Travel Search Engine Sprice.com launches hotel search application for iPhone
Posted September 30, 2009 , comments closed) Singapore, September 27, 2009: Leading travel and hotel search engine Sprice.com (www.sprice.com) has gone mobile. iPhone users worldwide will now be able to search over 120,000 hotels (http://www.sprice.com/hotels) globally on their iPhones using the power and convenience of the innovative ‘Sprice Hotels’ app. All it takes is a quick download of Sprice Hotels app, absolutely free, from the online Apple App store. Compatible with all iPhone generations including the latest 3G S version, the Sprice Hotels application allows users to quickly and easily search for hotels in an intelligent manner. Sprice Hotels generates important data with the search, including information about the hotel such as location map, photos, hotel guest reviews and amenities, as well as real-time offers and discounts on room rates. In addition, users can choose to filter the search results by the hotel’s room rates, user rating and even the distance from whichever landmarks they choose as the start point.
“The launch of our mobile application Sprice Hotels is a natural progression for our travel search engine, as the pool of mobile users around the world continues to expand exponentially. Since Sprice.com was launched in 2007, we have received positive feedback from consumers all over the world and in Asia Pacific. Demand for our online hotel search product has consistently been on the rise with visitorship reaching a record of three million globally,” said Vikas Gulati, Vice President of Sprice.com, Asia Pacific.
“The Sprice Hotels iPhone App empowers travellers to make last-minute booking decisions, even as they are en route to their destinations. Like Sprice.com, the mobile application is also very user-friendly. We are pleased to be working with Apple to extend such a powerful travel search tool to millions of iPhone users worldwide.”
Sprice Hotels serves as a dynamic marketing platform for travel providers. Earlier this year, Apple announced that its global iPhone sales peaked and grew by 245% in 2008, and it expects this growth to continue. Over 200 of Sprice.com’s travel partners around the world, including online travel agents and hoteliers, can reach out to tech-savvy consumers on the move directly and more effectively through Sprice Hotels.
About Sprice.com
Sprice.com (www.sprice.com), the leading real-time travel search engine in the world, allows travelers to search for cheap flights, find and compare over 120,000 hotels with hotel reviews (http://www.sprice.com/hotel-reviews), and get the best travel deals (http://www.sprice.com/travel-deals). Sprice.com is a product of Sprice Pte. Ltd., a Singapore-registered company. Sprice operates in Europe through its office in France, while the head office in Singapore serves the markets in the Asia-Pacific. Sprice.com offers detailed information on over 120,000 hotels around the world, hotel reviews and cheap flights (http://www.sprice.com/flights).
For more information, please contact:
Julia Lai
Tel: +65 6534 7250
Email: spricesg@lewispr.com
Public Transportation in Malaysia: Trials and Errors
Posted September 24, 2009 , comments closedPublic Transportation in Malaysia: Trials and Errors
With this article I will take you on a trip to the confusing world of public transport in Peninsular Malaysia.
It’s an overview of the different ways to travel from one place to another and how we managed to (eventually) always get where we wanted to be.
There are plenty of different public transportation options from which to choose, and each of them has its own challenges, which sometimes have to be learned the hard way.
Skybus
On a sunny Sunday afternoon, after more than 30 hours of spending time in airports and airplanes, we finally arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. Our hostel owner had been so kind to provide us some directions and this started with taking the “Skybus” to get from the airport to the center of the city.
As this is the most common way of airport transport, we figured that there would be at least some signs pointing to the right bus terminal…not. No problem, they can’t put a sign for every single bus company, we will certainly find the bus at the general bus terminal…wrong again.
Luckily there was this very nice taxi driver who could point us at least the direction of the Skybus terminal. At that time we probably already looked very lost, so thanks to mister cab driver to not trick us into his taxi! After having to ask for directions another couple of times, we finally managed to find the Skybus terminal at the other side of the airport.
We easily found the ticket office and soon we were on our way to Puduraya bus station.
Puduraya is the main bus station of central Kuala Lumpur and from there (according to my directions) it was only a couple of minutes walk to the hostel. Too bad the bus didn’t stop in the station, which made us lost again. After another round of asking directions, we found out that we were only one street away from the station, so soon we were on our way to the hostel.
At that time we called it bad luck, but it wouldn’t take long for us to experience the complexities of public transport in what I like to call a “semi-developed country”.
Metrobus
The first trip we wanted to make around KL was to the famous Batu Caves. We asked the guy from the reception of the hostel how we should get there and in broken English he told us something about the metro and the bus. Now you have to know that in Dutch, and probably in some other languages too, “metro” is the name we give to the subway.
As we didn’t really have a clue what the guy was talking about, I asked him to write it down. So he wrote the word “mertubus” and told us to go to central market.
Over there we started showing our piece of paper to everyone around, but nobody knew what the “mertubus” was. So we tried asking for some variations: “mertubus”, “merubus”, “metrubus”, “metrobus”… That last one rang a bell in the head of some friendly policemen who pointed us the way to a Metrobus bus stop. Indeed, I wrote “a” metrobus bus stop.
When the bus finally came we tried to wave him down but the driver waved back at us that this wasn’t the place where that bus stopped, so we had to run to a couple of streets further where the bus finally stopped at another bus stop.
Apart from a couple of liters of sweat nothing was lost and after half an hour we were dropped off at the Batu Caves. Some hours later we wanted to catch the bus back to KL city, but there didn’t seem to be any bus stops. At arrival we hadn’t really noticed that the bus dropped us off at the side of the road and that there wasn’t really a sign or anything.
So we guessed we should try to stand on the place where the bus dropped us off and sooner or later another bus would stop there and take us back to the city. Another bus stopped there, only to tell us that we were on the wrong side of the road (okay, we could have figured that out ourselves).
So we crossed the road and waited for another half hour until we finally noticed our bus in yet another road… Again some running brought us to the right imaginary bus stop and soon we were on our way back to the center.
Subway
To get to the KLCC PETRONAS towers, someone advised us to take the subway. No, actually that’s not true, someone really advised us to take the train. But luck was on our side and we figured out in time that in Malaysia people call the subway also a train. Otherwise we might still be waiting at the KL train station.
Unlike subway stations all over the world, in KL there’s a different ticket counter for each line. So you first have to find the right line, and then buy a ticket at the counter that sells ticket for that certain line.
