THAILAND: Maya Bay Remains Closed

Thailand's popular Maya Bay will be continue to be closed to tourists until the end of October due to unfinished restoration and dangers associated with the current monsoon season.

The pristine beach on the southern island of Koh Phi Phi popularized by the 2000 movie "The Beach" was closed for the first time in June after it was discovered that most of its coral had been damaged by boat anchors.

The part of the bay where damaged corals are rehabilitating and new corals are being planted has been closed to boats permanently, the National Park Department has said.

Initially, the beach had been set to reopen for tourists on October 1 but the temporary closure has been extended as a tourist bridge has not been completyed, according to Nopparat National Park chief Worapoj Lomlim.

We're also concerned about the tourists' safety amid the current monsoon season, Worapoj said, adding that damaged corals have rehabilitated fast and officials have managed to plant more than 2,000 new coral colonies during the closure.

The temporary closure will continue each year to prevent further damage to the environment.

Thailand's overall coral damage has reached a critical level, with an alarming increase to 78 per cent from 30 per cent a decade ago, said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a prominent marine ecologist overseeing the effort.

The famous Maya Bay in Thailand has been closed for three months to give its coral reefs a chance to recover. After the reopening on October 1st, each visit will be limited to one hour.

Since June, more than 500 new coral colonies have been planted in Maya Bay, on Phi Phi Leh island in the Andaman Sea.

The young corals are growing at an unbelievably fast pace. We will soon see the return of this paradise, said Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a prominent marine ecologist overseeing the effort.

Maya Bay — popularized by "The Beach," a Hollywood movie released in 2000 — was closed for the first time in June after it was discovered that most corals in the area had been damaged by boat anchors.

The front of Maya Bay, where damaged corals are rehabilitating and new corals are being planted, has been closed to boats permanently, according to the National Park Department.

Tourists can access the bay from the back entrance when it reopens on October 1. The four-month temporary closure will continue each year to prevent further damage to the environment.

Thailand’s overall coral damage has reached a critical level, with an alarming increase to 78 per cent from 30 per cent a decade ago, Thon said.

The country aims to balance the booming tourism industry and the protection of ecosystems. Thailand welcomed about 35 million international visitors last year, a five-fold increase in little more than two decades.

At Maya Bay alone, there were some 4,000 tourists each day. After the reopening, the government has set a limit of only 2,000 tourists a day who will be allowed to visit the beach, with each visit limited to one hour.

The once-pristine Thai bay which became a tourist magnet after the 2000 movie "The Beach" will be closed to boats for several months to prevent further damage to its coral, an official said Wednesday.

Hordes of tourists flock daily to Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley for selfies in front of the famed limestone cliffs and blue waters, leading to complaints of environmental damage to the water and sand.

But the picture-postcard beach of the Leonardo DiCaprio film will be closed to boats from June to September this year, Worapoj Lomlim of the Phi Phi islands National Parks told.

For around 20 years the bay has welcomed boats to moor in front of the beach but their engines have damaged coral reefs and caused problems with the sand, he said.

Overcrowded tourist boats have also blocked the view, he added, saying tourists will still be able to reach the beach by foot from an adjacent bay where boats can park.

The closure is the latest effort to mitigate damage caused by tourism, a crucial pillar of Thailand's economy with more than 35 million travellers visiting last year.

But environmental experts and officials are worried the mass tourism is causing irreversible damage to idyllic beaches, with litter and unchecked development disrupting local ecosystems.

Smoking has already been banned on 20 of the country's most famous beaches this high season, with a hefty fine or even jail for those who flout the new rule.


Tourism Observer

THAILAND: Thai Smile Intstalls Wheelchairs In Cabins On All 20 Of Its Aircrafts

Thai Smile sets out to provide greater convenience to passengers with disabilities and special needs with the installation of wheelchairs in cabins on all 20 of its airliners.

The safety instructions are now also in Braille in order to facilitate the visually impaired and the crews have been trained to sign safety regulations to the hearing impaired.

This comprehensive service is designed for the disabled who cannot walk. We have long provided a wheelchair within the airport until boarding and a High Lift service to take passengers with wheelchairs.

Now we also have wheelchairs in the cabin to facilitate the movement of passengers within all aircraft, says Nednapang Teeravas, chief customer service officer.

A manual on air safety regulations is also provided in both Thai and English versions for the visually impaired.

It also offers sign language through a service-minded crew to convey the safety regulations for the hearing impaired.

This is to allow both groups to understand and learn self-safety practices.

It also creates a feeling of care for the passengers who needs special treatment.

Other special services for passengers include pre-ordering of special meals - vegetarian, for children to be served on board.

Notification should however be made a minimum of 48 hours prior to taking off.

The airline is also teaming up with Kasetsart University’s Institute for Food Research and Product Development (IFRPD) to help farmers under the project - Bring Smiles to Thai Farmers- by buying surplus agricultural products for beverages and snacks.

The service will come into effect around the middle of this year.

About Thai Smile Air

Thai Smile Air is the regional airline and wholly owned subsidiary of Thai Airways.Based in Thailand, it began operations in July 2012.

On 20 May 2011, the Thai Airways board announced plans to create a new lower-cost airline, at the time dubbed Thai Wings.

The creation of the airline was announced by Ampon Kittiampon, the chairman of Thai's board of directors, on 19 August 2011.

According to Ampon, Thai Smile serves the market gap between low-cost carriers and full service airlines.

The name Thai Smile was chosen from a pool of 2,229 entries in a contest to name the airline.

Thai Smile currently flies to the destinations below. The airline consolidated its Bangkok operations at Suvarnabhumi Airport in January 2017, ending services from Don Mueang airport.

Destinations

Cambodia

- Phnom Penh - Phnom Penh International Airport

- Siem Reap - Siem Reap International Airport

China

- Changsha - Changsha Huanghua International Airport

- Chongqing - Chongqing Jiangbei International Airport

- Zhengzhou - Zhengzhou Xinzheng International Airport

- Guangzhou - Guangzhou Baiyun International Airport

India

- Gaya - Gaya Airport

- Jaipur - Jaipur International Airport

- Lucknow - Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport

- Mumbai - Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport

- Varanasi - Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport

Laos

- Luang Prabang - Luang Prabang International Airport

- Vientiane - Wattay International Airport

Malaysia

- Kuala Lumpur - Kuala Lumpur International Airport

- Penang - Penang International Airport

Myanmar

- Yangon - Yangon International Airport

- Mandalay - Mandalay International Airport

Thailand

- Bangkok - Suvarnabhumi Airport

- Chiang Mai - Chiang Mai International Airport

- Chiang Rai - Chiang Rai International Airport

- Hat Yai - Hat Yai International Airport

- Khon Kaen - Khon Kaen Airport

- Krabi - Krabi International Airport

- Narathiwat - Narathiwat Airport

- Phuket - Phuket International Airport

- Surat Thani - Surat Thani Airport

- Ubon Ratchathani - Ubon Ratchathani Airport

- Udon Thani - Udon Thani International Airport

Taiwan

- Kaohsiung - Kaohsiung International Airport

Future destinations

- Surabaya - Juanda International Airport

- Medan - Kualanamu International Airport

- Manila - Ninoy Aquino International Airport

Closed Destinations

- Ahmedabad - Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport

- Macau - Macau International Airport

- Kota Kinabalu - Kota Kinabalu International Airport

- Chittagong-Shah Amanat International Airport

THAI Smile's fleet consists of the following aircraft:

- Airbus A320-232 - 6

- Airbus A320-232(SL) - 14

- Total - 20

Thai Smile Airways is currently an official sponsor of Thai Honda Ladkrabang and Ratchaburi Mitr Phol



Tourism Observer

MYANMAR: Filipino Cuisine Goes To Yangon

With only 1,500 Filipino people working or living in Myanmar, why would one think that putting up a restaurant that offers Pinoy favorites such as adobo and kare-kare would be successful?

Ramon Fernando, one of the owners of My Adobo Plus, the first-ever Filipino restaurant in Myanmar, is well-aware that he could not count on the Filipino community in the bustling former Burmese capital for his business to be a hit and sustainable.

There are only about 1,500 Filipinos in Myanmar, 1,000 of which are in Yangon.

This number is not enough to make the resto sustainable so part of our marketing strategy is to introduce Pinoy food to Myanmar people, Fernando says.

I have been personally encouraged by friends to set up a Pinoy resto after they tasted food I’ve cooked for potluck parties.

The opportunity came when my landlady offered me to take over an existing Japanese resto that closed down last Nov. 2017, he says.

Why name the restaurant “My Adobo Plus”?

Because adobo is almost synonymous to Filipino cooking, Fernando said that foreigners who have tried it can easily identify to the dish.

Adobo is a well-known way of cooking meat, squid or even veggies.

We’ve had walk-in guests who know how adobo tastes, explained Fernando, who serves different variants of adobo such as chicken, pork, chicken feet, squid and kangkong.

Other Filipino dishes being served in the restaurant are nilagang baka, tinolang manok, lumpiang shanghai, tokwa’t baboy, itlog-maalat salad, chopsuey, lumpiang togue, turon espesyal and mais con hielo.

Just like in any business, it’s not always smooth-sailing especially in the beginning.

Getting the right ingredients such as atswete or annatto seeds for kare-kare, malunggay (moringa) and dahon ng sili (pepper leaves) for tinola, and ube ice cream for halo-halo can be a challenge , Fernando insists.

Good thing he and his partners can count on their three Filipina cooks to make their dishes taste as authentic as possible even though some of the distinct Filipino ingredients are not readily available.

One of them, Maricel Umali, 33, said she’s very happy to be working in a Filipino restaurant because it feels like we’re just cooking at home in the Philippines.

It’s so nice here especially every Sunday when we would have a lot of Filipino diners, they’d come here after church and would have a get-together, she said.

One time, we had an American customer who was so happy to find a Filipino restaurant here in Yangon.

He said he’s been to Cebu and that he misses Filipino food and has been longing to eat it again, recalled Elsie one of the cooks in My Adobo Plus.

The business may be new and still struggling but it’s little by little getting known and has in fact been receiving bulk orders as of late from corporations in and around Yangon.

