Norwegian Tourist Injured By a Cheetah at Harnas in Namibia

A 22-year-old Norwegian woman was scratched by a hungry cheetah on Saturday morning on the Harnas game farm and wildlife rehabilitation centre, 112 kilometres east of Gobabis in the Omaheke Region. Kristel Johanson, who was on a morning tour with eight other people, got out of the tour vehicle to help tour guide Joshua Shilongo feed the cheetahs, when one of the cheetahs scratched her on the thigh, tearing her shorts and causing a minor injury. Johanson continued the tour with other visitors to see lions, wild dogs and leopards kept on the farm. Johanson was scratched because she turned her back on a hungry cheetah. He urged all inhabitants of Namibia to learn to live in harmony with wild animals. On Farm Harnas, people live in harmony with cheetahs, lions, wild dogs, leopards, monkeys and baboons and the most dangerous carnivores like lions have learnt to live alongside human beings at Harnas.

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SUPER ROMANTIC PLACES TO SPEND YOUR VALENTINES DAY IN AFRICA

Valentines Day is around the corner, Mainland Africa and the Indian Ocean tropical islands nestling offshore offer some of the World's most intimate and romantic destinations.

1.       Romantic Private Islands in the Seychelles: The Seychelles Islands (in the Indian Ocean) have long been one of the world's most romantic destinations. Prince William and Kate spent their honeymoon there recently. In 2007 William took Kate on a trip to Desroches Island, which is absolute paradise for couples looking for a romantic beach vacation.  Situated about 150 miles (240km) from the Seychelles capital Mahe (a 35 minute flight), the private island of Desroches boasts several miles of sparkling white beaches and fantastic coral reefs. The Desroches Island Retreat is the only accommodation on the island. 20 luxury villas are nestled under shady coconut palms. Tracks all over the island lead to secluded beaches. You can dive, ride a bike, enjoy the spa and swimming pool and then dine under moonlight

2.       The Victoria Falls are of the world`s most spectacular waterfalls: one of the seven wonders of the natural world, is famous as a classically romantic spot. The largest curtain of falling water on Earth! If you`re looking for a quiet and romantic getaway, a few action and sun-filled days then the Victoria Falls is the ideal place to include in your holiday itinerary. As David Livingstone said,   "On sights as beautiful as this, Angels in their flight must have gazed" Nearby, is one of the dreamiest ever places to stay, Tongabezi Lodge, where you can savor a sumptuous candlelit dinner on a private sampan floating in the beautiful Zambezi River. Your waiter will ferry the courses to you via canoe. On the shimmery water, under a moonlit sky, after a satisfying spread, it’ll be a cinch to get your hold-out to take the plunge (not into the river).

3.       An African Safari is one of the most intimate experiences for a romantic vacation and hideaway. Enjoy breathtaking golden sunsets over Africa, romantic African evenings and sumptuous food, while staying in some of the most idyllic camps and lodges in Africa. A luxury safari is also an incredibly romantic affair. Tented camps that cater to romantic couples include hot baths, butler service, gourmet dining and of course several daily game drives, so you can see the stunning African wildlife.

4.       Cape Town: Indeed a city with a diverse range of attractions, sights and activities. Cape Town has become an extremely popular romantic getaway destination with many couples choosing to have a honeymoon here or tie the knot with the beautiful Cape as their backdrop.

5.       Bazaruto Archipelago and Quirimbas Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways: The Bazaruto Archipelago islands offer true tropical paradise escapes, with white sandy beaches and tall tropical palm trees offering a tranquil setting for pure relaxation.

6.        The Quirimbas is an exclusive island paradise, still unknown and pristine: The area has never been developed and remains an unexplored tourist paradise.

7.       Mauritius Honeymoons and Romantic Getaways: It`s name conjures up all that is romantic; an island of beautiful beaches fringed with palm and casuarina trees, protected by a coral reef forming lagoons of crystal clear water. The Lagoons, surrounded by beaches of silvery sand, a holiday maker`s dream, have nowadays some of the best hotels in the world on their shore.

8.       Lake Bunyonyi, Paradise in Uganda: One of the scenic wonders of Uganda, like a picture from Lord of the Rings. It is amazing what an volcanic explosion can create, Lake Bunyonyi was birthed by a volcanic explosion.  Today it is one of the deepest lakes in Africa, from 44 meters to 900 meters in depth. The name in the local language is "the place of little birds" and there are many that you will find here, the beauty that these volcanic explosions created many years ago is breathtaking.  Surrounded by mountains in what is called “the Switzerland of Africa”, or "the little Switzerland."  Terraced hills where people till the soil and grow food.  The climate is perfect, the temperature of the lake a pleasant 25 degrees, perfect for swimming and bilharzia free.

How to Say “I Love You” Throughout Africa

Next time you’re travelling to Africa with a loved one and want to tell them how you feel, use one of these terms – depending on the country you’re in. This is how to say “I love you” in the different parts of Africa.

Botswana

 Setswana: Ke a go rata

Kenya

 Swahili: Nakupenda

Madagascar

 Malagasy: tiako ianao

 French: Je t’aime

Malawi

 Chichewa: Ndimakukonda

Mozambique

 Portuguese: Eu amo-te

Namibia

 Damara/Nama: INam tsi ta ge a (from Female to Male)/ INam si ta ge a (From Male to Female)

 Herero: Mbeku suvera

 Oshivambo: Ondiku hole

 Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou

 German: Ich liebe dich

Rwanda

 French: Je t’aime

South Africa

 Zulu: Mena tanda wena

 Xhosa: ndiyakuthanda

 Afrikaans: Ek is lief vir jou

Swaziland

 Swati: Ngiyakutsandza

Tanzania

 Swahili: Nakupenda

Uganda

 Swahili: Nakupenda

 Luganda: Nkwagala

 English: I love you

Zambia

 Nyanja: Ndikufuna

 Bemba: ni nkutemwa

Zimbabwe

 Shona: Ndinokuda

 Ndebele: Ngiyakuthanda

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World's First Museum of Crocodiles Opens in Africa

The world's first museum of crocodiles located in Egypt was inaugurated at the end of January. This project reflects the status of the God Sobek at the Pharaohs era. It gives a good idea about the place where his worship flourished in the middle ages. The establishment of the museum began in 2008 and the construction works ended in 2011 at a cost of 7 million LE. It is the first museum of its kind in the world.

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The delights of an African coastal town

Every city has its own characteristics that distinguish it from others. However, sometimes these characteristics leave you with a smile. If you are walking in the streets of an African city and you hear whistles behind you, then you know you are in Dar es Salaam, but don’t worry no one is after you, they are just drawing people’s attention to the cold water bottles they are selling. A much needed drink in the tropical weather of this coastal town that used to be the capital of Tanzania.

Many years after my initial visit to Dar, there seems to be little change in terms of infrastructure, a few new malls, some modern villas built along the coast line, but much more traffic than ever before.
If you happen to arrive in the city after a rain storm and on a working day, then you should prepare yourself to sit in a car that is “floating” in water, in a jam that does not seem to be moving anywhere any time soon! And it happened that just a few days before our visit, the worst flooding in 57 years hit the city, causing human causality and leaving thousands of people homeless.

Apart from a few new high-rise buildings, there are no skyscrapers shooting up on the scene, but what seems to have sky rocked is the prices of land and real estate.While here in Uganda people rush to sell their land as soon as an offer knocks the door, Tanzanians tend to favour long or short term leasing of their land which allows them keep the land title, get a rent and at the end of the day they are still land owners. How Ugandans have by now missed on this point, is now beyond repair!

Our hotel had an amazing view of the harbor where one could see ships, and cargo vessels docking. I was hoping to see more traffic here than on the roads, but that was not meant to be. Coming from a landlocked country like Uganda that depends totally on its neighbours Kenya and Tanzania in terms of sea cargo, I wished there was more activity in that port to take away some of the pressure from long queues in Mombasa port causing the late arrival of cargo in Uganda, but that seems to be a long term

project, or a far-fetched one for now.

One of the best attractions for most tourists seems to be taking the ferry from Dar to Zanzibar, the legendary island of spices and white sand beaches. Just hop into one of the most prominent carriers- Azam marine and costal fast ferries- and two hours later you arrive in this magical island mentioned in tales that kept us mesmerised in our chairs. When adults were telling us stories, hoping to keep us busy and away from mischief, little they knew that as soon as the story came to an end, we had already created our own version of the adventures. Buckets of water were our ocean and broom sticks our swords, there was no wall too high to climb and our ultimate treasure hunt was to find the sweets meant for visitors that our parents hid away from us.

Back to life in Dar es Salaam, I think the historical background of the country seems to influence its present, it is still living in a sort of cocoon. While they are kind and welcoming to visitors, encouraging new investors seems not to be a priority.

A large tax payer told us that the constant increments of taxes and the ‘little flexibility’ of the Revenue authorities is pushing new investors to think twice before making a move.

I hope the future brings better news, having new blood in the economy has its advantages. In our world today there is no more room for vacillation.

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Birding Safaris in Africa: The black Weaver

The black Weaver, also known as the Spotted-backed Weaver or Black-headed Weaver is a species of bird found in much of sub-Saharan Africa. It has also been introduced to Hispaniola, Mauritius and Réunion. This often abundant species occurs in a wide range of open or semi-open habitats, including woodlands and human habitation, and frequently forms large noisy colonies in towns, villages and hotel grounds. The nests are the round suspended objects. This weaver builds a large coarsely woven nest made of grass and leaf strips with a downward facing entrance which is suspended from a branch in a tree. 2-3 eggs are laid. This is a colonial breeder, so many nests may hang from one tree. Village Weaver feeds principally on seeds and grain, and can be a crop pest, but it will readily take insects, especially when feeding young, which partially redresses the damage to agriculture. The calls of this bird include harsh buzzes and chattering.