After that, the “train” is piece of cake. It works similar to all other subways I’ve ever taken, and it soon became our favorite way of travelling.
Long distance buses
Too bad the subway only runs within a city, so whenever we needed to get from on the move we were dependent on other ways of transport. When we wanted to get from KL to Cameron highlands for example, we asked the guy from the hostel to arrange the bus. He did some phone calls, asked some money and wrote us a pre-printed paper which mentioned our names, the time of departure and the platform where the bus would leave.
By that time we were already a bit suspicious about public transport, so we arrived half an hour in advance at Puduraya bus station. Soon someone asked us where we wanted to go and showed us the way to platform 18. There was already a bus waiting but when we asked the driver if that was the bus to Cameron Highlands the answer was “No”. Nothing lost, we still had 20 minutes, so we waited…
After another 10 minutes the bus still hadn’t arrived and there also were no other passengers. So we started asking around. Nobody seemed to know about that bus, some even told us that what we had wasn’t a real ticket, but a friendly security guy took the time to run all over the station with us only to find out that the bus we needed didn’t exist.
By that time we were already more than half an hour late, so the only thing we could do was go back to the hostel and ask what was going on. The person at the reception did another couple of phone calls and found out that we had a wrong ticket. The bus didn’t leave at Puduraya, but across the street in front of the DiGi (a Malaysian telephone company) shop.
We received a new ticket and one hour later we were at the shop. There were already some other people waiting over there so our confidence came back and half an hour later we were on the bus to Cameron Highlands. I have to mention that we never made the same mistake again. From then on we always bought our tickets directly at the bus station and we haven’t had problems like this again.
Minivan
Between every tourist highlight there are at least a couple of minivan services. They are usually more expensive than long distance buses, but they pick you up and drop you off wherever you want. Another advantage is that these vans are usually scheduled to arrive at location around checkout time (11 – 12 am), which means you have more chance on finding accommodation.
But every coin has two sides, and so does this one. It seems like the drivers really feel like it’s their van and they are doing you a favor by bringing you to your next location (although you’ve paid for it) and thus you have no reason to complain about whatever they decide. So they decide on the music, both style and volume, on the temperature of the air condition, on the speed (wannabe rally drivers are no exception) and so on.
They also decide whether they stop or not along the way and if they do, where they stop and for how long. Of course, it is kind of funny to see a bunch of people sprinting to the toilets after a six-hour non-stop drive. Just make sure you’ve went before you leave and don’t drink too much along the way. And if you ate something funny the day before, you might want to consider not taking a van.
Taxi
This is the kind of transportation we had the least problems with, I think. But of course you pay the price and we tend only to take taxis if there’s no other public transport available or if we have no clue where we are and where we need to be.
We experienced the taxi drivers as friendly and helpful persons. Because they know the area very well, most of the time they’re also able to give advice about good accommodation and sights.
Although most guidebooks will advise you never to take a taxi which doesn’t have a meter, I’ve always seen this as an advantage. You just need to make sure that you agree on the price before you leave, and it helps to look like you know the distance and about how much you should have to pay. When the price seems a little too much, it might also help to make a “hmmm-face” or to start talking to your companion in another language. This sometimes makes the drivers to reconsider their price.
When you’re at the coast or on an island, there are often boat taxis available. They normally go only to certain locations and they have fixed prices.
Boat
As mentioned before, there are the boat taxis, which are used for short distances, mostly to dive sites, other coasts or close islands. Next to that, there are the ferries. Different ferries exist towards the islands of Penang, Lankawi and Perhentian. But also to other countries like Indonesia.
The only experience we had with ferries was the one between Kuala Besul and Perhentian Kecil. It might take some time to figure out where the ferry specifically leaves. For example, when you want to leave Long Beach on Kecil by ferry, you first need to take a boat taxi to somewhere in the middle of the sea where the ferry then picks you up… You just need to know.
Train
Malaysia has two main train routes: one between Thailand and Singapore which passes by Penang and KL and close to Melaka, and another one between Kota Bahru and Gemas, which drives through Taman Negara.
The latter is also known as the “Jungle train”. In Gemas it switches tracks to either KL or Singapore, which provides a good connection between the city and the Jungle. The trains are old, and you should only take them for the experience, as the bus is cheaper, faster, more comfortably and they have and hourly schedule.
Adventurers as we are, it should be a shame not to give the jungle train a try. So in Taman Negara we went to the tourist info service to find out that the train to KL leaves Jerantut at 12:45, so at noon we were at the train station and found out that the train leaves 45 minutes past midnight… Living in a country where we use the 24 hour system instead of AM and PM, I know that I need to look out for this mistake, and honestly, I can’t remember if the timetable said “12:45 AM” or just “12:45”.
As there’s nothing to do in Jerantut which can keep you busy for more than 12 hours, and as there’s also a bus service every hour, we let go of the plan to take the jungle train and decided to take a bus instead.
Some extra notes about local buses:
Like the Metrobus in KL, every city has its own local bus service, but there are some things they have in common.
None of the local buses have a time table, but they drive quite often and you just need to appear on the right place and wait for a bus to pass by. Normally they have fixed hours when they start in the morning and stop in the evening, but we experienced that either this is a lie, or the people we asked just didn’t have a clue and made a guess.
Outside of the big cities, bus stops are not very common. Buses do stop, but don’t expect a sign or anything, so when you get off, always take a good look at the environment to be able to get back on again later.
Buses don’t always drive the same route. The advantage is that the driver might also bring you to a place where the bus normally shouldn’t pass by. The disadvantage is that it’s possible that the bus doesn’t pass by the place you expected, because it took a detour to drop someone else off. Make sure that whenever you get in, you tell the driver exactly where you want to get off.
Something else we’ve experienced is that people (even bus drivers) often don’t have a clue which bus goes where to. The tactic we’ve used is to ask at least five persons and take the bus which number has been answered most. But feel free to invent your own tactics.
You might have figured out by now that public transport in Malaysia is not that easy as it is in the western world. But luckily, it seems that the Malaysian government knows about this. One of our last days on the peninsula, I mentioned the problems we had to a Malaysian guy and he answered that their minister of transport has been to Europe to see how we handle these things over here.
So there’s hope!
East Africa tourism report
Posted September 18, 2009 , comments closed By
Wolfgang H. Thome, eTN Ambassador |
Sep 18, 2009
HOLLYWOOD COMES TO UGANDA
Celebrities all the way from Hollywood are expected in Uganda next week to help celebrate the UN Year of the Gorilla 2009 and lend a high profile to the event. Uganda Wildlife Authority; the Uganda Tourism Board; and the Ministry of Tourism, Trade, and Industry all worked hand in hand to make this happen, as was explained at a press conference yesterday in Kampala. Amongst the visitors from the US are Jason Biggs, Simon Curtis, Nicholas Brendon, Kristy Wu, and Eddie Kay Thomas. They will be joined by South Africans Rose Mutene, Hlubi Mmopi, and Fared Khimani, adding diversity and African celebrities to the group of high-profile visitors for the launch of the new gorilla group for tracking. Other VIPs associated with the Leadership for Conservation in Africa will also be in Kampala, where the Uganda Wildlife Authority is leading the celebrations of the UN Year of the Gorilla 2009. The celebs will travel to Bwindi with a group of select journalists and media representatives, including this eTN correspondent, to commission the new group. There will be plenty of time to interact with the communities living nearby in the national park in Kisoro before returning to Kampala for the grand finale next Saturday. HE President Museveni is expected to be visiting an exhibition and celebrations at the Kololo parade ground, open for all between 9:00 am and 2:00 pm. In the evening, a fundraising dinner will take place at the Kampala Serena Hotel, already sold out already at US$100 a plate - all for the benefit of conservation and the protection of the gorillas.
NEW GORILLA LODGE TO OPEN SOON
The Ruhija Gorilla Lodge inside the Bwindi Impenetrable Forest will shortly open its doors for visitors. A group of gorillas, launched after full habituation last September for visits by tourists named Bitukura, is the main attraction from the lodge. Being located in the heart of the forest, other game and forest birds can also be seen with ease. One particularly appealing feature is the splendid view from the main terrace. The new lodge will offer a total of 12 twin cabins in the categories of standard, superior, and deluxe, catering to all budgets – from US$80 per person, twin sharing to US$190 per person, sharing. The lodge pointed out that a single supplement applies for rooms occupied by only one person.
AIRPORT SWINE FLU SCREENING DESK CLOSED
It appears that the dedicated health desk for the screening of arriving passengers was abruptly vacated by staff last week. No further information has been received as to whether this was on orders of the Ministry of Health or for other reasons. One effect of this closure has been the faster processing of arriving passengers by immigration, as the intermediate step of filling the extra forms could be omitted.
PARKING CHARGES AT AIRPORT SHOOT UP
The uniform parking fee of 1,000 Uganda shillings or about US50 cents, which motorists had to pay on entry of the airport, has now been succeeded by new charges per hour. Staying within the airport for one hour now costs 2,000 UShs, while every extra hour then adds a further 500 UShs to the bill. Long-term parking fees, costing 5,000 UShs per day, have also doubled to 10,000 UShs for each car per day, equivalent to about US$5. With inflation in the low double-digit figures, the doubling of basic charges has been condemned by large sections of airport users, although the CAA pointed out that the parking fees had not been revised for many years.
REGIONAL AVIATION MEETING SET FOR ARUSHA
Growing and increasingly vocal demands by the aviation fraternity and airline passengers will undoubtedly feature on the agenda of the forthcoming aviation meeting in Arusha in October, where the theme is “Aviation – linking EAC and the World Safely and Efficiently.” It is understood that the Rwandan delegation will support demands for a full regional open skies regime, something Uganda has practiced for some time without seeing its generosity towards Kenyan and Tanzanian aviation stakeholders reciprocated. In reported cases, Ugandan aircraft continue to be treated as foreign, which is in clear and direct violation of the spirit of the East African Cooperation, while other airlines report that fees have to be paid in hard currency instead of local currency, as should be the case for regional aircraft when entering for instance Kenya or Tanzania. Other cases reported to this column ahead of the meeting, also speak of the lack of clearances beyond the main entry points gazetted by the national authorities, making it impossible to deliver its clients to the final destination in the game parks. Some of the main demands are to scrap the multiple requirements for airline licensing and the issuance of an air operators certification (AOC), the mutual recognition of licenses and permits across the region once granted by any one member state, the move towards scrapping customs and immigration procedures on arrival and departure for flights within the East African Community, the substantial reduction of regulatory charges and airport fees for domestic and regional flights, and eventually a full integration of national regulatory bodies into a regional regulator.
BRUSSELS AIRLINES ADDS MORE AFRICA DESTINATIONS
The Kampala office confirmed earlier in the week that the recent codeshare agreement with Lufthansa has been expanded to offer SN passengers from Europe, or traveling via Brussels from its intercontinental network, yet more African destinations. Operated by Lufthansa from Frankfurt, flights with an SN prefix are now possible from Brussels to Khartoum, Johannesburg, Cape Town, and Accra, effective this week. More destinations operated by SN on its Africa network are also due to join the growing list of codeshared flights, which in turn will permit LH passengers to travel via Brussels to a wide range of airports on the African continent. Already Banjul, Douala, Yaoundé, Abidjan, Bujumbura, and Nairobi, besides Entebbe, are on offer with Lufthansa flight numbers, leading to ever-greater integration of flights and destinations between members of the LH Group, i.e., Swiss, Austrian, SN, and BMI and Star Alliance partners.
KLM TO INTRODUCE COMFORT IN ECONOMY CLASS
Advance information given to this column by a source from the Kampala KLM office indicates that the airline will soon begin to convert a section of the economy class cabin into a comfort area with wider seat pitch, up to 10 extra cm, and much greater seat recline, but otherwise the same food and drink service. The projected location of this area will be in the front section of the economy class, behind the business class. Surcharges will apply for the seats, although frequent flier benefits and full-fare passengers will be able to book the seats without extra cost. The airline will progressively convert its B777s towards this new feature, but no time line was given when the product will be available on the Entebbe route or the rest of the airline’s east African destinations.