As in any business, profit is the primary motivating factor but then this is balanced off by giving quality service to guests and providing employment to our fellow Filipinos, said Fernando.

My Adobo Plus can be found on Bo Yar Nyunt Street, Yaw Man Gyi Qtr, Dagon Tsp, Yangon. It is open every day from 10 am to 2 pm and 5 pm to 9pm.


Tourism Observer

INDONESIA:Vietnam International Travel Fair, Indonesia Exhibit Wins Best Booth Awards

Indonesias exhibit in Vietnams International Travel Expo Ho Chi Minh City (ITE HCMC) earned awards for ITE Best Booth Design and ITE Exhibitor Recognition categories, continuing victories of the nations exhibits in previous worlds international ITE events, an Indonesian official said here on Monday.

Indonesia showcased a pavilion themed Phinisi traditional vessel in the Vietnam international travel expo, opted as the best booth in the event.

We are very grateful for that, the country should be proud of that, Deputy Assistant for Southeast Asia Market Development Rizki Handayani said, referring to the event held recently from Sept. 7 to 9.

She added that the three-day event was catered by around 26,000 visitors with 250 exhibitors from several countries and regions taking part in the event.

Hailing the latest of Indonesian exhibits achievement, Indonesian Tourism Minister Arief Yahya said that it shows the nations tourism level in international business.

We have received similar achievements in most of prominent travel fair events held across the world.

It shows that our nation has the capacity and ability to compete in tourism sector.

Victories are planned, they dont come for granted, the minister said on Monday.

Indonesian exhibit themed Phinisi vessel has prevailed in the previous worlds travel fairs, among others, Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB) Berlin, World Travel Market (WTM) London, CITM China, ATM Dubai, ITB Asia Singapore, ATF Travex, NATAS & ADEX Singapore and JATA Japan, he added.

The option to showcase the traditional South Sulawesi provinces vessel of Phinisi was aimed at showing the world the highly potential marine tourism in Indonesia, completing the existing abundance of traditional and diverse cultural attraction ones, he added.

He said that seven of the new ten destinations across the country developed by the government at present were themed marine attractions.



Tourism Observer

PERU: Interesting Places To Visit In Amazonas Region

Interesting places to visit in the region Amazonas.

To get it clear right from the beginning: The Amazonas region is not close to the Amazonas River, nor is it in the hot and humid jungle. The region of the Amazonas lies mainly in the Andean mountains and most of the tourist sites are between 1,400 and 3,000 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.).

You definitely should come prepared with sun block, a hat, mosquito repellent and good walking shoes, as well as some rain gear and an extra layer. Anything can happen here.

Many of you have likely read about the fortified city of Kuelap, the region’s highlight.

Kuelap was built between 500 and 800 AC by the Chachapoya civilization on the height of a mountaintop at 3,000 m.a.s.l. It even seems that archaeologists have found evidence of people living there as early as 400 AC and the investigations are still going on.

The city is surrounded by up to 20 meter high walls, which is why archaeologists initially thought that it was a fortress.

Today they have shifted their analysis to saying that it was rather a religious and administrative center of the Chachapoya. Chachapoya means Warrior of the clouds.

The chronicler Cieza de Leon said that the Chachapoya people were tall, blonde-haired people of fair skin color and with blue eyes.

Until today, we don’t know where this comes from; one theory is that Celtic people came to Peru, hundreds of year ago. It seems that their women were extremely beautiful considering that after the conquest of the Incas, many of the most beautiful women were sent to Cusco to serve the Incas there.

The city of Kuelap is built on two levels and there are only three entrances. One is to the cliff side and was used as an “emergency exit”; the two other exits are particularly interesting in their form and construction.

From around 3 meters wide at the beginning, the entrance channel becomes more and more narrow, to allow only one person at a time to pass at its end.

Like this, Kuelap was extremely easy to defend, as the Chachapoya warriors could just wait for the enemies to try to come in and throw stones or other projectiles at them.

Currently the main entrance is under renovation and you cannot use it. You will enter the city through the second entrance, which actually was the delivery entrance for fresh produce, corn, potatoes and water.

On the light stone of the stairs, you will even find some llama tracks. Do you know that llamas were the pack animals for the Chachapoya? Not only can a llama carry about 15 kg on its back, it was also a source of meat and wool.

On the first level you will see the ruins of about 500 roundhouses,the form in which the Chachapoya built their houses, all built on a higher base and some of them with beautiful stone decoration.

The gods of the Chachapoya were the condor, the feline and the snake, each representing one of the three “worlds”: the world of the gods, the world you live in, and the world of death. Only the houses of important people would have this kind of decoration.

In each house, you can find the “guinea pig cage”. It is common to this day for Andean families to raise guinea pigs for their meat (which is not much) and the proteins. They are easy to keep and not much work. In addition, the “batan”, a stone to grind seeds and corn, can be seen.

Another curiosity is that each house contains the tomb of an ancestor. This seems strange to us, but not to the Chachapoya culture.

The corpse of the deceased would first be buried in the soil until the flesh deteriorated. Thereafter, the Chachapoya arranged the bones into a fetal position then placed them in a cotton bag. This little bundle would then be kept in a hole in the family’s house.

