The Great Wilderness Journey and Beyond!

Do you consider yourself to be a discoverer? An adventurer? If so, Botswana has something amazing to be discovered around every turn and with every footstep. Our Botswana Great Wilderness Journey is a small group adventure (just 8 travelers) that mixes camping in deluxe Meru-style tented camps with permanent tented camps both in private wildlife concessions that allow for excellent game viewing in intimate surroundings (read: you'll be swept away from the crowded national parks).

On this 11-day Botswana safari, experience a nostalgic camping/lodge expedition that recreates the game-viewing adventure of the great African explorers. Explore Botswana's scenic northern areas: from the blue-green wetlands of the Okavango Delta to the diverse and wildlife-rich Linyanti and Chobe River, ending at the world-famous Victoria Falls. This safari is one of our most popular Botswana safaris and it fills fast - there is still space available on certain dates in May, June, July and August (and various dates through the end of 2010).

If only the most adventurous trips appeal to you, then the Botswana Migration Routes Safari might be just what you are looking for. This safari features "maxi" dome tents designed to be surprisingly spacious with comfortable sleeping cots and linens, an en suite toilet and hot bucket shower. Thanks to the added mobility of such a safari camp, this trip explores the most remote regions and corners of Botswana.

This exciting safari takes the time to explore the changing areas, stunning beauty and continually moving game of northern Botswana: from camping and walking on islands in the jewel of the Okavango Delta, to the game-rich savannah of the dry Savute Marsh and the seasonal elephant herds at our Linyanti concession. This safari also provides the unique opportunity to follow the seasonal annual zebra migration between Linyanti and Savuti. This safari in Botswana is one of our most affordable at just $4310 per person in 2010. There is still space available on this popular trip for February, March and April, as well as June, July and October, November and December.

A few helpful hints when planning a safari to Botswana:

1) Plan on spending the night previous to your safari in an African gateway city such as Johannesburg or Lusaka.

2) Pack light! Luggage is limited by size and weight on all light aircraft flights in Botswana. Laundry is available at all permanent tented camps and all mobile camps provide earth-friendly washing soap for undergarments.

3) Remember that Botswana is in the Southern Hemisphere and the seasons are opposite of us in the U.S. - the best time for game viewing is Botswana's winter when it's cool and dry. That's June, July, August.

4) If you aren't looking for an adventurous camping safari, luxurious accommodations are certainly available. Our favorite luxury safaris in Botswana include the Botswana Deluxe Safari and the Ultimate Botswana Safari.

To book either of these adventures or any safari in Botswana call us at 1-866-778-1089 or email: info@adventuresinafrica.com.

Plan Your Africa Safari Honeymoon Now

There are few things as romantic as a honeymoon safari in Africa -- sleeping under canvas beneath the star-studded African night sky, the sounds of the wilderness, fine cuisine and excellent wines. Our honeymoon safaris combine the best of the bush (with all it's modern luxuries) and the beach and provide both adventure and romantic relaxation. See our favorite honeymoon safaris below, or call us to plan your own customize Africa honeymoon safari.

Africa Adventure Consultants top honeymoon safaris to Africa include:

South Africa Honeymoon Safari: From breakfasts in bed to romantic sundowners and private bush dinners, this super-luxury South Africa honeymoon safari is perfect for romantics or those who enjoy the finer things in life. Enjoy game viewing, nature walks, and city tours in beautiful South Africa. A 2-night luxury train trip on the famous Rovos Rail through the interior creates an unforgettable romantic escape on this romantic South Africa safari. Book by December 31, 2009 for travel in 2010 and save over over $500 per person. Call us at 1-866-778-1089 or email info@adventuresinafrica.com for details.

Romantic Tanzania Safari: Designed with the discerning traveler in mind, this luxury flying safari takes you to the best parks in Northern Tanzania, including Lake Manyara National Park, Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater. While on safari in Tanzania, you’ll enjoy the very best accommodations from super-luxury lodges to exclusive tented camps, providing unparalleled service and food, not to mention top guides and the best vehicles. This trip is perfect for a Tanzania honeymoon safari, a romantic getaway in Africa or simply for travelers looking for an excellent luxury safari in Tanzania.

Romantic Kenya Safari: There’s no better way to celebrate each other than with a romantic Kenya photo safari and beach trip. On this luxury holiday, you’ll visit three exclusive camps/resorts in three wonderful destinations: Meru National Park (home of Born Free’s Elsa the lioness); the world-famous Masai Mara; and Kiwayu Lodge, a secluded Indian Ocean retreat. This safari is perfect for a honeymoon safari in Kenya or a romantic getaway!

Photo at Elsa's Kopje, courtesy Cheli & Peacock and Singita Grumeti Reserves.

Kent's Favorite Uganda Safari - It's On Sale!

Kent first visited Africa in 1987 and lived there for years. In addition to game trekking in much of East and Southern Africa, he has climbed Tanzania's Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Meru, kayaked in Lake Malawi, dune-bashed in Namibia's Skeleton Coast, tracked mountain gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda, and more.

"Uganda is sometimes called the “Pearl of Africa,” and I think nickname fits," says Kent. "It really is a unique destination that offers a fantastic combination of primate viewing - gorillas, chimps and other monkeys - and big game safaris, not to mention beautiful scenery, Lake Victoria, the Nile River, and friendly people."

"On one memorable gorilla trip, we set off in the morning with high spirits and sunny skies. Soon, constant rain dampened our spirits and turned the mud path treacherously slippery. Then, the silverback started running around chasing after “loose” females, while his “wives” and young frantically chased after him. We lagged behind, unable to bush bash as quickly as these gentle giants. By mid afternoon, we had seen no gorillas and were ready to turn back to ensure we got back before dark. Suddenly our guide got a message from one of the trackers letting us know they were just ahead. Scampering up the last 100 yards, we found the family sitting peacefully in a clearing, adults resting and grooming and the babies and young peeking out from their mothers’ bosoms. It was the hardest gorilla tracking I’ve done, but the most rewarding once we got there.

We have a special on our 8-day Uganda & Rwanda Gorilla Safari. The trip includes one gorilla permit. If you book by December 31, you'll get a second permit for free--a $500 value. See the complete itinerary or call 866-778-1089 for more details.

Holiday Wishlist? Try a Family Safari

If you want to guarantee a "hit" with the whole family this holiday season consider giving the gift of safari. There are great deals on airfares and safari packages to Africa for 2010 (including all of the school holiday breaks) and even a bit of space remaining for those looking to get away for the holidays THIS year! We can even plan a customized safari for your family--just give us a call and we'll craft a personalized adventure that will suit your families needs.

A few of our personal favorites include:

Our Kenya Family Safari, perfect for families with kids and teens. This family-friendly fly-in safari in Kenya is an exceptionally good value. By utilizing small plane flights, travel times are kept to a minimum and all the lodges/camps on safari offer full-time childrens' educational and entertainment programs included in the price. The daily programs are organized and led by carefully selected and trained local naturalists, and the children get plenty of opportunity to interact with African children of their own age. A typical day out in the Mara with might include a visit to a “manyatta” village to watch a dance or to help the local boys separate young and old sheep. Other activities include: learning to shoot a bow and arrow, making fire with sticks, making traditional jewelry, playing animal hide-and-seek, learning tracking and identify animals, insects and butterflies. Activity groups are age appropriate for kids and teens, and parents have plenty to do, too, on this Kenya family safari.

For families with older kids, or even the more adventurous, check out our Tanzania Adventure Safari or our Tanzania Walking Safari. Both are guaranteed to please families that like to get out and explore, camp, hike and enjoy the wilderness at home or abroad.

