Top Ten places in #Africa

ACACIA Africa has updated its top ten list of the most popular #destinations to visit in Southern and East #Africa (20 January 2019), the results compiled from expert sources and Instagram hashtags. In the 12 months since the original data was made available there have been some significant changes - Uganda taking the top slot from South Africa and Mozambique moving from tenth to third place.

The cost of trekking the endangered mountain gorilla in Uganda is half that of neighbouring Rwanda, and while the price differential might well have drawn more people to visit the country over 2018, Acacia claim our growing concern with over-tourism and eagerness to see places which are less well visited or where tourist numbers are more strictly monitored to protect the environment, in this case the gorillas habitat, is the reason behind Uganda’s rise to fame.

1.   Uganda
2.   Tanzania
3.   Mozambique
4.   Kenya
5.   Namibia
6.   Zimbabwe
7.   Botswana
8.   Zambia
9.   South Africa
10. Malawi

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Joburg makes TripAdvisors list of Top 10 Destinations in Africa

JOHANNESBURG has made TripAdvisor’s top ten list in the Travelers’ Choice Awards for Best Destinations in Africa.

Joburg’s 2018 TripAdvisor citation reads as follows: “#Johannesburg is the place to go to mix big-city culture, shopping, dining and nightlife with outdoor adventures, up-close wildlife encounters and visits to historical sites. Explore caves and nature reserves, or visit a traditional village by day, then enjoy dinner at a hip café or five-star restaurant. And if you’re a shopper, bring an extra, empty suitcase. With malls, open air markets and places that blend the two, you’ll find plenty of unique souvenirs.”


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Picture Credit: By Dylan Harbour - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=16658161

Groundbreaking Eco resort planned for South Yorkshire

AS a truly groundbreaking project, Tyram Lakes is utilising the latest cutting edge ecological and eco-friendly innovations as inherent parts of its designs and is the first of its kind, thus of particular interest to energy focused investors.

The Tyram Lakes Hotel, Spa and Resort is set in the heart of the Humberside Peatlands, Hatfield Moor and the National Nature Reserve in South Yorkshire. Plans are already approved for 325 luxury eco-lodges set on and around 65 acres of lakes adjacent to 100 acres of natural woodlands, plus the hotel and spa.

Some of the lodges (125) will be floating structures, and the remaining 200 will be set amid the vast woodlands. Ranging from two and three bedrooms, as well as a number of larger four bedroom accommodations, all lodges will blend into the landscape providing a private gateway with natural spaces all around. Their attractions include rooftop gardens fitted with solar panels, decking areas with sunken spa bath and a choice of classic or contemporary interiors.

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Luxury Hiking Adventure

EXPLORING Iceland's glaciers, lava caves and remote natural wilderness just got easier with the launch of new hiking trails and an adventure package from Hotel Husafell luxury resort in West Iceland.

The highlands in West #Iceland, Husafell Nature Reserve's lava-lands, glaciers, hot springs and waterfalls will soon be easily accessible to visitors. Starting August 1, Iceland's eco-chic Hotel Husafell introduces a Luxury Hiking Adventure package including glacier ice caves, lava tubes and hiking amid unparalleled natural scenery on ten new area trails.

The new routes lead hikers along marked trails through magnificent landscapes inside Husafell Nature Reserve and feature different levels of difficulty suitable for all experience levels. Travelers can choose from escorted hikes or self-guided exploration using a new Husafell Hiking Map.

Planning a trip to West Iceland's remote natural wonders will be easier, while also providing an option for daytrips to those in nearby Reykjavik. Located twenty minutes from Langjokull Glacier, Husafell is only 90 minutes from the capital by car.

Hotel Husafell is the only 4-star resort dramatically located just steps away from Langjokull Glacier in West Iceland. Surrounded by the region's renowned attractions, Saga sites, highlands and nature inspired adventure activities, the hotel appeals to outdoor loving travelers seeking elegant surroundings. The resort-style property features 48 design-centric guestroom, gourmet restaurant with glacier views, thermal spa, golf course and marked nature trails. Fully self-sustainable, Hotel Husafell is powered by 100% clean, renewable energy produced on site.

www.hotelhusafell.com


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Noirmoutier: hidden gem

 NOIRMOUTIER also known as "mimosa island" on the Atlantic coast of #France is a hidden gem. With natural landscapes, surrounded by the ocean, between Brittany and the southwest, it is linked to the mainland by the famous Passage du Gois, a causeway that floods at high tide, unique in Europe, or by a modern, toll-free bridge, depending on the tides. 

#Noirmoutier is also a nature reserve and ideal for bird-watching as well as water sports such as sailing, sand yachting and diving and with its 80 km of cycling and 64 km footpaths linking the north to the south the island is a haven for those seeking an active holiday.

