News
With the recent opening of large areas of the Serengeti National Park for walking safaris African Environments has worked closely with the park authorities to explore these areas and develop the walking concept. We have been offering walking safaris within the Ngorongoro Conservation Area for more than 15 years so we have a good base to build upon. Moving into the Serengeti has posed new challenges but is a fantastic area with stunning walking country.
African Environments are proud to be the first company to be given permission by National Parks to operate walks in the Serengeti, we feel this underlines our safe working practices, high eco standards and commitment to adventure travel.
The walking areas in the Serengeti are pristine and fragile – virtually unvisited for the past 50 years – we are doing everything we can to preserve the wilderness
Western Breach
Tanzania National Parks closed the Western Breach ascent route on Kilimanjaro following a fatal rock fall there on 4th January 2006.
Since then African Environments has worked with National Parks to realign the route to avoid the area of the rock fall. This has involved numerous trips to the area in different weather conditions by the directors and guides. Finally, following a report by experienced Kenyan mountaineer Willy Shikuku the re-alignment was approved and the route reopened in December 2007.
Since then we have sent several teams up to develop and improve the new route and a number of groups have successfully ascended it.
Serengeti Conference
Richard from African Environments was recently asked to make a presentation to a conference tasked with creating a Vision for the next 50 years for the Serengeti Ecosystem. This conference heard presentations from various scientists, environmentalists, Park planners, Publicists and local communities – but only one from the tourism sector. Click here to download a PDF version Richard’s presentation
Security issues and Tanzanian Tourism
My name is Richard Beatty, and together with Wes Krause I organize and run the ground operation for Kilimanjaro Climbs and Safaris here in Tanzania.
Both Wes and I have lived here for about 20 years with our families and we now both have kids in school here. We have many Tanzanian friends and colleagues both in Northern Tanzania and in Zanzibar where Wes has a small holiday house. Almost without exception these people are amazed that Tanzania has been branded as a 'high threat' destination.
Tanzania is, by African standards, an incredibly peaceful country. Since independence in 1961 there has been no civil war, nor does Tanzania suffer from the 'tribalism' that plagues many other African Nations. From the mid 60's until the mid 80' Tanzania was a socialist state allied with Scandinavia. Since then the country has made a political U turn, and embraced capitalism and a multiparty democratic system.
Given the current situation one positive aspect of it's socialist history is that Tanzania has a first rate internal intelligence service!. The 1998 bombing of the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam caught everyone very much by surprise but since then they have pulled all the stops out to ensure nothing like that can happen again.
Since the latest bombing in Riyadh and the perceived threat in Kenya things have tightened up even more. Below is an email we just received from a Kenyan tour operator which we feel expresses the feelings of many of those who like us work in the travel industry;
After the 9/11 bombings in New York, and last year's attacks in Bali and Kenya, it became apparent that terrorists were leaving their more usual haunts of Europe and the Middle East. It has become apparent that nowhere in the world is safe-not even your own home. But that doesn't mean you have stop living your life!
I flew from Nairobi to the coastal town of Malindi yesterday. Just to drive into the Nairobi airport grounds, I had to stop my car, open my trunk, open my suitcase and show all my tickets and documents. Two of my friends had to wait at the gate.
Once actually at the terminal, all bags were opened and checked again and we were all searched before we were allowed onto the aircraft. It was time consuming, embarrassing (have you ever been really patted down?) yet very reassuring!
Out in the bush, life has continued as normal. Lions, leopards, elephants and buffalo don't pay much attention to terrorists, so visitors on safari are enjoying their wilderness experience as usual. In fact, they have said they feel safer in the middle of the bush, than back at home in a city or town!
I feel safe here. I have not changed my daily routine. Would I feel happy bringing my own family here for a holiday? Yes! They are still planning to visit Kenya this year. And let's put things in perspective. My hometown of London has had,on average, one bomb threat a week for the last 30 years. I have had to evacuate shops (twice) and an office (once) in London due to bomb threats. Yet there is no travel warning against London. If we all stop travelling and sit at home, then the terrorists have won. Yes, we can take care when we travel and pay attention to local advice, but no terrorist threat will stop me from living my life and visiting my friends, no matter where they are. The world belongs to all of us and I refuse to let fanatics circumscribe my ability to enjoy all the world has to offer!
The other crucial factor when weighing up the threat is to remember that for most of your time in Tanzania you will be in small mobile bush camps or in a mountain camp high on Kilimanjaro - neither are easy or attractive targets!. There are a couple of larger hotels in Arusha but we don't use them - instead the few hotel nights on your programme are spent in smaller less high profile properties.
Today we also received a statement from the Tanzanian Government which I have pasted below which offers all the usual reassurances. We feel it more important to distinguish between the world-wide travel warning put out for Kenya which are more immediate and the warnings for Tanzania which are far more general - and similar to the warning for many countries in the world.
Both Wes and I have our families here and feel not the least bit of threat to them - I would be more concerned about the kids crossing the road in the US than I am about the threat of terrorism here!.
Yours,
Richard
TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT STATEMENT
1. The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania has been following with keen interest and concern the recent increase in threats and acts of terrorism world-wide. Tanzania, being a country that has experienced the cruel hand of international terrorism, with the bombing of the US Embassy on August 7th, 1998, fully well understands its consequences, and do not, therefore, take lightly the current threats and developments.
2. Ever since that sad day of 7th August, 1998, the Government and people of the United Republic of Tanzania have been working very closely with peace loving governments and people the world over in the fight against terrorism. Our Government, has worked hand in glove with governments and international agencies in strengthening our governments, capacity to deal with terrorism. After September, 11th 2001 we became ever more vigilant.
3. We would like to inform and assure the Tanzanian public as well as the international community that, whilst not underplaying the challenge of fighting international terrorism, Tanzanian Government has taken and continues to take sufficient security measures capable of suppressing terrorist threats in the country.
4. Once more, the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania wishes to re-assure the general public and the would-be-travellers that, Tanzania is still a safe place to visit and live- in. The Government will not waver in its responsibility o take all precautionary measures for the safety of the lives and property of our citizens and guests while in Tanzania.
PERMANENT SECRETARY
MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS AND INTERNATIONAL CO-OPERATION
19TH MAY, 2003
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