In this Issue...

Special Features...
Adrift Madagascar - Pages 8-9
Unleasing Mount Kilimanjaro - Pages 12-13
Walking With the Masai - Pages 15-16
Water Rafting - Page 18
Festival of the Desert - Pages 22-24
Zambezi - The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park - Pages 26-27
Cycling Malawi - Pages 28-29
Matetsi Game Lodge - Zimbabwes Tourist Haven - Pages 30-31
Designs on Africa - Pages 32-33
Bujagali, the Falls that never sleep - Pages 40-41
Akagera National Park - Page 46

Plus Regulars...
Living the Cause - The Joy of Volunteering - Pages 38-39
Extra Shots - The Picture Session - Pages 42-45
Travellers Diary - We Hear From You - Page 53
Must Know - Travel Tips - Page 54

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 Editors Note...
W
hoever called Africa the Dark Continent without a
doubt must have been blind. If there is anything
Africa can proudly boast of, it is light. Even as the
day turns into night in Africa you can't help but notice the
excitement in the air.
It is for this reason that Africa Travel Extra is transporting you
to and from Africa in this new must read publication. All you
have to do is turn the pages and feel the thrills as you discover
what Africa has to offer you.
In a matter of minutes we are giving you an unforgettable
experience of Africa. From the warm African sun, spectacular
view, rich history of the African people to the stunning landscapes
of nature we give you a delightful insight into the unseen.
Discover Ivory Coast's bigger than big church and get to know
why Mt. Kilimanjaro is the epitome of adventure.
Acquiring knowledge of what is in Africa without knowing how
it revolves around the world is not enough believe me!
In this issue we give you an extra touch by revealing as much of
this continent as we can.
Do enjoy the unfolding journey into Africa.

Editor: Josephine.K.Nakimuli

Managing Director: Ben Muchenje Africa Travel and Tours

Creative Director: Joey Kigozi
Africa Travel and Tours is an event exclusively for tourist and
Graphic Design: Ian Curtis professionals, tour operators, travel agencies, and other professionals
First Sight Graphics related to the field. Growing in importance each year owing to its sharp
Email: firstsightgraphics@mac.com industry forecast, exhibitors include European, and African tour
operators, carriers, car hire suppliers, hotels, and attractions. The event
Contributors: will be held at Alexander Palace in August 2007.
David Cawley
Dyton Ngondishaze. This event promises to be a major opportunity for all partners with an
Flavia Nakagwa established interest in the European market.
Garikai Chimuka
Rachael Moore Event Date: August 2007
Rebecca Ford
Richard Smith Venue
Ron Toft Alexandra Palace, Alexandra Palace Way, Wood Green, London N22 7AY
Tawanda Kanhema
Thomas Kagera Registration Details
Tony Howard For the convenience of our delegates, application forms can be
Zion Mumbejja downloaded from www.africatravelandtours.com
Kindly complete the application form and send it to: BMJ Solutions LTD,
Africa Travel Extra is published by: Unit 9 Georgian Village Walthamstow E17 3HX
BMJ Media
Unit 9,100 Wood Street Contact Details:
Walthamstow Bmj- solutions@hotmail.co.uk
London, E17 3HX Tel: 0208 520 8931
United Kingdom Fax: 0208 599 0292
(Out of hours) 0787 648 2252

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 9 .

1 .
7 .

4 .

5 .

6 .
3 .

2 .
8 .

THIS MONTHS FEATURED COUNTRIES ARE

1. Uganda 4. Rwanda 7. Kenya
2. Zimbabwe 5. Tanzania 8. Madagascar
3. Zambia 6. Malawi 9. Mali

Please see map above for locations

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A way

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F araway

R ivers Flow
Ext
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I n and Out

C asting See It All Here In The

A wesome Scenarios Extra Touch Issue...

T ime Stops

R evealing

A mazing

V iews

E xcitingly

L arger Than Life

E xperience This

X tra

T ouch

R elax

A nd Take a Flight

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 Extra News

World Tourism
T
he global tourism market has recorded gradual growth trends in the past
three years, and the industry is showing growing resilience to instability in
main tourism regions, with 236 million international tourist arrivals having

Up in 2006, been recorded in the first four months of 2006, a 4,5 per cent jump from 2005.
The global tourism industry, which had 226 million international arrivals during the same

Africa Emerges
period last year, recorded a 10 million jump in arrivals this year, with Africa and the Middle
East leading the way.
However, with the resurgence of hostilities in the Middle East, especially in Israel and

Global Favourite Lebanon, whose tourism sectors had been growing impressively in the past years, tourism
in the region is expected to take a dip, with prospects for Africa remaining uncertain.
The United Nations United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) reported that
there had been a sustained growth in global tourism demand since 2004 and Africa and the
By Middle East had both recorded an 11 per cent increase in tourism arrivals over 2005.
The scales are tilting towards Africa and the Middle East, which led the way while Asia

Tawanda and the Pacific recorded a growth of 8 per cent thanks to the disaster tourism campaign.
The Americas recorded a 2,7 per cent growth, while Europe had only 2,5 per cent.

Kanhema Zimbabwes tourism industry, however recorded a dip in tourism earnings, with US$21,2
million having been recorded in the first quarter of this year, down from US$30.5 million
recorded in the same period last year.
in Harare In the Middle East, Israel registered a 30 per cent growth in tourism arrivals in the run-
up to the outbreak of hostilities with the Lebanon-based Hezbollah movement, while
Lebanon itself had registered the highest regional tourism with 49 per cent in international
tourist arrivals.
African destinations, which has long suffered the impact of negative global media reports
on security threats and crime rates on the continent, is beginning to benefit from the
relative calm that now prevails in the region.
Tourism growth in Africa is reported to have been stronger in Sub-Saharan Africa, where
it recorded an excess of 12 per cent, with Kenya, South Africa and the Seychelles having
registered remarkable growth.
The UNTWO maintained that the recent events in the Middle East would not mar the
future of global tourism. The organization noted that 2006s trends confirmed that the
disruptions would affect destinations at a local level, but would not alter global
or regional traffic flows.
International tourism has now entered a more stable phase of
sustained demand without big peaks and troughs. Although the
rate of growth is slowing gradually, international tourism is
firmly on track to grow at a rate above the long-term
average of 4% for the third year in a row now barring
unexpected events, of course, said UNWTO
Secretary General Francesco Frangialli.
The major factors contributing to growth in
tourism were the favourable economic
conditions in main global source markets
and the efforts and initiatives to
expand the tourism industry by
national administrations.

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 Extra News

Southern Africa Tourism Gears

for 2010 World Cup
The granting of the right to host the
World Cup to South Africa in 2010
created a massive euphoria and
excitement for Southern African
tourism. What with the expected 300
000 visitors to grace the month long
soccer jamboree and an estimated 4
billion of global viewers on television?
A
s the final whistle for the
2006 World Cup in Germany
was blown, attention
quickly focused on South Africa
2010. To this end, Tourism and
Sports ministers in the Southern
African Development Community
(SADC) met in Botswana in August
2006 under the auspices of Regional
Tourism Organization of Southern
Africa (RETOSA) to design a
common marketing and branding
strategy for the event to ensure
maximum benefits to the region.
One of the issues to have emerged

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 Extra News

during the meeting was the fundamental need to introduce a

uni-visa system to facilitate easy entry of tourists in all the
countries. The role of tailor making regional tourism
packages was also emphasized.
It is thus hoped that the preparations will gather
momentum as the event approaches so that soccer fans
and tourists can enjoy an African World Cup thus fully
silence some doubting Thomases who have been
questioning Africas readiness to host the event.
Africa Travel extra will strive to keep you posted on
the latest events as Africa works towards producing a
World Cup that will be immortalized in the minds of the
global audience and future unborn generations

Subscription ad to fill...

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 Extra Quirk

When in Rome...Eat This

Now you know where the good

old bananas come from

Coffee, latt, cappuccino

these beans tell you where to get
a good cup.

Fancy a papayayou know where to get one now.!

Market Scene in Madagascar:

Fruit and Vegetables specially
tendered for you
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 Extra Quirk

When in Rome...Dress Like This

K
atherine Nabwire dresses in the Ugandan female
traditional dress called gomesi or busuti by the Baganda
people at her introduction ceremony one of the many
traditional ceremonies that come before the official marriage.
Its special feature is the sharp pointed sleeves and the big attractive
belt ekitambala tied around it.
It is widely worn around the country, and even though the tribes from
western Ugandan have their own specific wear the mushanana, they are
glad on occasions to swap it for the gomesi.
It's made from six metres of cloth that can be of very colourful, plain or
decorated material depending on the one's taste.
It's very popular at traditional wedding give away ceremonies and
public functions. It symbolises the virtual of a woman and its one of the
must give gifts a husband gives his new bride.

Brighten those grey days

with some of this accessory

Next time you feel like you want to

take off those shoes and dance, you
know what to wear

Men, here is your dancing gear

complete with shoes

Bad Hair day? This headscarf

gives you the solution
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Popular for its strong
culture, oneness and
beautiful beaches
Madagascar a South
African Island in the
Indian Ocean east of
Mozambique, is slowly
becoming a reknown
holiday destination.
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D
e s p i t e
having 18
official
tribes and clans that
inhabit the island,
the country shares one
language helping to
contribute to the peoples
warmness not only to one
another but to tourists as
well. A few words from
Bantu and Swahili are
incorporated into the
Malayo-Polynesian dialect.
Malagasy people are a mixture of Asian and
Africans and have inhabited the island for over
1500 years. Most of them migrated from India
and south East Asia moving across the
Indian Ocean before settling
at the island.
Marco Polo the great famous
western traveler reported
Madagascar s
existence
in the
narrative of
his travels.
Madagascar has a wet
tropical feel and is usually warm
with moderate temperatures peaking above
300 C.
Air Madagascar runs flights between Kenya and
Johannesburg whereas Air France runs a direct flight from
Paris. Inter Air also runs a flight from Johannesburg to Ivato
Airport in Madagascar.
From the airport your first stop over in Madagascar is likely to be
Tana short for Antananarivo a pretty crowded noisy city in
Madagascar. Built high above sea level
it has very colourful
houses that are
Adrift Madagascar
well surrounded by the green of nature.
This city is worth a tour as Southwest of it is Analakey where the post office, banks,
restaurants and nightclubs are. Uphill you can find the ruins of Rova, the former
Queens palace. The district of Analakey is also packed with permanent street
markets, as swarms of off white umbrellas perched precariously on old tyre rims
shade the vendors.
Another reknown site with the tourists is Nosy Be fondly called Perfumed
Isle. Nosy Be is surrounded by beautiful water and is premier resort island with
several smaller islands including Nosy Kamba, Nosy Tanikely, Nosy Sakatia
and Nosy Mitsio nearby.
Nosy Be is quite expensive but is popular for a resort style holiday
as it has plenty of restaurants, an electric nightlife and some
excellent dive spots.
The original capital of the Merina Royal family
Ambohimanga (Blue Hill) is another great
place to see in Madagascar.

