Dakar & Mauritius Redux

Updating previous visits by @Honoluluskye and @kkaaria, here are more travel tales from Dakar  and Mauritius  by @kahenya and @carolmusyoka respectively 

Dakar

Getting There:  My best bet on this would be to fly from Nairobi, through Addis to Bamako and then on to Dakar. Its a more comfortable ride than Kenya Airways (KQ) and from what I heard, has better quality of inflight services. KQ was delayed at take off and was not really worth it. Cost of the ticket return is about US$ 1400 + tax.

Senegal now has an Embassy in Runda, Nairobi - and it's mandatory that you obtain a visa here, or you'll get turned back in Dakar. The visa process is not really complicated, but also accept that there are numerous delays at the embassy, and book way ahead of your travel (about  3 weeks. The cost for the visa (for under 30 days) is Kshs 1,750 for Africans and Kshs 3,500 for non-Africans.

On Arrival: In Dakar, getting out of the airport was fairly easy; they scrutinize your visa and picture to ensure that it is you, but once you get your passport stamped, you are good to go. It took about 45 minutes from getting off the plane to getting into the hotel. There were no unexpected taxes or fees, and the cost of a taxi back and forth between our hotel, and the airport was about US$ 15.00.

Getting Around: I stayed in the hotel where the conference was so there wasn't much commuting taking place. There are numerous ways to get around, from what seemed to be a well-built bus service, but more  common were small taxis which are very reasonably priced for the distances covered. 

Bring your French with you, and it will get difficult, so its always best to get the hotel concierge involved if you are uncertain about where you want to go, but for the seasoned traveller, walk out of the hotel, walk a bit of a distance and then flag down a taxi and you are guaranteed to get reduced rates. Walking is also a good way to get around, and I did that a lot, in the evenings when it was cooler.

Not once, did I feel insecure about walking around at night, and I did walk out as late as 1.00 AM. I was told to mind vendors who can be very pushy but that was it. I could not quite remember being warned about crime and did not see anything happen. Its quite a peaceful place.

Social Scene: For something good, expect to pay about US$ 200+ per night thought it may get affordable. In 3 days, electricity failed once for a few minutes and that was it. I ate dinner out twice, which cost about Kshs 1,000 per meal. There was a lot of fish involved, and rice. I randomly picked meals and they were quite good. 

I used a bit of extremely bad French and English. I did not ever once run into an English written publication. Everything was French. A lot of the Senegal people I met were more interested in telling me where their fabric shops were and talk about Gorée Island, but besides all that, did not quite talk much else. When it comes to Agriculture, I watched a news clip one evening, and if my French was right, the government was encouraging people to focus more on agriculture and was going as far as creating access to clean and safe water for consumption and agriculture.

Stay in Touch:  Making calls was a very easy. I bought a SIM card from Orange/Sonatel, put it into my phone, waited about 30 minutes for it to be activated and that was it. The network also has monthly BlackBerry packages, but it seemed overkill to buy that for 4 days.  Roaming from Dakar is expensive, hence the choice of buying a local SIM-card - and if you save your numbers in the + {country code} {number} format, it is as easy as dialing as if you are at home. Call quality was ok, but sometimes sounded poor as most of their international calls are routed through VoIP. 

Calling from Senegal across Africa and overseas seemed to be affordable, possibly the most affordable city in Africa! I topped up about Kshs 850 ($10) and that was more than enough for me to call Kenya, South Africa, China and USA every single day for a few minutes and text non-stop. I also managed to find the Tablet Cafe at Medina set up by Google which was impressive and the hotel had very good Wi-Fi hotspots that allowed for Skype access.

Odd Points:  The Senegalese are a bunch of really nice people, very warm and affectionate and really go out of their way to make you feel at home. What I found odd was that they also workout a lot, and right outside the hotel, you will find local joggers every morning and evening - more than I have seen anywhere else in the world. A taxi driver pointed to some senior government official going for a jog with 2 bodyguards one afternoon.

Somewhat related, the Minister of Communication, Telecommunications and Digital Economy, Cheikh Abiboulaye Dieye, impressed by arriving on time to give his speech, and then keeping to the allotted time without diverging into political rhetoric or making outlandish statements.

Going to Gorée Island had to be the highlight of the trip, seeing the actual guns used in the making of the movie, The Guns of Navarone, which were actual forward artillery pieces during World War II made it just about the best thing there is to see, but also learning (and seeing) about what slaves had to endure before being shipped off to the New World. Even the movies we watch today have nothing on the reality of what really happened.

Shopping & Sight-Seeing: There are many European style malls - like Sea Plaza which was right next to the hotel, which put places like Westgate and Junction to shame,. I guess many of this malls are there due to the proximity to Europe and actual real focus on investment as well as French and Arab influences which are easy to see. It shocked me that things there are quite affordable even in malls, unlike Kenya where buying some things seems to be a compromise if you are buying for a mall. I bought a lot of fabric and art work, as well as some books to read and catch up on my French.

I spent about US$ 500 for shopping and stuff, managed to get a bit of bowling done, went out for drinks and a cigar at some fancy lounge and stuff like that.

Biggest surprise about the Country? Honestly, after watching news clips about Dakar, I expected a downtrodden backward country, but that was not the case. Dakar is a beautiful and fairly well developed country. There were times you could not distinguish between being in Dakar and being say in Corsica or Ibiza due to the Mediterranean atmosphere. Their Duty Free was also very impressive, featuring a tobacconist where obviously, I had to make a stop and shop.

Mauritius

Getting There: You have two options; Nairobi-Madagascar via Kenya Airways, then Madagascar-Mauritius via Air Mauritius or a direct Nairobi-Mauritius flight on Air Mauritius.  Though direct flights are only on Saturday, Tuesday and Thursday, it is preferable as Madagascar is horrible, and can take up to five hours during which you wait in a room without food and drink. Tickets cost about $700

On arrival, there is no visa requirement just a yellow fever certificate requirement. It was a very busy immigration area but the officials are friendly.

