Travel Africa

travel africa

In This Issue…

Industry News

20 Starting in 2023 You Can Renew Your U.S. Passport Online — What You Need To Know

Feature Stories

22 5 Unique African Countries to Add to Your Bucket List

26 18 Beautiful Coastal Towns to Visit Around the World (2 on the African Continent)

27 Where to Go in 2023 21 suggestions (2 on the African Continent) By Bloomberg Pursuits

30 Our Unforgettable Adventure in Niokolodge, Senegal

36 A Rare Look at the World’s Most Expensive Sheep

38 Travel Wisely with Style

Land of the Dogons page 64

40 At Her Gorgeous Hotel in Mozambique, Luxury, Design, and Sustainability Are in Harmony

44 Top African Countries to Visit This Holiday (or whenever*)

46 Lost Your ID Right Before Your Flight? Here’s What To Do

48 Bridgeview Resort, Akosombo,Ghana

50 2 of the Top Travel Guidebooks on Amazon

52 10 Travel Tech Accessories My Flight

Attendant Husband Says I Should Never Leave Home Without

56 How Booking Breakfast with a Giraffe Could Help Save the Critically Endangered Animals

58 Nigerian Artists Carve Their Own Path in the NFT Space

60 Planning 2023 Travel Without a

Companion? Find Your People in a Black Travel Group

64 Dr. Dwight Reynolds Urges the Cruise Industry and Black Americans to Get Updated COVID Vaccinations

Travel Africa

66 World Heritage Sites

70 Travel Africa

76 Ski Africa

78 Golf Africa

83 African Cuisine! Senegal-USA

Travel Resources

86 Events Around the African Continent and the World

87 Before You Go…

About the Africa Business Association

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

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

Africa Business Association

"Travel Africa"

PUBLISHER/PRESIDENT

Ricky Katsuya

ADVISORY BOARD

Earl 'Skip' Cooper, II, CEO, Black Business Association

H.E. Sheila Siwela, Ambassador

H.E. Kone L. Tanou, Ambassador

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Ricky Katsuya

LAYOUT/TYPESETTING

Lion Communications

AFRICA BUSINESS ASSOCIATION NEWS

6564 LOISDALE COURT, SUITE 600 Springfield, VA 22150 USA

1-240-467-6811

aba@africabisinessassociation.org

dawn@africabusinessassociation.org

www.africabusinessassociation.org

Copyright © 2022

by Africa Business Association News

All Rights Reserved.

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

Image credits: Cover-https://www.traveldailynews.com/ post/five-companies-win-first-ever-peta-animal-friendlyafrican-safari-awards, iStock

This Tech is a Win-Win-Win for Providers, Interm

By PHOCUSWIRE

New decentralized models for digital identity, often termed self-sovereign identity (SSI), have been in active development since 2015. Promising to dramatically improve the trust in internet identity for all parties - people, organizations and even things can now have a trusted and provable digital identity according to Phocuswright’s latest research report on the technology Self-Sovereign Identity: Unlocking Seamless Travel

In turn, this allows peer-topeer relationships to be formed just like in the real world. And it is this real-world facsimile that makes the decentralized

model of identity representation so compelling when compared against the digital identity verification models that are widely used today.

At the foundation of SSI are impactful technologies like the TCP/IP protocols that enabled the internet, the http protocol that gave birth to the web and the GSM standard that brought about the mobile revolution. These technologies enable consumers to manage their personal information behind a verified digital ID and distribute trusted information to trusted sellers who equally participate in and benefit from the new digital identity capabilities.

SSI awareness and adoption

has been further accelerated by cryptocurrencies, which introduced blockchain and digital wallet technologies to many people for the first time. The worldwide COVID epidemic, during which governments required the digital communication of health status prior to travel and for entry to restaurants, bars and shops, also helped spread awareness. A tidal wave of new technologies is coming, introducing disruptive core technology capable of changing the status quo - the centralized model - and opening the possibility of peer-to-peer interactions between digital identities.

mediaries and Travelers

For hospitality and travel (H&T), a target-sector for SSI, the opportunities are significant:

• The possibility for crossbrand loyalty models to emerge

• Substantially improved shopping experiences for travelers, including searching the universe of travel without being forced to use an OTA, and receiving personalized rate quotes based on product requirements, preferences, memberships, age, affiliations, past purchases, entitlements, etc.

• Vendors receiving accurate

information direct from the customer with every interaction

• Permissioned, two-way communication with customers without using Facebook, WhatsApp or similar apps

• True seamless digital customer journeys where information flows automatically between providers (e.g., air, airport, ground mobility, hotels, tours and attractions, F&B)

• A reduced need to store customer data, simplifying regulatory compliance (GDPR, CCPA, etc.)

• The possibility for new intermediary types to emerge: H&T identity providers

• The availability of privacypreserving digital health credentials, if required Further opportunities for travel companies include cross-brand loyalty, a single travel profile across all travel sectors and more.

https://www.phocuswire.com/ this-tech-is-a-win-win-win-forproviders-intermediaries-andtravelers

Image credit: evernym.com, hpi.de

Dakar Gets Three New Europe Routes

TUI fly Deutschland introduced a 2x weekly 737 MAX 8 operation, routing Düsseldorf-Sal-DakarDüsseldorf. It joins Frankfurt as the only two German airports to see regular Dakar passenger flights, although Frankfurt lost service 15 years ago. Düsseldorf was followed shortly after by the launch of TUI Airways' 1x weekly London Gatwick-Dakar, also by the MAX 8.

The Senegalese capital of Dakar has seen an uplift of new Europe routes in the past year, with many sticking around to benefit from the West African nation’s warm winter.

Completing the trio is Transavia France's started Lyon-Dakar. It is the only route of the three to have head-tohead competition. It competes against Air Senegal

https://simpleflying.com/notable-airline-routes-63/ Image credit: Düsseldorf International Airport.

https://sci-africa.com

MISSION TOKENYA(with optionalstop in Tanzania)

March27-30,2023

About the Trade Mission

The United States Department of Commerce, International Trade Administration (ITA),is excited to announce an executive-led Trade Mission that will coincide withthe American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) Kenya’s Regional Business Summit that brings togetherkey government and business leaders from East Africa–Kenya, Ethiopia,Rwanda,Tanzania, Uganda, and the DRC.

Why Should Your Company Join?

The Trade Mission willallow interested U.S. companies to engage with businesses and government executives from Kenya as well as from across the East Africa Communityin one setting.

In addition, the Trade Missionis strategically timed to provide one of the first opportunities for U.S. companies to engage and develop relationshipswith a newly elected Government of Kenya.

Companieswill have the opportunity to learn about Kenya’s neweconomic plan, currentand prospective government projects, and present their products and solutions that can help the government achieve its economic goals. Similarly, participantswill be able to engage governments within the region on their respective country priorities and projects. The mission will focus on the following priority sectors:

Healthcare Information Communications Technology (ICT)

Infrastructure

Event Details

Date

March27 -30, 2023

March30, 2023 (Optional Tanzania stop)

Location

Nairobi, Kenya

Dar-es-Salaam, Tanzania (Optional)

Cost

Large = $3,500

SME = $2,400

Registration

Register now by clicking here or visit: https://emenuapps.ita.doc.gov/ePublic/TM/ 3N1G

For questions and assistance

contact:

Larry Tabash

U.S. Commercial Service –Austin, TX

Larry.Tabash@trade.gov

+1 512-936-0039

Joshua Startup

Commercial Officer–Nairobi, Kenya

Joshua.startup@trade.gov

+25420-363-6728

Goodbye to the 11am Kick-out?

Why Hotels are Axing Traditional Check-in Times

It’s pretty odd, when you think about it. You arrive in a city first thing, following a lengthy overnight flight and plenty of airport wrangling, hefty suitcase in tow. And yet you can’t flop down in a comfy space for another seven hours. Best case scenario your room might be ready an hour or two earlier than the practically iron-clad 3pm; worst case you’ll end up lugging it over cobblestones and up steps, trying to find a cafe to while away a few hours. Meanwhile, you’re haemorrhaging sightseeing time.

The traditional 3pm check-in and 11am or 12pm check-out, rigidly imposed at 99.9 per cent of hotels, is still a regular travel frustration. Even though it’s much easier for guests and properties to discuss arrival and departure times, the dance remains the same: a trailing queue at reception desk at these “peak times”, with the 11am-3pm empty hours used for housekeeping staff to turn around each room for the next guest.

But over the years, momentum has quietly been building towards a better way. In summer 2016, Standard Hotels launched “Standard Time”, a paid extra that enables guests to check in and out whenever they want. “We can think of a bunch of reasons” why you’d want to do so, said the brand at the time, citing “You jet after sunset” and “The minibar’s not going to drink itself” as just two of them. It was only available to people booking directly through the brand’s website.

Then in late 2019, stylish boutique hotel group

The Hoxton unveiled its “Flexy Time” initiative,

also available as a perk only to direct-booking guests. These VIPs can check in at a time of their choosing, from midnight at the beginning of their arrival day, and out at a time of their choosing until midnight at the end of their departure day.

“Flexy Time looks to eliminate the irritations travellers are regularly faced with – from not being able to shower after a long-haul flight, to having to check out half asleep after a big night out –and gives guests more time to enjoy their stay, whatever their reason for travel,” said a statement from the brand at the time.

Still up and running, this perk doesn’t even necessarily cost the holidaymaker more. Researching my Hoxton hotel of choice, the Williamsburg outpost in Brooklyn, NY, I found a Cosy room for £235, room only, including Flexy Time – which would allow me to arrive from 00.01am on the first day and depart at 11.59pm on the second. On Booking.com, the same room was available for £225, with the stricter timings of a 2pm check-in and a 12pm check-out. Hotels. com listed the hotel for just £1 less at £234 a night for the same room, with the same rigid checkin structure. All in all I’d be paying £10 more for Flexy Time, but gaining up to 26 hours of access to a bed, shower, power points and quiet privacy.

In 2021, Peninsula Hotels followed with “Peninsula Time”, letting guests arrange to get into their room as early as 6am and leave it as late as 10pm on the day of departure. This, too, is free, as long as you book directly with the brand – flexible time in exchange for loyalty seems to be the way forward. The group even rejigged housekeeping staff’s shifts earlier and later to enable the more flexible hours. The month after launch, the brand’s group director told Afar that the group had seen a “marked increase in business from clients travelling on Qantas”, who’d arrive into LAX at 8am and opt to stay at the more flexible Peninsula Beverly Hills.

More recently, Portuguese group Octant Hotels is making a big drive for what they call “a new latitude of freedom” at its properties, which involves eradicating formal check in or out times, no closing time for swimming pools, and no deadline for getting down to the breakfast buffet. Heaven for those of us who detest a long list of intense house rules, right? However, it doesn’t yet advertise its flexible check-in on its hotel websites, meaning you have to be in the know to check ahead and adjust your stay timings.

And it’s not all about an extra hour in bed, a more leisurely breakfast or arriving tired first thing.

The current system sees long queues trailing from reception at midday and mid-afternoon, as all guests rush to check out and check in at the earliest or latest possible time.

In response, start-ups promoting non-traditional hotel timings have also cropped up over the years – HotelFlex, one that aimed to “change the way hotels operate so guests can check in and check out at whatever times they want – and pay accordingly” came and went in 2017. In a similar vein, still-running Dayuse aims to maximise hotel potential by renting vacant rooms out to short-stay guests for a few hours between check-ins.

Meanwhile, Indian brand Brevistay recently reported it has grown by 186 per cent year on year with its “pay per hour” business model very similar to HotelFlex’s – enabling hotel users to book and pay for the exact hours they plan to be in and use a hotel room. Time flexibility is still very much on the modern hotel’s radar as a bargaining chip for loyalty and bookings.

The Hoxton COO Rob Andrews tells me that, across the brand’s locations in London, bookings by guests opting for Flexy Time average between 10-12 per day. “Having Flexy Time enables us to offer a truly personalised service to those guests who opt for it... it was an industry first when it launched, and is just one of the ways The Hoxton is innovating in the hospitality sector,” he adds.

Another factor in the drive toward flexibility is remote workers and “bleisure” travellers – if someone is working from a city abroad they need to get online, and quickly. Many are willing to pay a little extra for the privilege.

Booked a hotel which is nowhere near the flexible check-in revolution stage? As a tip from someone who checks in frequently, I’d say always try your luck, particularly with late check-outs. Phone reception first thing, politely ask whether it would be possible to check out an hour or two after the standard time, and you’ll have a good chance of getting a yes. Whether it’s in the name of an extra hour in bed or a shower before an afternoon flight, it’s always worth a shot.

https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/newsand-advice/trends-hotels-check-in-out-timesflexibility-b2232182.html

Image credit: clhg.com

Africa’s First Waldorf Astoria to Debut in Morocco

By Brunno Braga

The world-famous luxury resort Waldorf Astoria will enter the African hospitality sector. Hilton recently announced the signing of an agreement with Star Hill Tanger SA to open Waldorf Astoria Tanger, signaling the debut of the iconic brand in Morocco in 2025. It will be located in a prime location close to the northwest coast of the country.

Waldorf Astoria Tanger will be the preeminent luxury destination in Tanger. The resort will be close to Cape Spartel Reserve, making it a convenient base to explore the Caves of Hercules. Guests can also enjoy the renowned lighthouse with breathtaking views of the blue Mediterranean and Atlantic waters.

“Introducing Waldorf Astoria to Morocco in partnership with Star Hill is an exciting move for Hilton. And we are pleased to debut this iconic brand in Tanger, a stylish destination which is witnessing rapid development,” said Patrick Fitzgibbon, senior vice president of development for Hilton in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

“Across Morocco we are growing our portfolio of hotels, building on the significant momentum the country is experiencing for travel and tourism, with plans to nearly triple our presence in the coming years with openings from across our brand segments.”

Waldorf Astoria Tanger will feature 115 contemporary-style guest rooms and suites. This will include 21 villas with private pools and a 1,250-square-meter Royal Villa. In addition, the resort’s 3,000-square-meter luxury spa will be the largest holistic wellness destination in the country.

The resort will offer guests an array of culinary delights at its five restaurants, including the world-famous Peacock Alley. The luxury resort will also feature multi-functional meeting spaces

and boardrooms, perfect for hosting business gatherings, celebrations, and world-class events.

Tanger

“With the brand’s debut in Tanger, we are delighted to add Morocco to our growing global portfolio,” said Dino Michael, senior vice president and global head of luxury brands at Hilton.

Hilton currently operates five hotels in Morocco: Hilton Tanger City Center Hotel & Residences, Hilton Tanger Al Houara Resort & Spa, Hilton Garden Inn Tanger City Centre, Hilton Garden Inn Casablanca Sud, and Hilton Taghazout Bay Beach Resort & Spa.

Located 14 kilometers from Europe, Tanger is one of the most popular vacation destinations among Moroccan and foreign tourists alike. The hotel project comes as Moroccan tourism recovers strongly from the COVID-19 crisis.

During the months of June and July 2022, Morocco welcomed a total of 3.2 million tourists. It means a 65% increase in July compared to the same period last year.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/travel/tripideas/ africa-s-first-waldorf-astoria-to-debut-in-morocco/ ar-AA15A711

Image credit: hilton.com

Waldoirf Astoria Tanger

Uber Travel Arrives in MENA with Egypt Launch

By PYMNTS

Uber has launched the Uber Travel feature suite in Egypt. Specifically, “Smart Itineraries” has been launched in the country, allowing users to sync their travel plans with the Uber app and reserve a ride in advance based on hotel and flight bookings.

“Uber Travel forms an integral part of Uber’s vision to make movement and local and international travel more seamless,” Norhen Ali, Uber’s head of communications for the Middle East and North Africa (MENA), said in a press release on Tuesday (Jan. 3).

Ali added that “we’re excited to introduce Smart Itineraries to the MENA region, as an enhanced offering to help ease the stress of travel, and we will continue to expand our services to accommodate increasing travel needs through the power of our technology.”

Uber said it planned to introduce Uber Travel across the region soon.

Uber Travel, which is already available in all major cities in the United States and Canada, allows users to link travel plans from their Google, Outlook or Hotmail email accounts, enabling a more integrated experience.