Ambohimanga hosts a
castle mountain and a large traditional gateway marks the sites
entrance to one of the seven gateways to the eyrie like hilltop. The
kings home the Betavo resembles a black wooden shed.
If you need a touch of the wild, Park National de LIsalo is a great stopover for
a true African feel.
Its a major National park with beautiful scenery and its topography is
characterised by alternating flat grass plains and sandstone ridges that shelter the
animals of the wild.
Despite being the fourth poorest country in the world, the
Malagasy are a happy people, have a sense of oneness
and appreciations of natures gifts. They
are warm friendly people, always
happy to help and many do
shelter tourists in their
huts as they

make inland journeys.

All Visitors do require a visa to Madagascar,
which can be acquired on entry and lasts up to 3months.
The Time Zone in Madagascar is GMT/UTC.

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Unleashing Mt. Kilimanjaro 5895m
By Flavia Nakagwa
Africa is blessed with a number of natural beautiful sceneries that sometimes may go unnoticed
because of their abundance. Tanzania the biggest East African country mainly known for its
Tanzanites, (gem stones) many other natural sites have also added pride to patriotic nationals.

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T
anzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding
mountain in the world and the highest peak in Africa.
Kilimanjaro is also the highest 'walk able' mountain in the
world and is a massive draw for trekkers. For those that have
managed to reach this rewarding summit, the highest point in Africa
deserve a standing ovation.
The extinct volcano of Kilimanjaro is one of the world's most recognizable
peaks. It rises dramatically above the dusty East African plains with the
impressive snow-capped summit awarding awe-inspiring views of this
magnificent landscape. The expedition travels through one of Africa's best-
known game reserves and climbs through five ecosystems, offering a full
mountain experience with the ascent of the continent's highest peak.
Of the Seven Summits, Kilimanjaro with a rocky summit is the least
difficult to climb. However, at over 19,000ft high, it is still a tough ascent and
trekkers will need to be in good physical condition in order for one to enjoy
their trek.
The trekking get better and better at the top where one is assured of a
superb view of the southern cliffs of Kilimanjaro towering up into the clouds.
For those of you who can't face the prospect of spending days on end
clambering up a mountain, but are up for a serious day hike, then the
active volcano Oldonyo Lengai, the Maasai
(Mountain of God) as its called, is one
adventurous good day out, which can easily be incorporated into a safari
around the Northern Parks.
With all the natural vegetation advancing from the fertile mountain soils,
there must be few mountains in the world more alluring than Kilimanjaro.
This snowy summit, floating above the plains of Africa, exudes an
atmosphere of unparalleled remoteness and inaccessibility. The knowledge
that it is far from inaccessible and can be climbed with no technical problems
lures walkers from all over the world, many of them perhaps tackling their
first mountain.
It is sad that many fail in the attempt and perhaps go away with a quite
unjustified hatred of mountains thereafter. The problem of course is height
but if you are not adventurous enough you might miss to get into the
Guinness book of record.
John Mallonga a Mt. Kilimanjaro porter/guide says, A tourist route
starting from Marangu climbs to the summit in four days which for many is
too fast and results in mountain sickness and an unsettling retreat. This
usually happens to many people who after the trek are not even able to feel
their feet, due to the freezing conditions.
With clear stunning views of the Sunrise at Kilimanjaro, sections with in
the mountain have a rain forest where sometimes trekkers have a camping
spot in the areas the vegetation turns to giant heather.
In several spots tiny huts used only for cooking are visible. Many tourists
trekking up the mountain are taken through the rules and one of the
important rules for acclimatization is to drink many litres of fluid although it
may not be possible to do so on some ascent when the water is frozen
in the bottles. On that note remember to carry some hot tea
or coffee in strong flasks.
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Walking with
I
t is the middle of the night. I am sitting outdoors on a pit toilet,
while a Masai warrior armed with a spear, stands guard nearby. I
peer nervously into the inky darkness, hoping that the lion I heard
earlier has moved away from our camp, and wondering just what I'd do
if suddenly confronted by a luminous pair of feline eyes. A crackle in
the undergrowth sends me rushing over to my guard, who escorts me
back to my tent. I zip it up and climb into bed, heart pounding. A few
minutes later the roar of a lion shudders through the night.
I was on an eco-safari in Kenya and every activity - even a trip to the loo -
was proving to be an adventure. Our camp was in the Masai Mara, home to the
Masai people and boasting the greatest diversity of animals in Africa. Come
here and you can see everything from lions and leopards to giraffes and jackals.
And on an eco-trip you get as close to nature as is possible, staying in
comfortable camps in the bush - rather than the luxurious bubble of large safari
lodges; and walking, as well as driving, through the wilderness.
It was a 45 minute flight from Nairobi to the Masai Mara. We were met by a
tall Masai warrior, wearing traditional scarlet robes and holding a spear. He
smiled and introduced himself as William our driver /guide. It was the end of
the migration period, and hundreds of wildebeest were still grazing on the arid
plains, their clumsy hulks mingling with the muscular frames of zebras. As we
drove to Base Camp in an open Land Rover, William pointed out elegant
gazelles, impala, a Secretary bird strutting slowly past, an olive baboon and a
Tawny eagle flying lazily overhead. Later we saw a male ostrich, his neck and
legs flushed a passionate pink, an indication he is ready to mate. It was my first
trip to Africa and I was amazed at the proximity of the animals.
Eventually we reach Base Camp - 15 tents on raised platforms with

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the Maasai

verandahs, large beds, bathrooms with open- to- the -

skies showers and toilets - even hot water and electricity.
The toilets are simple pits, but wooden seats preserve the
western conceit. Situated on land leased from the Masai,
the camp is solar powered and run on sound eco lines. To
my relief, it is also very comfortable. We lunch in the
central lodge, a feast of fresh bread, soup, meat and
vegetarian stews, and lots of fruit.
Late that afternoon we take a game drive into the
National Nature Reserve (animals are most active at dawn
and dusk). We quickly find jackals, hyenas, a bat eared
fox, eland, impala, and a family of warthogs trotting across
the plain, their tails pointing skywards like fuzzy
flagpoles. Everywhere we look there is some new
creature at which to wonder. Wildebeest edge cautiously
down a riverbank to drink, then charge out wildly to
escape any lurking crocodiles. Birds land on thorn trees
like animated jewels, while vultures circle in the distance
- avian testimony to some recent drama. It all fascinates
me. And then we find a lioness and three young cubs.
She is trying to lead them across a stream to join others
in her pride, but while two follow, another sits looking
dismally at the water. She growls encouragement, but
refuses to go back. It is five minutes before he plucks up
the courage to splash across. His mother rewards him
with generous licks of her thick pink tongue.
I hardly sleep that night, a mix of excitement and
elephants tramping noisily in the nearby river. We rise at
six, and after coffee and biscuits, set off for another game
drive. We are already blas about the wildebeest and
zebra, but squeal at a giraffe with a baby, still wet and
wobbly from its recent birth. Then we find some
elephants. They also have a tiny baby in tow, but have no
intention of letting us near and vanish into some scrub.
But we find more, and observe them until a large male
suddenly faces our vehicle and widens his ears as if
preparing to charge. We drive on.
That evening we transfer to our Bush Camp. After
trying our hand at spear throwing - which the Masai find
immensely amusing - we eat delicious bean stew,

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then all sit round the fire, swapping stories in the
gloom. Night brings the bush to life, and I hardly
sleep again, ears alert to every rustle.
At dawn we set off on our first bush walk,
accompanied by three Maasai: Daniel and Amos,
who carry spears; and Ndorobo, ('the hunter') an ex
poacher and expert bushman, who is armed with a
bow and arrows. No-one has a gun. Amos tells us
the rules. If we meet a lion - stand close together,
to look like one large animal. If we meet buffalo,
climb a tree (I groan inwardly, I don't do agile) or lie
face down. As for elephants, we'll keep well away,
walking downwind as soon as the Maasai spot them
- elephants have poor eyesight but an excellent
sense of smell. Above all, we mustn't run. I feel
increasingly nervous. What was that - lie down for
lions? No, that was buffalo. What if we meet a
long-sighted elephant? And what if my legs panic and run away before I hyena droppings - coloured by the
can stop them? calcium in the bones they consume.
We set off, Daniel and Ndorobo out in front. As we walk I see impala Suddenly we stop. Daniel and Ndorobo point to some scrub about a
and Thompson's gazelle, but whereas in the Land Rover they would hundred yards away. They shout and I catch the word 'simba' - Swahili
have ignored us, now they scatter hurriedly. On foot we are just another for lion. Daniel and Ndorobo race forwards, shouting and waving their
creature of the plains. Then the Maasai spot three lionesses and several spears. An enormous male lion stands up, opens his mouth and roars.
cubs in the distance. My legs wobble. We could fend off one lion - but With impressive speed I dart behind Amos. The lion
three? We change direction and slip away. I start to imagine buffalo in roars again, then turns tail and lollops into the bush. I
every bush and hope desperately that we meet nothing larger than a do a cartoon character gulp and note with
warthog. interest the sound of my heart pounding wildly
We find an 'olpul' a fenced camp used by young Maasai warriors who in my ears. But, as we return to camp in the
live for months alone in the bush, practising skills like spear throwing - cool of the evening, I realise that I
and hunting lions. They show me acacia trees that are used to aid can't wait to do it again.
digestion, and we come across a fresh kill. I still feel scared, but the
beauty of walking is that you see the small things. It is the best way of
getting to understand a landscape. Eventually we return to camp, and
breakfast on fresh bread, beans, bananas and rich brown coffee.
I shower, then laze outside my tent reading. After lunch the others leave
and I am alone with the Maasai. We are due to have an evening walk.
I want to go, but feel my courage failing. I request a walk in which I meet
nothing bigger than say, a mongoose. They say they'll try - but there are
no guarantees in this wilderness.
We walk slowly, talking about their uses for trees and plants, like the
African greenheart tree, the roots and bark of which contain quinine and
are used to cure malaria. I find an arrow head, and we examine large,
fibrous mounds of elephant dung, dainty gazelle droppings, and chalky

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Fact File
Eco-resorts offer a wide range of specialist safaris in Kenya - and dik dik (Africa's smallest antelope)
www.eco-resorts.com ranging in length from 4 days to 2 weeks. They Small carnivores - hyenas, bat eared fox, banded mongooses, jackals
donate 10% of their post tax profits to community projects in Kenya. Primates - baboons, sykes monkey, vervit monkey
Kenya Airways - www.kenya-airways.com, fly from London Heathrow Birds - hundreds of species such as black headed kites, tawny eagles,
to Nairobi - their Premier World Class service has comfy seats that small bee eaters, marabou stork, hoopoe, vultures, ostrich, Secretary
convert to flat beds, prices around 1,680 + tax; economy class prices bird and Kori bustard - Africa's heaviest flying bird
around 411 + tax.
What you might see on a walking safari
What you could see on a driven safari You might come across most of the above - but are unlikely to get close
The Big Five - lions, leopards, buffalo (more dangerous than all the others), to them (you hope in some cases). You also see trees and bushes like
rhino and elephants - also hippos and rarely, cheetah thorn trees and acacia, wild flowers, insects -
Herbivores - wildebeest, zebra, giraffe, Thompson's gazelle, Grant's including stunning butterflies, Maasai camps, animal tracks and
gazelle, Impala, Eland, Topi animal droppings.

