Cape Town: The Two Oceans Restaurant at Cape Point has re-opened!

The well-known Two Oceans Restaurant at Cape Point has re-opened to the public under the leadership of South African head chef Clinton Tanzer. Clinton, who previously worked at the Mount Nelson Hotel, Vergelegen wine estate and Lagoon Beach hotel, joins the restaurant's experienced team of chefs, hosts, waitrons and barmen. The Two Oceans Restaurant is located only an hour’s scenic drive from Cape Town at Cape Point, a promontory at the southeast corner of the Cape Peninsula within the southern section of the Table Mountain National Park. The Two Oceans Restaurant was closed in early 2021 due to financial reasons following to Covid-19 pandemic. 

Botswana: e-Visa application system is temporarily interrupted! [update]

update (28 December 2022): Botswana's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced that the country's e-Visa application system is back to normal since 27 December 2022. The payment gateway, which "temporarily interrupted" the system since October 2022, has been restored. Applications that were paid during the period 14 October 2022 up to 21 December 2022 will be fully refunded through the bank.

Botswana's Department of Immigration and Citizenship has announced that the country's e-Visa application system is temporarily interrupted due to technical challenges. The registration of new visa applications is therefore also temporarily closed until further notice. The Department further confirms that duplicated payments due to this technical problem will be fully reimbursed. 

The Department of Immigration and Citizenship advises travellers intending to visit Botswana that for the time being visa can still be applied for at Embassies or High Commissions of Botswana.

 Get your Botswana eVisa Online Now! >>

Botswana named by National Geographic as a must-see destination in 2023!

National Geographic has unveiled its Best of the World 2023 list, and Botswana was selected as one of the 25 must-see destinations for the year ahead. Reported by the magazine's global editors, the Best of the World list is themed around travel destinations and experiences that leverage the benefits of tourism to strengthen their local communities and environments, both natural and built. The list is grouped by categories — adventure, culture, nature, family and community — and Botswana is among the Scottish Highlands (Scotland), Slovenia, Big Bend National Park (Texas, USA), and the Azores (Spain) under the nature category. Congratulations Botswana!

Photo by Wynand Uys on Unsplash

 
National Geographic's Best of the World 2023 list:

Culture

• Appian Way, Italy
• Busan, South Korea
• Longmen Grottoes, Henan Province, China
• Egypt
• Charleston, South Carolina

Nature

• Scottish Highlands
• Botswana
• Slovenia
• Big Bend National Park, Texas
• Azores

Adventure

• New Zealand
• Choquequirao, Peru
• Utah
• Austrian Alps
• Revillagigedo National Park, Mexico

Community

• Dodecanese Islands, Greece
• Milwaukee, Wisconsin
• Alberta, Canada
• Laos
• Ghana

Family

• Trinidad & Tobago
• San Francisco Crosstown Trail, California
• Colombia
• Manchester, United Kingdom
• Switzerland

The 2023 list honors educational journeys for all generations (Family); exciting activities in breathtaking places (Adventure); explorations of history and heritage (Culture); escapes to wild, beautiful places (Nature); and healing journeys, community conservation, giving back, sustainable places and more (Community). [src.]

Addo Elephant National Park: Tap water currently unsafe to drink! [update]

update (07 November 2022): SANParks continues to recommend purchasing drinking water!

South African National Parks (SANParks) has announced that the tap water in the whole Sundays River Valley Local Municipality, which encompasses the Addo Elephant National Park in the Eastern Cape, is currently unsafe to drink. SANParks is urging travellers planning to visit Addo Elephant National Park to purchase drinking water prior to entering or at the National Park. We'll keep you posted!

Photo by Andres Siimon on Unsplash

The Sundays River Valley Local Municipality is a local municipality in the Sarah Baartman District Municipality in South Africa's Eastern Cape. Addo Elephant National Park is country's third largest National Park in size after Kruger National Park and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park. The National Park is home to more than 600 elephants, 400 Cape buffaloes and over 48 (?) endangered black rhinos. Lion and spotted hyena have also recently been re-introduced to the Addo Elephant National Park. The largest remaining population of the flightless dung beetle is located within the National Park.

