Marriott International Chain Of Hotels Enters Zanzibar

Marriott International is in final talks with Pennyroyal Gibraltar for the management of Zanzibar Amber Resort in Zanzibar, Tanzania.

The new luxury hotel whose development began this year will be among leading tourist facilities with a world-class golf course. The US$330 million Zanzibar Amber Resort will be one-of-a-kind in sub-Saharan Africa, developers Ritz Carlton said.

President for Marriott Middle East and Africa, the parent company of Ritz Carlton, Alex Kyriakidis, said the hotel will occupy the prime Indian Ocean coastline on the northeast of Zanzibar. The hotel design will combine modern architecture and a touch of Zanzibar style to bring together the unique feeling of Tanzanian hospitality.

Kyriakidis is visiting Zanzibar island to familiarize himself with the project and meet with some of the prominent stakeholders in the island’s tourism industry and the government of Zanzibar.

“This development will be a catalyst for boosting premium tourism to the island of Zanzibar and Tanzania in general,” he said.

Zanzibar Amber Resort, a mixed-use project will offer a retail souk, a tropical aqua park, a marina, an equestrian center, and international polo club, along with further hotels, Kyriakidis noted.

The expansive facility will also feature East Africa’s first signature golf course, he added.

Developers say they are working in close collaboration with local stakeholders, including the government and the Ministry of Environment, to master plan a self-sufficient and sustainably-designed community with energy plants, agriculture, aquaculture, and potentially an airfield in the later stages of the project.

“Currently, the luxury hotel brand Ritz Carlton has only one hotel in Africa located in Cairo, Egypt, and Zanzibar Amber Resort is proud to have the luxury brand in its portfolio,” Kyriakidis added.

“Having Ritz Carlton onboard the Amber portfolio will place Zanzibar on the prime tourist charts, which is part of our focus – to change the perception of Zanzibar from a backpacking tourist destination to high-end tropical paradise,” commented Saleh Said, the Director of Pennyroyal Gibraltar.

Marriott International, Inc. is an American multinational hotel company that manages a broad portfolio of hotels and related lodging facilities.

Located off the eastern coast of Tanzania, Zanzibar is a tropical island offering visitors a chance to relax on its pristine beaches or explore its history in ancient trading towns.

Referred to by the locals as “Unguja,” the island is the biggest in the Zanzibar archipelago. Zanzibar City, the capital of the region, consists of the historic Stone Town.

Considered to be the oldest building in Zanzibar City, the Old Fort that was built in the late 17th century to protect the natives from the Portuguese, serves as a venue for the Zanzibar International Film Festival, East Africa’s largest film, music and arts festival.

Nungwi Beach or Paje Beach are Zanzibar’s best places for scuba diving which is a popular activity in the area by its reefs off the island’s coast. Its trigger fish, eels, and even humpback dolphins are best seen in this part of the island.

President Obama In Kenya To Open The Local Entrepreneurship Summit: GES

He is the most popular tourist Kenya as a tourism destination had ever seen. Him exploring Kenya will most likely be the push Kenya needed to turn its travel and tourism industry around - and not only for American visitors. He, the president of the United States, is officially in Kenya to open the local Entrepreneurship Summit: GES 2015

This is his first visit to his father's homeland as president of the United States. He is twice as popular in Kenya than he is in the U.S. Kenya, among Chicago and Hawaii are all claiming him their own. President Obama made his connection to this East African country clear when he said: "There's a reason why my name's Barack Hussein Obama." East Africa."

On his first visit as the U.S. president Obama said Kenya has made "incredible progress" since his last visit. He added ,people should not be "blinded" by prejudice.

During his first day in Nairobi, President Obama spent time with his many Kenyan relatives.

In Kogelo, there are high expectations that this American tourist who is really not an ordinary tourist will go a little bit out of his way to get to this village of 3648 people in the far west of the country, near Lake Victoria. Kogelo, is a small village in western Kenya, and President Obama's ancestral home. His father, Barack Obama Snr, was raised in the village and after his death in 1982 was buried there. Half of the villagers are named after president Obama and want him to come "home" on this trip.

"When I was here in Nairobi ten years ago, it looked different from what it looks today. There's a lot of progress. I'm proud of all you," he said.

"We expect great things out of you," Mr Obama added, before stepping down from the stage.

Mr. Obama Praised dynamism of Kenyan business and said: "Africa is on the move,".

Uganda Becomes A Bargain For Tourists If Paying In US- Dollars

When the Uganda Shilling crashed through the psychologically important 3.400 barrier of one US Dollar versus the Ugandan currency and at the same time the Kenyan Shilling for the first time since a major speculative down drive three years ago fell below the equally important 100 mark, were tourists counting their fortunes as their local expenses for drink, food, souvenirs, art and gifts suddenly became cheaper while in turn the locals are staring in disbelief at rising prices.

