Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency: The 2020/21 tariffs will remain largely unchanged!

The Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA) will with effect from 01 December 2020 implement new tariffs for the 2020/2021 financial year at its various Nature Reserves around Mpumalanga. Due to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the economy and personal spend, the tariffs for the 2020/2021 financial year will remain largely unchanged. According to Johannes Nobunga, CEO of Mpumalanga Tourism and Parks Agency (MTPA), only certain tariff adjustments will be made with regards to different pricing for domestic and international tourists.

null

null

The MTPA will be introducing new tourism activities for specific nature reserves aimed at enhancing the product portfolio and further attract the domestic market as well as increasing more choices to enhance visitor experience. These activities include amongst others horse riding and mountain biking at Songimvelo Nature Reserve.

Botswana has released the protocols for private charter flights!

Botswana's Ministry of Environment, Natural Resources Conservation and Tourism has released the officially approved protocols for private charter flights, which are permitted to fly into Botswana again since 01 November 2020. According to the protocols, private charter flights are not only allowed to land at Maun Airport (MUB) in Maun and Kasane International Airport (BBK) in Kasane as previously announced, but also at Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (GBR) in Gaborone. The protocols include the following [excerpt]:

Pre-travel requirements:

• Passengers must be in possession of a negative Covid-19 RT-PCR test certificate taken within 72 hours prior to entry in Botswana
• Passengers must be in possession of travel insurance covering Covid-19 medical disruptions in the the event that the travelers contracts Covid-19 during the period of travel
• Tourist will only be allowed in Botswana if booked for a minimum of seven days
• Passengers must ensure that all visa requirements, where applicable, are met prior to departure
• All custom and immigration forms should be completed prior to arrival in Botswana
• Passengers with visa requirements should complete such requirements prior to arrival in Botswana

Face masks:

• Face masks that cover mouth and nose must be worn at all times in public areas.
  

Temperature screening:

• Temperature screening for tourists at point of entry of any facility is mandatory. As per Covid-19 protocols, whilst in Botswana, the daily screening of tourists and staff temperatures in mandatory (when they report to work and when they depart for the day)
  

Lodging in Botswana:

• Upon arrival in Botswana, the tourists will be treated as a cohort and their facility used as a quarantine facility. During this period, the cohort can be divided into smaller groups depending on the capacity of the booked facilities. Such groups will not be allowed to seperate or mix with any other group that was not part of the original group nor members of the public during their stay in Botswana except the staff that be servicing them. The tourist will also be allowed to conduct expeditions during their stay as long as they do not seperate. All tourists and handling staff shall be swabbed for Covid-19 on the fifth to seventh day of their stay in Botswana. Payment for Covid-19 testing for the tourists will be borne by the tour organiser as part of the tourism package.
  

Departure:

• Once the tourist test results are negative, they shall be free to move around Botswana subject to local health protocols and applicable laws.
  

Rwandair to resume flights between Kigali <> Cape Town!

The flag carrier of Rwanda, Rwandair, is set to resume flights to Cape Town. Effective 02 December 2020, the airline will operate three weekly flights on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays between Kigali International Airport (KGL) in Kigali and Cape Town International Airport (CPT) in Cape Town via Robert Mugabe International Airport (HRE) in Harare. Flights will depart Kigali at 07:20 and arrive in Cape Town at 14:20 via Harare (10:00 > 11:00), while the return flights will depart Cape Town at 15:20 and arrive in Kigali at 22:20 via Harare (18:40 > 19:40). A Bombardier CRJ-900 NextGen will be used on the route, with seven seats in business class and 68 in economy.

online flight booking on TravelComments.com >> 

Robben Island Museum: The 2021/2022 tour rates to remain unchanged!

The Robben Island Museum (RIM) on Cape Town's Robben Island, which is responsible for managing, maintaining, presenting, developing and marketing Robben Island as a national estate and World Heritage Site, has announced that the 2020/21 financial year tour rates will continue to apply until further notice. RIM decided not to increase the rates due to the state of affairs imposed by the coronavirus pandemic and to encourage domestic tourism. The standard tariffs will remain as follows:

• R 600 (£29 | €32 | US$37) for non-South African adults
• R 300 (£14 | €16 | US$19) for non-South African children aged two to 18 years
• R 400 (£19 | €21 | US$25) for South African adults
• R 210 (£10 | €11 | US$13) for South African children aged two to 18 years
  

Robben Island's standard tour comprises of a ferry return trip, transport on the island, a guided island tour and a guided prison tour.

Should there be any price adjustment for 2021/2022, RIM will communicate accordingly. Tickets booked and allocated at the old rates will continue to be honored.

Robben Island is an island in Table Bay, about 7km west of the coast of Bloubergstrand in Cape Town. South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela was imprisoned there for 18 of the 27 years he served behind bars before the fall of apartheid.

Namibia: The new "Windhoek City Museum" has been officially launched! [update]

update (07 November 2020): The "Windhoek City Museum" is located on the Corner of Robert Mugabe and Schweringsburg street and it’s open on weekdays from 07:30 – 16:30. On Saturdays the museum opens between 08:00 – 13:00 and it is closed on Sundays and public holidays. The entrance to the Museum is free and it offers free parking. 

Windhoek's mayor Fransina Kahungu, together with Namibia's founding president Sam Nujoma, have officially launched the new "Windhoek City Museum" on Robert Mugabe Avenue earlier today. The museum aims to preserve and reflect the memory and identity of Namibia's capital, inform visitors about the past and present of the city and to provide an educational space for students and researchers. It showcases artefacts, sounds and images that reflect Windhoek’s tangible and intangible heritage. The "Windhoek City Museum" has five galleries, namely: Pre-colonial Windhoek & Windhoek during the German Period, Life in the Old Location, Windhoek Today, Wild Windhoek and Temporary Exhibitions. We have contacted the City of Windhoek regarding location, opening times and tariffs. We'll keep you posted!

Video: Cape Town through the eyes of a Pro BMX rider!

South African Pro BMX rider Murray Loubser once had the idea to capture the architecture and the geometric patterns that you find occurring in Cape Town and showcasing those in the way a BMX would see his surroundings. He has now transformed his idea into the short film "Shapes In The City" and presents us normals a totally different view on the Mother City! Kudos Murray, Kevin, Jason, Wayne and everyone else involved in creating this outstanding video! Switch "Shapes In The City" to full screen, put your headphones on and enjoy Cape Town from a bmx rider's perspective! For the full movie and all behind the scenes click here!

Mozambique eases travel restrictions!

The President of Mozambique, Filipe Nyusi, announced during an address to the nation on 29 October 2020 that the country eases the current travel restrictions imposed due the coronavirus pandemic. According to President Nyusi Mozambican diplomatic missions abroad are allowed again to resume the issuing of tourist visas. He also announced the relaxation of quarantine requirements in Mozambique. Travellers who can present a negative Covid-19 PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test not older than 24 hours at Mozambique's ports of entry are exempt from quarantine. Travellers who cannot present a negative Covid-19 PCR test at the border are required to go into quarantine for 14 days or to take a Covid-19 PCR test at own costs. Children under eleven years of age are exempt from presenting a Covid-19 test when entering Mozambique. President Nyusi did not mention during this address if tourist visa are available again at Mozambique's ports of entry. We'l keep you posted!

As of 01 November 2020, Mozambique has 12,988 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 93 deaths. A total of 10,439 individuals have recovered from the disease.