CHIMP CONSERVATION EVENT POSTPONED
A major annual conservation fundraising drive last weekend, the 4×4 Chimp Challenge, fell afoul of the hooligans, looters, and rioters deployed by their political godfathers last week, prompting the organizers to postpone the event rather than risk the property, safety, health, and lives of participants driving to the 4×4 range out of town along Entebbe road, which had been targeted by the rioters. While the situation had been brought largely under control at the time, isolated pockets of hot heads continued to try to cause some havoc but were met with a strong reaction by security forces, which turned out in overwhelming numbers. A new date has been provisionally set for September 19 – this weekend. In related developments, the local movie theatres, restaurants, bars, nightclubs, and casinos were all recording a substantial loss of customers and revenues, while supermarkets and other shops also saw revenues plummet due to voluntary preventative closure or lack of clients. A planned concert by American gospel singer Kirk Franklin was also postponed indefinitely.
US UPS TRAVEL ADVISORY ON UGANDA
The US State Department was swift to up the language of its advisory notes about visiting Uganda, as well as American citizens living in Uganda, following the riots last week. Although no visitors came to harm during the events last Thursday and Friday, Americans living in Uganda were put on notice that there was a potential for more violence and to stay away from large groups of people as “even peaceful gatherings and demonstrations can turn unexpectedly violent”. Tourism stakeholders approached over this development expressed dismay and again blamed kingdom hardliners for having unleashed rioters, looters, hooligans, and hit squads on the city and other urban centers with absolutely no regard for Uganda’s reputation abroad and the resulting damage to the country’s tourism industry, already struggling after the fallout of the global economic and financial crisis affected visitor numbers. Several hundred participants in the riots have since been produced in court and charged with a variety of public order and criminal offenses, putting to rest deliberately misleading rumors that the government was detaining people without charge. Courts in Kampala and elsewhere have remanded the accused in various jails until their cases come up either for mention or trial.
ANOTHER PARK RANGER KILLED BY ENCROACHERS
Mt. Elgon National Park once again recorded the tragic death of yet another warden when encroachers last week set upon him with machetes and other crude weapons and battered him to death. According to UWA sources, at least 11 wardens have been injured or killed in the recent past by illegal squatters and encroachers, something incidentally repeated in other parts of the country when NFA staff had tried to evict people form national forest reserves. Uganda Wildlife Authority called upon communities living near or around protected areas to respect the park boundaries, which in most cases are either clearly marked or well known to residents nearby. The mandate of NFA and UWA has been made more difficult by political interference and influenced peddling, when several hundred evictees returned to a forest in Kibaale district when politicians got involved only days after the National Forest Authority personnel had driven the invaders out. These situations are bound to raise questions about Uganda’s reputation abroad as a green destination with a high ratio of environmental protection, which the country so far enjoyed for the benefit of the tourism sector. If park and forest invasions are not stopped, it could spell doom for conservation and tourism alike. The condolences of this column go to the victim’s family, friends, and colleagues at UWA.
COMMUNITIES DEMAND GREATER EVENUE SHARE
Last weekend saw reports emerge that sections of the communities living near the Bwindi national park have demanded that UWA share as much as 50 percent of its revenue with them, allegedly after being incited by populists. The law governing the operation of the Uganda Wildlife Authority mandates that 20 percent of the gate receipts are shared with those communities neighboring protected areas. UWA has implemented this legal provision and over the years handed hundreds of millions of shillings to communities for approved projects. Sources from the conservation and tourism fraternity sampled over this demand also rejected the idea outright saying it is a cheap trick by aspiring politicians to get votes and support, while completely unfeasible and in fact misleading. Said one source to this column: “This is a recipe for conflict. If the instigators are not arrested and brought to book, the poor residents in the area may resort to violence. This is not what we want and can tolerate. It could seriously do harm to tourism.”
ROAD WORKS CONTINUE ACROSS THE COUNTRY
A further contract has been signed by the government to begin the rehabilitation of the next section of the main highway from Kampala towards the Rwanda border at Katuna. Sections of the highway between Masaka and Mbarara and on towards Ntungamo are already under repair and upgrade, and the final 100 KM of work have now been commissioned. Tourist visitors will be happier once the work is completed, as the road will be wider with extra space for vehicles to stop on enlarged road shoulders, while the main surface of the highway will be completely resealed. This will make safaris to the country’s main national parks in the southwest of the country safer and faster to reach.
NEW NILE BRIDGE GIVEN GREEN LIGHT
The project to build a new bridge across the Nile in Jinja to link the eastern and western part of the country, has been given a boost last week when the consultants’ report affirmed the viability and feasibility of the project. The cost is presently estimated at about US$100 million but may increase further as time goes on, which has often been the case with such projects. The Japanese government is expected to finance the construction, including the new access roads and ramps on both sides of the river, by part grant and part long-term soft loans. The presently available time frame talks of a building start by 2011 and a construction period of approximately 4 years before the new dual carriage road bridge can be commissioned and opened for public traffic. The present bridge across the Owen Falls dam will, in the meantime, be repaired and strengthened. This work will begin later in the year to prolong the lifespan of the bridge and, once the new bridge is open, keep it in working order as a redundancy fall back option.
KALANGALA FERRY BACK IN SERVICE
Faster than initially expected after the most recent reports about necessary repairs, the main ferry resumed services between the Entebbe pier and the main Ssese Islands. After the mandatory Lloyds inspection for the annual insurance cover renewal, some repairs had to be carried out, which have been completed. This will come as a relief to island residents who now have affordable fares again compared to private boats. Motorists and cargo transporters will also feel the relief since the ferry can uplift several vehicles. Tourists can breathe a sigh of relief as the long road trip to the Masaka ferry crossing can now be avoided by a quick trip to the pier in Entebbe and a more comfortable ride on a larger vessel.
FUEL PRICES CLIMB AGAIN
The rising cost of crude oil on the international market has hit home again with fuel prices reaching near 2,500 per liter for petrol and touching the 2,100 UShs mark for diesel. While the shilling has of late appreciated considerably, this does not seem to be reflected by the actual prices being charged, again raising suspicions that the big fuel companies are taking advantage of market conditions. The brief riots last week also resulted in some stations making quick profits by raising prices until the unrest had quieted down.
