National Geographic is going to host a live Google+ Hangout from the Okavango Delta in Botswana at 10:00 a.m. EDT (2:00 p.m. UTC, 3:00 p.m. CET, 4:00 p.m. SAST) on Friday, 22 August 2014. South African conservationist Steve Boyes, Adventurers & Scientists for Conservation founder Gregg Treinish, big data analyst and artist Jer Thorp, and engineer and ocean conservationist Shah Selbe will be there and invite us to be a part of the conversation and to experience the Okavango Delta. For more info, pls see http://on.natgeo.com/1sC4A53!
08 August 2014
Swaziland: The dates of the Reed Dance 2014 have been announced
Swaziland Tourism
has announced the dates of the 2014 Reed Dance. The festival will start
on 26 August 2014, with the main day of the event (day 7) to happen on
01 September 2014. This is when the main ceremony occurs, with the dancing attended by King Mswati III. 01 September 2014 will be a public holiday in Swaziland.
The Reed Dance ceremony is a centuries old tradition where the Swaziland's unmarried and childless females present their newly cut reed to the Queen Mother to protect her residence. The highlight of the event is the reed-giving ceremony. Tens of thousands of maidens from Swaziland gather at the Queen Mother's royal village, the Ludzidzini Royal Residence, dressed in traditional attire; bright short beaded skirts with colourful sashes revealing their bare breasts to dance and sing and celebrate the unification of the Kingdom’s women. His Majesty King Mswati lll, who sometimes makes use of the occasion to publicly court a prospective fiancée, joins the celebrations to pay tribute to the maidens.
The Reed Dance ceremony is a centuries old tradition where the Swaziland's unmarried and childless females present their newly cut reed to the Queen Mother to protect her residence. The highlight of the event is the reed-giving ceremony. Tens of thousands of maidens from Swaziland gather at the Queen Mother's royal village, the Ludzidzini Royal Residence, dressed in traditional attire; bright short beaded skirts with colourful sashes revealing their bare breasts to dance and sing and celebrate the unification of the Kingdom’s women. His Majesty King Mswati lll, who sometimes makes use of the occasion to publicly court a prospective fiancée, joins the celebrations to pay tribute to the maidens.
06 August 2014
Video: A travel tour through the Sedibeng region (Gauteng)
The Gauteng Tourism Authority has released a new promotional video about the Sedibeng region, which is located in the south of Gauteng just about 45-60min from Johannesburg. In the video, Natalie Roos, a South African blogger and social media specialist, is taking us on a tour through what she is calls Gauteng's best kept secret. Enjoy!
Sedibeng's most popular tourist highlights are:
Natalie is taking us to:
Sedibeng's most popular tourist highlights are:
Natalie is taking us to:
- Stonehaven on Vaal
- Sharpeville Human Rights Precinct
- Zorgvliet Spa
- Maccauvlei
- Three Rivers Lodge
- Anna's Kitchen
- Quadbiking with Tapimanzi Adventures
- Thukela Resorts
- Riverside Sun Resort
- Matthew's Restaurant
- Emerald Casino
- River rafting with Tapimanzi Adventures
Fastjet to operate an additional weekly flight Dar es Salaam <> Harare
Tanzania-based low-cost airline, Fastjet, officially launched flights between Dar es Salaam (DAR) and Harare (HRE) in Zimbabwe on 05 August 2014. Just a day later - today - the airline announced that, due to an unexpected demand, it will extend this route from two (on Tuesdays and Saturdays) to three flights per week. The new flight between the two destinations will be operated on Thursdays. Tickets for this additional weekly flight will go on sale today!
Flight times:
Dar es Salaam 19:25 > 20:55 Harare
Harare 21:35 > 01:00 Dar es Salaam
Flight times:
Dar es Salaam 19:25 > 20:55 Harare
Harare 21:35 > 01:00 Dar es Salaam
05 August 2014
Namibia: Duwisib Castle reopened after renovation
Following months of renovations, Duwisib Castle, a pseudo-medieval looking fortress located about 70km from Maltahöhe in southern Namibia, has been officially re-introduced to the market by Namibia Wildlife Resorts (NWR) on 01 August 2014. The accommodation facilities at Duwisib Castle now include five guest rooms in the castle and ten camping sites. Picnic sites are also available, as well as an underground wine bar, a kiosk, curio shop and a museum, which houses a collection of 18th and 19th century antiques, armor and paintings.
Duwisib Castle was built by German Captain Hans Heinrich von Wolf for his American bride Ms. Jayta Humphreys around 1908. They started to breed racing horses in the semi-Desert environment surrounding Duwiseb soon after. During a trip to Europe in 1914, the WWI broke out and von Wolf rejoind the German army. He was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His wife never returned to Namibia and eventually sold the Castle to a Swedisch family. In the 1970s, the Duwisib Castle became property of the state of Namibia and is today a National Monument.
Duwisib Castle was built by German Captain Hans Heinrich von Wolf for his American bride Ms. Jayta Humphreys around 1908. They started to breed racing horses in the semi-Desert environment surrounding Duwiseb soon after. During a trip to Europe in 1914, the WWI broke out and von Wolf rejoind the German army. He was killed at the Battle of the Somme in 1916. His wife never returned to Namibia and eventually sold the Castle to a Swedisch family. In the 1970s, the Duwisib Castle became property of the state of Namibia and is today a National Monument.
04 August 2014
SA Express increased flights Cape Town <> Hoedspruit
South African carrier SA Express has increased its frequencies between Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town and Hoedspruit Airport (HDS) in Hoedspruit on 01 August 2014. The airline now operates six fligths per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays instead of the previous three weekly flights between the two destinations.
SA Express is a domestic and regional passenger carrier in Southern Africa. Although operationally independent of the country's flag carrier South African Airways, SA Express' flights are incorporated within the strategic alliance with South African Airways and privately owned SA Airlink.
SA Express is a domestic and regional passenger carrier in Southern Africa. Although operationally independent of the country's flag carrier South African Airways, SA Express' flights are incorporated within the strategic alliance with South African Airways and privately owned SA Airlink.
South Africa: 618 rhinos killed by poachers so far in 2014
According to the latest statistics released by the Department of Environmental Affairs, South Africa
has lost 618 rhinos to illegal poaching since the beginning of
2014. Of the rhinos poached, 400 rhinos were killed in the Kruger National Park, 82 in Limpopo, 52 in KwaZulu Natal, 40 in the North West, 24 in Mpumalanga, 10 in the Eastern Cape, 4 in the Free State, 3 in Gauteng, 1 in the Western Cape, 1 in the Northern Cape and 1 in MNP (Mapungubwe National Park?).
A total of 165 people have been arrested for rhino poaching-related offences in South Africa since January this year.
Latest rhino poaching figures (as of 31 July 2014):
The Department of Environmental Affairs (DEA) is urging members of the public to report incidents of rhino poaching
or any tip-offs to the anonymous tip-off lines 0800 205 005, 08600 10111 or Crime-Line on 32211.
A total of 165 people have been arrested for rhino poaching-related offences in South Africa since January this year.
Latest rhino poaching figures (as of 31 July 2014):
- Kruger National Park (SANParks) - 400 rhinos poached
- Marakele National Park (SANParks) - 0 rhino poached
- MNP (Mapungubwe National Park?) - 1 rhino poached
- Gauteng - 3 rhino poached
- Limpopo - 82 rhino poached
- Mpumalanga - 24 rhino poached
- North-West Province - 40 rhino poached
- Eastern Cape - 10 rhino poached
- Free State - 4 rhino poached
- KwaZulu Natal - 52 rhinos poached
- Western Cape - 1 rhino poached
- Northern Cape - 1 rhino poached
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