGNANCIES If you have a medical condition and may need assistance during your travel, kindly ask the Precision Air offices or agents about procedures before your flight. If you are pregnant, you will need to fill a Precision Air medical form, to be signed by your doctor, to confirm that you are OK for travel. For further details, kindly ask while booking your ticket from our sales offices and/or customer services.
PORTABLE ELECTRONIC DEVICES Use of portable electronic devices such as mobile phones, laptops, tablets, MP4 players, iPads, etc are not allowed during take-off, landing, taxiing, descent and climb. Precision Air prohibits the use of some electronic devices during flight because they emit signals that can interfere with the aircraft's instrumentation. Some of the items prohibited include cellphones, radios, remote-controlled games/toys, laser pointers, iPads or tablets that transmits frequencies, portable printers, walkie-talkies, scanners and laptops. These items need to be stowed away for these phases of the flight to avoid injuries in case of an emergency.