The ride-hailing firm has been promoting the

product as an easy way for customers to plan their travel arrangements, allowing them to book Ubers for an entire trip in one go rather than having to hail them individually as needed. In November, the company announced that Uber Travel has been expanded to an additional 10,000 cities globally Tuesday’s release said that every time riders reserve a ride with Uber Travel, they will receive 10% of the value back in Uber Cash — Uber’s inapp currency that can be used across its services.

In its parallel efforts to make business travel more convenient, last year Uber also announced that Uber for Business will accept Airplus International’s AirPlus Company Account as a means of payment.

The AirPlus Company Account is a corporate expense solution that allows employees to book and pay for their travel and accommodation via a single unified account. An app then combines business travel expenses in a combined electronic statement for easy reconciliation.

https://www.pymnts.com/news/investmenttracker/2022/egypts-contact-wants-to-boostsustainability-with-green-finance/ Image credit: Uber, idesharegifts.com

Following a consultative process that started over a year ago, tourism apex associations from SADC Member States convened at a workshop held 22-23 November 2022 in Johannesburg, South Africa to launch the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Tourism Business Platform (TBP).

The aim of the platform is to address tourism barriers and advance the sustainable development of the regional tourism industry. Representatives from the SADC 16 Member States –Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, United Republic Tanzania, Zambia and

SA To to Ba

By K

Zimbabwe, were part of the consultative process to establish the structure.

The platform will provide the tourism private sector in the SADC region an opportunity to foster a collective and coordinated approach towards tourism development through influencing regional tourism policy direction, strengthening policy integration and regional collaboration, and increasing regional marketing and investment.

Among other tourism challenges the platform will focus on accelerating the implementation of the SADC Univisa system, harmonization of air access policies and removal of travel barriers to stimulate tourist movement, the promotion and marketing of the region as a single tourism destination and

facilitating the improvement of immigration and border services and infrastructure.

To facilitate the work of the platform and get it off to a good start, an interim committee comprising a chairperson and two vice-chairs has been set up and mandated to drive the process forward. Mr Tshifhiwa Tshivhengwa, CEO of Tourism Business Council South Africa, was elected as Interim Chair and Mr. Paul Matamisa, CEO of Tourism Business Council of Zimbabwe and Mr. Kenneth Kapitako, Vice-President of Federation of Namibian Tourism Associations were elected as Vice-Chairs. “Today marks an important milestone for tourism in our SADC region and I look forward to working diligently with my peers from all 16 SADC Member States towards the full establishment of the platform

ADC Launches Regional ourism Business Platform

Address Tourism arriers

Kojo Bentum Williams

and its sub-committees that will be dealing with matters regarding policy, regional tourism policy, regional tourism development, tourism marketing and visitor experience,” said Tshivhengwa.

The establishment of a SADC Tourism Platform, which will serve as the voice of the tourism private sector, is one of the strategic objectives of the SADC Tourism Programme 2020-2030 that was approved by the Joint Meeting of Ministers responsible for Environment, Natural Resources and Tourism in Arusha, Tanzania in 2019 with a view to fast-track sustainable growth of the tourism sector in the SADC Region.

According to the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), a sustainable tourism sector can support livelihoods and create opportunities for millions of people around the globe in the post-COVID-19

world, contributing towards the UN’s global sustainability agenda. Therefore, it is important that the public and private sectors work together to drive the development of the regional tourism industry. From this standpoint, the platform welcomes the support and active involvement of the SADC Business Council, the SADC Secretariat, the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) through GIZ as well as the European Union and OACPS (Organisation of African Caribbean and Pacific States). Speaking at the launch of the platform, Mr. Domingos Gove, the SADC Director: Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources (FANR) commended the tourism business leaders for their role and dedication in the establishment of the platform. He emphasized the importance of private sector involvement in driving regional integration,

and in the implementation of the SADC Tourism Programme 2020-2030.

The regional tourism business sector is encouraged to join and invest in the platform as their contribution is crucial to its success. Mr. Peter Varndell, Executive Secretary at the SADC Business Council, said “The formation of this partnership reflects our commitment to promote private sector interests and create an enabling and competitive business environment. I encourage regional tourism industry players to actively engage on this platform and advance SADC’s economic relationship with Africa for the benefit of all our citizens.”

https://voyagesafriq. com/2022/11/30/sadclaunches-regional-tourismbusiness-platform-addresstourism-barriers/ Image credit: Voyages Afriq, researchgate.net

Nobu Hospitality Continues to Expand Global Footprint in 2023

By Vicky Karantzavelou

Nobu Hospitality will open five new hotels in 2023, including Rome, Marrakech, Atlantic City, San Sebastián, and Toronto. With recent announcements of Bangkok and Abu Dhabi, the 32nd property to join the portfolio, the brand continues to grow globally with a strong development pipeline.

This year will mark Nobu Hotels’ 10th anniversary following the opening of Nobu Hotel Caesars Palace in Las Vegas in 2013. For almost 30 years the Nobu brand has been synonymous with modern luxury and instinctive design, a commitment to fine ingredients and incredible food, and an innate passion for service. Each of the existing 32 hotel destinations have been carefully selected based on the success of a Nobu restaurant, to reach 60 restaurants worldwide this year, creating a platform for locals and international travelers alike to create unforgettable memories around food. With the concept of Kokoro – the Japanese word for heartfelt – tying the portfolio together, Nobu has continued to maintain a strong family-feel over the last decade fueling its continued expansion.

Providing not just a place to stay, but a place to live, 2023 will also welcome the brand’s first luxury residences in Toronto and Los Cabos, embodying the spirit of Nobu in both design and attitude. With six other residential projects in the pipeline, including Al Khobar, Danang, Abu Dhabi, Tulum, Orlando, and Punta Cana –Nobu is firmly positioning itself within the luxury lifestyle sphere by offering an exclusive curated experience for buyers. A place to relax in unpretentious luxury, while still feeling part of something special, the residences will provide purposeful design, elevated amenities including Nobu dining and room service for its residents and unparalleled access to the surrounding area through a dedicated team..

https://www.traveldailynews. com/post/nobu-hospitalitycontinues-to-expand-globalfootprint-in-2023

https://www.msn.com/en-ae/ news/other/ultra-luxury-nobuhotel-marrakech-to-open-inmorocco-on-january-23/arAA16fpgr

Image credit: hospitality-on. com, marrakech.nobuhotels. com, luxurylifestylemag.co.uk, theluxevoyager.com

Ultra-luxury Nobu Hotel Marrakech to open in Morocco on January 23

Five Companies Win Firstever PETA Animal-Friendly African Safari Awards

By Tatiana Rokou

Traveling to Africa to admire animals in their natural habitat is on many bucket lists, but it used to be the norm for safari guests to find native animals they saw during the day—including giraffes, oryxes, and wildebeests—served up as dinner each night. Thankfully, that’s changing. A survey showed that a quarter of safari guests are now either vegetarian or vegan, and safaris that cater to guests who want to photograph animals— not exploit them—are on the rise.

If you’re planning a trip of a lifetime, we’ve got you covered. These top animal-friendly African safaris offer delicious, satisfying vegan food options, and the lodges are free from animal skins and trophies and are stocked with cruelty-free products, including toiletries. Safari guides take guests to protected reserves or national parks, where the animals’ safety and comfort are paramount. Small groups always maintain sufficient distance and visit during specific times of the day so as to minimize stress. These companies are also ecoconscious and participate in projects that support their local communities. Some offer excursions to reputable wildlife rehabilitation facilities and even allow guests to join in on rhino protection efforts..

Vegan Safari Africa

Destinations: Botswana, South Africa

Vegan Safari Africa owner Helene Forward went vegan six years ago and has changed her business to reflect her values since then. The lodges and mobile camping safaris offer delicious meals made with fresh, whole-food vegan ingredients that are sourced locally. The company also supports responsible tourism—for example, travelers can visit the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage site where wildlife is protected by both the Moremi Game Reserve on its eastern edge and the numerous wildlife concessions within Ngamiland

World Vegan Travel

Destinations: Botswana, Rwanda, South Africa

From luxury lodges to quaint inns, World Vegan Travel has an experience for everyone, with tours, meals, and activities that are handpicked by vegans for vegans. You can take guided walks through a forested primate sanctuary, an afternoon cruise up a river to view birds and monkeys, and lessons in rhino conservation, and you can even learn how to prepare traditional African vegan cooking with a local chef. World Vegan Travel also offers lodging with Desert & Delta Safaris, a threetime award winner in WTM Africa’s Responsible Tourism Awards. Every aspect is monitored for its animal and environmental impact and was specifically built with the goal of having as small a footprint on this fragile ecosystem (and the animals who depend on it) as possible.

Kings Camp

Destination: Kruger National Park, South Africa

Kings Camp is a luxury safari experience with gourmet vegan cuisine, cruelty-free spa amenities, and even vegan wine and cheese tastings. It’s located in the Timbavati Private Nature Reserve, facing an open savanna with an active waterhole visited by a wide variety of wildlife, day and night.

Air Safaris 269

Vegan Safari Africa

The camp employs a certified vegan hospitality consultant and a vegan safari guide, who ensure the best experience possible for visitors. You can visit the Moholoholo Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, participate in rhino anti-poaching flights, or take a flight to spot wild horses from the air.

Alluring Africa

Destinations: Botswana, South Africa

In 2021, Alluring Africa partnered with Vegans, Baby CEO and founder Diana Edelman to create ethical tours that protect wildlife and the ecosystem. The lodges on Alluring Africa’s vegan safari tours offer animal-free bedding, crueltyfree toiletries, and vegan food—and there are no animal skins or trophy heads displayed in any of the lodges. Unique vegan guest experiences include a multicourse gourmet dinner at award-winning restaurant La Colombe, high tea overlooking Cape Town’s captivating landscape, and a wine tasting. The tours also limit disturbance of the animals by giving them the space and respect they deserve.

Air Safaris 269

Destinations: Botswana, Namibia, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Air Safaris 269 owner J.C. De Klerk has been vegan for more than a decade, and he personally coordinates with lodges to offer vegan meals, cruelty-free toiletries, and rooms that are free from animal skins and trophies. He named his company in homage to a calf whose ear was tagged “269” and whose rescue started an animal rights movement in Israel. De Klerk reports that he found it “so strange and sad when after a wonderful game drive, to then find the very animals that you just saw, on the menu.” PETA agrees!

When you’re booking any travel experience, always be sure to keep animals in mind. More than half a million animals are exploited worldwide in the tourism industry. Don’t participate in any activities that use and abuse sentient beings for entertainment—avoid elephant rides, tiger cub petting, dubious roadside zoos, “swim with dolphins” encounters, and anything else that promises an up-close and personal experience with animals..

https://www.traveldailynews.com/post/fivecompanies-win-first-ever-peta-animal-friendlyafrican-safari-awards

Kings Camp

World Vegan Travel

Alluring Africa

Starting in 2023 You Can Renew Your U.S. Passport Online — What You Need To Know

By Jim Fulcher

It’s a little surprising it has taken this long, but the U.S. State Department has temporarily opened an online passport renewal option for the general public.

The process, which should eliminate the time some people spend compiling paperwork as well as time spent waiting in line at passport offices, is also intended to help clear the backlog of passport renewals created while assorted federal facilities were closed due to COVID-19 pandemic-related restrictions.

Indeed, recognizing that millions of people needlessly lose time each year because the federal government still relies on paper-based systems and processes rather than leveraging technology, President Joe Biden signed an executive order last year directing 17 federal agencies to streamline their processes. One of those government services is renewing passports.

“Americans will be able to renew their passports securely online, saving time from having to wait and the effort and cost required to print, go to a post office, and use a paper check,” according to the White House. “This new online process will be done with safety and security.”

An initial online passport renewal pilot program was launched earlier this year for federal government employees and contractors. A second limited-time pilot was then opened in August for 25,000 members of the general public.

Here’s what you need to know about online passport renewal.

Online Passport Renewal Eligibility

According to the U.S. Department of State, 10 criteria must be met to determine if you want to renew your passport online. For instance, you can renew your passport online if your most recent passport is/was valid for 10 years, you are 25 years old or older, and your current passport was

issued more than 9 years ago but less than 15 years before you plan to renew your passport.

On the other hand, there are also several reasons why you may not be eligible to renew your passport online, including if your passport is more than 15 years old, and if you need a new passport because yours has been lost, stolen, or damaged. In those cases, you will need to apply for a passport in person.

The Online Passport Renewal Process

The process of renewing a passport online, assuming you are eligible to do so, is fairly straightforward.

First, you’ll need to create a MyTravelGov account.

After creating your account, the next step will be to open an “account verification” email sent from the state department and click the hyperlink to activate your MyTravelGov account.

Keep in mind that it may take up to 24 hours for the state department to register your account.

You will then be able to log in to your account and click the “Renew Passport” button to begin your application.

If you have technical difficulties or need help, you can send the state department an email with your support questions.

Finally, do not attempt to renew your passport online if you have plans to travel soon.

“We are offering the same processing times to renew online as we are to renew by mail,” the U.S. State Department explains. “Do not renew online if you are traveling internationally in less than six weeks.”

How To Upload Your Passport Photo

Of course, you will need to provide a recent photo. While you certainly can go to a professional photographer, you can also have a family member or friend take your picture.

The state department notes that several criteria also apply to photos. For example, the photo must have a clear image of your face, you should remove your glasses for the picture, and you should have your picture taken against a white or off-white background that doesn’t have shadows or lines.

Importantly, only photos that follow the state department’s guidelines will be accepted.

Finally, the state department does offer tips and advice about uploading your photo

How To Pay For Online Passport Renewal

As you’d expect, you’ll need to use a credit card, debit card, or Automated Clearing House payment to transfer funds from your bank account to pay the online passport renewal fees. Payment will be completed on the Pay.Gov secure portal, which is encrypted to ensure your personal and payment information is protected.

The fee for an adult passport book is $130. The fee for an adult passport card, which is only valid for travel by land and sea to Canada, Mexico, Bermuda, and the Caribbean is $30. The fee for an adult passport book and card is $160.

You can learn more about other passport renewal fees on the state department’s passport fees webpage

https://www.travelawaits.com/2843672/online-uspassport-renewal-2023/?utm_medium=flipdigest. ad.20221227&utm_source=email&utm_ content=article&utm_campaign=campaign

Image credit: YouTube

Call for Education Session Proposals EXTENDED

Submit by January 20, 2023

The deadline to submit your education session proposal has been extended one week until Friday, January 20th! The Submission Portal will close at 11:59 PM EST.

Bring your unique perspective and insight to GBTA Convention 2023 in Dallas, Texas USA August 13-15 and help us deliver the best education on the topics most relevant to business travel. We are seeking industry professionals to contribute new ideas, solutions, and innovations for current issues and challenges that confront the travel industry.

Don’t Miss Out!

Submission Worksheet Here

Submit Your Proposal Here

Learn More About the Process Here

5 Unique African Countries to Add to Your Bucket List

By Sarah Kingdom

I’m not suggesting that you should write off going on safari to South Africa, Kenya, or Tanzania, nor that you should erase the Egyptian pyramids or the Moroccan medinas from your bucket list. But there are many great countries on the African continent that don’t get the attention they deserve, and it is these unique gems that deserve a place on your bucket list.

Here are my suggestions for five unique African countries that should be on your radar.

1. Zambia

This magnificent African country sitting right in the heart of the African continent has been my adopted home for the last 30 years. Zambia is well off the beaten path when it comes to safaris and tourism. There are many people out there — members of my extended family included — who have no idea exactly where it is and would struggle to point Zambia out on a map. Indeed, somewhere around 50 percent of the visitors who set foot in the country, only come to visit the famous Victoria Falls — but there is so much more to discover here.

National Parks And Protected Game Reserves

Around 30 percent of Zambia is part of a national park or protected game reserve, and there’s an abundance of wildlife here. You definitely don’t have to worry about it being crowded — unlike elsewhere on the continent. Plan a sensational safari in South Luangwa or Kafue National Parks to see herds of elephants, packs of wild dogs, prides of lions, and much more. Go down the Zambezi River in a canoe in the Lower Zambezi National Park. Visit Victoria Falls, known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya (The Smoke That Thunders) plunging a misty 590 feet into the narrow Batoka Gorge below.

See The Big Five And Victoria Falls

Zambia is named after the Zambezi River, the fourth biggest in Africa, and is a completely landlocked nation. The country is renowned for its copper and emeralds, as well as the famous

Victoria Falls, which at 5,600 feet wide is double the height of Niagara Falls, and the largest curtain of falling water in the world. All of Africa’s Big Five (lion, leopard, elephant, rhino, and buffalo) can be found here, as well as an array of adventure activities, including white water rafting, canoeing, helicopter flights, and bungee jumping, just to name a few.

Zambia is also home to a couple of really special “orphanages.” Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage is a chimpanzee sanctuary home to around 130 adult and young chimps, and the Game Rangers

The Zambezi River at sunset PHOTO CREDIT: DELPIXEL / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Liwonde National Park in Malawi PHOTO CREDIT: YURY BIRUKOV / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

International Elephant Orphanage rescues, rehabilitates, and releases orphaned elephant calves. Both are worth a visit if you have the opportunity.

2. Malawi

Malawi is often referred to as “The Warm Heart of Africa” because of the friendliness of its people. This sub-Saharan landlocked country is nestled between Zambia, Tanzania, and Mozambique.

Lake Malawi, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the second largest lake in Africa (the largest is Lake Tanganyika in neighboring Zambia). The lake is surrounded by sandy tropical beaches and boasts countless bays and islands. Its crystal clear waters are home to over 600 rare species of fish — making it perfect for snorkeling, boating, and scuba diving. But Malawi is more than its diverse natural landscapes. Travelers could spend weeks here exploring. Here are some of the top places to visit in Malawi.

Lilongwe

Travelers often skip African cities for the wilderness, but Malawi’s capital has a number of activities and attractions to keep you occupied. Shoppers will love the many local markets. Alternatively, a hike up Nkhoma Mountain will earn you panoramic views over the city. A visit to the Lilongwe Wildlife Centre, the country’s only animal sanctuary, is a must.

Lake Malawi National Park

The tropical waters of Lake Malawi are teeming with colorful fish, sandy beaches, and rocky islands.

Majete Wildlife Reserve

This is a great place to spot the Big Five and at the same time support a conservation success story. Poachers and human encroachment had destroyed the wildlife in the park, but in 2003, the non-profit conservation group African Parks partnered with the Malawi Department of National Parks and Wildlife and reintroduced black rhinos, lions, giraffes, and more. Almost two decades later, flourishing wildlife brings visitors to the park.

The Shire Highlands

Visit southern Malawi where farmers grow tea and coffee. First cultivated here by the British in

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Santiago Island in Cape Verde PHOTO CREDIT: SAMUEL BORGES PHOTOGRAPHY / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

A view of Dakar, Senegal, from Goree Island PHOTO CREDIT: NOWACZYK / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Bucket List Destinations - from page 23

the 1900s, tea plants thrive in the elevation of the Shire Highlands thanks to its cooler climate. Tour Satemwa Tea and Coffee Estate and relax with a cup of earthy oolong or natural-processed arabica.

Mt. Mulanj

Fit and adventurous travelers can organize 4-day treks 9,824 feet up the slopes of Mt. Mulanje with local guides.

Liwonde National Park

Here you’ll find hippos and crocodiles in the Shire River, and elephants, zebras, kudus, leopards, and lions on the nearby plains.

3. Cape Verde

A stunning volcanic island chain, Cape Verde (also called Cabo Verde) comprises 10 islands and 5 islets 310 miles off the coast of West Africa, of which Sal and Boa Vista are the most known to tourists — predominantly for their beaches. Besides Sal and Boa Vista, there are eight other islands: Santiago, Fogo, São Vicente, Santo Antão, Maio, Brava, Luzia, and São Nicolau. Cape Verde is famous for its warm tropical climate, volcanic islands, wonderful musicians, and delicious cuisine. Americans may not have heard much about Cape Verde, but for many Europeans, the islands are a popular winter escape that’s relatively close to home.

The Cape Verde islands have no shortage of activities: driving tours of the sand dunes, hiking, water sports that include kite surfing and diving, and of course, lovely secluded white sand and black sand beaches. The Cape Verde islands are also rich in culture and festivals.

What Each Island Offers

Each of the islands has its own charm. Santo Antão is home to stunning nature, mountains, and lush vegetation, Fogo is known for its volcano, and São Vicente is the cultural heart of the archipelago. Maio, Brava, and São Nicolau are hardly visited and are great places to discover authentic Cape Verdean culture. Santa Luzia is uninhabited, and Santiago, the main island, has a bit of everything. Island hopping is a great way to experience the Republic of Cabo Verde.

Pro Tip: The islands are home to the thirdlargest population of nesting loggerhead turtles.

Sal is one of the three islands where most of the turtles nest. From July to October, you can spot these creatures as they come on land to nest.

4. Senegal

The West African nation of Senegal, officially the Republic of Senegal, offers a unique blend of bustling urban markets, beautiful beaches, and wonderful nature reserves. This former French colony has several major cities, including the capital Dakar and the historic Saint-Louis, as well as over 300 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean. Northern Senegal is famous for its birdlife with many sanctuaries and reserves, including the Djoudj National Bird Sanctuary, which attracts birdwatchers from all over the world.

Dakar

The capital of Senegal is home to numerous African art museums and monuments to enjoy — be sure to pass by the curious Soviet-style African Renaissance Monument and the acclaimed Museum of African Arts. Be sure to also visit Plage de Virage, a popular spot with local surfers.

Gorée Island

Just off the coast of Dakar is Gorée Island, home to Maison des Esclaves and its Door of No

Sehlabathebe National Park PHOTO CREDIT:

Return, a museum and memorial to the victims of the Atlantic slave trade. Many African Americans like to visit the place for the history it holds.

Saint-Louis

In 1659, French traders established Saint-Louis on the island of Ndar. The town was the former colonial capital of Senegal and is steeped in history. In 2000, the old town was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As you cross the Faidherbe Bridge from the mainland, it’s like stepping back in time, as you find yourself surrounded by Saint-Louis’ colorful crumbling colonial buildings and sandy streets.

Pro Tip: The Saint-Louis Jazz Festival attracts musicians from all over the world. Founded in 1993, this is one of the largest jazz festivals in Africa and takes place each year in April and May.

Touba

The attractions at Touba are somewhat different from elsewhere in the rest of the country. The town is home to the colossal Great Mosque, looming minarets, and countless other pilgrimage shrines and attractions.

5. Lesotho

The amazing, high-altitude, landlocked mountain

kingdom of Lesotho, is completely encircled by South Africa and crisscrossed by a network of rivers and mountain ranges. This unique African country is known for its breathtaking scenery, which includes snow-capped mountain ranges during the winter.

Visiting Lesotho, the sky seems to stretch away forever, with beautiful, dramatic clouds that seem to stretch up to incredible heights before releasing showers of rain in the distance. Streams cascade down mountainsides, and rivers wind around foothills and mountains before forming fantastic gorges. Spectacular sunsets are the order of the day, especially as you often find yourself looking down on the clouds.

Perfect For Nature Lovers

This mystical country has many attractions for nature lovers. Visit the Maletsunyane Falls, hike to Lesotho’s highest point, Thabana Ntlengana, experience the Mohale Dam, and journey to the Kome caves that hold thousands of years of history. The Sehlabathebe National Park in the Maloti Mountains boasts rich plant, animal, and bird life, and if you’re lucky, you’ll spot the rare bearded vulture here. Lesotho also hosts the Roof of Africa motorcycle rally annually and is home to the world’s longest commercial singledrop abseil, the world’s highest pub, the Sani Top Chalet (9,430 feet above sea level), and Afriski, Sub-Saharan Africa’s only ski resort.

Lesotho is one of Africa’s most intriguing and rewarding off-the-beaten-track gems. With its lowest point at 4,593 feet, the country differs from most of its African counterparts, with a cooler climate, snowy winters, and dramatic summer storms. Lesotho remains a country largely untouched by development and tourism, and one of the most unique and exotic places to visit on the continent.

Whether it’s unexpected beach breaks, once-ina-lifetime experiences in the Saharan drylands, or city-hopping across different nations, there is surely no shortage of landmarks to be visited in Africa.

https://www.travelawaits.com/2842811/africancountries-to-add-to-your-bucket-list/

LOUIS-MICHEL DESERT / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

18 Beautiful Coastal Towns to Visit Around the World (2 on the African Continent)

By Allison Godlive

Read about all of the beautiful destinations here.

9. Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia

Cobblestone streets and blueand-white houses make the town of Sidi Bou Said in Tunisia unforgettable. The African town sits high on a cliff and overlooks the Mediterranean. Along the streets, you’ll find al fresco cafés, art galleries, and local shops. A favorite spot to see the view of the Gulf of Tunis is from the lighthouse. There aren’t many hotels to choose from, but one of the most popular is La Villa Bleue, which has just 13 rooms, a gourmet restaurant, a swimming pool with a sea view, and a spa. Reserve your place early!

12. Michamvi, Tanzania

The small fishing village of Michamvi, Tanzania, is located on the southeastern coast of

Zanzibar. White sand beaches and clear blue waters make this location magical for those looking for a peaceful getaway. You can watch the sunrise over the Indian Ocean and see it set over Chwaka Bay. The fringe reef is popular with divers and snorkelers alike looking for

The famous cafe in Sidi Bou Said. Eastern fairy tale with a French charm.

PHOTO CREDIT: LIZAVETTA / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

marine life. Thrill-seekers will find world-class kite surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and surfing. There are plenty of luxurious beach resorts and hideaway stays.

https://www.travelawaits. com/2843952/most-popularcoastal-towns-2022/

Michamvi beach at sunset PHOTO CREDIT: MATTIAS LOW / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

Where to Go in 2023 21 suggestions (2 on the African Continent)

By Bloomberg Pursuits (Review the full list of Bloomberg Pursuits here)

Inflation, recession, global conflict, labor unrest and stock market volatility cannot stop our human desire to get away.

Some call it the tourists’ revenge: After two years of Covid-related restrictions, travel in 2022 rebounded nearly to pre-pandemic levels. International travel boosted spending in the world’s most-visited cities and was a key contributor in driving their recovery. Total tourism spending in 2023 is already projected to exceed $1.4 trillion dollars globally, and may surpass even 2019 levels as travelers from China return to the road.

Restaurants and hospitality brands are leaping to meet the moment. Resorts both vast and tiny are opening up in hot cities and remote getaways around the globe. Chefs have crafted adventurous dining experiences to serve a newly rambunctious clientele. Many museums and cultural institutions are emerging, refreshed and renewed.

With that in mind, we put together a list of 21 places that can fulfill whatever you want most in a vacation, whether it’s outdoor adventure, luxurious pampering, delicious food, decadent nightlife or simply, a little peace and quiet. And to help you maximize your time off, we gathered insights from destination experts on the most ideal (and questionable) times to travel; paired with custom hotel price data from Google, finding your perfect trip is easier than ever.

Splash with the Kids in the Ivory Coast

ThisFrench-speaking nation with Atlantic beaches, dense forests and skyscrapers is positioning itself as the next hot spot in West Africa. (Step aside, Ghana.) From 2017 to 2019, overseas tourist arrivals in Ivory Coast were increasing at an average annual rate of 7.2%, reaching 2 million visitors. That’s also when the

La Maison Palmier in Abidjan. COURTESY DESIGN HOTELS

Ivorian government began its “Sublime Côte d’Ivoire” plan, which aims to bring in 4 million tourists a year by 2025.

A new 60,000-seat stadium fits within this ambitious vision, set to open in time for the Africa Cup of Nations soccer tournament in January 2024. “Aérocité,” a $1.6 billion development rolling out over the next several years, will expand the international airport and create an urban complex with luxury hotels, a water park, residences and event spaces.

Abidjan, the country’s entry point, is a lagoonfacing commercial city that’s started to see the arrival of five-star boutique hotels. La Maison Palmier—Marriott’s first member-hotel in West Africa—has a stunning art-deco design, lush poolside gardens and a French-Ivorian restaurant attracting well-heeled locals. At the Noom Hotel Abidjan Plateau in the business district, wind down by an infinity pool overlooking the Ebrié Lagoon or take in Abidjan’s skyscrapers by night from the Sky Bar. The Sofitel—a property built in the 1960s as one of Africa’s first modernist hotels—was renovated in 2019 and also deserves a visit.

To escape the city rush, take a 20-minute boat ride to Ile Boulay’s trendy Boulay Beach Resort. But don’t miss Ivory Coast’s laid-back Atlantic beach towns, which are perfect for families. In San Pédro, opt for La Maison du Soleil (+225 07 59 44 07 69) or Hotel Eden Roc Ivoire. In Assinie-Mafia, Coucoué Lodge is a

popular weekend escape. Stop at the Grand Bassam market on the way to sample choukouya, roadside marinated and grilled meats with onions and tomatoes.

When to go: Warm temperatures vary little year round and humidity is ever present in varying degrees. But traveling in the dry season from November to March, with the best months being December and January, offers the best chance to experience abundant wildlife and cultural celebrations, such as November’s Festival of Masks.

When not to go: Avoid the rainy season, from June to October. The national parks close, and flooding can complicate overland travel.

Whom to call: IamSheGlobal

Savor a Sip of Africa’s Deep South

Thinkof the South African wine lands, and Stellenbosch or Franschhoek likely spring to mind. This year, consider driving 100 miles southeast to the Western Cape’s Agulhas wine triangle, where a handful of pioneering cellars are tapping into the region’s unique coastal terroir and brisk sea winds to produce expressive wines with wonderful minerality and freshness. Syrah and sauvignon blanc are the standout cultivars—try Strandveld Vineyards, Lomond Wines or the Giant Periwinkle—but pinot noir also thrives in these cooler climes. On the banks of the Breede River, the rocky vineyards at Sijnn Wines shape impressive Rhône-style blends.

Elsewhere, book a guided tour of the Nuwejaars Wetlands, where 25 landowners are conserving 113,000 acres of the Agulhas Plain, reintroducing hippopotamus and Cape buffalo to their traditional ranges. Make your base at Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, which protects the endemic fynbos, or shrubland, vegetation of the region. The original Garden Lodge was entirely rebuilt in 2022; its 11 contemporary suites are hidden amid ancient milkwood forests.

When to go: South Africa’s Western Cape is a fickle place, so be prepared to experience all four seasons in one day. Spring and fall (September/ October and March through May) are a little like

Bloomberg Pursuits from page 27

Aérocité

Goldilocks’s porridge: It’s not too hot and windy, but also not too cold and rainy. For whale watching, June, July and August are primetime, just don’t forget to pack a jacket (it’s winter).

When not to go: South Africans traveling locally make December’s festive season and the two weeks surrounding Easter (April 9 this year) particularly crowded.

Whom to call: Mango African Safaris

https://www.bloomberg.com/features/whereto-go-2023-luxury-travel-vacations-hotelsrestaurants/

Image credit: xplorio.com, nuwejaars.com

Nuwejaars Wetlands

Our Unforgettable Adventure in Niokolodge, Se

By Stephanie Vermillion

During our Senegal wanderlust tour we stayed at the NiokoloKoba Forest in the Tambacounda Region; Senegal’s largest national park (2.2 million acres; 3 times the size of all of Dakar). This World Heritage Site was truly one of my most memorable life experiences.

The Surreal Entrance Into a New World

After a 9-hour road trip through Senegal, we finally arrived at the entrance of the NiokoloKoba national park. We entered the park around sunset and were driven in safari SUVs on dirt roads for about an hour to get to our lodge. We watched our phone signal bars slowly disappear, easing into a slowdown with nature, disconnecting from the internet and cell service, and entering into another cycle of life as the sun

was magically setting and the day was shifting to night. We were leaving a completely different world behind and entering a new one, in the most surreal way.

The Niokolo-Koba forest and its thriving ecosystem welcomed us, with exquisite views

Diarra Bousso and Diarrablu team at Niokolodge

enegal

and soothing sounds. We arrived at our hotel, the Niokolodge, after sundown and were received by the Maître d’ Hotel Ousmane who hosted us as if we were part of his own family; one of the kindest humans we have ever met.

