Tuesday, February 26, 2008

REASSURING NEWS ON KENYA – a message from the original 2AFRIKA, INC. Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber

Tuesday, February 26, 2008
NEW YORK, NY


Good Day and thank you for taking a moment to stop by today.

This morning I received a most reassuring message from our ground staff in Kenya (particularly in light of the recent unrest and the wild fire at Lake Nakuru National Park), and I quote:

“There is no need to change any Safari itinerary. The situation in the country is very calm. All Tour Operators have been running their Safaris without re-routing or any interruption. Being on the ground, I would like to reassure you that all is well and normalcy has returned in the country. Please reassure all passengers that there is absolutely no cause for alarm and that we shall ensure that they have a memorable Safari.”

I am delighted to bring you this up-to-the-minute report and will continue to do so on a regular basis as news comes in from Nairobi.

For further information on this Safari or any other Safari in the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Collection, visit us on the web at http://www.2afrika.com/

The ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA, INC. remains committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism.

If you would like to comment on this Blog Post, please communicate directly with the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber, electronically via kenneth@2afrika.com

Tuesday, February 12, 2008

UPDATE ON THE SECURITY SITUATION IN KENYA - a message from Kenneth R. Hieber

February 12, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Of late, I have kept a rather low profile on the situation in Kenya simply due to the fact that the country has been on-and-off-stable in the last while and I felt no necessity to rock-the-boat so to speak.

Today, I am delighted to share a more positive outlook with you as received from the Kenyan Tourism Security Federation – and I quote:

SECURITY SITUATION IN KENYA:

The security situation throughout Kenya today was again reported to be calm in all areas and for the last few days no reports have been received of post-election violence anywhere in the country.

In the tourist areas all continues to be calm and unchanged with no problems reported affecting any tourist visitors to the international hotels in Nairobi, the beach resorts at the coast and the wildlife parks and reserves. Tourist arrivals into Mombasa and Nairobi airports have dropped substantially in the last three weeks owing to travel advisories imposed by various governments, particularly Western European countries, but the US and British governments do not have a full advisory in place against non-essential travel to Kenya as a whole and instead are advising that specific places such as the western corner of Kenya should be avoided. The British advisory specifically mentions wildlife parks and reserves which they do not consider to pose a risk for visitors. Tourist visitors to the parks and reserves in recent days have been having an exclusive wildlife experience with few other tourist vehicles to be seen. Many visitors have expressed their surprise that the images portrayed by their national media at home were so very different from their actual experience on a safari or beach vacation in Kenya once they arrived here.

Mombasa and the coast: Mombasa town continues to be calm and it is generally peaceful throughout the entire coast province. The British government recently lifted its advisory against travel to Mombasa town in view of the improved security situation.

Those of you who receive my newsletter will receive a personal invitation to ‘Come Fly With Me’ this Memorial Day to Kenya and Zanzibar – I do feel confident that this turmoil will come to an end sooner than later and as always has been and always will be, here at 2AFRIKA, INC., we will never substitute our valued passengers safety for the sake of commerce!


With warm African wishes!


Kenneth R. Hieber
President
2AFRIKA, INC.


For further information on this Safari or any other Safari in the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Collection, visit us on the web at http://www.2afrika.com/

The ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA, INC. remains committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism.

If you would like to comment on this Blog Post, please communicate directly with the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber, electronically via kenneth@2afrika.com

Monday, February 11, 2008

SUMMER SCHEDULE CHANGE ON SOUTH AFRICAN AIRWAYS

February 11, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


Dear Friend of 2AFRIKA:
As always, we strive to bring you breaking news as we get it – this just in from South African Airways!

“Due to high demand during the summer season, South African Airways will institute a temporary summer schedule for its service between Washington, DC-IAD and Johannesburg, South Africa. Effective June 15 through August 15, 2008, SA #208 from Washington, DC-IAD to Johannesburg will make a brief fuel stop in Dakar, Senegal. By making this scheduled stop in Dakar, it will enable SAA to accommodate more passengers during the peak travel season, in which the warmer weather often creates weight restrictions that limit the aircraft’s capacity on a non-stop flight of this duration.”

The temporary flight schedule between June 15 and August 15 will thus read as follows:

SA208 - DEPARTS WASHINGTON D.C. - 5:40PM
ARRIVES JOHANNESBURG - 4:45PM + 1

SA207 - DEPARTS JOHANNESBURG - 6:15PM
ARRIVES WASHINGTON D.C. - 6:00AM + 1


Moving forward, we will be instituting these services and for anyone preparing a new reservation, please be advised that we will just go straight in to using these flights for you.

With warm African wishes!


Kenneth R. Hieber
President
2AFRIKA, INC.


For further information on this Safari or any other Safari in the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Collection, visit us on the web at http://www.2afrika.com/

The ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA, INC. remains committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism.

