The United Republic of Tanzania is an autonomous state in the Eastern region of Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo on the western side, Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique on the southern border and then the Indian Ocean along the country’s eastern border. Tanzania is a member of the East African Community (EAC), together with Kenya, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.
Getting your body prepared for pregnancy is one of the best decisions you possibly will make. Your body will be more prepared for the challenge of growing a baby and the experience will be a little easier on your body.
Every woman surely knows how important it is to eat well while you are pregnant. The benefit it provides you and your baby is important. But, do you also know how important it is to eat well even before you get pregnant? If you are actively trying to get pregnant you have to make sure your body is prepared to accept the challenge. The first thing you should do before even beginning to try is to talk to your doctor to see how you measure up health wise. Does he think you need to lose a few pounds before getting pregnant or does he feel you need to gain a few? Your doctor may recommend that you change your eating habits and start exercising.
Perhaps the most important thing you can do before you get pregnant is to cut out all alcohol. Community health workers and gynecologists have clearly advised that women who drink alcohol will most likely have a harder time getting pregnant than women who do not drink. Another reason why you should give up alcohol is that most birth imperfections that are caused by alcohol exposure usually occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, usually before you can even know you are pregnant. As soon as you decide you want a baby, you should begin to get in the habit of eating healthier. Slowly begin to cut out caffeine. If you smoke, now is a good time to quit rather than waiting until you have that positive test. Smoking can decrease your fertility and increase your risk of a miscarriage if you are still smoking when you are pregnant.
Another thing you can do is to start taking prenatal or at least some multivitamin supplement that contains at least 400 micrograms of folic acid. You can also begin to add food into your diet that is rich in folic acid such as spinach and other green vegetables, peanuts, and orange juice. You can also start by taking a prenatal vitamin also. These vitamins contain iron, folic acid, and calcium along with vitamin C, D, B and vitamins B6 and B12 also.
Appraise your diet. Begin to eat foods that have plenty of vitamins, minerals and fiber. Lay off the fat and excess sugar. You want to eat foods that have a high nutrient density. Eat at least five portions a day of fruits and vegetables along with protein and iron rich foods like dried fruit, and green vegetables. Try to steer clear of raw fish like sushi, and steer clear of undercook shellfish, meat or chicken. You also want to try to avoid fish that has high mercury content like swordfish, shark, or king mackerel. Cut out any food that has unpasteurized milk in it including cheeses such as brie, camembert, and some Mexican cheese. Also cut out foods that have raw egg in it including homemade cookie dough. In all you do, make sure you augment your water intake and should always be your first drink choice before, after and during your pregnancy. Water helps to flush your system of toxins. Once you’ve gotten your eight glasses in, you can drink fruit and vegetable juices also.
The African safari is a journey into the mystifying, wild but romantic jungles of Africa. At the present time these words spike the mind’s eye, correlating with images of enormous herds of wildebeest (gnu), buffalo, the huge elephants and the beautiful zebra, herds of running Giraffes all booming across the vast green sweeping savannas, being hunted by the King Lion, fierce Leopard and the mighty hyena. It is pure magical in the increasingly present and glorious African brightness of the sun capturing the wonderful and thrilling imagination.
Commencing the day you set under the wonderful African skies you will begin feeling the experience deep in the wilderness of our great and beautiful wild continent, you will absolutely fall in love with Africa aver and evermore. You will understand our passion for nature and the great life in the jungles.
Some of the natural beauties in the heart of Africa are the verdant waterways of the great Okavango Delta in Botswana, which is also home to the mighty elephant herds of the Chobe and Linyanti; the blazing Namib desert as well as the Skeleton Coast of Namibia. You will surely not miss the wonderful African bushveld of the Kruger National Park and then of course its game reserve neighbours of Mala Mala, Sabie Sabie and Timbavati in South Africa…. and many others!
These are the playgrounds of the great herds and predators of Africa, true African Safari country.