The Luxury Glamping Experience

The Niokolodge is the only hotel in the forest and represents less than 1% of the forest’s superficy. This hotel’s spacious tents were the luxury glamping experience I always dreamt of. We were in the heart of a national park and overlooking the Gambia River that stretches to the horizon. Inside, the structure is made from locally sourced wood and other sustainable materials. The woven neutral accents made the space cozier. The outdoor showers, attached to the rooms were literally a manifestation of my dreamiest pinterest boards. Whether it is showering under the moon

and stars at night or under the sun’s brightest rays during the day, the child in me never enjoyed bath time so much!

Niokolodge’s staff consists of passionate locals from nearby villages. We could see how the hotel is very intentional in being a sustainable haven for both its guests and employees. From the soap they use (made by locals using banana leaves) to the ingredients they use in their scrumptious and delectable food, the establishment makes an effort in bringing local communities together to create magical experiences. When you are their guest, you feel like you are in a home. The menu is created daily for you and the staff is fully present for all your needs.

The Slow Safari

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We stayed at the hotel for three nights and every day was a safari experience organized by the hotel. We had morning safaris from 9 AM to 1 PM and afternoon safaris from 5 PM to sundown. If you’re not familiar with the concept of slow safaris, it basically means you are not in a zoo-like situation where the animals are waiting for you. Instead, you search for the animals and there’s a chance that you won’t be able to spot any and that’s ok! You learn to be a guest in the wild and to wait. The experience of trying to see them is so rich in terms of learning about patience and how to be in an environment where the human no longer rules.

We saw families of monkeys jumping from tree to tree, hippo footprints (the actual hippos were hiding under the water due to the hot temperature), and leopard steps from the night before (they are nocturnal and sadly we didn’t get to see them in person), among other things.

Animals walk freely around the park and

humans are expected to behave accordingly. For example, you cannot leave your tent after dark and you need a guide to be able to navigate the park. After spending a few days with our guides, they shared some insights on how living among these creatures teaches them about humility because you may not know when the human can become the victim to these massive prey. Eventually, you learn to coexist with animals respectfully.

We spoke about the famous lions multiple

Niokolo Lodge - from page 31

times, and Ousmane shared with us how the lions often come to drink from the restaurant steps or casually walk around the hotel. We didn’t get to see them this time around, but it’s not uncommon to have them come near you. He shared that the lion will not attack you as long as a) it feels respected and b) you don’t show fear. If you want to stay alive, you can’t scream or turn your back. Lastly, we asked him how he would handle a lion or leopard charging at him, given that they generally come and sit in front

of his doorstep, and he calmly replied, “You pray!”

The Incredible Surprises

The hotel staff was amazing, courteous, and ‘notorious’ for surprising us. On the first day, they took us on a Safari walk in the hope of spotting a certain animal and lure us into surprise sunset drinks with music and scrumptious desserts under a baobab tree. Way to earn plus hospitality points! The experience was lovely and the drinks were the perfect addition to our afternoon walks.

On the following morning, they lured us into

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Niokolo Lodge - from page 33

coming to watch 150 monkeys on their way to school (a.k.a. the forest, haha). The monkeys cross the same path every day at the same time and would curiously stare at us. We were

already blown away by this sighting, but little did we know that it was actually a distraction for a surprise breakfast in an oasis on top of a hill that overlooks the forest and river. They literally set up tables and drove a breakfast cooking station in golf carts. Here we were, getting omelettes, crepes and tropical fruit bowls made fresh in front of us, with an infinite view in the largest forest in Senegal. It was pure magic!

The Much Needed Lessons

Our trip to NiokoLodge taught me so many

important lessons, with gratitude being the most important one. From the sounds of the forest to the soothing breeze from towering trees, I’ve never felt more centered and aligned with nature. This experience gave me a renewed perspective on life and how to live it more intentionally and with more gratitude for the smallest things.

I also learned about patience. Try spending three days searching for wild animals that you may or may never see. To sit in silence, to relinquish control and to be comfortable waiting, taught me so much about myself. Just like our lovely guides, I learned to be more humble. I realized how tiny I really am in this vast world and learned to let nature be in power and sit with comfort in that.

Lastly, I learned the importance of fully disconnecting. Not having phone reception and internet for three full days was the longest for me and my team. It taught us the importance of slowing down, reconnecting with each other, and easing into life. I wrote so much in that time, from gratitude letters to my friends and family to self-introspection journals to focus on growth. I got to spend more time with Joe, Ranier, Adriana, Payam and Monica. I got to listen more. I got to watch and pay attention to body language, sounds, gestures, smiles. I ultimately got to have the incredible realization that actually we are enough and that in itself made me feel so centered.

It took us a 10-hour road trip to a remote forest, disconnected from the world as we know it, to realize how connected we all really are in the simplest ways and that in itself was the most beautiful lesson.

DIARRABLU is a high contemporary lifestyle brand founded by Diarra Bousso. The brand’s mission is to iterate for sustainability while highlighting the African continent’s rich colors and unique patterns through practical and versatile pieces designed using mathematical concepts or algorithms.

https://diarrablu.com/blogs/journal/niokolodgesenegal

Image credit: https://niokolodge.sn/le-lodge

A Rare Look at the World’s Most Expensive Sheep

By Douglas Main

Sheep are usually raised for their wool, and sometimes their meat. But in Senegal, some of these animals are prized as expensive pets—and even compete in beauty pageants.

Photographer Sylvain Cherkaoui first learned about the creatures, known as Ladoum sheep, while hunkered down at his home in Dakar during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. He saw the sheep depicted on billboards, including one that read: “Buy a car and we’ll give you a sheep!”

But the animals in these advertisements were majestic and large, unlike the smaller, more drab sheep that are common in Senegal. These regular sheep are often sacrificed by the majority Muslim population on the holiday feast of Eid al-Fitr.

Cherkaoui began to learn more about Ladoum sheep, which originated around the 1970s as a hybrid between a Mauritanian and a Malian breed. Known for their good looks, tall stature, prominent muzzles, and curved horns, they can weigh up to 400 pounds and measure four feet in height. The sheep, which are raised by a select number of breeders, are in high demand: Wealthy Senegalese often pay £8,000 and sometimes significantly more, for a single animal, with records going up to £65,000, Cherkaoui says.

“I often say that Ladoums are the Rolex of sheeps: Owning a Ladoum looks expensive, luxurious,” he says by email.

The price can vary according to the “size and weight of the sheep, the shape and symmetry of the horns, the curve of the muzzle, and the size and symmetry of the testicles,” he adds. Rams are often more valued than ewes, though of course both are necessary for breeding the animals, which can prove to be a lucrative enterprise.

Many of these owners enter their animals into sheep beauty pageants, aired annually on

1.

1. Fatoumata Doumbia poses with her sheep Le Ladoum Mass, a ram that’s a little over two years old and measures 3.5 feet in height. The breed’s tall stature is part of the reason for their appeal.

2. Assane Dieye, manager of a flock of Ladoum sheep, shows off a ram named Ballon d’Or, which translates to “golden ball” in French. The portraits were taken by Cherkaoui in his mobile studio.

3. Sherif stands next to owner Seydi Gadiaga, who runs the Keur Mame Seydi flock. Ladoum sheep are a cross between a Mauritanian and Malian breed.

PHOTOGRAPH BY SYLVAIN CHERKAOUI, PANOS PICTURES, REDUX

Senegalese television. The winner gets a prize of food and cash—and their sheep becomes much more valuable, should they choose to sell it.

“The beauty criteria [varies] based on the appearance of the winner of the last competition.”

Intrigued by the Ladoum phenomenon, Cherkaoui created a

portrait series to celebrate the animals and their owners.

“When I explained my exhibition project [to people] and that I was going to put their Ladoums under the spotlight, they felt proud and valued,” he says.

https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/ animals/2022/12/a-rare-look-at-the-worlds-mostexpensive-sheep

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Travel Wisely with Style

By Krista Tuomi, professor in the International Economic Policy program at School of International Service, American University

Traveling wisely is like drinking wisely. It is knowing that you will enjoy the experience more without the last tequila, texts you regret and a hang-over from hell. And so with travel. The trip will be so much better if you have saved and budgeted for it…AND when you have a good idea of where to cut costs and where to splurge.

Planning and research are the key here. Save the YOLO moments for the trip and decisions like where to eat or which site to visit. First, try and request time off so that you can travel to your destination at the tail end of their season or in their off season, when prices drop substantially. See if you can organize leave so that you fly, or stay in any ‘luxe’ lodging, during the week. (Also check that there are no local festivals/ large conferences at your destination as this can derail any moneysaving strategy.) Once you have picked a good time, choose your hotel or other lodging option ONLY after checking on multiple platforms, including the hotel website. It is also worth calling the hotel to see if they have some better deals, especially if it is near the end of the business quarter and sales staff need to make quotas.

Check with multiple platforms when booking flights as well. Moreover, do this on different browsers to avoid cookies and dynamic pricing. (This can raise your quoted price during your comparison, pushing you to ‘buy quickly’ before it spikes further.) What about using rewards and booking through travel centers? This may be

cheaper but not always. You still need to research and compare. Also note that if anything goes wrong (like delays/ cancellations etc.), you may not be able to troubleshoot without going through the center, which can be a cumbersome process. This is especially true if you are trying to get a refund.

Is travel insurance a good idea? With the current state of travel chaos, insurance can be a life saver, but do not assume the one offered to you on the booking site is a good deal. Read the small print about exclusions as the insurance may not cover the most likely problems you will face. AND if you are paying for your flight and lodging with a credit card, check the rewards it offers first. Its coverage may be superior to the booking platform’s and you will not have to pay extra for it. On the note of credit cards, make sure you have one that does not have onerous foreign transaction fees. And if you do use it abroad to pay for things or withdraw cash, do not select the option to ‘pay in your home currency’, which almost always uses a worse exchange rate for you. The same goes for currency exchange booths at airports. Rather try and find the closest ATM. It is usually the better option.

When you finally get to your destination, it is

useful to plan a few must-see things and leave a bunch of days to just explore, indulge in a spontaneous whim, or just do nothing and relax. Research ahead and find a few free things to do in your destination of choice, and mix these up with some paid options with good reviews. Likewise with food. Dining out can be a huge money suck that is not worth the experience. Depending on your type of lodging, you can often eat some meals in, hitting up local grocery stores for supplies. (This can be one of the most interesting parts of an international trip!) Even if you don’t have kitchen facilities in your lodging, most grocery stores have excellent and affordable deli sections.

And lastly, please avoid souvenirs. Souvenirs are things that always ‘seem like a good idea at the time’ but really aren’t. Your friends and family back home don’t want an overpriced keyring or t-shirt they are unlikely to wear. And most of these are probably made in another country anyway. A better option is that local grocery store. Why not buy some affordable local confectionary or spices? At least it will probably get eaten or used. Bon Voyage!

https://bankgreenwood.com/travel-wisely-withstyle/ Bank Greenwood - https://bankgreenwood.com/

At Her Gorgeous Hotel in Mozambique, Luxury, Design, and Sustainability are in Harmony

By Carolina Ramirez Herrera

How was Sussurro born?

Adam and I met in our home country, Zimbabwe, in the capital city Harare. He had moved back to Africa from Europe — a return to conservation and the bush. I had come back to Zimbabwe from London on a short trip to visit family and to write an article on traveling through the country. We fell in love and both wanted to make a home where we could reconcile our respective work while creating something together. Sussurro naturally took form around our combined backgrounds: Adam’s in hospitality and wildlife conservation, mine in African material culture and design. But more that this, Sussurro was born through the contribution of our team: a small rural community of fishermenturned-carpentersturned-buildersturned-hospitality professionals. Their work in creating Sussurro and welcoming guests into the spaces that they personally created is what makes Sussurro what it is.

What were your biggest challenges when building the hotel, especially on the sustainability front?

Definitely the logistics of getting everything here, because Sussurro is only accessible at low

tide. In this way it also makes perfect sense to source everything as close by as possible. Also, never underestimate the value of fresh water!

Everything on the property is 100% African-sourced and -made. What are some of your favorite items on the property?

Our Kenyan loomed kikoys — East African cotton beach wraps. The textile industry in Africa is constantly marginalized by machine-made factory imports. Traditional, breathable, and chic, unisex kikoys are the perfect utilitarian item. We’re sampling seasonal weights and colorways

in Nairobi next. Woven Mozambican esteiras are the traditional mats for sleeping, communal eating, and portable shade. We use them across the property and on excursions with guests. They’re brilliant. The local coconut fiber hand brooms used by housekeeping are wonderful. Architecturally, we lie in wonder every night looking up at the palm-woven makuti roof lining. It’s deeply beautiful Mozambican craftsmanship. No conversation in travel in recent years is complete without mentioning Covid. Were there any (dare I say it?) positive takeaways from

the pandemic?

We were able to open slowly, which is one of our values.

What was your dream job growing up?

Actress. My mother is a thespian, and I like to think I inherited this, as well as her sense of humour.

How do you define great hospitality?

Great hospitality is about authenticity, because people feel the truth and it automatically makes them feel comfortable.

We certainly have a long list of frames we want to break up in the African travelscape in creating and developing Sussurro further. The portrayal

of Africa through the Colonial lens isn’t meaningful for us as young Africans. We already feel the ripples Sussurro has created in the industry reverberating back, and that’s ultimately a very good thing.

How have your travels influenced your work?

Tremendously. In particular, traveling to places that are a little less accessible. The most impressive and inspiring craftwork we’ve encountered has always been in rural places where sustainable communities still live very much in harmony with their ecosystems.

One place you always

An Owners Tale

Sussurro - from page 41

tell people to visit in Mozambique?

Tofo is fantastic if you love big waves. The little surf town has great restaurants, like Branco’s and Sumi, a vibrant market, and lots of small independent makers worth supporting.

Speed Round of Sarah

Birket’s Favorites

Favorite dish in Mozambique: Definitely Amandwim (ground nut) butter mangrove crab curry.

Favorite destination: Outside of Africa, London will always hold a piece of my heart.

Dying to visit: Ethiopia.

Always in carry-on: A kikoy for its supreme adaptability — at once scarf, head wrap, light blanket, shade covering, towel, skirt, and personal space creator.

I dream about my meal at Gavas in my hometown, Harare in Zimbabwe. It’s a tent on an old sports field where traditional food is prepared faultlessly. Order sadza ne nyama, and don’t bother with cutlery.

One of my favorite hotels is 28 Kothi in Jaipur. Small, intimate, peaceful, light rooms incorporate local craftsmanship. Superb food and conscientious

small team of hospitality staff.

Favorite travel memory: First regional flight with my family to Victoria Falls. We were complete dorks. Faaaar too many group family photos on our middle-ofthe-range Kodak film camera at any and every possible photo op.

Best hotel amenity: Bathrobes. Sussurro’s are a custom design by Tensira, Made In Africa

I always bring home: Dr Bronner’s Lavender Castile liquid soap.

https://fathomaway.com/interviewsarah-birkett-founder-hotel-sussurromozambique/ Image credits: Sussurro

Top African Countries to Visit This Holiday (or whenever*)

By Victor Oluwole

The countries included in this study were selected based on how popular they are among tourists.

According to World Tourism Organization, international tourist arrivals have more than doubled compared to last year and Africa has registered a growth of 51% in 2022 compared to 2021, though numbers are still way below prepandemic levels of 2019.

As countries starts to ease the travel restrictions, we remain optimistic that the sector will rebound to allow for tourism growth in the region. In the meantime, here are the top 10 African countries to visit this holiday (or whenever*).

Egypt

Egypt is an ancient country dating back to the prehistoric age. Some of the major tourist attractions in Egypt include its ancient city Cairo, a major hub for international trade, and the Egyptian pyramids, which draw millions of sightseers each year.

Other tourist attractions in Egypt include the Luxor temple and all Pharaohs’ tombs dating as far back as the stone age. Egypt has recently opened its doors to tourists.

South Africa

Having hosted the first FIFA World Cup on African soil in 2010, South Africa continues to pull in millions of tourists each year. Since 2015, the country has continuously witnessed over 10 million tourist visits annually.

Cities like Cape Town and Johannesburg are modern cities built on the rich culture of the South African people. The country is also home to the Kruger National Park, a renowned tourist destination for safari visitors.

Tanzania

Tanzania is definitely one of the top tourist destinations on our list. The country has so many natural tourist attractions ranging from water bodies to wildlife and mountains.