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White Water Rafting
Activity of the weekend
By Dyton Mupawaenda

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R
afting on the Zambezi River, the fourth largest river in Africa, is an
exciting experience but only for the daring traveller adrenalin junkies
who enjoy living on the edge each time they perform.
The sport of white water rafting on the Zambezi, as we know it, started with
the North American Adventure Company, Sobek.
Their name comes from the ancient Egyptian River God, which they adopted
in 1973 when they first braved the Omo and the Awash rivers of Ethiopia.
Sobek have pioneered 200 rivers in 60 countries.
Today white water rafting is a major industry in Southern Africa, the focal
point of the annual Zambezi River Festival, and the main reason why many,
especially young people visit the falls.
The concepts of water rafting appear to be simple but can actually turn out to
be for those who want to taste the characters.
River-runners, in groups of five to seven people, listen to a safety pep talk, don
life jackets and helmets, and tackle the water with one trained oarsperson at
the at the helm.
Each run usually covers 10 rapids, and up to 22 km of bucking, twisting,
screaming adventure. The oarsperson calls out when to shift your weight and
how to pop out of the maelstrom if you are thrown overboard.
The ferocity of the Zambezi as you are blasted through the gorges is combated
by the flexibility of the big rubber rafts, growing confidence in your raftmates,
and the sheer adrenalin rush of riding the roughest rapids in the world.
The quiet stretches stretches of water between the rapids, and the high cliffs
on either side, bring welcome contrast and relief, but soon the current builds up
again, the river rumbles and churns, and once again you are hurled over the
precipice or slammed into surging walls of green, white water.
Then suddenly it is all over as you drift across the calm, deep water of the
Batoka Gorge, you realise, finally, that you have done it. You have joined the
elite band of river runners that have challenged and beaten the Zambezi.

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 Honeymoon of a
lifetime in
Southern Africa
By Tawanda Kanhema in
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe

A
frica Travel Extra Magazine caught up with San
Francisco-based movie producer, Paul
Greenstone, and his wife Naomi Schnyder
Greenstone an attorney at Matetsi Game Lodges in
Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe and the two gave a testimonial
of their experiences in Zimbabwe, and other southern
African countries.
The wildlife, sights, sounds and people of Mozambique,
South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana made for the most
wonderful honeymoon and the perfect way to begin our life
together as husband and wife. Paul Greenstone said.
My wife, Naomi and I were married on March 26th in Santa
Fe, New Mexico surrounded by approximately 110 of our
closest friends and family. On Monday, March 27th, we began a
three-week honeymoon in Southern Africa, which was nothing
short of perfection.
Four days at Marlin Lodge on the beaches of Benguela Island
off the Southern coast of Mozambique was a wonderful way to
start the honeymoon. This luxurious hideaway with about a 12
beach front stand alone chalets served fantastic gourmet food
and had as many or as few activities as you could want.
Beach walking, snorkeling, a sunset dhao ride, and a special
"bush bath" (complete with privacy, flower petals and bubbles
on our deck) on the Indian Ocean helped us relax from the
stress and excitement of the wedding weekend and the various
flights that got us from New Mexico to Mozambique.
Three days in Cape Town was our next stop. We stayed at
Acorn Lodge at the foot of the Table Mountains and viewable
from our window. We toured Robben Island (the prison where
Nelson Mandela was held for many years) and we sampled
foods and wine at vineyards in Castancia and then at Cape Point
and saw penguins and baboons.
Matetsi Water Lodge was splendid; three nights at this
Zimbabwe luxury lodge was incredibly breathtaking. Morning
and afternoon/night game rides got us close to leopards,
buffalo, giraffe, zebra and elephants, not to mention countless
impala and many species of birds.
Victoria Falls views from both the Zimbabwe and Zambia
sides, the arts and crafts markets, the magical sunsets,
crocodiles and hippos at Zambezi River all gave us a brighter
picture about Africa.
Our final stop was CC Africa's Nxabega Okavango Lodge.
One day, our tracker had to walk us back to our room because
several elephants had "wandered" into our camp. Our luxury
tent made it very easy to hear all the wildlife at night and in the
middle of our first night at the lodge while everyone was

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sleeping, a leopard came into camp and killed and dragged away an impala.
At the public areas where we dined and had tea, we got to enjoy baboons and monkeys resting
on the hammocks.
Naomi had taken a tour of Eastern Africa in 2001 as a birthday gift to her father and she spoke
so fondly of that trip and it's because of her experiences in Africa and my love for photography that
we chose it as our honeymoon destination.
The wildlife, sights, sounds and people of Mozambique, South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana
made the most of our wonderful honeymoon and set for us perfect way to begin our life together
as husband and wife.

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 The Festival of the Desert

I
f ever a festival was 'far out', this is it, both musically and geographically. It started with a revival of the
traditional gathering or takoubelt of nomadic Tuareg families who, after the end of the Tuareg rebellion in
1996, were able to meet annually at the oasis of Essakane, sixty kilometres out in the desert from Timbuktu
- itself two hundred kilometres from the nearest road. In the last five years it has become the Woodstock of the
Sahara and it's all thanks to the efforts of one Tuareg of whom Habib Koite, one of Mali's leading musicians said
I was thrilled that it was my friend Manny Ansar who had the power and the vision to make this happen.
And what a vision! Who could have imagined it would be possible to create an international festival in such a
remote place, difficult to reach, yet exquisitely beautiful, almost lunar, with its surreal snow-white dunes rolling
wave on wave out of the endless tree studded sahel.
We heard about it when it first started back in 2001 but other trips intervened every winter so this year we
decided it was now or never, before the festival became too popular and lost its roots. We needn't have worried,
over half the fifteen hundred visitors were local Tuareg, many coming in from the desert with their camels,
families and tents, creating a truly ethnic ambience that permeated every aspect of
the festival. Manny wants it to

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stay that way.
Getting there has its problems. Small planes fly to Timbuktu from
Bamako and Mopti, but unless you can get on the larger festival charter, you will be lucky to get a
seat. That leaves two choices - a boat down the Niger from Mopti, or a long desert drive. The three-day river
trip is a good option, but this year, as is usual, the last passenger-cargo boat sailed two weeks before the festival,
which is in mid-January. After then, the river is too shallow for the boat to make the journey, so it's necessary
to hire a small pirogue, which entails spending a few days in Mopti trying to meet other travellers. You might
be lucky - we weren't - the only alternative you are left with is to hire a vehicle for the four hundred kilometre
journey, half of which is across the desert.
If the vehicle and driver are good, as ours were, this is not a bad option and you really get to appreciate the
remoteness of your destination. If you are lucky you may even make Timbuktu in a day, crossing the Niger by
ferry as the sun sets, turning the river red. Once there, your problems are still not over; unless you arrange a
festival pass with transport to the site, you will have to hunt round for vehicles heading out west into the sands.
Not that it matters unduly, Timbuktu is a laid back place in which to spend a few days - apart from the festival
and the end of the Tuareg rebellion, nothing much has happened there since the sixteenth century when it was
a centre of Islamic learning and Saharan trade. The day before the festival there will be plenty of vehicles going
your way and, if like us, you've booked accommodation at the festival, there are goatskin benders concealed
amongst the dunes with food tents not far away, all maintaining the Tuareg ambience. For this reason, if you
bring your own tent, you will need to camp out of view in the trees on the perimeter of the site.
It's well thought out and organised and we were impressed. Living in a bender was great, the food was plentiful
with good breakfasts and main meals of Tuareg staples twice a day: rice, couscous or pasta with veg or meat.
There were even toilet cubicles and showers (though water ran out in the showers after the first day, but what
do you expect sixty kilometres beyond one of the Sahara's remotest towns!). Strangely some Belgians expected
more - they left in mid-festival complaining that their bender had no door, the food and the toilets weren't up to
standard and the showers didn't work. How sad can you get!
We arrived there the day before the festival, to watch the Tuareg arriving in their indigo or otherwise colourful
flowing robes, swords slung over their shoulders, sitting high on their decorated camels. Tents and benders
were going up, fires lit, old friends gathering, musicians jamming together, a true festival atmosphere building.