Have you heard of the booming roar of the Victoria Falls and the mighty Zambezi River? These great falls, just bordering Zambia and Zimbabwe are one of the features that you will surely not afford to miss.
In East Africa, you will definitely want to feel the open savannah grasslands of the Serengeti and the Masai mara in Tanzania and Kenya. Go for that safari now!
Typically, a safari expedition begins in the early hours with a morning wakeup call and then you begin to prepare for your first game drive of that day. A nice cup of hot African coffee accompanied by a light breakfast of some bit of toast will help chase away that lousy bit of drowsiness will make you feel great and much ready for the day.
You then set out for the best times for the game viewing which are normally early mornings just from before the daybreak onwards and then from the late afternoon up to sunset. The late afternoon drive is most times extensive, turning it into a rather night drive.
The safari begins when you get into the safari vehicle, habitually in a group of around 7 people, there is a lot of excitement and everyone is full of expectation. As you get into the jungle, the bushveld then becomes quiet, with a kind of stillness hanging within the air just before dawn. At this time nocturnal life is settling down, and the noise level subsiding, while daytime life is beginning to awaken with some early birds calling out with beautiful chants to welcome the lightening up of the blue skies.
At this time, you set off with a professional game ranger just at the back the steering wheel and a very well experienced tracker on his special seat up front way above the bull bar. Just between the two of these two men, they will make sure that your wildlife encounter is an exciting one, very safe and informative.
A drive in the early hours of the morning can easily take up to three hours, but all depending on what you come across during that trip. By then you will surely have taken in so much that it is time to return to your bush lodge and to a lavish and energetic breakfast.
You then get ready from mid afternoon it starts all over again, with an afternoon drive that usually ends just about sundown. Please note that many game parks and lodges recommend game drives at night, because this gives the chance to watch the king lion, the fierce leopard and the hyena do what they do best for their survival and that is hunting for prey. This is an incredible experience to watch.
After the jungle experience, you then have to return to the camp, take a great hot shower, have an ice cold drink at the camp fire and enjoy an outdoor Africa barbeque night and a bush dinner in the camp site. This, you may call a black night, stars all blazing, nocturnal wildlife sounds with the roaring of lion unmistakably discernible and this is an absolute entire bliss that creates an incredible experience.
The most popular destinations for an absolutely thrilling African Safari experience are Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda in East Africa, and of course South Africa, Botswana, Zambia and Namibia in the Southern part of Africa.
A true African Safari may be taken in very many ways, from the low budget backpacking, then a self driving and then accommodation in an organized lodge or tent. On the other hand, you may prefer a fly-in safari and a stay in a very luxury private lodge where you will be treated like a true princess.
Africa Safaris are surely numerous, for example honeymoon safaris, the canoeing safaris, the elephant back safaris, mountaineering safaris and general adventure safaris.
The choice of your journey into Africa will surely continue to be one of life’s greatest adventures that you will live to remember.
Feel the life in the jungle
Experience the sunrise over the African green bush land with the shadows of the ever thorny acacia trees against the blue lightening sky, it is a rather fantastic scenery, the superior rim of the sun glance over the clear skyline in the distance. At this time it is all there; that fantastic sight that gives a whole clear picture and makes you feel that you are not just looking at it, but rather you are fully in it. This is undeniably, the sunrise experience over the African bush land that you will surely never fail to remember. The majority of the animals take it easy during the heat of the day and are not very active until the day cools down again in the afternoon time. If then you wish, you may track their pattern and spend the entire middle section of the day relaxing by the pool side, alternatively you may decide to use this time to meet and visit the native people within a local village. This will also make you feel the African people and their culture.
Unhurriedly the gigantic body strolls by the vehicle and a big mass with curls of hair around its muscular neck stretches down its back as it walks like it owns the place, moving each massive paw slowly, calculatingly, decisively. All of a sudden the tracker whispers alerting everyone as he points ahead and a bit to the sides. And then you’ll see him, appearing from behind a bush, His Majesty, the king of animals,…a massive male lion. At this time everybody is just holding their breath, and the ranger will keep the engine idling and quietly shifting into gear, just in case. Yes, it surely walks like a king demonstrating truly the king of animals. Just one last look shows a slow swing of its tail before it then turns and disappears into the jungle.
