The impact of Covid-19 has deprived many of the fun and amazement that travelling offers. It’s quite relieving to be able to travel again after many country’s conditions and travel restrictions.
Its time to go out and see the wonders of the world once more…….where do you intend to visit next?
In different parts of the world and at different times, people travel to different destinations. This requires a lot of planning and also it’s very time consuming, so,most travelers always wish they can place this planning stress off themselves and place them on someone else while they get busy with other things that needs their attention. This has given rise to different travel agencies to fill this gap for travelers who don’t want to go through the stress of planning, booking and sorting out the itineraries all by themselves.
There are lots of benefits that comes with using travel agents, these benefits are many but these 5 reasons will convince you to approach Grandeur travels out of countless other travel agencies in Nigeria. These places us among one of the best travel agents in Nigeria.
1. We are affordable.
Using Grandeur travels is the real definition of “penny wise, pound smart!” It’s the best and smartest decision to take considering the cost it takes to do these plannings yourself. We’ve built a solid relationship with every resource avenues to make your travel experience the best one so far and guess what? All these services come at “purse-fitted’ fees tailored to suit your budget. You definitely will be glad you allowed us to do it and you will want to do it all over again because your days of fraudulent experiences is over with Grandeur travels!
2. We save you precious time.
Like the parlance says in Nigeria, “Time is money.” You don’t have to waste resources and time jumping buses or stressing over your traveling when we are here at your service. Let’s take it up for you and trust us to do it better than you can imagine.
3. Experience and influence.
Grandeur travels own the required influence needed to provide you with the best traveling service experience you’ve never had. Within the little time, you need to get your traveling documents together, we have the needed influence to bring this all together in one shot because we have the magic wand! Our years in business have equipped us with the needed links to make things happen.
4. We solve your traveling problems.
Without assumptions and guesses, Grandeur travels provide seamless solutions to your traveling challenges by making flawless arrangements and plannings that give you the confidence to travel anytime you plan to without obstacles. We are responsible and reliable with a solid track record.
5. We offer you the best deals.
When you pick up your phone or devices to search for the best travel agency in Nigeria, you are looking for many options with affordable budget options. Why not Google Grandeur travels and see past testimonials of clients who have enjoyed our best amazing offers?
We provide you the best deals with the amazing customer satisfaction experience you need to convince your friends and associates to patronize us.
https://www.grandeurtravelsng.com
Whether you are an individual or corporate entity, Grandeur travels have a suitable package for you that will suit your exact need. Why not give us a call today and let’s do what we know how to do best?
The world’s first national park is today one of those most threatened by overtourism. Yellowstone is a favorite park for many people, but all that love has had an unfortunate downside. With visitation numbers up 40 percent in the decade between 2008 and 2018, the park’s infrastructure is struggling to handle the millions of people who descend on the area every year for glimpses of the wildlife and geysers for which the park is known.
Traffic is one of the biggest issues, with major traffic jams caused whenever bison or other animals are spotted along the roadside. There are far bigger risks than only frustrated tourists, however. With increased crowds, people become less mindful about where they walk and where they leave their trash. Sewage, too, has become a major problem here as in many other national parks, and can affect not only the smell but the surrounding ecosystem and water quality.
While Yellowstone has not yet begun to require reservations or impose daily limits in order to manage its numbers, both possibilities have been considered, and may ultimately be necessary solutions to preserve the remaining beauty of this outdoor haven.
Nature isn’t the only thing affected by crowds. Amsterdam is a picturesque city full of art and culture where cyclists pedal along idyllic canals past cozy, gabled houses from the Golden Age. Thanks to overtourism, however, the current reality has become quite different. The city of 850,000 residents saw 19 million tourists in 2018, in a rising trend that is expected to continue and reach upwards of 29 million by 2025. That concentration in such a relatively small city means visitors are primarily seeing — and bumping into — other tourists, leaving little of the city’s native charm in the midst of the crowds and litter.
The city has already begun taking some steps against overtourism, including encouraging visitors to explore other parts of the country, as well as moving one of the city’s most notable photo-ops — the “I amsterdam” sign — to a less trafficked neighborhood. They will also be ending tours of the infamous Red Light District. As with delicate ecosystems in nature, however, the understandable fear is that by the time the tourism numbers begin to drop, what brought so many to the city in the first place — whether it be the tolerance, hospitality, or Old World beauty — will be irrevocably lost.