Getting Around: There is a public transport system and taxis are available, but i didn't use any as ii was at a conference. I also felt pretty safe getting around. They are insane about speeding and there’s deep respect for speed limits in designated zones as there are traffic cameras and strong penalties for breaches.

Communications: Do not use Safaricom roaming.....horrifically expensive. the hotel i stayed in was all inclusive and had Wi-Fi but it was very slow.

Social Stuff

- English is widely spoken. French too and the Mauritians are exceedingly friendly!!!

-  A good hotel will cost about 100 euros all inclusive and the electricity was quite reliable

- In terms of food, there is lots of Indian influence so a staple is rice and curry.

Shopping & sight-seeing: Port Louis market and Gran Baie lovely for shopping and hanging around – and there is plenty of tourist stuff to do like boat tours, swimming etc.

Biggest surprise about the country?  How small it was - 65 kilometers long and about  45 kilometers wide 

Guide to Juba

@mankangwafo visits the world's newest country - South Sudan

Getting there: Traveling to the Republic of South Sudan is not a simple task as few airlines serve Juba, the Capital and largest city in the world's newest Republic. If you are coming from Nairobi, Kenya Airways (KQ), Fly540, and Jetlink (until last week) are your direct flight options. KQ has several daily flights to Juba and tickets range from US$400-$600, a steep price for a 90-minute flight. Edit: Other flights to Juba are with Egypt Air (via Cairo), Ethiopian Airlines (via Addis Ababa), and Air Uganda (via Entebbe)

While most eager businessmen and doe-eyed development workers might shell out the cost of a ticket, the government's new visa requirements could be a hurdle for some. Applicants are expected to have invitation letters and business documents explaining the purpose of their trip. A single journey visa (valid for a month) costs US$100 and a multiple entry visa costs even more. Also required are two photos, a valid yellow fever card and a travel permit (if you had visited South Sudan before independence).

Once in Juba, getting through immigration, baggage claim and customs is daunting as the arrival lounge is a large empty space with few signs and  no air conditioning. The heat is exacerbated by the large number of passengers struggling to claim their bags and get them checked by customs in no defined sequence - and unclear signage has some visitors claiming their bags before being checked by immigration instead of the other way round. There are no unexpected taxes at the airport and a cab ride into the heart of Juba town ranges from 30-45 South Sudanese Pounds (SSP) or (US$10–$15 at the official dollar rate). English is the national language, though  most people speak Arabic as well.

Accommodation: Finding a decent hotel at an affordable price is a challenge as there is no apparent standard for hotels and bed and breakfasts. On average, a simple hotel room (either prefab or cement) ranges from US$160 – $400 with breakfast included. Full board prices can range between US$180 to US$500. But, the higher prices  do not guarantee accommodation equal to a five star hotel.

Cow's block traffic on main road in Juba town.

The most recent crisis between Sudan and South Sudan has gravely affected South Sudan's economy and the cost of living has significantly increased, with inflation high and foreign reserves are low. The black market price of the SSP is almost 50%  higher than its official rate. This, (among other reasons) coupled with the fact that, it is a landlocked country with limited agricultural productivity, has caused food prices to be significantly higher now than they were a year ago. One can easily spend about 60SSP (US$20) on meal of fish and chips. There are cheaper options, however, as you can find a delicious meal of ugali and Sukuma or foule in some restaurants.

Communications: Getting a local SIM card is pretty easy. Most people have two lines either Vivacell or Gemtel. For international calls, Gemtel is relatively cheaper than Vivacell. Unfortunately, neither Safaricom (Kenya) or T-Mobile (USA) SIM’s have network coverage in South Sudan. Other MTN subscribers are able to roam in most parts of the country, but getting data on mobile devices with Vivacell or Gemtel is difficult as it needs to be configured at headquarters.

South Sudan does not yet have a power grid. All electricity is supplied by generators further hampering the business environment and increasing the demand/importance of oil. Getting a steady Wi-Fi connection can be costly, and while most hotels have V-SAT's and free Wi-Fi for guests, the bandwidth is usually really slow. The best time get a decent connection is usually after 9 p.m. The costs for internet access ranges from about 1 – 4 SSP per minute, and cybercafés have 30 minute and hour long bundles.

Social scene: There are several hotel restaurants, bars and barely a handful of clubs. That said, South Sudanese are very warm and welcoming. Most discussions there are about politics, football, nationalism and the future of the new republic. Unfortunately, I did not get to taste any typical South Sudanese food, but you can be sure to find a tasty dish of nyama choma, ugali and other East African delicacies. One unique thing to South Sudan is that it has its own beer labels, brewed locally. Try a Nile Special, White Bull or Club Pilsner—all local brewed by SABMiller.

Safety: Even though there have been more reports of crimes—particularly in the Jebel Hills—Juba is still relatively safe. There are police check points along the main roads after midnight, but as a general rule, it would be wise to travel with a group of people and be mindful of your surroundings. While some foreigners have reported being harassed, I haven't experienced that.  As the country is still pretty new, there are few developed tourist sites. However, if you are into outdoor activity, a hike up Jebel hills is worth it.

Random fact: In South Sudan, there are SUVs—yes including Hummers and Porsches—everywhere. In fact, its not uncommon to see someone with a luxury SUV and no actual home. More recently, there are several matatu style buses operating in Juba. I tried to take one but was advised against it because, they do not always have defined routes.

Other Travel Tips:  -    There are few ATMs in Juba, so be sure to have hard currency (preferably US$ or SSP). If carrying US$ make sure you have US$100 and US$50 notes—few places (if any) accept 1, 5, 10 or 20s. Also make sure your US$ notes were printed after 2006. 
- Do not forget to take malaria prophylactics at least two weeks before your trip to South Sudan and also try to get a typhoid vaccine.
- The quickest and cheapest way to get around the city is by Boda Boda. But, though efficient, Boda's are a bit more dangerous in Juba than elsewhere in the region because of the rough terrain.
- Most hotels have potable water, but if traveling outside Juba be sure to carry a bottle or two of water.
-  If you are traveling out of Juba have a mosquito net & insect repellent handy. There are few hotels outside the main cities and you might have to stay in a tukul (hut).