The mild climate of this island means that there is a very pleasant late season in which to stay at Domaine Le Midi in one of their tents, lodges or cottages facing the ocean some even come complete with jacuzzi. Glamping at its best.

www.domaine-le-midi.com/en

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Picture Credit: www.domaine-le-midi.com, Dantou007 24196991@N03/21861420506 Plage des Dames à Noirmoutier via photopin

Bush Tucka Walk

ESTABLISHED by Charles and Pip Woodward in 1974, Rainforestation Nature Park is a tourist attraction set in 100 acres of rainforest in North Queensland, #Australia.

Recently launched is the Bush Tucka Walk which takes guests with a Pamagirri Aboriginal guide on an in-depth tour of the rainforest learning about vegetation that was used as traditional food and remedies. Guests can also learn about Aboriginal huts (gunyas) and how they were constructed, as well as traditional artefacts and implements such as hook boomerangs and stone axes.

For further information go to res@rainforestation.com.au.

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Picture Credit: Bob Linsdell 92487715@N03/9440915607 Rainforestation, Kuranda (483956) via photopin.com

They’re winners!

WINNERS in LandLove magazine’s annual Britain’s Favourites awards included … 

Best:

• Day out... RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show 
• Garden ... Trebah Gardens – Cornwall 
• Farm ... Cotswold Farm Park – Kineton, Cheltenham 
• Historic house ... National Trust Powis Castle and Garden – Mid Wales
• Historic town... Stratford-upon-Avon 
• Nature reserve ... Skomer Island – Pembrokeshire 

http://landlove.com

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Scottish attractions shortlisted as Britain’s best

SEVEN top Scottish locations have been shortlisted as the UK’s finest by the BBC’s #Countryfile magazine, which is asking the public to vote for their favourites and choose the winners in its 2015/16 awards.

The annual awards, which are now in their fifth year, celebrate the UK countryside and its people – from great heritage attractions and favourite holiday destinations to the best nature reserves and rural pubs.

The Scottish contenders are:

• Dumfries & Galloway for Holiday Destination of the Year 
• Cairngorms - National Park ….. 
• Sand Beach near Applecross - Beach 
• Applecross Inn in Applecross - Pub 
• Glendoick Gardens - Garden 
• The Old Man of Storr - Landmark 
• Bass Rock - Nature Reserve 

Fergus Collins, the magazine’s editor, commented: ‘With increasing pressures on the countryside and wider natural environment, it’s even more vital to shout about what makes rural Britain so special. Our annual awards help champion our landscapes, our wildlife, and our country heroes. This year’s nominees represent the best of rural Britain and are exceptional examples of what the UK’s countryside has to offer.’

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Picture Credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/48520501@N02/8724755966">The Old Man of Storr, Isle Of Skye</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">(license)

Jordan bins tourist visa fee

THE abolition of Jordan’s 40 dinar (£37) visa fee is one of a number of changes to be introduced over the next few months as part of the government's aim to make travelling to Jordan ‘more convenient and affordable for people of all nationalities’.

Tourists who use a tour operator to arrange their travel to the kingdom will be exempt from the visa fee, provided they spend a minimum of two consecutive nights in the country. They will still have to obtain a visa on arrival at the airport, but there will be no fee.

The situation is slightly more complicated for independent travellers. To avoid the visa fee, those making their own arrangements will be required to stay for three consecutive nights and purchase a “unified tourist site ticket”, the details of which are yet to be finalized.

Jordan’s tourism industry has suffered as a result of conflict in neighbouring Iraq and Syria, although the British Foreign Office deems the vast majority of the country suitable for travellers, advising only against visiting areas close to the Syrian border.

Amidst the tangle of conflict elsewhere in the region, foreigners have shunned Jordan’s holy sites and nature reserves, as well as the UNESCO World Heritage site at Petra, where visitor numbers have halved since 2010.

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Picture Credit: Petra Treasury by David Bjorgen - Own work. Licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons 

Wildlife wonder

THE Disneyland of Wildlife … that’s is how Chris Packham, BBC Springwatch presenter, describes RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk, the location for this year's programme airing from May 25 to June 11. 

According to the show's producers, Minsmere is the most wildlife-rich site in the show's 11 year history. It has 5,600 plants and animals species including 1,000 species of moth and butterfly, 336 kinds of bird and 37 mammal species.


While Springwatch is on the box for just two weeks of the year, it's impact has been much more enduring, according to the tourism industry. George Bradley, general manager of holiday lettings company Suffolk Secrets, said he's looking forward to welcoming wildlife tourists during 2015 following the Springwatch effect. 

Last year, 11,000 people visited the site during filming, double the usual visitor numbers, and it was a major boost to short break tourism throughout the year.

www.rspb.org.uk/discoverandenjoynature/seenature/reserves/guide/m/minsmere

 

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Picture Credit: Common brimstone butterfly (Gonepteryx rhamni) male in flight by Charlesjsharp - Own work, from Sharp Photography. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons, FEMALE COMMON BLUE by Mike Darlow from UK Uploaded by Amada Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Marsh Harrier - geograph.org.uk - 923027" by Dave Green. Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons, Flickr - don macauley - Red Deer by Donald Macauley from Carshalton, Surrey, UK - Red DeerUploaded by Amada Licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons