World Tourism Blog

The Kiwengwa caves in the Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve are part of ancient history of the Zanzibar Island. The locals have visited the caves to worship their ancestors, bringing gifts to the holy stones in the caves. In the old days, the villagers kept leopards in the caves as a status symbol of the owner. Forest guard found these longest caves of Zanzibar in 2002, and there is now an initiative to make this natural wonder available for tourists to visit and enjoy. In 2005, the Department of Commercial Crops, Fruits and Forestry of Zanzibar, in cooperation with the Turku Geographical Society of Finland and the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), started the Kiwengwa Ecotourism Project to develop these unique caves as an ecotourism destination.

The Cave System and Rich Biodiversity

The cave system is divided into three parts. Only the North cave and South cave are accessible for tourists. These are 230 and 205 meters long respectively. The East cave is 50 meters long, is darker, has a lot of bats, and can only be entered by crawling. The stalactite caverns have formed from water dissolving calcium carbonate from coral stone. There are many insects and also five species of bats, of which two are considered to be rare in the caves. The naturally formed holes in the ceiling of the caves let sunlight in, creating an exciting atmosphere. Another curious feature is the roots that have forced their way through the ground and look like electric wires connecting the ceiling and the bottom of the caves.

The caves are surrounded by three natural trails; a short 0.2 km, a medium 0.4 km and a long 2 km trail. The Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve is the only large remaining high coral rag forest area in the Northern Zanzibar. There are endemic species, for example Red colubus monkey, duikers (big antelopes) and mini antelopes, which you might see when walking the trails. There are also 47 bird species such as Fisher’s Turaco and a lot of butterflies in the forests.

Most of the trees and other plants along the trail have interesting traditional medicinal purposes, and you can ask your guide about the usage of these plants. There are some endemic and rare species of trees such as Uvarioendron kirkii and Pittosporum viridiflorum and tree climbers such as Vernonia Zanzibariensis and Monodora grandidieri. They are used commonly as local medicine, which is part of the reason why they have become rare.

Developing Ecotourism and Livelihoods of the Communities

The Forest Conservation by Livelihood Development Project (LIVE Project) aims to conserve the forest areas and biodiversity in Zanzibar by supporting alternative livelihoods for the local communities. LIVE Project supports 40 groups in 11 villages around the Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve, including Kiwengwa. There are also ten Village Conservation Committees involved in the project, working to develop sustainable use of forest resources. By visiting the caves, visitors will also be able to support the project, as well as experiencing one of the most spectacular natural wonders of the island.

Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve is located in the Northeastern region of Unguja Island, and you can get there by taking a dala-dala from Kiwengwa to Mchekeni. The distance from the Stone Town is approximately 35 kilometres. The last journey of the road (about 500 meters) is in a bad condition, but the LIVE Project is seeking funding for fixing the road.

This is a site not yet known to tourists. A reception center has been built, with a café and a souvenir shop, although the center does not have the capacity to provide services for visitors yet. For now there is no entrance fee, while later when the services are more developed, visitors will be required to pay US$5-10 to enter the site. LIVE Project welcomes visitors interested in being among the first to experience this unique attraction.

By Elina Nieminen

Zanzibar LIVE Project

Johannesburg lies in the heart of South Africa. Tourists have been flocking this fascinating country and it has a multidimensional quality that attracts tourists from all over the world. The older surroundings have been well maintained in conglomeration with the rising needs of modern living. People coexist with history in this city and one has to visit to know what it is. This is more evident in cities like Gauteng.

Nevertheless Johannesburg is a very modern city and since it is the financial capital it holds many attractions and shopping centers in it.

Things to do in Johannesburg

The Saturday flea market is really the most ideal shopping place and if you are looking for that special memento to carry back then this is the place you would find it at a steal deal.

Museum Africa unlike any other museum reveals the utmost African struggle in a critical way and also takes you through the troubled times of the nation. History buffs can spend one whole day in this museum to learn its vast findings.

People with kids should head to the Gold reef City theme park which has the state of the art rides and water theme parks.

What to expect when you visit Johannesburg

Most people come with the mind set that Africa is poverty stricken however you would be sadly mistaken when you visit some wealthy Northern Suburbs of the city. Places like Sandton, Bryanston, Fourways have some of the best restaurants, pubs, discotheques and bars. The slick environment can have you partying sooner than you think. However as a tourist the best way to explore the city is by taking a tour. There is everything here from fossil tours to theme parks and gold digging or shopping. In a nutshell you don’t have to go elsewhere for fun and entertainment when in Johannesburg.