Like this, the deceased would always remain close to the family.

This and many more interesting stories are part of the guide’s speech when you visit Kuelap. As of the beginning of 2017, the cable car up to Kuelap should be operating which will significantly shorten your travel time.

From Chachapoyas, the capital of the Amazonas, to Kuelap is currently a 2 and ½ hour drive. From the parking station La Malca (where you also pay your entrance fee of S/ 20 per person), you walk an easy hike of about 2 km up to the walls of Kuelap.

The guided visit costs S/ 40 per group and takes around 2 hours. It is absolutely recommend to take a guide.

MALDIVES: Easter Submarine Holiday Now Available

Five-star Outrigger Konotta Maldives Resort sounds like a perfect Easter destination for families, with recreational activities including a “semi-submarine” excursion and a fun Ozone space made out of recycled materials.

“This Easter the Outrigger is a one-stop retreat for tropical holiday beach relaxation, with an optional marine education twist,” says general manager John Allanson.

From April 14 to 17, the Coral Kids Club will delight youngsters with face painting, egg hunts, egg and spoon races, banana rides and children’s movies on the beach.

Their parents can meanwhile chill out or tap into activities for the body and soul, such as morning meditation and yoga, a massage workshop for couples, a dolphin quest, fishing at sunrise or sunset and sunset cruises.

The pool bar becomes a mini-classroom with a marine biologist educating guests about sea creatures and the underwater world. Young adventurers can boost their adrenaline with scuba diving, ride a stand-up board and join a water polo match.

Executive chef Christopher Long will be charging batteries with an Asian food festival on the beach serving up a surf and turf barbecue.

The resort’s 14-seat semi-submarine takes guests on rides among coral reefs where they can spot manta rays, Hawksbill turtles, large shoals of fusiliers and some friendly sharks.

At night time the nocturnal life of the sea can be observed, including fish camouflaged to hide their usual bright colours, and the schools of squid and other animals attracted by the vessel’s night lights.

The submarine sets off every Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, costing Bt3,280 for day excursions and Bt3,790 at night.

MOROCCO: Tourism Still Stagnant But Government Struggling To Revive It

Morocco's key tourism sector barely grew last year amid security challenges, but operators are hoping Chinese and Russian visitors will boost their fortunes in the coming years.

While political turmoil and jihadist attacks have battered the sector in Egypt and Tunisia, Morocco registered 10 million visitors last year, according to the Moroccan Tourism Observatory. That was a barely perceptible rise of 1.5 percent from 2015, it said.

But hoteliers in the narrow streets of the capital Rabat's old city were cautiously positive. "Last year was better than 2015. And the first two months of 2017 augured an even better year," said Hanane, manager of a local guesthouse.

Tourists are easy to spot wandering through Rabat's old city with its craft stalls, Andalusian-style houses and a 12th-century kasbah overlooking the Atlantic. But while tourism revenues rose 3.4 percent to $6.3 billion (5.9 billion euros) in 2016, visitor arrivals to Morocco have fallen far short of an ambitious official target of 20 million per year by 2020.

A growing number of visits by Moroccans who live abroad - counted as tourists when they come home - accounted for much of the sector's buoyancy. Foreign visitor arrivals last year were down by 0.9 percent. Karim, owner of a travel agency in commercial capital Casablanca, said more work was needed to drum up new business.

"The situation is pushing us to look for new markets outside Europe," he said. "But overall, it can be said that there was a slight recovery in 2016."


Authorities are hoping for an influx of Russian and Chinese tourists, who currently account for just one percent of total visitors. That is far behind the French, who make up almost a third of arrivals - a figure that includes many of Moroccan origin. "Europeans still top the list, but the number of Chinese visitors is growing," Hanane said.

"Since visas for the Chinese were abolished in June, a door has been opened."

Tourism remains a vital pillar of the Moroccan economy and the country's second biggest employer, after agriculture. The sector accounts for 10 percent of national income and, along with exports and remittances from Moroccans overseas, it is one of the country's main sources of foreign currency.

Former imperial city Marrakesh, with its UNESCO-listed old town, and the coastal town of Agadir have long been key attractions. They remain popular - in contrast to Tunisia, Turkey and Egypt, where visitor numbers have plummeted following the Arab Spring uprisings and repeated jihadist attacks. Morocco has not experienced an attack since a 2011 bombing in Marrakesh's famed Jamaa El Fna Square, which killed 17 people, mainly European tourists.

Today, security forces stand guard at Morocco's main tourist sites. The government, a key security partner of European countries, regularly announces it has dismantled jihadist cells. But while the kingdom remains safer than other countries in the region, visitor numbers have stubbornly refused to rise.

The local press calls the sector's performance "lacklustre and disappointing" compared with a 2010 plan to double arrivals. Back then, "Vision 2020" envisioned creating 200,000 new hotel beds and attracting 20 million visitors a year by the end of the decade. Since then, "many international factors" had disrupted the government's efforts, Observatory chief Said Mouhid said. "We will not reach 20 million in 2020, for sure, but it remains a symbolic figure to mobilise operators," he said. He defended last year's performance as "respectable and positive". "We are in a difficult international context, marked by many obstacles to travel," he said. "These figures prove the resilience of Moroccan tourism, even if they remain below our ambitions."