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 Mornings - as at all festivals - were lazy, music playing in the distance, Tuareg assembling for camel races
and demonstrations of riding prowess and swordsmanship. By mid afternoon, dancers, singers and
musicians including Tuareg groups such as Tiris and Tartit who have appeared internationally, were
coming together in tents and at the small Dune Stage. The women performing the Tinde dancing and
drumming were in their finery, their hands hennaed and silver jewellery braided into their hair. The men,
flambuoyant in their coloured robes, assembled in a circle for the strange 'love dance' of Takamba,
meaning give me your hand in which seated dancers make slow, sensuous Tai Chi-like movements of
the arms and hands. The Songhai entertained us with a different version done standing and using the
whole body.
As the dune shadows lengthened and the full moon rose, the Main Stage came into use, a hidden
generator soundlessly powering amps and lights for the night-time gigs which continued into the early
hours. There's even a beer tent, which can't be bad! How wacky can life be, crashed out opposite the stage
on a silver dune one night and up close with Tuaregs on camels on other nights for the full-on audio-visual
experience of colourful and renowned Malian and African bands such as Takamba, Takrist, Dimi Mint
Abba, Baba Salah, Sekouba Bambino and Habib Koite. Magic!
The festival continues for three days of great music and culture with bands from across West Africa. A
South American dance group gave a remarkable performance of Native American and African music and
a couple of Irish bands with bodrum and didj brought a change of sound that fitted well with the African
music as lovers of Afro-Celt will know as did the slide guitar playing of American Markus James,
accompanied by members of Tinariwen.
We left early the morning after the festival, being amongst the lucky few with a plane to catch, but
getting back across the desert to Timbuktu proved tricky. Our beat-up car collapsed when it hit a bump.
The rear spring connection had broken, which didn't bode well; if we missed our Timbuktu plane we would
miss our flight home!
The driver wasn't worried. Having chopped a small tree down, he cut it into two short pieces and
hammered them into the joint, forcing it open and lifting the body of the car marginally off the wheel. He
then tied the wood in place with a piece of rope and we limped into town in plenty of time for our flight.
It had been a great festival and an unforgettable celebration of the varied and vibrant Saharan culture
in a remote and beautiful desert location. Truly far out!

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 Contacts
West Africa Tours (who arranged our festival visit. The owner is the cousin of Manny Ansar,
the Festival Director) email Deo: ldl@afribone.net.ml

Tuareg Tours also provided information, email Natascha: info.tuaregtours.com@agat.net

Saga Tours, Mali (not the UK Saga) email: sagatours@cefib.com

Dogon adventures, website www.dogon-adventures.mali.com

Dogon Guide (at Maison des Arts) Abdina Lougu, email: abdina_lougue@yahoo.fr

Hotel Maison des Arts, Sevar, Kay & Amadou Bedar Guindo. Tel 00223 242 08 53

Desert guide, Timbuktu, Mohamed al Hassane, known as Halis, email: elmoctar@yahoo.com

Chaufeur driven ORV, Boubacar Mazour Cisse. Tel 00223 281 0000, mob 00223 639 2365

Sarah Castle, Secretary, Friends of Mali. Tel 07800 872051, email: info@friendsofmali-uk.org

Visas & International travel from UK and Europe

Visas - Consulat Gnral du Mali, 64 Rue Pelleport, 75020 PARIS, FRANCE

Afriqiyah Airways. Gatwick to Bamako. Website www.afriqiyah.aero, tel 0171 430 0284

Point Afriqe, charters from Paris to Mopti. Email: contact@point-afrique.com

Imaginative Traveler, email: martin@imtrav.net

Dragoman, website www.dragoman.co.uk/

Guerba, email: chris@guerba.co.uk

Festivals & Festival related CDs and DVDs

Desert Festival, annually in Jan. Website: http://www.festival-au-desert.org

Festival on the Niger, Segou. Feb. Website http://www.festivalsegou.org/homepage.htm Kidal

Traditional Tuareg Festival every Jan. Website http://www.kidal.info/ESSOUK/

Desert Blues 1 and 2. Two double CD sets of Saharan music including many festival performers

Savane. Ali Farka Toure. CD

Tinariwen. Tuareg 'rock' band. CD.

The Festival in the Desert. 2003. Lionel Brouet. DVD.

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F
or a rare experience of the world's best elephant, lion and craggy cliffs and meandering rivers.
leopard sightings in a mega-park straddling across the Spanning over 35 000 square kilometers, Great Limpopo is Africa's
frontiers of three countries without immigration hassles, largest mega-park, and encompasses Kruger National Park in South
the newly established Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park (GLTP) Africa, Limpopo in Mozambique and the Gonarezhou National Park
is the ideal destination. in Zimbabwe. It has become one of the biggest tourist
Resonating with diverse animal species and gaping deep attractions in the region, attracting more than 1,3 million
into Zimbabwe's southern frontier with South Africa tourists annually.
and Mozambique, Great Limpopo is one The park sits in the heart of a region that is home to
of the last parks where wildlife the World Cup 2010 soccer tournament to be held in
can be viewed in its South Africa, and international conservation unions,
natural habitat, tourist operators and investors have turned their
with its attention on the expansive sub-Saharan wildlife
scenic, habitat, with amazing results.

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 Great Limpopo's Zimbabwean side, Gonarezhou (Shona for the place
of many elephants), has risen from over two decades of stony sleep,
with over 10 000 herd of elephants and now has some of the region's
biggest safari operations. The park has fascinating natural sceneries
along the course of the meandering rivers that tear through it.
The Frankfurt Zoological Society this month (November 2006)
pledged over US$4 million conservation and infrastructural support to
assist in the development of the Zimbabwean side of GLTP, and the
park is going to get a facelift in anticipation of growth in tourist arrivals
in the region.
Tourism in southern Africa is mainly concentrated in the region's vast
wildlife habitats. Before being incorporated into GLTP, Kruger National
Park received an average of one million tourists a year, just about
Zimbabwe's annual tourist turnout for all resorts put together, and
arrivals have grown significantly since the opening of the mega-park.
The three parks have pooled their
resources and are now operating as a
peace park wherein tourists are
able to tour
Fact Box GLTP
The total surface area of the Transfrontier Park is
approximately 35,000 km.
It is a link with Limpopo National Park in Mozambique,
Kruger National Park in South Africa, Gonarezhou
National Park, Manjinji Pan Sanctuary and Malipati Safari
Area in Zimbabwe.
The Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park is a world-class
eco-tourism destination that comprises a vast area of the
lowland savannah ecosystem.
all corners of the park, camp and engage in photographic safaris
without having to go through immigration hassles.
So far, South Africa has already torn down the game fence on Kruger's
border with Gonarezhou, making way for animals to wander to either
side of the border. The park's development into the vibrant wildlife
habitat warranted by its vast animal population and diversity has led to
the creation of one of the best wildlife safaris in the region.
The Save (Sabi), Runde and Mwenezi rivers meander through the
park, forming scenic pools and oases along their course and in them can
be found the Zambezi Shark, Freshwater Goby, Black Bream and the
turquoise killifish.
GLTP features some of Africa's largest tusked elephants, and rare
predators such as the king cheetah, and it easily qualifies as the world's
most diverse and scenic wildlife habitat.
Five major river systems cross this eco region in a generally
west-east flow.
The park is home to at least 147 mammals, 116 reptiles, 49
species of fish, 34 different species of frogs, and an incredible
500 or more species of birds. In addition, at least 2 000
species of plants have been identified.
GLTP a great animal kingdom indeed.
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 Cycling Malawi
"It looks like Scotland shouted one,
reminds me of Wales responded another,
voices quivering and shuddering from the
impact of ruts and pot holes on the larynx.
Suddenly, landscape comparisons turned to
yelps and profanities as unexpected and
undignified separations from the saddle
brought a select few closer to this country
than was really necessary. We were
already exhausted, both hot and bothered,
covered in mud and three out of a group of
ten inexperienced cyclists just had a taste of
sub-Saharan dirt amongst a tangled heap
of limbs and bicycle parts. Having left the
capital Lilongwe on the plateau region
some 5000ft (1500m) above sea level we
plunged literally on the second day over
pitted dirt tracks through deciduous
woodland to the fertile and lovely Shire
Valley and Lake Malawi below.
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R
iding the sometimes unpredictable hybrid
mountain bike northwards had begun early in
the morning to avoid the barbaric heat and
humidity. Every couple of hours it was necessary to re
apply sun cream over filthy and sweat soaked skin,
snack, drink and perform any maintenance needed on
bike and body. People passed-by, many stopped to
stare. Men wanted to practise their English while the
women seemingly all with close cropped hair
remained silent, coy yet prone to the occasional
pointing and giggling at our quite wretched state.
That evening was spent at the Nkotakhota Pottery Lodge,
the first of the overnight pit stops by the lakeshore before
continuing our journey up the middle third of the lake.
Across the water to the east, were the mountains of
Mozambique and Tanzania. In the foreground, like smoke
plumes from burning tyres, dense clouds of lake flies, known
locally as Kungu, hovered over the surface. Godfrey, our
guide, told me they were caught in nets, crushed to a pulp
and then eaten. I spent the week content to eat a steady,
bland but always welcome diet of chicken and rice, followed
by liberal applications of deep heat and the rather good local
gin - the extra quinine in Malawi tonic was said to deter
interest from mosquitoes.
At sunset, wallowing in the warm lake water that gently
lapped an idyllic, pristine, white sandy beach was further
relief for complaining muscles. The therapy was short lived.
While drying myself off, Godfrey then decided to warn me of
the potential dangers from all the local aquatic creatures
great and small. Clusters of reed beds scattered along the
banks of the water can be colonised with snails infected with
bilharzia. (A nasty parasite that will enter the body through
any orifice available, whether clothed or not). It may be
worth - he also suggested rather too calmly and belatedly -
staying out of the water between 6pm and 6am to avoid rare
but potential attacks from hippo and crocodile. Having
witnessed the Keystone Cop nature of our abilities and sloth
like characteristics of getting started in the mornings, it was
almost surprising he was still around to give any advice at all,
albeit belatedly.
Continuing north, the following days were spent cycling
the undulating, almost traffic-free two-lane M5 highway. Past
smallholdings of fruit and vegetables and larger fields of
cotton and tobacco from which decorated Shaman emerged
having exorcised the evil spirits amongst the crops. Through
villages and past remote thatched homes the constant shouts
from children in Chichewa of Azungo(Foreigner), Give
me money (in English) was, like the heat, relentless. As the
days passed and with our spirits and energy running on
 A drinks stop attracts the curious

empty our once enthusiastic

replies became more and more
muted to eventually mumbled
rudeness. What was once
harmless interactive fun and
banter soon became tiresome
and grated on the nerves. The
sight of the not so great
unwashed wheezing an
overweight and abused body
always brought crowds of the
curious and amused out.
Malawi has the highest
population in Africa with the
majority of homes
concentrated around the more
lowland areas, as the lake has a
valuable food source. Simple farming and collecting food appeared to be the major occupation for many of the inhabitants, though it
was sometimes difficult to distinguish working land from scrub.
In the hectic, dusty and generally run down larger towns we stopped at grocery stores to pick up a lunch usually made up of fresh
bread and tinned sardines before carrying onto find the always elusive secluded spot to eat away from prying eyes of the often hungry
residents. It's never easy to eat when being stared at. It's even harder when you know those looking on intently are so very hungry.
I don't believe anyone of us ever completed a meal.
Peeling off the tarmac onto dirt track for Njaya Lodge, we met up with children on their way home from school. Saddle sore, but
happy to be approaching the next gin and tonic, I got off and started walking with them. Within seconds I had surrendered my bike
and, too tired to care, watched as it carried on ahead wobbling dangerously under a boy less than half my size. The remaining children
then took turns to lead me by both hands wearing my crash helmet; their heads completely disappearing under its crown.
Later reunited with my bike, my feelings of disquiet towards nature returned when I had to share my bamboo hut with more
creatures of the night than you could shake that gargantuan stick insect on my bed at. But the fire red sunrise across the water and
distracting antics of Vervet Monkeys in the neighbouring trees was worth the uneasy penultimate night by the lake.
Just round the rocky coast, the small town of Nkhata Bay - the most northerly point on the Lake reached by David Livingstone -
busily dedicated itself to fishing, ferrying across the lake and separating its few visitors from hard currency. A hectic street market
was selling everything from postcards to coffins (a tragically thriving industry in these days of high HIV infection), while bars blasted
reggae music in the warm late afternoon. There was hustling but it was half-hearted and certainly not persistent or aggressive. Back
at my lodge, local entrepreneurs came to sell jewellery, boats trips, marijuana and wooden crafts or to watch European football on the
bar's television. Business complete they were then quite happy to sit and chat for hours. Joseph a very polite and animated Arsenal
shirt wearing 14 year old told me he was simply trying to earn enough to pay for his
education. He must be making money - his English was excellent.
For those who have never been to Central Africa, Malawi is the perfect introduction
and often said to have the friendliest people and most diverse countryside on the
continent. Don't go expecting to cycle across vast plains covered in big game. Malawi has
little in comparison to its bordering countries. Do go for winning smiles and a genuinely
warm welcome from just about everyone, grand and varied vistas, lovely beaches,
cycling, hiking, watersports and some very effective cheap gin.

A repair and rest stop

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At a time when
Zimbabwe's tourism
industry is going through
one of its most challenging
phases, Matetsi Private
Game Reserve, an up
market luxurious retreat
tucked in Zimbabwe's far
western corner on the
banks of the mighty
Zambezi River, a few
minutes drive from Victoria
Falls, continues to hold up
against the odds.
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Matetsi Game Lodges,
Zimbabwe's tourist haven
Aggressive marketing pays off
By Tawanda Kanhema
in Harare, Zimbabwe
S
panning 15 kilometers of river frontage in an area
with abundant wildlife, the 50,000 hectare reserve
easily stands out as one of Africa 's best venues for
family holidays and photographic safaris with its
abundant water and wildlife safari.
Matetsi Game Lodges easily stands out as the ideal retreat
and resort for game drives, game walks, canoeing, river cruises
and near-exclusive photographic safaris.
Matetsi Water Lodge, located just 38 kilometers upstream
from the Victoria Falls is one of the precious few places along
the entire length of the Zambezi where one can have breakfast,
lunch or dinner on the banks of the river.
The Game Lodges are made up of a Water Lodge, spanning a
considerable length of the Zambezi and the Game Lodge,
planted in the middle of a vast wildlife habitat with vast herd of
buffalo, elephants and some of the best giraffe and zebra
sightings.
Many other species roam the private reserve's 47 000 square
kilometers of safari. I spent a day in the wild at Matetsi Water
Lodge with groups of tourists from the United Kingdom, the
United States, Ireland and Australia.
I arrived at Matetsi by shuttle around 11am, and life was still,
showing the sharp transition from the bristling life of urban
Victoria Falls to the tranquil wilderness.
The first thing that struck me was the density of wildlife at
the Game Lodge, where more than more than 2000 herd of
buffalo and over 7000 elephants roam the salty swamps and
forage across the vast private reserve.
Creatively designed lodges at Matetsi's West, North and East
lodges give the resort a phenomenal elegance that leaves fond
memories with anyone who spends time in its tranquil
environs.
Tourists spending time at Matetsi Water Lodge remarked
that the lodge's hospitality was unexpectedly superb, giving
them royal treatment in an environment that has evidently
taken a lot of resources and effort to create.
I found Matetsi to be a pleasant surprise, the
accommodation is perfect and game viewing has been
exceptional, said Carol Ward, an English tourist from the
United Kingdom.
I was astonished to find my bath bubbling on my return from
an early evening game drive on the first day, and other tourists on
honeymoons and anniversaries even had a bigger shock, with red
roses, candles and bubble baths awaiting them.
Everyone wondered whether they had gone to the correct
room. I am gob smacked as they would say in the UK, said one
tourist when asked what he thought of the Water Lodge's quality
of accommodation and catering facilities.
We employ these small tactics to attach fond memories in the
minds of our guests so that their holidays become memorable,
guests will market our resort by word of mouth, and this is an
important component of our comprehensive marketing effort
Lovemore Chihota, Executive Chairman of Conservation
Corporation Zimbabwe said.
The Namib Desert's sand dunes, Walvis Bay, Botswana's
Okavango Delta and Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls and safaris at
Matetsi Game Lodges are combined in one safari package that
markets resorts irrespective of national boundaries.
CC Africa offers international tourists complete safari packages
beginning from South Africa, where its central reservations are
done. Game lodges and other resorts in the CC Africa chain
therefore benefit equally from the group's central marketing.
From hunting, Matetsi Game lodge, took over to photographic
safaris after great concern, when it's Pretorious Westhood lion
population had been depleted in 1996.It has since established one
of Africa 's most abundant and sought after photographic safaris.
CC Zimbabwe's Matetsi Game Lodge operates on a three-hub
system, which emphasizes on International adventure, wildlife
conservation and assisting communities living in areas near the
game lodges.
The group has so far assisted Monde, Sidobe and Chisuma
communities with health care and health training to reduce the
impact of HIV and AIDS.

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 Designs On Africa
By Ron Toft

I
t was a suggestion that came completely out
of the blue - and it changed Gillie Lightfoot's
life forever.
At a bit of a loose end after graduating from art
college, 22-year-old Gillie was advised by a friend to
consider working in Africa.
Africa was the last thing on my mind at that time,
said Gillie. But the suggestion got me thinking and
one thing led to another.
A year later, much to her surprise, Gillie found
herself working at a safari camp in deepest Zambia.
It was a complete change, but I loved it. It wasn't a
country I had ever dreamed of visiting, let alone living
in. There were no lifelong yearnings - nothing like
that.
Zambia captured Gillie's heart. It's such a colourful,
friendly country with an amazing climate and
lifestyle.
She worked for several safari camps over the next
three years, doing whatever a girl in the bush was
allowed to do in those days, which was basically
catering, before heading down to South Africa where
she bought and briefly ran her own horse safari
business.
Gillie then returned to Zambia. While living in a
remote, game-managed area of the bush between
North Luangwa and South Luangwa National Parks,
she decided to set up a business making and selling

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indigenous textiles.
I had always been creative, though not in a fine art sense,
and I saw what I thought was an opportunity to use my art
college background to produce textiles to sell to local
people and safari camp visitors.
Gillie undertook considerable research in museums,
design studios and bookshops when she returned to
England for a month or two at the end of each year.
For the first five or six years, I experimented with
various styles and colours. I was fascinated and heavily
influenced by the dresses worn by local women and the
imagery on village huts.
In the late 90s, Gillie decided to relocate Tribal Textiles to
Mfuwe on the outskirts of South Luangwa National Park.
Today, the business is continuing to grow and now has a
workforce of 150 to 170 people.
Sales are increasing and I think this year is going to be
an excellent one in terms of exports, continued Gillie.
Although Tribal Textiles is now a large concern, all of its
products - wall hangings, duvet sets, tablecloths, cushion
covers, sarongs, bags and children's goods, among others -
are still made by hand.
The laborious process begins with the cutting, sewing and
fraying of bleached calico cloth. After the material has been
washed and ironed, designs - contemporary Africa, organic,
floral, tribal/traditional, children and Christmas - are piped
onto the fabric with a starch paste just as icing is
piped onto a cake.
Once the designs have dried naturally in the sun, they are
painted in a variety of colours. Next, the fabrics are 'cooked'
in an industrial oven for about one-and-a-half hours to fix
the colours. They are washed once more before the flour-
and-paste design outlines are scraped away.
The final stage of the production process is sewing and
pressing. Goods are then graded and checked for quality
before being packed and dispatched to stockists in the UK,
mainland Europe, the USA, Canada, South Africa, Kenya,
Tanzania and Zambia itself.
Wall hangings, cushion covers and table linen are among
Tribal Textiles' best-selling lines. It depends very much on
whether the market is local or international. Wall hangings
are very popular within Africa, whereas bed covers, cushion
covers, table linen and such like are snapped up by the
export markets.
Gillie, who is in her early 40s, and married with two
young sons, laughingly described Tribal Textiles as a
cottage industry that's gone wrong.
I never imagined that what I started in the bush in 1991
would turn into such a large business providing
employment for so many people.
I came to Zambia to pursue a certain lifestyle, not to run
a business. I told myself that if I managed to do something
creative, something artistic, along the way, then that would
be fantastic. I never visualised things turning out the way
they have.
Each year, Gillie returns to England to see friends and
relatives. But there is no going back. My home and
future are now in Africa.
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 Adila
An Exciting New Fair Trade and Eco-Friendly Company
Louisa Power had a big ouisa, who is 43 and from the UK, saw a gap in the market. A lot

idea. Adila, from the L of fairly traded and eco-friendly products sold in Europe are
badly made and tasteless. Louisa realized that there are plenty
of Europeans who want to help communities and the environment, but

Swahili for just and fair, who want a bit of flair and quality as well - and are prepared to pay for
it. This means that everyone benefits.

is a web-based, fair South African crafts, materials and designs provided Louisa's
inspiration, and disadvantaged South African communities provide her

trade company with a products.

Louisa fell in love with South Africa six years ago, when she visited Cape

difference. Fairly-traded Town, Durban and Kwazulu Natal for a few weeks, looking for locations
to photo shoot garden furniture. That love affair changed her life. She

products, yes. quit her job in the UK and within a few months was back in Cape Town,
this time for half a year. She loved everything about it - the city, the

Eco-friendly products, yes. country, the people - and by this time there was no stopping her. She sold
her house in England, and used the cash to buy a run down house in

But products that are also Langebaan on the west coast.

