Written by Kirsty on 15/10/09, filed under News | No Comments
Statement on drought situation in Kenya
As reported widely in the local and international media, East Africa is currently experiencing a drought which has caused hardship to many people in the region as crops have failed and grazing for livestock has been depleted. Within Kenya, the worst affected areas are mainly in the north and east of the country and include Marsabit, Moyale, Samburu, Isiolo, Mwingi, Kitui, Tana River, Turkana, Laikipia, Mandera and Garissa.
The Kenya government has already taken action and has announced the launch of a Kshs 24 billion emergency humanitarian assistance programme to provide food and water to drought-stricken families. The government has arranged for relief supplies to be delivered by the army, the National Youth Service and the Administration Police to the regions hit by drought. The Prime Minister announced that this emergency relief assistance would benefit 11 million Kenyans affected by the poor harvests and loss of livestock due to lack of normal rains earlier this year.
It is expected that the action taken by the Kenya government will help to alleviate the hardship over the coming weeks until the next rainy season, which the latest forecast from the Meteorological Department indicates should have started by the first week of October. Tourist facilities have not been adversely affected in any way by the very dry weather conditions although the herbivores in the parks and reserves are facing increasing pressure as good grazing becomes scarcer and are now mainly concentrated around water-holes or staying near rivers and watercourses.
The drought is a serious problem for pastoralists and farmers and their families but should not have any effect on tourist visitors. In fact tourism is now of even greater importance to the economy and the well-being of many Kenyans who depend upon tourism for their livelihoods and to support their families so visitors will find that they are especially welcome at this time.
Written by Anderson-Saville Grant on 26/08/09, filed under General | No Comments
Planning a vacation and the currency exchange
The yearly vacation is an event everyone gets excited about, but planning a holiday in another part of the world can be overwhelming at times unless you’re organized and have done some research. The travel budget is always a challenge. Getting a handle on the various costs of things can be an exercise in patience. The currency exchange system is a bit of a mystery to most travelers. They know it fluctuates, but they don’t understand why it changes and how it can play havoc on a travel budget. Currency exchange values are the most important aspects of a foreign travel budget, so every traveler should take the time and do the research and that should prevent a budget breakdown when you exchange money.
Currency exchange and travel
The Euro has made traveling in parts of Europe easier. Sixteen countries now use the Euro and if one or more of those countries is in your travel plans, you won’t have to worry about exchanging money every time you enter a new country, which makes budget planning a little easier. Some travelers still wait until they reach their destination before they exchange money, which can have a major impact on your budget. Knowing the value of your vacation country’s currency before the trip is important, but if you wait until the last minute to exchange money you play a risky game of chance with your travel budget. The currency market can change dramatically over the course of two or three days and that could spell trouble if you wait and exchange all your travel money at the same time. Just a 1500 point difference in two or three days can cost you an extra $150 on every $1000 you exchange, if you are using a Dollar to Euro currency exchange pair. Procrastinating in the currency exchange game can get very expensive.
What is the best way to exchange my money?
Averaging your currency exchanges is one of the best ways to keep your travel budget in the black. If you trade small amounts of money at different times, you offset the normal fluctuations in the exchange market. When you use a professional currency exchange trader instead of a bank or credit card company you avoid additional exchange expenses. Banks add a surcharge to each currency exchange and credit cards use a rate that includes their profit. They also add a surcharge to each vacation purchase, which definitely has an impact on your budget
Other travel tips
In some countries you may be penalized for bringing in too much cash. Customs inspections can be costly if officials discover you’re carrying more than the law allows. Cash should also be carried in a money belt or a hidden pocket which is out of sight. You should only carry a small amount of cash in your purse or wallet at all times to minimize the loss if you were to encounter a thief.
Please visit
ForexTraders.com for additional useful articles about the currency exchange market such as; ways to improve your strategy, forex broker reviews and a beginners guide to currency exchange.
Written by Kirsty on 12/08/09, filed under News | No Comments
Travelling across Africa – Wildest Dreams takes a detailed look into some of the best sights that this country has. Traveling from the Okavango Delta to The Drakensberg in Cape Town.
The producers do not make this easy for the “chosen nine” and each episode has tough challenges designed to test if they have what it takes to do one of the toughest jobs in TV.
This is definitly a must see for all animal and Africa lovers.
Watch the series on BBC iPlayer
If you have watched one of the episodes and would like to know more information or would like a holiday quotation, please do not hesitate to give us a call.
