Elewana Newsletter

MAY 2019

In This Issue:

air tanzania

The airline's Head of Public Relations, Josephat Kagirwa, says, from June 28, Air Tanzania will operate flights to Johannesburg four times a week. The airline will start flying to Mumbai three times a week from July 11.

The Boeing B787 Dreamliner, configured with 22 seats in business class and 240 in economy class, will service both routes.

Two months ago, as part of its growth and restructuring plan, Air Tanzania inaugurated Dar es Salaam-Lusaka and Harare flights.

china southern

China Southern has confirmed the launch of a fourth flight per week from Guangzhou to Nairobi, between July and September this year.

All services will be operated by an Airbus A330-200 aircraft. It was learned that two of the flights each week will route via the capital of Hunan province, Changsha – a city of 7.5 million inhabitants, half the size of Guangzhou, which has a population of about 15 million people.

This new routing will add extra connectivity from China to Kenya and into Eastern Africa.

China Southern left the SkyTeam alliance at the beginning of 2019 but has reportedly retained the code share in place with Kenya Airways.

air italy

Good news for the Kenya coast emerged recently when Air Italy, a partner airline of Qatar Airways, confirmed that the airline will be flying to Mombasa again next winter, using a two class Airbus A330 for the service. Zanzibar too will be served with the same aircraft type.

Elewana Collection has two stunning beach properties, one on the Kenya coast located on Diani Beach, a magical setting where white sandy beaches, rustling palm trees and the warm waters of the Indian Ocean are a stone throw away. Elewana AfroChic enjoys beach front ocean views and delicious sea breezes on a quieter, more secluded section of Diani Beach. Voted as one of the top 25 beaches in the world in the Trip Advisor Traveller’s Choice awards, Diani Beach is the ultimate holiday destination with a wide variety of activities and excursions on offer.

A plethora of water sports are available, where guests can enjoy scuba diving in prime spots that offer a number of dive sites for those that are just beginning to those that are more advanced and want to explore shipwrecks. Regardless of ability there is so much to see under the waves; white tipped reef sharks, rays, turtles and so much more. The coral heads have a myriad of colourful tiny reef fish to marvel at and the occasional octopus can be spotted. The best months are from September to April, the weather is perfect and diving conditions optimal for those wanting to explore the ocean floor. If you are unable to dive, snorkelling offers just as much in the shallower waters and trips to Wasini can be arranged, November being the best time as the waters are calm and visibility is crystal clear.

For those that want to stay dry but still explore the ocean from above, sailing and boat trips can be arranged, with the opportunity of seeing Humpback Whales from July to October as they travel annually in their thousands from the Antarctic to Kenya to breed and have their calves in Kenya's safe tropical waters. Humpback whales are among the most acrobatic of whales, and spend time leaping or ‘breaching’ to communicate, play, or give themselves a mini spa to remove unwanted skin parasites. Another marine animal that can be seen along the Kenya coast is the Whale Shark and the best months to spot the largest fish in the world is from February to March.

A very special experience to witness is turtles hatching and Elewana AfroChic has its own hatchery on the beach in front of the hotel. This is unpredictable as it depends on when the eggs are laid and collected to be transported to the safety of our hatchery. Last year we were extremely fortunate to have six nests hatch, three between April and May and then another three in September and October with a total of approximately 370 tiny turtles emerging and making their way to the ocean to our guests delight. With such a variety of options, visitors to Diani have the ability to make their holiday what they want.

The second destination is on the magical Island of Zanzibar with its sandy white beaches, turquoise-blue water and swaying palm trees and should be on everyone’s bucket list of places to visit. The historic Spice Island seems to have been lost in time with its narrow streets, carved doorways and ancient trade routes. As you head to the north of the island, Elewana Kilindi overlooks the ocean that has witnessed the spice trade route for over 500 years. Facing west, you can witness the sun set as you relax on your private balcony.

emiratesCode

Great news for our friends in Latin America looking for adventure and new destinations as Emirates announces a new codeshare partnership agreement with LATAM Airlines Brazil covering domestic services in Brazil, providing greater choice and connectivity to its customers. This makes it easier to not only to fly internally but to connect to International destinations, such as Dubai and from there 150 places worldwide, including two flights a day to Nairobi, Kenya and one daily flight to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where the Elewana Collection has 16 boutique lodges, camps and hotels offering unique accommodations in iconic locations.

Emirates passengers travelling to and from Brazil will now be able to connect with 17 cities in LATAM’s domestic network covered by the codeshare agreement including Belo Horizonte, Brasília and Foz do Iguaçu (more details below). Passengers travelling to/from these cities will now be able to connect seamlessly in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro with Emirates’ flights to its Dubai hub, which serves a multitude of destinations worldwide. The agreement will also offer Emirates passengers more choice to travel to/from Brazil with minimum connection times to destinations, such as  Africa.