In Southern Africa, families with teens enjoy getting off the beaten path on our Botswana Migrations Routes mobile camping safari. This exciting safari in Botswana takes the time to explore the changing areas, stunning beauty and continually moving game of northern Botswana: from camping and walking on islands in the jewel of the Okavango Delta, to the game-rich savannah of the dry Savute Marsh and the seasonal elephant herds at our Linyanti concession. This safari also provides the unique opportunity to follow the seasonal annual zebra migration between Linyanti and Savute. Accommodation is in 9’x9’ domed tents with attached bathrooms flush toilet and hot-water bucket showers.

To top it off (and actually have something to wrap under your tree) visit our Safari Shop to outfit your safari with the best gear we've personally tried and tested!

We've Found Some Great Deals in 2010!

Special offers come across our desks daily at Africa Adventure Consultants, but not all of them are really great deals. Here are a few of our most highly recommended special offers and discounts for travel in 2010. Many of these offers expire soon, so act now and contact us to take advantage of these amazing rates!

Selous Safari Camp, Jongomero and Ras Kutani in Tanzania are offering LOW SEASON rates during HIGH SEASON in 2010 - this can be a savings of hundreds of dollars per person. Trips must be booked by Feb. 28, 2010. We can design a custom safari to include these properties in Selous Game Reserve, Ruaha National Park and on Tanzania's beautiful Swahili Coast.

Sanctuary Olonana in Kenya is offering a stay 4, pay 3 special valid for travel January 2-May 31, 2010. That's a savings of up to 25%. Additionally, all honeymooners will receive 15% off all spa pampering – 10% off a balloon ride and candlelit dinner on their private verandah overlooking the river, as well as a bottle of cool wine on arrival.

Sanctuary Swala in Tanzania's Tarangire National Park is offering a stay 3, pay 2 special for travel between January 2-May 31, 2010. That's a savings of up to $880 per couple! Sanctuary Kusini in the Serengeti is also featuring a stay 3, pay 2 for travel between January 2-May 31, 2010 with a savings over over $1400 per couple!

Wilderness Safari Camps in Botswana, Zambia and Namibia: On any new booking of 2 nights per person, the 3rd night at the same camp is Free! Camps include: Kapinga, Lufupa Tented Camp, Kalamu Lagoon, Busanga Bush Camp, Shumba, The River Club, Toka Leya, Ruckomechi, Little Makalolo, Ongava Lodge, Desert Rhino Camp, Andersson’s Camp, Doro Nawas, Lianshulu Lodge, Kulala Desert Lodge, Kulala Wilderness Camp, Kalahari Plains Camp, Xigera, Jacana, Seba, DumaTau, Selinda Camps. The special is based on a minimum stay of 6 nights and is valid through March 15, 2010 (varies by camp).

In South Africa, stay at 4 nights and pay for 3 at Phinda Private Game Reserve, Ngala Private Game Reserve, Exeter Private Game Reserve, Kirkman’s Kamp, Madikwe Safari Lodge or Kwandwe Private Game Reserve. Offer is valid 1–6 January, February, March, 1-5 April, October, November and 21-31 December, 2010. Villas are excluded.


Photos courtesy of Selous Safari Company, Wilderness Safaris and &Beyond.

Conde Nast Readers' Choice Awards

CONDÉ NAST TRAVELER ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS OF ITS 22nd ANNUAL READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS

Condé Nast Traveler recently announced the results of its 2009 Readers’ Choice Awards, ranking the best cities, islands, cruise lines, airlines, hotels, resorts, and car rental agencies worldwide. The awards appear in the November issue and are derived from the Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice survey. This year, 25,008 readers voted on more than 10,000 properties and destinations.

Below are results for the top three winners in categories that featured Africa. Stay tuned later this week for more of OUR favorites at Africa Adventure Consultants!


Top Cities Africa/Middle East
1. Cape Town, South Africa
2. Jerusalem
3. Beirut

Top Resorts Africa
1. Mombo and Little Mombo Camps, Botswana
2. Sandibe Safari Lodge, Botswana
3. Safari Lodges at Phinda Private Game Reserve, South Africa

Top Hotels Africa
1. The Saxon, Johannesburg
2. Table Bay Hotel, Cape Town
3. Cape Grace, Cape Town


Photo courtesy Wilderness Safaris, Mombo Camp.

Sustainable Travel Our Way

At Africa Adventure Consultants we strive to minimize our overall footprint on this earth. We are especially aware of the environmental challenges that the delicate ecosystems of Africa are facing, and now more than ever are taking an active role in protecting these areas for future generations. Our primary focus to help save the planet is to reduce carbon emissions. Our US office is now 100% carbon neutral and we are offsetting 50% of the carbon emissions on every safari we sell (since January 2008). With our Travel Green program, travelers have the option of offsetting the remaining 50% of their safari’s carbon emissions.

Travel certainly impacts the world environmentally, but without travel we’d miss out on opportunities to see new places, meet new people—to think and live globally. In Africa, wildlife reserves would not have the income to continue protecting wildlife, the millions of people employed in the tourism industry would be unemployed and the critical sharing of cultures would not take place. We believe travel is imperative to fostering a peaceful world.

Not only do we focus on reducing carbon emissions that our travel produces, but we always consider sustainable and earth-friendly practices when designing and planning safaris. If the safari begins with a smaller carbon footprint, there is less carbon to reduce overall. Some keys to reducing a safari’s carbon footprint include incorporating human-powered activities wherever possible: walking, hiking and canoeing or kayaking to replace vehicle powered activities. We also use lodges and camps that use solar power, locally grown produce and water recycling facilities. Africa is actually a highly sustainable tourism destination as many camps and lodges have been operating using sustainable methods for years—it was the only way to survive. In addition to sustainable practices at lodges, preserved and protected open space throughout Africa helps to create carbon sinks, and prevents deforestation and desertification. We are careful to craft safaris that make the best use of road and air transfers without back-tracking or circumnavigating wherever possible.

Our most sustainable safaris include our Tanzania Walking Safari and the Selous Walking Safari, where walking is the primary game viewing activity and means of transport, rather than vehicles; our Botswana Migration Routes leaves a small footprint and makes use of mobile camps; and our Tanzania Maasai Adventure a cultural walking tour where we leave only footprints behind and encourage authentic interactions that help preserve Maasai culture.

Baby Animal Quiz from Newsletter

Test your African animal knowledge and answer these questions below.

What is the term used for each of the following baby animals: (ie, a baby seal is a "pup"):

A baby giraffe is called? Calf

A baby elephant is called? Calf

A baby wild dog is called? Pup

A baby lion is called? Cub

A baby ostrich is called? Chick

A baby zebra is called? Foal

Photo by Africa Adventure traveler David Keeling.

The Best Time to Travel to Africa

What is the best time to travel to Africa? There's not one answer considering the sheer size of the continent and the varied climates within each region. Read on for details on when and where to travel in Africa.

East Africa: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda
The nations making up the region of East Africa generally have similar weather patterns, with a few micro-climatic variations due to elevation and proximity to the coast. In recent years, global warming does seem to be affecting East Africa including heavier than normal rainfall, as well as drought conditions. Generally speaking, the cool and dry months are June through October and the warmer months are December to March. The higher elevations in all East African countries tend to cool down in the morning and evening. The rains are split into two ‘seasons’ – the short rains and the long rains. The short rains usually fall in November and December and are usually lighter and more sporadic than the long rains. Falling from mid-March/April through the end of May, the long rains are heavier downpours that can easily affect road conditions, travel and activities such as walking safaris and gorilla tracking. In the mountains of Rwanda and Uganda, rain can fall at any time and travelers tracking primates should be prepared for inclement weather throughout the year. The months of June, July and August are pleasant and dry in East Africa and the wildebeest migration is heading from Tanzania into Kenya, making our summer months a prime time to visit East Africa. January, February and March are warmer, but are also considered ideal times to visit Tanzania with the wildebeest calving season in full swing.