UGANDA INTERNATIONAL SHOW SET FOR OCTOBER 6 – 12
The annual international trade show organized by the Uganda Manufacturers Association at its Lugogo Show Ground is taking place this year between October 6-12. The annual event attracted over 900 exhibitors’ prebookings for space from eastern and southern Africa and further abroad, representing a total of 33 countries. President Museveni is expected to formally open the trade show on October 7. Budget hotels will be in great demand for the duration of the trade show, so intending visitors are advised to reserve their rooms well in advance and register with UMA’s secretariat for entry passes to avoid disappointment.
KARAOKE NIGHT AT SHERATON WITH A TWIST
Nile Breweries are main sponsors of the newly-introduced Karaoke Night at the Sheraton Kampala Hotel every Wednesday, and it will be giving away a free Nile Gold premium malt beer for the first 100 arrivals, arguably aimed at oiling their throats or else to help them overcome anxiety before their anticipated performances. The new beer was launched only a few weeks ago and has become an instant hit with the yuppies and uppies in Kampala, and as the Sheraton has of late positioned itself once again in the favored list of Kampala’s socialites, the new evening activity will undoubtedly pull in the crowds even more.
KENYA TO DIVERSIFY TOURISM
Information was received from tourism stakeholder sources in Nairobi, that the Ministry of Tourism finally put its money where its mouth is by developing new tourism circuits across the country. The western Kenya region has been allocated 30 million Kenya Shillings (1 US dollar presently equals about 76 Kenya shillings) to support marketing activities and product development so as to attract more visitors into the less-explored parts of the country. Western Kenya, in particular the Kisumu area, is now globally known as the paternal home of US President Obama’s family, and the growing demand for tours to the area will be given a boost by injecting bigger budgets.
FLY 540 ADDS THIRD KISUMU FLIGHT
In response to the temporary halt of flight between Nairobi to Kisumu by Kenya Airways, due to work on the single runway of the airport, Fly 540 has added a third flight. The airline is using ATR aircraft, which can safely land and take off from the shortened runway. There is no information available if the third flight will remain on the Fly 540 schedule once Kenya Airways resumes services with its Embraer 170 regional jet in December after the runway extension and rehabilitation has been completed.
ALS ADDS JUBA TO NETWORK
Soon after launching twice-daily flights from Wilson Airport to Kisumu on Bombardier Dash 8 equipment, locally-incorporated airline, ALS, commenced flights between Nairobi and Juba, southern Sudan. The airline will use a recently-acquired Embraer 135LR aircraft on this route. No information could be received on further destinations planned by the airline, either for the domestic or regional markets. The Kenyan airline has a joint Kenyan and Middle Eastern ownership from Kuwait. The Embraer 135 is a small regional jet with 37 seats, three abreast, in an all-economy version and is said to be one of the more economical small jets on the market. What is particularly impressive is that as a start-up airline, ALS is using relatively modern and young aircraft, raising the threshold for other future start ups and serving notice to aged, fuel guzzling “sky howlers” of yesteryear.
JETLINK TO GET MORE CRJS?
Information received from sources close to the Kenyan private airline indicates that after operating 4 CRJ aircraft on its fleet, a further three could join them in due course. It could not be ascertained if those extra aircraft would be operated on an expanding route network for Jetlink or be wet leased to other operators, as Jetlink presently does for RwandAir. The same sources also confirmed that Jetlink is well on its way to finishing its own maintenance hangar at Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport and may well be on the way to becoming a dedicated CRJ maintenance base for eastern Africa, now that several airlines are using the aircraft type, and the nearest such facility is presently located in South Africa.
FUEL CRISIS ENDS IN KENYA
After receiving a shipload of processed fuels in Mombasa, the Kenya pipeline company started pumping various fuels from its main terminal at the Mombasa port to the depots in Nairobi last weekend, ending a drawn-out fuel crisis in the capital and other upcountry urban centers. The refinery in Mombasa is presently operating on half capacity due to shortages of both water and electricity, making imports of refined fuels necessary. The landed fuel should be sufficient to supply enough petrol and diesel to Kenya for two weeks.
MOLEST A CHILD, GO TO JAIL
Three people were sentenced to long prison terms in Nairobi last week after being found guilty of child molestation, statutory rape, and subjecting minors to prostitution. The main culprit, former managing director of the Nairobi Java Coffee House, Mr. Jon Wagner, will serve at least 15 years behind bars, while his suppliers – two Kenyan women who had brought the school girls to Wagner – were jailed for 10 years each. The three school girls who had reported the crimes were all under age and were said to have been brought to Wagner under false pretenses to secure scholarships or other support. The convicted rapist, according to the prosecutors, then drugged and sexually assaulted the girls. Kenya has long made it known that it will employ the full extent of the law to bring paedophiles to book, should these predators come to the country in search of innocent victims, but this has been the first major case involving a resident foreigner who colluded with local Kenyans to satisfy his depraved mind. Sex tourism has, in recent years, taken to “outing, naming, and shaming” of those engaged in these disgusting activities, and the world’s leading tour operators, hotel chains, tourist boards, and the travel media have all worked hand in hand to first reduce and then eliminate these shameful activities under the disguise of tourism. It is understood that the trio plans to appeal their sentences.
KENYA GOVERNMENT TO RIVAL TOP HOTELS?
Reports in the Kenyan media indicate that the Kenyan government is set to acquire at least 10 residences in Nairobi, and probably elsewhere in the country, to accommodate state visitors, VIPs, and visiting delegations in an attempt to reduce its hotel bills. Government normally pays for all or some of all hotel bills for visiting state guests’ delegations, ordinarily staying in top-of-the-range suites at top-rated hotels in the city. Charges for such accommodation run into the thousands of dollars each day for a presidential suite, costing the Kenyan tax payer hundreds of millions of Kenya shillings during the course of a financial year. In the past, the government has not exactly shown excellence in managing businesses, especially the hotel sector, considering the defunct African Tours and Hotels state enterprise, and it has little, if any, current experience other than managing the various State Lodges and the main State House in Nairobi. Experience is needed to run and maintain top-of-the-range accommodation that will measure up to the level of its visitors’ expectations regarding the hospitality required to keep such guests happy.