Thailand’s most famous beach is one of the most stunning examples of the dangers of overtourism, as well as the at-times drastic measures that can be taken to counteract it. Maya Bay, made famous by the film The Beach in 2000, was originally a remote paradise of white sand beaches and crystal-clear waters nestled under looming limestone crags. After the influx of visitors inspired by the movie, however — most of whom came by speedboat from nearby Phuket or Koh Phi Phi Island — the cove’s coral reef was disappearing and entire populations of its marine life were gone.
Fortunately, Thailand has been willing to address the problem head-on. In 2018, the country’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation announced a temporary ban on tourists to Maya Bay. The ban was then extended and is now in effect until at least June of 2021. The hope is that, given space and solitude, the natural resources will regenerate and the bay’s beauty will be preserved for generations to come. Human efforts in the meantime include replanting coral, as well as expanding the island’s infrastructure to better handle its tourism numbers in the future while minimizing the accompanying ecological effects.
So is the ban working?
Who could have guessed that an abandoned city from the 15th century would, six hundred years later, be in danger of having too many people? Like the other sites on this list, the old city of Machu Picchu in the Peruvian Andes has garnered increased attention in recent decades, in large part to its verdant lawns and labyrinthine stone walls being jaw-droppingly photogenic.
In an effort to preserve the site’s integrity, the Peruvian government has been taking measures to combat the increasing number of tourists. At first, it was merely the presence of guards to keep people out of restricted territories, and the establishment of set paths for visitors to follow. As the numbers continued to rise, 2014 saw the adoption of new regulations that required visitors to hire official guides and instituted time limits to prevent bottlenecks in the ruins. Early in 2019, additional measures were introduced that now limit tourists to specific entry times, with a maximum of four hours in the area.
While these increasing measures are laudable, it remains to be seen whether they will be sufficient to curb the effects of overtourism at Machu Picchu. In the meantime, if you have your sights set on Peru, consider exploring the ruins of Kuelap instead for some authentic history without the crowds.
While Venice gets most of the attention for Italy’s overtourism, it isn’t the only beautiful place there in danger. Cinque Terre, a group of five villages on the country’s northeastern coast, is known for its colorful houses strung along seaside cliffs, and it has become a popular stop for cruises and land trippers alike. What was initially a secluded journey by foot along hand-laid stone paths has, in recent years, become a convenient train ride for thousands of tourists to flit from village to village, stopping just long enough for a photo and gelato.
The trains aren’t the only problem, though; tourists who do choose to walk between the villages are often unprepared for the technicality of the mountain paths, and end up needing the locals for help or a rescue mission. This particular concern has led officials to prohibit inappropriate footwear along the trails, but the problem of numbers still remains, compounded by the fragile nature of the terraced hillsides. While there has been a push for train companies to limit the number of tourists they bring, there has yet to be a comprehensive solution agreed upon by the various villages and train companies involved.
In late July, Emirates announced that it would pay for travelers’ medical treatment, hotel quarantine, and even funeral if they catch COVID-19 while traveling.
Now, Virgin Atlantic is introducing a similar policy.
The airline announced on its website that passengers will get complimentary coronavirus insurance of up to $654,000 (£500,000) for travel between August 24, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Passengers are eligible for the insurance on Virgin Atlantic flights during this window whether or not they’ve already booked, according to the airline, provided their travel is booked through Virgin Atlantic directly.
Working with insurance company Allianz Assistance, Virgin Atlantic’s website says that its COVID-19 coverage extends to all coronavirus-related costs, from medical expenses to mandatory quarantine. And, in a worst-case scenario, up to $6,533 (£5,000) of funeral expenses are covered, per the airline’s website.
According to Virgin Atlantic, the insurance will take effect “with no restrictions on age, travel class, or length of journey.” Once you land at your destination, you are free to use other modes of transportation and visit other destinations and still be covered, the airline’s website says, as long as your return flight is also booked through Virgin Atlantic.
