Amid all the excitement in the UK about next year’s royal wedding, there’s already speculation about where Prince William and his bride, Kate Middleton, will spend their honeymoon.
Traditionally, newlyweds from the House of Windsor take off to a Scottish location and stay in a royal residence, but this trendy couple are likely to break with the custom.
Where, then? William proposed marriage while on safari in East Africa, so a return there is certainly on the cards – indeed, Kenya is the bookmakers’ favourite at 3-1, with Tanzania at 4-1.
New Zealand is also holding out strong hopes, particularly as the rugby World Cup is being held there in September. Prince William is a keen rugby fan and has cheered on England at the last two World Cups. “It would be fantastic if Prince William and his bride came,” said Rugby NZ 2011 Chief Executive, Martin Snedden.
Among the other front-runners in the betting stakes are the Caribbean (5-1), Australia and South Africa (both 10-1).
by Andy Moreton
Kenya is likely to reap considerable benefit in tourism from Barack Obama’s election as US President as people seek to trace his roots.
The country’s Tourism Minister, Najib Balala, is predicting a 10 to 15 per cent increase in the number of American visitors and says there will also be interest from Europe, particularly the UK.
Officials have already visited Obama’s late father’s birthplace - the once-sleepy village of Kogelo in the west of Kenya. The President-elect’s paternal grandmother and an uncle still live there.
“Kogelo is now in the international spotlight as a tourist attraction,” said Anastasia Wakesho, who chairs the Domestic Tourism Council. “As stakeholders, we are thinking of coming up with programmes to make the place attractive to local and foreign visitors.”
by Andy Moreton
Luxique can help you book some of the finest villa accommodations and luxury hotels in Kenya at the best rates.
Kenya in East Africa is one of the most beautiful countries on earth, with magnificent wildlife parks, unspoiled beaches, thriving coral reefs and memorable mountainscapes.
Sadly, there was widespread violence after the disputed elections in December and the number of visitors went down sharply. Now a power-sharing agreement has been signed between President Kibaki and the opposition, and tourism officials are encouraging people to return.
The British Foreign Office on its website www.fco.gov.uk says the reaction to the agreement has been largely positive and peaceful, although the situation in Kenya remains fragile and tense. It gives cautionary advice about travel to parts of the country.
Paul Goldstein, who’s the Kenya specialist at the adventure holiday company Exodus (www.exodus.co.uk), said: “We’ve taken plenty of calls recently from frustrated passengers who were not put off by headlines and desperate still to travel. We are delighted they can now.”
by Andy Moreton