Emirates connects its passengers to more than 150 destinations, in 85 countries, across six continents. In all classes passengers can take advantage of the ice, the multi-award-winning in-flight entertainment system with over 4,000 channels featuring movies, TV shows, music and podcasts. The onboard experience is complete with complimentary Wi-Fi to stay in touch with family and friends as well as regional-inspired meals prepared by international chefs.

Emirates currently serves two Brazil gateways with daily services to Dubai from Sao Paulo, operated by the A380, and Rio de Janeiro, operated by the newly-refurbished Boeing 777-200LR as of June 1, 2019. Passengers can also fly to Buenos Aires and Santiago de Chile (from June 1, 2019) onboard the Boeing 777-200LR from Rio de Janeiro.

Passengers flying with Emirates can book a Dubai Stopover package which will allow them to stay in Dubai for a few days on their way to one of over 155 destinations. Visiting Dubai is now much easier as Brazilians don’t need to get a visa before departing to the United Arab Emirates – it is issued immediately upon arrival, free of charge, for up to 90 days.

Codeshare routes are as follows:

From/to Sao Paulo (GRU):

From/to Rio de Janeiro (GIG):

  • Belem (BEL)
  • Belo Horizonte (CNF)
  • Brasilia (BSB)
  • Campo Grande (CGR)
  • Curitiba (CWB)
  • Florianópolis (FLN)
  • Fortaleza (FOR)
  • Goiânia (GYN)
  • Foz do Iguaçu Falls (IGU)
  • Londrina (LDB)
  • Manaus (MAO)
  • Porto Alegre (POA)
  • Recife (REC)
  • Salvador (SSA)
  • São Luiz (SLZ)
  • Vitória (VIX)
  • Belém (BEL)
  • Brasília (BSB)
  • Curitiba (CWB)
  • Fortaleza (FOR)
  • Goiânia (GYN)
  • Iguassu Falls (IGU)
  • Manaus (MAO)
  • Natal (NAT)
  • Vitoria (VIX)

Audience SzB2018 photo Peter Bennett s

East Africa’s most popular and best known music and cultural festival, Sauti Za Busara, has secured funding worth over 340.000 US Dollars for the next three years after signing a new sponsorship deal with the Norwegian Embassy in Tanzania.

Sauti za Busara brings people together to celebrate African music under African skies. The 17th edition will take place in Stone Town, Zanzibar from 13th - 16th February 2020. Highlights include:

  • 400+ musicians: 44 shows over 4 days and nights
  • Carnival Parade: Zanzibar Town and outlying districts buzz with festival fever!
  • Swahili Encounters: Local and visiting musicians exchange and collaborate
  • Movers & Shakers: Networking for music industry professionals
  • Busara Xtra: Fringe events, as organised by the local community

Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar is the perfect place to stay and enjoy the festivities of the festival. Set in a picturesque tropical garden with its secluded beachfront, the luxurious Pavilion suites embrace wide-arched glassless windows affording spectacular views over the Indian Ocean.

Each villa has its own private plunge pool and is tended to by its own Guest Ambassador. Kilindi's 'open-to-nature' approach provides the true essence to any stay and crafts a private, intimate and 'barefoot' appeal that so many crave. Explore the hidden secrets of the island or relax in the infinity pool watching the dhows head out to sea, with a gentle breeze in their sail.

say no to plasticWe would like to notify our Partners and those who have booked to travel to Tanzania that the country has announced that it will ban single-use polythene bags from June in the war against plastic pollution:

The Government of Tanzania wishes to make an official note to travellers planning to visit Tanzania that from 1st June 2019 all plastic carrier bags, regardless of their thickness will be prohibited from being imported, exported, manufactured, sold, stored, supplied and used in Mainland Tanzania.

The Tanzania Government released an official letter clearly outlining the details of the ban, and what is acceptable and what is not.

View Official Letter

Special Offers

Enjoy staying three nights at either Elewana AfroChic Diani or Elewana Kilindi Zanzibar and only pay for two nights. Valid for travel from 01 November 2019 to 31 May 2020 (Excludes Festive Season).

Read More about this Special Offer

DISCOVERY

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Earn double night credits on all stays in May and June and maintain your Black status for 2020! Continue to enjoy the benefits of elite status AND carry over bonus nights earned during this promotion (beyond 30 nights) towards your qualification for Black status beyond 2020.

GET DOUBLE NIGHTS

Elewana DISCOVERY is a loyalty programme like no other. When you join, you’ll be rewarded with savings of 10% or more through Member Rates, along with hotel benefits such as complimentary internet access and bottled water. Your membership is extended across all Elewana hotels as well as more than 500 luxury hotels in the DISCOVERY collection. Become an Elewana DISCOVERY member today and start enjoying recognition and rewards around the world.

As a member of Elewana DISCOVERY, you’re entitled to special benefits during your stay, plus special Local Experiences - authentic activities meant to connect each traveller more deeply with their destination and make each stay unforgettable.

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Media

photos of may

© Wildlife Photographer PJ Hicks, who stayed with us at Serengeti Pioneer Camp. PJ Hicks can be found on instagram @pj_hicks