By Besttouristdestinations

Johannesburg

Cape Town Has Much to Offer, Even If You Are Not a Soccer Fan

CAPE TOWN - Overshadowed by Table Mountain and teeming with soccer fans here to watch the World Cup, Cape Town is a vibrant city at the tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

Reuters correspondents with local knowledge help visitors to get the most out of a 48-hour visit to a city in the feverish grip of Africa’s first World Cup.

FRIDAY

6 p.m. - Kick off your stay with sundowners or hot chocolate at Wakame Asian sushi restaurant in Beach Road , Mouille Point, enjoying an uninterrupted vista of the ocean as the waves break meters away. Even in winter, the sun pokes out its brilliant head periodically and this is an ideal spot to relax as the fading light becomes one with the ocean darkness. Call them on +27 21 433 2377. If raw fish isn’t quite your fancy, then try the sophisticated Aubergine restaurant where diners enjoy their meals as a fireplace provides warmth and ambience during the cold winter nights. Situated in the former 19th century home of the Cape’s first chief justice, the restaurant offers innovative twists to culinary classics, with wild boar and geranium scented sauce among the favorites. The restaurant is found at 39 Barnet Street, Gardens or could be contacted on +27 21 465 4909.

7:30 p.m. - It’s soccer World Cup time and the inner-city undergoes a regular metamorphosis as streets are blocked or opened to assist thousands of fans attending matches at Green Point Stadium. The stadium, within walking distance of the city’s central business district, is adjacent to the Victoria and Alfred Waterfront, a mega-mall that offers something for everyone. Having whet your appetite earlier, why not grab a succulent Ostrich (the world’s largest flightless bird) fillet with red wine sauce at Belthazar Restaurant (Shop 153, +27 21 421 3753) or for those with a wilder palate, a game kebab typically featuring meat cuts from Kudu, Springbok, Gemsbok and Impala buck. Also situated at the V&A is Nelson Mandela Gateway (+27 21 413 4217), where you can buy tickets (200 rand p/p return) to visit Robben Island Museum and see the cell which held South Africa’s first black state leader for 26 years. There are usually four tours a day during winter ending 3 p.m. daily, (including Sundays and holidays). To cater for increased demand during the World Cup tournament, there are an extra two boat trips at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. The island is a World Heritage site and a former leper colony. All trips are weather dependent.

By Wendell Roelf

The new 70,000 seat capacity Green Point Stadium (bottom L) for the FIFA Soccer World Cup in Cape Town, on April 25, 2010. Overshadowed by Table Mountain and teeming with soccer fans here to watch the World Cup, Cape Town is a vibrant city at the tip of Africa where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet.

As the safari industry follows the global trend to go green, one company has been leading the charge toward sustainable tourism in Africa for over 40 years. Hopefully, other outfitters will follow in their footprints.

Peering out of the Jeep window at the savannah flats extending south to the Serengeti in the Great Rift Valley, we spotted the curved horns of water buffalo, baboons, impalas, a mother and baby giraffe, a field of zebras, four lions sleeping peacefully under an acacia tree, and a big and brawny 35- to 40-year old elephant with long tusks. Unlike the Serengeti, the Masai Mara, a park reserve in southwestern Kenya named for the Maasai people who traditionally inhabited the area, offers a place where you can drive off-road to get a close-up glimpse of a lion on her back, rubbing her belly with one powerful paw.

“It’s the Discovery Channel without the remote control,” says John Neva, a safari guide who’s been leading guests into the African bush for the past 15 years. He’s refering to the intimate experience available at Masai Mara, where you can view a wild animal in person from the same distance that you would view one on the TV from your couch.

Mara is Swahili for dotted hillside, and if you glance around the Mara triangle inside this refuge, you can’t help but be enamored by the wealth of wildlife peppering the valley, especially during early summer and fall, when vast hordes of wildebeests make their way to and from the Masai Mara and the Serengeti. Yet only two decades ago this same wilderness area was rife with poachers hunting rhino, Maasai warriors spearing male lions as a ritual gateway to manhood, villagers killing ostriches and impala for their meat, and mass tourism allowing 20 to 30 safari trucks to corral a lone leopard.

It was during this time, when hunting and poaching were climbing at an alarming rate and park rangers were shot and killed on a regular basis, that Jorie Butler Kent, co-owner and President of sustainable travel company Abercrombie & Kent, discovered a dead black rhino less than a mile from her camp. The tusks had been removed, likely ground into a powder that makes the cocaine trade look like chump change—to this day, one rhino horn, used as an aphrodisiac in China, Taiwan, and Thailand, can fetch upwards of $100,000 U.S. on the black market.

Soon, Butler Kent formed a rhino conservation program, which morphed into the Friends of Conservation (FOC) in 1982, long before “green” was a travel trend. Geoffery Kent, her husband at the time and business partner to this day, had implemented the John Muir principal to leave only footprints at Abercrombie & Kent back when he took over his father’s company in the mid-1960s. He also masterminded the high-end tented safari concept so that guests could get up-close and personal with the wildlife. More than 40 years later, Kent remains committed to eco-friendly practices, making such efforts as using solar lighting in tents, providing locally harvested produce during meals, and encouraging guests to get on horseback and leave the safari trucks behind.

Butler Kent’s work with the FOC has become the blueprint for ecotourism in Kenya and East Africa. In 1999, Abercrombie & Kent unveiled Olonana, a permanent tented camp on the banks of the Mara River—the sinuous waterway that snakes through Masai Mara all the way to Lake Victoria, the world’s largest lake. The walls may consist of canvas, but the 14 tents on the property are decidedly upscale in flavor, with queen-sized beds, mosquito netting, indoor and outdoor showers, and flush toilets. The veranda overlooking the rushing river is a real highlight. Upon request, the front desk will wake you up with hot Kenyan coffee and muffins at sunrise; head to the veranda with your cup-o-joe and you might glimpse a mother hippo teaching her young child to swim upstream.

Solar-powered lighting and a small vegetable garden used by the African-themed restaurant add to the environmentally conscious allure, as does a wetlands project behind the tents that filters the toxins from waste water, and returns it to the Masa River cleaner than the actual water found there. A series of three ponds slowly purify the wastewater using vegetation like lily pads that naturally absorb nutrients. Each guest can also plant a tree on the property—not to be used as firewood, but for much needed shade.

By Stephen Jermanok

MASAI BY TWILIGHT: A view of the Masai Mara as darkness envelopes the savannah (Stephen Jermanok)

East-central Madagascar is home to many species found nowhere else on the planet, and to one of the boldest conservation initiatives designed to benefit communities.

Conservation International (CI) is working with the Government of Madagascar, the World Bank and other partners to address deforestation and mitigate climate change, and to create sustainable livelihoods for the citizens of this island nation.

The Andasibe-Mantadia corridor is one of the last remaining places in Madagascar with large areas of native rain forest. A garden of stunning biological diversity, this 405,000-hectare area is host to species of plants and animals that exist nowhere else in the world.

But the ongoing use of slash-and-burn agriculture due to the growing human population’s need for fertile land continues to be a significant threat to the forests and their biodiversity.

 IN DEPTH: Conserving forests is vital to protecting species and reversing climate change. Learn about the work we are doing in the Andasibe-Mantadia corridor.

Around the world, the use of fossil fuels like coal and oil drives the modern economy, but scientists and world leaders in government and business now acknowledge that industrialization and global commerce are contributing to climate change, affecting the health and viability of all life on the planet.

At the World Conservation Congress in Barcelona, Spain, CI is presenting a program on engaging indigenous people in climate change.

A New Project Brings Hope
 
Decades of deforestation have left eastern Madagascar with only 8.5 percent of its original forest and isolated the Analamazaotra Special Reserve, which is the most visited protected area in Madagascar.

The ongoing project, employing about 200 local people, involves connecting three forest fragments. The National Association for Environmental Action (ANAE), one of CI’s partners, coordinates the field activities of this unique project, which involves many stakeholders from government officials to local farmers.

ANAE organizes research on forest restoration and sustainable agricultural practices and then trains the members of seven local associations that participate in the project. In addition, the government is working to clarify land ownership issues, which need to be clearly established in carbon trading projects.

The trees planted to restore the forests will absorb carbon dioxide as they grow, providing carbon credits to the project that are sold through carbon markets. Thus international investment in carbon sequestration will provide a source of income for decades, benefiting local communities in the form of local employment and investment in sustainable and more productive agriculture.

LEARN MORE: CI works with people around the world to help protect the environment. Read about some of the communities we’ve worked with and the progress we’ve made.

Claude Rakotoarivelo, a local project technician, explained that there are 24 tree nurseries, each capable of producing 20,000 seedlings. When seedlings are ready, they are transplanted into the areas being restored.

By helping to recreate the corridor, local communities not only protect Madagascar’s extraordinary biodiversity, but they also benefit from the sale of carbon dioxide absorbed by the forests of Andasibe-Mantadia.

Overcoming challenges

Dr. Daniela Raik, CI’s natural resource management adviser, said the project has been a success even though “we’ve met with challenges of all sorts.” She says that residents “have even donated land of their own, to be planted with native plant species.”

One challenge was to ensure the viability and sustainability of agriculture.

“At first the people were reluctant because they wonder where they can plant their crops,” says project adviser Baoarilala Ramavalisoa. “But with the [project] demonstration sites, they see it’s possible to do companion planting, where you can plant forest trees as well as rice and corn.”

“I believe that planting trees will improve the forest and improve people’s lives,” predicts tree nursery technician Jules Randrianatoandro.

As for understanding the problems brought by climate change, residents have been quick to grasp the effects of global warming.

“We are talking in terms that are relevant to their lives,” Raik says. “As far as climate change, they understand how the forest relates to rainfall. When the forest is intact, there is a healthy, reliable cycle of rainfall – they really feel connected to this.”

“Cyclones cause erosion,” explains Joseph Andrianjaka, deputy mayor of Andasibe. “That’s why restoration is important.”

Some of the benefits of the project cannot be measured in economics. One local resident says simply, ““I am happy with the project because it will help bring back things I saw as a child.”

By Steve Goldstein

South Africa boasts plenty of game through safari on the sidelines of the World Cup

Lions and cheetah, check. Buffalo, check. Rhino, hippo and leopard. check. Penguins, check. South Africa has them all.

The country has nearly 600 national parks and reserves — plenty of opportunity for the hordes of visitors coming for Africa’s first World Cup to do something besides watching football.

South Africa’s best known game reserve is Kruger National Park, near one of the World Cup host cities, Nelspruit, in the north. Kruger boasts the Big Five — buffalo, elephant, leopard, lion and rhino. The reserve is the size of the state of Massachusetts, but it might still seem crowded with tourists during the June-July World Cup. Still, there are off-the-beaten track options that are just as exciting and probably more accessible, and don’t involve malaria tablets.

Those on a budget can make do with glimpsing animals for free on a drive from Cape Town to Cape Point. Others ready to break the bank can lodge at private game reserves and wake up to monkeys at the doorstep.

Three of the World Cup host cities, Johannesburg, Pretoria and Rustenburg, are near Pilanesburg, the fourth largest park in South Africa. It covers 136,000 acres (55,000 hectares) and has more than 7,000 animals, including 24 of the larger species.

You can take a room at Pilanesburg’s luxurious Ivory Tree Game Lodge or Bakubung Bush Lodge, or the Tshukudu. Packages usually include lodging, meals and two safaris per day with guide.

Camping options or dormitory-style self-catering places for families can be booked at the Bosele Group Camp or Golden Leopard Resorts. Sites on the edges of the park allow campers or tents.

Mike Crowther, Pilanesburg park manager, said June is the best time to visit the reserve because the weather is cooler and drier, so the roads are easy to drive on, and because vegetation is not lush, enhancing any animal viewing.

But June is also winter in the Southern Hemisphere, and that means it is cold. Bring hats, gloves and lots of layers no matter where you go. If you take a late afternoon game drive, temperatures can plummet as the sun descends.

By CARLEY PETESCH

Southern Tunisia is currently experiencing a new momentum  including the  redevelopment of the Tamazrat ecotourism center in the delegation of Matmata, known for its cave dweller houses also known as “troglodytes”.

As part of the program of the Ministry of Environment and Sustainable Development for the realization of an ecological tourism circuit dubbed “Memory of the earth: the Sahara and the oasis”, the Tamazrat ecotourism center, was  the focal point of a working session held recently at the headquarters of the governorate of Gabes.

The meeting focused on the various components of the project and its contribution in boosting tourism in the delegation of Matmata.

The Tamazrat center will include a theater, museums , exhibition spaces of handicrafts and green spaces.

The ecological tourism circuit, includes the visit to eco-tourism resorts in the governorates of Tozeur, Kebili, Gafsa, Gabes and Tataouine.

With no fewer than 800 recorded caves in old Matmata and 250 in the new Matmata, the region comes alive especially during weekends, public holidays and school holidays and during festivals including the Matmata International Festival which was held from March 23 to 25, 2010.

