25 April 2024

South Africa: LIFT temporarily suspends one of its daily routes to Durban!

South African domestic airline LIFT has announced that it will temporarily discontinue one of its daily routes to Durban in KwaZulu-Natal. During the upcoming winter period, the airline will suspend its service between King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town from 07 May 2024 to 12 June 2024. All bookings already made for this period will be accommodated for. LIFT currently operates two daily direct flights between Cape Town and Durban as well as several daily flights between Johannesburg and Durban.

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Kruger National Park: Gate structure at Mopani Rest Camp is undergoing maintenance and upgrades!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has informed the public that the gate structure at Mopani Rest Camp in Kruger National Park is currently undergoing maintenance and upgrades. The gate itself will remain accessible for exit and entrance into the camp while the work continues.
Mopani Rest Camp is located on the north bank of Pioneer dam along the Tsendze River in Kruger National Park. The rest camp provides a day visitors picnic area, cafeteria, restaurant, ladies bar, swimming pool, shop, public laundry facilites, a filling station and a mini ATM inside the restaurant. The closest gate to Mopani Rest Camp is Phalaborwa Gate, which is 74 kilometres away. It is situated about 47 kilometres from Letaba Rest Camp and 65 kilometres from Shingwedzi Rest Camp.

Namibia: FlyNamibia launches flights to Botswana!

Namibian domestic and regional carrier FlyNamibia is set to launch flights to Botswana. The airline will operate three weekly direct flights on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Hosea Kutako International Airport (WDH) in Windhoek and Maun Airport (MUB) in Maun. Flights will depart Windhoek at 10:15 and arrive in Maun at 11:15, while the return flights will depart Maun at 12:15 and arrive in Windhoek at 13:15. FlyNamibia's new route to Botswana will commence on 03 July 2024.

Maun Airport (MUB) is is situated in Maun in Botswana's North West District. The airport is the second busiest airport in the country in terms of passenger traffic and the main gateway to the famous Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve and other parts of the North West District.

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24 April 2024

Livingstone: Public WiFi launched on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls!

A new public WiFi service is now available in Livingstone on the Zambian side of the Victoria Falls. The new service was launched on 23 April 2024 by the Zambian Minister of Tourism, Rodney Sikumba, and Constance Nalishebo Muleabai, the Mayor of Livingstone. The public Wi-Fi service is powered by the Zambia branch of Liquid Intelligent Technologies, a pan-African technology group present in more than 20 countries. Mr Sikumba said during the official launch that the Ministry of Tourism is committed to digitizing the tourism sector in Zambia by the second quarter of 2024, to enhance the visitor experience at various tourist sites, a move which will help better tourism management and promotion.


23 April 2024

Robben Island Museum: The 2024 tour rates remain unchanged!

The Robben Island Museum (RIM), the public entity responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing Robben Island as a national estate and World Heritage Site, has announced that it will not introduce new tariffs for 2024. The current rates will be retained for the next 12 month. RIM  has not increased its tariffs since 2021. The following tariffs will remain applicable for 2024:

  • R600 for non-South African adults
  • R310 for non-South African children (2 - 18 years)
  • R400 for South African adults
  • R210 for South African children (2 - 18 years)

Robben Island an island in the Table Bay, about 7 kilometres west of the coast of Bloubergstrand, north of Cape Town. From 1961, Robben Island was used by the South African government as a prison for political prisoners and convicted criminals. Many prominent anti-apartheid leaders, including South Africa's first democratically elected president, Nelson Mandela, were incarcerated on Robben Island, enduring harsh conditions and forced labor. Mandela spent 18 of his 27 years in prison on Robben Island. His time there became emblematic of the struggle against apartheid and his eventual rise to the presidency. 

Since the end of apartheid, Robben Island has been transformed into a museum and heritage site. It offers guided tours, allowing visitors to learn about the island's history and the struggle against apartheid. In 1999, Robben Island was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, recognizing its historical significance and contribution to the fight for human rights and democracy.

Cape Town: Free entry to the Castle of Good Hope on Freedom Day 2024!

The Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town, the oldest existing building in South Africa, has announced that it will grant free entry on Freedom Day 2024 to everyone. The  historical landmark, which was built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679, houses a collection of several ‘permanent’ boutique museums, including the The Koena Art Institute, The Camissa Museum - The Peopling of the Cape, The Cape Heritage Museum, The Donkergat (Ammunition room), The torture chamber, The prison cells, The Military Museum, The William Fare Collection (Iziko Museums of South Africa) and many more.
The opening times of the Castle of Good Hope are daily, except for Christmas Day and New Year's Day, from 09:00 - 16:00 (the last tour is at 15:00). Tickets cost R50/adult and R25/South African pensioners & children.

The Castle of Good Hope is a bastion fort built by the Dutch East India Company between 1666 and 1679 in Cape Town. It was constructed as a maritime replenishment station, fortress, and administrative center for the Dutch colony at the Cape of Good Hope. The Castle was originally located on the coastline of Table Bay but, following reclamation, the fort is now located a short distance inland within Cape Town's CBD. It was declared a provincial heritage site in 1936 and a national monument in 1969.

19 April 2024

Survey: Cape Town International Airport in Cape Town named Best Airport in Africa for the nineth consecutive year!

Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town was named Best Airport in Africa for the nineth consecutive year at the 2024 SKYTRAX World Airport Awards™. Durban's King Shaka International Airport (DUR) came in second in the continental category, followed by OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg.
Cape Town International Airport (CPT) also won the Best Airport Staff in Africa 2024 award and the Africa: The Cleanest Airports 2024 award, while King Shaka International Airport (DUR) won the Best Regional Airport in Africa 2024 award and its staff was named second best in Africa 2024.
The Intercontinental Johannesburg O.R Tambo Airport in Johannesburg scooped the Best Airport Hotel in Africa 2024 award. Congratulations!

SKYTRAX' annual World Airport Awards™ are prestigious accolades for the airport industry, voted by customers in the largest, annual global airport customer satisfaction survey. They are regarded as the quality benchmark for the world airport industry, assessing customer service and facilities across over 500 airports. The survey and awards are independent of any airport control, influence or input. The survey, which evaluates traveller experiences across different airport service and product key performance indicators, was conducted from  August 2023 until March 2024. Over 100 customer nationalities participated in it.

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