 We have all been waiting for this list… if your country is ON this list, you CANNOT for the moment travel to South Africa and South African citizens cannot visit.
Get in touch with Peku Peku if you have any questions. 1. Dominican Republic 2. Ecuador 3. Faroe Islands 4. France 5. French Polynesia 6. Georgia 7. Gibraltar 8. Greece 9. Guam 10. Guatemala 11. Guyana 12. Honduras 13. Hungary 14. Iceland 15. India 16. Iran 17. Iraq 18. Ireland 19. Israel 20. Jamaica 21. Jordan 22. Kosovo 23. Kuwait 24. Lebanon 25. Luxembourg 26. Maldives 27. Malta 28. Mexico 29. Moldova 30. Monaco 31. Montenegro 32. Netherlands 33. Nepal 34. North Macedonia 35. Oman 36. Palestine 37. Panama 38. Palau 39. Paraguay 40. Portugal 41. Puerto Rico 42. Romania 43. Qatar 44. Russia 45. San Marino 46. St Marteen 47. Slovakia 48. Slovenia 49. Suriname 50. Switzerland 51. Trinidad and Tobago 52. Turks and Caicos Islands 53. Ukraine 54. United Kingdom 55. United States of America 56. US Virgin Islands 57. Venezuela
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 Sooooo…. With the international borders opening tomorrow 1 October in South Africa…. EVERYONE will need what I am terming a “Health Visa” – a negative PCR Covid 19 Test. PCR stands for Polymerase Chain Reaction – big words all you need to know is that this is a medical testing method don’t freak out when you hear PCR testing. Where can you get this done?
Costs?
In South Africa it costs ZAR850.00 per test Requirements
Travel itinerary Need to know
The test needs to be done 72 hours before you travel You will need to make an appointment. You will need to provide your passport details: name, expiry date, passport number  TALENT LIVES HERE So…. There’s a million and one reasons why Africa is just awesome…. One of these is that there is so much talent, mostly undiscovered, right under our noses. Hang in there… I am going somewhere with this… a few blogs ago, we featured a photographer, Holmes Awa, and his incredible photographs that captured the city of Cape Town. Holmes is now based in Lagos, Nigeria and continues to take incredible photographs. Today while rushing to a meeting in the city, I stumbled upon 136 Bree Street. Specifically, a beautiful little coffee shop: The Ladder. YES! Another coffee shop… but this one piqued my interest, because the coffee shop section seemed tiny, and I was curious about what lay beyond the front bit! And of course, I HAD to find out!! The Ladder offers coffee, a gallery and a studio!! Here, one can learn how to create stained glass artwork, among other things…. But on 1 October, with FIRST THURSDAY taking place in the city centre, there will be an art exhibition by new talent!!  I went upstairs, following my curious nose to see what was there…. There was excited chatter, and giggles. And I was lucky enough to meet the artist. Attie Esterhuizen: a musician, born and currently residing in Cape Town, raised in the world: Paris, Boston, Michigan… he draws his inspiration from the colours around him! His first love and outlet for his talent is music, he writes, he composes, he sings!!… but in 2020…. The Year of Covid (as we shall forever refer to it)…. The music went silent for a while. But that doesn’t mean the artist in Attie went to sleep… on the contrary, the artist found an outlet! In his words, I wanted to EAT colour- in the quiet and the madness, I saw flowers everywhere, flowers in all shapes and with VIBRANT colour!  Inspiration came from everywhere: the healthcare workers he heard so much about during these covid times, his mother – a world renowned chef; beauty in men and women he has met. His art is the embodiment of happiness. Something we are in short supply of at the moment.
FIRST THURSDAY is back…. Be careful, mask on, sanitise away, and go support our artists, mixologists and restaurateurs.  On 16 September 2020, the lockdown that government had imposed on South African citizens ended…. Well, not on the actual day, on that day, an announcement was made that the lock down is ending. My feelings, joy! Relief! Excitement at the thought of travel…. And then: fear! We may have reached level 1, which gives us a lot more independence and freedom, but, somebody, please give this virus the memo that it needs to JUST. GO. AWAY!!!!!
We have news that in Europe the numbers are increasing everyday, in Israel the government has taken the decision to go back to a hard lockdown. This is going backwards, not forwards in any way!! But I take courage and hope from President Cyril Ramaphosa “Even as restrictions have eased over the last month with our move to alert level 2, there has been a gradual, but steady, decline in new infections, hospitalisations and deaths.” So, even, as we in SA are rejoicing, (and I am jubilant! It gives me a chance to rebuild my travel business, to carry on directly supporting 6 families, and indirectly, a countless number), I am cautiously optimistic! I want SA to start welcoming visitors, I want the freedom for everyone to move to and from the country, I want to go back to exploring the country and the continent, but I urge that everyone doing so is cautious. The face of travel has forever been changed. It will never be the same again. This is a new version of 9/11. After 9/11, every airport, every border crossing was on high alert, very high alert, and the fun of travel was almost taken away from the equation of travel… roll on to 2020… I think initially it will be the people stranded in parts they don’t want to be in that will begin to travel, and then the ones who have truly missed their loved ones and have been separated from them for these last 5 months. Whatever the case, we will need to recognise that the face of travel has changed forever. So… we want you to travel, we NEED you to travel, it will kick start the economy, it will help put food on the tables of many homes, but we ask that you back patience in your luggage (along with face masks and hand sanitiser): the sanitising, checking and rechecking of documents, maintaining physical and social distancing, corona testing will surely take its toll on some people, but, if you remember to be patient, if you remember that a few months ago in Spain and Italy there was a major shortage of ventilators and our television screens were filled with desperately sad images of exhausted, overwhelmed health care workers, if you remember that we still do not have a proven working vaccination, if you remember that immigration, and customs officials and security and janitors working at airports are all working in the realm of a new strange “normal”, then travel will be pleasant again, or at least half way bearable. As usual with travel, on the other end awaits: love, adventure, home, treasures, dreams…. So, dust out your passport, prepare for the new normal, and get ready to TRAVEL in the year 2020!! With love and hope, Semwano What have you missed most about travel? What destinations are you keen to get to? I love giraffe, perhaps it’s because I am so short (I have a tall personality) 😁 that I in awe of these majestic creatures. I imagine that they are the supermodels of the animal world. So this week, I thought I would share with you my fascination of this incredibly beautiful creature. Every time I go on safari, my heart is filled with joy when I see these graceful creatures gliding through the bush. And I am reaching deep into my heart to find moments of joy in these apocalyptic times…. Oh Corona! Oh Corona!! The whole world truly hates you!!! A giraffe is an African even-toed ungulate (hoofed mammal), and the tallest living land animal. Giraffe used to be found in north and west Africa. But today, unless they are in a zoo, their natural habitat is confined to sub Saharan Africa. There are four distinct species of giraffe: The northern giraffe The southern giraffe The reticulated giraffe The Masai Giraffe How tall and heavy is a giraffe? Tall. Taller than I am for sure! They are the tallest mammal in the world. The tallest giraffe ever recorded was 5.9meters, but on average they are between 4 and 5 meters tall. They weigh about 1900kg. picture this, taller than a double decker bus, heavier than most cars. And yet, they move with so much grace!  Giraffes under a tree, silhouetted against the sunset in Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Ac Productions/Getty How many bones do giraffes have in their necks? Seven. Imagine that…. And guess what, that’s the same number as in a human neck!! Go figure!!  A giraffe at Hluhluwe-Imfolozi Game Reserve in South Africa. Jeremy Wade Shockley/Getty How does a giraffe drink? With great difficulty! Because they are so tall, when a giraffe drinks, it has to splay it’s legs. Fortunately, they get most of their water from the plants they eat, and will only drink actual water once every few days.  Giraffe drinking from a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia. © Martin Harvey/Getty What do giraffes eat? Leaves and twigs, favouring the thorny acacia trees. But, believe it or not, they actually also eat bones!!!!!!! This is a behaviour known as osteophagy. Because of their huge skeletons, they need more calcium and phosphorous than they would get in their purely vegetarian diet. So, bones, not flesh, bones. I have many friends who refuse to touch meat that has bones, they know not what they are missing out on….  