All imports from outside the region, which need to be paid in US Dollars, suddenly need a lot more local Shillings to pay for the bills. Fuel, food items, machinery, cars, spare parts and a lot more will at the next import cycle all reflect the lower value of local currencies and the result of the price increases will manifest itself in higher inflation and lower spending power, a lethal combination for the poor but also for the region’s middle class which still remains on a fragile foundation.

As safari quotations are largely based in US Dollars or Euros will the cost of prebooked packages not likely rise though the local expenses incurred by tourists will be less in their own currency, making them no doubt smile whereas the faces of the locals will become somewhat grimmer when reality strikes home.

Central Banks in the region are expected to offer a coordinated countermove to sell hard currency into the market but how much that is going to be, and for how long it lasts before the green buck injection is absorbed and the downward trend continues, is a question which answer is almost obvious.

Upcoming elections across much of the region and the regular jitters this causes abroad, the ongoing Burundi turmoil and lesser incomes from tourism have all combined for a near perfect storm and while coffee and tea farmers will no doubt celebrate higher incomes, they too will think again when they get their next bill for imported fertilizers.

Intending visitors to the region should monitor foreign exchange listings and, considering the latest increase in cost for a Visa to Uganda, ask straight away for a Common East African Tourist Visa, which now costs the same, i.e. 100 US Dollars but allows to visit Rwanda and Kenya too.

5 Ideas for Adventure Travelers In 2014

Adrenaline-loving travelers looking to push the boundaries in 2014 have plenty of enticing destinations to choose from next year. Whether it’s the time-warped villages of Burma, or the far-flung shores of Antarctica (which, as it happens, will be in the spotlight for the 100th anniversary of Sir Ernest Shackleton‘s epic adventure), 2014 is sure to be filled with inspiration, adventure, and plenty of good photo ops.

Antarctica: In recent years, this frigid continent has drawn more and more adventure travelers who come to see awe-inspiring winter landscapes of icebergs, glaciers, and whales – and, of course, for the bragging rights of venturing to such distant horizons.

And 2014 could usher in a new crop of visitors, with the 100^th anniversary of legendary explorer Ernest Shackleton’s historic (although ultimately failed) expedition to make the first land crossing of Antarctica. In late 1914, Shackleton’s team was less than 100 miles from the continent’s Vahsel Bay when his ship went down in ice-filled waters, preceding Shackleton’s eventual rescue of his 27 crew members – an excursion widely regarded as the greatest adventure in history.

Follow in Shackleton’s footsteps on a trip with modern-day explorer Tim Jarvis and Intrepid Travel, which sponsored Jarvis’s 2013 recreation of Shackleton’s excursions, and which offers several other Antarctic journeys for travelers looking for a little more comfort.

Ecuador: Sure, this coastal country boasts the Galapagos – an epic destination for outdoorsy travelers since Charles Darwin put the biodiverse islands on the map more than 100 years ago as the inspiration for his theory of evolution. But Ecuador’s mainland has also been generating buzz as of late as one of South America’s under-the-radar gems, with an inviting blend of cosmopolitan appeal, colonial charm, and adventurous offerings like the 19,347-foot Cotopaxi, an active volcano that towers over the capital of Quito.

Burma: Yes, Burma, also known as Myanmar, is expensive. No, it’s not easy to reach or get around. But savvy travelers who want to experience Asia’s time-warped, last frontier should still make the trek despite all that. In recent years, developments such as more foreign exchange centers, ATMs, and Internet are evidence of a steady increase in tourism that’s expected to continue.

In June, the country unveiled a new master plan for tourism that projects more than 3 million visitors in 2015 and initiatives such as a new airport and other infrastructure improvements. Go there now, and you’ll still have Burma’s remote villages, welcoming locals, and vastly different customs and culture, almost to yourself.

East Africa: Seeing some of East Africa’s most exotic wildlife – gorillas along with the Big 5 – on the same trip will become much easier for travelers beginning in 2014, when changes to visa regulations in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda take effect.

The new joint visa will go into effect in January 2014, costing $100, which promises a much cheaper, and far less complicated process for travelers moving between the three countries than the previous scheme. For those hoping to see the gorillas of Uganda along with the Big 5 in Uganda’s Queen Elizabeth National Park, tour operators such as Africa Adventure Consultants have already introduced new offerings taking advantage of the joint visa.

Outer Space: In August 2014, Sir Richard Branson’s suborbital commercial flights will launch for the first time, with Branson and his two children as the first passengers. But if the quarter-mil ticket on one of Virgin Galactic‘s flights isn’t in your travel budget (ours either) for a trip of your own, you can experience the last frontier from Earth via a live broadcast of the inaugural journey on NBC’s The Today Show.

Contributed by Blane Bachelor,  http://blog.shermanstravel.com