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Rare mountain gorillas for tourists to Uganda/Africa

Rare ... with fewer than 750 left, the mountain gorillas are one of world's most endangered species and are found only in the dense forests straddling the border between Rwanda, Uganda and eastern Congo. UGANDA will begin exposing two groups of rare mountain gorillas to human contact, paving the way for more visits to the country's most lucrative tourist attraction, Uganda's Wildlife Authority (UWA) said.
Uganda's legendary mountain gorillas - renowned for the shimmering silver hair adorning the backs of their males - draw thousands of tourists each year, many of them high-end travellers paying $US500 a visit plus hefty safari lodge prices.

The gorillas are found only in the dense forests straddling the border between Rwanda, Uganda and eastern Congo. With fewer than 750 left, they are one of world's most endangered species.
The UWA has habituated four social groups of six to seven gorillas each in Uganda's Bwindi Impenetrable Forest, meaning they are accustomed to seeing people and do not lash out or run away.
Rangers and primatologists accustom the gorillas by spending progressively more time close to them each day. The UWA says each group can only receive eight tourists per day - any more stresses them out and puts them at greater risk of catching potentially lethal diseases.

Attackers Kill Five Foreign Tourists in Ethiopia

Unknown attackers killed five foreign tourists in Ethiopia's northeastern Afar region, state television reported Tuesday. The foreigners, whose nationalities were not immediately known, were killed on Monday in the remote region bordering Eritrea, Ethiopian Television said, citing the defence ministry.

A German foreign ministry official who spoke to AFP on condition of anonymity said they were probing reports that German nationals could have been victims of the attack. "Reports of an attack on tourists group with German citizens in Ethiopia are being followed up. The German foreign ministry and the German embassy are working with determination to clarify the matter and the fate of the German citizens," the officials said on phone from Berlin.

The tourists were in a group and other sources reported injuries and kidnapping. The Afar region, an unhospitable desert with shallow salty lakes and chains of volcanoes, is reputed to be one of the hottest place on earth and known for hominid fossil finds. In 2007, a group of European nationals were kidnapped in the region, but later released by rebel group that captured them.

Ethiopia, which often accuses its arch-foe Eritrea of backing rebels fighting the Addis Ababa regime, accused Eritea of supporting the group behind the 2007 kidnapping. Ethiopia and Eritrea fought a bitter territorial war between 1998 and 2000 and are still deeply at odds over their border.

Victoria Falls National Park Africa's Finest

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The Victoria Falls National Park is hailed as one of Africa's finest wildlife sanctuaries that protect the south and east banks of the Zambezi River within the world-famous Victoria Falls. The park's unique climatic and vegetation features have given rise to a rainforest that grows in the spray of the falls.

The rainforest with the proclivity to intermittently drench all tourists, who visit the majestic falls, is an outstanding feature. After all, this makes the tourist feel soothed during the long walk across the falls. While the ready availability of lush green forest and water makes wildlife viewing relatively easier on the Zimbabwe safari. Some of the plant species include ferns, liana vines, palms plus several tree species such as mahogany.

The national park has the falls themselves as a major attraction and when combined together, the national park and falls give a complete tourist circuit. Also famously known as "Mosi-oa-Tunya", the magnificent Victoria Falls is 1708m wide and is recognised as the world's largest water curtain.

The spectacular falls shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe and is territorially divided by Cecil Rhodes' famous bridge produces deafening roars and forms a thick blanket of mist as millions of litres of water flow down its cliff. Victoria Falls National Park is home to elephants, buffalo, lions, giraffe, and antelopes like kudu and waterbuck. Crocodiles may be seen in the Zambezi River, and a nearby crocodile ranch offers a safer view of these dangerous animals. Riverine bird life is plentiful with egrets, herons, cormorants, fish eagles and kingfishers.

The period between September and December offers the best time to see sufficiently impressive amounts of water pouring over the edge.

Grand Zambezi River - white-water rafting, sundowner cruising, fishing, bird watching and game viewing are major activities. The best view of the falls is from the air and helicopter rides, euphemistically called Flight of Angels.

It usually rains from November through to April, creating a hot and humid climate. The falls are at their wettest and most spectacular by the end of the summer rainy season.

May to October is usually dry and September and October allows better photo opportunities at Victoria Falls as there is much less spray, but the torrent is slightly less impressive. The dry season also presents the prime for game viewing in Zambezi National Park.

You can never go wrong if you visit the Victoria Falls National Park.