Guide to Stellenbosch

A guest post by @AmkaKenya after a visit to Stellenbosch - a town in South Africa famous for wealth, education, and wines.

 Getting There: It cost about 8,900 Rand (~Kshs 90,000) to Cape Town on South African Airways (SAA). Ethiopia Air is about half the cost, but one would have to take a much longer trip. SAA was really lovely and the airports in SA are nice.  I only had hand luggage, but if you check in baggage, you have to collect and check it in again at Johannesburg, before continuing to Cape Town.

You also have to get a visa from the South African High Commission in Nairobi ahead of your trip and it's quite fast, with the visa being free for tourists staying less than 30 days. 

Getting Around:  A friend collected me from the airport and the drive to Stellenbosch took about 40 minutes. It seems like everyone had a car in Stellenbosch, I didn't see any buses and I hear the taxis are quite expensive. I felt secure during the day, but all houses have alarms and secured gates at night.

Communications:  I tried not to use my Safaricom roaming, as it was expensive to call and receive calls. Text messages were Kshs 10/- and I accidentally drained Kshs. 1,000 of credit because I switched my data on!

Where to Stay  I stayed at a GORGEOUS hotel based in a vineyard - Spier.  I think the average room there was about $250 per night B&B. Not sure about the others.

Food & Drink Stellenbosch is wine country and friends gather to drink several bottles of wine almost every night.  This is accompanied with billtong (cured meat) and possibly a brai (barbeque) when weather permits.  They talk about the weather and traveling out of Stellenbosch! There is also a large student population who are very intelligent and fun to talk to about current affairs, politics and social change.

Shopping & Sight Seeing: I didn't get enough time to explore, but there's are lots of lovely (if a little pricey) little artisan shops with unique gifts and knick knacks on Church Street and Andringa Street. One gift shop called Big Blue was very cool with lots of funny and not too expensive gifts like ZUMA Presidential Shower Gel.  (Eventually), I took home wine and billtong for most people. 

Getting around costs about $25 per day and  you can get by with English, but Afrikaans is also commonly heard. I didn't meet many black people, so didn't hear much Zulu.

Local legends: The town was founded in 1679 by the Governor of the Cape Colony, Simon van der Stel, who named it after himself - Stellenbosch means "(van der) Stel's Bush".  Also a few famous rugby and cricket players are from there.

Biggest surprise  It was so cold!

Author with Zapiro, the famous cartoonist

Odd Points:  On the surface, Stellenbosch is a rich town - people drink lots of wine, eat good billtong and enjoy fine cheeses.  On the weekend, they go to farmers markets, smile a lot, and have "brais" (BBQs) with friends.  However, there is an interesting racial tension, dimension, as I assume there is all over South Africa.  The Black Economic Empowerment (BEE)  policy is  a contentious method of "leveling the playing field". A black banker told me that, without BEE, he would never have the job he has in Stellenbosch. He admitted that since BEE, life has been great for him, but probably not much different for the lower class black South Africans that it was supposed to target.  There was a young white couple I spoke to, and they expressed a surprisingly hostile attitude towards BEE; The young man came from a wealthy family that owns several vineyards and he claimed some of the farms had been "snatched" (back?) from his family and given to black people who had no idea how to farm sustainably.  He claimed many of the farms are being ruined because black people, with no experience, are running them.

Note: Zapiro, is the famous cartoonist who coined the controversial Zuma shower-head cartoons.

Guide to Maputo

A guest post by @misswretched 

Getting There: Kenya Airways flies direct from Nairobi to Maputo for approximately $900, round-trip. Don’t miss your flight, as KQ only operates three flights a week: Sunday, Tuesday and Friday morning. You could be greatly inconvenienced especially if traveling for business. Ethiopian Airlines also has a Nairobi – Maputo flight, though it requires a lay-over in Addis. KQ does also have connecting flights via Jo’burg, though you’ll need a visa to transit through South Africa.

Kenyan citizens require a visa to travel to Mozambique, which typically takes 3 days to process. The Mozambican consulate is located in Bruce House, Nairobi. Make a point of calling the consulate to confirm visa fees ahead of time. You’ll need a letter from your host and you can easily download a visa application form online. With a multiple entry visa you can visit Swaziland from Maputo by road, so don’t miss the opportunity if you’re interested. 

 

The Maputo International Airport (also known as Mavalane International Airport) is a beautiful, new, hassle-free airport which Nairobi’s JKIA should aspire to. Though small, the airport is fairly modern and construction of the refurbished terminals by the veritable Chinese is still ongoing. There are no unexpected taxes as far as I know and you can get a visa upon arriving; it’s cheaper but not advisable. The local currency is the metical (meticais in Portuguese, pronounced meti-cash, also known as mets), with the current exchange rate being 28.4MT to the US dollar. A cab to and from the airport should cost you no more than 600MT (21USD).

Getting Around: The shapas (matatus) and buses are most preferred means of transport by locals. Buses run on a regular schedule and are slightly more orderly compared to Nairobi. People actually queue in line to get aboard. Public transport is relatively affordable (you’ll pay no more than 20MT to get around town). There are a number of tuk tuks, though not as popular.

It is quite easy to get around on foot if you enjoy walking, depending on where your hotel is located vis a vis your meeting venues. Alternatively, you can rely on cabs which are easy to find at reasonable costs.

Beautiful Bilene - Gaza Province

 Communication: Vodam and MCel are the two main mobile operators in Mozambique. For about 200MT, you can get a SIM card if you are unable to roam with your regular line (you’ll have to go through a SIM registration process). It is relatively expensive to make international calls. Wi-fi hotspots include Café Mar Mara, Milano Grill House, and Café Acacia, all for free or for a small fee. You can also access free wi-fi at the Maputo Shopping Center food court and at the airport. Cybercafés are few and far between in the CBD.