A giraffe showing off its tongue – perfect for picking the leaves from acacia trees! © matthewo2000/Getty  Reticulated giraffes have some of the most distinctive patterns, with big, bold brown patches interlaced by a complex web of white lines. © Keith Szafranski/Getty  What a tragedy it would be if we lost this funny giraffe face forever! © Marc Rauw/Getty  Two giraffes and four zebras at a waterhole in Etosha National Park, Namibia. © PytyCzech/Getty Some more random giraffe facts if you are still reading this….A group of giraffe is called a tower. You have to smile…. But of course, a tower of giraffe. It makes so much sense. The size of a giraffe hoof is the 30 cms in diameter, about the size of your dinner plate. Giraffe give birth standing up, and the new born fall 2 meters to the ground. Yikes, that’s way more than my height. In order to survive, a new born must be able to stand and run within an hour,  Giraffe hooves in South Africa. © Richard du Toit/Getty Every giraffe, just like human fingerprints has a unique pattern. No two are alike. The hypothesis is that the pattern on giraffe helps with temperature control as well as camouflage.  No other giraffe looks like this one – its pattern is unique. © Paul Banton/Getty How long is a giraffe’s tongue? Giraffe tongues are huge! They’re bluish-purple, prehensile and between 45-50cm long – perfect for carefully ripping fresh leaves from between the spikes at the top of acacia trees.  An enormous giraffe tongue! © Kittisuper/Getty Do Giraffes Fight?
When fighting, male giraffes will push and shove against each other. This occasionally escalates into powerful blows delivered by their muscular necks. The loser can be knocked out, and sometimes even killed. How big is a giraffe’s heart? A giraffe heart can weigh approximately 11kg, making it the biggest of any land mammal. It can pump 60 litres of blood around its body every minute at a blood pressure twice that of an average human. How long do giraffes live? Giraffes in the wild tend to live between 20 to 25 years. *look out for more facts and interesting titbits on giraffe this whole week* We will travel again!  All around the world, the numbers keep rising, of the infected and the dying. But, there are also many stories of hope, of love, of kindness, of bridges crossed to lend a helping hand. Let’s take a moment, breathe in deeply, and appreciate that simple act of being able to breathe.
And the people stayed home. And read books, and listened, and rested, and exercised, and made art, and played games, and learned new ways of being, and were still. And listened more deeply. Some meditated, some prayed, some danced.Some met their shadows. And the people began to think differently. And the people healed. And, in the absence of people living in ignorant, dangerous, mindless, and heartless ways, the earth began to heal. And when the danger passed, and the people joined together again, they grieved their losses, and made new choices, and dreamed new images, and created new ways to live and heal the earth fully, as they had been healed. - Kitty O'Meara   Grounded Lufthansa planes at Frankfurt Airport Dear Friends in Travel,
We find ourselves in unusual and extraordinary times. Many airlines have had to ground their planes and airports are dealing with the battle of “musical chairs” never, have so many aircraft at any one time been on the ground, and needing space in a hangar. Before coronavirus, at any one time, the majority of planes were up in the air. Travel has essentially ground to a halt. Many countries, and South Africa is the latest to join a growing list of these, have closed their borders. So far, 35 countries have imposed a total lockdown in an effort to stem the spread and infection rate of this insanely aggressive and dangerous Covid 19 virus. Lives and businesses have been disrupted as governments scramble to release emergency funds to avoid a total economic meltdown. At the moment, the number of infected people on a global scale is a moving target. It stood at just over 300 000 on Sunday. Deaths are constantly and consistently increasing, especially in Italy and Spain. On 23 March 2020, South African president, Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation and advised that from 26 March at midnight, to 16 April 2020 South Africa will go into lockdown. To date 402 people are infected in South Africa. The salient points in the speech were: From midnight on Thursday 26th March until midnight Thursday the 16th of April:
Read the full speech here. Friends, let us remember to be kind to one another. This is a common enemy, but it can be defeated. Wherever you are in the world, I wish you health. We will still be here. Reach out to us for information, ideas, or just a chat. In our isolation pods, at least we will have access to technology 😁 Stay well. Stay safe. Stay healthy. Above all, BE KIND.  When I was a child, I devoured all sorts of information, useless and useful, fascinating and annoying for everyone around me. I constantly referred to the book 'The Students’ Companion'… way before google and smartphones. In line with our safari theme, allow me to share some funny, interesting, weird and downright apt collective nouns for animals and birds: We created this list to make you forget about Covid-19 for a few moments and hopefully smile! Feel free to comment and share …..  A Apes: a group of apes is a shrewdness. And boy are they shrewd! Alligators: a congregation  B Baboons: a troop. All that’s needed is a captain to shout out orders. Oh wait, they kinda already do have a leader in the troop. Bees: a bike, swarm, colony, nest. Yes, you read right, a bike of bees! Bike is an old English word that means colony, swarm, or nest. Butterflies: a group is a kaleidoscope or a rabble. I prefer kaleidoscope… it is such a descriptive word for lots of butterflies in one area. Bats: a cauldron… the darkness, the noise, the chaos….. yep, recipe for a witch’s brew. Buffalo: a gang or obstinacy. Have you ever seen a herd of buffalo… they DO look like an obstinate gang that refuses to shift, until they are ready.  C Cats: a glaring. Oh my goodness, anyone who has ever been at the receiving end of a cat glare will understand this one. One cat glaring at you can freak you out…more than one. Find a hex! Caterpillar: an army. Just imagine their little feet: Left. Right. Left. Right Camels: a caravan, or train, and when you see them move, this collective noun will make absolute sense. Cheetah: a coalition Cobra: a quiver. I would not be comfortable near a quiver of cobras. One is more than enough. Cockroaches: an intrusion. All the time, any time. One is an intrusion. I don’t need a confirmation of how intrusive I find them. Crocodiles: a float/nest … oh yes, and not like a carnival float. Have you ever watched how they move in the water….?  D Dolphins: a pod, school, team. They work as a team. They play like school children having a good time. They are just fun happy animals. Dogs: a Cowardice of dogs/litter. I don’t get this collective term, cowardice, but that’s what it is. Donkeys: a drove, pace. Makes me think of donkeys hitched to a cart.  E Eagles: convocation Elephants: a herd, a memory and boy do they have a long memory. Elephants never forget.  F Ferrets: a business or busy-ness, and they DO get busy! Frogs: army… with sound effects too. Flamingos: flamboyance, stand, a flock. When a flock is gathered they are flamboyant in every sense of the word. Flies: business, because they always want to be busy in your food and drink and conversation business. G Giraffe: a tower…. Well…. What else could they be? H Hippopotamus: a bloat or thunder of hippo… both descriptive and appropriate I Ibis (hadeda): congregation, stand, wedge. Speaking of, have you ever heard a hadeda’s call? Especially early in the morning. J Jellyfish: smack , brood K Kangaroo: court/mob  L Lions: a pride. They are proud, they look proud. They are a pride. M Monkeys: a tribe N Nightingales: a watch. Better than alarm. Their singing voices are beautiful. O Otters: the collective nouns for otters are bevy, family, lodge, romp (being descriptive of their often playful nature) or, when in water, raft  P Pangolin: also known as an anteater- a group is called a candle Peacocks: ostentation Platypus: largely solitary so no accepted collective noun, but a paddle of platypus is acceptable Porcupine: a pickle of porcupines. Avoid the pricks! Q Quails: A group of quails is a covey.  R
Rhinoceros: a crash Ravens: an unkindness. Ravens are a type of crow, they make a thrill annoying sound, and perhaps that’s why their collective name is “unkindness” S Sardines: family Sharks: a shiver…. Because you shiver when you encounter more than one? T Tortoises: A group of tortoises is called a creep. Not to be confused with turtles, as a group of them are known as a bale, turn, dole, or nest. V Vultures: group of vultures is called a wake. Enough said. W Woodpeckers: a descent, a gatling, and whirlgust  Greetings from Cape Town,
