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Last Updated: 19 April 2024

Travel News Digest, 3 May: Flooding in the Maasai Mara, Turtles Rescued in Cape Town

Micky Baker Headshot
Vihann Van Wyk Headshot

Written by  Micky Baker

 • Travel Writer

Verified by  Vihann Van Wyk

 •  Africa Safari Expert

Part of the Southern Africa Safari & East Africa Safari Collections

This week’s latest travel news includes proposed changes to visa policies, flooding in the Maasai Mara, and conservation rescue stories from South Africa. Meanwhile, North Africa and Europe could be connected by an underwater railway line as early as 2030. Read about these stories and more as we wrap up the previous week’s travel news:

Airline and Aviation News:

A Delta Airlines aeroplane.
A Delta Airlines plane. Photo Source: Unsplash
  • Delta Airlines reintroduces daily flights to Lagos, Nigeria. The American airline will enhance its routes to various African destinations, including multiple cities in South Africa. Additionally, it states that it is actively addressing the growing demand for tourism across the continent.

 

  • Ireland considering ceasing visa-free travel for South Africans. Reports indicate that individuals from Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of Congo are utilising South African passports to apply for asylum in the Republic of Ireland. With expectations of a surge in asylum seekers in the coming months, the nation might consider enhancing its current procedures.

 

  • Report says almost a third of African applicants were denied Schengen visas in 2022. Despite having the lowest number of applications per capita, Africa experienced a visa refusal rate of 30%, which is 12.5% higher than the global average. Mehari Taddele Maru, from the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, asserts that “the European visa system exhibits evident bias against African applicants.”

Travel and Destination News:

A wildebeest herd crosses the Mara River.
A wildebeest herd crosses the Mara River. Photo Source: Unsplash
  • Heavy rains cause flooding in the Maasai Mara National Reserve. The Talek River overflowed, leading to significant flooding in Talek Town and submerging numerous tourist camps. Additionally, the collapse of the Purungat Bridge has disrupted communication and access. Fortunately, all personnel and visitors have been safely evacuated.

 

  • Firefighters smother Table Mountain fire. The Skeleton Gorge fire charred approximately 238 hectares of vegetation since it started on April 27th. Ongoing “berg” wind conditions persist in spreading the fire, yet firefighters have managed to contain the majority of active areas. Consequently, several hiking trails have been reopened.

 

  • Underwater tunnel could connect Spain to Morocco before 2030 FIFA World Cup. Various stakeholders are investigating the feasibility of linking Morocco’s Al Boraq high-speed rail line to Spain’s existing rail networks through an underwater tunnel. Initially proposed in 1981, the tunnel’s construction could be finalized in preparation for the 2030 World Cup, slated to be hosted across Spain, Portugal, and Morocco.

Conservation News:

A sea turtle hatchling on a beach.
A sea turtle crawls along a beach. Photo Source: Unsplash

 

  • Rescued Ukrainian lion arrives at sanctuary in South Africa. Four Paws Netherlands rescued Vasylyna from Ukraine after she managed to escape captivity in the war-torn city of Kharkiv. She has since been relocated to Lionrock, a spacious sanctuary in South Africa operated by Four Paws, along with another lion rescued from Montenegro.

 

Discover Africa’s Travel Experts are on the pulse of travel news and tourism trends across Africa. Get in touch to start planning your Safari bucket list adventure today. 

Micky Baker Headshot

Written by  Micky Baker

 • Travel Writer

Micky is an experienced writer and photographer with a fiery passion for conservation, ecology, and human rights. He's also an avid safari-goer.
Team Member Headshot

Verified by  Vihann Van Wyk

 •  Africa Safari Expert

With over a decade of experience in the safari industry, Vihann has journeyed from being a professional field guide to managing lodges before finding his passion in helping travellers plan the perfect safari.

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