Southern Africa:
The Southern African countries of South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Malawi (I won’t forget Lesotho and Swaziland) have very different weather patterns and seasons. The Southern African summer runs from about November to April and winter from May to August.

South Africa: May is the beginning of the drier, cooler winter season when game viewing is at its prime. South Africa’s winter months – May through August are an excellent time for game viewing, although weather in Cape Town can be rainy and cool (think San Francisco in December!). The summer months, tend to be hot and rainy. The Western Cape (Cape Town and beaches) doesn’t follow the general ‘dry winter rule’ and experiences rainy and changeable weather in the winter months, while summer months are sunny and warm.

Botswana: The summer rainy season is from November to March and temperatures can easily reach 90F or more with humidity. Vegetation is also lush and game viewing can be more difficult. The cool, dry winter months of May through August is ideal for game viewing, with little or no rain, warm, sunny days and cool to cold nights. Be prepared for cold nights if camping during this season. Permanent tented camps often offer heated water bottles or electric blankets on the beds.

Malawi: This country has a single rainy season, unlike East Africa, that runs from November to April. Temperatures are hot and humidity is high, too. May to August is cooler and drier and this is considered the ideal time to visit Malawi. September and October are very hot and humid, but lack the rains.

Zambia: At a slightly higher altitude than its neighbors, Zambia enjoys a more temperate climate in many areas, as well as three distinct seasons. May to August is cool and dry (the best time to visit with temperatures in the high 70s to 80s); September to early/mid-November is hot and dry (this is an excellent time for game viewing as there is less foliage on the trees and animals come to rivers in search of water); and warm and rainy from November to April (bird watching is at its peak, but many camps and lodges are also closed).

Mozambique: The rainy season runs from November to March and can be significant enough to hinder land travel and disrupt activities such as snorkeling and diving. April or May through October or November is dry and daytime temperatures hover around 80F on the coast and can be cooler inland—these are considered ideal months to visit Mozambique.

Namibia: In Namibia, the geographic regions and environments often dictate weather patterns – desert regions can have hot and dry days with freezing nights. In the Northeastern part of the country, near the Caprivi Strip, the climate is more subtropical and more similar to Botswana’s Okavango Delta. The Northern and inland areas of Namibia see short rains falling between October and December, with the main rainfall hitting between January and April. May, June, July and August are considered ideal for travel with the lowest amounts of rainfall and daytime temperatures around 70F.

Zimbabwe: The cool, dry season runs from May to October and is similar to a Mediterranean summer with sunny and warm days and cooler nights - perfect for game viewing and enjoying the evening campfire! In higher elevations on the plateau, you could experience freezing temperatures and frost on the coldest nights. The Zambezi Valley has a more extreme climate with hotter temperatures and higher humidity. Most of Zimbabwe's rainfall is experienced in tropical-like afternoon downpours, complete with electric thunderstorms, from April to November.

Photos courtesy of Lyndsay Harshman, Zach Lipp, The Fazendin Portfolio and Wilderness Safaris.

Kilimanjaro Glaciers Disappearing - Climb to see them now!

As CNN reports, the glaciers atop Africa's famous Mt. Kilimanjaro are disappearing at an alarming rate - many predictions indicate that the glaciers will have completely melted in the next two decades. Now is the time to see the glaciers on Africa's highest peak before they are gone.

Read up on everything you need to know about climbing Kili with Africa Adventure Consultants. Kent Redding, president of Africa Adventure Consultants, has reached the summit several times and was most recently on Kilimanjaro this May when he battled the elements and was reminded of the mountain's power.

With shorter 6-day private trekking options on the Rongai, Umbwe and Machame routes, trekkers can easily add a safari to their climb. Our longer 8-day summit via the Lemosho Western Breach Route adds valuable acclimatization time. For those trekkers looking to join an affordable small group departure, we have weekly treks on the Rongai route that offer an excellent value and the highest of safety standards.