BOTSWANA: Botswana Stops Elephant-Back Ride

Botswana holds a vast number of the greatest safaris in the world. Situated in the continent of Southern Africa, this crown jewel is defined by the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta. The abundance of its natural resources became a home of a lot of animals including rhinos, cheetahs, hyenas, giraffes, exotic birds, aquatic antelopes and wild dogs.

This country takes wildlife adventures on a higher level, it is a known sanctuary of the most number of elephants compared to other nations. This mammal became one of its trademarks in terms of tourist attraction. Botswana is perceived as the international custodian of the African elephant and has the planet's greatest herds.

In Asia, there are countries that train elephants to transport tourist as part of their tour package and they are also taught how to paint to able to entertain guests. In Africa, the first commercial elephant rides happened in Zimbabwe in the late 1990s and soon became contiguous throughout the region. According to statistics reported in Traveller24, there are currently 39 commercial elephant sites, managing estimated 215 captive elephants. More than half of these or at least 25 offers elephant rides and seven are forcing these animals to do tricks for tourists as entertainment.
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2017 will be a more animal-friendly year for the country because from the end of this month, Botswana will no longer allow elephant rides. The plan is related to a new government policy that will help improve the wellbeing of elephants in captivity. Minister of Environment TK Khama guided the directive. According to the NGO World Animal Protection, most travelers go on elephant rides because they appreciate and love them but they are unaware of the physical and psychological discomfort felt by the carrier. In obedience with the new order, Abu Camp, the only facility in the country that offers such ride agreed to follow the directives. The company released a press release saying, "Following an extensive review of its programme and in compliance with recent government directives, as of 31 December 2016, Abu Camp will no longer allow guests to ride elephants. The camp will continue to focus its programme on respectful, less intrusive forms of elephant interaction and education ... including its immersive walking-based experience."

African Restaurants You Should Never Miss To Visit

In most African countries, it’s common to see people queue at a small corner of a town to savor their traditional delicacies often at the price of the man of the streets, these spots could be referenced or termed the “African McDonalds” as they serve food in all offers for the man of the street. That said some African countries do have sophisticated restaurants which serve all sorts of dishes; from European to Asian and above all they serve African traditional dishes. Even though the list may not include some of your best restaurants which greatly depends on where you landed on the continent, one thing for sure is that a meal at these restaurants will worth the cost.

1. Tasting Room

While in South Africa Cape Town, every visitor should consider a stop at The Tasting Room. Like many great restaurants, The Tasting Room is located inside an established luxury hotel, Le Quartier Francais. Tucked away in the spectacular Franschhoek Valley, the scenery is almost as captivating as the food. Run by award-winning Dutch chef, Margot Janse, the jewel in the crown here is the opulent nine-course surprise menu consisting of elements such as spekboom leaves, Kalahari salted kabeljou and Chakalaka lollipop. The restaurant is decked out with a clean, crisp theme, white table clothes and the culinary presentation is equally detailed. The Tasting Room has won ‘Top 50 Restaurant’ awards for the past seven years running, underlining its dominance not just in Africa, but in the world.

2. Heaven Restaurant & Boutique Hotel

The recent economic boom in Kigali, Rwanda’s capital city has brought with it a new wave of gastronomic experimentation. Perched above brooding African Hills, many restaurants boast stunning views across this vibrant and blossoming city. From local cuisine to delicious foreign flavors, The Heaven Restaurant & Boutique Hotel is the perfect place to escape the bustle of the city and relax in an environment surrounded by lush and verdant nature. The menu offers an excellent selection of expertly prepared and internationally focused dishes such as fish or vegetarian tacos and American inspired pumpkin risotto. After dinner, visit the small shop and the on-site art gallery, both established to further support the local community.

3. Brown Café and Restaurant

According to Oluwakemi Ojo, Nigeria now boast of the best restaurants not only in Africa but in the world. In her ranking of Best restaurants in Nigeria, she recommended the Brown Café and Restaurant for its stylish interior and serene environment rendering services like lunches, breakfast and drinks lounge. Located in Ikeja Lagos, it has an all-embracing menu which includes ice cream, Singapore noodles and American Burger. Out of the meals, Oluwakemi says, it is a meeting point of the powerful in Lagos.

4. Tamarind

Kenya is one of Africa’s primary tourist destinations, which means it has a wealth of restaurants and bars to offer. One of the finest here is Tamarind; located near a harbor, it is the perfect place to feel in fresh fish, something the restaurant’s chefs specialize in preparing. The menu are derived from the Moghul cuisine of North West India, where fish, meat and game ingredients are traditionally cooked in a tandoor oven – a method replicated in Tamarinds own kitchen.

5. Santoku Restaurant and Bar

In Ghana, especially in its capital Accra which predictably home to some exceptional restaurants of haut cuisine, a popular destination is the Santoku Restaurant and Bar. It is noted for a blend of incredible food, effortless service and exquisite well-designed surroundings which puts it above any other restaurant. Some of their menu includes Santoku’s Chicken Karange, a Japanese version of traditional fried chicken, deliciously flavored with soy ginger and garlic, Santoku’s slow cooked beef fillet delicately enhanced with spicy den miso and panzu for an explosion of complex flavors. The rank of Santoku Restaurant and Bar can be seen by the presence of some wealthy people from Nigeria and West Africa who fly in to have a taste of their cuisine.