For one-way trips, the airline says the insurance will last 12 hours after the arrival time of the traveler’s last flight. However, it’s worth noting that this does not apply to one-way flights that take off on March 31 and land on April 1.
One other thing to note: The insurance covers all bookings made through Virgin Atlantic, even if flights are operated by partners such as Delta, Air France, and KLM. However, according to Virgin Atlantic’s website, “If you purchased your ticket from delta.com or any another airline’s website, even if they are a partner airline of Virgin Atlantic, you will not be covered, even if one or more flights of your journey is on a Virgin Atlantic aircraft.”
source: https://www.insider.com/virgin-atlantic-coronavirus-insurance-covers-medical-costs-19-2020-8
How often do you get to see a giraffe in Nigeria? Not so much I guess.
This majestic beauties can be found in Kenya. Giraffes are one of Africa’s most iconic animals, you should be able to recognize them instantly for people of all ages and backgrounds from around the world.
Many people don’t realize that there are actually nine different subspecies of giraffe, three of which are found in Kenya: the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata; also known as the Somali giraffe), Rothschild’s giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis rothschildi), and the Masai giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis tippelskirchi; also known as the Kilimanjaro giraffe).
Rothschild’s giraffes are highly endangered because they frequently hybridize with other subspecies; only a few hundred “pure” individuals are thought to exist in the wild.
It is named after the Tring Museum’s founder, Walter Rothschild and it’s also known as the Baringo giraffe, after Lake Baringo in Kenya.
One of the few locations where they can be observed is at the Giraffe Manor in Nairobi Kenya where they come out to have breakfast with you. They can also be observed is Lake Nakuru National Park where they move in small herds.
Telling the spies apart could look complicated to an untrained mind, but in reality it’s not exactly a difficult thing. The ‘Reticulated giraffe’ has much whiter lines between their brownish patches on their pelt, and the patches are bordered by smooth lines.
‘Masai giraffe’ and ‘Rothschild’s giraffe’ have much creamier lines in between their patches, and the patches have more jagged edges.
The key to telling these two subspecies apart is the legs: Masai giraffes’ legs are decorated with brown spots all the way down to their feet, but Rothschild’s giraffes appear to be wearing a white/cream colored kneel level socks.
Seeing a giraffe for the first time can be pretty spectacular because they are so magnificent and really gigantic indeed, they are the tallest extant terrestrial animals and also, unsurprisingly, the largest ruminant.
Giraffes are also known for having horns–or, more accurately, ossicones, which are horn-like growths of ossified cartilage (not bone tissue) that are permanently covered in skin and fur.
Adult giraffes are so large that they usually don’t have to worry about the large predators that share their habitat. Although the young, sick, and old giraffes, however, may be targeted by lions, leopards, hyenas, and wild dogs. Giraffes for food, target acacia trees, from which they get their food supplies with the aid of their incredibly long tongues. All bits of the giraffes’ mouths are quite tough, since they have to withstand exposure to the sharp thorns of acacia trees. This tolerance allows an individual giraffe to make its way through over 30 kg of foliage each day.
There is not quite as experiencing a giraffe for yourself. Like it’s often said “Don’t listen to what they say, go see for yourself”
Grandeur Travels is your best plug.
Have you ever been there?
Kenya I would say is a county with different faces. It has the wildlife side and the picturesque modern landscape, the beaches side. It’s a place where you can enjoy both worlds at the same time with lots of sightseeing, culture, tradition, artefacts and history. It’s the only country in the world that have a national park in the city.
One the wildlife aspect, Kenya is famous for housing its wild animals; it is home to numerous beasts including the Cheetahs, Lions, Tigers, Wildebeests, Hippopotamus, Elephants, and so much more animals.
Tourists can decide to visit the Masai Mara National Reserve and spend days in the wild. There are camps, hotels and tents for adventurers to relax at night after a long day enjoying the forest and its beasts. There, one can partake in and enjoy game drives with spectacular wildlife view as well as cultural trips to the villages around where tourists can also have lunch or dinner.
In Nairobi, which is the capital city of Kenya, Tourist who are not able to visit the Masai Mara villages can enjoy the wildlife right there in the city at the Nairobi National Park and the Nairobi National Museum, little wonder Nairobi is called the world’s only wildlife capital. The Nairobi National Park is right in the city, just located at the southern part of Nairobi just less than 10 minutes from the Central business district. Also there is the Karen Bilxen Museum and David Sheldrick Centre were baby Elephants are feed and nurtured. So imagine enjoying the bustle and hustle of the city and at the same time you get to enjoy the wild and its animals.
The national Park harbors so many animals both wild and gentle ones, zebras, buffaloes, Lions, Cheetahs, Tigers, giraffes, Antelopes and birds inclusive all in its natural inhabitant. Here, tourists are also privileged to watch animals like Lion, Tiger hunt their prey for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The animals are in their natural inhabitant as the park is only fenced on 3 sides and the fourth opened part leads to a game reserve. So the animals are free to roam about as much as they want to. It is a picturesque and fearful site. Driving round the National Park in an open tourist van can take more than 2 hours if you are fortunate to see some beautiful animals.
The National Museum in a way holds the history of Kenya. It’s culture and tradition, history, relics are embedded in one building! The National Museum also one part is home to different species of snakes ranging from Pythons to cobras to mambas.
Tourist can also take a day’s trip to Hells Gate National Park, Crescent Island by boat. In additional to that, there’s the beautiful Nakuru’s pink lake in Southern Kenya which is famous for its flamingos. Kenyan coastline and beaches gives tourist a sense of peace and tranquility. You can enjoy bird watching, snorkeling, fishing, swimming, boat rides and surfing.
Get in touch and experience these various destinations with Grandeur Travels.
As from today (Wednesday, August 12), expatriate residents stranded abroad will no longer need entry permits issued by the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship (ICA) to enter the UAE.
The decision was announced by the National Emergency Crisis and Disasters Management Authority (NCEMA) and ICA early on Wednesday. The announcement comes as the second phase of the ‘Residents Return Programme’, and coincides with the end of the summer holidays for educational institutions and the resumption of commercial and social activities.
As of Wednesday, travellers need not apply for an entry permit and automatic approval will be granted to those wishing to return to the UAE. However, the the Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship has recommended those wishing to travel upload their data- ID number, passport, and nationality – on the https://uaeentry.ica.gov.ae link to verify the authenticity of their travel documents.
However, a valid negative PCR Covid-19 test result from a government – accredited laboratory is mandatory pre-travel. Airlines carrying passengers must ensure the test is issued not more than 96 hours ahead of departure.
The authority said all precautionary and preventive measures will apply to residents upon their arrival into the UAE, in accordance with the approved protocols.
This includes conducting a laboratory examination for Covid-19, where required, and adhering to the approved quarantine in accordance with the established procedures, in addition to downloading the AlHosn app to ensure their health and safety of all UAE citizens and residents.
The Federal Authority for Identity and Citizenship on Monday extended the deadline for holders of expired entry permits and visas from August 11, for one month, to enable them to leave the country and exempt them from fines.
The authority’s move is part of the national initiatives launched by the UAE and is in implementation of the UAE Cabinet’s related decisions and regulations of entry and residency of foreigners.
Those eligible to leave the country within the set deadline are urged to do so, which will help facilitate their return to the UAE.
SOURCE: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/coronavirus-pandemic/ICA-approval-no-longer-needed-for-residents-to-return-to-UAE
An estimated 1 ton of oil from the Japanese ship’s cargo of 4 tons has already escaped into the sea, officials said. Workers were seeking to stop more oil from leaking, but with high winds and rough seas on Sunday there were reports of new cracks to the ship’s hull.
Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth has declared a state of emergency and appealed for international help. He said the spill “represents a danger” for the country of 1.3 million people that relies heavily on tourism and has been hurt by travel restrictions caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
Satellite images show a dark slick spreading in the turquoise waters near wetlands that the government called “very sensitive.” Wildlife workers and volunteers, meanwhile, ferried dozens of baby tortoises and rare plants from an island near the spill, Ile aux Aigrettes, to the mainland.
“This is no longer a threat to our environment, it is a full-blown ecological disaster that has affected one of the most environmentally important parts of Mauritius, the Mahebourg Lagoon,” said Sunil Dowarkasing, an environmental consultant and former member of parliament.