If you would like to comment on this Blog Post, please communicate directly with the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber, electronically via kenneth@2afrika.com

Friday, February 8, 2008

Please, please, please listen . . . A Message from 2AFRIKA, Inc. Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber regarding air travel

February 08, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


I have just come across a reservation for a passenger who chose to arrange his own flights from the US to Kenya for March but requests that we arrange the land for him. Naturally that’s what we do and of course we will BUT I cannot let yet another opportunity just pass by without pointing out the obvious!

The passenger requires air from Chicago O’Hare International to and from Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International . . . the final destination must be Kilimanjaro International which is where our services would appropriately start.

MY POINT – we are in possession of the “E”-Ticket from the passenger to arrange the transfers etc. and I note that the cost of the ticket in USD including all taxes is $1,816.10 as far as Nairobi. Since the ‘land’ arrangements will start from Kilimanjaro, it would have been preferable for the passenger to fly straight through to Kilimanjaro. Now, he has to have a transfer airport/hotel in Nairobi – spend a night in Nairobi for the Kenya/Tanzania Border posts close at night – and then continue his journey the following day, wasting time and an unnecessary about of money when, by talking to us, we could have flown him CHICAGO/LONDON/NAIROBI/ KILIMANJARO and back the same way for only $1,785.00 round trip including all taxes and SAVING unnecessary transfers, hotel accommodation and a tiresome shuttle bus transfer from Nairobi to Arusha.
Please trust that under my leadership, the Original 2AFRIKA, Inc. will ALWAYS point out these Value Items to our passengers – that is what has kept us in business and with the evolution of the internet, that moral value is precisely what will KEEP us in business!

Honesty and Integrity!

For further information on this Safari or any other Safari in the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Collection, visit us on the web at http://www.2afrika.com/

The ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA, INC. remains committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism.

If you would like to comment on this Blog Post, please communicate directly with the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber, electronically via kenneth@2afrika.com

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

TODAY IS A SUPER TUESDAY - A Message from Kenneth Hieber of 2AFRIKA, INC.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 02, 2008


Hello ‘Everyone’ – as always, I do hope that my message finds you and yours well today.

So very often we are asked the following question – ‘Your prices are so cheap – what’s wrong?’ – and over and over again we explain our theory of Keeping Africa Affordable.

In an ongoing effort to indicate the point, I have an example to share with you.

Recently, I was surfing the web looking to see who was doing what relative to travel arrangements to my Continent. One particular example stood out – an 11-Day ‘Luxury Escorted Journey to South Africa and the Victoria Falls’ – price . . . per person sharing accommodation is $5,995.00 + 4 flights required through the itinerary at the cost of $895.00 per person bringing the total per person to $6,890.00 EXCLUDING the international airfare to get to and from South Africa. Add the air from the U.S. to that amount and you have a final cost of $8,090.00 per person.

That really got me to re-thinking why I came here to the US way back in 1995. My primary goal then remains unchanged 13 years later – steadfastly Keeping Africa Affordable! So I started my own calculations.
I took the journey that I saw online for $8,090.00 and using our business model, I repriced it in a mirrored fashion, comparing apples-with-apples, eliminating nothing, substituting nothing . . . keeping everything exactly as I read it – and again, my tried-and-tested business model comes out on top, in your favor.

Click here and review this luxury addition to our Collection – THE ART OF LUXURY!

Elsewhere you would pay $8,090.00 per person.

Here at the original 2AFRIKA, INC. the identical journey will cost you from only $5,995.00 per person INCLUDING the round trip flights originating and terminating from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International or Washington D.C.’s Dulles International. That represents a mammoth saving of $4,190.00 per couple!

Yes – you read that correctly - $5,995.00 per person INCLUDING round trip air from the U.S.

Incredible isn’t it? Now let’s revisit the question ‘What’s Wrong?’ . . . I have said it before and I will say it again, and again, and again – the original 2AFRIKA, INC. strives to Keep Africa Affordable and under my leadership that will remain the core value of this company.

You see – the original 2AFRIKA, INC. was founded on a basic moral principle – honesty and integrity in business – a basic principal that isn’t abundant these days unfortunately.

You might ask why I keep doing this! I shall answer!

Africa is my home. I was born there and raised there. I know it intimately and I love it – and I want to share it with you. As the weeks proceed, you are going to see more and more changes throughout my product portfolio. We have become well known for Budget Travel over the past 13-years and now I intend to become well known for Affordable Luxury Travel setting the bench mark a little higher by the day. Here at the original 2AFRIKA, INC. my qualified associates are constantly being motivated to ‘think without limits’ in order to bring you, your significant other and your family and friends an Affordable Luxury African Experience’.

I hope that you enjoy the read, the product but most importantly, the Journey!

As always, we stand poised to assist you with evolving your African Safari from a mere dream!

With warm African wishes to you!

Kenneth R. Hieber
President
2AFRIKA, INC.


For further information on this Safari or any other Safari in the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Collection, visit us on the web at http://www.2afrika.com/

The ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA, INC. remains committed to Corporate Social Responsibility in Tourism.

If you would like to comment on this Blog Post, please communicate directly with the ORIGINAL 2AFRIKA Founder & President, Kenneth R. Hieber, electronically via kenneth@2afrika.com