Accommodation: Accommodation in Maputo is super expensive. You’ll be looking at approximately $95 for a one-star bed and breakfast with basic, clean accommodation. These are locally known as recidencials and include Hotel Royal and Hoyo Hoyo. Hotel Royal is fairly comfortable if you are on a tight budget. You’ll have a spacious, clean room, basic breakfast, limited wi-fi and friendly service. The one thing they won’t tell you is that guests are allowed to smoke in their rooms, which leaves smoke circulating through the ventilation systems. So if this compromises your comfort, be warned. Whatever you do, don’t stay at Hoyo Hoyo: no fun being cooped up in a moldy matchbox for $95 a night.  

If you are willing to spend more, Hotel Villa Das Mangas is a three-star-ish boutique hotel that’ll give you more bang for your buck than some of the five-stars. You’ll drop about $130 a night for bed and breakfast in this Portuguese villa style hotel, but it’s well worth it. Hotel Cardoso is a five-star Lornhro Group hotel with a beach-front view, but the accommodation is over-priced and there’s nothing to write home about (so I’ve heard). I spent an average of 50USD a day (excluding accommodation).

Electricity is reliable in Maputo, but you'll need a two-pin adapter to charge any of your electronics, which ou can easily buy one from street hawkers for about 100MT. 

Language: Portuguese is the official language of communication in Mozambique, and you will have no choice but to learn a bit of it. The average person you meet will speak little English, and probably not fluently. All communication and signage is in Portuguese for the most part, and there are no English newspapers. So when you visit Mozambique, don’t be one of those tourists who doesn’t care to learn a word and expects everyone else to communicate to them in English. Instead, learn how to say good morning, please, thank you, how to order your breakfast and how to ask for your bill. It’s easy and people will appreciate your efforts and treat you even more hospitably. You can also learn phrases like ‘fala Inglês?’ (do you speak English?) and ‘não falo Português’ (I don’t speak Portuguese) which can be helpful when navigating your way around. In Maputo, restaurant menus often have both English and Portuguese and hotel staff usually speak decent English.

Food and Drink: Portuguese style galinha and batatas fritas (grilled chicken and chips) is probably the most popular meal you’ll find in Maputo. It’s often served with lemon, vinegar and salada. Local food also includes xima (shima), a softer version of ugali, though it is not as popular in mainstream Maputo restaurants. Fish and seafood are staples and come highly recommended.

I stayed along Ave. 24 de Julho which has a number of nice cosmopolitan restaurants and bars including Mundo’s, Piri Piri, Mimmo’s and Cristal, and plenty of cafes including Nautilus and Café Mar Mara. One of the nicest cafes is Café Acacia (at Hotel Cardoso on Ave. Patrice Lumumba) which is set on a beautiful park with a view of the beach. Dolce Vita is a more exclusive café-bar-lounge combination, located across the South African High Commission on Ave. Julius Nyerere. The fish market along Mira Mar is a tourist attraction for fresh fish and seafood and there is a cool bar by the name of Xima that serves local dishes as well. If you get a chance, try out a porcaria (equivalent of a typical nyama choma joint) for delicious pork and xima. There is Lola’s Place tucked inside the city, but chances are you’ll have to drive out of Maputo for the porcaria experience.

2M (dois-em) is the local beer, the Tusker of Mozambique if you will. You’ll pay about 40MT for the 750ml bottle. You can get beer and liquor almost anywhere and everywhere, even at roadside kiosks. However, woe unto you if you are a Kenyan who enjoys ‘warm’ beer. The Mozambicans will laugh at you and look at you funny! All drinks are served ice cold; actually there is an ice factory within Maputo that manufactures…yup, ice. Ciders are equally popular and you’ll also get more varieties than you do in Kenya, such as Hunter’s Dry, Hunter’s Gold, Redds Gold and Savannah Dry.

Sightseeing and Shopping: A visit to Maputo won’t be complete without an ocean drive along Ave. Marginal, Mira Mar and Costa do Sol. Costa do Sol has some spectacular views including beautiful condominiums and beach side properties. You could also cross the ferry to Catembe on the other side of Maputo Bay for more beach fun. There are lots of nice little museums scattered around including the Museu da Moeda (museum of money) which is located downtown, across the historical Fortaleza de Maputo, a national fortress. The Caminho de Ferro de Moçambique (CFM), also downtown, is the central train station and is ranked among the most beautiful train stations in the world. Make sure you pass by the Samora Machel monument too. There are also a number of nice little parks within the city including Jardim dos Professores (Garden of Professors) and Jardim dos Namorados (Garden of Lovers) which are perfect for reading a book or relaxing. Mozambique has some first class beaches too, so if you are traveling on holiday or have a weekend to spare (during the warm season), take a short road trip and check out the very best of the Indian Ocean. I spent a blissful weekend in Bilene (Gaza Province), a small beach town 150km north east of Maputo. There are lots more places to visit in and around Maputo so be sure to ask your host or hotel.

CFM Central Train Station

There is a weekly craft market downtown (Masaai market style) every Saturday for your locally made crafts and souvenirs. The Maputo and Polana Shopping Centres offer a more exclusive shopping experience; both host impressive designer stores like Cartier and Lacoste.

Others: All in all, Maputo is a nice little city to visit. I felt relatively secure when walking around, no particular threats or warnings received, and as a tourist I was just asked to be vigilant. I found it rather interesting that residential buildings and commercial buildings are mixed in together in many parts of the city, like banks on the ground floor of multi-storied housing blocks. There is also something very European about Maputo; maybe it’s because the people there eat bread with every meal (in little loaves, never sliced) and speak a language more ‘dreamy’ than French or English…

See also Guide to Nampula

Guide to Kigali

A guest post by Niti Bhan

Getting There is not difficult  as there are Kenya Airways flights and also Rwandair flights. Our experience with Kenya Airways was not the best however. Our flight (via Bujumbura, Burundi) was on time and comfortable but the luggage for ALL, but three, passengers was never loaded in Nairobi, (or so they told us). Though, we were traveling under the "Priority" luggage tag due to colleague's KLM frequent flyer card, the luggage arrived the following day, with the locks broken on the suitcases and the contents ransacked. 

In terms of  Visa and eGovernment, this aspect was very impressive, even before we left for Rwanda  We applied for visas online in the morning and though the response to the submission said it would take three (3) days for the visa, we received our PDF visa documents the very same day by email  (to be printed out and carried on the flight).  The payment for this cost US$ 30 at the airport and there is a little process of approaching the immigration counter before one is sent to pay at a cashier and then return  for a stamp.

The duty free at the airport is ridiculously cheap – with cigarettes cartons US$1 cheaper than in Nairobi and the Scottish single malt, Glenmorangie, cost just US$28 as compared to $40-50 for the same bottle in Singapore, Europe and the USA!

Getting around : The first thing to note in comparison to Nairobi is there is little traffic except for rush hour in morning and evening. The roads are wide, even, and clean and it was a pleasure to drive even during evening hours.

Kigali is a small town and reminds me of Bangalore in the late 1980s before the big boom – it has pleasant weather, mountainous vistas, hillsides with homes and a slower pace filled with mopeds – such as TVS 50 and ubiquitous  "motos" = boda bodas. All drivers have helmets, with spare for riders and they are marked with numbers and names. Taxis were less commonly seen.

Where to stay: We stayed at the Hotel Chez Lando - close enough to the airport yet it felt central to the town. We paid US$ 60 per single room which were neat, clean and comfortable. Only soap is offered in the bathrooms though and such amenities were limited. On the other hand, guests have Wi-Fi internet  access (via password) throughout this garden style hotel.

There is breakfast included in the rooms, as well as a bar and restaurant . The hotel also has pleasant walkways with the heady scent of night blooming jasmine when walking through to the guest rooms.

Note: There was a theft in my room and the front desk was reluctant to act upon it in any way. We hear that police tend to say "It must be Kenyans" if thefts occur, and this had also happened to our colleague who had her house burgled by 4 armed men who took everything of value. Rwandans will claim Kigali is safer than Nairobi, but I leave that to your judgment.

Communications: Our Safaricom connection worked but even though Airtel advertising has seen around Kigali  the prepaid Airtel one did not, - & they say that it will be arriving soon.

The top two service operators here are MTN (see everywhere, discreetly) and Tigo. We also saw  internet cafes and  one assumes most businesses and hotels have broadband as that was widely advertised through RwandaTel. Is Rwanda working towards internet access (and thus provision of eGovernment services) for all? Yes, that I would agree with based on what I heard (though MTN money from the city to rural recipients, is not yet convenient for due to shortage of agents) and saw (our visa response rates)

Dining We ate at the Hotel Chez Lando that was reasonable with beer in an open air environment, food tends towards a European menu rather than more local offerings that seem available in Kenya;  one of the many Chinese restaurants  had good food, fast service and was affordable and there was also KhanaKhazana - a premium Indian restaurant  whose food (speaking as an Indian from India) was superb, some of the best I've eaten and the restaurant was packed with expats from all over the world.  The service was better, in my personal estimation, than in Kenya, although our Kenyan
colleagues feel the Rwandans to be slow. There is tradeoff made there for waiters here are empathetic, courteous, and willing to help you choose and navigate the menu.

Beer: Mutzig is the highly recommended local beer and its better than a Heineken and maybe (dare I say) than  Tusker! It comes in two sizes, extra large and regular and is the preferred beer over the more plebian Primus (considered the Budweiser of Rwanda). 

Our hotel's bar was packed with non resident diners (the front half is separated by a garden gate from the residential half) and had TV sets, a pool table and casual open air seating. On the other hand, with all its non smoking rules, and Rwanda is said to be stricter about smoking than Kenya.  However, this was not felt as a major constraint by our smoking colleague.

Shopping & Sightseeing: Not much of this happened due to our packed
work schedule but a  must-see in Rwanda is the Genocide Museum in Butare. The reverberations of this nations’ events of 1994  can still be sensed across the country (we went deep south close to the Burundi border as part of our
work, passing the Ethnographic Museum) and influences the country's patterns of behaviour. April is the national month of mourning and the country, effectively shuts down.

Rwanda cannot be understood without understanding this national event, and even our group (on a commercial trip) could not avoid the bullet holes in our local office, or the scars - both mental and physical – as some of our colleagues, narrated their stories of survival.

Business opportunities: MTN Money has been there for three years but rural agents are not as common as the local Bank Populaire de Rwanda – which has more rural outlets than MTN Money agents per local interviews on cash flow,  although for the city dwellers, it is more convenient. There is opportunity here, as the government moves towards eGovernment and providing internet access for all, for a wide variety of services and applications on the mobile platform.

One also did not see much activity such as jua kali metalworks, fabricators etc. and the rural market's household goods shop had only china made offerings and no local ware such as in Kenya. Only one tailor was seen on the 110 KM trip to upcountry locale. Biashara is not as obvious nor as common, and one has heard is much more regulated by local councils and regions. In Kigali, Indians were seen doing business as were the Chinese.

Biggest Surprise: Rural Rwanda barely noticed us mzungus and we did not feel we were foreigners like we had in other rural regions e.g.  in Kenya. Only in a rural market, was our Kenyan colleague teased for having a mzungu with her. Our second biggest surprise, (coming from Kenya,) was the minimal wall paintings seen  across rural Rwanda and how structured and regimented the buildings were - similar construction, similar colours and mostly natural earth walls in comparison to the bright series of walls  (with cheap corporate advertising) one sees in Kenya.

Overall, a peaceful, small, well managed nation was the impression left although one could see prisoners in their bright orange suits at work in the city as well in the rice fields in the rural areas. Prisoners do not escape when working the fields because, if they do, their families homestead will be confiscated in return by the government.