As fractional as this may look, these restaurants are worth a visit anytime you step foot on these countries, they have over the years carved out a status for themselves which cannot be ignored when talking about the places to eat in Africa. It is also worthy to note that for those who wish to experience the simple life of the African on the streets, there are always street corners were one could have a quick serve of food at a very affordable fee and go about their daily business.

GHANA: Airspace Dispute Between Togo & Ghana Resolved

Ghana and its eastern neighbours, Togo and Benin, have amicably resolved their differences over control of the Accra Flight Information Region (FIR).

The internationally designated Accra Flight Information Region (FIR) refers to the combined upper airspace (240 feet and above) and large portions of the Atlantic Ocean of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

The Ghana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA) has managed the Accra FIR on behalf of the three countries for decades. However, Togo and Benin in 2014 threatened to quit the Accra FIR over management and economic concerns.

Simon Allotey, Director-General of the GCAA, told the B&FT that the issue has been resolved and all parties are committed to the current arrangement.

“The original arrangement was that Ghana, Togo and Benin will co-manage the Accra FIR from Accra. Later on it was varied at the request of our Togolese and Béninoise brothers. They want to be part of the Accra FIR, which they are; but then the FIR will be segmented into two with Ghana managing the terrestrial airspace and the entire oceanic sector, while from Lomé they will manage the Togolese and Béninoise airspace.

“So far it is working very well. There is a lot of coordination between the Accra and Lomé centres. The arrangement has been operating smoothly since June 25, 2015.

“Revenue sharing has been resolved effectively. Basically, whoever controls a sector takes the revenue accruing from that sector. Togo and Benin bills the airlines directly for flights over their airspace and Ghana also does the same,” Ing. Allotey said.

The internationally designated Accra Flight Information Region (FIR), prior to the new arrangement, was managed by the GCAA on behalf of the three countries.

However, revenue accruing from management of the Accra FIR went into the coffers of GCAA; with no share of the proceeds paid to either Togo or Benin.

Air navigation charges for all international flights over four tonnes operating within the Accra FIR as at 2010 were charged US$0.75 per kilometre flown. The minimum charge within the Accra FIR is US$200 and a maximum of US$600.

Aircraft with weight between 4-20 tonnes are charged a US$200 flat-rate.

International aircraft movement to and from the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) at the end of last year stood at 21,269 — giving an indication of the revenue at stake.

International airlines operating flights to and from Accra initially raised concerns about fragmenting the Accra FIR, as they thought it would mean using three different control towers during flights within the region.

With the current arrangement, airlines which use the terrestrial airspace of all three countries will have to deal with two control towers.

Reasons To Use A Local Tour Guide

I love exploring new places. That feeling of excitement mixed with a slight pang of ‘fear of the unknown’ that comes with finding your way around some far-flung destination on a quest to discover your own version of it. It brings out the explorer in all of us. But like most things in life there is a time and a place for everything. For all those other times, there are tour guides.

Before you turn your nose up at the thought of walking around with headphones on listening to a rinse-and-repeat commentary (in your chosen language, of course), turn your mind to a walking tour of the Kalahari with local Khomani San community, or 4x4-ing around the beautiful and barren Richtersveld National Park on a tailor-made tour.

In honour of International Tourist Guide Day, which took place on 20 February, here are five reasons why it’s a good to use a tour guide.

1. Save time
Most people only have a certain amount of time off work each year and trying to pack in a ton of sights is always time-consuming. Guides will always be able to cut to the chase to ensure you see what you want to see without getting caught up in unneccessary activities along the way.

2. Local knowledge
Tour guides are amazing sources of information on everything you need to know about the local culture and heritage. Learn to dig for water, you say? Make a bow and arrow out of three leaves and a twig? No problem! There’s no better way to enjoy a new place than chatting to someone who knows the area like the back of their hand and hearing first-hand what life is like.

3. Safety
Not all travellers are street-wise and for this reason it is often safest to visit certain areas with a guide. Not only can they serve as a deterrent for would-be petty thieves but they can also help you avoid being scammed or help haggle a good price on that one-of-a-kind wooden giraffe sculpture you absolutely must have.

4. Support local businesses
One of the most important things you can do when you travel is support local entrepreneurs. This is something you can do simply by using a local guide. It brings income into their communities and helps to build the economy and tourism potential of an area. Travellers who visit an area with a local guide will be guaranteed a more authentic and rewarding experience, full of interesting tales. Immersing yourself in the culture is ultimately what travel is all about.

5. Take photos
While travelling is about making new friends and long-lasting memories, what better way to relive those memories than having an album full of photographs? Photos of sights are boring if there's no one in them. Scrap the selfies and get your guide to take a photo of you. And, after a long day of sightseeing, cultural education and obligatory photo-taking, enjoy a cold beverage with your guide. It might just be the start of a beautiful friendship.


Do you use tour guides when you travel?

