More people are going on Kenya holidays, but from a surprising new source.

Local Kenyans are choosing to take their holidays in their home country as a growing middle class spurs on the tourist trade, according to AFP.

Kenya safaris, once the preserve of foreigners, are now proving increasingly popular with natives keen to spend their new found wealth, which is in turn helping to drive investment in the country's already well-established tourist infrastructure.

Figures from Kenya Wildlife Service show domestic visitors to national parks rose by 55 per cent over the past five years.

Two-thirds (64 per cent) of people going to the national parks for which the country is famous are now Kenyan, up from 57 per cent five years ago.

"Strong economic growth in the past two decades has helped reduce poverty significantly and lift previously poor households into the middle class," a report from The African Development Bank states.

More local people spending money in tourist resorts and national parks could help further investment in facilities.

Most foreign tourists headed to Kenya come from the UK, which accounts for about 16 per cent of the million or so visitors the country gets every year, official figures show.

The Queen marks her Diamond Jubilee today (February 6th), exactly 60 years since she was told of her father's death while enjoying a holiday in Kenya.

She was staying in a remote lodge in the country when George VI died and the 25-year-old acceded to the throne.

In a statement, the Queen said: "I am writing to thank you for the wonderful support and encouragement that you have given to me and Prince Philip over these years."

The then princess Elizabeth and husband prince Philip were on their way to Australia and chose to stop at the Treetops Hotel in Aberdare National Park when the news broke.

They returned to the UK immediately after hearing that the king had succumbed to cancer.

Since 1952, the Queen has returned to Kenya several times, with the connection with the Royal family running through to the current generation.

The Duke of Cambridge proposed to then-girlfriend Kate Middleton while on a luxury safari in Kenya.

A holidaymaker on safari in Kenya got the chance of a lifetime recently by capturing on video a female cheetah getting agitated with her cub.

The ruckus happened at the Kicheche Mara Camp in the Maasai Mara and has become a YouTube hit.

It captures a mother with her very young and excitable cub who insists on playing. While the mother ignores her cub, it continues to leap up and down on her back and her face until she gives in and wrestles it to the ground.

However, in a fit of agitation, the mother kicks her cub three feet into the air, who falls safely down onto the grass. Her actions are a bit of a shock, though, as the mother runs away.

The Daily Mail reported that while cheetahs are the fastest animals on the planet, young cubs rarely survive as they are an easy meal for lions and hyenas, while farmers also hunt them.

A holiday in Kenya can take in such intimate sightings, as well as views of the 'big five': lion, African elephant, buffalo, leopard and rhinoceros.
 

Kisumu International Airport, the third-busiest terminal in Kenya, has re-opened and will soon be welcoming international tourists after a major expansion.

Before the Sh3.3 billion project began in 2009, the terminal only handled domestic flights, but now it has an expanded runway and a new terminal that will be able to hold up to 600 people every hour, the Daily Nation reports.

The move is expected to lead to an increase in travellers on Kenya holidays to the west of the country and the Great Lakes.

Andrew Toboso, Vision 2030 director of marketing and strategy, told the news provider: "The airport is located next to a trans-boundary water mass and plans are underway to improve the railway line from Mombasa to Kisumu and the road network in the region is being upgraded.

"This will spread the benefits not only to that part of the country but to the whole region as well."

Last week the national tourist board Magical Kenya said that one of the best attractions of Kenya is the wildebeest migration of the Maasai Mara.
 

Cape Town in South Africa has been named as the top destination in the world by TripAdvisor's Travellers' Choice 2011.

The accolade is presented to a destination after compiling millions of user reviews about the city.

It cited Table Mountain, which has itself been named a New7Wonder of Nature, and Robin Island as the top sites to see for those planning South Africa holidays.

Sydney, Australia, was named the second top destination of 2011, followed by Machu Picchu in Peru.

TripAdvisor has also named some of South Africa's hotels as the best in the world. Derwent House Boutique Hotel in Cape Town was voted the fifth-best hotel in the world, while Blackheath Lodge in the city came in 18th place.

Cape Town has had a bumper year in 2011, The New Age reported. The V&A Waterfront welcomed more than three million visitors in December and the Table Mountain Aerial Cableway has seen more than 100,000 visitors in just one month.
 

South Africa has been named as the best destination for tourists to experience sports.

The country was crowned the winner of the World's Leading Sports Tourism Destination 2011 category by the World Travel Awards this month, putting South Africa on the map as a leading holiday spot for sports fans.

Sure to have boosted its position as a sports destination is South Africa's successful hosting of the FIFA World Cup in 2010.

However, the country's tourism board is keen to show visitors that it excels at more than just football and rugby.

"Hosting ongoing sustainable events across all sporting codes in South Africa is equally important for us to drive future tourism and economic growth," said Roshene Singh, South African Tourism's chief marketing officer.

The country will be hoping that its new sports facilities built for the World Cup will be used in the future for other top-class sporting events.

A number of South African organisations won at the World Travel Awards this year. Shamwari Private Game Reserve was named as the World's Leading Conservation Company and the five-star railway the Blue Train won the World's Leading Luxury Train award.

The great wildebeest migration is one of the top attractions of the Maasai Mara and could be a fascinating sight to see on Kenya holidays.

Each June, 1.3 million wildebeest gather in the Serengeti to calve before forming a huge single herd and moving on in July.

A natural phenomenon, the migration happens when the animals run out of fresh grass and scent rain in the north, encouraging them to move on and in turn renewing the grasslands of the Maasai Mara.

Catching sight of the migration is one of the highlights of a safari tour during the summer and is one of the reasons why the Maasai Mara attracts so many tourists.

National tourist board, Magical Kenya, describes the sound of the migration as a "deep, primal rumbling of thundering hooves and low grunts".

At sight, it said the charging mass "stretches from one horizon to the other.

"This endless grey river of life is mottled with black and white as zebras join the throng".

Packs of hyena can also been seen hunting on the young and weak wildebeest.
 

Food tourism is a hugely popular way to travel and visitors planning South Africa holidays could be tempted to head to the Western Cape for the Prince Albert Olive Festival.

Held on April 27th and 28th, the event celebrates not only South Africa's olive-growing industry but also other local foods and traditions.

Prince Albert is also a peaceful village that could provide an escape from the country's busier cities. As well as getting the chance to try the region's olives, tapenades, breads and organic cheeses, the festival offers cooking classes, nature walks and bird safaris.

Other entertainment lined-up includes theatre performances, ghost tours and star gazing.

Tourists in search of more local food and drink can head to nearby farms for wine tasting and to the Swart Rivier Olive Farm for olive oil tasting.

Prince Albert is situated in a fertile valley in the Wartburg Mountain range and has the optimum climate and land for growing olives. Every year since 1992 the village has welcomed visitors to its annual olive festival.
 

As more people tighten their purse strings this year, South Africa holidays could prove to be a budget option.

According to Euromonitor's travel predictions for 2012, South Africa is a cost-effective long-haul travel option for many British tourists, while Namibia is popular for price-driven adventure travellers.

South Africa is also benefiting from being one of the world's fastest-growing MICE (Meetings, Incentive Travel, Conventions and Exhibitions) destinations, the report noted.

The country's infrastructure was successfully showed off at the FIFA World Cup, most notably in Cape Town and Johannesburg, and now tourists and business travellers are heading to the country for events as well as adventure and safaris.

Another trend in which South Africa is taking advantage of is volunteer travel. According to Euromonitor, this alternative type of holiday will continue to grow in 2012 as new programmes are offered to ethical tourists.

Volunteer travel can mean anything from interacting and helping disadvantaged children in South African townships to working on a nature reserve in conservation projects and saving endangered wildlife.
 

Cape Town is proving to be a popular destination for Britons seeking out some winter sun.

According to carhiremarket.com, the South African city is the fourth most popular holiday this month among people hiring cars to get around.

Indeed, Cape Town was found to be the most popular medium-haul destination as the other cities in the list are Tenerife, Geneva and Belfast.

Compared to the same month last year, British travellers are looking beyond the conventional holiday destinations like Spain, which has dropped off the list.

Andrew Shorrock, product manager at the car rental comparison site, suggested that Brits are "being a bit more adventurous in their choice of holiday".

"With forecasters warning of another big freeze this winter with Siberian temperatures and widespread snow, it's no wonder that many Brits are looking to take to the skies and fly off to sunnier climes," he added.

For many people, winter sun is about seeking warm temperatures that are not as hot as they might seek during the summer holidays.

In Cape Town this week, for instance, the average temperature is 27°C-30°C.