Summary: The sense was that Kagame would indeed reach his 2020 vision of becoming the Singapore of Africa, but I add the caveat of the obvious and unnecessary thefts from the hotel room as a caution.

Guide to Nampula

 A guest post by MVQ

Intro: Why Nampula? Well its, the seat of northern Mozambique as well as an agriculture hub of southern Africa linking the cashew growing east with the soy and cowpea growing western areas of Mozambique.  While the area is beautiful, there are few paved roads and thievery is rampant so be careful and you should have an enjoyable time.  If you have the time be sure to visit the gorgeous and historical Isla de Mozambique - it is an under-visited international treasure from Portuguese colonial times!

Getting there: I flew through Johannesburg to Nampula. There is a direct flight between the two cities on South African Airways.  The airport is quite small (one terminal, one baggage area, same person who checks you in, also boards your flight, etc.)  Upon landing it isn't clear what to do. Eventually I figured out that you must (gulp) leave your passport with a customs agent at a small desk in the baggage hall, then find your way upstairs to the mini-customs office to buy a visa ($85), take a visa photo, and await processing. Luckily there are very few foreigners flying into this airport so the whole process took about 40 minutes for me and my four companions.

Getting around: There are few paved roads so 4X4 trucks are the norm.  It is best to plan a car service in advance as there isn't reliable public transport.  Be ready to pay for a driver by the day or to rent a car for the duration of your visit. Nampula itself is quite small, but if you are heading there, you will likely end up leaving the city for sight seeing or business - and having a car and experienced driver is critical.

Communications: You can pick up internet at most of the major hotels, though the most reliable way to access the interent is through your mobile service. You can pick up a local SIM card when you land. If you need to spend extensive time online, there are internet cafes and the Millenium Hotel has reasonably good internet in the main areas on the first floor

Hotels: I only experienced the Millenium hotel, it was I believe ~$150-200 per night and was fairly  nice for the area.  The little restaurant in the hotel serves complimentary breakfast in the morning and Indian food in the evenings. They also have a small coffee bar with sandwiches.

Summary: This is a very small hub in a country still recovering from civil war. It is only a few hours from the beautiful Isla de Mozambique, and the farmlands of Gurue. They have built up a moderately robust infrastructure and it is relatively easy to navigate. Be very careful with your belongings and whereabouts (at the market a thief opened my car door and attempted to steal my camera and iPhone--so be careful!!), but it is beautiful, the people are for the most part quite kind, and the scenery is amazing!

Note: Kenya Airways flies from Nairobi to Nampula, with direct flights on their aircraft or LAM Airline, for $1,000 and above.

Guide to Libreville

A guest post about a recent visit to Gabon 


Getting There: Kenya Airways has direct flights from Nairobi to Libreville (via Douala) and flies 3 times a week. It’s around US$1400 and the flight isn’t usually full.


If you don’t have a visa you'll need to buy one upon arrival. It costs €70 and you’ll need a letter of invitation. The airport terminal is new and clean and very easy to navigate. They often check yellow fever certificates but there are no unexpected taxes or other charges. The airport is very close to town so it’ll cost around US$5 to catch a ride to the centre.


Getting Around:  - French is the main language spoken in Gabon and you hear this on the streets more than local languages. There aren’t any English language papers.
- Prices vary considerably between local and tourist places so it’s hard to give a standard daily spend, but around US$ 20-30 should be reasonable.
- Libreville is a small and quiet city, which feels very safe to walk around, although you shouldn’t walk alone at night or take a taxi alone at night.


Shared taxis are the usual means of transport – a private car that picks up people by the side of the  road – you have to flag them down, tell the driver where you want to go and what you’ll pay (it’s around 200 CFA per kilometre). The driver then chooses whether to take you to the destination if it’s on his route and he’s happy with the price. You’ll need to double the price at night. If you want to be driven alone (i.e. for the driver not to pick up other passengers), the price is 3 or 4 times higher - you just spot an empty taxi and ask: “une course pour “(your destination)”.


Where to Stay:  Hotels are expensive, the best are L’Hotel du Phare in la Sabliere (2 mins from airport), Maisha (further along the main road in La Sabliere) and Le Meridien in Glass (5 mins after the Presidential Palace). Expect to pay around US$ 300/night. Cheaper options include l’Etoile d’Or in La Sabliere, a new Chinese-run hotel with purely Chinese furniture and fittings (everything from the soap dispenser to the toilet has Chinese writing on it and ridiculously bad English and French translations... although the food is pretty good!


Communications:  You can get full BlackBerry service although data speeds are slow and voice can also be problematic. There's a new cyber cafe at the entrance to the Montee de Louis (entertainment district with lots of bars and restaurants) and WiFi hotspots at Dolce Vita restaurant at Port Mole and Hotel du Phare in la Sabliere (diplomatic district near the airport). Electricity supply is pretty reliable.


Dining: You can eat like a king in Libreville – the quality and variety of restaurants is surprisingly good. There are great French restaurants, ethnic restaurants from many parts of the world (Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese), gourmet African food and more down to earth little “maquis”. Prices vary considerably - from dizzyingly expensive top range French restaurants such as Le Bateau Ivre and le Phare du Large, through to local joints which are much more affordable. The best value is often found in Lebanese restaurants (called “Cuisine Mediterranéenne”). They sell both Lebanese and French/Italian food for around $10. There’s a great open air pizzeria near the airport called Rivoli with an amazing selection of homemade pizzas. Also, Gabon specialises in bushmeat so you can find python, crocodile, porcupine and even monkey if you look in the right places...


You can get a beer in all bars very easily – local beer is great and cheap, and while prices vary depending on the establishment, usually for a dollar or two, you’ll be happy! . In bars, they talk about politics, business (theirs and those of their neighbours), sports and weather.

Shopping & Sight-Seeing: For shopping, Centre Mbolo is the main commercial centre with supermarkets and international brands. It’s a useful place but there’s nothing really special here. The town centre is also full of interesting shops - mainly imported goods but if you can’t afford travel to France you'll find French fashion at French prices... For local arts and crafts, there’s a great artisan market in the town centre selling art, masks, clothes, leather goods and other souvenirs.