Halal Holidays – New Design For HalalBooking.com Website

Angel’s Peninsula Resort – Sandy Beach


HalalBooking.com – the world’s leading website for online booking of Halal Holidays – has recently re-launched its website with a completely new design. The website has an advanced hotel search and book functionality, while being very user-friendly and picture-rich. The website receives bookings from over 70 countries worldwide.

The website offers carefully selected holiday destinations, which cater for the needs of Muslim family holidaymakers. The following categories of holidays can be booked online:

Beach Resorts – family holidays with great facilities for kids and ladies
City Hotels – City Breaks with Daily Heritage Tours
Thermal Resorts – health holidays with thermal springs treatments
Private Villas – with swimming pools, offering full privacy for families

Resorts, hotels and villas have separate swimming pools, spa and leisure facilities for women-only and for families. Some resorts have mixed beach areas for families and some resorts feature women-only private beach areas. These resorts provide a wonderful atmosphere for a family to enjoy their holiday together in a suitable environment, while catering for children by their special clubs and games rooms. All entertainment programmes, which are within the norms of Islam, are enjoyable and family-friendly. Cafés and restaurants in these hotels serve halal food and non-alcoholic drinks. In private villas, guests can order halal grocery packs in advance. There are also daily heritage tours to explore the city.

Majority of customers of HalalBooking.com website are families with children. The website has some unique features, which make online searching and booking experience for families smoother. All prices on the website are total and calculated exactly for the whole family, taking into account both a number of guests and exact ages of all children. Besides this ‘Precise Total Family Pricing’ feature, the website also offers ‘Room Suitability Guarantee’. The website automatically determines and allows booking of those rooms in a hotel, which are suitable for a given family. These features save the customers’ time and help to avoid surprises when they arrive at the hotel and are asked to pay extras for a bigger room.

Among many other features of the website it is worth noting that the homepage always shows the best hotel offers for coming weeks. The hotels can be booked in 45 currencies and 7 languages, using all popular online payment cards. The website has easy-to-use Search Box to find hotels by date & number of guests. It can be used on touch-screen devices, and is supported by customer Call Centres in 20 countries worldwide.

The company actively works with many hoteliers and tourism bodies around the world (in Europe, the Middle East, Asia Pacific, etc), helping them to develop their halal services, and regularly adds new holiday destinations to its website.

The company hopes its customers enjoy using the new website and always welcomes feedback from their customers.

PERU: EU Eliminates Schengen Visa Requirement For Peru, Colombia

The European Union has eliminated the visa requirement for Peruvians and Colombians who want to visit countries belonging to the open-border Schengen pact. The deal will now be sent to each member state for ratification.

The elimination of the visa requirements will allow citizens of Peru and Colombia to skip a lengthy administrative process before being able to visit family members in countries like Italy and Spain.

Once the E.U. member states ratify the deal, along with Peru and Colombia, citizens from the South American countries will be able to freely travel to most of Europe receive a 90-day tourist visa upon arrival, just as European visitors are received in Peru.

“This is a historic day for Colombia and Peru,” said Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos after signing the treaty at the European Commission offices in the Belgian capital of Brussels.

Eliminating the visa requirement is effectively an endorsement by the European Union that opening its borders to Peru and Colombia will not stoke crime and illegal immigration. Peru and Colombia are two of the last large Latin American countries whose citizens still require a visa to visit mainland Europe. Countries whose citizens will still need to apply for a visa before traveling include Bolivia, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and Ecuador.

“Peru has maintained important economic growth, reducing poverty and inequality,” President Ollanta Humala said. “This is an acknowledgement of our country, which is working and moving forward thanks to the effort of the people.”

While the signing of the pact may be historic, it does not imply Peruvians can begin traveling to Europe. First, the deal will have to be translated into the dozens of languages of the 26 Schengen countries after which each country’s parliament has to individually ratify the pact. This process can last months, and it is unlikely the visa exemption will take force before December.

The Schengen countries include almost all of continental Europe. Non-E.U. member states which are members of the Schengen pact include include Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Romania, Bulgaria, Croatia and Cyprus are currently not included but are in proceedings to join the visa-free travel union.

E.U. countries which do not participate in the free-travel Schengen-visa area include the United Kingdom and Ireland.

East Timor: Timor-Leste Facts And History

Capital:

Dili, population about 150,000.

Government:

East Timor is a parliamentary democracy, in which the President is Head of State and the Prime Minister is Head of Government. The President is directly elected to this largely ceremonial post; he or she appoints the leader of the majority party in parliament as Prime Minister. The President serves for five years.

The Prime Minister is head of the Cabinet, or Council of State.

He also leads the single-house National Parliament.

The highest court is called the Supreme Court of Justice.

Jose Ramos-Horta is the current President of East Timor. The Prime Minister is Xanana Gusmao.

Population:

East Timor's population is around 1.2 million, although no recent census data exist. The country is growing quickly, due both to returning refugees and to a high birth rate.

The people of East Timor belong to dozens of ethnic groups, and intermarriage is common. Some of the largest are the Tetum, around 100,000 strong; the Mambae, at 80,000; the Tukudede, at 63,000; and the Galoli, Kemak, and Bunak, all with about 50,000 people.