“The people of Mauritius, thousands and thousands, have come out to try to prevent as much damage as possible,” said Dowarkasing, who spoke from the relief efforts at Bois des Amourettes by the lagoon.
He said people have created long floating oil booms to try to slow the spread into the lagoon and onto the coast. The hastily made fabric booms are stuffed with sugar cane leaves and straw and kept afloat with plastic bottles, he said. People are also using empty oil drums to scoop up as much oil as possible from shallower waters.
University students and members of the local Lions and Rotary clubs are among the volunteers, he said.
“We are working flat out. It’s a major challenge, because the oil is not only floating in the lagoon, it’s already washing up on the shore,” said Dowarkasing. “The booms are really working in many spots.”
He said the steady winds and waves have spread the fuel across the eastern side of the island.
“We’ve never seen anything like this in Mauritius,” he said.
The lagoon is a protected area, created several years ago to preserve an area in Mauritius as it was 200 years ago.
“The coral reefs had begun to regenerate and the lagoon was getting back its coral gardens,” said Dowarkasing. “Now this might all be killed again by the oil spill.”
A French military transport aircraft was carrying pollution control equipment to Mauritius and a navy vessel with additional material planned to sail from the nearby French island of Reunion.
Residents and environmentalists alike asked why authorities didn’t act more quickly after the ship, the MV Wakashio, ran aground on a coral reef on July 25.
“That’s the big question,” Jean Hugues Gardenne with the Mauritian Wildlife Foundation told The Associated Press. “Why that ship has been sitting for long on that coral reef and nothing being done.”
For days, residents peered out at the precariously tilted ship as a salvage team arrived and began to work, but ocean waves kept battering the ship. Cracks in the hull were detected a few days ago and the salvage team was quickly evacuated. Some 400 sea booms were deployed to contain the spill, but they were not enough, he said.
In Japan, officials of the company that owns the ship, Nagashiki Shipping, and the ship’s operator, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, apologized Sunday for the oil leak.
At their first news conference since the ship ran aground two weeks ago, the officials said they have sent experts to Mauritius to join in the cleanup effort. They are trying to do so in an environmentally safe way, without using emulsifiers and other environmentally harmful chemicals, said Kiyoaki Nagashiki, president of the shipowner Nagashiki Shipping.
“First of all, we are doing the utmost to prevent further oil spill and to remove it from the sea,” said Akihiko Ono, vice president of Mitsui O.S.K. Lines. “We are aware of a potential major impact on the tourism in the area and we take it very seriously.”
The officials said the Wakashio left China on July 14 and was on its way to Brazil. The ship was about 1 mile off the southeast coast of Mauritius when it went aground, even though it was supposed to be 10 to 20 miles (16 to 32 kilometers) away from the island, Mitsui executive Masanori Kato said Mitsui is investigating why the ship went off course.
The officials said the companies were continuing to remove fuel from the ship using a vessel small enough to safely operate in the shallow waters. They said the operation is time-consuming because of rough waves. The shipowner and operator are working with a salvage ship to lift the tanker while trying to prevent any further oil leaks.
Source: https://www.insider.com/mauritius-races-to-contain-oil-spill-protect-coastline-2020-8
From frozen tundras to alpine highlands, some of the most remote places in the world are also the most inhospitable. But from ancient cultures to scientific researchers, there are humans who live in these isolated and barren places. Between eating frozen horse blood and dodging snapping crocodiles, it takes a lot to survive in these harsh environments. Read on to discover six of the most desolate places on the planet.
Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
Greenland’s most isolated town has a mere 453 residents,thanks, in part, to its remote location and harsh winters. Located between Northeast Greenland National Park and the glaciers and fjords of Scores by Sound, the town is covered in ice and snow for at least nine months out of the year. Although the terrain is often frozen, the small settlement’s red, green and blue houses brighten the otherwise bleak landscape. Outside of human residents, the area is home to walruses, polar bears, narwhals and reindeer. Planning a trip to Ittoqqortoormiit? Visiting in spring is advised, as the bitter winter conditions are severe. To arrive, one must take three flights on small planes starting from Reykjavik, Iceland, before boarding a helicopter towards the final destination.
Utqiagvik, Alaska
The northernmost town in the United States, Utqiagvik is not connected by a road to the rest of Alaska. Instead, this isolated settlement is only accessible by plane or boat. Transportation within the town is also unique — many locals prefer to use dog sleds over snowmobiles, according to Business insider, due to the difficulty of running a vehicle in the extreme winter temperatures. Perhaps the most unsettling part of life is Utqiagvik is the darkness. The town is so close to the Arctic Circle that residents must endure two months of darkness during the winter. This past year, the sun set on November 18, 2018, and did not rise again until January 23, 2019. Despite the bleak landscape and dark days,Utqiagvik has 4,428 residents who call the seaside city home.
Changtang Plateau, Tibet
Nicknamed the “Roof of the World,” Changtang is a high altitude plateau that stretches nearly 1,000 miles, from Ladakh, India, to northwestern Tibet. The only known residents of these vast and empty highlands are the Changpa, a semi-nomadic pastoral tribe who rely on their herds of goats, sheep and yaks to survive. Life on the Changtang Plateau is harsh, with unpredictable storms during the warmer months and Arctic-like temperatures during the winter. Much of the plateau is protected by The Changtang Wildlife Sanctuary, an organization that endeavors to preserve the wild landscape and the species who call it home.
Kimberley Coast, Australia
The northernmost section of Western Australia is called Kimberley, a region known for its vast and rugged landscape. Largely uninhabited and treacherous to most humans, Kimberley’s coastline and the surrounding outback is as unforgiving as they come. In 1932, two German pilots crash landed on this barren landscape and would have perished had they not been discovered by the local Aboriginal people. In 2017, adventurer Mike Atkinson recreated the German’s plight, putting himself in harm’s way to follow to the same path as the stranded pilots. During his time in the Australian outback, Atkinson managed to survive the lack of food and water, in addition to navigating the dangerous, crocodile-ridden landscape. The last leg of the trip required hiking 40 miles through the bush, all while self-filming the harrowing trek. Luckily, Atkinson is a survival instructor and a wilderness expert — it’s clear that most humans would not be able to live in such a hostile landscape.
Oymyakon, Russia
Dubbed “the coldest village on Earth” by The Washington Post, Oymyakon, Russia, is a grim settlement in the Siberian tundra. With only 500 residents calling this frozen outpost home, wintertime in Oymyakon is bleak. The town’s average temperature in the colder months is -58 degrees Fahrenheit. In 1933, Oymyakon suffered from a cold snap that brought the temperature to a mind-numbing -89 degrees Farenheit, the coldest temperature recorded outside of Antarctica. For the locals, existing in this frigid land is no easy task. The ground is too cold for plumbing, so townspeople must brave the elements to use outhouses. An average meal likely consists of frozen fish, reindeer meat or cubes of iced horse blood, according to wired. A mere 217 miles from the Arctic Circle, the darkest days of the year have three hours of sunlight, making this subzero landscape a very lonely place.
McMurdo Station, Antarctica
The least populated continent on Earth, 98% of Antarctica is covered in ice. As a result, not many people are able to live in such an unforgiving climate. Antarctica’s human population belongs to scientists and researchers stationed throughout the continent. One such place is McMurdo Station, a U.S. Antarctic research facility located on Ross Island. While the station itself has a post office, a chapel, two bars and a golf course, the surrounding icy tundra is uninhabitable. And while the “White Continent” may have many visitors in the summer months, winter is cold, bleak and dark. Out of the 1,200 researchers who live at McMurdo Station in the summer, less than a quarter remain for the winter. With notable effects being depression and disorientation from the harsh and desolate landscape, wintering in Antarctica isn’t appealing in the least.
Source:www.traveltrivia.com
The future of travel post-coronavirus is going to be all about “hyper-personalization,” hotel and aviation experts say.
As much of the world tentatively begins to emerge from lockdown, many people are thinking about traveling for leisure once again.
And it turns out, vacations in a post-COVID-19 world could be even more luxurious than ever.
Speaking at a webinar on “The Traveller in 2020 and Beyond” hosted by Black Tomato, boutique hotel specialist Mr & Mrs. Smith‘s Founder and Chief Creative Officer James Lohan and UK based private jet charter company PrivateFly CEO Adam Twidell both said they expect travel to become more personal.