The East African country’s destinations,

including Zanzibar and Pemba, still retain their position as top diving spots anywhere in the world. Additionally, the Serengeti National Park, alongside South Africa’s Kruger and Kenya’s Maasai Mara, is regarded as the best safari destination on the continent.

This list will be incomplete without mentioning Mount Kilimanjaro (also located in Tanzania), the highest peak in Africa with about 6,000 metres (almost 20,000 feet)

Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe may be landlocked, but it makes up for its beach absence with several landmark choices. Located in Southern Africa, Zimbabwe is home to diverse wild animals making it a top destination for safari in Africa.

When you bring Victoria Falls into the picture, which ranges 1,708 metres in length from

▲EGYPT - A journalist tours inside the step p Djoser in Egypt’s Saqqara necropolis, south o Cairo, on March 5, 2020.

▲TANZANIA - Reginald Mengi’s private Mansion in Machame, Kilimanjaro

Zimbabwe to Zambia, this country’s tourism potential is in a different league.

Kenya

Kenya is one of the most visited countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, thanks to its wildlife diversity and tourist sites. The country is beginning to open its tourist attractions as vaccines become more available. The tourism sector is upbeat this year with increased hotel bookings and fully booked buses, trains, and flights as Kenyans gear up to celebrate christmas holiday.

Mauritius

Mauritius is a beautiful island nation right in

◄South Africa - Cape Town City hotelsng

the Indian Ocean. Visiting Mauritius is understandably more expensive than many African countries. Yet, the more money is worth it.

Mauritius offers tourists the absolute tropical getaway and much more. Right here, you can go for a safari during the day. And when you are back, you can enjoy the evening breeze right by the shore. There is no end to the array of activities that can be enjoyed here as there are huge mountains that hikers can also visit.

Zambia

Zambia is a very beautiful country that is also quite affordable to visit. The country also shares the Victoria Falls with Zimbabwe, which is the largest waterfall on the planet.

The Southern African country is home to Devil’s Pool, a famous landmark popular for its beautiful views. Also, Zambia is home to amazing wildlife such as giraffes, hippos, and a wide variety of birds.

https://africa.businessinsider.com/local/lifestyle/top-7african-countries-to-visit-this-holiday/83cxs0m

*Editors notation

yramid of f the capital

◄Kenya - Private guided tours

Mauritius - LUX* Le Morne in Le Morne, Mauritius

▲ Zimbabwe/Zambia - Devils pool in Zambia’s Victoria falls

Lost Your ID Right Before Your Flight? Here’s What

Picture yourself preparing to coast through TSA to catch your flight only to realize your identification is missing in action. Travel woes are bound to happen but the instant anxiety that comes with losing your ID or passport can leave even seasoned travelers worried about how to proceed next.

Not to worry too much though. While the alternative is an inconvenient process, chances are you can still fly even if your governmentissued photo ID is lost or stolen.

If you know before arriving at the airport that you’re without identification, plan to get there as early as possible. Passengers traveling without a form of identification will have to go through interviews with TSA officers to establish their identity.

Worth noting – most airlines do not refund tickets for travelers who missed their flights due to a lost ID.

What Do If You Have No ID

You’ll first want to explain your situation to an airline representative at the counter, Travel + Leisure reports. Be prepared to present additional forms of identification. Items such as a credit card, photo business card, student ID, or even mail or prescription medication with your name and address should work. If the airline representative is satisfied that you are who you say you are, they will issue a boarding pass with a note that you don’t have an ID.

Once you get to security, you should explain

To Do

By Simone Cherí

the situation to the TSA agents. An agent will likely take you to a second room for additional security screening.

“The TSA officer may ask you to complete an identity verification process which includes collecting information such as your name, current address, and other personal information to confirm your identity,” according to the TSA website.

If the agent can confirm your identity, you will be allowed to pass through security after additional screening.

The process for international destinations is a bit trickier, as individual countries decide whether travelers are allowed entry without identification. Travelers who lose their IDs abroad should immediately contact the nearest U.S. embassy for assistance in replacing their passports.

While it may be too late in certain cases, the best defense is always preparation. Obtaining a police report is important if your ID was stolen. A police report details when and where your identification went missing, for proof if needed, while also confirming your identity.

Friendly Reminders

Travelers should always keep a photocopy or digital image of their identification easily accessible. Make sure to keep your digital copies in a secure location. Sign up for the Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) before leaving for a trip. STEP is a free service that makes it easier to get help from the embassy while abroad.

And most importantly: Remain calm and courteous. Airline, security, and immigration employees are more likely to help get you where you need to go if you’re gracious in your interactions.

https://travelnoire.com/lost-your-id-right-beforeyour-flight-heres-what-to-do

Image credit: Nappy

Bridgeview Resort, Akosombo,Ghana

By GhLinks Media

Bridge View Resort, located in the Akosombo mountains and surrounded by one of the world’s largest lakes, is a luxury vacation spot.

With its secluded surroundings, Bridge View Resort effortlessly blends into the tranquility of Ghana’s natural landscape, far from the hustle and bustle of Ghana’s urban cities.

The stunning architecture of this resort invites you into a discovery of peace and privacy, surrounded both on land and in the water by an endless array of outdoor adventure opportunities.

Ghlinks.com.gh provides you with all the information you need regarding Bridge View Resort including its location, facilities, packages, and more.

Facilities

The Perfect Event Space - The resort features a tropical ambiance, a rooftop restaurant and bar, and professional service, which make it the ideal destination for themed parties, destination weddings, or corporate events.

The Wedding Destination - Bridge View Resort offers you the perfect location for an unforgettable wedding celebration with your dearest family and friends.

Couples are assured of a unique event with a stunning landscape and intimate venue arrangement.

You can rely on their event planners to handle every detail with meticulous attention, regardless of how grand or intimate the event is.

From the most magical proposals to the happiest rehearsal dinners, all your wishes will be fulfilled by their team of masters of creating unforgettable experiences.

The natural scenery of Lake Volta is considered by many to be one of the most beautiful in the world.

You will be assigned a wedding event organizer who will assist with aspects such as

venue decoration, floral arrangements, seating arrangements, menu creation, photography, and entertainment.

Swimming Pool - The resort’s three tiers infinity pool overlooks Adomi Bridge and the largest manmade lake in the world, which really makes it stand out.

Location - The Bridge View Resort is situated in the lush peaks of the Akosombo mountains, a small town in the southern part of the Asuogyaman District, in the Eastern Region of Ghana.

Rooms - Type of Room

Standard Suite with Adomi Bridge ViewThis one-bedroom suite is comfortably designed to ensure a tranquil and memorable experience throughout your stay.

With a private balcony, breathtaking views of the Adomi bridge, rolling hills, and mountain range, you will truly be refreshed during this perfect getaway.

Executive Suite with Adomi Bridge ViewThe two-bedroom luxurious suite comes not only with a larger living area but also a grand balcony that brings you closer to our cherished national monument, the Adomi bridge, and the majestic mountain range that frames it.

Combined with the most exquisite decor and well-appointed amenities, you are guaranteed a magical experience.

Cabanas

Private cabanas are available for rent. Each cabana can host six guests.

Private cabanas can also be rented all day for a fee and includes three platters of finger foods, three bottles of champagne, and one bottle of Grey Goose and Black label.

It can also be rented all day for a lesser fee and includes one platter of finger foods, one bottle of champagne, and one bottle of Grey Goose and Black label.

Pool Side

Poolside dining can be reserved with a deposit, which will be credited towards your purchase.

Upper terrace seating can also be reserved with a deposit, which will be credited towards your purchase.

Food Service

You can download the Food menu PDF.

Contact Bridgeview Resort Hotel Ghana 123 Akosombo Street

Akosombo, Ghana +233 57 7008.

https://www.ghlinks.com.gh/bridge-view-resort/

Image credit: facebook.com

Video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VQgb_k7ODQ

2 of the Top Travel Guidebooks on Amazon

By Brunno Braga

Travel guidebooks are important for those who plan their next vacation. They can be anything from visiting historical sites and cultural cities to beach paradises. The travel guide book will not only help your trip be funnier, but it can also make you safe and comfortable during your travels.

Fodor’s Essential Egypt (Full-color Travel Guide)

Whether you want to cruise the Nile, explore the Valley of the Kings in Luxor, or see the Pyramids of Giza, the local Fodor’s travel experts in Egypt are here to help.

Fodor’s Essential Egypt guidebook is packed with maps, carefully curated recommendations, and everything else you need to simplify your tripplanning process and make the most of your time. This new edition has been fully-redesigned with an easy-to-read layout, fresh information, and beautiful color photos.

Ethiopia: A Photographic Tribute to East Africa’s Diverse Cultures & Traditions

Are you planning to visit Ethiopia soon? So, the book Ethiopia: A Photographic Tribute to East Africa’s Diverse Cultures & Traditions can help you find the best ways to enjoy this amazing country.

The book s a visual ode to every region of the country and a celebration of all the diverse peoples found within.

This highly anticipated volume includes both the iconic landmarks and landscapes found

exclusively within Ethiopia, and regions that are lesser known to tourists and travellers.

From the cosmopolitan hub of Addis Ababa to the hinterlands of the Gambela region, where the Majang people climb trees over 150 feet tall to collect wild honey. From the north’s Orthodox Tewahedo historic sites, to the Islamic influence spread across the east within Afar and Somali communities, to the Animist spiritualities of the southern nations.

The book is a first of its kind—underscoring what makes each region of Ethiopia unique, yet uniting all in one cohesive visual style. Every walk of life is dignified in their unique way.

The flow of the collection is guided by immersive environmental images, landscapes, and classic still life with hundreds of intimate fine art photographs capture the diverse people and landscapes of Ethiopia and East Africa.

https://travelnoire.com/5-of-the-top-travelguidebooks-on-amazon

10 Travel Tech Accessories

My Flight Attendant Husband Says I Should Never Leave Home Without

By Nina Bradley Read the detailed article here

As an avid traveler, I can say that being away from home with a dead phone or on a long flight without entertainment is one of the worst feelings in the world. That’s why packing the best travel tech accessories in your carry-on is an imperative step when getting ready for any trip.

I’ll be the first to admit that after packing my clothing and trying to stay organized before my trips, I’ve often forgotten to fully charge my devices or failed to bring the proper chargers to keep them powered up during my flight. There have been multiple occasions when I’ve run out of the house and left my charger in the wall by my bedside, or forgotten to bring an international outlet converter when traveling out of the country.

In the end, these mistakes cost me lots of time, money, and aggravation, trying to purchase them at the airport or once I arrived at my destination. Have you seen the prices of phone chargers at the airport?!?

You’d think being married to a former flight attendant, who always seems to be meticulously packed, would have taught me a few things early on. However, it wasn’t until I had to travel alone that I finally learned how to be a better and more organized packer, especially when it comes to important tech gadgets like chargers and adapters. Small travel hacks like keeping an extra set of chargers and wall boxes in my travel kit have been game changers for me, and with just a few simple steps they can also change your travel experience for the better.

After learning the hard way, I can say that I’ve even become somewhat of a packing expert. Adding these tech gadgets into my packing routine has certainly changed the way that I travel forever and, looking back, I can’t even believe that I used to manage without them.

1. Pack an Extra Charger

Packing and keeping an extra charger in your carry-on can be a real lifesaver if you, for some reason, forget to bring your own. It’s a must-have travel tech accessory.

I personally keep mine packed so that I never have to remember to grab it — and boy has it come in handy.

2. Tech Travel Cases Are Great for Organization

Looking for a way to keep all of your travel tech accessories organized? A Tech Organizer Trave Case is the way.

Travel tech organizers feature two or more compartments that can hold power banks, external hard drives, memory cards, cables, earphones, adapters and more. Get one compact enough to fit in any bag.

3. Buy a Wireless Transmitter

Using a wireless transmitter allows you to enjoy in-flight entertainment with your Bluetooth headphones rather than needing to plug in.

4. Keep a Portable Battery With You At All Times

A portable battery is another gadget that I absolutely do not leave home without. I take it on both long and short trips because it is a total godsend if you need charging on the go or can’t find an outlet to charge your phone.

5. Track Your Luggage and Other Travel Necessities

If the thought of losing items while traveling is a concern, invest in a tracker like an Apple AirTag or Tile Mate, two essential travel tech accessories after summer 2022 was the year of lost luggage. Place them in your bags to keep track of their every move. This could especially come in handy if the airline loses your luggage, but it also helpful if you want a better estimate of how close your bag is at baggage claim.

6. Work While On The Go With a WiFi Mobile Hotspot

Need to stay connected while traveling? A Mobile WiFi Hotspot can help you stay connected

no matter where you are, both domestically and internationally.

7. Don’t Forget An International Adapter When Traveling Abroad

When traveling abroad, bringing an adapter is a must — but it can be easy to forget amidst all your other to-do’s.

8. A Smartphone Stabilizer Will Be Your Best Friend For Photos

Yeah, I know. It can feel super geeky walking around an unfamiliar town with a selfie stick. But, I promise when you touchdown in a beautiful locale like Morocco or Paris and want to take a professional-grade picture in front of the Eiffel Tower, that feeling will quickly dissipate.

Be prepared by having a smartphone stabilizer in your backpack to capture the best footage while on your trip.

9.

Listen to Music and Audiobooks In Your Hotel Room With a Portable Speaker

If you’re someone who likes to listen to music or audiobooks while in your hotel room or Airbnb, you’re going to need a compact speaker.

Look for features like compact size, sound quality, attachments that help you easily attach it to backpacks or bags, allowing you to wirelessly stream music from your phone, tablet, or any other Bluetooth-enabled device while on the go.

10. Block Out Sound and Enjoy Music While Flying With a Pair of NoiseCancelling Headphones

If you’re headed on a long fight, you’re definitely going to need a pair of headphones with long battery life.

https://spy.com/articles/gadgets/accessories/ travel-tech-accessories-1202905675 Image

KEMET STUDY TOUR

AUGUST 1-15, 2023

COST: $4,799.00

Let’s Return To The Nile And Share In The Deep Historical African Re-Membering.

A 15-day group learning experience to “the deep well” of knowledge with Dr. Greg Kimathi Carr & Dr. Mario Beatty.

“Far from being a self-indulgent fixation on the past, the examination of ancient Egypt is our wisest option if we intend to plan and create our cultural future. The heritage of Greek and Roman antiquity has had a decisive impact on Western culture. Just as profoundly, the heritage of ancient Egypt will help shape the African culture we aspire to rethink and remake.” —Cheikh

Anta Diop

Find All The Details Here Download the Tour Brochure

KEMET STUDY TOUR OVERVIEW

When: August 1-15, 2023

Where: New York to Cairo

Cost: $4,799 (From New York)

Hosts: Dr. Greg Carr & Dr. Mario Beatty

Highlight: 50 sites over two weeks

Deposit & payment: A deposit of $500.00 per person is required at the time of booking. Final payment must be made no later than June 1, 2023. Payments received after the deadline date will be subject to $50.00 administrative fee.

DESCRIPTION

The Kemet Study Tour seeks to bring us together from all walks of life to learn about and understand many of the truths embedded in the wisdom of our African ancestors in the Nile Valley and to self-consciously utilize what we know and have learned in order to live meaningful lives and to improve the life of our communities.

Over the course of two weeks, we will visit over 50 sites, including major pyramid complexes, temple complexes, tombs, museums, a major mosque, and a Coptic Church. One of the greatest highlights of our tour occurs at the end where we visit a Nubian village on Elephantine Island and we

commune with the community and provide them with a collective voluntary donation of money and school supplies.

A significant part of the intellectual preparation for the tour has already begun on the Knubia platform through the teaching of the Medu Netcher language course by Mario Beatty. These language lessons are archived to view at your leisure and they will tremendously assist you in going to the Nile Valley as a deeply informed visitor. In addition to the language course, we will also provide participants with further detailed readings to support the study of various sites.

After the beginning of the new year in January 2023, we will provide periodic general orientation sessions for participants in order to provide more detailed experiences and advice on traveling to Egypt and to field any questions that may have not been answered or addressed by Consolidated Tours Organization, Inc., the travel agent managing the details of the tour.

It is our hope that this study tour will be a historic convening that both inspires and nourishes all of us from the “deep well” of the best of our African worldview and humanity.

ple of RamessesMeryamun at Abu Simbel annees-depelerinage.com

nx and Pyramids deluxetoursegypt.

How Booking Breakfast with a Giraffe Could Help Save the Critically Endangered Animals

By Debora Patta

It just wouldn’t feel like Africa without them, and no wildlife safari is complete without a sighting of the gentle giants of the savanna, but a hotel in Kenya does one better: Ecotourists who stay at Giraffe Manor pay for the opportunity to get up close and personal with the majestic animals.

It can be a remarkable bucketlist experience, but it’s also very important for conservation.

Environmentalist Cecilia Mueni says most people have no idea that Africa’s giraffes are fighting for their survival.

“The giraffe is basically under threat from all corners — from people themselves, from predators, from climate change,” she told CBS News.

Poachers hunt them for bush meat and even for their tails, which they believe give them power.

Humans are also encroaching on giraffe habitats.

And exacerbating it all, the Horn of Africa has been suffering through its worst drought in 40 years.

Numbers of Nubian giraffes have dwindled so much that they’re now on the critically endangered list. Conservationist Arthur Muneza told CBS News that time is running out.

“If we don’t act now, we might lose them,” he said. “This has

happened actually in the last 30 to 40 years, where we’ve seen giraffes have gone extinct in at least seven African countries. Paying for the rare privilege offered at Giraffe Manor helps reverse that devastating trend. And it is a surreal experience — imagine enjoying your breakfast and seeing a giraffe stick its head in through your window. It exceeded American visitor Shannon Turner’s expectations.

“This place is mind blowing,” she told CBS News. She said knowing her vacation was giving back, helping to protect Africa’s giraffes, “just made the whole experience better.”

The animals come over for high tea and breakfast, but they actually live next-door at the Giraffe Centre, where they stoke a passion for wildlife in the very young, who visit for free.

For Emmanuel Ngumbi, who

Pete giraffe Octobe

r Kamau, an employee, feeds a at Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, Kenya, er 11, 2005. AP PHOTO/SAYYAD AZIM

still remembers visiting the center as a school kid, it was love at first sight.

“It was quite amazing, because I’ve never thought of giraffes being so friendly, but I was amazed to see such a big giant,” he recalled.

He was so inspired that he studied conservation, and he now manages the very education program that changed his life.

“We need to stick out our

necks out for the giraffes and make the world understand they are an iconic species,” he said. “We need to save them for the future.”

Tourism funds the conservation work and supports a breeding program run by both the center and Giraffe Manor, together with the Kenyan government.

Most of the giraffes born here have been reintroduced into the wild. The program has been so

successful, that numbers have risen over the last 40 years from just 76, to 1,200.

So, for tourists like Shannon Turner, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime experience that’s saving lives as well.

https://www.cbsnews. com/news/giraffe-manorhotel-kenya-conservationendangered-species-africa/

Image credit: Giraffe Manor

A Cultural Destination in Abuja

Nigerian Artists Carve Their Own Path in the NFT Space

By Ugonna-Ora Owoh

The Art Tech District was founded in a bid to educate and inspire young Nigerians towards creativity and innovation, while also providing entertainment powered by cutting-edge technology. This was after noticing a large pool of local talent, increasing mobile penetration, and the ongoing global journey towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Launched in 2020, ATD is an immersive technology-driven organisation that seeks to bring Nigeria’s art, history, and culture into the modern world. The first of its kind in Nigeria, ATD is located in the heart of the Nation’s capital, Abuja. Its expansive compound is home to the Discovery Museum, Nigeria’s first digital museum, a Virtual Reality (VR) and gaming area known as PlayBox, and Discovery Kids, which sharpens the minds of the next generation of Nigerian innovators. It also houses three location-themed restaurants offering international cuisines with a distinct Nigerian flavour.

Other amenities include Abuja’s first Escape Room, ‘The Heist’, and multiple open outdoor spaces, including an event hall for corporate and social functions and an outdoor green space for social bonding.

Working actively with the intention to expand to other parts of Nigeria, the Art Tech District offers an impressive range of interactive, immersive, and fun experiences for families, friends, businesses and our community at large.

HOW IT STARTED...

At ATD, we’re all about innovation. Our compound was designed using recycled materials, creative architectural solutions and, of course, colour!

...HOW IT’S GOING

We’ve maximised every square inch to provide our community with a number of spaces to inspire, learn, relax, eat and celebrate!

Our Values

Commitment to Customers

At ATD, we believe in providing our guests with the best possible experience they can get. Paying attention to the most intricate details, we work tirelessly to leave an indelible impression on guests.

Innovation

Looking at our work, it is clear to see that innovation is what drives the park and its activities. We believe that innovation is key to survival and an unforgettable visit, whether that be in adding creative and brilliant minds to our team, new attractions to ATD, or thinking from the perspective of our customers on what would make their experience more engaging, fun, and wholesome.

Operational Excellence

To offer our guests the best service and experience, it is imperative for us to also be the best version of ourselves. To see to this, we have

carefully created a work culture that pushes us to be the best we can be, while ensuring that we maintain the tenets of our mission, which is to provide our guests with the best.

Attractions

Our attractions and resident restaurants include:

PARTNER WITH US

At ATD, partnership is a vital part of our process. Our work in the arts, history, culture, innovation, and charity continues to educate and positively affect the lives of millions of Nigerians. We understand that to have a far-reaching impact that influences the culture, we also need to collaborate with individuals and groups whose interests and passions align with ours.

We currently work with several government institutions, private companies, corporate and not-for-profit organisations, as well as brands and individuals. Our flexible approach is tailored towards the peculiar needs of our partners and allows us to form unique partnerships across the board. With full understanding of our partners’ goals and commitments, we collaborate with them in mutually beneficial relationships aimed at providing return on investment, building brand visibility, expanding on the Nigerian story and connecting young Nigerians (and the world) to this story.

If you would like to explore a potential partnership with our organisation, please contact us

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/nigerian-artistscarve-own-path-070500881.html

Source: https://qz.com/nigerian-artists-carvetheir-own-path-in-the-nft-space-1849886721

Image credit: feminine.com.ng, peakplanet.com

Planning 2023 Travel Without a Companion? Find Your People in a Black Travel Group

By Noel Cymone Walker

Is travel topping your list of resolutions for 2023, but you foresee rolling solo? Among the best things to come out of the social media era are Black travel groups. For generations prior, Black leisure travel abroad seemed elusive—sure, celebrities traveled for their jobs, military personnel was actively based all over the world, and there were ample opportunities to study abroad. However, the picture wasn’t as clear for Black travelers who wanted to travel for leisure, luxury, and fun. Social media threw open the door for the Black diaspora to explore their curiosity about other countries without media bias—and to engage with Black travel groups as a means to get out there and explore in person.

These days, Black travel groups are spaces for Black travelers and aspiring travelers to connect, whether through Facebook, travel agencies, travel blogs, or IRL meetup spaces. We’ve all heard (or experienced) cautionary tales where folks start planning a trip, and in the end, only the planner with the most intention makes the journey after everyone else drops out. By contrast, the best aspect of Black travel groups is a mutual intention, education, likemindedness, and seriousness about global exploration.

While solo travel is a vibe, it is not on everyone’s bucket list. Black travel groups offer the community of other Black wanderers who want to see the same places, explore the same activities, and share the same interests before you even meet them in real life.

While there are tons of travel groups out there, there are a few notable ones. Take Danny Rivers-Mitchell of Black Girls Travel Too, who creates the most soul-fulfilling experiences

for Black women in South Africa and Barbados. Or peep Urban Events Global, which offers coed trips to Dubai. There is an abundance of options and few excuses for why you can’t see the world. To get started, check out our list of Black travel groups below.

Black Girls Travel Too

Black Girls Travel Too is one of the hottest Black travel groups for Black women. Founded by Danielle Rivers-Mitchell (Danny) in 2015, Black Girls Travel Too creates travel experiences that breathe life into Black women— because we are deserving! Black Girls Travel Too welcomes Black women of all demographics to join their immersive trips with inclusive roundtrip airport transfers, a locally advised itinerary usually spanning between 8-11 nights, a photographer, and an intimate group of Black women. Information on trips to South Africa, India, and Australia is already available on the website. Head to blackgirlstraveltoo. com to learn more.

Urban Events Global

Founded in 2011 by Kevin Black Girls Travel Too

Knight, Urban Events Global is the adventure-seeking Black travel company of dreams. An “army brat,” Kevin was born in Frankfurt, Germany, and moved throughout much of his childhood. In response to friends’ frequent requests that he alert them when he was flying out, he decided to call their bluff and create a travel group and company so Black like-minded travelers could see the world through his eyes. Urban Events Global not only curates trips but also throws events like the UEG Meetup, Urban Excursion Weekend, Urban Cruise Weekend, and Urban Camp weekend, where there are 400

– 2000 participants. Check out urbaneventsglobal.com to see the turn-up, and book a trip today.

Rush Escape

Millennial and Gen Z Black women can relish travel with Rush Escape. Just glance at its Instagram page, and you will see a range of baddies on group trips touring the world’s most exotic locations. The brainchild of Jamaican travel influencer and entrepreneur Richie-Ann Rushell J., Rush Escapes not only puts together full-on group trips that you and your girls can partake in with Richie-Ann, but as a travel concierge company, they manage client needs such

as accommodations, flights, activities, special requests romantic dinner setups, and massages. Rush Escapes also offers expedited passport and visa help. Check out Rush Escapes on Instagram.

Sisters Traveling Solo

Cole Banks was a frequent solo traveler when she came across an online post discouraging Black women to travel alone. To combat that fear and rhetoric, she created a traveling company, Sisters Traveling Solo. Founded in 2018, STS has become one of the go-to traveling companies and groups for Black women considering solo journeys. Although STS teams curate various group trips (many of which are already sold out for 2023), the education, experience, and courage to travel solo that this company promotes are worth looking into. Black women deserve a break and time to recoup, and with trip options to places like Greece, Bali, and Jordan, to name a few, STS is the perfect remedy. To learn more, check out sisterstravelingsolo.com

Black & Abroad

Black & Abroad was founded in 2015 by Eric Martin and Kent Johnson as a multi-platform travel and lifestyle company for Black folks. With corporate backgrounds, Martin and Johnson have been able to create an optimal space for young adult Black travelers to tap into the diverse travel experiences of luxury, adventure, and culture not always promoted to Black communities. Black & Abroad’s to page 62

Sisters Travelling Solo

Travelling Companions from page 61

online community has visited over 100 countries and expanded awareness of Black travel on all seven continents through micro and macro events. Black & Abroad offers group trips to places like Tanzania, France, Columbia, and more. If you are looking for a group trip to partake in, visit Blackandabroad.com to learn more.

beGirlworld

BeGirlworld was created to promote teenage girls’ global education and travel. Through its global ambassador program, known as bGAP, high school girls gather monthly for meetups where they learn and practice self-actualization, leadership, exploration, resourcefulness, and service while also getting the chance to domestically and internationally travel. This Philadelphia-based program also offers two Black female-identifying

college students the chance to win a scholarship if accepted into a study abroad program. If you are in the Philadelphia area, look into beGirlworld for your young one.

Nomadness Travel Tribe

If you want to bond with a predominantly Black travel community, look no further than Nomadness Travel Tribe. The number one travel lifestyle brand and group, NTT has a prerequisite of at least one passport stamp to enter the tribe. Once that is fulfilled, you are immersed into a global society of over 25,000 travelers who travel consciously and intentionally to lands rich in Black and brown legacy. These are not always your typical spots, however. You would be surprised to learn about the places where Black and brown people have made their imprint on history. Brands like this help you do your research and rediscover yourself through transformative travel. To learn more, visit

Black & Abroad

Nom

nomadnesstraveltribe.com.

Advantage International

After a previous employer suddenly shut down, Ja’Vonne Harley seized the opportunity to launch her own travel company. An expert in event planning and group travel, in 1998, Harley and her husband created Advantage International, a travel program for African Americans who want to travel the world in luxury and style—and have yet to look back. As a veteran in the game with more than 25 years of experience, Advantage International appeals to not only new travelers but Generation X and Baby Boomers who have actually saved their money for times like these. With footprints across Africa, Vietnam, India, and Israel, AI is a premier choice for well-planned journeys. For more information, check out their website.

https://thegrio.com/2022/12/26/planning-2023-travel-

find-your-people-in-a-black-travel-group/?utm_ source=TheGrio&utm_campaign=e3e62bbdbfEMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_12_01_03_44_ COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_b9bc29c58d-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D

beGirlWorld

madness Travel Tribe

Advantage International

Dr. Dwight Reynolds Urges the Cruise Industry and Black Americans to Get Updated COVID Vaccinations

By Derek Major

“So what I’ve been telling people is, don’t be disillusioned by disinformation, some people think we’re done with COVID, but COVID is not done with us. There’s been a rise in covid deaths and hospitalizations over the last month and no one seems to be willing to track that or talk about it.”

The 2022 holiday season saw families gather in a way they haven’t since before the pandemic. But now, as the new year begins, Dr. Dwight Reynolds, the CEO and president of the Centers for Health Promotion (CHP), wants to remind Black people and the cruise industry that the COVID-19 pandemic is not over.

“I look at the cruise industry as being the tip of the spear when it comes down to people traveling and getting around because they’re on a vessel that’s like an Army barracks, where a virus goes throughout the entire barracks initially,” Reynolds told BLACK ENTERPRISE.

Dr. Reynolds and his medical team administered COVID-19 vaccinations to more than 68,000 cruise industry employees during the height of the pandemic, working with Carnival Cruise Lines, Royal Caribbean Group, and Azamara. CHP also provided vaccinations to underserved African Americans, Hispanics, and communities with healthcare disparities.

Reynolds believes the cruise industry should be the leader of the pack when it comes to getting updated COVID-19 vaccinations, and cruise passengers should do the same to avoid the issues that halted cruises in 2020 and in Australia recently.

“In other words, get your crew vaccinated first with those updated bivalent vaccines and then you can begin to press the issue on your guests,” said Reynolds. “My point is, if the crew members can protect themselves the best they can,

the lines can require travelers to have their vaccinations updated, so the biggest thing we need to do now is let the cruise industry know we still have a problem and that problem will only be magnified over the next two or three months if we don’t act on it and act on it now.”

Reynolds, a Michigan State University College of Human Medicine

alum who trained at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, said getting updated booster vaccinations will not only prevent death but also decrease the number of serious diseases and hospitalizations that are likely to occur in the coming weeks and months.

According to Reynolds, the new bivalent booster was created to combat multiple strains of COVID-19 including the alpha, delta, and omicron strains and protect against

Dr. Dwight Reynolds (Courtesy

Carn Aza

severe illness and death. A new subvariant of omicron, named XBB.1.5, has raised concerns about another wave of COVID-19 cases following the busy holiday season.

“If you’re in an enclosed space like a cruise ship you want to make sure that you cover yourself first, but you also want to make sure the cruise ship has done its job too,” Reynolds said, adding that the only treatment

for COVID-19 is the antiviral Paxlovid.

“I would make sure that ship has an adequate amount of Paxlovid, which kills the virus in a couple of days, minimizing the symptoms of the virus,” Reynolds added. “So if I’m on a five- or ten-day cruise ship and I test negative before I get on the cruise but I come down with something and I test positive, I don’t want to be locked in my

cabin for the next six or seven days, I want to be treated so I can move around.”

The doctor is also urging Black Americans to stay updated on their vaccinations. The number of COVID-19 infections has decreased slightly among Black people, but the mortality rate is still significantly higher than their White counterparts.

“We’re not getting it in bigger numbers, but we’re more apt to die from COVID-19 and the country still has about 2,5000 COVID-19 deaths per week, so we still have a real pandemic going on and Black people better wake up.”

Reynolds also added that pharmaceutical companies will begin charging as much as $187 per dose for the updated bivalent vaccinations once the federal government subsidies expire later this year.

https://www.blackenterprise.com/ dr-dwight-reynolds-is-urgingcruise-industry-black-americansto-get-updated-covid-19-vaccines/

nival Panorama USA Today

Royal Caribbean Group traveltext.id Today

amara Quest cruiseexperts.comy

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Cliff of Bandiagara (Land of the Dogons) Mali

The Cliff of Bandiagara, Land of the Dogons, Mali, is a vast cultural landscape covering 400,000 ha and includes 289 villages scattered between the three natural regions: sandstone plateau, escarpment, plains (more than two-thirds of the listed perimeter are covered by plateau and cliffs).