South Africa to launch a pilot implementation of its new online traveller declaration! [update #2]

update (18 November 2022): The South African Revenue Service (SARS) announced in a briefing earlier this week that the new South African Traveller Online Declaration System simply offers a new way to digitally declare goods, in the same way travellers currently have to do through customs in paper form. This new system is planned to be rolled out at King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban on 29 November 2022. It will be on a voluntary basis. Travellers will still be allowed in South Africa without electronic online declaration. However, the original method of the declaration must then be followed.

update (15 November 2022): South Africa's new Traveller Declaration System will be piloted at King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban at the end of November 2022.

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released a new press release regarding its new online traveller declaration. During November 2022, SARS will launch a pilot implementation of an electronic online portal for travellers to make declarations on a voluntary basis, well ahead of their arrival or departure to/from South Africa. This pilot will initially be implemented at King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban. The new system will allow travelers to pre-declare goods purchased, received, or otherwise acquired. For travellers who choose not to use the on-line portal on their mobile devices, SARS will make available a paper form as well self-service counters at our terminals. A number of Customs Officers will also have hand-held devices to assist travellers, and facilitate passage. Travellers will be permitted to continue to use the travellers card if they so choose.
According to SARS, the new online traveller declaration system will, during the pilot phase, be fine-tuned based on insights gained as well as further engagement and feedback with various government departments and other stakeholders. Progressive implementation across all South African ports of entry, will commence as from 01 April 2023. We'll keep you posted!

Lesotho introduces a tourism levy!

The Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Dr Retšelisitsoe Nko, has announced that Lesotho has introduced a tourism levy. The new tax, which is paid by tourists for specific travel and tourism services offered in Lesotho, became operational on 01 October 2022. The levy is getting collected by the enterprises thus accommodation owners, tour guides, and event organisers.
Mr. Maurice Thetso Thamae, Lesotho Tourism Development Corporation (LTDC) Head of Finance and Administration, further noted that 50% of the Lesotho Tourism Levy will be used to promote tourism, saying 30% will be used for administration while 10% will be used by the Ministry of Tourism to formulate laws and regulations for tourism.

Swakopmund/Walvis Bay: MR44 renamed to Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba Freeway!

Namibia has renamed the MR44, which runs behind Dune 7 and connects the coastal towns of Walvis Bay and Swakopmund in the Erongo Region. The dual lane Main Road (MR) was renamed after Hifikepunye Pohamba, the second president of Namibia. The Dr. Hifikepunye Pohamba Freeway starts from the Swakopmund Interchange to Walvis Bay town and also links to the Walvis Bay Airport (WVA). 

Hifikepunye Pohamba, born 1935, served as the second president of Namibia from 21 March 2005 to 21 March 2015. He was also the president of SWAPO (South West Africa People's Organisation) from 2007 until his retirement in 2015. Prior to his presidency, Hifikepunye Pohamba served in various ministerial positions, beginning at Namibia's independence in 1990.

South Africa: Africa's first "Time Out Market" to open in Cape Town! [update]

update (27 August 2023): Time Out Market Cape Town has revealed further additions to its all-star culinary lineup of local chefs and restaurateurs. According to Time Out, Chef Peter Tempelhoff ‘s Ramenhead, Chefs Anwar Abdullatief and Yolani Abraham’s new concept Barakat, Matt Manning’s Culture Wine Bar, and Eugene Smith’s YARD pizza confirmed to join Time Out Market Cape Town.

The first Time Out Market in Africa is set to open in Cape Town, South Africa, in 2023. Time Out Market is the world’s first editorially curated food and cultural market, bringing a city’s best chefs, restaurateurs and unique cultural experiences together under one roof. The first Time Out Market opened in 2014 in a historic market hall in Lisbon (Portugal), quickly turning into the most popular destination in the city with 4m visitors a year. Since then, six Time Out Markets have been opened in Miami, New York, Boston, Chicago (USA), Montreal (Canada) and Dubai (UAE).

The new Time Out Market in Cape Town is expected to open towards the end of 2023 at the V&A Waterfront. It will have 14 kitchens, all run by different top chefs from Cape Town, and four bars with drinks co-curated by the city’s best bars. There’ll also be a stage for live performances. With approximately 750 seats, guests will be able to sit indoors or quayside.

Namibia: FlyNamibia launches flights to Walvis Bay!

Namibian privately-owned airline FlyNamibia has annunced that it will launch a new service to the coastal town of Walvis Bay in the Erongo Region of Namibia. The airline is set to operate three weekly nonstop flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Eros Airport (ERS) in Windhoek and Walvis Bay International Airport (WVB) in Walvis Bay. Flights will depart Windhoek at 10:50 and arrive in Walvis Bay at 11:40, while the return flights will depart Walvis Bay at 12:20 and arrive in Windhoek at 13:10. Flights will commence on 28 October 2022.

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South Africa introduces a new "Traveller Pass" for everyone entering or leaving South Africa! [update]

update (21 October 2022): The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has released a new press release regarding its new online traveller declaration. During November 2022, SARS will launch a pilot implementation of an electronic online portal for travellers to make declarations on a voluntary basis, well ahead of their arrival or departure to/from South Africa. This pilot will initially be implemented at... READ MORE

The South African Revenue Service (SARS) has announced that South Africa is set to introduce an online traveller declaration system to simplify passenger movement at South African airports. The new system requires all travellers, including South African citizens and residents, children and infants, leaving or entering South Africa by air to complete and submit an online traveller declaration, as well as receive a Traveller Pass before they travel.
The new traveller declaration process is an online system that collects travel information and returns a Traveller Pass via email. Upon arrival in South Africa, there will be instructions at the airports that will guide and inform travellers what to do next. The new online South African Traveller Declaration system will be rolled out to all South African international airports commencing with OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg in November 2022, followed by other international airports in the first quarter of 2023. We'll keep you posted!

Chapman's Peak Drive: Temporary road closures for alien vegetation clearing in October & November 2022!

Cape Town's famous Chapman's Peak Drive will be closed to all users, motorised and non-motorised traffic including pedestrians/runners, between 10:00 to 16:00 on all Wednesdays during October and November 2022 for alien vegetation clearing (12.10., 19.10, 26.10., 02.11., 09.11., 16.11., 23.11. & 30.11.). This is essential to protect the delicate eco-systems and prevent the alien plants from stealing ground water or destroying the natural fynbos. Should one need to travel between Noordhoek and Hout Bay between those times, kindly use Ou Kaapse Weg as an alternative route. 

Photo by Niklas Eichler on Unsplash

Chapman's Peak Drive is a scenic 9 km route between Noordhoek and Hout Bay along the western flank of the Chapman's Peak, a mountain on the western side of the Cape Peninsula, located about 15 kilometres south of Cape Town.

eSwatini: Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation (RENAC) has released an update on Eswatini Air!

The Royal Eswatini National Airways Corporation (RENAC) has released an update on Eswatini's new flag carrier Eswatini Air, which was supposed to commence operations in mid-2022. The airline's Air Operator Certificate (AOC) certification process is still ongoing and has progressed from Phase 3 to Phase 4 of the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) 5 Phase process. As the certification is still ongoing, a launch date for eSwatini Air will only be announced once the AOC has been issued. RENAC confirms that eSwatini Air's systems are ready to go live, that the two Embraer ERJ 145 aircraft to be used for the operation are both serviceable and ready to commence operations and that the airline will operate direct non-stop flights flights between eSwatini's King Mswati III International Airport (SHO) in Sikhuphe and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town, King Shaka International Airport (DUR) in Durban and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg in South Africa as well as Robert G. Mugabe International Airport (HRE) in Harare in Zimbabwe.. We'll keep you posted!

There are five phases in the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) certification process. The five phases are:

1. Pre-Application Phase
2. Formal Application Phase
3. Document Evaluation Phase
4. Demonstration and Inspection Phase
5. Certification Phase

This suburb in Cape Town is one of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods!

Global culture, entertainment and events magazine Time Out recently published the results of its annual Time Out Index. As part of the global survey, Time Out asked some 20,000 city-dwellers about the coolest spots in their city right now. And for the fifth year running, these views got combined with expert input from Time Out's global network of local editors and writers, to compile the fifth annual ranking of the world’s coolest neighbourhoods.

Photo by Kalden Swart on Unsplash

According to the 2022 edition of the Time Out Index, Sea Point in Cape Town, South Africa, is one of the 51 coolest neighbourhoods in the world. Ranked 38th, Cape Town's cool beachfront face is an oceanside ’burb heaving with quirky local businesses, and with enviable transport links to nearby beaches like Clifton and Camps Bay. Home to a mix of long-term families, young professionals, creative types and immigrant communities, Sea Point is known throughout Cape Town for the spine-tingling sunset views on its seven-mile Beach Road promenade, and for Regent Street: the neighbourhood’s main road and a hub of hot hotels and lip-smackingly diverse food options. [src. Time Out]

 Time Out's Top 10 Coolest Neighborhoods:

1. Colonia Americana - Guadalajara, Mexico
2. Cais do Sodré - Lisbon, Portugal
3. Wat Bo Village - Siem Reap, Cambodia
4. Ridgewood - New York City, USA
5. Mile End - Montreal, Canada
6. Barrio Logan - San Diego, USA
7. Shimokitazawa - Tokyo, Japan
8. Cliftonville - Margate, UK
9. Barrio Yungay - Santiago, Chile
10. Cours Julien - Marseille, France
28. Kilimani - Nairobi, Kenya
38. Sea Point - Cape Town, South Africa
50. FESTAC Town - Lagos, Nigeria

Namibia launches a new visa for for remote workers! [update]

update (16 October 2022): The Embassy of the Republic of Namibia in France has released a circular regarding the Namibian Digital Nomad Visa Programme. It provides some more detailed information about the general requirements and supporting documents an applicant needs to obtain the visa. 

The Namibia Investment Promotion & Development Board (NIPDB) just announced that Namibia has launched a special visa for digital nomads. The Namibia Digital Nomad Visa allows remote workers to stay in the country for up to six months. Applicants wanting to take advantage of the new visa will have to prove that they earn enough money to be self-sufficient*. Applicants must also have valid travel documents, health or travel insurance covering risks while in Namibia. Approximately USD60/GBP55/€62 (NAD1100) will be required upon arrival as payment for the visa.

*Applicants will neet to demonstrate proof of income/funds (Payslip/Employment Contract) to sustain themselves and dependants (USD2000 – Applicant, USD1000 – Accompanying Spouse, USD500 – per accompanying child per month).

Brazil: LATAM Airlines is planning to return to South Africa! [update #3]

update (08 September 2023): LATAM Airlines (Brazil) returned to Johannesburg on 02 September 2023. The airline operates three weekly flights on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays (GRU > JNB) and on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays (JNB > GRU) on board a Boeing 787 Dreamliner. LATAM is currently the only carrier operating flights between Brazil and South Africa. From the end of next month, South African Airways will operate flights between Cape Town and São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and from early November 2023 between Johannesburg and São Paulo.

update (22 May 2023): LATAM is will launch fligths between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg on 04 September 2023 and will operate three weekly flights.

• São Paulo 17:25 > 08:10+1 Johannesburg on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays
• Johannesburg 12:50 > 18:55 São Paulo on Tuesdays, Fridays and Sundays

update (28 March 2023): According to aviation specialist SimpleFlying, LATAM Airlines (Brazil) has postponed resuming its long-haul flight between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg from 03 August 2023 to 02 September 2023 due to untold reasons.

The largest airline in Latin America, LATAM Airlines, is planning to return to South Africa. The airline is set to resume flights between São Paulo/Guarulhos–Governador André Franco Montoro International Airport (GRU) in São Paulo (Brazil) and OR Tambo International Airport (JNB) in Johannesburg from July 2023. LATAM Airlines Brazil, the Brazilian brand of LATAM Airlines Group, is planning to operate three weekly return flights on board a Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to Johannesburg.
LATAM Airlines stopped its operations in South Africa following the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic. Before the pandemic, LATAM was the only airline operating direct flights between South America and South Africa.

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Namibia: Skeleton Coast National Park is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade!

According to a report by the Namibian Broadcasting Corporaton (NBC), the Skeleton Coast National Park in northwest Namibia is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar upgrade. The NBC is quoting the Governor of the Kunene Region, Marius Sheya, saying that "the government, together with its developmental partners, felt that it was necessary to start upgrading the infrastructure and putting up proper infrastructure in terms of the receiving of visitors to this area [...]".
New offices and a workshop are being set up for both the police and staff of the Ministry of Environment and Tourism (MEFT). Housing units with proper sanitation are also nearing completion. The area is to be powered by solar energy. Similar upgrades are also taking shape at Möwe Bay and the Ugabmund Gate in the south of the Skeleton Coast National Park, which borders Namibia's Erongo region.

Established in 1971, the Skeleton Coast National Park covers an area of 16 390 km². It is home to the world's largest ship graveyard, whale skeletons, and desert-adapted wildlife.

Angola: TAAG to increase flights between Luanda <> Madrid!

The state-owned flag carrier of Angola, TAAG Angola Airlines, is set to increase operations to Spain. Effective 01 November 2022, the airline will introduce an additonal flight between Quatro de Fevereiro International Airport (LAD) in Luanda and Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) in Madrid. The flight will be operated on Tuesdays (LAD > MAD) and on Wednesdays (MAD > LAD) and brings the number of weekly return flights from two to three.

The additional flight will be operated as follows:

• Luanda 22:05 > 05:20+1 Madrid
• Madrid 22:55 > 06:25+1 Luanda

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Covid-19: Zimbabwe further relaxes regulations!

Zimbabwe has further relaxed Covid-19 regulations. According to Statutory Instrument 169 of 2022, people who have been vaccinated at least twice against Covid-19 are no longer required to wear face masks in public. The wearing of face masks remains mandatory indoors at workplaces, at places to which the public have access and on public transportation. Before gazetting Statutory Instrument 169 of 2022, only those who have received three doses of the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommended vaccines against Covid-19 were exempt from wearing face masks in public.

As at 05 October 2022, Zimbabwe had recorded 257 655 confirmed cases of the Covid-19, including 251 640 recoveries and 5 604 deaths. A total of 6 533 054 Zimbabweans had been vaccinated against Covid-19.

KwaZulu-Natal: eThekwini Municipality re-opens further seven beaches in Durban! [update]

update (08 October 2022): The eThekwini Municipality has announced that contamination levels at Laguna Beach and Thekwini Main Beach are low enough to allow for safe swimming and other water sports, but they will remain closed until further notice as per directive from one of the Municipality's regulators. 

The eThekwini Municipality, the local government body responsible for governing and managing Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, today (07 October 2022) re-opened seven beaches in Durban following improved water quality standards. The decision to open the beaches was taken after recent water tests conducted by experts confirmed that beach water is at an acceptable level for recreational activities. The following beaches are now open for swimming: Laguna Beach, Country Club Beach, Battery Beach, South Beach, Thekwini Beach, Addington Beach and Point Beach.
Bay of Plenty Beach, North Beach, Wedge Beach, Shaka Beach, Umgababa Beach, Umkomaas Beach, Brighton Beach and Treasure Beach remain open, while Westbrook Beach, Bronze Beach, Umhlanga Beach, Umdloti Beach, Isipingo Beach, Reunion Beach, Pipeline Beach, Amanzimtoti Main Beach, Warner Beach, Baggies Beach, Winklespruit Beach, Garvies Beach and Ansteys Beach remain closed until further notice due to water quality. We'll keep you posted!

Tanzania/Zambia: TAZARA resumes full passenger train operations! [update]

update (25 October 2022): TAZARA has resumed cross-border services between New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania today.

Following three weeks of assessing the suitability of the Chambeshi Railway Brigde for full train operations and the temporary suspension of passenger services in Zambia due to a goods train accident that occurred in a curve between Msanza Station and Kapwila Station in the Nakonde District on 22 September 2022, the Tanzania Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) has now announced the resumption of full passenger train operations in Zambia and Tanzania. The Mukuba Passenger Train in Zambia will start running through to New Kapiri Mposhi from 13 October 2022. In addition, the Mukuba Passenger Train and the Kilimanjaro Passenger Train will both resume their cross-border services between New Kapiri Mposhi in Zambia and Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, respectively, on 18 October 2022. Safe travels!

Chambeshi Railway Bridge
© TAZARA

The Tanzania-Zambia Railway Authority (TAZARA) is a bi-national railway, jointly owned by the Government of Tanzania and the Government of Zambia on an equal share-holding basis. The 1,860 km-rail runs from Tanzania and East Africa’s major seaport of Dar es Salaam into the heart of Zambia's Central Province, terminating at New Kapiri-Mposhi, where it is further linked by road and rail to Zambia's capital city, Lusaka (about 200 km), Zambia's mining nerve centre, the Copperbelt province (about 100 km) and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  

Kruger National Park: Travellers urged to enter through alternative gates to Numbi Gate!

South African National Parks (SANParks) is urging travellers to use other entrance gates into Kruger National Park than Numbi Gate following the recent attack on a group of four German tourists and a subsequent fatal shooting of one of the group members earlier in the week. According to SANParks Acting Chief Executive Officer, Ms Hapiloe Sello, SANParks is deeply saddened by the recent spate of attacks on visitors en-route to the iconic national park particularly on the road leading to Numbi Gate.

Kruger National Park has a total of ten entrance gates. In the south of Kruger National Park, where Numbi Gate is located, there are five other entrances namely Paul Kruger Gate, Phabeni Gate and Orpen Gate through the R40 from White River as well as Malelane Gate and Crocodile Bridge Gate through the N4 toll road towards Komatipoort in Mpumalanga. In the north of Kruger National Park, visitors can enter through Phalaborwa Gate, Punda Maria Gate or Pafuri Gate and lastly, Giriyondo Border Post allows access directly from Mozambique.

Tanzania: One of the biggest wildebeest river crossings ever caught on camera!

Captured mid-September 2022 at the Mara River in the Kogatende area of Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, this is probably the largest Great Migration crossing captured on video in recent years. While wildebeest herds are usually scattered, a megaherd like this (estimated at 80,000-100,000 gnu) is extremely rare to see. Kudos to Ranger Emmanuel Mkenda for shooting the video and HerdTracker for publishing it!

Each year, more than 1.5 million wildebeest migrate in a gigantic clockwise loop across Tanzania and Kenya. After calving in the southern part of Tanzania's Serengeti National Park, the animals journey north into the Masai Mara, before returning once again near the end of the year.
These massive herds follow the seasonal rains across the African savanna in search of lush grazing lands, often pursued by predators such as hyenas, lions, cheetah, leopards and, at the many river crossings, gigantic Nile crocodiles. Dramatic scenes unfold daily as thousands of wildebeest are born and killed while the circle of life revolves non-stop.

Namibia: New rhino and elephant poaching figures!

Namibia has recorded 55 cases of rhino poaching since the beginning of this year. According to the Namibian Minister of Environment, Forestry and Tourism, Pohamba Shifeta, this is compared to a total of 44 (43?) rhinos poached in 2021. However, 36 people have been arrested in Namibia for rhino-related cases this year, compared to 80 in 2021. Minister Shifeta further said that two elephants have been poached in Namibia so far this year compared to a total of eight in 2021. 58 people have been arrested for elephant-related cases so far in 2022, compared to 98 people arrested in 2021.

btw.: As of October 2021, Namibia had recorded 14 cases of rhino poaching and five cases of elephant poaching.

Western Cape: Lambert's Bay Bird Island Nature Reserve to re-open to the public in early December 2022!

CapeNature, the public institution with the responsibility for biodiversity conservation in South Africa's Western Cape, has extended the closure of the Lambert's Bay Bird Island Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve, which is closed since early May 2022 for renovations will not re-open to the public on 30 November 2022, but in early December 2022. Unfortunately, no specific re-opening date has been published by CapeNature yet.
Lambert's Bay Bird Island Nature Reserve lies about 100 m off the shore of Lambert’s Bay on the Cape’s West Coast. The Bird Island, which is almost three hectares in size, is connected to the mainland via a breakwater. It is an important breeding and roosting site for seabirds, particularly Cape gannets and cormorants. Cape fur seals can also be seen sunning themselves on the island’s rocks.

Zambia waives tourist visa requirements for several countries! [update]

update (09 January 2023): According to a statutory instrument issued by the Zambian Government on 02 November 2022, the following 43 countries are on the list of visa-exempt countries. Visa-exempt nationals are allowed to remain in Zambia up to 30 days with an option to extend up to 90 days. The following countries are exempt from visa requirements:
Australia, Canada, Norway, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, US, UK, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates and China

The Zambia Tourism Agency announced on 30 September 2022 that Zambia has waived tourist visa requirements for citizens from several countries in a bid to boost tourism. Effective since 01 October 2022, citizens of the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, Norway, Australia, China, South Korea, Gulf States and the European Union no longer need a tourist visa to visit Zambia. 

Kruger National Park Calendar - November!

Weather:

• early summer
• very hot days and warm evenings
• rain - rainfall usually double that of October

Temperatures:

• between 16°C - 32°C (Fahrenheit: e.g. 28°C = [(28x9)]/5 + 32 = 82.4°F)
• visit our webcam page for live footage from Kruger National Park!

Landscape:

• lush vegetation
• many trees in flower
• new pans appear in drier areas
• river levels start rising

Animal Activity:

• breeding season underway for most animals
• plains animals very aggressive in protecting their young as predator activity increases
• explosion in insect activity after the first good rains

Kruger National Park tours >>
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