The best thing you can do is take a boat from Port Mole to the island opposite Libreville – La Pointe Denis, where you see pristine and deserted white sandy beaches, backed by tropical forest – it’s an incredible place. Alternatively, you can drive to Le Cap, which is also a beach but you reach it through the forest so it’s an unusual and beautiful drive. The beach isn’t as good as La Pointe but lots of Gabonese (as opposed to tourists) have beach huts there so there’s a great atmosphere with family and friends hanging out and chilling.

Biggest surprise:  Gabon is a calm and beautiful country; 85% is forest as Gabon is part of the Congo Basin, the earth’s “second lung” and there are 13 national parks, in line with the Government’s commitment to protecting biodiversity and promoting sustainable development. There are beautiful waterfalls and huge rivers running through the forest and you can visit pygmy communities who still practice traditional rituals and preserve their culture. Gabonese art is unique and impressive – painting, sculptures and masks are all highly collectable although many of the top Gabonese artists live abroad. 

Guide to Madagascar

A guest post by  @Wanyama of Africa Knows – see their extensive Images of Madagascar collection.

The Malagasy currency is Ariary with $1 = MGA 2200

Getting There: Air Madagascar has the cheapest direct return flights at around $780. The only catch is that this flight operates on Fridays only. Kenya Airways offers the best options from Nairobi to Antananarivo with three flights weekly at around $900. Travel on other days drastically increases the price of the ticket by over 100% and some of the travel times for the three hour flight can take 20 hours as you connect through other cities within and outside Africa.

Ivato International Airport in Tana is a small airport with an average of four landings and takeoffs per hour in the middle of the day. The airport has one restaurant and snack bar with a few small duty free shops stocking souvenirs, chocolate, alcohol, tobacco, luggage, fragrance and clothing for sale.

Entry visas are offered at the airport in an attempt to boost the tourism numbers of Madagascar. The visa is usually free for visitors staying less than 30 days.  The process takes between 30 to 45 minutes as there are usually long lines of foreigners entering the country.

Getting Around: As is common in most airports, taxi drivers await passengers to take them to town. An average fare from Ivato International Airport to downtown Antananarivo is around MGA 40,000 or $19.
 

Most locals take the mini buses or “matatus” in Swahili. Most minivans can either seat 14 or 18 commuters. These mini buses are notorious for over loading passengers and a 14 seater van can at times carry 20 passengers.  Minibuses usually cost around 30 times cheaper than a taxi.

For foreigners, taxis are the regular mode of transportation. One needs to negotiate with the driver to determine both price and if the driver is interested in going in your direction. Unlike most cities where a taxi will deliver a fare to any region of the city, taxi drivers in Tana (short of Antananarivo) will often refuse to take a fare if they feel it is “too far”.  It is important to negotiate the fare before boarding a taxi.

Antananarivo is pretty secure although with limited street lighting. Once during the day, I walked in downtown taking photos and my friends insisted I be very careful with my camera as sometimes thieves would come about. I never felt threatened though or felt I was in danger of being robbed. Electricity is not that reliable in some areas of the city. Tana also has very few street lights.

Communications:   In Madagascar, you either speak French or Malagasy. Since I spoke neither, I concentrated on hanging out with people who spoke English. It was rather embarrassing when I attended meetings and needed a translator or someone who could understand English to get any message across. I have now vowed to learn French as soon as is possible.
 

In Madagascar, Kenya’s leading network Safaricom doesn’t work. The island doesn’t have any roaming arrangements with Safaricom. There are three main carriers: Telma which is the national carrier, Orange and Bharti Airtel.

 I was fortunate to stay at a friend’s place and he had Blueline’s (a cable and internet service provider offering triple play services) home internet. The connection was pretty solid and up at all times. There were a number of cyber cafes that I saw in town but didn’t get a chance to visit any. I attended two conferences and both Blueline and Orange had free wi-fi for attendees.

Shopping & Sight-Seeing : Most tourists in Antananarivo visit the main market in downtown for their shopping. Spices are a national export and the markets are full of a wide variety of spices. Traders will offer you different spices and provide you with instructions on how to use them correctly. For souvenirs, tourist purchase stuffed imitation lemur dolls and sculptures of baobab trees.

Antananarivo is quite a picturesque city. Built on a hill and with the old world French charm, the architecture and cobblestoned streets make for a wonderful discovery of a city that keeps offering more to the senses as often as possible. The streets are narrow and if you are on the hillside, every block offers a great view of downtown down below. It is a great city to walk as opposed to driving in.

Rice paddies also lie on the outskirt of the city and as you drive from the airport, you go through miles of these paddies. It is an interesting juxtaposition of the rural and urban settings.

From the air, the most surprising thing are the red rivers filled with top soil eroded from the many slash and burn farms dotting the landscape. This is a land where traditional farming practices greatly affects the environment and the long term viability of agriculture.

The whole city of Tana is a visual feast. Being an old French colony, the city has an old European feel about it. The city is built on a hill with a sign stating “Antananarivo” overlooking downtown similar to the famous Hollywood sign. Atop the hill sits the Queens Palace and a number of hotels and old French palaces that are accessed through narrow cobblestoned streets. Atop the hill is an impressive view of downtown Tana with the national stadium and a manmade lake with a sculpture of an angel in the foreground.

Odd Points: - In Madagascar, they have a drink with small amounts of alcohol that is made specifically for children. This early introduction to “happy hour” is called Fresh (Panache).
- Malagasy people aren’t aggressive in business. You can arrive at a store around closing time and the shop keeper will rather close the shop than serve that last client. In the same manner, a taxi will let a fare go since “you aren’t going in the direction I am”.
- The International Madagascan Fair (FIM) was full of great looking and well dressed women who acted as brand hostesses. The whole fair felt like a competition of who had the most beautiful women as hostesses rather than how can we do business together.

Local legends: Being an island nation, it was interesting to note that Malagasy people believe some families come from mermaids.

Guide to Luanda

A guest post by @Justdes 

Getting There: Flights to Luanda cost between $900 - $1500 for economy seats on Ethiopian, South African (partnering with TAAG Angola), Emirates and Kenya Airways (who have direct flights between Nairobi and Luanda). Note - our application for visas were done through Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and these  should be done early as it might take a few weeks, throwing off your scheduled plans.
 

On Arrival:  I was lucky to have someone from our office pick me up from the airport, and  I experienced no hassle - although I'm told that people go through hell. My colleague was interrogated for two hours for no reason at all last time she travelled to Luanda. They also ask for your Yellow Fever certificate after your passport has been stamped and as you are on your way to baggage claim which is weird cause if there's a problem what are they to do? 

Getting Around: Matatus (called Candongueiros) and personal cars. Fuel is about Kshs 60 shillings a litre so it's pretty affordable in comparison to Kenya. The traffic is a nightmare though with only two main highways into the city centre where everyone works. The roads are great though, with three lanes on either side and no signs of potholes.
 

It is not safe to walk around on the street alone being a foreigner. You’re advised to always drive around or, better yet, be driven around due to traffic, safety and difficulty in parking.

Where to Stay:  The business hotel of choice is Trópico in the city centre and goes for $420 dollars a night excluding breakfast. However, I stayed at Talatona hotel, which was closer to the local office and much nicer/more contemporary at $570 a night inclusive of breakfast.
 

If you’re staying in a good hotel, you’re sure to not have power supply issues. But, the entire city is constantly under electricity cuts, and some residential areas have invested in their own power generators.
 

Dining: A regular lunch is about $30 while, it's $70 MINIMUM for a normal dinner, and over $100 for a dinner at a medium-high restaurant. Had a Rancho for lunch which is a huge plate of food, with everything imaginable (& imported?) in it. Quite delicious...too much though - and that plate of food cost Kshs 2000. Also enjoyed an ice cold Cuca, a light local beer in a champagne glass, which tastes a lot like Sierra blonde and costs Kshs 400. I’d say you need over $150 per day to get around.

via    http://www.ydamba.com/imagens/pensador.jpg

Communications: I was not able to get Blackberry service so had no access to my email on phone. I bought a local line for $9 and airtime worth $45 which I used during my four day stay there with constant access to data. Wi-Fi was  also available at the hotel (Talatona - but was a nuisance to connect to....password after password, that I didn't even bother) and also available at our local office and was pretty fast.

There is no local English newspaper, and the National language is Portuguese but there are a few local dialects. Portugese is spoken everywhere and you'll be lucky to find a little English spoken for business. There is lots of influence from immigrants from Portugal, but you can hardly get by in restaurants / other social places without a translator. 

Shopping & Sight-Seeing: Common is Luanda Bay, Luanda’s Islands main shopping center, called Belas Shopping Center in Talatona. A typical take home item would be wood carved masks or a wood “Angolan thinking man" carving.

Guide to Abidjan

Guest post about a visit to the largest city in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), but not  capital which is called Yamoussoukro.

Getting There: One can fly direct with Kenya Airways from Nairobi on a six hour flight for about $1,800 - $2,000. Alternative fares include flying Ethiopian Air via Addis or Emirates via Dubai for about $1,500 but with the additional stop over and a couple of hours extra.

Since Kenya is not part of the ECOWAS bloc, Kenyans have to to get visa's before they arrive at Port Bouet Airport (a.k.a the Felix Houphouet Boigny International Airport)

Visas are to be obtained from the embassies of other West African countries since there is no CIV embassy in Kenya, but this is not easy as others like Mali does not issue visa's in Nairobi. In some cases, and with the right introduction letter, you might be able to get the $50 visa on arrival. 

A unique feature here is there are no forms to fill on arrival or departure at the airport, however Yellow fever cards are mandatory for travel, and white coated officials check for the cards on arrival.

Getting Around: The city traffic is very organized and while you might encounter traffic, there are several good highways (with two or four lanes), that encompass many parts of the city with an orderliness that put Kenya's sole Thika Highway to shame. There are lots of Peugeot and Renault on the road, while Toyota cars are rare. There are no matatus here, but you can find plenty of orange or yellow coloured taxis.

The city is a mix of French and English, but most of Abidjan is Catholic and many people speak English, which they learn in high school so it's easy to find your way around. Security is ok, with many people walking around at night.

Where to stay: Hotels including Novotel, and another one in Plateau. Many hotels don't include breakfast in their pricing, but have small kitchenette's where you can make small breakfasts.

The climate is hot and wet and it remains hot even in thunderstorms and so the air conditioning is always on in many places. 

The local currency is the West African CFA and it exchanges for about 450 - 500 to the US$ at hotels or malls.

Communications: Buy a local MTN SIM card 

Food: is in plenty and with lot's of variety. They include alocco (fried plantain), ocean fish (poisson), chicken, cassava, couscous, guinea fowl, mongoose and other more exotic foods like animal skin and leather. Most meals are accompanied a couple of starches and legumes, while fruits like mango’s are huge. Meals cost about 5000 CFA while a breakfast of black tea and a croissant is about1000CFA. There are also some familiar restaurant sights like Steers for those not too adventurous.

Shopping & Sight-Seeing:  There are lot's of skyscrapers in the town, but a sight to see is the St. Paul Cathedral in Abidjan. However this is not to be confused with the world famous Basilica that is located in Yamoussoukro, 200 kilometers away.

What to buy: wood carvings, clothing items

Surprises:

• The city infrastructure & buildings are unscathed and intact despite the election turmoil in 2010-11.
• Though Abidjan is a large port city, there are few trucks on the highway.
• Didier Drogba is not very popular in this city (Note: this visit was before the 2012 Champions League final)
• There are few Chinese in the country. More common are Lebanese and Vietnamese nationals and their restaurants.