Tanzania and Mauritius Partner to promote Tourism

On Saturday, Tanzania and Mauritius signed a one-year deal to promote respective national tourism destinations globally.

The agreement was forged by the Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) and Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority (MTPA)  at the ITB global tourism showcasing event in Berlin. Tanzania was represented by TTB managing director Devota Mdachi, while Mauritius was represented by director of MTPA Kevin Ramkaloan.

"It is obvious that Tanzania is the only country in Africa endowed with exclusive and spectacular tourist attractions where one could enjoy and become more excited. Air Mauritius which is a Mauritius National Carrier is also part of the signed agreement as a partner airline of MTPA," Ramkaloan said.

Mdachi explained that the pact is meant to draw more visitors from as far as US, Australia, China, India and Europe. She added that both organisations have agreed to join forces in promoting their countries for the mutual benefits that their respective countries will gain. The organisations have targeted separate needs – Mauritius is being celebrated for its beach holidays, whereas tourists are encouraged to visit Tanzania for its wildlife and adventure safaris.

"Our commitment is to promote Tanzania and Mauritius as a twin tourist destination so that tourists visiting Mauritius can as well visit Tanzania to experience other unique attractions available in the country such as varieties of wildlife in National Parks, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Ngorongoro crater," Mdachi said.

Tanzania: Proposed Bagamoyo-Mombasa Highway for Construction Soon

STUDY for the proposed multinational highway, which will link the East African Coastline treading Kenya and Tanzania from Mombasa to Bagamoyo, has been completed. East African Community (EAC) is finalising plans for the transnational highway, which measures 450 kilometre-long, and expected to cost 600 million US dollars.

The highway moves from Malindi, through Mombasa and Lunga Lunga on the Kenyan side, before crossing into Tanzania (Tanga), through Pangani and Saadani to Bagamoyo. The project was the centre of deliberations between EAC Secretary General, Ambassador Liberat Mfumukeko and Executive Directors of the African Development Bank (AfDB) over the weekend when the high powered delegation of 10 directors paid a courtesy call at the EAC Secretariat here.

During their mission to EAC headquarters, AfDB directors also discussed the bank's collaboration with the regional block since the signing of a cooperation agreement in 1998. The agreement has resulted in the funding of several regional projects by the bank, mainly in the transport and energy sectors.

The AfDB had agreed to fund the Malindi-Mombasa-Tanga to Bagamoyo Highway and that it would allocate the first tranche of money for the construction, which is expected to start anytime from now and take three years to completion. The road project will entail the rehabilitation of the 250- kilometre Malindi-Lunga Lunga Road and upgrading to bitumen standard the 175-kilometre stretch that links Tanga to Bagamoyo.

The coastline road is expected to boost regional integration, cross-border trade, tourism, and socioeconomic development, as well as improve road transport infrastructure along the Kenya and Tanzania coastlines, particularly between Mombasa and Bagamoyo.

Apart from the proposed Malindi-Bagamoyo road, AfDB also funded the Arusha-Namanga- Athi River road whose construction was completed in 2012 and the ongoing Arusha-Holili and Taveta-Voi road, which is so far completed on the Kenyan side and construction continues on the Tanzanian side.

Hollywood Actor Will Smith visited Tanzania

Prominent Hollywood actor Will Smith arrived in Tanzania yesterday where he took the chance to engage with his fans. After his arrival at Kilimanjaro International Airport he took photos with workers who could not hide their excitement and also he visit Serengeti National Park. It remains unclear for how long he will be touring the East African country with his next destination yet to be disclosed.

According to online sources Willy Smith is on short holiday a break to Africa, where he had visited Egypt on Sunday. They paid a visit to the Giza Plateau, where they meet renowned archaeologist Zahi Hawass, who guided the family on a tour around the Sphinx and inside the Great Pyramid of Khufu. Using his private plane on his African tour, his tour started in Morocco before heading out to Egypt on Sunday evening.

Smith was nominated for the Oscars twice. The first time was in 2002 for his film “Ali”. The second time was in 2007 for his leading role in “The Pursuit of Happiness”.

Tanzania to Attend Global Tourism Expo in Berlin

Tanzania is set to take part in the ITB Berlin, the world’s major tourism trade fair scheduled for March 8, a senior official said Tuesday.

Geoffrey Tengeneza a senior public relations officer with Tanzania Tourist Board (TTB) said that among other things, the east African nation has lined up the famous Lateoli footprints as a priority area at the forthcoming global tourism fair- Internationale Tourismus Borse (ITB) show slated for Berlin, Germany.

He said that the country will bank on the legendary footprints, believed to belong to earliest human beings who lived in northern Tanzania nearly 4 million years ago, in Laetoli area within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCAA) to outclass its competitors, Kenya and South Africa.

Tengeneza said the body mandated to market and promote the country’s tourism destinations will use the footprints to wooing more tourists during the ITB expo.

“This year we use the Laetoli footprints as our best weapon among the many weapons in our armory at the ITB Berlin show,” he explained.

Lake Eyasi - Tanzania

Lake Eyasi is a seasonal shallow endorheic salt lake on the floor of the Great Rift Valley at the base of the Serengeti Plateau, just south of the Serengeti National Park and immediately southwest of the Ngorongoro Crater in the Crater Highlands of Tanzania. The lake is elongated, orientated southwest to northeast, and lies in the Eyasi-Wembere branch of the Great Rift Valley.

The Hadzabe bushmen live in this region, as do the Datoga and Mbulu tribes. A visit with the bushmen is worthwhile and they will graciously show you where and how they live and hunt. They subsist entirely off the bush and by bow hunting. Everything they use is made from local materials, including their bows which are strung with giraffe tendon and their arrows which are coated in lethal poison. Their language resembles that of Kalahari bushmen tribe (who were featured in the 1980 film ‘The Gods Must Be Crazy’) with clicking noises used.

The Datoga and Mbulu people are pastoralists, like the Masai people.

The scenery of Lake Eyasi differs dramatically to that of the surrounding areas. Compared to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Highlands this area seems downright tropical. Palm trees border the lake and make homes for birds such as Fischer’s lovebird. Other trees in this area include the umbrella thorn acacia and sand paper bush. The weather is nearly always very hot and intense, as the lake is located in floor of the Rift Valley, the oldest rift in the world. The rift is thought to have opened over 65 million years ago, shortly after dinosaurs became extinct. To view Lake Eyasi on our Tanzania map please click here.

Lake Eyasi’s water levels vary greatly between the rainy and dry seasons. During the dry season the lake is virtually nonexistent and animals are forced to share what water is left, which makes for easier wildlife viewing. The lake can get quite deep during the rainy season and it attracts hippos who like to cool off in its brackish waters.

Bird lovers will be in paradise here, as the lake attracts vast numbers of birds of all sizes and colors. Some main birds to be found here include: Africa spoonbill, flamingos, gray headed gulls, great white pelicans, pied avocet and yellow-billed storks. The main fish found in the lake are catfish and lungfish.

Lake eysai palmtrees sunsetThis region is particularly suited for exploring on foot, and day or half day hikes are highly recommended. It is also possible to go on a hunting trip with the Hadzabe or to visit the other tribes. Almost any time of year is a good time to visit Lake Eyasi with only April and May being questionable as they are when the long rains occur.

Scientists Discover unique Frog species in Tanzania

ARUSHA, TANZANIA: A new and unique species of frog has been discovered in eastern Tanzania, a development which is expected to boost tourism potential for amphibian lovers and researchers in the east African nation. Charles Meshark, Executive Director for Tanzania Forest Conservation Group (TFCG) said on Tuesday that the new species has been discovered in Ruvu South Forest Reserve, located some 45 kilometers from the country's commercial capital, Dar es Salaam.

Meshark said that in 2001 a group of scientists working for the non-governmental organization Frontier-Tanzania collected a strange looking reed frog from Ruvu South Forest. Sixteen years later, a genetic and morphological analysis by British scientists, Chris Barratt and Simon Loader, revealed that the frog is new to science. The frog has been named Hyperolius ruvuensis or the Ruvu spiny reed frog. The frog was found on reeds and bushes in a swampy area of open grassland within the reserve. The frog has not been seen since 2001, despite a rapid survey in 2015. "The discovery of this new frog species highlights the importance of Ruvu South Forest Reserve for tourism particularly for amphibian lovers and researchers," Meshark said, calling the Tanzania Forest Services Agency (TFS) to chip in and protect the natural forest and wetlands in the reserve.

Tanzania Set to Establish Geo-Park:

Tanzanian conservation authorities said on Tuesday plans were afoot to establish a geo-park, making the east African country the first south of the Sahara to establish a geo-park.

A geo-park is a unified area that advances the protection and use of geological heritage in a sustainable way, and promotes the economic well-being of the people who live in the park.

Andrew Lowassa, a cultural heritage officer with the Ngorongoro Conservation Area Authority (NCAA) said to be known as the Lengai-Ngorongoro geo-park, the project will run through Karatu, Monduli, Ngorongoro and Longido districts in Arusha region enhancing the country’s tourism industry.

Lowassa said it was only a matter of time before the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) endorsed the country as the latest geo-park in the world. He said in January this year Tanzania sent to UNESCO a nomination dossier for considering Tanzania to join the revered league of geo-parks in the world.

Once UNECSO endorsed Tanzania as the latest geo park, the country will become the latest geo-park, said Lowassa.

Lowassa singled out the attractions found in the four districts as the major highlights of the envisioned geo-park.Lowassa said the NCAA will be working with UNESCO to ensure that the world heritage status was achieved by the country through attractions found in the four districts.

At present, there are 119 UNESCO global geo-parks in 33 countries with Morocco being the only country in the northern part of the African continent to reach that status.