There are also small populations of people with mixed Timorese and Portuguese ancestry, called mesticos, as well as ethnic Hakka Chinese (around 2,400 people).

Official Languages:

The official languages of East Timor are Tetum and Portuguese. English and Indonesian are "working languages."

Tetum is an Austronesian language in the Malayo-Polynesian family, related to Malagasy, Tagalog, and Hawaiian.

It is spoken by about 800,000 people world-wide.

Colonists brought Portuguese to East Timor in the sixteenth century, and the Romance language has influenced Tetum to a large degree.

Other commonly-spoken languages include Fataluku, Malalero, Bunak, and Galoli.

Religion:

An estimated 98 per cent of East Timorese are Roman Catholic, another legacy of Portuguese colonization. The remaining two per cent are divided almost evenly between Protestants and Moslems.

A significant proportion of Timorese also retain some traditional animist beliefs and customs from pre-colonial times.

Geography:

East Timor covers the eastern half of Timor, the largest of the Lesser Sunda Islands in the Malay Archipelago. It covers an area of about 14,600 square kilometers, including one non-contiguous piece called the Ocussi-Ambeno region, in the northwest of the island.

The Indonesian province of East Nusa Tenggara lies to the west of East Timor.

East Timor is a mountainous country; the highest point is Mount Ramelau at 2,963 meters (9,721 feet). The lowest point is sea level.

Climate:

East Timor has a tropical monsoon climate, with a wet season from December to April, and a dry season from May through November. During the wet season, average temperatures range between 29 and 35 degrees Celsius (84 to 95 degrees Fahrenheit). In the dry season, temperatures average 20 to 33 degrees Celsius (68 to 91 Fahrenheit).

The island is susceptible to cyclones. It also experiences seismic events such as earthquakes and tsunamis, as it lies on the faultlines of the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Economy:

The economy of East Timor is in shambles, neglected under Portuguese rule, and deliberately sabotaged by occupation troops during the war for independence from Indonesia. As a result, the country is among the poorest in the world.

Close to half of the population lives in poverty, and as many as 70 per cent face chronic food insecurity. Unemployment hovers around the 50 per cent mark, as well. The per capita GDP was only about $750 U.S. in 2006.

East Timor's economy should improve in coming years. Plans are underway to develop off-shore oil reserves, and the price of cash crops like coffee is rising.

Prehistoric Timor:

The inhabitants of Timor are descended from three waves of migrants. The first to settle the island, Vedo-Australoid people related to Sri Lankans, arrived between 40,000 and 20,000 B.C. A second wave of Melanesian people around 3,000 B.C. drove the original inhabitants, called Atoni, up into the interior of Timor. The Melanesians were followed by Malay and Hakka people from southern China.

Most of the Timorese practiced subsistence agriculture. Frequent visits from sea-going Arab, Chinese, and Gujerati traders brought in metal goods, silks, and rice; the Timorese exported beeswax, spices, and fragrant sandalwood.

History of Timor, 1515-present:

By the time the Portuguese made contact with Timor in the early sixteenth century, it was divided into a number of small fiefdoms. The largest was the kingdom of Wehale, composed of a mixture of Tetum, Kemak, and Bunak peoples.

Portuguese explorers claimed Timor for their king in 1515, lured by the promise of spices. For the next 460 years, the Portuguese controlled the eastern half of the island, while the Dutch East India Company took the western half as part of its Indonesian holdings. The Portuguese ruled coastal regions in cooperation with local leaders, but had very little influence in the mountainous interior.

Although their hold on East Timor was tenuous, in 1702 the Portuguese officially added the region to their empire, renaming it "Portuguese Timor." Portugal used East Timor mainly as a dumping ground for exiled convicts.

The formal boundary between the Dutch and Portuguese sides of Timor was not drawn until 1916, when the modern-day border was fixed by the Hague.

In 1941, Australian and Dutch soldiers occupied Timor, hoping to fend off an anticipated invasion by the Imperial Japanese Army. Japan seized the island in February of 1942; the surviving Allied soldiers then joined with local people in guerilla war against the Japanese. Japanese reprisals against the Timorese left about one in ten of the island's population dead, a total of more than 50,000 people.

After the Japanese surrender in 1945, control of East Timor was returned to Portugal. Indonesia declared its independence from the Dutch, but made no mention of annexing East Timor.

In 1974, a coup in Portugal moved the country from a rightist dictatorship to a democracy. The new regime sought to disentangle Portugal from its overseas colonies, a move that the other European colonial powers had made some 20 years earlier. East Timor declared its independence in 1975.

In December of that year, Indonesia invaded East Timor, capturing Dili after just six hours of fighting. Jakarta declaring the region the 27th Indonesian province. This annexation, however, was not recognized by the UN.

Over the next year, between 60,000 and 100,000 Timorese were massacred by Indonesian troops, along with five foreign journalists.

Timorese guerillas kept fighting, but Indonesia did not withdraw until after the fall of Suharto in 1998. When the Timorese voted for independence in an August, 1999 referendum, Indonesian troops destroyed the country's infrastructure.

East Timor joined the UN on September 27, 2002.