There's nothing that quite describes the feeling you get when waking
up to the sound of an elephant herd marching through the wide open
grasslands of Tanzania. Home to the violet gem, Tanzanite, this country
is like a deep crack in the crust of Africa which has spawned lush,
serene highlands enmeshed with velvety lakes and majestic volcanoes.
To
be honest, I'm not exactly a safari-type of traveler who can set up
tent just about anywhere. To me, comfort comes first and I'd choose a
luxury hotel over a bush camp any day, but there was just something
about the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge that really intrigued me. It's true
what they say, it really is without a shadow of a doubt the most
architecturally impressive safari lodge in Africa.
The Crater
Lodge has a rich, antediluvian aura about it and each thatch suite is
reminiscent of an era that once was, with tall handcrafted antiques,
grand chandeliers and adorned African treasures.
Standing in my
lodge bedroom I can see the Crater below in all its splendour through
floor-to-ceiling glass windows. Fortunately for me, I do not have a fear
of heights, which would've been a real problem, since the lodge is
situated on the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater. After a satisfying cup of
Rooibos tea I call upon my personal butler to draw my bath as I pack my
things and start preparing for the ultimate luxury safari in Tanzania.
Afternoons
are spent on scenic game drives on closed 4X4s with a very
knowledgeable tour guide, might I add. Throughout our drive across the
valley to the lake below, and on the floor of the world's largest
crater, I kept asking our guide all sorts of questions only to find
myself totally engrossed in his fascinating responses.
I would
not have minded spending the entire week of my safari at the Ngorongoro
Crater Lodge. With fine wine, scrumptious gourmet cuisine and a personal
butler beckoning at my every call, I was living the life of a king. But
we had to keep on track with our itinerary.
A full day was spent
at the Serengeti National Park, exploring this large park with morning
and afternoon safari drives. The Serengeti National Park is joined to
the Masai Mara Park Reserve, which I later learned was named after the
Masai tribal inhabitants of the area and the Mara River which divides
it.
After much exploring and loading my camera's memory stick
full of unbelievable sights, we spent the night at one of the luxurious
safari lodges close by. And at that moment, in the middle of the African
Savannah with cheetahs lurking in the distance, an overwhelming rush of
contentment filled my body. Being in the presence of Africa's
spectacular wilderness has that effect on you.
The perfect ending
There
is no better way to end off a luxury African safari than a weekend at
the beautiful, serene Zanzibar Island. The moment we arrived I kicked
off my shoes and dived straight into the crystal clear water which
gently sweeps the golden, sandy beaches. A sparkling coral reef lines
Zanzibar's ocean, mimicking a kaleidoscope of colours at the bottom of
the sea bed.
I spent quite some time lazing in my deck chair,
sipping martinis and being waited on beside the resort pool. Fresh,
ocean cuisine was served at meal times followed by a trip to the
renowned Stone Town, the old cultural city of Zanzibar. Browsing the
winding streets of bustling bazaars and regal Arab houses I experienced
Zanzibar's enriched cultural and historical beauty.
I must admit,
leaving the island almost had me in tears thinking that I'd now have to
return to my average life in the city. These last few days on my
African safari have shown me a new level of luxury, a luxury fit for a
king.
Selasa, 26 Desember 2017
Selasa, 19 Desember 2017
Cheap African Safari Tour Tips And How To Find Them
Grabbing the best deal on a cheap African safari tour means doing a
little homework particularly if you are a first time visitor to this
mighty continent.
If you are visiting Africa for the first time, then taking an organized group tour is the ideal way to get your first taste of all it has to offer.
It will also save you a bundle in money and frustration!
Why Travel With A Group?
Unless you are a seasoned traveller to Africa, travelling with a group and having tour guides at your disposal means you'll avoid running foul of unforseen harm which could come your way if you travel alone.
Africa can be a volatile place, not just in the wilds of the jungles but politically so if you intend going back at a later date, then getting a feel for the landscape on tour can give you some great initial experience of the country.
Avoiding Peak Season
Planning your trip well in advance is suggested. If you are working on a strict budget, then a cheap African safari tour during the low season makes a lot of sense.
Yes, you'll more than likely need an umbrella but confining your trip to the wet season also means you'll get great discounts. Avoiding the crowds is another big benefit.
The wet seasons can be a little hard to judge but if you plan to travel outside the December-March and July-September periods you should generally be able to find yourself a good deal on a group trip.
Confining your trip to a designated place or country is also likely to help you cut down on the overall cost of your holiday.
Some countries may be a little more expensive than others. For example, Botswana, despite all it has to offer the visitor in the shape of flora and fauna attractions, could possibly leave your hip pocket a little light on by the time you're ready to head home.
On the other hand, Kenya can be a little more attractive for the price conscious visitor and may appeal more as a cheap African safari tour destination. In the end, it's up to you and where you'd prefer to travel.
If you are visiting Africa for the first time, then taking an organized group tour is the ideal way to get your first taste of all it has to offer.
It will also save you a bundle in money and frustration!
Why Travel With A Group?
Unless you are a seasoned traveller to Africa, travelling with a group and having tour guides at your disposal means you'll avoid running foul of unforseen harm which could come your way if you travel alone.
Africa can be a volatile place, not just in the wilds of the jungles but politically so if you intend going back at a later date, then getting a feel for the landscape on tour can give you some great initial experience of the country.
Avoiding Peak Season
Planning your trip well in advance is suggested. If you are working on a strict budget, then a cheap African safari tour during the low season makes a lot of sense.
Yes, you'll more than likely need an umbrella but confining your trip to the wet season also means you'll get great discounts. Avoiding the crowds is another big benefit.
The wet seasons can be a little hard to judge but if you plan to travel outside the December-March and July-September periods you should generally be able to find yourself a good deal on a group trip.
Confining your trip to a designated place or country is also likely to help you cut down on the overall cost of your holiday.
Some countries may be a little more expensive than others. For example, Botswana, despite all it has to offer the visitor in the shape of flora and fauna attractions, could possibly leave your hip pocket a little light on by the time you're ready to head home.
On the other hand, Kenya can be a little more attractive for the price conscious visitor and may appeal more as a cheap African safari tour destination. In the end, it's up to you and where you'd prefer to travel.
Selasa, 12 Desember 2017
Adventure Travel - an Alternative To The Five Star Cruise?
Most of us have taken a travel trip sometime or the other in our
lives. But if you have been on a travel trip in the recent past, you
could not have failed to notice that a new category of travel has made
itself very prominent. Known as 'Adventure Travel' this is a new way to
travel that is not just popular among the youth and those whose veins
are filled with adrenaline, but even among ordinary people like you and
me!
It is not really difficult to fathom why. Regular travel, has, over the years gotten boring and predictable. With the prices of airfare coming steadily down and package tours becoming more common than ever before, conventional travel has become stifling, overcrowded and boring. The sense of adventure that is usually associated with travel has become obsolete. Until adventure travel came on the scene that is. With adventure travel, travel ca once more become that exalted activity that brings us in touch with new cultures and people and broadens our horizons. The very reason for adventure travel is unique experiences - something that all of us, irrespective of our personal preference of travel, want!
A sample adventure travel trip for instance could offer you a very unique way of seeing an otherwise popular destination. Now, most people you and I know have been on a Caribbean travel trip. They would have visited the same old beaches, stayed in the same old hotels, driven along the same old roads and seen the same old touristy sights. But sample what an adventure travel trip to the Caribbean could offer. You could take an eco-trek through the Caribbean rain forests, you could see the birds, the insects and the animals up close, you could camp with the local inhabitants and learn more about them, their costumes, their food and their culture by actually interacting with them and you could discover the joys of virtually deserted, unspoiled beaches. All of this while being relatively close to the popular tourist destinations, yet away from the humdrum and drab experiences.
Or imagine an adventure travel trip to Australia. While most travelers do the staid, old, boring city hop across the continent, you could, as part of your adventure travel trip, balloon your way across the continent, snorkel in the great barrier reef, share a billy with a jolly swagman and waltz with mathilda and a joey or two in the bush country! Doesn't the adventure travel option sound like more fun when compared to the regular travel option?
It is precisely to cater to this need for a unique and interesting travel experience that the genre of adventure travel came into existence. And adventure travel is not a genre that is restricted to the teens and tweens. Increasingly, older adults are opting to go on adventure travel trips. And they are having more fun, learning much more and reliving their experiences at every given opportunity, much to the envy and consternation of regular travelers. You too could be the one to go on an adventure travel trip. The only thing stopping you is your imagination!
It is not really difficult to fathom why. Regular travel, has, over the years gotten boring and predictable. With the prices of airfare coming steadily down and package tours becoming more common than ever before, conventional travel has become stifling, overcrowded and boring. The sense of adventure that is usually associated with travel has become obsolete. Until adventure travel came on the scene that is. With adventure travel, travel ca once more become that exalted activity that brings us in touch with new cultures and people and broadens our horizons. The very reason for adventure travel is unique experiences - something that all of us, irrespective of our personal preference of travel, want!
A sample adventure travel trip for instance could offer you a very unique way of seeing an otherwise popular destination. Now, most people you and I know have been on a Caribbean travel trip. They would have visited the same old beaches, stayed in the same old hotels, driven along the same old roads and seen the same old touristy sights. But sample what an adventure travel trip to the Caribbean could offer. You could take an eco-trek through the Caribbean rain forests, you could see the birds, the insects and the animals up close, you could camp with the local inhabitants and learn more about them, their costumes, their food and their culture by actually interacting with them and you could discover the joys of virtually deserted, unspoiled beaches. All of this while being relatively close to the popular tourist destinations, yet away from the humdrum and drab experiences.
Or imagine an adventure travel trip to Australia. While most travelers do the staid, old, boring city hop across the continent, you could, as part of your adventure travel trip, balloon your way across the continent, snorkel in the great barrier reef, share a billy with a jolly swagman and waltz with mathilda and a joey or two in the bush country! Doesn't the adventure travel option sound like more fun when compared to the regular travel option?
It is precisely to cater to this need for a unique and interesting travel experience that the genre of adventure travel came into existence. And adventure travel is not a genre that is restricted to the teens and tweens. Increasingly, older adults are opting to go on adventure travel trips. And they are having more fun, learning much more and reliving their experiences at every given opportunity, much to the envy and consternation of regular travelers. You too could be the one to go on an adventure travel trip. The only thing stopping you is your imagination!
Selasa, 05 Desember 2017
The Benefits of Personalized Adventure Travel Planning
What type of adventures appeal to you? The kind where you push your body or your mind? Adventure travel is not one thing to all people. Some people would be thrilled and exhilarated to raft down a river in Colorado. For other people, that's a regular weekend activity. Not too adventuresome at all. Those people might love to try hang gliding or sky diving, while for the former person, this is tantamount to committing suicide. Obviously, these people's definitions of adventure travel vary greatly.
That's what's so great about it, though. You can tailor-make a vacation to fit your wants and needs. You just have to know what you want, and where you want to go. Write up a list of the top ten or so things you want to experience in your life and that will get you started as you look through all the fabulous opportunities out there for adventure travel.
If you want to really get outside your personal comfort zone, there are any number of adventure trips you can take that will do that. You can try bicycling along the Tour de France route or hiking fourteen miles in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. How about zipping at 30 miles per hour on a wire line strung between two trees in the jungle, catching air on your snowboard in a Super pipe or white water rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon? Parasailing, riding in a bi-plane or piloting a fighter plane, and rock climbing up a sheer canyon side each provide different thrills too. If you're out for thrills, think carefully about the extent of adventure you'll really enjoy.
Does this sound like too much adrenalin for you? Floating overhead in a hot air balloon while watching lions stalk prey on the plains below or walking through Cambodia's Angkor Thom, where temple ruins nearly smothered by giant trees, are gentler styles of adventure travel. So is walking on trails through the Amazon jungle looking at parrots or catching sight of caimans (types of alligators) sleeping on the river banks at night. To the more laid-back person, this is about adventuresome as you can get.
Adventurous trips are not necessarily something that puts your life at risk. They are travels that change you, enchant you and ensure memories for a lifetime. Some travelers go for the physical thrills and the opportunities that stretch a body's physical capabilities to the utmost degree. Other travelers would rather use their minds, eyes, hearing and cameras to enhance their experiences.
Each person's definition of adventure travel is unique. What's yours? Just don't go on a trip that has activities that you would never participate in. Remember, what is adventuresome to you, might not be to someone else. If you're still deciding, call up a few travel agents for ideas, or visit your local library for exotic places to visit and things to do. Scour the web for packages and deals, and before you know it, you'll be having the time of your life, doing what you've always wanted to do.
Exciting Nevada vacations
That's what's so great about it, though. You can tailor-make a vacation to fit your wants and needs. You just have to know what you want, and where you want to go. Write up a list of the top ten or so things you want to experience in your life and that will get you started as you look through all the fabulous opportunities out there for adventure travel.
If you want to really get outside your personal comfort zone, there are any number of adventure trips you can take that will do that. You can try bicycling along the Tour de France route or hiking fourteen miles in Colorado's Rocky Mountains. How about zipping at 30 miles per hour on a wire line strung between two trees in the jungle, catching air on your snowboard in a Super pipe or white water rafting on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon? Parasailing, riding in a bi-plane or piloting a fighter plane, and rock climbing up a sheer canyon side each provide different thrills too. If you're out for thrills, think carefully about the extent of adventure you'll really enjoy.
Does this sound like too much adrenalin for you? Floating overhead in a hot air balloon while watching lions stalk prey on the plains below or walking through Cambodia's Angkor Thom, where temple ruins nearly smothered by giant trees, are gentler styles of adventure travel. So is walking on trails through the Amazon jungle looking at parrots or catching sight of caimans (types of alligators) sleeping on the river banks at night. To the more laid-back person, this is about adventuresome as you can get.
Adventurous trips are not necessarily something that puts your life at risk. They are travels that change you, enchant you and ensure memories for a lifetime. Some travelers go for the physical thrills and the opportunities that stretch a body's physical capabilities to the utmost degree. Other travelers would rather use their minds, eyes, hearing and cameras to enhance their experiences.
Each person's definition of adventure travel is unique. What's yours? Just don't go on a trip that has activities that you would never participate in. Remember, what is adventuresome to you, might not be to someone else. If you're still deciding, call up a few travel agents for ideas, or visit your local library for exotic places to visit and things to do. Scour the web for packages and deals, and before you know it, you'll be having the time of your life, doing what you've always wanted to do.
Exciting Nevada vacations
Langganan:
Postingan (Atom)