Since then, Louisa has traveled back and forth between SA and the UK,

stylish, contemporary, fixing up the Langebaan Loft House house and renting it out when she's
not there. That's been a challenge, she says, but wasn't enough. Louisa

and made to a wanted to connect with SA in an even deeper way. That's when she had
the idea for adila. Everywhere she went in SA Louisa found beautiful,

very high standard. hand-made crafts, materials and designs. Some were produced from
rescued materials - intricately woven copper wire, beadwork, recycled

And all from South Africa.
Abalone Ear piece
plastic, discarded cardboard, satin, cotton - and some from natural
materials like mohair. Often they were made by poor and disadvantaged
communities. How could she connect these communities and their
amazing products to buyers in the UK? The answer was simple - by
seeking the highest quality workmanship and materials, adapting
traditional styles to a pared down, contemporary European taste, and
making them available on the internet. The idea for adila was born!
To turn the idea into reality, just last November Louisa headed out in
her not so trusty 35 year old beetle in search of the first adila collection
- interior products and accessories such as handbags, jewellery and
scarves. With a bottle of water, a map (which Louisa can't read) and lots
of enthusiasm, she set off to find products and producers, not just in
Cape Town, but up and down the whole west coast.
That journey was a success. It allowed Louisa to meet the people
behind the products and to choose six remarkable partners to work with

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- community projects, farmers, home workers, designers, each with
Abalone Multi Disc Necklace
their own story to tell.
At the helm of her farm, Bessie Visser is the driving force behind
the adila darling mohair products. During the past 25 years,
Bessie has raised her family alongside those of her farm workers, a
community now on it's third generation. Part of farm life involves the
production of Bessie's luxury mohair wraps and comforters. Every
product is hand dyed and woven on traditional wooden looms, using
skills passed down from mother to daughter. The continued stability
of community life through innovative employment has enabled a
school to be privately funded, ensuring all children at the farm have
access to an education.
A second adila supplier, Kunye, is the Xhosa word for "forward
together" and expresses the ethos behind the Kunye project.
Founder and product designer Alison Coutras began Kunye 11 years
ago with the aim of providing employment and self sufficiency for

both local and rural communities of South

Africa. By taking traditional skills and
applying using waste materials (plastic) some
fantastic modern designs have been created.
For adila's Lime designs, Lizrae Meyer
has combined her passion for design, with
her vast enthusiasm and love of her country.
Lizrae currently employs six Xhosa women
from the townships of Khayelistcha and
Philippi, Cape Town, South Africa. Many of the
women are solely responsible for providing
both an income, and for the care of their
children. Lime only began in 2003, and
Recyled plastic pompom mat already has plans to build a new workshop to
expand it's current production of handcrafted
abalone jewellery.

Adila's Mielie partner was created by designer and owner Adri.

Their fabulous range of off-beat handbags are handmade using
waste/unused cotton from the manufacture of t/shirts. They use as
little machinery as possible, to create as many jobs as possible.
Since starting in 2002 they have grown to a group of approximately
30 people who work from home in the greater Cape Town area.
Working from home means that mothers can be with their children
and transport costs are kept to a minimum. Mielie is Afrikaans for
corn, the staple diet of most South Africans, and probably the first
item on most of the weaver's shopping list.
Two young talented British [IRISH?] designers, Gemma & Lindsey,
have applied their design skills to create a fantastic Ollymolly
product that not only makes use of waste materials, but also
provides employment for 8 women on the West Coast of South
Africa. Housing production in a local community centre keeps
overheads to a minimum, avoids the use of transportation and copper wire and
ensures the weavers are fairly paid for their time and expertise.
bead earrings

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 Adila's final South African designer,
Xhenoga, is an independent empowerment
and skills training program founded by
designer Jeannette Gibson. Xhenoga
employs thirty women from the surrounding
informal settlements of Cape Town. The
studio is filled with laughter, song and plenty
of chatting as the women weave and crochet
the extraordinary designs created by
Jeannette. Xhenoga not only creates much
needed employment, but also provides a
base for the traditional community spirit to
flourish.
In addition to accessories and interiors
from adila's six South African suppliers and
designers, adila also offers contemporary
fine art from Europe. Altaf Kramer is a Dutch
artist based in Amsterdam whose work
continues to evolve as he explores the use of
colour, abstract forms and symbolism to
create works of true beauty and emotion.
Ten percent of the profit from adila sales of
Altaf's paintings are given to adila's newest
connection to South Africa - the Miqlat
sponsored project in Paarl.
Miqlat was founded in 1994 and operates as
a non-profit organisation in South Africa. The
aim and ethos behind Miqlat is to break the
cycle of poverty and desperation through
social development and education. Amongst
Miqlat's numerous community programs
adila has chosen to focus on two.
The Bowy House provides care for
infants/children diagnosed with HIV/AIDS.
Medical care, nutrition, pre-schooling, love
and attention is provided 24 hours a day,
ensuring the highest quality of life is
obtained. Since opening in 2002, 35 children
have been cared for at Bowy House. 14
babies born to HIV+ mothers have been
adopted by families from a number of
countries. 7 children have been re-united
with their families, and are now in the 'Home
Based Care' program.
The Miqlat Centre provides various services
to enable change and hope for a community
facing the realities of poverty. Feeding
programs, literacy classes, life skills
training, vocational skills, assist the people
of Paarl towards self sufficiency and future

Paintings by Altaf Kramer

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development of the community as a whole.
All of adila's products can now be viewed and bought from anywhere in the world on
the adila website (www.adila.co.uk), which was launched just three months ago. On the
website you can also find out more about adila, its history and its partners. And if you
decide to buy an adila product, you will be in for another pleasant surprise. Not only will
you receive a desirable, high-quality product that is helping support people and the
environment in SA, it will also arrive at your door in beautiful packaging - just another
little touch that distinguishes adila from its rivals and promises success for the future.
The 'Molly'
The 'Missy' bag pink handles

The 'Beth'

Boozey box
Poppy Purse

flower on Green
The 'Ellie' Red

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 The Joy Of Volunteering
Having Ugandan friends in the UK, we
always talked about making a trip, but it
never got off the ground. Hearing from
visiting speakers at my mum and dads
church in Stafford, who worked in a rural
hospital in Uganda captured my interest
more. I then dedicated the next few weeks
testing the waters to see if a trip over there,
to work in the Rehabilitation Unit of a
hospital, could become a reality. Things
came together nicely, and I flew out from
Heathrow in September 2004 and arrived in
Entebbe to a beautiful purple and red sunrise
feeling. I had definitely arrived in Africa.
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T
he hospital where I was to work was in
the Southwestern part of this beautiful
African country popularly known as the
pearl of Africa. I squashed onto a southwest
bound coach with about a hundred other people
and a few hens to take the seven-hour journey
to Kisiizi Hospital. We were out of the city at
high speeds pausing at lots of small villages on
the way. I got a few amazed stares from the
children who crowded round the bus selling
foodstuffs at each stop.
The bus eventually swung onto a very bumpy dirt
track for an hour that I learnt led to Kisiizi where I
was to be living for the next few months. Kisiizi
hospital, run by the Church of Uganda is in a beautiful
area of rural South West Uganda, at the foot of
mountains, and near a waterfall.
I was warmly welcomed and showed my living
quarters a basic squeaky clean room with lots of
religious art on the wall. I started to feel home sick
almost immediately but the feeling wasnt to last.
Certainly not with the friendly staff and children at
the hospital not to mention the villagers. I met lots of
people that night and despite no television or
anything that occupies the eyes in the world I knew,
the night went fast as the
community had organised
special dances to welcome us.
The campfire outside made it all
more exciting and it seemed
I was living off a story in a
fairy tale.
The Rehabilitation unit where
I worked covers psychiatry,
medical, childrens' and surgical
ward, and offers occupational
therapy and physiotherapy. The
Rehab school consists of mainly
the rehab kids. They have to
come in for a camp that
happens 2 or 3 times a year.
This particular camp was an
operation to treat clubfoot and
the children had to live at the
hospital for a few weeks and
have exercise classes and
their plasters changed. The children wrote and drew
fascinating pictures about their lives, what they did at school and what they did at home. The activities in the stories included herding
cattle, building houses, fetching water and digging.
The hospital runs a chapel at 8am every morning where prayers and Bible teaching are held. Fellowship services are a regular feature
of Kisiizi life, characterised by absolutely amazing singing with the back up of drums.
Kisiizi hospital treats patients from a catchment area roughly the size of Wales, who come, on foot or on the back of a pick-up truck
to receive high quality care from the doctors and nurses who work so hard, with far less equipment that
would be the standard in a UK hospital.
Each day came with a different story
and I certainly had a few learning points
during my stay that I wouldnt trade for
another experience. This kind of
experience is not only for the free spirited
cause even as conservative as I though I
was I had a humbling fun time.
During my stay I also visited Bwindi
Impenetrable forest, a natural habitat of
Gorillas, that is five hours away from
Kisiizi and is visited by tourists from all
over the world. I also visited nearby Lake
Bunyoni which is really beautiful but that
is another story altogether.

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 Bujagali, the

Every country is unique in its

own way, but the uniqueness of
some countries is more overt
than that of others.
Ugandas great natural beauty
led Winston Churchill to call it
the pearl of Africa.
It is well endowed with
abundant wildlife (including the
famous mountain gorillas), an
excellent climate, cultural sites
and natural sites, which are of
great archaeological and
tourist importance.
T
he uniqueness of Uganda can be felt quite readily
because of some natural sites like the River Nile that
comes out of Lake Victoria, the worlds longest river
(4180 miles) long at Jinja the second largest town.
Its the sight that will attract you for hours, the roar of the
waters, the sight of the fish leaping at the falls with all their
might, the hippos and the crocodiles swimming through the
waters providing a beautiful scenery for one to see.
More than 140 years have passed, but hordes of tourists
continue to flock the source of the River Nile. However, on its
way, the Nile has created some of the worlds
most breathtaking rapids and water
falls; Bujagali and Itanda
considered among the worlds
most spectacular

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falls that never go to sleep
By Flavia Nakagwa
Bujagali-Find out more

The beautiful white falls are The falls are said by local
found in Jinja a district on residents to be the site of a
the shores of Lake Victoria spirit, called the "Spirit of
80kms north east of Kampala Bujabald," who protects the
Ugandas capital city. community by performing
The falls are the site of a rituals at the falls.
proposed dam, the Bujagali Lots of people report to have
Hydro-Power Dam. If built seen him walking over the
the Bujagali power station water. Indeed he seems to be
would be one of a number able to pass the falls where
of hydro-electric power others don't dare to go.
plants scattered along the
upper reaches of the Nile.

White Water Rafting locations.
Although, the Nile and the Bujagali Falls have been in existence
for as long as the Almighty God endowed Uganda with this world
wonder, the white water rafting sport on the Nile has
just been discovered, thanks be to the peace and stability in the
country now.
White water rafting has become a very popular sport for both
local Ugandans and Uganda's tourists.
This spectacular falls are the only one of their kind in the whole
of the world, with waterfalls throughout the year.
Bujagali falls are distinctive because of the sheer volume of
water cascading over the series of low rapids that would
otherwise be unremarkable. The abundant vegetation covering
the riverbanks and islands, and the startling diversity of bird life
attracted by the multitude of fish, complete the stunning
scenery there.
Uganda is heir to a rich and varied heritage of Art and crafts
which are also showcased at Bujagali falls. Many of the tourists
that visit the falls get them as souvenirs.
The art and craft pieces sold at Bujagali falls correspond to and
reflect the different lifestyles of Ugandas communities. There are
in different shapes and sizes ranging from woodcarvings,
mats, baskets, backcloth rugs, walking sticks, drums and spears
among others.
The falls are however said by local residents to be the site of a
spirit, called the "Spirit of Bujabald (Now commonly know as
Bujagali)," who protects the community by performing rituals at
the falls. The spirit is embodied in a man, Jajja Bujabald, who
lives next to the falls; he is the thirty-ninth person to be the spirit.
Jajja Bujabald now over 80 years old works at the same time as
a doctor using preferably local plants and herbs. Lots of people
report to have seen him walking over the water over the years.
Indeed he seems to be able to pass the falls where others
don't dare to go.
During the Rwandan genocide in 1994, dead bodies that were
dumped in Lake Victoria sailed up to Bujagali falls even beyond
and some remained stuck in between the rocks of the falls, but
Bujagali removed them and buried them.

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 Extra Shots

l o f ch ee r, co m munication,
Africa symbo to be calling us to
The drums, an g peo p le seem
beckonin
summoning and
ent.
this great contin
is a su per projection of the
ies the drum
In some countr
human voice.

eer
The sound of ch
s kills
much called for rest - Tirednes
A

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 Extra Shots

ill kill you

Too much love w
e road
hese colours cheer me up for th
T

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 Extra Shots

Rejoice, a new da
y has come
The River Nile,
a gift of nature in
deed

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 Extra Shots

Drums speak;
they have bee
poetry. Make a n used to recit
nnouncements, e prayers and
jokes and prais
e.
But since they
wont do this o
n paper, these
images will.

The beauty of N
ature
Whats calling on
that side of Kam
Ugandas capita pala,
l

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 Extra Wildlife

Akagera R
wanda, remembered for the 1994 genocide that left thousands
of people dead and millions of peoples lives shuttered and
traumatized, is also home to many tourist attractions.
Traveling East of Rwanda, Akagera National Park stands out as one of the
most adventurous and audacious budge site that is worth every moment
spent there. The rolling plains interspersed with ridges and saddles providing

National
one of the most fascinating sceneries in Rwanda.
With its patchwork of grassy, wooded and bushy savannah, of marshlands
and lakes, the park offers an enchanting and adventurous environment.
Akagera National Park a two hours drive east of Kigali city, is endowed with
both a striking variety of flora and a delightful horde of fauna.
The scanty thickets and short stunted tree communities allow the tourists

Park: to view what lies in tens of kilometers and beyond. This continues for about
seven kilometers, dotted with few individuals here and there.
Akagera National Park has more than 525 bird species, of which 345 are
nesting species. The shoebill and the papyrus gonolek or sizeable flocks of
resident as well as migrant birds, attracted by the seasonal fluctuations in the
water levels are evident. The most prevalent species are the ibis, jacanas,
herons, plovers and sandpipers among others.
A remarkable 500 selection of beautiful coloured bird life flying around and
swimming in the lake while others enjoy the waters of the swamps and
wetlands are seen down on Lake Ihema

Where The measly traffic flow gives the journey serenity and quietness. It is only
the tourists vehicles and produce buyers that slowly stream in these
sparsely populated vicinities. It is about five kilometers as you start enjoying
the exemplary African savannah landscape of tangled acacia woodland
interspersed with open grassland. Yes! You can now start seeing thorny

grace
thickets, after leaving behind the windswept cultivated hills that characterize
much of Rwanda.
The road goes on rolling with the plains. As the king of the jungle gives a
thunderous roar, captivation by the beautiful birds fluffing and flapping their
wings, soaring high up and up in the azure horizons of the sky sets in. One

and
may think the birds are rehearsing for an imminent show of beauty and
ceremony. And, yes, beautiful they are and full of pageantry they live and very
flamboyant and ostentatious these birds seem to behave.
With the triangular shape of the park pointing northward, the animal
kingdom has enjoyed its beauty and glamour for a long time. Present in the
park are Lions, baboons, leopards, buffalos, hippos, elephants, zebras, giraffes

beauty impalas and just one Rhino among other animals.

Mukamutoni a warden at the park says that the 37-year-old Mutware
Elephant, the oldest and tallest that survived the 1994 genocide is what many
tourists long to see. He started roaming the park after losing care and in the
process was domestically reared during the war.

triumph
Known for its natural beauty, landscape, scenery and animal life, the un like
other zebras in Africa, the ones in Akagera National park stand out with their
dark and faded blue stripes make them the most beautiful and most adored on
the continent.
Their coloured stripes dont look like those of elsewhere in Africa for they
have dark bluish faded colour which differentiates them from others, she
says with pride and satisfaction.
Tourists from outside Rwanda have to pay US$30 for entry. Foreigners

By residing in Rwanda pay US$20.Mukamutoni says that about 100 visitors are
received on weekends. Its definitely a place worth paying a visit.

Thomas
The author is the Features Editor with The New Times based in
Kagera Kigali Rwanda. E-mail: kagthomas@yahoo.co.uk

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Rwanda
The New African dawn
Rwanda on her small size is endowed with a wealth of natural and manmade attractions unparalleled with any country on the
African Continent.

The thousand hills characteristic of Rwanda provide unique scenic beauty, while the outstanding mountain features in the west
and the plains of the east with their unique flora and fauna are part of the exquisite beauty that blankets Rwanda and makes it so
special.

Rwanda has substantial natural resources for tourism with variety of landscape and ecosystems,
climate and culture. Some of its features are outstanding by international standards others are
unique.

The main attractions so far visited by most tourists are:

The Volcanoes National Park famous for the rare mountain gorilla and it is in the process of
being accorded world heritage status. Only two hours drive from Kigali, there you can visit the
Golden Monkeys, Dian Fossey Tomb, there is Muhabura and Bisoke Hiking, nature walk and you
enjoy the warm climate of the high altitude and for gorilla trekking you have to be at Kinigi office
at 7.00 a.m.

Nyungwe Forest Akagera National Park

Nyungwe Forest which is the
largest Afromontane forest in
Africa has been declared a
national park. It is four hours
drive from Kigali and For
Primate lovers you find 13
types of them among which the
famous Chimpanzee, the
Colobus etc. There are many
types of birds like the rare Blue
Turacco, waterfalls and many
types of orchids.
The Akagera National Park which is the place to be for safari with
its complex mix of terrains, marshlands and lakes, vegetation and
animal life plus the conducive spring like climate and offers an
enchanting and adventurous environment. Here you can meet
big mammals such as zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, giraffes, or
elephants. During a boat tour, you could enjoy the calm of Lake
Ihema, or discover hippopotami and crocodiles. As for birds, it
has more than 525 species. You could encounter unique species
such as shoebill and the papyrus gonolek,. Among the endemic
species, there are the ibis, jacanas, herons, plovers, sandpipers,
and many others.

Lake Kivu

Rwandas fresh water lakes
such as Kivu, Muhazi, Burera,
Ruhondo and the numerous
lakes in Akagera National Park
offer opportunities for water
activities and sports. The plains
of the eastern Rwanda which
make up the Akagera National
Park, the Nyabarongo/Akagera
River line region all display
unusual habitats of great diver-
sity, offering opportunities for a
wide range of recreational
activities.
Coupled with these Rwanda to reinforce the
already magnificent country with an assur-
ance of social comfort, rich cultural variety
and rare smile that all tourism world wide
should not miss. The culture is also shown
through the arts and crafts made by rwan-
dese artisans, and you can learn more about
the culture when you visit the National
Museum of Butare.
Accommodation is available for the people
visiting the parks and other tourists attrac-
tions.
The City Tourism offers now to visitors the
chance to discover the Capital City before
they drive around the country and they are
taken away by the 1000 hills that overtake
ones breathe. Kigali City Tour takes the
visitors around the busy town where they are
able to learn about the history of the town
from the colonial era to democracy, from the
slums to the suburbs. This tour takes about
four hours and you can buy souvenirs after
tasting Rwandan food in one of the fine
restaurants in Kigali.

Rwanda Office of Tourism and National Parks (ORTPN)
Tel: (+250) 576514 / 573396
Fax number: (+250) 576515
E-Mail: info@rwandatourism.com
Reservations: reservation@rwandatourism.com
or Log on our website: www.rwandatourism.com
For Kigali City Tour:
Foreigners: $ 20 per person, minimum of 4 persons
Nationals: FRW 5.000, minimum of 4 persons
Special rates for children below 10 years (50% reduction)
NB: Guide included in the fee
 Tiger Fishing
By Dyton Mupawaenda in Harare, Zimbabwe

The tiger fish, considered by many to be

R
azor-sharp teeth, fearsome tenacity
and a fighting spirit second to none
one of the finest game fish ever have combine to make the Tiger fish one
of the most sought-after angling quarries in
southern African rivers and lakes.
flourished in the rich waters of Lake Described as the roughest and toughest game
fish in Africa, the tiger (Hydrocynus forskalii)
Kariba. Tiger fishing stands out to be can snap steels traces, swallow swivels, and can
throw practically any hook with impunity. With a
one of the most fearsome but lot of speed, courage and strength the Tiger fish
make its self a worthy opponent for the
exhilarating adventure activities in the skilful angler.
To give anglers excellent opportunities to pit
rivers of the southern hemisphere. their skills against this voracious stripped

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predator, several fishing camps were established along the Zambezi, Limpopo
and Hunyani rivers, and along the lower reaches of the Save, Runde and
Pungwe rivers in Zimbababwe.
Ideal times to go for tiger fishing adventures are during April to May,
September to early October and now that it is summer in Southern Africa, it
is the best time to take on the adventure.
The largest Tiger fish are usually caught at the trollat low speed of fishing
boats, using a spinner and ball bearing swivel. Bright-bladed lures are the best.
The Tiger fish known to like noise, a characteristic not common in other fish
species, they are also very elusive, hard fighting, and can grow to more than
30 pounds.
Every year game fishermen from all over the world converge at Lake Kariba
for the international Tiger fishing tournament held annually at Lake Kariba is
a tournament that is widely recognized as the biggest freshwater angling
competition in the world.
The competition has been held since 1962, usually attracts close to 300
teams with about 500 boats beating the fresh waters of Lake Kariba to honours
as to which team catches the biggest fish of the tournament.
The 44th edition of the of the competition will be held this year at its
traditional venue, Lake Kariba and it on the 17th - 21st October.

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 Behold
Yamoussoukro

T
here is only one thing that stands out in the
bizarre lively city of Cote dIvoire,
Yamoussoukro. Indeed even bigger than St.
Peters Basilica is Ivory Coasts Basilica of Our Lady
Peace of Yamoussoukro. And Pope John Paul II rightfully
consecrated this holy place on the 10th of
September 1990.
The Basilica is not only very fascinating but is the largest and
tallest place of worship in Africa. For this great place in history
The Basilica cost over three hundred million pounds to
construct and the maintance costs are estimated at 1.5 per
annum. It is indeed very colourful with Italian marble and glass
from France making it worth every penny.
Of course having such a magnificent place had to come with
endowments. The 200,000 population city has 8 lane
highways and is adorned with over 100,000 lights giving it a
well lit scenery. A beautiful view by any standards. And well
if you thought Yamoussoukro has only the church to show off
there is more. It is the only International airport in Africa that
can accommodate the Concorde.
Standing on rolling hills and plains Yamoussoukro has lots of
hotels and boasts of a rich perfume industry. Since it was the
hometown of long term President, Felix Houphonet Boigny,
he sponsored the city with rapid growth. As such there are
lots of schools and hospitals all great tourist attractions in
the memory of President Felix.
Staying In Yamoussoukro is relatively cheap. A night in
the five star Hotel President goes for only 500 a night.
All year round Yamoussoukro has humid weather with
a temperature of 30o with the occasional rain.
If this doesnt intrigue you then just go and see if
these peoples art, history and music doesnt draw
you in. I would go just to breathe in the site of the
beautiful basilica-truly a Rome down in Africa.

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 Travel Science

Travel Terminology-Be In The Know

Base Fare: This is the fare on an airline ticket, before tax has been added. Commissions are calculated
on the base fare. Do not base your budget on the base fare but on the full fare with taxes included
to know how much your trip will cost.

Cancellation Charge: This is the fee one has to be pay after cancelling a reservation. It is usually
assessed on reasons for cancellation and is applied by both hotels and airlines. For Airline tickets,
the cancellation penalty is usually collected by refunding only a portion of the ticket price whereas
with a hotel reservation, the cancellation penalty is charged to the credit card or deposit used to
secure the reservation.

Airport Tax: This is a local tax imposed on air tickets and passed along to passengers in the full
fare. It is generated to be used to fund airport maintenance, expansion, and similar expenditures.
Foreign Independent Travel (FIT): An individual trip arranged specifically for the client by a travel
agency or perhaps by the traveller him or herself. This is generally the most flexible, but can be the
most expensive way to travel.

Seasons: Mainly defined as peak and low season they simply give a guide on the most and least
favourable times for travel to a given destination. Peak or high season when the weather is most
favourable or when there is some holiday or event in the area which makes travel to the location more
attractive. It is during peak season that demand and prices are highest and facilities are most crowded.
Off or low season is when the location is less desirable for whatever reason, thus prices are lower.
The period in between is the Shoulder season and may be an excellent time to travel when crowds are
thinner, weather not too bad, and prices are quite low and reasonable.

Tour Operator/Wholesaler: This is the creator of tour packages and offers which are sold by travel
agents to the public.

Travel Agent: A retailer who sells independent tour offers and packages created by tour operators to
the public. Originally, the client did not pay for a travel agent's services because agents receive
commissions from hotels, airlines, wholesalers on packaged tours, and other travel vendors. Since
agent commissions have now been dramatically reduced, especially by the airlines, many agents charge
a fee for their services and thats is why ticket prices vary from agent to agent.

Land & Cruise/Fly & Cruise packages: This is a package that includes the cost of hotel or resort
accommodations, airfare to and from port of departure, and other included land activities in the
advertised price. The customer should determine exactly what is and what is not in the package price

Circle Trip: A routing that involves two or more stopovers, after which the passenger returns to the
point of origin.

Computerized Reservation System (CRS): Any of several proprietary computer systems allowing real-
time access to airline fares, schedules, and seating availability and offering the capability of booking
reservations and generating tickets usually with the Internet as a link.

Open-Ticket: A ticket valid for a travel between specified points without a reservation or a specific
flight number. It can be altered within that period with out any extra charge provided there are flight
seats available.

Non-stop flight: A flight that flies directly to your destination with no stops in between.
In otherwords a direct flight from pint of destination to point of arrival with no stopovers.

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 Travel Quiz

Test Your Travel Information

What must you have to travel and enter another country?
a) Passport
b) Vaccination
c) A Plane.

What are Private Tours?

a) Seat In Coach Tours
b) Fully Escorted Package Tours.
c) Flexible Tours

What are Souvenirs?

a) Friendship gifts.
b) Something you buy or keep to remember a holiday or special event.
c) Speciality goods.

What is the best thing about group travel?

a) You save more money.
b) Experiences are enriched when you share them.
c) It teaches you to be tolerant of other peoples interests.
d) All the above.

What is being jet lagged?

a) Getting up early on day of departure.
b) Being sleepy on the plane.
c) Feeling tired and confused about time after a plane journey.

Why should you check in at least 2 hours before your flight?

a) Because of heightened security measures at airports.
b) To beat the air traffic.
c) To have time to do some personal shopping in the duty free shops.
a, b, b, d, c, a
Answers:

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 Travel Diary

Travel Diary
The impression I had formed before going down to Uganda, is
that save for the dirty children and the wild animals, there
wasnt anything worth seeing.
I had chosen this particular African country because I had liked
the fact that it was labelled the Pearl of Africa.
And indeed just like the pearl depends on reflection and
refraction of light to show its beauty, there was a lot the
light down there showed me.
Instead of going through the ritual of my day-to-day visit
down there am going to mention two things that really stood
out for me.
I went with impression of helping some orphan and seeing a
lion at cklose range but saw and learnt much more.
Hope my two sceneries teach you something too;
The Immense Stretch of Lake Victoria.
A few miles from the airport this is the most welcoming site
I have ever seen.
Surrounded by gently rolling green hills that dip down the blue
waters of the lake anyone who has seen it cant help but be
carried away.
As you stand at the shoreline, there are Small Islands that
stand out in the middle of the lake giving it scenic beauty.
And of course if you feel like a swim or a boat ride this
awesome lake is only too welcoming.
The Kasubi Tombs
I know its sad to think of burial grounds as a tourist
attraction but the Kasubi tombs in a little suburb of Kampala
just about arouse anyones interest.
The tombs are the official burial site for Baganda kings and are
on a hillside. Built in a traditional reef and bark cloth, you
cant help but admire the simplicity of this natural design
Entrance to the tombs is through a small straw heart guarded
by men dressed in bark cloth.
Perhaps what stands out most from these tombs is the
cultural value expressed through the people who work at these
tombs. Seeing how proud they are of their heritage made me
realise that I always have to be proud of my sense of
belonging.
Thats what I got to appreciate most. I dont know what it
will be for you but all I can say is definitely pack those bags
cause different experiences speak to people differently.
Jo King

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 Must Know

Travel Tips
Stay tick-tock in Africa
Much as travel insurance is not a prerequisite for Africa travel its always better to
acquire one to cover any possible losses. Be wise do cover your vacation cause
it is an investment

When travelling keep your important particulars in your hand luggage, at least then you
are assured they are safe and will get with you to the destination.

Travelling with company is not only much more fun but it is also safer. Travelling
with a tour guide who knows the local area is a rewarding experience as each place
comes with a different story to tell.

Check the language used in your area of tour as in some areas a translator might
be needed.

Avoid driving through back streets and always ensure main routes are used to any
destination. Rural areas and deserted areas should be avoided in the dark.

Plan your days, most African countries have hot days through out the year but have short
light spells, an average of 8 hours a day so plan for the daylight period.

When in Rome do as the Romans do. This especially applies to dressing sensibly and
confirming to a modest dress sense especially for the women. Very short pieces of
clothing may be offensive in some regions.

Keep your communication lines open. Inform your friends and family about your
whereabouts as often as possible.
Visit a museum and purchase a map to get to know more about your area of
destination. Keeping in touch with your local embassy is also recommended, as they
will have more information to guide you around.

Be warm, friendly and eager to ask cos there is always someone happy to help.

Since most of Africa is mainly tropical, get a malaria jab to protect you from the
mosquito bites. Mosquito repellents are always available in tourist shops. To ensure
further safety ask your doctor about any other precautions you might need to take.

If you need to change currency do it from a reputable forex bureau, preferably one at
the airport and always ask for a receipt.

Lose the fear, Africa is just as safe, if not more safe than most places in the
world, so lose the fear and enjoy your trip to a great continent.

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SUBSCRIBE TO ugandaonlinelawlibrary.com AND ACCESS:

 Principal Laws of Uganda 2000 Edition Caps 1-364 plus 2001 2006, Acts/Statutes.
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Children, Criminal and Commercial Law.
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 Extra Posterior

In Your Next Issue...

In the next issue, look forward to a touch of The Gambia. Six hours away from most
European destinations get those bags packed as our juicy tips and stories will definitely
carry you to a land of sun, sand, sea and cultural experiences.

Also look forward to a thorough update following the current transformation of

Johannesburg to Josie. Most tourists use this city purely as an arrival or exit destination;
warned off by stories of high levels of crime and lots of negative publicity. However this is
not so and this article and a photo-journal, will look at the city in a genuinely surprising,
fresh and unusual way.

We will also be going north bringing you news from Tunisia, Egypt,
the controversial Libya and of course
the land of wonder, Morocco. With
this will also come special holiday
deals and how you can ensure
you get the best deal out there
without any catch. Get
ready to be north bound.
More details into the
forthcoming all Africa
travel and tours exhibition
will also feature. The exhibition
promises to link people in the
tour industry answer your questions
and convert you into
professional tourists.

Do not miss it...

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