Video Reports

The Beauty of Swaziland (Now Eswatini)

Swaziland was renamed the 'the Kingdom of eSwatini in 2018. Its a small, landlocked monarchy in southern Africa – almost like an enclave within South Africa situated on the border of Mozambique.

Featured Hotels

10 Top Luxury Hotels in West Africa

For a developing region like West Africa, luxury does come at a cost; while it may be a tad bit expensive, it is fair to conclude that every ounce of money spent is worth it. The current niche is sophistication, and every development or hotel management is consciously following along the path to be relevant and popular. No matter your sense of taste or preference, there’s always something unique in store for you. Africa boasts of a diverse, rich contemporary culture and heritage, fused with an unadulterated sense of hospitality; as a result, West Africa provides some of the most unique and luxurious hotel accommodations. This article primarily focuses on, in no particular order, Ten Luxurious Hotels in West Africa Tang Palace, Ghana The Tang Palace Hotel is conveniently located six km from the Independence Square in Accra. The hotel has a year-round outdoor pool and terrace, and guests can enjoy a meal at the restaurant, or a drink at the bar. Tang Palace also includes features such as free WIFI accessibility and free private parking. All rooms come with a flat-screen TV, along with a variety of satellite channels. Certain units include a seating area where you can relax, and other units feature views of the pool or the beautiful city. In addition, rooms come with a private bathroom that is fitted with a hot tub – extras include slippers and free toiletries. Guests will find free shuttle services and hairdressers at the property as well. Seeing as Kwame Nkrumah Memorial Park is seven km away from Tang Palace and the Accra Sports Stadium is six km away, the hotel also offers chauffeur services. The four-star property is in a quiet location very close to the airport, and despite its large size, it has a nice hideaway feel to it. Comprised of freshly cut orchids, impressive chandeliers, and an impeccably dressed and attentive staff, the Tang Palace Hotel focuses on details that make your stay more memorable. Prices range from US$430 for a double and US$590 for a suite. Royal Gold Coast Hotel (Kempinski), Ghana From the Kempinski group that has a global reputation of doing things in style, the Royal Gold Coast Hotel is no exception. This hotel marks the brand’s West African debut, and with a complex that spreads over 35 hectares and is comprised of numerous buildings including commercial and residential towers, the property is a dazzling addition. The hotel itself has 269 rooms, all at least 50 sqm in size, including a pair of seriously snazzy presidential suites. Guests can also enjoy an extensive spa experience with a collection of 10 treatment rooms, a hammam, a yoga studio, and a fully kitted-out beauty salon. Other hotel features include an organic food bar, cocktail bar, tennis court, and a flashy outdoor pool. There are also seven extra meeting rooms with the latest audio-visual equipment, in addition to a number of outside meeting areas and a conference center measuring about 1,750 sq. m. The Royal Gold Coast Hotel is home to a restaurant as well: the Papillon Restaurant is a vibrant, Mediterranean-inspired restaurant that showcases flavors traveling the Mediterranean region from Spain to the Coast of Southern Rome in a casual, contemporary atmosphere. The daylight-flooded restaurant got its name from the butterfly shaped roof, and it is located on the 3rd floor, adjacent to the pool and cedar terrace. Rated as one of the best values in Ghana, prices start at US$375. Movenpick Ambassador Hotel, Ghana Backed by palm-studded grounds and a sweeping azure pool, Accra’s newest luxury sanctuary is certainly living up to its hype. Dubbed as the most expensive hotel in the capital, smart waiters of the Mövenpick Ambassador Hotel are seen supplying fresh snacks and icy drinks to holidaymakers stretched out on loungers around the pool. The onsite state-of-the-art shopping center is filled with high-end goods from bold fashions at Nonterah, to Afrocentric homeware at Joe’s Perspective. In addition, the Sankofa restaurant pleases customers with a wide array of continental and local flavors, and the cocktail lounge expertly whips up any favored swill. Basking in its glory from the busiest part of Accra, Mövenpick sits across from the luxurious ends of the capital. With about 260 rooms, prices start from US$375 a day. Hotel Hilton, Cameroon Situated in the centre of the business district of downtown Yaounde, this Hilton is also just 500 m from the National Craft Market. It features an outdoor swimming pool, as well as a fitness club with a hot tub and sauna; Wi-Fi access is also available. The spacious, air-conditioned rooms and suites have a private balcony. In addition, each room at Hilton Yaounde is soundproofed, including a seating area with a flat-screen TV. Breakfast is served every morning in Le Safoutier – it also offers international buffets for lunch and dinner. Guests have a choice of 5 restaurants and bars at the hotel including Le Panoramique, which features city views from the 11th floor. Hilton Yaounde provides a range of leisure facilities, including 2 tennis courts and a squash court; a children’s playground and a business centre are also located on the site. A free airport shuttle service to the hotel takes 30 minutes for transfers from Yaounde Nsimalen International Airport, and the Palais de Congrés conference center is 5 km away. Noom Hotel, Guinea Being totally avant-garde, caring, connected, and always ideally located in the heart of busy cities, Noom hotels are designed with the business traveler in mind. This four-star, family-friendly hotel has a spectacular selection of restaurants and facilities that provide ample entertainment for holidaymakers of all ages. Situated in Conakry, Noom Hotel Conakry offers its guests air-conditioned accommodations and a seasonal outdoor swimming pool. Other services include free WiFi, a fitness center, a restaurant, and a bar. Additionally, Noom Hotel Conakry offers a sun terrace, dry cleaning facilities, free private parking, and a business center – as well as a 24-hour front desk. The units in the Noom Hotel are equipped with a flat-screen TV and a desk, and each private bathroom is fitted with a shower and free toiletries. Guests of the facility can enjoy a buffet breakfast as well; there is an on-site restaurant that specializes in European and local cuisine. Le Wafou, Cote D’ivioire Le Wafou is one of the oldest, yet splendid luxury hotels that the Ivory Coast can claim. With its expansive waters and a wet bar where guests can shake up icy cocktails, the pool is the star of this beachside retreat. A separate children’s pool is also present. Manicured Ivorian residents flock here to cool down and socialize amid the 30 acres (12 hectares) of landscaped gardens on the weekends. Hotel guests find Le Wafou to be an attractive complex of chalets, with a striking beachside location that makes for an accomplished stay. The rooms are clean, air conditioned, spacious, and include comfy beds. Overlooking the beach, the thatched setting of the Ghanaian Village restaurant is also a high point, as well as a great place to sample Ivorian dishes. Eko Hotel And Suites, Nigeria Victoria Island is a great choice for travelers interested in nightlife, food, and beaches. Eko’s pristine rooms and luxury suites offer an outdoor pool, barbecue, and children’s playground. Set in Lagos, Eko Hotel has a terrace and spa center, and guests can enjoy a meal at the included restaurant. Free WIFI is available, and free private parking is also available on site. Guests can enjoy a cup of tea while looking out at the sea or the pool. Also, every room is fitted with a flat-screen TV and private bathroom; for your comfort, you will find slippers, free toiletries, and a hair dryer. More services offered by Eko Hotel and Suites include a free shuttle service, a 24-hour front desk, hairdressers, tennis courts, and shops on the property. Car hire is also available, considering the nearest airport is Murtala Muhammed International Airport – located 20 km from Eko Hotels Limited. The Royal Senchi Hotel, Ghana Discovering the Eastern part of Ghana has always been fun. The four-star luxury hotel located on the west bank of the Volta river offers a spa, pool, conference center, and airport pickups. With 84 luxurious guest rooms, the suites are tastefully decorated with all the mod cons, including 32-inch televisions and large bathrooms. The included Senchi Restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, or dinner on an a la carte menu. If you prefer the outdoors, you can enjoy your sundowner on the River Restaurant terrace and order meals from the teppanyaki or charcoal grilled meats, salads, fruit, or ice cream. The Royal Senchi Hotel prices a standard room at $240, and suites are priced at $560 dollars. Sheraton Lagos Hotel, Nigeria Sheraton Hotel is sited close to the Murtala Mohammed International Airport, in the heart of Ikeja. The hotel includes guests houses and suites; each room provides you with a TV, air conditioning, and a seating area. More features such as refrigerators, electric kettles, and coffee machines can also be found in these suites and guest houses. The private bathrooms in the rooms also include a shower, along with a hairdryer and free toiletries. At the Sheraton Lagos Hotel you will find a tennis court and a fitness center as well. Other facilities offered at the property include meeting facilities, a shared lounge, shops (on site), and free parking. Ibis Lome, Togo Located in Lomé, the Ibis Lomé hotel offers free Wi-Fi access, an outdoor pool, a restaurant, and a terrace. Rooms here provide guests with a flat-screen TV, satellite channels, air conditioning, and a desk. Private bathrooms for the rooms also feature baths or showers. At Ibis Lome Centre you will find free airport shuttle service and a 24-hour front desk; additionally, the property offers free parking. Follow us on Facebook and YouTube

Flights

Ethiopian Airlines adds Bengaluru to its India network

Ethiopian Airlines has launched a passenger flight to Bengaluru, India on 27 October 2019. The capital of the Indian state of Karnataka, Bengaluru is dubbed ‘Silicon Valley of India’ and serves as the center of technology and innovation. Commenting on the launch of the service, Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines, Mr. Tewolde GebreMariam, remarked, “Ethiopian Airlines is a significant player in connecting India and Africa and beyond. The new four weekly flights will connect the important ICT hub city of Bengaluru to the ever-expanding Ethiopian network in addition to our twice daily flights each to the commercial city of Mumbai and the Capital New Delhi. The flights will also complement our existing dedicated freighter flights to/from Bengaluru. The addition of Bengaluru to our Indian network will give wider menu of choices to the fastgrowing air travelers between India and Africa and beyond. The increasing flight frequencies and number of gateways in India will facilitate trade, investment and tourism to/from the Indian subcontinent. The schedule is carefully designed to connect passengers efficiently through our global hub in Addis Ababa with short connections and will provide the fastest and the shortest connections between Bengaluru in southern India and more than 60 destinations in Africa and South America.” Currently, Ethiopian operates passenger flights to Mumbai and New Delhi as well as cargo service to Bengaluru, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Mumbai and New Delhi.

Flights

Ethiopan Airlines Plans Major Fleet Expansion

Ethiopian Airlines is planning to further upgrade its fleet by buying new aircraft from Airbus. Ethiopian Airline is reportedly at the final stages of striking a $1.6 billion deal with European aerospace giant Airbus for the purchase of 20 of its narrow-body A220 jets. This is not the first time Africa’s largest air carrier is looking at purchasing the 100-seat Airbus A220s for its fleet. The airline was considering European jets last year, however, it eventually had decided to go with larger Boeing 737 family aircraft. According to reports, Ethiopian Airlines is facing problems operating large Boeing 737 MAX on long haul flights, as it had to stop off at a second destination on flights from Addis Ababa to cities including Windhoek and Gaborone for refueling. Operating Airbus A220s will allow direct flights with no additional stops. Ever since Boeing’s best-selling 737 MAX jets have been grounded after two deadly crashes earlier this year, Airbus’ profits have been growing exponentially, while Boeing posted its largest-ever quarterly loss in July, calculating the total cost of the 737 MAX crisis at over $8 billion. Ethiopian Airlines suffered the loss of one of its Max jets in a deadly crash in March 2019, the second fatal incident involving the plane model after Indonesia’s Lion Air jet plunged into the Java sea, leading to a global grounding of the aircraft. The dual disasters rocked the aviation industry and developing into one of the worst crises for Boeing in its 103-year history. The agreement is set to be completed by the end of the year. Should the deal go through, it would be the airline’s first order since the crash of its Boeing 737 MAX in March. Earlier this year, Ethiopian Airlines took delivery of the milestone Dash 8-400 aircraft. The aircraft is the 25th Dash 8-400 aircraft delivered to Ethiopian Airlines. Ethiopian operates the youngest and most technologically advanced Fleet in Africa. The airline flies 11 million passengers annually to over 117 destinations and is fact emerging as Africa’s leading aviation company.

Destinations

Africa's Top 3 Deepest Lakes

Africa is home to some of the largest, deepest, and all-round awe-inspiring lakes in the world. Most of the major lakes on the African continent are part of what is known as Africa’s “Great Lakes”. These are a series of lakes that lie along the East African Rift Valley and connect with both the Nile and Congo rivers. Here is a list, in order of depth, of Africa’s deepest lakes that are home to several unique aquatic species and offer unrivaled holiday experiences for travellers to Africa. 1. Lake Tanganyika Lake Tanganyika is not only the longest lake in the world (673 kilometres), but it’s also the second-deepest (1,470 metres) after Russia’s Lake Baikal. It’s also one of the oldest, dating back to 13 million years. The lake straddles the borders of Tanzania, Burundi, Congo DR, and Zambia. Considered one of the most biologically unique habitats in the world, Tanganyika is home to an exceptional diversity of fish, supporting more than 250 species of cichlids – 98% of which aren’t found anywhere else in the world. There are also about 75 non-cichlid fish species in the lake. The fish from Tanganyika is exported throughout East Africa and beyond. The lake’s warm blue waters make it an excellent destination for diving and snorkeling. Bird watching is also superb at Tanganyika. Over 250 species of cichlid fish live in the lake and 98% of these are endemic, meaning it has the highest number of endemic cichlid of any lake in Africa. The cichlid genera has multiple variations and Lake Tanganyika offers snorkelers and scuba divers an extremely diverse diving experience. Colorful, gleaming fish can be seen all over the Lake and charters to explore these areas are available from many of the lodges and camps dotted along the water’s edge. To fully explore the area there are plenty of options. From kayaking along its shores and islands, to quad biking in the hills around your lodge and even boarding a reinstated WW1 German auxiliary warship (MV Liemba) to travel from port to port. Every day presents a new opportunity to see more of this beautiful area. Then end each day sipping on a cocktail whilst watching the sun dip below the horizon over the lake. 2. Lake Malawi, also known as Lake Nyasa or Niassa Located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, Lake Malawi is the southernmost lake in the East African Rift system and is the third-largest in Africa. A part of the Malawian section of the lake was turned into a national park, while the Mozambican portion was declared a reserve in 2011. Lake Malawi is home to 800 to 1,000 species of fish – the largest fish population of any lake in the world. There are numerous fishing villages around this vast body of water, where many people benefit economically from the lake. Legend has it that when the explorer David Livingstone arrived on the shores of Lake Malawi, he observed thousands of lanterns on fishing boats shimmering across the vast expanse of water, and called it "The Lake of Stars". Today you might not find quite as many fishing craft on the enormous, freshwater lake, but you will find hundreds of colourful cichlids flitting beneath the gin-clear water, crescents of golden-sand beaches and a smattering of idyllic lodges cocooned on the shoreline. Snorkelling, diving, boating and kayaking are all on offer to pass your days, or you can simply sit back and gaze at the sun-dappled lake in all its calm, serene and peaceful glory. Every year, the lake attracts hordes of local and international tourists who visit the charming palm-fringed beaches on the shores of the lake. Just like all the best places, Lake Malawi can be a little taxing to reach. Roads are bumpy, the journey by car is long, and flights can be expensive. But if you’re booking a safari package that includes Zambia or Zim, costs can be reduced, so don’t let the access to this paradise of a lake put you off. 3. Lake Kivu Lake Kivu lies in Central Africa on the border of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Rwanda, covering a surface area of over 2700 square kilometres. This fresh lake is believed to be one to five million years old, and has a depth of 485 metres. What’s fascinating is that the great lake contains high amounts of methane and carbon dioxide in the depth of its waters. Running for almost 100kms along the Congolese border, Kivu takes its place among the 20 deepest and 20 most voluminous freshwater bodies in the world. With no hippos or crocodiles and crystal clear, clean water, it is also one of the safest lakes in Africa. Rubavu (also known as Gisenyi) is a waterfront town located on the shores of Lake Kivu and at only an hour away from Volcanoes National Park, Rubavu is a great place to unwind after Gorilla Trekking adventures. Here you can sit on the beach, watch fishing boats plying the water, find interesting villages to explore, as well as see amazing birdlife set amongst true peace and tranquillity. It is also one of the world’s only 3 known exploding lakes; it’s not going to happen today though, so no need to worry. Further economic importance derives from the lake’s estimated 65 billion m3 of dissolved methane gas which is extracted to run boilers at the Bralirwa brewery in Gisenyi. Sitting on its shores, the resort towns of Cyangugu, Kibuye and Gisenyi are ideal rest and recreation transit points between the primate tracking destinations of Nyungwe Forest and the Volcanoes National Park. It’s also home to 31 species of fish, including Nile Tilapias, Lake Rukwa Minnows and various types of catfish. Fish that serve as a popular source of food for locals is the Tanganyika sardine. The lake empties into the Ruzizi River, which flows southwards into Lake Tanganyika.

Video Reports

The Beauty of Swaziland (Now Eswatini)

Swaziland was renamed the 'the Kingdom of eSwatini in 2018. Its a small, landlocked monarchy in southern Africa – almost like an enclave within South Africa situated on the border of Mozambique.

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