REGIONAL NEWS
Rich nations pledge $20bn in three year period.
The rich nations under their umbrella, G8, have pledged financial support amounting to USD 20billion over a period of three years, in farm aid to poor nations, Reuters reported. According to the US, a move to farm aid is much more important instead of food aid, but over 1.02bn people need food help this year, the UN said and food aid is necessary until they can produce their own.
The leaders of the African countries of Ethiopia, Algeria, Angola, Egypt, Libya, Nigeria, Senegal and South Africa discussed food security and farming with their G8 counterparts and pushed for climate-change compensation. On the other hand, the European Union and Japan urged a code of conduct for responsible investment in the developing nations where farmland acquisition is on increase.
East African governors disagree on dollar reserves.
East African central bank governors have failed to agree over how much dollar reserves is to be held by each country ahead of the introduction of a single regional currency in the year 2012. This disagreement stemmed from different interpretations of the necessities that each country is supposed to hold enough dollars to cover six months of imports. The countries that form the East African Community, that is, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi are planning to have a common legal tender by the year 2012 and this is expected to reduce the cost of currency conversions across the regions and will also eliminate the risk of volatile interest rates for cross-border investments within the region.
‘SADC not effective at coordinating power projects’
The South Africa’s energy minister Dipuo Peters has commented that Southern African Development Community (SADC) is not effectively coordinating power projects in the region. According to the minister, unprecedented growth in region has put a strain on electricity power supply and joint efforts between SADC member states is seen as the best way to balance supply of and demand for the electricity. SADC has several viable projects waiting to be developed, and the more cost effective tariffs should see renewed private investment in energy projects within the region.
Africa’s hard knock from global crisis
The finance minister of South Africa revealed that African countries have taken a severe knock from the global economic crisis and some of the financial obligations to help the continent have not been realized. Minister Gordhan told a conference to discuss the World Development Report 2009 that only about 10 to 15 countries in Africa had the capacity to be able to implement counter-cyclical responses to help them overcome the financial / economic crisis. He said economic growth in some African countries has “gone into the deep negative figures” and that their fiscal deficits ranged from 10-15%, making the situation constraining to most countries’ ability to respond significantly to the global economic crisis.
RWANDA
Remittances to Rwanda rise despite the global hiccup
Remittances sent home by Rwandans working abroad have increased by 26% y/y for the first five months of 2009 up to USD 71.4M from USD 56.8M previously despite the global economic downturn. According to the central bank of Rwanda, remittances for 2009 are now forecast at between USD 160M and USD 200M making it the country’s second largest foreign exchange earner after tourism which is said to have brought in USD 218M in 2008. The African Development Bank said that remittances and the aid inflows to Rwanda had increased bucking the expected trend as a result of reforms as well as improved economic conditions in the country.
Meanwhile Fitch has affirmed Rwanda’s long-term foreign and local currency rating IDR at B- with a more positive outlook and also confirmed a short-term foreign currency IDR of B and a country ceiling of B-. The ratings agency said it continued to be impressed with Rwanda’s obligation and dedication to reform and also the continued country’s growth performance, but notes that although per the country’s capita income has doubled over the last four years, it still remains below the B median. Fitch also forecasts that the economic growth in Rwanda will continue in the 6% to 7% range on the back of government efforts to enhance the business environment and address the infrastructure deficit in the country.
KENYA
Kenya tax body feels the pinch of the global economic downturn.
The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) fell short of its revenue target by KES 12bn on the back of the global economic downturn, only gathering KES 481bn out of KES 493bn the body had budgeted. The KRA’s target for the current 2009/10 financial year is KES 545bn but meeting the new targets will be quite difficult as severe drought is badly affecting agricultural production and high inflation is upsetting the profitability of businesses and the affordability of goods for the Kenyan wananchi, thereby affecting the country’s tax revenues. This elevates the question of how Kenya hopes to finance its planned budget expenditure.
Meanwhile, Kenya central bank is expected to retain its key rate at 8%, according to most market players, although more cuts are anticipated later this year. As the country struggles on the back of weaker exports, the Central Bank of Kenya has adopted a monetary easing stance to boost growth. At its last meeting in May, the
MPC cut the rate by 25bps, ending speculation of most analysts who had expected a decision to hold it at 8.25%. According to Reuters, the government expects the growth of 3% this year after expansion of 1.7% last year.
ANGOLA
Angolan central bank to contain drop in forex reserves
The Angolan central bank has announced its plans to implement measures to contain the drop in foreign exchange reserves in Angola, as a result of the lower oil-tax revenues following the drop in crude oil prices. The Central bank governor Abraao Gourgel said that the average monthly income from oil taxes fell from USD 1.33bn in Q1 of 2008 to USD 283mn for the first five months of 2009. Reuters reported that Angola’s foreign exchange reserves are down 30% this year to USD 12.2bn.
Meanwhile, Angola’s inflation rose to 13.95% in June, up from 13.83% in May on the back of rising food prices and that of non-alcoholic beverages; this is according to the national statistics institute. Month-on-month inflation for June stood at a figure of 1.11% up from 0.95% in May. The current 2009 government budget allows for an inflation rate of 12.5% which has been upwardly adjusted from 10% previously.
BOTSWANA
Botswana’s GDP drop by 20.3%
Botswana’s GDP has contracted by 20.3% in Q1 of 2009 on the back of reduced diamond mining output. As a result of the global economic slowdown, the global demand for diamonds has suffered a decrease and the economy is anticipated to face a deep contraction over the next two years.
According to the central statistics office, mining and quarrying contributed 68.6% to the decline in the country’s GDP. Water and electricity did also record a fall of 4% y/y in Q1as a result of a fall in consumption from the mining industry.
Meanwhile, the country’s inflation has slowed to three-year low of 7% in June. According to the Central Statistics Office, Botswana’s consumer price inflation rate slowed to a near three-year low of 7.0% y/y in June from 8.4% in May. Lowing inflation could lead to open the way for more interest rate cuts to boost such a weak economy. However, as inflation remains above the 3-6% target band, reports emerged that the Central bank governor Linah Mohohlo said last month that Botswana had room for further rate cuts, and later in June he announced a 150bps cut in the bank rate to 11.5%, bringing total cuts since December to
400bps, the agency said.
You can’t figure out a cluster of islands amidst the Indian Ocean, dazzling landscapes, beautiful white sand beaches and crystal clear waters. All this can be wholly explained as “Experiencing comfort and tranquillity at its very best”. This is what it means to be part of the Seychelles Honeymoon!
In case you are getting married soon or you have just gotten married, this is the place you must spend your honey moon for a splendid experience. It’s just for you, the newly married couples looking to indulge in a truly superb honeymoon destination. Please note that the Seychelles is considered one of the ten most beautiful places in the world, answers the call.
For every type of travellers, there is a great deal of over 100 islands that make up the Seychelles archipelago, and there is something special for just about every type of traveller. If you want your honeymoon to be more than just stretch out on white sand beaches and swimming in spotless waters, then a Seychelles honeymoon has it all and will surely exceed all your wildest expectations.
Special points to consider
The Sainte Anne Marine National Park is a ‘must’ visit during your Seychelles honeymoon, as it features an incredible level of beauty and is one of the most serene destinations you will ever experience.
You can’ afford to miss the deep sea diving, scuba diving and many other water based activities that are ideal in the Seychelles. With exceedingly warm, pure waters, the Ocean surrounding the islands is very perfect for any water adventures! Mild temperatures all year round signify that this destination is ideal regardless of the time of the year you wish to wed. Remember that many of the islands are sanctuaries with rare and wonderful plants and birds, giving you extra pleasure. You will definitely watch wonderful plants, fauna and birding sights that you just won’t be able to find in any other corner of the world.
So now that you know about some of the many interesting features of this unique area of the world, you can rest easy knowing that no matter which of the Seychelles islands you choose for your Seychelles honeymoon, you are assured of a warm welcome and one of the most amazing experiences in your life.
Here are some of the islands to consider for your own Seychelles honeymoon:
Mahe is the largest island with a quiet and a rather relaxed nature and is considered the economic and political centre of the Seychelles. It is blessed with a natural appeal and beauty and it has got huge mountains, thriving tropical vegetation and numerous idyllic beaches spread all around the island.
Praslin has incredibly verdant vegetation; it’s because of this that it fits almost everyone’s image of the perfect tropical island. Everyone going for honeymoon will absolutely want to start their marriage surrounded by tropical paradise, the epitome of nature’s beauty! Take pleasure in the miraculous landscape, astounding coral life, awfully shaped rocks and quite a number of the world’s rarest birds. This island is perfectly suited for visiting many of the neighbouring islands.
La Digue present that chance to step back in time, you experience transport by mainly by oxcart or bicycle. Here all honeymooners truly appreciate the wide deserted beaches ideal for long walks, lazy swimming, snorkelling as well as fishing. Discover an exceptional tranquil and kindliness that cannot be compared with any other elsewhere.
Bird Island is best known, as the name suggests, because of the one and a half million grimy terns that nest, breed and hatch their eggs on this luxuriant island. In case you are a fun of big game fishing, this is your ideal place for that hobby. Just in case birding or fishing is not your thing, then this is amazing for any type of honeymooners because it is such a private island completely surrounded by a sparkling white sand beach. You surely must be here if you have’t!
If these island descriptions have caught your interest, be sure to get in touch with a safari expert for the experienced and friendly professionals to help you experience a Seychelles honeymoon in one of the most beautiful places in the world. See you there!
The usual way of traveling abroad or to a distant place is through air, by plane. Whether you’re traveling domestically or internationally, you will be protected if you have travel insurance. You will never know what’s going to happen in your vacation or travel so it would be best to have yourself insured. Travel insurance protects you in case of any unfortunate and unprecedented eventuality.
Forget those days when the necessities of life were just food, clothes, water and shelter. In today’s times, things have much changed to the extent that things that used to be called luxuries are some of the most essential ones in our lives and are considered necessities. Insurance is one good example of the essential things. In the earlier days, insurance was considered more of a luxury because it was only the rich who could afford it because it was quite expensive for the common person. But because of the market competition in the insurance industry, prices have gone down drastically and now insurance policies are much more affordable, even air travel insurance. You have to understand thoroughly the coverage of air travel insurance. As the word suggests, it only covers the flight. So if you meet an accident while you’re already in your vacation, you can’t be covered by the insurance. If you need medical attention or you’re in an emergency state before and during the flight, your insurance will cover it but anything that happens after the flight, it’s all yours to shoulder. This may be one reason why some people don’t like to purchase air travel insurance. However, if you already have an existing insurance policy that covers your travel abroad, additional air travel insurance would be a wise decision.
By securing air travel insurance, you can skip some of the usual hassles of traveling. For instance, trip delay, flight cancellation, lost luggage, car rental cancellation, hotel cancellation, emergency needs, medical needs, and death are usually covered by travel insurance. Other types of insurance policies have an age requirement but with this type of policy, there is none. So how can you secure one? Here is how.
You can either contact an agent or you can log on to the online sites of the different insurance providers and apply online. You need to provide some pertinent personal information and you can already get instant quotes online. Between the two options of applying for travel insurance, the online application is easier and a lot faster. You can choose whichever is more suitable for you because in any way, you can still purchase the air travel insurance. There are some advantages of air travel insurance. You see, the policy is considered a short-range accidental death and life insurance. If a plane crash happens and you are either mutilated or killed in it, your family will be compensated for it. Usually, the coverage is about $100,000.The air travel insurance policy is then terminated once you get off the plane. Remember that the insurance policy can be used only in commercial flights and not in private air travel. The policy must be purchased before you board the plane. The cheapest policy can be bought for $12 for each individual but there are also family rates available.
When purchasing an air travel insurance policy, do not forget to read the fine print. You must understand it fully so that in the event of an accident, there will be no untoward incidents once you claim for the coverage. Traveling by air will be safer and relaxing with your insurance policy, so always make all the endeavors to have it before you set out to travel.
South Africa, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique have signed an agreement to share the tourism spin-offs of the 2010 Fifa World Cup through “border-free” tourism packages. This means more cheaper opportunities for the Fifa World Cup fans come 2010.
South Africa’s provincial Limpopo Tourism Parks Board, the Zambia National Tourist Board, Zimbabwe Tourism Authority and Mozambique struck the deal creating the Limpopo-Zambezi Destination at the Tourism Indaba conference and exhibition in Durban.
These agreements will see the creation of new package tours between and within the four countries and this will result in the easing of border formalities to smoothen the route of travellers through border posts, and joint marketing and branding in support of all the package tours.
The Victoria waterfalls, located at the border between Zambia to the north and Zimbabwe to the south, is one of the natural wonders of the world. It is 1 708 metres wide, making it the largest curtain of water in the world. Remember that South Africa is not only an important emerging economy in its own right but rather, it is also a key gateway to sub-Saharan Africa.
Health Insurance: Understanding the rules of your health plan
If you have insurance through your employer, you probably are in a managed care plan. If you are in Medicare, you might be in a managed care plan too. You can’t always tell from the name of the plan. It’s normally the rules that count.
When you signed up for your insurance plan, you agreed to its rules. You were probably given a packet that describes the kind of coverage you have. To avoid misunderstandings about your coverage, you need to read the rules of your insurance plan. For most plans, the important rules fall into the following groups:
Doctors and hospitals
Managed care plans sign contracts with certain doctors and hospitals to care for their plan members. Your plan may refer to them as providers. This group of providers is often called the plan’s network. Like you, they have agreed to follow the plan’s rules. Your insurance company might not pay for you to go to a provider who is not in its network. If it does pay for you to use a provider outside your network, it may pay less than it would for a network provider. In either case, you are responsible for the part of the bill that the plan doesn’t pay. Even if your doctor is part of the plan’s network, he or she may prefer to send patients to a hospital that isn’t in the network. If so, ask if your doctor can send you to a hospital in the network. If that isn’t possible, you can ask the insurance company if it will approve the use of the out-of-network hospital. If no other arrangements can be made, you might have to see another doctor.
Rules for seeing specialists
Many managed care plans won’t pay for you to see a specialist unless your primary care physician (usually your family doctor) thinks it is necessary. If you see a specialist without a referral, you might have to pay more for the care you receive. If your doctor decides that you need to go to the hospital, have surgery or have certain tests, your insurance company may refuse to pay for it unless it can preauthorize the treatment (approve it beforehand). Almost every managed care plan has a drug formulary. A formulary is a list of prescription medicines that your health plan has approved. If a drug isn’t on the formulary, you’ll probably have to pay more for it. Your insurance company can give you a list of drugs that are on the formulary. If necessary, show the list to your doctor when the doctor writes you a prescription.
Get your international insurance policy to cover your health as you travel. Remember an international insurance coverage also covers global health care benefits including your home country. This policy is suitable for international travellers, sailors, tourists and expatriates working abroad. Your international insurance policy will cover you for short term trip insurance, medical coverage, trip cancellation, terrorism coverage and evacuation protection. In the event where you seek to protect your trip investment, that is, airline ticket, resort costs, cruise then you have to consider contacting a reliable company for the best International Travel Insurance quote. You may please just click on any links on this page for your bookings and best rates now. Be safe always!
