Travel news: new flights to Madagascar and a new diving centre in Oman



Air Seychelles now flying to Madagascar

Air Seychelles has announced the launch of flights to Antananarivo, Madagascar, commencing on December 3. The twice-weekly flights, departing Wednesdays and Saturdays from Abu Dhabi to the Madagascan capital's Ivato International Airport, with a stopover at Seychelles International Airport, will be the fourth Air Seychelles destination in a rapidly expanding regional network, which includes Johannesburg and Mauritius. For more information, visit www.airseychelles.com or call 00248 439 1000.

Emirates expands services to Tanzania

Emirates will begin a five-times-weekly service to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, from October 26, starting from Dh2,435 return in economy. The new service will complement Emirates' existing daily operations between Tanzania and Dubai and will operate on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday, departing from Dubai at 4.55pm and arriving in Dar es Salaam at 9.50pm. The return flight will depart Dar es Salaam at 11.30pm and arrive in Dubai at 6.20am the next day. For more information, visit www.emirates.com or call 600 555555.

New diving centre at Jebel Sifah, Oman

The Oman-based tourism development company Muriya has launched a new dive centre at Jebel Sifah, near Muscat. Located within walking distance of the Sifawy Boutique Hotel, the centre is operated by the German dive tour operators Extra Divers Worldwide. It will offer dives to nearby sites such as the Munassir wreck, Fahal Island and the reefs at Ras Abu Daoud. Extra Divers Sifah operates in line with Scuba Schools International and Padi standards, and rents out all required equipment. Dives, not including equipment, start at 33 Omani rials (Dh315). For more information, visit www.extradivers-worldwide.com/en or call 00968 972 59099.

Take a walking holiday in Turkey this autumn

Book a stay at the Mandarin Boutique Hotel in Faralya, Turkey, during the third week of October and you can join its five-day Guided Walking Week, from October 13 to 20. Guests in small groups of no more than eight people per walk will explore the fertile Kaya Valley, Afkule and its Byzantine monastery, the mountain village of Kozagaç, Kirme and more. Tours include a light snack or picnic lunch and transportation when required, and cost €110 (Dh522) per person, per week. For more information, visit www.villamandarin.com or call 0090 252 642 1002.

New hop-on, hop-off experience in Dubai

Visitors to Dubai will soon have the opportunity to see the city's attractions in a new way with a hop-on, hop-off, open-top-bus tour from Dnata and City Sightseeing WorldWide. The City Sightseeing Dubai tours will highlight all aspects of Dubai's past and present – from Old Dubai and the Creek to Downtown and the Palm Jumeirah, with tours commencing on October 2. Tours are also offered in a number of languages. Tickets can be booked in advance or directly from the bus or ticket booths around Dubai. For more information or to book a ticket, visit www.city-sightseeing.com.

Follow us @TravelNational

Follow us on Facebook for discussions, entertainment, reviews, wellness and news.

The specs

Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors

Power: 480kW

Torque: 850Nm

Transmission: Single-speed automatic

Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)

On sale: Now

The%20specs
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEngine%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E2.3-litre%204cyl%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPower%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E299hp%20at%205%2C500rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETorque%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E420Nm%20at%202%2C750rpm%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETransmission%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E10-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFuel%20consumption%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E12.4L%2F100km%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EOn%20sale%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENow%0D%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EFrom%20Dh157%2C395%20(XLS)%3B%20Dh199%2C395%20(Limited)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
THE DETAILS

Director: Milan Jhaveri
Producer: Emmay Entertainment and T-Series
Cast: John Abraham, Manoj Bajpayee
Rating: 2/5

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding