RIU Hotels & Resorts has just added Zanzibar to the catalogue of exotic destinations the chain offers to its loyal customers.
The Riu Palace Zanzibar is a luxury hotel with 102 rooms and suites located on the northern tip of Unguja, the main island of the archipelago of Zanzibar.
The Hotel is located less than an hour from the airport and the capital, Zanzibar City, the centre of which is known as Stone Town.
RIU formalised the purchase of the hotel today, 18 April 2018, from the Emerald hotel chain, which up to now has operated the hotel as the Hideaway of Nungwi Resort & Spa.
The New Riu Palace Zanzibar will be the perfect complement to RIU’s offer in the Indian Ocean, where it offers two hotels in Mauritius and one in Sri Lanka.
The hotel belongs to the exclusive The Leading Hotels of the World collection thanks to its excellent location right on Nungwi Beach, one of the loveliest of the island, to the tasteful decoration on display in every room and space, and to its excellent service.
It has three restaurants, the main one with a buffet serving international cuisine, an Asian restaurant and a grill—as well as two bars.
The hotel has a full-service spa, a children’s club, conference rooms, a gym and a tennis court.
RIU will maintain the characteristics of the hotel for this year’s season and, in the coming 2018-2019 winter season, will introduce the RIU 24-hour, all-inclusive programme and adapt its offer to the exclusive line of Riu Palace Adults-Only hotels.
Zanzibar is the semi-autonomous zone of Tanzania that has become very popular with travellers as part of a trip that combines a safari in the Serengeti National Park with a stay on the marvellous beaches of the island.
Zanzibar has a fascinating history influenced by Persians, Arabs, Muslims, Portuguese and the African continent itself.
The historic centre of Zanzibar City, the birthplace of singer Freddy Mercury, is known as Stone Town and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2000.
ABOUT RIU
The international RIU chain was founded in Mallorca by the Riu family in 1953 as a small holiday firm and is still owned by the family's third generation.
The company specialises in holiday resorts and over 70% of its establishments offer its acclaimed All Inclusive by RIU service.
With the inauguration of its first city hotel in 2010, RIU is expanding its range of products with its own line of city hotels called Riu Plaza.
RIU Hotels & Resorts now has 92 hotels in 19 countries which welcome over 4 million guests a year and provide jobs for a total of 28,894 employees.
RIU is currently the world's 34th ranked chain, one of the Caribbean's most popular, the third largest in Spain in terms of revenue and the fourth largest in number of rooms.
Loliondo village is situated in Ngorongoro District of Arusha Region in Northern Tanzania.
Together with neighbouring Wasso village, it hosts the district offices and forms the commercial centre of Loliondo division.
Loliondo is the seat of the current District Commissioner for Ngorongoro.
The ethnic make-up of the entire area was traditionally Maasai with pastoralism the main land-use.
In more recent years the Chaga and Warusha ethnic groups have increased, leading to an increase in cultivation in the valley which the village occupies.
There is also a significant population of Sonjo agro-pastoralists due to the Sonjo majority in areas to the east.
Loliondo is the site of the miracle cure administered by Ambilikile Mwasapile, a retired pastor from the Lutheran Church known as Babu wa Loliondo which means Loliondo Grandfather.
The cure is said to apply to all incurable diseases such as cancer, HIV/AIDS, ulcers, hypertension, and diabetes.
The curing plant is called Carissa edulis from the Apocynaceae family.
It has been there since ancient times and is found in Arabia, tropical Africa, the Transvaal, Botswana, and Namibia in warm bushveld and scrub.
On 13 August 2017, rangers started to evict people and livestock from 1,500 square kilometres of land in Loliondo, Northern Tanzania.
Houses and bomas or homesteads were burned. The evictions were taking place during an extreme drought.
A hunting company from the United Arab Emirates, Otterlo Business Corporation, has exclusive hunting rights in an area of 400,000 hectares to the east of the Serengeti National Park.
For many years, OBC has been lobbying the Tanzanian government to turn the 1,500 square kilometre area, into a protected area. This is the area in which OBC organises its hunts.
In November 2016, OBC put out a report titled “Loliondo GCA Is Diminishing”. The report states that:
As a result of environmental destruction and human intrusion some animal species like cats, lions and buffalos disappeared and/or very difficult to find.
This has adversely impacted on the hunting activities, especially the quality of trophies and their availability.
But the land is the ancestral land of the Maasai. They have been resisting eviction from Loliondo since OBC was granted hunting rights in 1992.
In 2009, Maasai homes were burned and livestock lost during forced evictions. The then-UN Special Rapporteur on Indigenous Peoples, James Anaya, produced a report about the evictions.
Anaya’s report describes serious human rights abuses:
More than two hundred bomas were completely burnt, as were the possessions and food supplies found within the bomas and in the nearby crop fields.
The evictions impacted more than 20,000 pastoralists, many of whom have taken refuge in temporary bomas around Oljorooibort near the border between Arash and Maaloni villages.
The evicted villagers were left homeless and without food, clothing, land, water, medical and other basic social needs.
Over 50,000 head of cattle belonging to the villagers, and comprising their primary economic activity, were left without grazing land or water due to the burning of grazing land and exclusion from traditional grazing areas.
Violence was used against village inhabitants. Specifically, one woman was repeatedly raped by a police officer during the eviction process.
Four others who were pregnant suffered miscarriages, reportedly as a result of the violence which took place during the eviction.
Men were chained, beaten, and humiliated in front of their families and fellow village residents. Some individuals, including 16 youth, were detained.
In the chaos that ensued, many family members, including children, were separated from one another. At least three children remain missing.
The Government denied that any violence or rape resulted from the evictions and has accused both village residents and journalists of inventing facts related to the evictions.
Susanna Nordlund said:
While writing I was told that five some say nine bomas had already been burned in the Oloosek area and that next they would be burned in Ng’ambo.
The rangers are identified as being from the Serengeti National Park Authority, Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority, and the police from Loliondo are also involved. Some say there were some unidentified rangers as well
Most of the victims had gone to the Sunday market in Ololosokwan. The suffering by people already hit by the extreme drought isn’t possible to imagine.
Rangers have reportedly told people in Oleng’usa, near OBC’s camp, to move out.
Last week, rangers shot Pormoson Ololoso in the legs and arm, after he was found grazing his cows in the Serengeti National Park.
He and two other men were caught grazing their cattle and park rangers extracted money from them.
The next morning, as they were leaving the park, the rangers wanted more money. The herders refused to pay. The shooting took place in the Oloosek area, which is well outside the National Park.
Pormoson was hit in both thighs and his left arm. He was taken to hospital.
Nordlund says that by 14 August 2017, about 70 bomas have been extrajudicially burned to the ground. I never thought this could happen again, like this, after 2009, says.
Who can stop it? I don’t have words for the terror and those who have the words would not dare to be quoted.
Long standing conflicts in Loliondo District have forced more than eight investor firms to pack their bags and flee from the former Game Controlled Area, which is mapped within the Ngorongoro District, it has been learnt.
A statement from the Loliondo Division's Tourism Of-ficer, Mr Elibariki Bajuta, revealed that in the last five years, eight companies that used to operate in the area, packed and left.
We had 12 firms operating here but now Loliondo is left with only four and even these are taking precautions.
Mr Bajuta who was presenting his report before the Arusha Regional Commissioner (RC), Mr Mrisho Gambo, lashed at continued civil strife among local communities as well as hostility towards investors and newcomer as can be clearly seen emanating from the natives.
Many of the conflicts in Loliondo are caused by mis-understanding between livestock grazers, famers and inves-tors, especially where proper or essentially improper, land use is concerned.
Investors in Loliondo are also far from being at harmony with each other, as some conduct game hunting while others would rather not hear guns because their trade targets wildlife based tourism which relies on strict conservation.
Farmers and livestock grazers also scramble for land and the fact that there is the long-reigned strife between the Maasai of the Loita clan against the Batemi (Sonjo) community in the area.
Mr Bajuta complained that the absence of investors in the area will take major toll on development projects, community services and social wellbeing for the local residents.
Some of the currently existing firms operating in Loliondo include the Conservation Cooperation Africa through its 'And Beyond,' establishment which runs the Kleins Camp at Ololosokwan.
Others include the Ortello Business Cooperation (OBC), hunting firm from the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the Thomson Safaris and Buffalo Camping Safaris.
Between them, the four investor firms have been contributing more than 11.3 billion/- for the last three years.
Ortello Business Cooperation leads the park by pumping in 7.8 billion/- in revenues, followed by Thomson Safaris with 1.8 billion/- figure and the 'And Beyond' (Kleins) with 1.5 billion/-. Buffalo slots about 240 million/-.
The aforementioned investment firms employ about 500 local residents together.
Loliondo is one of the three divisions making up the Ngorongoro District, other being Sale and Ngorongoro.
During his recent trip to Ngorongoro, the Prime Minister, Mr Kassim Majaliwa, had directed Mr Gambo to ensure that all conflicts and mayhem in Loliondo are brought to an end.
Serengeti National Park is a large conservation area located in the north of Tanzania. The park flows over into neighboring Kenya where it's known as the Masai Mara.
The Serengeti National Park is a Tanzanian national park in the Serengeti ecosystem in the Mara and Simiyu regions.
It is famous for its annual migration of over 1.5 million white-bearded or brindled wildebeest and 250,000 zebra and for its numerous Nile crocodile and honey badger.
The park is but one of several conservation areas within the Serengeti region of East Africa, though a vitally important one.
s well as conserving wildlife, flora and iconic landscapes, Serengeti National Park has emerged as a major traveller and tourist destination, many making the journey there to engage in safari.
The name Serengeti comes from the Maasai language, meaning endless plains.
Serengeti National Park is most famous for its migration. 1.3 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebras move from the northern hills to the south every October and November during the short rains.
They then move toward the west and north from April to June when the long rains progress. The instinct to migrate is strong. Hence, no drought, gorge, or river infested with crocodiles can prove to be a deterrent.
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located mainly in northern Tanzania and extends into south-western Kenya between 1 and 3 degrees south latitudes and between 34 and 36 degrees east longitudes.
It spans approximately 30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi). The Kenyan part of the Serengeti is known as Maasai Mara.
The Serengeti hosts the largest terrestrial mammal migration in the world, which helps secure it as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, and as one of the ten natural travel wonders of the world.
The Serengeti is also renowned for its large lion population and is one of the best places to observe prides in their natural environment.
The region contains the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania and several game reserves.
Approximately 70 large mammal and 500 bird species are found there. This high diversity is a function of diverse habitats, including riverine forests, swamps, kopjes, grasslands, and woodlands.
Blue wildebeests, gazelles, zebras, and buffalos are some of the commonly found large mammals in the region.
Much of the Serengeti was known to outsiders as Maasailand. The Maasai are known as fierce warriors and live alongside most wild animals with an aversion to eating game and birds, subsisting exclusively on their cattle.
Historically, their strength and reputation kept the newly arrived Europeans from exploiting the animals and resources of most of their land.
A rinderpest epidemic and drought during the 1890s greatly reduced the numbers of both Maasai and animal populations.
The Tanzanian government later in the 20th century re-settled the Maasai around the Ngorongoro Crater.
Poaching and the absence of fires, which had been the result of human activity, set the stage for the development of dense woodlands and thickets over the next 30–50 years.
Tsetse fly populations now prevented any significant human settlement in the area.
By the mid-1970s, wildebeest and the Cape buffalo populations had recovered and were increasingly cropping the grass, reducing the amount of fuel available for fires.
The reduced intensity of fires has allowed acacia to once again become established.
In the 21st century, mass rabies vaccination programmes for domestic dogs in the Serengeti have not only indirectly prevented hundreds of human deaths, but also protected wildlife species such as the endangered African wild dog.
The Maasai people had been grazing their livestock in the open plains of eastern Mara Region, which they named endless plains, for around 200 years when the first European explorer, Austrian Oscar Baumann, visited the area in 1892.
The name Serengeti is an approximation of the word used by the Maasai to describe the area, siringet, which means the place where the land runs on forever.
Because the hunting of lions made them scarce, the British colonial administration made a partial game reserve of 800 acres (3.2 km2) in the area in 1921 and a full one in 1929.
These actions were the basis for Serengeti National Park, which was established in 1951.
The Serengeti gained more fame after the initial work of Bernhard Grzimek and his son Michael in the 1950s.
Together, they produced the book and film Serengeti Shall Not Die, widely recognized as one of the most important early pieces of nature conservation documentary.
To preserve wildlife, the British evicted the resident Maasai from the park in 1959 and moved them to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
Two World Heritage Sites and two Biosphere Reserves have been established within the 30,000 km² region.
Its unique ecosystem has inspired writers from Ernest Hemingway to Peter Mattheissen, filmmakers like Hugo von Lawick and Alan Root as well as numerous photographers and scientists.
The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the oldest on earth. The essential features of climate, vegetation and fauna have barely changed in the past million years.
Early man himself made an appearance in Olduvai Gorge about two million years ago. Some patterns of life, death, adaptation and migration are as old as the hills themselves.
It is the migration for which Serengeti is perhaps most famous.
Over a million wildebeest and about 200,000 zebras flow south from the northern hills to the southern plains for the short rains every October and November, and then swirl west and north after the long rains in April, May and June.
So strong is the ancient instinct to move that no drought, gorge or crocodile infested river can hold them back.
Over 90,000 tourists visit the Park each year.
Wildlife viewing in the Serengeti Ecosystem with its Great Migration is tremendous. Nowhere on earth is there a sight rivalling the spectacle of 1.5 million hoofed animals on the march.
Serengeti has the highest concentration of large mammals on this planet and is famous for its 2,500 lions, the highest concentration found anywhere.
Unlike in Kenya and with the exception of the Ngorongoro Crater, you rarely see other tourists or vehicles on a game drive in the Serengeti National Park.
Wild animals can be dangerous and you should not wander off on your own, especially at night, while on safari in Swahili simply means journey.
However most animals are rather frightened by humans and will flee instead of attacking unless cornered or provoked. Keep a sensible distance and treat them with respect.
Early and late daylight hours are usually the best times to observe the more than 518 species of birds which have been identified in the Serengeti.
Some of them are Eurasian migrants who are present in the European winter months from October to April.
Each year around the same time, the circular great wildebeest migration begins in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania and loops in a clockwise direction through the Serengeti National Park and north towards the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya.
This migration is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing. The initial phase lasts from approximately January to March.
When the calving season begins a time when there is plenty of rain-ripened grass available for the 260,000 zebra that precede 1.7 million wildebeest and the following hundreds of thousands of other plains game, including around 470,000 gazelles.
During February, the wildebeest spend their time on the short grass plains of the southeastern part of the ecosystem, grazing and giving birth to approximately 500,000 calves within a 2 to 3-week period.
Few calves are born ahead of time and of these, hardly any survive. The main reason is that very young calves are more noticeable to predators when mixed with older calves from the previous year.
As the rains end in May, the animals start moving northwest into the areas around the Grumeti River, where they typically remain until late June.
The crossings of the Grumeti and Mara rivers beginning in July are a popular safari attraction because crocodiles are lying in wait.
The herds arrive in Kenya in late July / August, where they stay for the remainder of the dry season, except that the Thomson's and Grant's gazelles move only east/west.
In early November, with the start of the short rains the migration starts moving south again, to the short grass plains of the southeast, usually arriving in December in plenty of time for calving in February.
About 250,000 wildebeest die during the journey from Tanzania to the Maasai Mara National Reserve in southwestern Kenya, a total of 800 kilometres (500 mi). Death is usually from thirst, hunger, exhaustion, or predation.
The Serengeti has some of East Africa's finest game areas. Besides being known for the great migration, the Serengeti is also famous for its abundant large predators.
The ecosystem is home to over 3,000 lions (Panthera leo), 1,000 leopards (Panthera pardus), and 7,700 to 8,700 spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta).[
It is interesting to note that wild dogs are relatively scarce in much of the Serengeti.
This is particularly true in places such as Serengeti National Park where wild dogs became extinct in 1992.
In which lions and spotted hyenas, predators that steal wild dog kills and are a direct cause of wild dog mortality, are abundant.
The Serengeti is also home to a diversity of grazers, including African buffalo, warthogs, Grant's gazelle, eland, waterbuck, and topi.
The Serengeti can support this remarkable variety of grazers only because each species, even those that are closely related, has a different diet.
For example, wildebeests prefer to consume shorter grasses, while zebras prefer taller ones.
Similarly, dik-diks eat the lowest leaves of a tree, impalas eat the leaves that are higher up, and giraffes eat leaves that are even higher.
The governments of Tanzania and Kenya maintain a number of protected areas, including national parks, conservation areas, and game reserves, that give legal protection to over 80 percent of the Serengeti.
The southeastern area lies in the rain shadow of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area's highlands and is composed of shortgrass treeless plains with abundant small dicots.
Soils are high in nutrients, overlying a shallow calcareous hardpan due to natrocarbonatite eruptions from Ol Doinyo Lengai.
A gradient of soil depth northwestward across the plains results in changes in the herbaceous community and taller grass.
About 70 kilometres (43 mi) west, acacia woodlands appear suddenly and stretch west to Lake Victoria and north to the Loita Plains, north of the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
The sixteen acacia species vary over this range, their distribution determined by edaphic conditions and soil depth. Near Lake Victoria, flood plains have developed from ancient lakebeds.
In the far northwest, acacia woodlands are replaced by broadleaved Terminalia-Combretum woodlands, caused by a change in geology.
This area has the highest rainfall in the system and forms a refuge for the migrating ungulates at the end of the dry season.
Altitudes in the Serengeti range from 920 to 1,850 metres (3,020 to 6,070 ft) with mean temperatures varying from 15 to 25 °C (59 to 77 °F).
Although the climate is usually warm and dry, rainfall occurs in two rainy seasons: March to May, and a shorter season in October and November.
Rainfall amounts vary from a low of 508 millimetres (20 in) in the lee of the Ngorongoro highlands to a high of 1,200 millimetres (47 in) on the shores of Lake Victoria.
The highlands, which are considerably cooler than the plains and are covered by montane forest, mark the eastern border of the basin in which the Serengeti lies.
The Serengeti plain is punctuated by granite and gneiss outcroppings known as kopjes. These outcroppings are the result of volcanic activity. Kopjes provide a microhabitat for non-plains wildlife.
One kopje likely to be seen by visitors to the Serengeti is the Simba Kopje or Lion Kopje. The Serengeti was used as inspiration for the animated Disney feature film The Lion King and subsequent theatrical production.
The area is also home to the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, which contains Ngorongoro Crater and the Olduvai Gorge, where some of the oldest hominin fossils have been found.
There is still considerable controversy surrounding this move, with claims made of coercion and deceit on the part of the colonial authorities.
The park is Tanzania's oldest national park and remains the flagship of the country's tourism industry.
It providing a major draw to the Northern Safari Circuit encompassing Lake Manyara National Park, Tarangire National Park, Arusha National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area.
It has over 2,500 lions and more than 1 million wildebeest.
The park covers 14,750 square kilometres (5,700 sq mi) of grassland plains, savanna, riverine forest, and woodlands.
The park lies in northwestern Tanzania, bordered to the north by the Kenyan border, where it is continuous with the Maasai Mara National Reserve.
To the southeast of the park is the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, to the southwest lies Maswa Game Reserve, to the west are the Ikorongo and Grumeti Game Reserves, and to the northeast and east lies the Loliondo Game Control Area. Together, these areas form the larger Serengeti ecosystem.
The park is usually described as divided into three regions-
Serengeti plains: the almost treeless grassland of the south is the most emblematic scenery of the park. This is where the wildebeest breed, as they remain in the plains from December to May.
Other hoofed animals zebra, gazelle, impala, hartebeest, topi, buffalo, waterbuck also occur in huge numbers during the wet season.
Kopjes are granite florations that are very common in the region, and they are great observation posts for predators, as well as a refuge for hyrax and pythons.
Western corridor: the black clay soil covers the savannah of this region. The Grumeti River and its gallery forests is home to Nile crocodiles, patas monkeys, hippopotamus, and martial eagles.
The migration passes through from May to July.
Northern Serengeti: the landscape is dominated by open woodlands predominantly Commiphora and hills, ranging from Seronera in the south to the Mara River on the Kenyan border.
Apart from the migratory wildebeest and zebra which occur from July to August, and in November, this is the best place to find elephant, giraffe, and dik dik.
Human habitation is forbidden in the park with the exception of staff for the Tanzania National Parks Authority, researchers and staff of the Frankfurt Zoological Society, and staff of the various lodges, campsites and hotels.
The main settlement is Seronera, which houses the majority of research staff and the park's main headquarters, including its primary airstrip.
The park is worldwide known for its abundance of wildlife and high biodiversity.
The migratory and some resident wildebeest, which number over a million individuals, constitute the largest population of big mammals that still roam the planet.
They are joined in their journey through the Serengeti Mara ecosystem by 200,000 zebra, half a million Thomson's and Grant's gazelle, and tens of thousands of topi and Coke's hartebeest.
Masai giraffe, waterbuck, impala, warthog and hippo are also aboundant. Some rarely seen species of antelope are also present in Serengeti National Park, such as common eland, klipspringer, roan antelope, bushbuck, lesser kudu, fringe-eared oryx and dik dik
Perhaps the most popular animals among tourists are the Big Five, which include:
East African lion, the Serengeti is believed to hold the largest population of lions in Africa due in part to the abundance of prey species. More than 3,000 lions live in this ecosystem.
African leopard, these reclusive predators are commonly seen in the Seronera region but are present throughout the national park with the population at around 1,000.
African bush elephant: the herds have recovered successfully from population lows in the 1980s caused by poaching, numbering over 5,000 individuals, and are particularly numerous in the northern region of the park.
Eastern black rhinoceros:, mainly found around the kopjes in the centre of the park, very few individuals remain due to rampant poaching.
Individuals from the Masai Mara Reserve cross the park border and enter Serengeti from the northern section at times.
African buffalo, the most numerous of the Big Five, with around 53,000 individuals inside the park.
Carnivores, aside from the Big Five include the cheetah which is widely seen due to the abundance of gazelle, about 4,000 spotted hyena, two species of jackals.
African golden wolf, honey badger, striped hyena, serval, seven species of mongooses, two species of otters and the recently reintroduced East African wild dog which was locally extinct since 1991.
Apart from the safari staples, primates such as yellow and olive baboons and vervet monkey, patas monkey, black-and-white colobus are also seen in the gallery forests of the Grumeti River.
Other mammals are include aardvark, aardwolf, bat-eared fox, ground pangolin, crested porcupine, three species of hyraxes, cape hare.
Serengeti National Park has also great ornithological interest, boasting about 500 bird species, including Masai ostrich, secretarybird, kori bustards, helmeted guineafowls, southern ground hornbill, crowned cranes, marabou storks, yellow-billed stork, lesser flamingo, martial eagles, lovebirds, oxpeckers, and many species of vultures.
Reptiles in Serengeti National Park are include Nile crocodile, leopard tortoise, serrated hinged terrapin, rainbow agama, Nile monitor, chameleons, African python, black mamba, black-necked spitting cobra, puff adder.
Because of its biodiversity and ecological significance, the park has been listed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization as a World Heritage Site.
As a national park, it is designated as a Category II protected area under the system developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which means that it should be managed, through either a legal instrument or another effective means, to protect the ecosystem or ecological processes as a whole.
The administrative body for all parks in Tanzania is the Tanzania National Parks Authority. Myles Turner was one of the park's first game wardens and is credited with bringing its rampant poaching under control.
His autobiography, My Serengeti Years: The Memoirs of an African Game Warden, provides a detailed history of the park's early years.
Snapshot Serengeti is a science project by the University of Minnesota Lion Project, which seeks to classify over 30 species of animals within the park using 225 camera traps to better understand how they interact with each other and lions.
In July 2010, President Jakaya Kikwete renewed his support for an upgraded road through the northern portion of the park to link Mto wa Mbu, southeast of Ngorongoro Crater, and Musoma on Lake Victoria.
While he said that the road would lead to much-needed development in poor communities, others, including conservation groups and foreign governments like Kenya, argued that the road could irreparably damage the great migration and the park's ecosystem.
The African Network for Animal Welfare sued the Tanzanian government in December 2010 at the East African Court of Justice in Arusha to prevent the road project.
The court ruled in June 2014 that the plan to build the road was unlawful because it would infringe the East African Community Treaty under which member countries must respect protocols on conservation, protection, and management of natural resources.
The court, therefore, restrained the government from going ahead with the project.
Government officials have proposed expanding the Serengeti National Park to reach Lake Victoria because increasingly intense droughts are threatening the survival of millions of animals.
- The park was the location of filming for The Grassland Landscape Of Planet Serengeti along with Masai Mara
- The Fictional Gigantogiraffa was based on the Giraffe of the Serengeti National Park
The Serengeti falls into the classic bimodal rain pattern of East Africa. The short rains are concentrated in November/December, the long and heavier rains in March - May.
Mean monthly maximum temperatures are relatively uniform throughout the year being constant around 27 to 28 degrees centigrade or 75 - 80 degrees Fahrenheit at Seronera.
At Ngorongoro Crater the nights can be very chilly due to altitude.
Any time other than during the long rains in April and May is a perfect time to be on Safari in Northern Tanzania.
Game viewing and the number of other tourists varies widely according to the seasonal concentrations of wildlife . Most Safari operators will adjust their itineraries accordingly
The nearest international airport to the Serengeti is Kilimanjaro Airport near Arusha. KLM and Qatar Airways offer flights directly into Arusha daily from Amsterdam and Doha.
Other airlines such as Swissair will fly into Nairobi, Kenya, from Zurich or Dar es Salaam, from where you can get a connecting flight to Arusha.
The main access road into the Serengeti from Arusha passes the gate of Lake Manyara National Park, mounts the Rift Valley Escarpment, goes on through communal farming lands to the Ngorongoro Crater Conservation Area, drops down onto the plains past Olduvai Gorge to the east, and enters the Serengeti through Naabi Hill Gate.
The distance is 325 km and the drive takes around eight hours. At Seronera and Lobo, garage facilities are available to refuel cars. Breakdown facilities, however, are virtually non-existent.
Internal flights by small aircrafts from Arusha to the Seronera Airstrip in the heart of Serengeti or to Kirawira Airstrip in the Western Corridor cost 135 US$ per person one way.
The cost of charter flights varies widely. Limit your baggage to 10 - 15 kg (25 - 30 pounds) per person.
It is advisable to carry your luggage in soft bags rather than hard sided suitcases. Auric Air operates daily flights between Arusha and Serengeti, Serengeti and Zanzibar.
Park fees can be very expensive in Tanzania. If you book your trip through a travel agent they are generally included in the overall trip cost.
In Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Conservation area the park fee is US$ 50 per person per day, for camping US$30 per tent per day and US$ 30 per vehicle per day.
There is a number of definite don'ts in the Serengeti.
These include approaching too close and disturbing animals, making an unacceptable noise, picking flowers or destroying vegetation, discarding litter, exceeding 50km/h speed limit, bringing pets or firearms into the Park, and going off the roads within 16km of Seronera.
From December to May, depending on the rains, the large herds are concentrated on the low lying grass steppe between Olduvai, Gol, Naabi and Lagarja.
A base on Lake Masak or Lake Lagarja is then ideal because one can travel from there in all directions.
Day excursions take one into areas that are little known so that you can enjoy in peace an animal paradise: for example Hidden Valley, the Soito Ngum Kopjes or the Kakesio Plains.
You will enjoy the freedom of travelling cross country in order to be able to find the best places and thus have the chance to see rarer animals such as honey-badgers, wild cats, porcupines. In the right season, Southern Serengeti is not to be surpassed.
Here the savanna animals are joined by species that have adapted to living in the rocky cliffs.
From here, or whilst in transit, you visit Seronera in the centre of the park searching for rare leopards and cheetahs. You can also enjoy the ever changing landscape with gallery forests, kopjes and water holes.
The North Serengeti is very different from the grassy plains in the South. As there is always water present the big herds retreat there in the dry season.
In addition there are many species that live here permanently and you will also fairly regularly see elephants. A world for itself are the Bologonja Springs on the border to Kenya. The Corridor, West Serengeti
This is a special area which is seldom offered on safari tours. Long distances, poor communications,few vehicles are equipped with a radio and the frequently difficult road conditions still keep away most visitors from this part of the Serengeti which stretches almost as far as Lake Victoria.
An important aspect of the Serengeti is therefore lost to them. This area is very different from the other main zones of the park.
In the dry season large stretches of the route westward can be practically empty of animals. The last quarter of the route is however ideally suited to be the home for thousands of animals the whole year round.
Gnus and zebras who are resident here do not join their migratory relatives who pass through every year on their way northwards.
Big herds of giraffes, buffalo, eland, topis, kongonis, impalas, waterbuck and Thompson's gazelles live here together with them.
All the big cats and hyenas are present in a good number as well. The end of May through August is the time to view the annual migration of zebra and wildebeest in Western Serengeti.
This is also the rut season for wildebeest and the plains are noisy with male wildebeest defending their temporary territories.
A special attraction, that has become quite famous, is the crocodile population of the Grumeti River.
This is particularly large at Kirawira, where the river does not dry up. The time spent at this life-giving water source can be among the most interesting.
Here there are not only crocodiles and hippos to observe but also a large number of varieties of birds.
Those tourists with a lot of time or luck will be able to discover the Black and White Colobus monkey in the crowns of the trees.
On the wooded savannahs of the Ndabaka plains there is always something to see. You will always feel at peace at the calm pools and mysterious korongos.
During your excursions in this least visited part of Serengeti, you can stay at the most luxurious and exclusive camp near Kirawira, the Kirawira Serena Camp, at Conservation Corporation's Grumeti River Camp.
Also very exclusive or at the cheaper, but good and charming new Speke Bay Lodge right on the shore of Lake Victoria 4 km outside the park, an hour's drive from Kirawira.
Mbalageti Serengeti is also in the Western corridor and offers an unparalleled view over the vast plains due to its stellar location.
Meru Wellness Retreat, Arusha. A responsible, eco and fair pay company for safaris ranging from budget camping to luxury lodging.
Take photographs. A good zoom and a large memory card make the results so good you'll be looking at the photos months and months later.
Save them on high quality image and you can do amazing things with your photo program when you get home.
Take a balloon safari which will give you best views.
Shopping in the Serengeti naturally is extremely limited due to the absence of human settlements.
In Arusha, however, and other major towns you will find curio markets where you can buy all sorts of carvings, masks, Maasai spears, textiles, drums, tinga-tinga paintings, batik work, silk shawls, locally made jewelry, coffee, etc.
The Arusha Heritage Centre offers a large variety of souvenirs and crafts. Also, The Sayari Camp had arrangements with locals to supply a little gift shop and the money goes right back into local programs.
Tipping at restaurants is at your discretion is 10%. We recommend tipping US$5 for each traveller per day at lodge based safaris; US$ 20 per person per day for your driver guide.
Most of them are not paid well with their employer so they depend on your tip for their survival and US$10 each per day for the camp staff when camping on mobile safaris.you
Most visitors are surprised by the quality and the variety of the food available on safari.
No matter whether you are staying in a lodge, a tented camp or a mobile safari camp, you will be served freshly prepared food according to international tastes and standards.
Bottled water can be purchased at all the lodges and camps and is provided by all Safari Operators. Non alcoholic drinks are often included in the all inclusive rates. It is wise to stick with bottled drinks.
Drink Coffee, bungo juice, Tusker lager, Amarula.
If you go on an organised Safari with a tour operator you will mostly sleep in mobile camps. Here facilities are more limited.
The tents usually have simple beds with lining and duvets, camping toilets and showers depending on the Safari Operator.
Many lodges and tented camps operate their own generators or solar lighting systems providing intermittent electricity.
The term and the concept of the Safari Lodge are of Tanzanian origin. Here you will find buildings of exciting design, specially build to fit in with the wild landscape of the parks, yet with all the amenities of a luxury hotel, such as swimming pools and fine food.
As you eat, drink, laze by the pool or sit on your private veranda, you will be able to observe game, often at only a few yards distance.
Seronera Wildlife Lodge, Serengeti. One of the oldest lodges, located on a cliff with panoramic view over Serengeti plains.
The are a few Luxury Tented Camps in the Serengeti offering an absolutely unique Safari experience.
The tents usually offer fully equipped en-suite bathrooms, private verandas and elegant furniture. At night you can listen to the wild sounds of the Serengeti cuddled up in a warm and comfortable bed!
Mapito Tented Camp, Serengeti. Mapito Tented Camp provides its guests with the most authentic Africa experience due to its colonial, old days hunter’s camp ambience.
Sitting snugly in a clearing surrounded by Acacia trees its 13 spacious walk-in tents create an intimate atmosphere for only 30 guests while indulging them with the amenities of a big lodge, as all tents are equipped with running water, flush toilets, hot and cold water showers, electric lights and mosquito nettings.
Mwanga Moto Mobile Luxury Camp, Serengeti. Mwanga Moto Mobile Luxury Camp is repositioned several times each season to track the Great Migration.
The luxury East African-styled tents in the camp provide king-sized beds, fine linens, and en-suite bathrooms with flush toilets and hot showers. Screened doors and windows look out onto breathtaking natural landscapes.
Serengeti Migration Camp. Hidden among the rocky outcrops or kopjes of the vast, internationally renowned Serengeti plains is a camp that exudes a decadence reminiscent of old Africa.
The Serengeti, is synonymous with low impact high action game viewing in a landscape untouched since the dawn of time.
Richly furnished throughout, the camp provides a haven of sumptuous indulgence among the raw splendor of the surrounding bush.
It’s spacious tents have been carefully placed to provide privacy and blend into nature’s architecture, overlooking the Grumeti River and its resident hippos.
Surrounded by a 360 degree verandah deck and with a capacious, 45 square metre, internal floor space, each guest pavillion is a private sanctuary.
The split level lounge, cigar bar, restaurant, sundecks and swimming pool are perched among the outcrops and overlook the vast and rugged landscapes that are home to the world’s greatest mammal migration.
Kensington Camps. Kensington Tented Camps bring together the breathtaking beauty, teeming wildlife and cultural splendor of Africa in an intimate and elegant setting.
Echoing with the sounds of the herds, rustling grasslands and crackling campfires, these exclusive camps offer the privacy of only 8 tents.
Each camp is strategically located to host guests as they discover and follow the wildlife migration and clients can transfer conveniently between camps as part of a day’s game drive.
Mbalageti Serengeti. Tented Camps Located off the beaten track in the Western Corridor. The Lodge enjoys breath taking panoroma view of the Serengeti Plains.
Mbalageti offers 24 Safari Style Tented Chalets, 5 Family Excutive Rooms and 14 Standard Rooms with a budget option.
The Swimming Pool Deck, Bar, and Restaurant Located on the tip of the Hill, perfect venue for relaxing after a day of game viewing.
A much cheaper alternative is to stay on one of the Serengeti's nine campsites. If you wish to stay at them you must obtain permission from TANAPA or the nearest park warden.
Health care is limited in the region, but if you have a problem seek help with your lodge. For more serious emergencies, you may end up in Nairobi, or being evacuated to your home country.
Marriot International has acquired Arusha Hotel, the oldest tourist establishment in northern Tanzania.
The hotel chain said the 106-room Arusha Hotel will be operated under the Four Points name by Sheraton management.
A growing middle class and demand for travel and high quality lodging has given us a significant opportunity to enhance our footprint and play our part in supporting emerging markets across the continent, Marriot International Hotels president Alex Kyriakidis said.
The acquisition is part of Marriot’s goal to own 200 hotels comprising more than 37,000 rooms by 2022. The group seeks to generate a $8.5 billion capital investment and create 50,000 direct and indirect jobs through this development process, Mr Kyriakidis’s statement added.
Marriot’s expansion is a boost to the Tanzania government’s drive to attract more investors and other service providers.
Tanzania reportedly attracts 1.2 million tourists every year. About 80 per cent of them, nearly 900,000 end up in the Northern Circuit, the Ngorongoro Crater, Serengeti National Park and Mount Kilimanjaro.
Already, the government is drafting a new tourism policy targeting the development of new tourist attractions, hotels and other investments in the sector.
The Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has held several meetings with tourist stakeholders from the Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, seeking to draft a new policy to replace the Tourism Policy of 1999.
The Deputy Permanent Secretary in the ministry, Dr Aloyce Nzuki, said the new policy will consider diverse attractions and services including conference tourism, historical and cultural heritage sites, eco-tourism and beach.
The Tanzania Association of Tour Operators chairman Wilbard Chambullo said that the policy would bring together private sector players to work with the government in developing tourism.
A tourism and hotel consultant in Arusha, Leopold Kabendera, said global marketers and hotel chains patronise Tanzania, mostly from the US, South Africa and Europe.
We are looking for a better policy that would create public and private partnerships in tourism. This would attract more investors to inject capital through hotels and other business services,” he said.
Marriott International a global Hotel chain has announced that it will open a hotel in Zanzibar to tap into the isle’s tourism business.
The planned $330 million hotel will be part of the Amber Resort complex, and the largest accommodation facility occupying 1,750 hectares of Indian Ocean coastline in the northeast of the island.
It is expected to be operational in four years.
Marriot Middle East and Africa president Alex Kyriakidis said the hotel design will combine modern architecture and a touch of Zanzibar culture to bring a unique feeling of Tanzanian hospitality.
This development will be a catalyst for premium tourism to Zanzibar and Tanzania in general, and will also feature East Africa’s first signature golf course, he said.
The Zanzibar Amber Resort, a mixed-use project, will offer a retail souk, a tropical aqua park, a marina, an equestrian centre and international polo club, Mr Kyriakidis added.
Anantara Hotels and Resorts, another leading hotel chain, has also announced the development of Anantara Zanzibar Resort, expected to open in three years, featuring 100 guestrooms.
Minor Hotels chain CEO Dillip Rajakarier said the new accommodation and tourist service facility will be their first property in the region.
The development of Anantara Zanzibar Resort marks a key strategic move that provides synergy and diversifies Minor Hotels’ well-established presence in East Africa, complementing the Elewana collection of luxury safari camps, lodges and beach resorts in Tanzania and Kenya, Mr Rajakarier said.
Verde Hotels from South Africa is a new entrant in Zanzibar, developing and managing the Mtoni Marine Hotel.
The company has entered into a joint venture with Bakhresa Group, a local Tanzanian company.
The Cape Town-based hotel group will run the 142 room facility.
Bakhresa Group chairman Said Bakhresa said they will run Mtoni Hotel under the name Hotel Verde Zanzibar.
Verde Hotels director Samantha Annandale said they chose Zanzibar for its strong position in regional tourism.
Meanwhile, reluctance by local hotel developers to work with international brands has left the Africa with a huge deficit of branded hotel rooms, limiting the continents ability to tap into the global hospitality trade.
Experts say that indigenous developers often find the additional cost of bringing their properties to the standards demanded by international chains a major barrier.
The growth of local markets that are not keen on international brands is another incentive to stay local, they add.
According to results of research unveiled by the W Hospitality Group at the African Hotel Investment Forum in Kigali this past week, despite having some of the highest investment rates on the continent, East and West Africa are the regions most affected by a deficit in branded hotel rooms.
The research shows that nine countries in Africa do not have a single branded hotel, eight have only one, while almost half the continent (25 countries) have two or fewer brands present.
Only ten countries have 10 or more brands present, while just 28 countries (53 per cent) have branded hotels located outside the national capital or in the main commercial city.
Experts have attributed this status quo to the fact that local hotel developers have been slow at working with international hotel brands hence settling for their local hotel brands which are largely operating without branded rooms.
A large number of local property developers in many African countries are reluctant to work with international brands, hence operating hotels with unbranded hotel rooms.
It’s easier to get these brands if the hotel is an international brand said Karl de Lacy, the International Development Director for Best Western hotels and resorts.
Cost has been a big factor, the additional investments required to upgrade a property to fit a global brand has also been an issue with local developers, he said.
When asked to explain form an industry perspective how branded hotel rooms can be low at the time the continent is registering a commendable value in hotel investments, he said the biggest opportunity in Africa is now in mid-scale hotels because of the mass market the segment has.
Experts have observed that in Africa local developers don’t care much about branded rooms provided they have local customers coming to the hotels, that many of these clients are also not keen to look room brands
The biggest opportunity is in mid-scale, the international brands cater for a certain level of customers, but the more local hotel owners understand the opportunities they have if they work with international brands the better, said De Lacy.
On investments he said the growth in property has been commendable but many have not transitioned into operating as international brands which explains why many operate with un-branded hotel rooms.
We want hoteliers to be successful, a happy hotelier is one that is engaged with a brand, he noted.
Hotel industry analysts have said that this shortfall in supply shows that there are still huge opportunities to develop hotels in many countries in sub-Saharan Africa.
Africa currently has 301 hotel projects in the pipeline, accounting for 57,011 rooms, or 11.0percent of the continents existing room supply.
Demand has been growing in many markets and that with careful planning, and good advice there can be an opportunity to generate substantial returns on investment in the hotel industry.
The majority of upcoming new supply this year are in sub-Saharan Africa, with 59 per cent of rooms in the development pipeline, North Africa is the largest single region with 41 per cent followed by West Africa 33 per cent and East Africa 11 per cent.
Nigeria has up to 6,100 branded bedrooms across 41 hotels, with 21 brands and 14 hotel companies represented in 9 cities and 61 more hotel projects and more branded bedrooms 10,313 in the pipeline, however a country with a population of almost 192 million, a lot needs to be done.
Despite having a number of big properties, Uganda has less than five hotels managed by international brands.
Disagreement between developers and international brands has seen two international brands – Carlson Rezidor and the Hilton, eschew the management of Uganda’s grandest property, the 296 room Pearl of Africa than opened doors this month under the One & Only brand.
Simba Corporation, a family-owned Kenyan firm with interests in automotive and hospitality sectors, has expanded its hotel portfolio after signing an agreement to buy a 35 per cent stake in Hemingways Holdings Ltd.
Simba Corp said Monday the deal, whose value remains undisclosed, would enable it strengthen its position in the hotel industry, while Hemingways said the proceeds of the share sale would be used to finance its growth and expansion programmes.
The auto dealer, Simba, made its first foray into hospitality sector in 2010 aiming to provide luxury hotels for travellers. It currently owns Acacia Premier hotel in Kisumu and holds significant stakes in Olare Mara Kempinski (Masai Mara) and Villa Rosa Kempinski (Nairobi).
Through our partnership with Hemingways we intend to continue to build on this strategy. This investment is therefore aligned to Simba’s goal of creating a substantial hospitality business platform with the intention to expand national and within the region said Adil Popat, Simba Corp’s chief executive.
The acquisition comes barely a month after Mr Popat announced a freeze of plans to set up a chain of mid-priced hotels across Kenya, citing a glut in the market.
It also comes at a time when a wave of mergers and acquisitions are sweeping across the Kenyan investment landscape.
Last week, regional oil marketer Hass Petroleum sold a 40 per cent stake to Gulf’s Oman Trading International in search for capital to strengthen its operations.
The Kenyan-based Hass is facing stiff competition in its oil business, controlling a paltry 1.9 per cent the market share in the fuel sales.
Global oil marketer Shell is also gearing up to sell its 20 per cent stake in Vivo Energy for $250 million to Vitol subject to regulatory approvals.
After the transaction, Vitol would control a 60 per cent majority stake in Vivo, while private equity fund Helios Investment Partners retains 40 per cent.
Vitol and Helios jointly operate 1,600 stations across 16 African countries through Vivo Energy.
Tanzania is home to Serengeti, Ngorongoro and Kilimanjaro Africa’s highest mountain, and is one of Africa’s most popular safari destinations.
The country also has dozens of beautiful white sandy beaches such as those found in the island of Zanzibar.
Visit some of the most unforgettable tourist attractions in Tanzania.
Serengeti National Park
Serengeti National Park is among the best-known big game safari destinations in Africa and one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tanzania. It is famous for its annual wildlife migration of wildebeest and zebra. One of the best times to visit the park is in May when the grass becomes dry and exhausted and the wildebeest and zebra start to mass in huge armies offering a spectacular wildlife show.
Ngorongoro Conservation Area
Ngorongoro is formed form a volcano erupting two to three million years ago which has collapsed and formed a crater. The steep sides of the crater have become a natural enclosure for a wide variety of wild animals. It is also presently one of the most likely areas in Africa to see the endangered Black Rhino. Local Maasai people are permitted to bring cattle to graze in the crater but are required to leave at the end of each day.
Mount Kilimanjaro
Mount Kilimanjaro is an inactive volcano in north-eastern Tanzania, near the border with Kenya. At 5,892 meters (19,331 feet) above sea level, Kilimanjaro is Africa’s highest peak and the world’s highest free-standing mountain. Although positioned close to the equator, Mount Kilimanjaro is famous for its snow-capped peak looming over the plains of the savannah. The mountain has become a major tourist attraction for mountaineers and trekkers from around the world.
Zanzibar
The island of Unguja, part of Zanzibar, makes up the final Spice Island. Once part of the British Empire, today Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous region of Tanzania. The African island has been for centuries an important trading center, a melting pot of African, Indian and Arab influences. Zanzibar’s major tourist attraction is Stone Town, with its whitewashed coral rag houses. Another big draw are its beautiful white sandy beaches.
Lake Manyara
In the wet season Lake Manyara is home to almost 300 different species of migratory birds, including thousands of flamingos. In the dry season, alkaline mud-flats take the place of the waters. This is the best time to see large mammals such as hippos, elephants, wildebeest and giraffe. A number of safari lodges provide tourists with lodging and day and night safaris to see the wildlife.
Mafia Island
Also part of the Spice Islands, but smaller than Pemba, Mafia Island has a population of around 40,000 people. Don’t expect organized crime: the name derives either from the Swahili “mahali pa afya,” meaning “a healthy dwelling-place,” or from the Arabic “morfiyeh,” meaning “archipelago”. The island attracts scuba divers, game fishermen, and people wanting to relax on one of the island white sandy beaches.
Tarangire National Park
Smaller than Ruaha, this national park is a paradise for bird watchers as more than 550 different species frequent the park. Tarangire is also known for its huge number of elephants, baobab trees and tree climbing lions. Huge termite mounds can be found all around the park.
Pemba Island
Known as the Green Island in Arabic, Pemba Island lies in the Indian Ocean and is part of the “Spice Islands”. As neighboring Zanzibar is becoming more and more popular with tourists, more adventurous travellers are seeking out the less-crowded Pemba. The island is especially popular with divers who come here for the untouched coral and very abundant marine life.
Selous Game Reserve
Savanna animals can be found in this reserve in greater numbers than in any other African game reserve, thanks to stringent regulation by the Wildlife Division of the Tanzanian Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism. Most visitors arrive by aircraft, and walking tours or river trips are permitted, though no human habitation or permanent structures are allowed.
Ruaha National Park
Located in the middle of Tanzania, the Ruaha National Park is the largest national park in the country. The park is named after the Hehe word “ruvaha,” meaning “river.” Filled with wild dogs, lions, leopards, elephants, cheetah, giraffes, zebras, impala, bat eared foxes and jackals, the park offers visitors an opportunity to get up close and personal with nature. Due to the parks somewhat rnemote location visitors can enjoy viewing the wildlife without competing with hordes of other tourists.
Cases of tourists falling sick during their trips to Tanzania are rare though it happens and realising that, a large modern hospital to offer international standards of treatments is under construction in an area close to Serengeti National Park.
The hospital has been built in north-western Tanzania's district of Serengeti, and will be serving people in the district and also foreign visitors at the adjacent national park. The new facility is expected to be completed next year.
The Tanzania National Parks (TANAPA) is one of the big players in the construction of the medical facility, Charles Mlingwa, Mara Regional Commissioner said here on Sunday.
TANAPA has contributed $22,319 (about Sh2.3 million) as part of its contribution towards the ambitious medical project.
The construction works for the first phase are underway, explained Mlingwa, pointing out that the medical facility is planned to be like any other hospital found in developed countries.
The first phase involves the setting up of the out-patient department wing and this has so far cost nearly $1 million about Sh103.2 million out of the planned $1.5 million about Sh155 million to complete the OPD buildings by December 2017, so that the hospital could open next January.
The Hospital will also provide medical services to 78 villages mapped within the Serengeti District in Mara Region.
Other than local residents, the modern medical facility also targets to cater for the nearly 400,000 tourists who visit the Serengeti National Park annually.
While we are working to promote our tourist destinations across the country, it is now important to ensure that once the foreign visitors arrive here, they also get assured of reliable medical services when touring remote national parks, said Allan Kijazi, the TANAPA Director General.
Most foreign tourists who visit national parks come with their respective medical insurance covers and rely on flying doctors to airlift them to either Nairobi or Arusha cities upon falling ill during their game drives, however with the modern hospital in place, they can now be attended to right there in Serengeti.
For the first time in history, the tour and hotel operators have officially committed themselves to become responsible tourism players by supporting conservation initiatives in the country’s national parks.
They started walking their rhetoric by contributing a patrol vehicle worth $90,000 (about TSh200 million) to a conservation initiative dubbed Serengeti De-Snaring, the brainchild of Mr. Willbard Chambulo, the owner of Tanganyika Wilderness Camps (TWC).
“This program will spread all over the 16 national parks, but we’ve started here in Serengeti where snaring has become yet another major threat to our wildlife,” explained Mr. Chambulo, who doubles as the Chairman of the Tanzania Association of Tour Operators (TATO).
Snaring is a small-scale poaching method targeting wildlife species for bush meat, including the abundant wildebeest.
Deadly traps in use, however, catch many other wild animals, mostly elephants and predators waylaying the wildebeest.
The Frankfurt Zoological Society (FZS) is, along with other stakeholders, carrying out the De-Snaring program in Serengeti – the Tanzania’s flagship national park – to suppress the new fatal poaching method.
With the stakeholders’ initial contributions, the program has already set up 2 anti-snaring teams currently operating in the national park.
“The physical ground operations have been very successful, as over 350 snares have been discovered and dismantled in 3 weeks of ‘training’ operations, and 5 poachers’ camps have been reported to Tanzania National Parks’ (TANAPA) anti-poaching unit,” Mr. Erik Winberg from FZS said.
The magnitude of the challenge demonstrates the need for acting fast, given the high rate of snaring and losses incurred during the annual migration season, which is under way.
Mr. Winberg said that May, June, and July were critical months, as poachers actively set snares along well-established migration pathways leading to the north, particularly at the Kogatende and other hot spots in the northwestern part of the Serengeti.
“The de-snaring initiative can mitigate huge losses of migrants and also give TANAPA rangers space to apprehend poachers,” he stressed.
The hatched plan is to have 8 teams deployed within the Serengeti ecosystem alone.
At the helm of the teams with members from villages surrounding the Serengeti ecosystem, mostly ex-small-scale poachers themselves, is a retired ranger with the TANAPA, explained the FZS Program Manager for the Africa Region, Mr. Gerald Bigurube.
The teams zoom around the ecosystem in collaboration with the Serengeti National Park’s rangers to collect the snares before they cause harm to wildlife animals.
The gains the de-snaring initiative has so far registered call for the backing of various stakeholders for it to cover other areas of the Serengeti ecosystem as well, noted the Program Coordinator, Ms. Vesna Glamocanin.
Much as the tour operators’ activities heavily rely on the welfare of the Serengeti ecosystem, concerted efforts towards conservation of the ecology is the surest way of sustaining both the Tanzania’s wildlife heritage and the tourism industry, said the Chief Executive Officer with TATO, Mr. Sirili Akko.
It is in this backdrop that the TANAPA, FZS, and members of the private sector operating in the ecosystem have penned a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with a view of flagging off the ambitious de-snaring campaign.
Voluntary donations and those accrued from hoteliers’ bed night fees as well as camp operators’ charges will also contribute to the funding of the unique and useful conservation cause with a sustainable future for the tourism value chain.
The plan is also expected to reduce rampant poaching in the western Serengeti where the TANAPA Director General, Mr. Allan Kijazi, said between 200 and 300 wildebeests were slaughtered annually.
“This is the minimum figure, but the number can be even higher. We’re worried that if this trend goes unabated, the wildlife survival will be at great risk,” Mr. Kijazi noted.
A UN Conservation Program (UNEP) and World Conservation Monitoring Centre (WCMC) joint report indicates that at least 200,000 various animal species are killed annually in the western Serengeti.
The document says the rise in demand for meat has also been partly driven by the growing local population.
Official statistics show that the Serengeti’s sprawling western boundary is densely populated with the number of farmers and herders settling on the buffer zone estimated at 3,329,199 in 2011.
Agriculture has encroached on the park’s boundaries, and consequently what once was subsistence poaching has now turned into a large-scale commercialized vice.
Dubai-based flydubai will start flights to Kilimanjaro from 29 October with six flights a week, three of which are via a stop in the capital, Dar es Salaam.
The relaunched service to the carrier’s third point in Tanzania, along with Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, will see flydubai’s network in Africa expand to 12 destinations.
Flydubai began operations to Tanzania in 2014. The carrier will also increase direct flights to Zanzibar from three to eight flights a week.
Commenting on the launch of flights, flydubai chief executive officer Ghaith Al Ghaith said in a statement: "With the addition of the service to Kilimanjaro and more direct flights to Zanzibar, flydubai will operate 14 flights a week, marking a 133% increase in capacity to the market compared to the previous year."
Kilimanjaro International Airport is located between the regions of Kilimanjaro and Arusha in Northern Tanzania.
The airport is the major gateway to the Kilimanjaro region, a main international tourism destination that includes Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, and Serengeti National Park.
Flydubai has seen a 3.5% increase in passengers numbers travelling between the UAE and Africa in 2016 compared to 2015, according to a company statement.
The airline has built up a wide network in Africa with flights to Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Asmara, Djibouti, Entebbe, Hargeisa, Juba, Khartoum, and Port Sudan, as well as Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar.
The 12 points will be served with more than 80 weekly flights for the summer period.
The 'devil' and other alien plants have invaded the Maasai Mara, threatening one of the world's greatest natural wonders, according to a new study.
Consequently, conservationists and the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) have demanded that the aliens species be taken out of the park. Most of the plants were introduced innocently for ornamental purposes by hotels.
It is critical that all invasive or potentially invasive plants be removed from tourism facilities in the Mara - asap,said conservationist Arne Witt of Centre for Agriculture and Biosciences International (CABI).
Mr Witt led a research team from KWS and Stellenbosch University in South Africa, who now want all invasive alien plants in the Mara removed.
In case of resistance from the tourist lodges as happened in South Africa, the conservationists want authorities to invoke the letter of the law.
In the study, the team identified 245 invasive plant species but zeroed in on six, which they said were an immediate danger to the existence of large mammals in the Mara-Serengeti ecosystem.
If nothing is done, Witt said, this would have a severe impact on the migration of large animals, especially wildebeest, zebras and gazelles. This will, in turn, have a substantial negative impact on tourism, which is a major economic activity in the region.
The annual Maasai Mara migration involving more than two million animals is regarded as one of the greatest natural wonders of the world.
Offending plants According to Witt, the offending plants, which include the devil weed (Chromolaena odorata), are invasive or kill and replace other vegetation, toxic or unpalatable, meaning there's less forage available for wildlife to feed on.
In their study published in the conservation journal Koedoe in May, the researchers had investigated the extent of invasive plant species at the Masai Mara National Reserve and the adjacent Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
The study done between 2011 and 2016 concluded that six species out of the 245 present immediate and grave danger to wildlife existence and migration.
The six, the researchers said, are known to be aggressive invaders with the potential to reduce the capacity of the land to support grazing mammals.
Some are also known to be poisonous, or have the ability to affect the health of livestock or wildlife. The researchers also investigated the type of ornamental plants those planted for decorative purposes at 24 tourist facilities.
They reported more than 200 alien species that have been introduced for ornamental purposes. Of these, 23 species were found to have spread over the limits of the tourist facilities into the wild, with possible serious consequences on native vegetation.
To confront the problem, the team wants all alien plants around tourist facilities, invasive or not, removed immediately. If allowed to establish widely, control costs can run into millions of dollars, Witt said.
The devil weed, a name also shared with the Datura species and appearing at the top of the list of six, is from Central and Southern America.
Nile crocodiles An invasive plants database hosted by CABI indicates that the devil has reduced the chances of survival of Nile crocodiles in South Africa and lowland gorillas in Cameroon.
It is described as having the capacity to smother whole plantations of coffee and cocoa and becoming the dominant plant in grazing lands.
Due to the high nitrate content in its leaves, the devil is poisonous to cattle. Also called the Siam weed, it may not be a household name in Kenya, but this is not so with Prosopis juliflora, also among the six listed.
Prosopis juliflora, called 'Mathenge' in Kenya, is known for its dominance tendency and poisoning of livestock mainly in Baringo County and other parts of the Rift Valley and Coast regions.
flydubai has seen a 3.5% increase in passengers numbers travelling between the UAE and Africa in 2016 compared to 2015, a positive record for this emerging market.
Kilimanjaro becomes 3rd point in Tanzania and the 12th point on the flydubai African network
The new service increases the total number of flights to Tanzania to 14 flights a week
Direct flights to Zanzibar to more than double from 29 October 2017
Dubai-based flydubai announced the start of flights to Kilimanjaro from 29 October. The relaunched service to the carrier’s third point in Tanzania, along with Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar, will see flydubai’s network in Africa expand to 12 destinations.
flydubai began operations to Tanzania in 2014 and has seen a steady growth in passenger numbers. Kilimanjaro will be served with six flights a week three of which are via a stop in the capital, Dar es Salaam. In addition, the carrier will increase direct flights to Zanzibar from three to eight flights a week.
Commenting on the launch of flights, Ghaith Al Ghaith, Chief Executive Officer of flydubai, said: “With the addition of the service to Kilimanjaro and more direct flights to Zanzibar, flydubai will operate 14 flights a week, marking a 133% increase in capacity to the market compared to the previous year.
This is a healthy indication of the rising popularity of Tanzania as a preferred tourist destination and we are happy to be connecting the market to Dubai.”
Kilimanjaro International Airport is located between the regions of Kilimanjaro and Arusha in Northern Tanzania. The airport is the major gateway to the Kilimanjaro region, a main international tourism destination that includes Mount Kilimanjaro, Arusha National Park, Ngorongoro Crater and Serengeti National Park.
Only a few international carriers operate to Kilimanjaro and flydubai will be the first airline to provide direct air links from the UAE.
“We are committed to opening up underserved markets and flydubai’s service to Kilimanjaro will introduce more options for travel with a Business and Economy Class service, together with added cargo capacity available through our Cargo Division. We expect to see healthy flows of trade and tourism on this route from the GCC and Eastern Europe via our hub in Dubai,” said Sudhir Sreedharan, Senior Vice President Commercial (GCC, Subcontinent and Africa).
flydubai has seen a 3.5% increase in passengers numbers travelling between the UAE and Africa in 2016 compared to 2015, a positive record for this emerging market.
flydubai has built up a comprehensive network in Africa with flights to Addis Ababa, Alexandria, Asmara, Djibouti, Entebbe, Hargeisa, Juba, Khartoum and Port Sudan, as well as Dar es Salaam, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. The 12 points will be served with more than 80 weekly flights for the summer period.
About flydubai:
flyDubai strives to remove barriers to travel and enhance connectivity between different cultures across its ever-expanding network. Since launching its operations in 2009, flydubai has:
• Created a network of 94 destinations in 44 countries.
• Operates a single fleet type of 58 Next-Generation Boeing 737-800 aircraft and will take delivery of more than 100 aircraft by the end of 2023.
• Opened up 63 new routes that did not previously have direct air links to Dubai or were not served by a UAE national carrier from Dubai.
In addition, flydubai’s agility and flexibility as a young airline has enhanced Dubai’s economic development, in line with the Government of Dubai’s vision, by creating trade and tourism flows in previously underserved markets.
A group often (10) visitors comprises journalists from different media houses plus social media channels, artist and tour operators from Israel who were in Kigoma for a three day visit in Gombe National Park which is referred to as haven to numerous primate species including chimpanzee have successfully concluded their visit organized by Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) in the park and promise to highly promote it in Israel and the Middle East in general.
Speaking in Kigoma shortly after arriving from Gombe National Park the leader of the group Ms Ronit Hershkovitz acknowledged TTB and the Ministry of Tourism and Natural Resources for organizing this visit and TANAPA for the facilitation they offered while in Gombe National Park.
She admitted that the visit has been so amazing and a wonderful experience which will remain their life history for many years to come. “Visiting Tanzania has been a great opportunity for us since we have witnessed by ourselves the uniqueness of tourist attractions Tanzania is endowed with including the chimpanzee, indeed, we promise to write and tell our fellow country men about the beauty of this country and all these” noted Ronit
Commenting on the journalists in the group Ms Ronit discloses that they are from very credible and popular media outlets such as Yediot Acharanot -7 Yamim the weekend magazine of the biggest daily newspaper in Israel, Atmosphere magazine, National Geographic magazine, Channel 2 Television and two popular bloggers and social media practitioners who are also opinion leader .
The visiting team also includes one film actor, a radio and TV celebrity, and two senior officials from Safari Company an Israel based Tour Company.
Commenting on the visit the TTB spokesman Mr Geofrey Tengeneza said that the Board’s decision to coordinate this visit is nothing but implementation of strategy to tap on Middle East tourist source market.
“The Middle East countries are potential tourists source market for Tanzania, so we hardly intend to penetrate into, and this is one the initiatives that we are currently undertaking to fulfil our mission.” noted Mr Tengeneza. He added that everyone in the group was very much excited by Gombe visit especially after seeing chimpanzee.
He further said that the motive behind taking this group to Gombe National Park in line with TTB’s operations to undertake more promotional drive in southern and western circuits as it has been the case for northern circuit tourist attractions.
Mr Tengeneza extended many thanks to the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism and Tanzania National Park (TANAPA) for their great support rendered to make this visit a success.
The team flew from Israel to Zanzibar on 19th April by charter plane and thereafter connect to Kigoma where were met at Kigoma Airport by Tanzania Tourist Board’s Head of Public Relations Unit Mr Geofrey Tengeneza and Gombe Park warden Mr Elihuruma Wilson before being ferried by boat to the park which is located 16 km north of Kigoma town on the shores of world’s second deepest lake Tanganyika in western Tanzania.
The visit of the journalists, tour operators and actor from Israel has come just three days after that of the Israel former Minister Ehud Barak in Ngorongoro Conservation Area and Serengeti National Park who accompanied with more than 100 delegates.
Precision Air, one of Tanzania's leading commercial airlines and the only one quoted on the Dar es Salaam Stock Exchange, has launched a consumer promotion to award their passengers ahead of the upcoming the holiday season.
There will be a total of 100 tickets for grabs during promotion period and there will be 10 weekly draws conducted over the coming two months.Each of the 10 lucky winners will get return tickets to any destination within the airline’s network which includes a range of domestic destinations but also the Comoros and Nairobi.
Explaining about the promotion, the Corporate Communications and Marketing Manager Ms. Azda Nkullo said that every passenger flying with Precision Air has an equal chance of winning a free ticket.
'We are celebrating 23 years of service and in doing so we are going to give out 100 free tickets to our esteemed customers as our expression gratitude for their support throughout the years that we have been in operation'.
Ms. Nkullo explained further that to participate, one needs to purchase a Precision Air ticket to any of its destinations, fill in the coupon at check-in counter and drop it in the lucky-dip box at the boarding gate.
'We are going to run a draw every Monday and announce our weekly ten winners for 10 weeks consecutively. We want our customers to take advantage of this promotion in preparation for the coming holiday afterall its is the season to be gifting' she added.
Corporate Affairs Manager Mr. Hillary Mremi then said passengers can easily participate in the Fly and Win promotion by taking advantage of the online promotion fares (Shavu La Dotcom) for travels between Dar – Arusha, Dar- Kilimanjaro, Musoma –Mwanza and Mwanza – Bukoba with the price starting from only Tsh.80,000/-.
He also added that all the online booking and online payments to any of Precision Air destination will enjoy a further 10% discount.
Precision Air with this initiative is clearly reacting to the revival of main rival Air Tanzania which has started to relaunch operations on a number of domestic routes after receiving two brand new Bombardier Q400NG aircraft and with competition heating up on the Tanzanian domestic market it will be the most innovative, most affordable and most on time airline which will see the most passengers board their flights.
Precision Air was established in 1993 as a private charter air transport company operating a five-seater piper Aztec aircraft. Its initial line of business mainly focused on providing connections for tourists visiting the rich natural attractions of Serengeti National Park & Ngorongoro Crater in northern Tanzania, the Zanzibar Island in the Indian Ocean and other parts of the country from Arusha town as its base.
With 23 years in service, Precision Air has grown and become a reputable airline in East Africa region and Africa at large, operating to 11 domestic destinations and two (2) regional ones, connecting passengers to many more destinations within Africa and abroad.
East African Legislative Assembly (EALA) is calling on East African Community Partner States to enact new wildlife legislation with enhanced penalties and improve strategies and protection measures in a bid to save the region's wildlife.
Findings by EALA's committee on agriculture, tourism and natural resources indicate that elephants and rhinoceros are the animals most vulnerable to poaching but other species including leopards, pythons, marine turtles and others are also endangered.
The committee's oversight activity report says that contributing factors include persistent weaknesses in the legislation governing wildlife crime, along with poor administration and low levels of compliance.
"The Committee recommends the EAC Secretariat to expedite the ongoing anti-poaching strategy to combat poaching, illegal trade and trafficking of wildlife and wildlife products to foster regional coordination," said committee chairperson MP Christophe Bazivamo (Rwanda).
"We recommend the EAC Secretariat to develop common strategies, standards, and guidelines for conservation of shared natural resources. The Committee also urges East African elephant range countries, and those through which ivory transits, to create national anti-poaching multi-agency security task force."
The report was presented Tuesday as the Assembly begun its ordinary sitting in Arusha, Tanzania.
Other measures called for include forming specialised units to combat poaching and illegal wildlife trade, enhancing inter-agency collaboration, and increasing international cooperation.
Wildlife crime is one of the most lucrative forms of illegal activities worldwide and it hurts people, communities and economies.
Besides urging EAC Partner States to reinvest part of the revenue collected from wildlife tourism into the communities living around national parks to promote conservation, Bazivamo also highlighted home the importance of regional governments "addressing issues of militias, corruption and governance in general."
Kenya reportedly continues to be a transit route for ivory in Africa, majorly through its port of Mombasa, which "accounted for the largest volumes of ivory seizures in Africa," with over 10 tonnes of illegal ivory intercepted between January and October 2013.
Bazivamo noted that, in the region, some of the statutes and associated regulations relevant to wildlife management have not been revised to deal with modern wildlife threats.
Even where modern statutes exist, he said, there are often shortfalls in their administration and enforcement.
Article 116 of the EAC Treaty stipulates that Partner States undertake to develop a collective and coordinated policy for conservation and sustainable use of wildlife and other tourist sites in the six-nation bloc.
It calls on Partner States to, among others, harmonise policies for conservation of wildlife within and outside protected areas, and co-ordinate efforts in controlling and monitoring encroachment and poaching.
"Poaching activities have evolved from individual poachers or ad hoc gangs to increasing recurrences of attacks by well-resourced and organised groups, including transnational criminal networks, Bazivamo said."
Poaching, Bazivamo said, is organised by rich people using poor people.
He pointed to the case, in January, when elephant poachers in Tanzania shot dead British helicopter pilot, Roger Gower, 37, who was fighting poaching in Serengeti National Park.
Lawmakers concluded that commercial poaching is done by rich people who own guns, vehicles and can corrupt rangers.
One of the areas scrutinised was Serengeti National Park, the best-known wildlife sanctuary in the world, and Tanzania's oldest and most popular national park which is a world heritage site.
The lawmakers observed that illegal wildlife trade robs the EAC and East Africans of natural capital and cultural heritage, with serious economic and social consequences.
Besides the lack of harmonised laws, regulations and guidelines on wildlife conservation, rising demand and prices for wildlife trophies in the illicit markets is another burden.
EALA's Kenyan MP Abubakar Ogle, in August 2013, initiated a Resolution: "Escalating problem on Poaching and Illegal Wildlife trafficking in EAC."
During debate on the report, Ogle pointed to China as having "the biggest magnitude" links to poaching and illegal ivory trade to the region.
Asian criminal gangs conspire with corrupt regional officials to traffic vast quantities of ivory and, the trading is reportedly so pervasive it even involves high-level diplomatic visits.
MP Martin Ngoga (EALA-Rwanda) said he was surprised last week on reading reports that Police in Kigali were holding 10 people, including foreigners, arrested while attempting to traffic elephant tusks through Rwanda.
"This is something surprising, in the Rwandan jurisdiction," Ngoga said.
He also said that sentences handed to criminals are not deterrent enough. In March, Rwandan courts sentenced three Guineans and a Rwandan to six years in jail after they pleaded guilty to trafficking about 88kgs of ivory.
To adequately confront such crimes, Ngoga suggested, the punishment should be much higher to deter criminals.
Rwanda's Penal Code (Article 417) stipulates that anyone who poaches, sells, injures or kills a gorilla or any other protected endangered animal species is liable to a term of imprisonment of more than five years to 10 years and a fine of Rwf500, 000 to Rwf 5,000,000.
The former Rwandan prosecutor general also suggested that more attention and funds be put in regional capacity building efforts.
"What's the formula in terms of capacity building for conservation management? How much percentage of tourism revenues is spent to improve capacity in those areas?" Ngoga posed, underlining the importance of political will in curbing poaching.
