Hwange’s ‘queen mum’, Cotopaxi summit reopens and ditching the straw

What’s happening this week in the Kusini Collection:

Maya Trails: Your travelers to Guatemala can really get away from it all on Maya Trails’ new four-day trek from Antigua to Lake Atitlan (recently profiled in The New York Times!). 27 miles of hiking lets visitors explore everything from sky-high ridge lines surrounded by volcanoes, to trails ambling through highlands, rivers, plantations and coffee fincas. Each night, hikers retire to the campfire for chef-prepared meals, then cozy up in high-tech tents (no cots here – real queen size beds with goose-down comforters!) for a peaceful night’s rest. Mornings begin with delicious Guatemalan coffee before setting off on another day’s adventure.

Albatros Travel: Albatros East Africastaff have been working hard to help us keep up with new property developments in Kenya and Tanzania. Later this month, Sanctuary Retreats will open a new mobile camp to follow the migration. The 10, 5-star tents at Sanctuary Kichakani will have a small ecological footprint. Other openings include Melia Serengeti Lodge in western Serengeti, as well as three stunning new villas on Diani Beach in Kenya. Villa guests need only to decide if they want the beach, lush gardens or a dramatic cliff as their villa setting. Read more on the Kusini blog.

Imvelo Safari Lodges: Fantastic news from Imvelo Safari Lodges – cheetah ‘supermom’ Queenie has a new litter of cubs! The first sightings of the 4 new adorable cubs were last week and were enjoyed with much excitement and fascination! The tiny cubs proved to be very photogenic while playing on the lush green plains, and proud mum Queenie watched cautiously over her little brood! The area around Camelthorn Lodge and Bomani Tented Camp is lucky to boast one of the highest concentrations of cheetah in Hwange, and Queenie leads the pack in beauty, elegance and mothering skills! Read more of this happy story here.

Todos Santos Eco Adventures: Todos Santos Eco Adventures is leading a drive to make their hometown, Todos Santos, a plastic straw-free destination. 5 of the world’s 7 turtles species nest on the beaches of the Baja peninsula, and North America discards over 600 million plastic straws per day, most of which wind up in our oceans. It is not uncommon to find sea turtles with plastic straws stuck in their nostrils, inhibiting their ability to breathe. Todos Santos is an ocean-based town and TOSEA hopes that their efforts to make their town plastic straw-free will inspire visitors to take these practices back home to everyday life.

Ultimate Safaris: Families who book a Namibia safari with Ultimate Safaris have a private vehicle and guide who will look after them from the start to finish. They also automatically qualify for Ultimate’s special ‘Guide in Training’ program. Tailored for each family, the program aims to keep kids busy and entertained, and to ensure that they learn about what they see while on safari. Accommodations are selected for family friendliness, and safaris are designed with the high degree of flexibility that families often need. Kids will also receive a Guide in Training pack for their journey, customized for their age.

Tropic Ecuador: After a two year closure due to increased volcanic activity, authorities have reopened the summit of Cotopaxi volcano to climbing. Cotopaxi NP is Ecuador’s most visited tourist attraction, and reaching the volcano’s summit is a major draw for tourists. Tropic Ecuador’s 8 day/7 night Mountain Guardians program lets visitors acclimate with time in Quito, as well as enjoy conditioning hikes and climbing lesser peaks in preparation for tackling the summit. Led by a climbing and naturalist guide, the trip is paced in a way that gives your clients the best chance to stand atop the summit and soak in the majestic Andes.

Costa Rica Sun Tours: Who can resist a sloth? Considering Costa Rica is home to two of the world’s six types, your chances are good to see them while out exploring with Costa Rica Sun Tours’ eagle-eye guides! Did you know it can take up to 4 weeks for a sloth to digest one leaf? That they give birth upside down? How about that they sleep fourteen to eighteen hours a day! And they are known to be agile swimmers! Up your chances of sloth viewing by including Manuel Antonio, Monteverde Cloudforest, and Corcovado NP in your itinerary!

Travel Ethiopia: Ethiopian Airlines’ new mobile app for Android has gone live. With the new app, customers will be able to use their mobile devices to book flights, check-in, issue their boarding pass, check their flight status, get up-to-date arrival and departure times and remain connected and informed throughout their journey in real-time. Customers using the app to book will enjoy a 10% discount on their flights. Travel Ethiopia reminds us that clients visiting Ethiopia who use Ethiopian Airlines as their international carrier receive a substantial discount on internal flights.