The communities at the site are essentially the Dogon, and have a very close relationship with their environment expressed in their sacred rituals and traditions.

The site of the Land of the Dogons is an impressive region of exceptional geological and environmental features. Human settlements in the region, since Palaeolithic times, have enabled the development and harmonious integration into the landscape of rich and dense tangible and intangible cultures, the best known of which are those of the Tellem, that are thought to live in the caves, and the Dogon.

This hostile milieu and difficult access has been, since the 15th century, a natural refuge that corresponded to the need for defence of the Dogons in the face of formidable invaders. Entrenched on the plateau and hanging to cliff faces, the Dogon were able to conserve their centuries-old culture and traditions, thanks to this defensive shelter. The architecture of the Dogon land has been adapted to benefit from the physical constraints of the place. Whether on the high plateau, the cliff-faces, or on the plain, the Dogon have exploited all the elements available to build their villages that reflect their ingenuity and their philosophy of life and death.

In certain cultural areas, the Dogon villages comprise numerous granaries, for the most part square with a thatched tapering roof. The gin’na, or large family house, is generally built on two levels. Its facade built from banco, is windowless but has a series of niches and doors, often decorated with sculptured

Cliff of Bandiagara

Cliff o

motifs: rows of male and female characters which symbolize the couple’s successive generations.

One of the most characteristic forms of the Land of the Dogon is that of the togu-na, the large shelter, a long construction that provides shelter under a roof of branches supported by roughlyshaped wooden poles, for a platform with benches for the men.

The totemic sanctuaries (binu), privileged places, are of a great variety: some, in caves, keep alive the cult places of the Tellem; others, built of banco, resemble houses. The most venerated are the responsibility of the Hogon, the priest of one or several villages living alone, his source of inspiration being the snake, Lèbe, whose totem is often sculpted near the door of his dwelling.

The irruption of new « written religions » (Islam and Christianity) since at least the 18th century has contributed to the vulnerability of the heritage that today has suffered from the negative effects of globalization linked to the increasing development of cultural tourism and the phenomena of rural exodus, consequence of the drought of the last decades.

Criterion (v): The Land of the Dogon is the outstanding manifestation of a system of thinking linked to traditional religion that has integrated harmoniously with architectural heritage, very remarkably in a natural landscape of rocky scree and impressive geological features. The intrusion of new written religions (Islam and Christianity) since at least the 18th century has contributed towards the vulnerability of the heritage that today suffers from adverse effects of globalization.

Criterion (vii): The cliff and its rocky scree constitute a natural area of unique and exceptional beauty in West Africa. The diversity of geomorphological features (plateau, cliffs and plains) of the site are characterized by the presence of natural monuments (caves, secondary dunes and rock shelters) that bear witness to the continued influence of the different erosion phenomena. It is also in the natural environment that the endemic plant Acridocarpus monodii is found, its growth area being limited to the cliffs, and specific medicinal plants used by the Dogon therapists and healers. These plants suffer from

to page 68

Songo Village

of Bandiagara

Land of the Dogons from page 67

gradual decline due to climate change (drought and desertification) and logging. The relationship of the Dogon people with their environment is also expressed in the sacred rituals associating spiritually the pale fox, the jackal and the crocodile.

Integrity

Due to the socio-economic phenomena (exodus, scholarization, infrastructure development), human activities and the degradation of the environment (climate change causing droughts, desertification or also torrential rains; demographic pressure), the populations are leaving the villages located on the steep escarpments for the plain. Some intangible cultural practices undergo mutation linked to contact with other imported value systems (religions, cultural tourism...). The integrity of this very extensive property is, consequently, threatened as several sectors no longer contain all the attributes of the Outstanding Universal Value.

Authenticity

The social and cultural traditions of the Dogon are among the best preserved of sub-saharan Africa, despite certain important irreversible

socio-economic mutations. The villages and their inhabitants are faithful to the ancestral values linked to an original life style. The harmonious integration of cultural elements (architecture) in the natural landscape remains authentic, outstanding and unique. Nevertheless, the traditional practices associated to the living quarters and the building constructions have become vulnerable, and in places the relationship between the material attributes and the Outstanding Universal Value are fragile.

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Description is available under license CC-BY-SA IGO

Cliff of Bandiagara

Image credits: https://whc.unesco. org/en/list/516/gallery/

Dogon Village

Dogon Village

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

Palmeirinhas Beach

CAPITAL: Luanda

www.angola.org

Benin

Lake Village of Ganvie

Nakoue Lagoon

Pendjari National Park

CAPITAL: Porto-Novo

www.benintourisme.com

Botswana

Okavango Delta

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

Transfrontier Park (Kgalafadi National Park)

CAPITAL: Gaborone

www.botswanatourism.co.bw

Burkina Faso

International Arts and Crafts Fair, Oct-Nov

Ranch de Nazinga game reserve

Mare aux Hippopotames

CAPITAL: Ouagadougou

www.ontb.bf

Burundi

Chutes de la Kagera Waterfall

Lake Tanganyika

Craftwares Village at Giheta

CAPITAL: Bujumbura

www.burunditourisme.com

Cameroon

Mandera Mountains (hiking, climbing)

Bouba Ndjidah National Park

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

Bouba Ndjidah National Park, Cameroon AsiaOne

CAPITAL: Moroni

Comoros National Tourist Board

Office, Tel: 269 73 3044

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Frère Gillet Botanic Gardens world-famous rare orchids (Kisantu)

Ruwenzori Range

Virunga National Park

CAPITAL: Kinshasa

Ministère des Affaires Foncières, Environment et Tourisme, Tel: (+243) 8802093.

Côte D’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

The Basilica of Our Lady of Peace, Yamoussoukro

Mount Tonkoui (mountain climb)

Comoë National Park

CAPITAL: Yamoussoukro

www.tourisme.gouv.ci

Djibouti

Gulf of Tadjoura (snorkling/diving)

Lake Abbé

Lake Assal (windsurf on wheels)

CAPITAL: Djibouti

www.office-tourisme.dj

Egypt (Kemet)

Nile River Cruise, Aswan

Temple of Ranses II, Abu Simbel

Alexandria

CAPITAL: Cairo

www.tourism.misrnet.gov.eg

Equatorial Guinea

Arena Blanca

Pico Malabo Volcano (mountain climbing)

Cascades of Moca

CAPITAL: Malabo

www.embarege-londres.org

to page 72

Aqua Ize, Săo Tomé &Principe Laundry day, Abade River. Travellerspoint

Travel Africa - from page 71

Eritrea

Dahlak Archipelago

Tour of Eritrea (bicycle race)

Akordat

CAPITAL: Asmara

eritreantourism@tse.com.er

Eswatini

Mkhaya Game Reserve

Phophomyane Nature Reserve

Usutu River (white-water rafting)

CAPITAL: Mbabane

www.thekingdomofeswatini.com

Ethiopia

Rock Hewn Churches of Lalibela (New Jerusalem)

Home of the Queen of Sheba, Axum

African Union Headquarters, Addis Ababa

TOTAL Great Ethiopian Race

CAPITAL: Addis Ababa

www.tourismethiopia.org

Gabon

Cathedral of St Michael in Libreville

Lopé-Okanda Reserve National Park

(gorilla)

M’Bigou (gold mines/crafts)

CAPITAL: Libreville

www.legabon.org

The Gambia

Deep Sea Fishing, Atlantic Ocean

Exhibition of the slave trade at Albreda and Jufureh

Makasutu Culture Forest

CAPITAL: Banjul

www.visitthegambia.gm

Ghana

Cape Coast Castle Slave Fortress

Mount Afadjato and Togbo Falls (Volta Region)

Kakum Nature Reserve (tree-top walkway and stay in a tree house)

CAPITAL: Accra

www.touringghana.com

Guinea

Kindia (cloth market)

Kinkon Falls

Îles de Los

CAPITAL: Conakry

www.ontguinee.com

Mount Tonkoui, Ivory Coast pinterest.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

Bushmen Rock Paintings

Ski Lesotho Highlands (www.afriski.co.za)

Sehlabathebe National Park

CAPITAL: Maseru

www.ltdc.org.ls

Liberia

Sapo National Park

Kendeja National Cultural Center

Firestone Rubber Plantation

CAPITAL: Monrovia

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

Mali

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.tourisme.mr

Mauritius

Black River Gorges National Park

Ile aux Aigrettes Nature Reserve

Rodrigues Island

CAPITAL: Port Louis

www.mauritius.net

Morocco

Todra and Dades Gorges

Talassemtane National Park

Essaouira

CAPITAL: Rabat

www.visitmorocco.com

Mozambique

Maputo Elephant Park

Gorongosa National Park

Bazaruto Archipelago

CAPITAL: Maputo

www.futur.org.mz/index-en.html

Namibia

Mahongo Game Reserve

Etosha National Park

Skeleton Coast

CAPITAL: Windhoek

www.namibiatourism.com.na

Niger

Agadez

‘W’ National Park

Igouloulef

CAPITAL: Algiers

www.niger-tourisme.com

Nigeria

Cross River National Park

Emir’s Palace, Kano

Benin City

CAPITAL: Lagos

www.tourism.gov.ng

Republic of the Congo

Loufoulakari Falls

Loango (main embarkation port for slaves)

Congo Rapids

CAPITAL: Brazzaville

Direction Generale du Tourisme et des Loisirs, Tel: 830 953

Reunion

Piton des Neiges

Plaine d’Affouches

Le Voile de la Mariée (The Bride’s Veil)

CAPITAL: Saint-Denis

ot.saint-pierre@wanadoo.fr

Rwanda

Cards From Africa, Kigali

Parc National des Volcans Gorilla Trek

Nyungwe Forest Canopy Walk

CAPITAL: Kigali

www.rwandatourism.com/

São Tomé & Principe

Bom Bom Island Deep Sea Fishing

Humpback Whale Watching

Agua Izé Plantation

CAPITAL: São Tomé

www.saotome.st

Senegal

African Renaissance Monument

Retba (Pink) Lake

Maison des Enclaves (House of Slaves), Goree Island

CAPITAL: Dakar

sentouroffice@aol.com

Seychelles

Marlin Fishing in Denis

St Anne Marine National Park

Aldabra

CAPITAL: Victoria

www.seychelles.travel

Sierra Leone

Outamba-Kilimi National Park

Freetown Peninsula

Bunce Island, Slave Trading Station

CAPITAL: Freetown

www.welcometosierraleone.org

Somalia

Hargeisa National Park

Neolithic Paintings Las Geel

Indian Ocean Coastal Beaches

CAPITAL: Mogadishu

www.somali-gov.info/Tourism/index.html

Somaliland

Hargeisa National Park

Neolithic Paintings Las Geel

Indian Ocean Coastal Beaches

CAPITAL: Hargiesa

www.somalilandgov.com (Ministry of Tourism & Culture 252-225-7917)

South Africa

Nelson Mandela Centre of Memory & Dialogue, Johannesburg

Great White Shark Festival, Cape Town/ Gansbaai

The Elephant Coast, Zulu Kingdom

CAPITAL: Johannesburg

Chinguetti, Mauritania, a medieval trading center in no Bleak Adar plateau and contains important Quranic texts wantedinafrica.com

orthern Mauritania, is located on the s contained in the earthen libraries.

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

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

Ski Africa

Overview: Skiing in Africa

There are currently 10 indoor and outdoor ski resorts set in the nations of Kingdom of Morocco, Republic of Egypt, Republic of Algeria, Kingdom of Lesotho, Republic of Namibia, and the Republic of South Africa. There are 4 unconfirmed ski resorts. The following facts provide an overview of the ski regions of Africa:

Elevation of the Ski Resorts

70 m - 3268 m

Elevation Difference max. 658 m in one ski resort

Slopes

21 km (max. 10 km in one ski resort)

Ski Lifts

23 (max. 7 in one ski resort)

Ski Passes

€ 14.40 to € 30.74

Oukaimeden

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ oukaimeden

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

Chréa

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

The ski resort Chréa is located in the Province of Blida (Algeria) For skiing and snowboarding, there are 0.5 km of slopes available. 3 lifts transport the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,460 and 1,550 m.

Afriski Mountain Resort

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ afriski-mountain-resort

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

AfriSki, the only skiing resort in the Kingdom of Lesotho, is located 3222 m above sea-level in the

Maluti Mountains. It offers a main Ski slope, a beginners slope and operates during the winter months.

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ tiffindell

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

Tiffindell is the highest resort in South Africa. It is nestling snugly on the slope of Ben McDhui (3001m), the highest pass in South Africa and the highest peak in the Cape. Within 15 acres of terrain, there are pistes suitable for all abilities. In an average season, Tiffindell is open for skiing and snowboarding in June, July and August. It has slope-side accommodation available for 150 guests and many more day visitors

in the surrounding valleys. There is a restaurant, coffee lounge, 2 bars, ski clothing shop and ski school. Non aspiring skiers join in to enjoy a unique experience, making snowmen, throwing snow balls or tobogganing, making it the perfect family holiday for young and old.

Matroosberg

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

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

Michlifen

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ michlifen

The ski resort Michlifen is located in the Meknès-Tafilalet Region (Morocco). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1 km of

slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,880 and 2,060 m.

Ski Egypt

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

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

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

Jbel Hebri

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ jbel-hebri

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

Azrou

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ azrou

The ski resort Azrou is located in the Ifrane Province of the FèsMeknès region (Morocco). For skiing and snowboarding, there are 1 km of slopes available. 1 lift transports the guests. The winter sports area is situated between the elevations of 1,800 and 2,000 m.

Ski Namibia

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

Options for Dune Skiing in the Namib Desert, Namibia (high dunes, breathtaking landscapes, long dune belt) are manifold. Not only the fast ski runs on the dunes bring the kick, but also the landscape and nature aspect are simply one-of-a-kind amidst the world’s oldest desert. For information and arrangements:

www.ski-namibia.com, henrik@ ski-namibia.com, P.O. Box 8140, Swakopmund, Namibia.