Matmata represents both an asset and a tourist attraction as well as being a very popular film shooting site. Due to its extraordinary landscape, the region was chosen by George Lucas for his Star Wars series.

With moderate indoor air temperature in both winter and summer seasons, the troglodytes remain a reference for energy efficient housing, since the escalation in oil prices on the world market.

In so far as the ecological benefits are concerned, these homes offer their inhabitants and visitors traditional amenities such as potable water, electricity, refrigerator, television and satellite dish.

The Ministry of Culture and Heritage Preservation initiated a program dedicated to the preservation and restoration of several caves; this program is part of the presidential project of the preservation and restoration of Berber villages of Toujane, Taoujout and Zeraoua .

Cyprus tucked away in the top right hand corner of the Mediterranean is so close to Europe, Asia and Africa that it rightly, claims to be a stepping stone to three continents .

An island whose rich dramatic history can be traced back over nine thousand years; an island so coveted over the centuries that it has been invaded and claimed by a fascinating mixture of civilizations from near and far all of which have left their culture and shaped its character.

An island whose archaeology stems from the Neolithic Age, the Ancient Greeks and the Roman period; where churches and monasteries still stand from Byzantine times; castles and palaces from the days of Crusaders and Frankish Lusignans and splendid city walls from Venetian days.

An island chosen by the mythical gods and goddesses of Ancient Greece who indulged themselves here in sport pleasure and tragedy; where Aphrodite goddess of love and beauty, emerged from the Pafos foam to become a famous cult figure - centre of attraction for the first visitors who flocked to the island to worship her.

With such a historic and legendary background it is hardly surprising that Cyprus has developed a character which is quite unique. It is blessed with beauty, natural beauty that ranges from golden beaches and rugged coastlines to rolling hills and forest clad mountains, dotted with picturesque villages. Hard money training

There is a huge variety of things to do within the small Kingdom of Swaziland. You will have great fun exploring the beauty and rich heritage of Swaziland and its warm people. Relax and enjoy the spectacular Reed Dance which takes place in late August or early September and is a ceremony that attracts young maidens from all over the Kingdom, providing the opportunity to honor the Queen Mother. Most participants are in their teenage years, although some of the girls are younger.

During the first week, they gather reeds; the day of the Umhlanga begins with bathing and grooming before appearing before the King and Queen Mother. The girls wear short beaded skirts with anklets, bracelets and jewellery and colorful sashes. The royal princesses wear red feathers in their hair and lead the maidens to perform before the King and Queen. The King often chooses a new wife from among the participating maidens; watch teams of men and boys perform the energetic Sibhaca Dance which is quite a spectacle and watch the King of Swaziland as he takes part in the Incwala Ceremony. The lncwala, or first fruits ceremony, in which the King plays a dominant role, is the most sacred of Swazi rituals. It is held in December or January on a date chosen by astrologers in conjunction with the phases of the moon. The ritual begins with a journey by the “Bemanti” (people of the water) to the Indian Ocean to collect water and on their return to the royal kraal, the little Ncwala begins, preceding the full moon. Youths then travel to collect the sacred branches of the “lusekwane”shrub, a species of acacia. On the third day a bull is ritually slaughtered, instilling solidarity and a spirit of valor among the young men. The fourth day is the finale of the Ncwala when the King, in full ceremonial dress, joins his warriors in the traditional dance. He then enters a special hut and after further rituals, eats the first fruits of the season. On the appearance of the King to his people, they may also eat these fruits with the blessing of the ancestors. The burning of the King’s bedding and household items follows, thus cleansing everything in readiness for the New Year. Hard money training

An ideal climate, a long and gentle seacoast, Tunisia, the northernmost country of Africa has for over 3000 years witnessed the passage of Phoenicians, Romans, Vandals, Byzantines, Turks, Spanish and French. They came as fugitive s or adventurers, to conquer or to claim, warriors and missionaries, traders and farmers each leaving a part of their story in stone or mosaics, on hills of Carthage and the threshold of the Sahara.

This heritage, Tunisia’s greatest wealth has been held in trust and preserved in hundreds of sites and museums from the small Punic museum in Utica to the vast collections of the prestigious National Museum of Bardo. Most Museums are closed on Mondays, whereas many on-site archeological museums and ruins are open all week. An entrance fee is usually charged and a caretaker will often act as guide.