JUMBOS HIT BY TRAIN IN TSAVO NATIONAL PARK
Last week, a passenger train that was trying to cross the line in the wider Tsavo East National Park area hit several elephants. The accident happened at night when visibility for the train drivers was restricted to the beam of the train’s headlights, causing the collision, which then killed at least 5 of the elephant. The line was then closed for some time to allow for an investigation to be carried out by police and wildlife management personnel. As a result of the drought, many wild animals in the Tsavo East and Tsavo West national parks are now migrating long distances, at times beyond the park boundaries, in search of pasture and water. In the process, they enter farms and endanger the local population, which is trying to protect their precious crops that they managed to grow during the drought. Increased crossing by animals on roads and highways, has led to more accidents with cars along the Mombasa to Nairobi highway, and is now a matter of serious concern for KWS and the traffic police along this stretch of road. Schools are reportedly starting late and closing early to allow the children to reach their destinations during the daylight, when conditions are better for avoiding straying wildlife.
Meanwhile KWS also confirmed that at least 20 young elephant have died because of drought-related complications in recent weeks, most of them in the Laikipia area of central Kenya.
FERRY DELAY CAUSES ANGER, OUTRAGE
A while ago, it was confirmed that new ferries had been ordered and were due for delivery later in the year for the operation crossing from the Mombasa island to the south coast mainland at Likoni. This target, however, is now in serious doubt, according to reports from Kenya, as almost half a billion Kenya Shillings meant to pay for them has gone missing. The reports have caused a storm of outrage and anger, as well as frustration amongst the regular users of the ferries, which – when they break down – cause untold delays and have, in the past, led to workers missing work, pupils and students missing school, and tourists missing flights.
MINISTER DEMANDS MORE TRAINING
The Tanzanian Minister of Natural Resources and Tourism Ms. Mwangunga last week demanded better and more training for citizens in the field of wildlife management and tourism, when she visited the College of African Wildlife Management in Mweka, near Moshi. She in particular asked tour operators to employ trained staff from amongst the graduates to improve the skill levels of their employees, which she called a cornerstone of the tourism industry’s success.
The principal of the college at the same time also made it known that the school has spare capacity to absorb more students and called on private sponsorship by tourism companies to permit deserving students to meet their expenses while undergoing training.
NEW AVIATION TRAINING SCHOOL FOR ARUSHA
Following the recent lamentations by a Tanzanian government minister about the lack of capacity in the country, a new aviation training venture is set to take off. Located at the Arusha municipal aerodrome, the new facility aims to train student pilots, taking them from the initial course for a PPL (Private Pilot License) to the much in-demand CPL (Commercial Pilot License). Reportedly, the demand for pilot training is substantial, not only from within Tanzania but also from Kenya and Uganda. Arusha Aviation Services Company Ltd. is, according to sources, owned by retired aviators and aircraft technicians and also proposes to start courses for aviation engineering students. The new facility received a boost in recognition last week when Tanzania’s President Kikwete visited Arusha and gave the local investors the thumbs up and encouragement to proceed with its plans.
EXPELLED PASTORALISTS WERE FROM ACROSS THE BORDER
Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Ms. Mwangunga earlier in the week denied that any of the herders expelled from game areas in and around Ngorongoro were Tanzanians, but confirmed that illegal immigrants had been found in the area and reportedly been returned across the border to Kenya. The illegal immigrant speak is concealed language often used to criminalize other east Africans found within the Tanzanian borders and when it suits authorities also in Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda, belying the spirit of the east African cooperation and unmasking underlying sentiments not helpful for the envisaged integration. Sympathizers of those affected, trying to get the attention of the Tanzanian president by staging a sit-in at the State House in Dar es Salaam, were reportedly also arrested, again as illegal immigrants or aliens. Tanzanian herders presently entering game areas in search of pasture for their livestock have reportedly been left alone in the same area, although it is at best difficult and at times impossible to distinguish between the Masai from Kenya and the Masai from Tanzania, whose age-old grazing grounds are now subject to a dividing international border, which they, however, continue to cross with their herds in search of water and pastures. It is also understood that following the negative regional media coverage and pressure by donor countries on the circumstances and the one-sided partiality of the evictions, the Tanzanian government will investigate any abuses or human rights violations that may have taken place.
CHELSEA OWNER FAILS TO MAKE THE SUMMIT
The recent visit by Roman Abramovich, Russian billionaire and best known for his ownership of Chelsea Football Club, failed to produce the wanted results, when reportedly the climb up Mt. Kilimanjaro had to be abandoned. The Russian’s group of friends, who had flown into the country with him aboard of his personal B767 private jet, were compelled to return to base without reaching the summit when Abramovich developed breathing problems – a condition often seen with tourist climbers who fail to acclimatize properly and ascend too fast, a situation which very likely occurred with the VIP group that reportedly took over a hundred porters with them to cater for all their fancies while enroute to the peak. It appears, though, that this pampering could not make up for the onset of medical problems. That all said, Abramovich’s visit was high profile enough to have caught the eye of the global media and afforded Tanzania priceless PR in key tourism markets.
RWANDA INVESTMENT RATING MOVES UP 76 PLACES
The most recent World Bank Survey, “Doing Business Report,” has catapulted Rwanda’s standing some 76 places upwards from last year’s position of 143, to 67 out of the 183 countries surveyed. The latest edition of the annual report, titled, “Reforming through difficult times,” gives Rwanda recognition for building institutions and making business start ups and operations more easy to achieve. Like the tourism sector, already a growth leader in eastern Africa, the rest of the Rwandan economy has now emulated the example as well. In contrast, Uganda’s rating has moved into the opposite direction, and challenges await for this country to restore international confidence and create the right conditions for further investments, an area in which the country for long excelled.
RWANDA BAGS EABC CHAIR
The East African Business Council held its annual general meeting last week in Kigali, Rwanda. This is the first time an AGM was held in Rwanda since the country joined the East African Community as a full member last July. The EABC is the private sector apex body for the East African Community member states national business associations, located at the EAC headquarters in Arusha. It is said, the GTZ, the German development service, has financially and logistically supported the EABC since its formation. During the meeting in Kigali, Mr. Faustin Mbundu Kananura was elected as the new chairperson – the first from Rwanda to hold this prestigious position. In his business capacity, Mr. Kananura is the CEO of a leading Rwandan coffee export company. He will hold office for the next year, before a new chairperson, likely then to be from Burundi, will be elected. Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania have held the positions since the inception of the EABC a few years ago, and the post rotate’ amongst the member states in the true spirit of east African cooperation.
ELECTION DATE SET FOR RWANDA
August 9, 2010 will be the day Rwandans go to the polls to elect their president. Campaigning will commence on July 20, ending the day before the elections. The country’s tourism sector, led by RDB-T&C, was swift in reassuring intending visitors that elections in the New Rwanda have in the past been peaceful, and all tourism operations, including gorilla tracking, would continue uninterrupted during the campaign and election period. Parliamentary and civic elections will take place along a different timeframe.
AKAGERA FIRES ONCE AGAIN CAUSED BY CARELESS AREA RESIDENTS
As has happened before, fires erupted along the periphery of the Akagera National Park, believed to have been lit by poachers and irresponsible residents in nearby villages scouting for honey. Park authorities, together with other security organizations and neighborhood support, brought the fires swiftly under control. The fire risk is presently higher than normal due to the prolonged drought conditions in many parts of eastern Africa. The last reported major fire was back in July. Tourist visitors on safari to the park are said to be unaffected by the fires.
ETHIOPIA AVIATION CONFERENCE HONORS KQ CEO
Mr. Titus Naikuni was recently honored when receiving the 2009 Aviation Achievement Award during a conference held at the Addis Ababa Hilton Hotel. Interesting enough, the honor was bestowed upon the Kenya Airways chief executive by his counterpart from Ethiopian Airlines during the award-giving ceremony, which crowned the three-day meeting. In attendance, were representatives of the African Union’s Civil Aviation Commission, ICAO, AFRAA, and IATA, amongst others. The theme of this year’s conference was “Air Transport in Africa – One Continent, One Strategy.”
ETHIOPIAN AIRLINES TO START MOMBASA FLIGHTS
Information was received from Addis Ababa that Ethiopian Airlines seems set to commence scheduled flights to Mombasa starting in October. However, ET has again failed to match the well-oiled PR and information machinery of say Kenya Airways, South African Airways, Brussels Airlines, and Fly 540, by not providing details on the type of aircraft to be used or the number of frequencies between Addis and Mombasa. That said, the coastal tourism fraternity will be happy to see extra scheduled flights come to Mombasa, which will in the process offer more seats and better connectivity with flights routing via Addis Ababa. In a related development, Ethiopian Airlines took delivery last week of yet another new B737-800, which will be deployed on its African regional and continental network.
RETURN OUR IVORY, DEMANDS ZAMIBA
The Zambian government has formally demanded the return of ivory seized in Singapore some years ago, which is now being held in Kenya by the Nairobi-based task force responsible for implementing the Lusaka Agreement on Cooperative Enforcement. The illegal blood ivory, said to weigh over 6 tons, was traced back to Zambian origins by scientific tests and was, at the time, likely smuggled across the Zambian borders to a neighboring country. From there, it eventually made its way to buyers in Singapore, where it was intercepted by customs on arrival. The massive confiscation of the ivory shipment in Singapore, thought to have cost hundreds of elephant their lives, took place way back in June 2002, but it took several years to establish the country of origin, which has now permitted Zambia to officially claim the ivory back.
ILSE MWANZA RETURNS TO LUSAKA AFTER TWO EXCITING MONTHS ON SAFARI
Nearly two exiting months of travel through Zambia, Tanzania, Mozambique ,and Malawi ended last weekend for Ilse Mwanza, when she returned to Lusaka and her normal life. Ilse, the co-author of “The Guide to the Little Known Waterfalls of Zambia” will start transferring her travel notes and daily journal entries into a proper travel report and then begin to release her travelogue, aimed to create more attention to the many attractions in little-known places in eastern, central, and southern Africa.
NEW SEYCHELLES BOOK ATTRACTS WORLD ATTENTION
The founder president of the Seychelles James Mancham has embarked on a world tour to promote his book, “Seychelles – Global Citizen,” beginning with a visit to the United States of America. The autobiography is thought to draw in many more visitors to the Seychelles, when readers have taken an added interest in this Indian Ocean country, after beginning to understand the history of the Creole island state and appreciating the natural beauty, the flora and fauna, and most important, the friendly nature of the Seychellois population.
Five Great Cities for Children
Posted August 21, 2009 , add a commentAs a general rule, children and cities don’t tend to mix. A family holiday can be far less stressful when it’s restricted to a resort or quiet countryside area. But there are some cities in the world that are jam-packed with child-friendly attractions and activities. And these are arguably the best five…
Happy Kids - Happy Holidays!
Sydney, Australia
Sydney has an outdoor culture that children, by and large, adore. The beaches are an obvious starting point – those on the harbour itself are safer swimming spots for the younger ones, while the surf beaches along the coast are brilliant for the more adventurous tykes. It’s even possible to do learn-to-surf courses at Bondi Beach. But the outdoor ethos stretches beyond the beaches. Centennial Park is another fantastic place to hang out, whether it’s for playing park football or cricket, having a picnic or barbecue or going to the open air cinema in the summer. There’s also the chance to hire rollerblades or go horse-riding around the park.
And once you throw in boat rides on the harbour and the street entertainers at Circular Quay and Darling Harbour, Sydney is obviously something of a family tourism heaven.
Feeding the Kangaroos at Taronga Zoo, Sydney
But then comes the trump card – Australian wildlife. Sydney is crammed with excellent animal experiences where kids (and big kids) can get close to koalas, kangaroos and other Australian fauna. The best two are arguably Taronga Zoo and the Featherdale Wildlife Park. The former is arguably the best located zoo in the world, with superb harbour views. It also has some excellent keeper-guided behind-the-scenes tours. Featherdale is a little more rough and ready, but is brilliant for getting photos with koalas and being able to hand-feed kangaroos.
Singapore
Another city with awesome animal attractions is Singapore. Singapore Zoo pioneered the “open” concept, where animals are in full view rather than cages, and kept away from visitors by well concealed moats that are below eye level. Next to it is the Night Safari, a rather novel zoo concept. Essentially it offers the opportunity to stroll (or be driven) around a jungle at night, while the nocturnal creatures are at their most active. They’re all subtly lit up and animals from various different areas of the world are represented.
Singapore is also surprisingly green – there are some massive parks and nature reserves for children to explore. Apparently, Rio De Janeiro is the only other city in the world to have rainforest within the city boundaries. For indoor activities, the Science Centre is an excellent bet. It’s full of entrancing technology, has plenty of buttons for inquisitive little ones to press and goes for a very hands-on approach.
Copenhagen, Denmark
The Danish capital has long been billed as a fairytale city – mainly due to its links with Hans Christian Andersen – and it’s unsurprising that kids seem to love it so much. For lovers of Andersen’s stories, there’s the famous Little Mermaid statue, Hans-themed walking trails and a dedicated museum. But there’s more to Copenhagen than ugly ducklings and the Emperor’s New Clothes. For a start it’s home to the two oldest theme parks in the world.
Amusement park in Bakken, Copenhagen
They’re not Disneyfied affairs, and still have buckets of charm. The oldest is just to the north of the city and is part of an enormous park – Dyrebakken. Dyrebakken was formerly a royal hunting ground, but it has now been turned into one of the world’s greatest parks – families swarm to it when the sun comes out.
Part of the great swathe of green is Bakken, which has plenty of quaintly old-fashioned rides amongst lots of restaurants and caf?s. The second oldest amusement park is right in Copenhagen city centre. Tivoli is pretty much opposite the main train station and is an action-packed funland mixed in with beautiful gardens. The rides are generally a bit more up-to-date (and scarier) than those at Bakken, and it’s quite easy to while away the day in Tivoli’s grounds.
Los Angeles
Unsurprisingly, the movie capital of the world has plenty to keep the little ones entertained. An obligatory first stop has to be Hollywood, where the youngsters can hunt down the stars of their heroes on the Walk of Fame and watch the fancy dress circus outside Grauman’s Chinese Theatre. The Hollywood Museum and celebrity homes tours are generally winners as well.
Then there are the movie studios. Films are still made at the likes of Warner Brothers and Universal Studios, but most of the visitors aren’t part of movie crews any more. The big studio complexes have morphed over the years to become theme parks in all but name – and even for theme park cynics, they are genuinely superb. Universal Studios, for example, has plenty of film-themed rides and shows, but the highlight is the backlot tour. This takes guests around where the movie magic is made and is educational as well as entertaining. It’s interspersed with some big action movie set pieces, such as a village flooding or a helicopter crashing.
LA also has beaches and plenty of odd attractions such as the La Brea tar pits, where fossils of mammoths and more have been trapped for thousands of years.
London
There’s so much to do in London that it’s virtually impossible to be bored. Many of the standard kiddy favourites are present and correct – London Zoo is one of the best in the world, boat trips down the River Thames are regular and affordable, and there are some fabulous open spaces such as Hyde Park and Regent Park.
London Natural History Museum
If you have to pick one area, then South Kensington is a sure fire winner. It’s home to two of the world’s most child-friendly museums. The Science Museum has lots of interactive exhibits about how our world works, and many displays with a wow factor. Even better is the Natural History Museum, which is like a zoo but with stuffed animals. The massive whale and dinosaur skeletons are always popular, while the hands-on creepy crawly exhibits should delight the sort of young boy that revels in pulling the legs off spiders.
These kids will also enjoy the gruesome tales on offer at the Tower of London and London Dungeon. There are some rather interesting tours too – such as one of Harry Potter filming locations by black taxi, or a land-and-water trip in an amphibious ‘duck’ vehicle.
Planning a trip? Browse Viator’s Sydney tours & things to do in Sydney for tips and itineraries in Australia, and check Singapore tours & sightseeing in Singapore for local trips. Going to Europe? Our Copenhagen activities and our London tours & attractions will help you out choosing the best tours. Or be the star of the day with one of Viator’s Los Angeles trips & activities.
Tourism in Panama is booming
Posted August 7, 2009 , add a comment- Tourism brings more foreign revenue to El Salvador
- A record 1 million tourists arrive in Cuba in first quarter
- Falkland Islands: ?4.2 million revenue from cruise tourism
- Costa Rica creates digital guide for tourists
- Singapore tourism brings in S$6.4 billion
- Summer’s a scorcher, but you don’t have to get burned
- Battered by recession, Caribbean tourism is looking for the way out of crisis
- New luxury boutique hotel being developed in Panama
By
eTN Staff Writer |
Aug 07, 2009
In the short span of the past six years, Panama’s tourism arrivals have more than doubled, while tourism-based revenue has more than tripled, according to the Panama Tourism Authority. This growth, along with farsighted, tourism-friendly laws and tax incentives, has opened the floodgates for investment in the country.
These funds are being channeled back into the tourism sector by way of improving infrastructure facilities, including power plants, telecom projects, overpasses, roads, highways, and bridges. In fact, the governments of Panama and Costa Rica have announced plans to build a temporary bridge over the Sixaola River, which will eventually be converted to a permanent bridge, costing US$13.4 million and increasing the connectivity between the countries. One of the most notable improvements is the US$5.25 billion Panama Canal expansion project, which will double the canal’s capacity and allow more traffic.
Recently, focus has also turned to the Enrique Malek Airport in David, the capital of the Chiriqui Province and gateway to the islands in the Gulf of Chiriqui. In early 2007, Gregorio Montecer, engineer and advisor to the director of the Civil Aeronautical Authority, unveiled a US$10 million expansion plan for the David airport to be completed by 2015. Upon the conclusion of the first phase of the project - a US$2 million investment to be completed this year - the upgrades to the runway will allow the David airport to accommodate commercial jets as large as a Boeing 737. Local developers have begun discussions among each other and with Panama’s tourism authority about how to leverage these upgrades into regular international flights.
“This area has seen a vast improvement of physical, economic, and social infrastructures in recent years,” said Ben Loomis, president of Amble Resorts, which is currently planning the development of a new eco resort in the Gulf of Chiriqui, the Resort at Isla Palenque. “In addition to the airport expansion, roads are being improved and new, high-quality health care facilities are being built. This expansive growth plus its incredible natural beauty makes the Gulf of Chiriqui an ideal location for our new island resort.”
“After 30 years in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste Province, my choice in Panama to invest would be the coastal region of the Province of Chiriqui,” said Jim Procter of Panama Guru. “It already has an international airport, the sport fishing is as good as it gets on the Central American coast, and it offers westerly views with sunsets over the islands speckled around the Gulf of Chiriqui. Boutique hotels are slowly sprouting up so that’s where my chunk of cash would go.”