I cannot believe that the second month of the year is almost over!!! I hope that, so far, the year has started out on a good note for you with joy, love, and great plans for travel in the year ahead. I write today to implore you all to think very seriously about why you would ever consider travelling without travel insurance. When you travel, and we ask for details of your next of kin, your home address, your medical and travel insurance details, we are not being nosy, or pushing to sell you One. More. Product. It is for your safety, and ours. If you should fall sick while on holiday, and be incapacitated, someone has to take responsibility and make the decision to take you to a hospital. And then contact your next of kin, and if need be, evacuate you to your home country, or fly in your next of kin to be at your side to assist you. I will use a fictional scenario to illustrate a point. We had a client scheduled to go on a full day wine lands tour. At 8am, the driver turned up to collect him, and he would not answer the door nor his phone. We had booked a private apartment for his stay, not a hotel. The concierge service and security told us that they had not seen him for two days, the last time I had also communicated with him. The curtains were drawn, and no amount of banging on the door, or calling out his name received any reaction from within the apartment. We were worried. Finally at about 11am, we got hold of a spare set of keys and with security in tow gained access into the apartment where, we found our client semi-conscious. We called an ambulance, and rushed him to the hospital. He was checked, treated, kept overnight for observation, and released. He had had a bad bout of food poisoning. In this instance, it all ended positively and I am so very glad. He had travel insurance, so it was a quick matter of getting permission from his insurance company for authorisation to the hospital that they would cover ALL medical requirements. Travel insurance is a grudge purchase, like all insurance, but you DO need it. And travel insurance will cover a wide range of emergencies, including, but not limited to: · an insolvent airline · delayed travel · lost or delayed baggage · illness · accidents you caused while driving, or were involved in · sporting injuries · all other injuries · civil unrest Insurance is AWESOME!! They will be there. They will assist. They will get you home safely. Amen and Hallelujah!! I am done preaching 😁😁 And now….in planning your trips…. This year, our focus will be on Safaris. We urge you to get out there. Take opportunities to travel, and immerse yourself in nature, restore your soul and help with conservation. Check out our offerings.
I left Tanzania when I was six years old. I became a child of the continent, but the roots of my land are firmly planted in me. I rejoice when I hear Swahili spoken anywhere in the world. I cringe when words of this beautiful language are mangled or barstardised. And every so often, I go back to rub shoulders with my folk and kin, to eat “home” food, to snuggle up next to my parents, and laugh with my siblings and extended family. And to explore. For the country is changing. New roads are being built every day. New hotels - making tourism that much more accessible to everyone. When I set up Peku Peku, one of my plans was to take as many people as possible to explore parts of Tanzania with me…. Life interfered, and I have only taken a handful of people with me…. But I have encouraged many people to go without me. I digress…. So, in July 2018, I took a friend and work colleague with me to explore business opportunities. I was her guide, her counsel, her translator, her companion and her confidant. It was a short visit, I had had heartache and a personal tragedy that rocked my world and I was lost and needed my parents. And yet, I recognised that the opportunity to take her with me would be the start of something special, and the realisation of a dream for both her and I. We had a week, a short, short week. But at the end of it, we both left with hearts filled. Mine with the love of my family, and yummy fruit – it was pineapple season… I ate until I could eat no more, and my companion, left full of the taste of spicy rice, coconut rice, plain rice… to this day, she talks about the taste of rice and appreciated that it is important to know where your rice was harvested when you make your purchase at the market. Our week was filled with long days spent on the road getting from point A to B – the road network is not vast or varied, so patience was needed. But it gave us both valuable time to soak in the landscape and escape from our devises. In that short week, we took in Dar es Salaam, Mikumi National Park, Ruaha National Park, Mufindi and its tea, avocado, and timber plantations, and Iringa, the town my parents live in. Tanzania engages ALL one’s senses, the land is open and vast, the people are warm, friendly, open and inviting, and there is a vast array of fruit and vegetables - a vegan and vegetarian’s paradise. Take a look at some of our photos…. Be enticed, and then, make contact to book some holiday specials with us. A special thanks to the management and staff at: RwandAir, Ruaha Hilltop Lodge, Mikumi Safari Lodge, Mufindi Farm and Utulivu Tours.
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