Plane crash in Kenya kills
Journeys by Design, a British-based tour operator confirmed that two passengers on a safari holiday in Kenya organized with the company died in a small plane which crashed. Managing director of the tour company, Will Jones, said that the passengers on the plane were Germans living in Switzerland but would not
by Jennifer Jones July 4th, 2007
Poetic justice or tragic irony for Angolan Airlines?
The very day the European Union released its blacklist of airlines that would be banned from entering its air space (one of them being TAAG Angolan Airlines), a TAAG Boeing 737 jet crashed in Angola. The EU has come down hard on dozens of African airlines, forbidding them to fly to
by Emily Welch July 3rd, 2007
EU restricts shoddy airlines from entering its air space
Africa is currently attempting to form an organization to monitor and enforce aviation standards of quality. The European Union has already banned 74 African airlines from flying to Europe, with a total of 91 airlines forbidden to enter European air space. The blacklist continues as Europe bans all Indonesian airlines and
by Neill Zerk July 3rd, 2007
South Africa joins the Mega-project game
The Middle East has seen staggering development over the last few years. Aside from such huge projects as Bawadi and Dubailand, Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat island, even the famous ocean liner the Queen Elizabeth 2 will have a new home in the Gulf as a luxury tourist destination. The Emirates aren’t the
by Emily Welch June 25th, 2007
African air safety under scrutiny
Last month, a brand-new Boeing 737-800, operated by Kenya airways crashed into a swamp just moments after take-off. This occurred in Douala and killed all 114 passengers that were aboard. This is just the latest example of the relative risk you take when flying in Africa. When international air accident reports
by Charlotte Fellows June 8th, 2007
Africa’s tourist makeover
When most people think of Africa, they tend not to think of it as their top vacation destination. Perhaps a few venture out on safaris in Kenya now and again, or hit the beaches of Zanzibar. Most are innodated with the images of conflict and poverty coming out of Africa.
by Jennifer Jones June 3rd, 2007
A new list of endangered species
When we see endangered lists, of course the first bulb to flash usually refers to animals, but UNESCO, the Paris based organization keeping track of the world’s most valuable cultural heritage sights, tells us our most sought after travel destinations may be in jeopardy as well. Our environment is changing,
by Rosie Vaughan-Jones June 1st, 2007
Swimming with sharks
…well, more surfing, really; but despite the remote probabilities that you will be attacked by a shark while hanging ten, cutting waves and catching tubes, there are some beaches in the world where the most notorious predators of the sea tend to frequent more often than others. The coast of South
by Emily Welch May 29th, 2007
Hollywood Holidays
When Opodo asked Britons what factors contributed to their choice of holiday destinations recently, over a quarter of those surveyed claimed that their minds were swayed by any number of pop culture factors, such as celebrity associations or film locations. Ko Phi Phi in Southern Thailand has been welcoming the aftershocks
by Paul Fenrich May 29th, 2007
How many snakes on the plane?
Many have wondered just how many people could fit into a phone booth, or a Volkswagon Bug, but a man was caught recently who, it appears, was trying to discover just how many snakes he could smuggle onto a plane. A man was detained on Thursday at customs in Cairo when
by Jennifer Jones May 25th, 2007
American Tourists Shot by Bandits
On March 21st 2006, two American tourists were shot along with their local guide in a Tanzanian tourist destination near the Kenyan border. The three were wounded when robbers attacked. Local police have detained six suspects in conjunction with the robbery. The guide is in critical condition after receiving
by Andrew Bones March 23rd, 2007
The 12 Most Dangerous Destinations
The world, they say, is not actually getting more dangerous every day, we only think it is. Improved communications and increasing levels of globalization mean that we know more about what's going on it the world, but it doesn't necessarily mean that more bad things are going on. Necessarily. Whether you
by Paul Fenrich March 23rd, 2007