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RICKSHAW NEWSLETTER | CHRISTMAS / DEC 2013
 
 

KENYA: BEST LOCATION FOR SAFARI ADVENTURES AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE.

ARTHUR FROMMER (the guru of travel guides) had this to say recently - Kenya, in East Africa, is regarded by many travellers, including me, as Africa's best location for safari adventures at an affordable price.

Botswana's lodges may be more elegant, and South Africa combines open-air safaris with urban attractions - Cape Town is a tourist favourite - but Kenya virtually guarantees an abundance of wildlife for your excursions into the bush, and offers wonderfully low prices for the entire safari experience.

When you venture into the games parks of Kenya, and drive in an open-air van through the Maasai Mara and the Serengeti, you almost always pass hundreds of animals of every conceivable species, and view the world as it was before human beings inhabited it so many years ago.

The experience is mystical and memorable. When, by contrast, you travel through the wildlife areas of numerous other African countries, you sometimes pass days when you spot only an occasional animal. Contrast that with the many thousands of wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, lions, cheetahs, monkeys and more that roam the safari areas of Kenya.

 
 

WINDFALL OF MARINE EXPERIENCES - MAFIA ISLAND

Information from Dar es Salaam speaks of a windfall of marine experiences for tourists visiting Mafia Island, as increased sightings of the whale sharks have been reported in recent months. Marine experts are in fact at a loss to explain why against the more ‘regular’ behavior of whale sharks, which are known to migrate through the waters at a steady pace, the more recent sightings indicate that they are lingering in the waters around Mafia Island for much longer periods than normal.

 
 

JOINT VISA FOR TOURISTS GOING TO EAST AFRICA

Ministers from Uganda, Kenya and Rwanda have approved the use of national identity cards as travel documents and the issuance of a single tourist visa. They made the endorsement at the end of a two-day meeting that sought to iron out issues under the tripartite arrangement.

 
 

PRINCE CHARLES IN INDIA

During their recent visit to India, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, attended a sacred ceremony on the banks of the River Ganges in India on the first day of their nine day tour of India. The ritual took place at a temple in the holy Hindu city of Rishikesh, where the Beatles famously studied transcendental meditation in 1968.

 
 

KERALA NAMED IN TOP 10 HOLIDAY FAMILY DESTINATION

Travel guides publisher Lonely Planet has named Kerala among the world's 10 best destinations for taking the family on a holiday in 2014. As we all know, India is a hot destination right now because of the fallen rupee. Africa fared well in a lot of the categories. Victoria Falls made the list as one of the top regions to visit; Malawi and Seychelles made it in the top 10 countries to visit in 2014; Ethiopia was named one of the best value destinations and Cape Town made the list of top Cities to visit.

 
 

TRAVEL NEWS

RwandAir will from next month start operating seven flights a week between Kigali and Johannesburg after signing a codeshare agreement with South African Airways. The codeshare agreement will see South African Airways pull out of the route, giving monopoly to RwandAir over direct flights between Kigali and Johannesburg.

In October, RwandaAir was crowned the 2013 Best African Airline - Short Haul at the Africa Travel Market (ATM) and 9th Akwaaba. It also won the Best Country award during this fair.

The agreement will now enable RwandAir to compete with regional airlines like Ethiopian Airlines and Kenya Airways.

CONDOR AIRLINES flew into Mombasa in early November with 250 tourists from Vienna, Austria after taking off from Munich, Germany, the first direct flight since 2009. Condor is scheduling one flight a week for the duration of European winter season before it makes any further decisions on this route. This direct flight was a definite boost to Mombasa tourism as Turkish Airlines is the only other international airline that flies directly into Mombasa.

 
 

PROPERTY UPDATES

ECHO BEACH HOTEL, ZANZIBAR

The new Echo Beach Hotel resort offers visitors a slice of paradise on the dreamy tropical island of Zanzibar. The very name Zanzibar evokes a sense of mystique and adventure.

 
 

MOVENPICK HOTELS & RESORTS is opening the first international five-star hotel in Jumeirah Lakes Towers.

 

KENYA
Lake Nakuru & Masai Mara

VALID TILL
2 JAN 2014
FROM
5 DAYS - USD 1050 pps*

INCLUDES:
• 01 night accommodation in Nairobi
• 01 night accommodation in Lake Nakuru
• 02 nights accommodation in Masai Mara
• Daily Breakfast except on day 01
• Lunches and dinners in Lake Nakuru and MasaiMara
• Bottled mineral water per person per day while on safari
• All park and reserve entry fees
• Private transportation in safari - a safari minivan with roof hatches for good game viewing
• Services of an English Speaking driver/guide
• Game drives, sightseeing as described in the itinerary, inclusive of applicable entrance fees

 

THAILAND
Bangkok & Pattaya

VALID TILL
31 MAR 2014
FROM
5 DAYS - USD 350 pps*

INCLUDES:
• 02 nights accommodation in Pattaya
• 02 nights accommodation in Bangkok
• Daily Breakfast except on Day 01
• Elephant trekking tour in Pattaya
• Coral Island Tour with Lunch
• Temple and City tour in Bangkok
• Transfer from Bangkok Airport - Pattaya Hotel - Bangkok Hotel - Bangkok Airport
• All tours and transfers are on Seat in Coach basis

 

INDIA
Golden Triangle, Goa & Mumbai

VALID TILL
10 JAN - 30 MAR 2014
FROM
11 DAYS- USD 610 pps*

INCLUDES:
• Accommodation of 10 nights / 11 Days at the 3 Star Hotels
• (4 Star & 5 Star Hotels available)
• Visit the Taj Mahal
• City Tours of Delhi, Agra, Jaipur & Mumbai and much more

 

ZANZIBAR
Breezes Zanzibar Christmas & New Year

VALID TILL
20 DEC 13 - 6 JAN 14
FROM
6 DAYS- USD 1150 pps*

INCLUDES:
• Accommodation at Half Board Basis
• Return Airport Transfers
• New Years Eve Supplement (US $70 per adults)

 

SEYCHELLES
Island hop between Mahe and Praslin

VALID TILL
30 APR 2014
FROM
7 DAYS - USD 805 pps*

INCLUDES:
•6 Nights Accommodation with Breakfast
•Return Airport Transfers
•Inter-Island Ferry Transfer

 

DUBAI
With Desert Dune Safari with BBQ dinner

VALID TILL
26 JAN 2013
FROM
5 DAYS - USD 350 pps*

INCLUDES:
• 4 nights at a hotel in standard room
• Buffet breakfast or meal plan as specified with the room type
• Return airport transfers on SIC Basis
• Desert dune safari with bbq dinner on sharing basis
• Half day Dubai city tour (without lunch) on sharing basis
• Dhow cruise with dinner on sharing basis

 
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