Unconfirmed Ski Resorts

Cape Town, South Africa (In development, possibly)

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ snowfun-cape-town-planned

Kingdom of Morocco

(mountain climbing resorts that may include skiing opportunities)

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ djebel-bou-iblane

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ hoher-atlas

www.skiresort.info/ski-resort/ rif-gebirge

www.skiresort.info/ski-resorts/ africa

saasawubona.com

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

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

SAGDB growing golf in South Africa . compleatgolfer.com

Ile aux Cherfs, Trou d’Eau Douce

Le Paradis Hotel & Golf Club, Le Morne Peninsula

www.paradis-hotel.com

Legend Golf Course, Poste de Flacq

www.bellemareplagehotel.com

Links Golf Course, Poste de Flacq

www.princemaurice.com

One&Only Le Saint Géran Golf Course, Poste de Flacq

http://lesaintgeran.oneandonlyresorts.com

Shandrani Golf Club, Blue Bay

www.shandrani-hotel.com

Troux aux Biches Golf Club, Troux aux Biches

www.trouauxbiches-hotel.com

Morocco

Anfa Royal Golf Club, Casablanca

Cabo Negro Royal Golf Club, Tetouan

Royal Golf of Dar es Salam, Rabat

www.royalgolfdaressalam.com/english/index.cfm

Club Med les Dunes, Agadir

El Jadida Royal Golf Club, El Jadida

Fes Royal Golf Club, Fes

Marrakech Royal Golf Club, Marrakech

Meknes Royal Golf Club, Meknes

Mohammedia Royal Golf Club, Mohammedia

Settat University Royal Golf Club, Settat

Tangier Royal Golf Club, Tangier

Nambia

Keetmanshoop Golf Course, Keetmanshoop

Okahandja Golf Club, Okahandja

www.okahandja.net/sport/default.html

Orandjemund Golf Club, Oranjemund

Rossmund Golf Course, Swakopmund

Tsumeb Golf Club, Tsumeb

Walvis Bay Golf Course, Walvis Bay

Windhoek Country Club Resort, Windhoek www.windhoek.co.za

Nigeria

IBB Golf Course, Abuja

IITA Golf Club, Ibadan

Ikeja Golf Club, Lagos

www.ikejagolfclub.org

Reunion

Golf du Bassin Blue, St Gilles les Hauts

Golf Club de Bourbon, Etang Sale les Bains

www.golf-bourbon.com/spip/spip.php?lang=en

Club du Colorado, La Montagne

Senegal

Golf de Saly, Mbour

www.golfsaly.com/intro/presentation_fr.htm

Golf International du Technopôle, Dakar

see Golf Africa on page 80

demandafrica.com

Le Méridien President Resort & Golf Club, Dakar www.starwoodhotels.com/ lemeridien/property/overview/index. html?propertyID=1821&EM=VTY_MD_1821_

DAKAR_OVERVIEW

Sierra Leone

Freetown Golf Club, Freetown

South Africa

Akasia Golf Clue, Pretoria www.akasiacountryclub.co.za

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

Bellville Golf Club, Cape Town www.bellvillegolf.co.za

Benoni Country Club, Johannesburg www.benonicountryclub.co.za/pro/Default.aspx

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

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

Bryanston Country Club, Bryanston www.bryanstoncc.co.za

Centurion Country Club, Centurion www.centurioncountryclub.co.za

Champagne Sports Resort, Winterton www.champagnesportsresort.com

Clovelly Country Club, Cape Town

www.clovelly.za.net

Crown Mines Golf Club, Johannesburg www.g-i.co.za/clubs/?c=274

Darling Golf Club, Darling www.darlingtourism.co.za/sportdetail. htm#golfclub

De Zalze Winelands Golf Estate, Stellenbosch www.golfdezalze.com

Devonvale Golf & Wine Estate, Stellenbosch www.devonvale.co.za

Durban Country Club, Durban www.dcclub.co.za

Durbanville Golf Club, Durbanville www.durbanvillegolfclub.co.za

East London Golf Course, East London www.elgc.co.za

Emfuleni Golf Estate, Vanderbijlpark www.emfulenigolfestate.com

Fancourt Hotel & Country Club Estate, George www.fancourt.co.za

Gary Player Country Club Golf Course, Sun City www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Resorts/ Golf/Pages/Golf.aspx

George Golf Club, George www.georgegolfclub.co.za

Germiston Golf Club, Germiston www.germistongolf.com

Glendower Golf Course, Johannesburg www.glendower.co.za

Hermanus Golf Club, Hermanus www.hgc.co.za

Houghton Golf Club, Houghton

Golf Africa page 79

Tiger Woods

www.houghton.co.za

Humewood Golf Club, Port Elizabeth

www.humewoodgolf.co.za

The Country Club Johannesburg, Rivonia www.ccj.co.za

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

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

Kleinmond Golf Club, Kleinmond www.kleinmondgolfclub.co.za

Kloof Country Club, Kloof www.kloofcountryclub.co.za

Knysna Golf Club, Knysna www.knysnagolfclub.com

Koro Creek Bushveld Golf Estate, Nylstroom www.korocreek.com

Langebaan County Estate Golf & Leisure, Langebaan www.langebaanestate.co.za

Leopard Creek Country Club, Malelane www.leopardcreek.co.za

Lost City, Sun City www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Resorts/

Golf/Pages/Golf.aspx

Malmesbury Golf Club, Malmesbury

www.malmesburygolfclub.co.za

Metropolitan Golf Course, Cape Town

www.metropolitangolfclub.co.za

Milnerton Golf Club, Cape Town

www.milnertongolfclub.co.za

Modderfontein Golf Club, Modderfontein

www.mgclub.co.za

Monks Cowl Coutry Club & Lodge, Winterton

www.monkscowl.co.za

Mossel Bay Golf Club, Mossel Bay

www.mosselbaygolfclub.co.za

Mowbray Golf Club, Cape Town

www.mowbraygolfclub.co.za

Paarl Golf Course, Paarl

www.paarlgolfclub.co.za

Pearl Valley Signature Golf Estate and Spa, Cape Winelands

www.pearlvalley.co.za

Pecanwood Golf & Country Club, Hartbeesportt

www.pecanwoodgolf.co.za

Plettenberg Bay Country Club, Plettenberg Bay

see Golf Africa on page 82

Moses Ssebugwawo media4africa.com

Golf Africa page 81

www.plettgolf.co.za

Pretoria Country Club, Pretoria www.ptacc.co.za

Randpark Golf Club, Randburg www.randpark.co.za

Reading Country Club, Alberton www.readingcc.co.za

River Club Golf & Conference Center, Cape Town http://riverclub.co.za

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

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

Royal Durban Golf Club, Durban www.royaldurban.co.za

San Lameer Country Club, Margate www.sanlameer.co.za

Scottburgh Golf Club, Scottburgh www.scottburghgolf.co.za

Selbourne Golf Estate, Pennington www.selborne.com

Silver Lakes Golf & Country Club, Pretoria www.silverlakes.co.za

Somerset West Golf Club, Somerset West www.somersetwestgolfclub.co.za

St Francis Bay Golf Club, St Francis Bay www.stfrancisgolf.co.za

St Francis Links, St Francis Bay www.stfrancislinks.com

Steenberg Golf Club, Cape Town www.steenberggolfclub.co.za/Framework/index. asp

Stellenbosch Golf Club, Stellenbosch www.steenberggolfclub.co.za/Framework/index. asp

Umdoni Golf Course, Pennington www.umdonipark.com

Umhlali Country Club, Umhlali www.umhlalicountryclub.co.za

Westlake Golf Club, Cape Town www.westlakegolfclub.co.za

Wingate Park Country Club, Pretoria www.wingateparkcountryclub.co.za

Swaziland

Royal Swazi Spa Country Club www.suninternational.com/Destinations/Resorts/

RoyalSwaziSpaValley/FacilitiesActivities/Pages/ Golf.aspx

The Gambia

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

Tunisia

Djerba Golf Club, Midoun www.djerbagolf.com

El Kantaoui Golf Course, Port El Kantaoui www.portelkantaoui.com.tn/golf

Flamingo Golf Course, Monastir www.golfflamingo.com/english/flamingo.htm

Golf Citrus, Hammamet www.golfcitrus.com

Palm Links Golf Course, Monastir www.golf-palmlinks.com/english/presentation. htm

Tabarka Golf Course, Tabarka www.tabarkagolf.com/en/index.htm

Yasmine Golf Course, Mannamet

www.golfyasmine.com/en/index.php

African Cuisine! Senegal-USA

Dakar NOLA Explores Links Between Senegal and Creole Cuisines in a Tasting Menu Format

By Beth D’addono

It’s 11:30 on a Friday morning, and Serigne Mbaye lets out a yawn.

“Yes, this is a lot of hours and a lot of work, but it’s what we live for,” says the 28-year-old chef. After years running Dakar NOLA as a pop-up, he and business partner Effie Richardson in late November opened it in a 30-seat jewel box space at 3814 Magazine St.

Senegal-meets-New-Orleans in a tasting menu restaurant

The pair had been looking for a place to land with Mbaye’s French-informed, Senegal-meetsCreole cuisine after doing pop-ups for five plus years.

“It took us many struggles to find a place,” the chef says. “When we saw this spot has a yard, that opens up experiences for expansion down the road. We may offer a more casual menu at some point. For now, we want to get this right.”

Dakar NOLA offers a tasting menu only, and Mbaye brings his prodigious talent into focus, his technique honed over years in kitchens like twoMichelin-star restaurant L’Atelier de Joel Robuchon in New York and three-starred Atelier Crenn in San Francisco. Dakar’s tasting menu is $150 per person and changes frequently, in part to reflect what’s fresh in any given season.

On a recent Saturday, the menu included a mint froth-topped version of traditional Senegalese tea. The chef presented his take on what’s known in Senegal as Last Meal, a dish featuring black-eyed peas that enslaved Africans were fed before their forced ocean crossing. A fonio salad is made with West African millet, finger limes and an apple vinaigrette.

see page 84

Effie Richardson (left) with chefs Sharena Smith, Indigo Martin and Serigne Mbaye at Dakar NOLA.

PHOTO BY CHERYL GERBER

Jollof, the Dakar-meets-New-Orleans cousin to jambalaya, is a course, as is yassa, a refined version of the spicy Senegalese dish made with habanero peppers, onions, and, in this case, red snapper. For dessert, jerejef is a free-formed tart filled with a version of Gambian rice pudding, topped with Senegalese green tea ice cream.

While the restaurant waits for its liquor license, diners can bring their own alcohol, and there is a $15 corkage fee.

The partners met when Richardson, a pediatric dentist, tasted Mbaye’s food at a pop-up at the Southern Food & Beverage Museum in 2018. “I was new to New Orleans and constantly searching for dining experiences and opportunities,” Richardson says. “The dinner was sold out, but I reached out and he made a spot for me.”

Richardson, whose family roots are in Ghana, is attuned to supporting African entrepreneurs and artists. “I love Senegalese food and was so impressed with Serigne,” she says. “I wanted to have a dinner party and share Senegalese flavors with my friends and asked Serigne to cook for us.”

Early in the pandemic, Richardson decided to shift gears and started helping the chef manage the logistics of pop-ups while searching for its permanent home. “As I’ve gotten to know him, I just felt so strongly that people really need to try his food,” she says. “The world needs to experience that West African pride and culinary culture.”

For Mbaye, his culinary evolution has been sparked by his travels and pop-ups. “Each experience inspired me to press on,” he says. “I had to push back against limitations and restrictions by space that dictated what I could cook. Each dinner seemed better than the last one, as I got to know New Orleans makers and purveyors.”

Although he could have opened his restaurant anywhere, putting roots down in New Orleans was a mindful move. “There is much in common between New Orleans and Senegal,” he says. “The people here are kind, joyful — there is a strong sense of hospitality, which we have in Senegal, too. There’s crossover with food and music. Both places know how to celebrate around the table.”

Although Mbaye was born in New York, he spent some of his childhood in Senegal. After returning from Senegal, he moved in with his mother in Har-

lem and helped her with her catering business. “It seemed like one minute I was peeling garlic and onions for her, and then fast forward she’s at my restaurant opening,” he says. “That’s been such a bridge between us. It’s surreal.”

Culinary historian and James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award-recipient Jessica Harris is a professor emerita at Queens College in New York and a scholar at Dillard University. She’s been watching Mbaye’s star rise for years and sees his opening a restaurant here as a natural progression.

“His ability to make oft unacknowledged culinary connections between New Orleans and Senegal make him a valuable and unique part of the city’s food scene,” Harris says.

“The average person can’t really picture the many types of African cuisine,” Richardson says. “There’s no frame of reference. For those that are willing to trust in the chef, they are pleasantly surprised at the familiarity of what is on the plate.”

https://www.nola.com/gambit/food_drink/ dakar-nola-explores-links-between-neworleans-and-senegal/article_ff35a618-7b1a11ed-9dc4-079fd7e30d62.html?ct=t(EMAIL_ CAMPAIGN_6_06_2019_COPY_01)&mc_ cid=dadb9966bf&mc_eid=36c676fe93

Image credit: Femi

Chef Serigne Mbaye

Jollof Rice (Senegalese ceebu jen)

https://www.sbs.com.au/food/recipes/jollof-ricesenegalese-ceebu-jen

2 hr 25 min · 10 servs

Jollof rice, or ceebu jen as it’s known in Senegal, is perhaps the best-known West African dish because it’s delicious, colourful and easy to prepare. Think of it like an African paella. It uses “parboiled” rice, which has a different texture to regu...

Ingredients

Obe ata (African sauce)

5 tomatoes, chopped

3 red capsicums, chopped

6 small red chillies

100 ml cooking oil (see Note)

1 onion, finely chopped

3 golden shallots, finely chopped

3 spring onions, finely chopped

1 celery stalk, chopped

1 handful fresh efiri (African mint) (optional)

pinch of salt

Fish and rice

1 kgfirm fish fillets, such as marlin, cut into large cubes

25 gchilli flakes mixed with 1 tsp salt flakes

2½ tbspcooking oil (see Note)

2 carrots, chopped

1 red capsicum, chopped

1 green capsicum, chopped

2 tomatoes, chopped

2 zucchini (or 2 celery stalks with leaves), chopped

pinch of salt

250 ml (1 cup) water

2 cupsparboiled long-grain rice (see Note)

Fried plaintain chips, to serve (optional)

Cook’s notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. |

All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 5560 g, unless specified.

Instructions

• To make the obe ata, puree the tomato in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a bowl.

• Puree the capsicum and chilli in a food processor or blender. Transfer to a separate bowl.

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the onion, shallot, spring onion, celery, African mint and salt and sauté, stirring well, until the onions are translucent.

• Add the tomato puree and the capsicum-chilli puree and cook for 10 minutes.

• To make the fish and rice, sprinkle the fish with the chilli flakes and salt and set aside.

• Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add the carrot, capsicum, tomato and zucchini and salt, and cook for 10 minutes or until softened a little.

• Add the fish, water, rice and obe ata sauce. Gently mix together and bring to the boil. Cover with a lid, reduce the heat and simmer for 45 minutes or until the rice and vegetables are cooked

Cook’s notes

• It’s traditional to cook with red palm oil but if you have health or environmental concerns, you can use any cooking oil.

• Parboiled (converted rice) is rice that has been soaked, steamed and dried, thus changing the texture of the rice. It is commonly used in African and Indian cooking. It’s available from African and Indian grocers.

Events Around the African Continent and the World

Black Travel Summit

October 20-22, 2023

Miami, Florida USA or Virtual - October 28-29, 2023 Learn More Here! Register Here NOW!

Before You Go…

https://en.wikivoyage.org/

Abijan, Ivory Coast (Côte d’Ivoire)

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abidjan

Abuja, Nigeria

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Abuja

Accra, Ghana

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Accra

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Addis_Ababa

Algiers, Algeria

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Algiers

Antananarivo, Madagascar

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Antananarivo

Asmara, Eritrea

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Asmara

Bamako, Mali

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cairo

Bangui, Central African Republic

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bangui

Banjul, Gambia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Banjul

Bissau, Guinea-Bissau

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Bissau

Brazzaville, Republic of the Congo

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Brazzaville

Cairo, Egypt

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cairo

Conakry, Guinea

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Cairo

Dakar, Senegal

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dakar

Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Dar_es_Salaam

Freetown, Sierra Leone

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Freetown

Gaborone, Botswana

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gaborone

Gitega, Burundi

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Gitega

Harare, Zimbabwe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Harare

Hargeisa, Somaliland

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Hargeisa

Johannesburg, South Africa

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Johannesburg

Juba, South Sudan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Juba

Kampala, Uganda

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kampala

Khartoum, Sudan

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kigali

Kigali, Rwanda

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kigali

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of the Congo

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Kinshasa

Libreville, Gabon

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lome

Lilongwe, Malawe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lilongwe

Lomé, Togo

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lome

Luanda, Angola

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Luanda

Lusaka, Zambia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Lusaka

Malabo, Equitorial Guinea

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Malabo

see page 88

Before You Go…

https://en.wikivoyage.org/

from page 87

Maputo, Mozambique

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maputo

Maseru, Lesotho

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Maseru

Mbabane, Eswatini

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mbabane

Mogadishu, Somalia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Mogadishu

Monrovia, Liberia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Monrovia

Moroni, Comoros

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Moroni_ (Comoros)

Nairobi, Kenya

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nairobi

N’Djamena, Chad

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/N%27Djamena

Niamey, Niger

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Niamey

Nouakchott, Mauritania

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Nouakchott

Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Ouagadougou

Port-Louis, Mauritius

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Port_Louis

Porto-Novo, Benin

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Porto-Novo

Praia, Cape Verde

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Praia

Rabat, Morocco

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rabat

Saint-Denis, Reunion

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Saint-Denis_ (Reunion)

São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/São_Tomé

Tifariti, Western Sahara

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Special:Search?g o=Go&search=tifariti&ns0=1

Tripoli, Libya

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tripoli

Tunis, Tunisia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Tunis

Victoria, Saychelles

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Victoria_ (Seychelles)

Windhoek, Namibia

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Windhoek

Yaoundé, Cameroon

https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Rabat

Image credit: wikimedia.de, adumusafaris.com

Dhow Safari, Indian Ocean

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