Are the late-winter blues getting you down? Nothing like an Africa beach getaway to chase those blues away! Here are three of our top-recommended beach holidays to get you into the sun - get ready to wiggle those toes in the sand, snorkel and dive clear waters and eat fresh seafood!
Our Romantic Zanzibar Holiday isn't just for honeymooners! This is the perfect add-on to any safari in East Africa - or add a few days and hop over to Zanzibar for a week or more in the sun! The Spice Island of Zanzibar is the perfect place to unwind after an East African safari. On this 5-day beach holiday, spend your days snorkeling, strolling the white sand beaches or cruising in a dhow all based from the deluxe Matemwe Bungalows. Optional day trips to Stone Town and spice tours are available, as well. The intimate Matemwe Bungalows is the ideal retreat for travelers looking for privacy and excellent accommodations and cuisine.
Mozambique is known for its beautiful beaches - wild and untouched. Add a relaxing beach vacation to any Southern Africa safari or fly into Johannesburg (South African Airways is offering amazing round-trip fares right now) and jet out to the Bazaruto Archipelago for a few days in the sun on our Mozambique Beach Holiday. Rest, relax and explore Mozambique’s picturesque Bazaruto Archipelago based from deluxe or luxury beach lodges. Spend your days snorkeling, deep sea fishing, visiting villages and simply enjoying the sun and sand.
On our Malawi Surf & Turf enjoy the inland beaches of picturesque Lake Malawi. Add a little game viewing and you've got the perfect African escape! Be one of the few to discover the secrets of Malawi—“The Warm Heart of Africa.” On this week-long adventure tour in Malawi you’ll enjoy a wonderful combination of game viewing, beach and water activities, forgetting about the rest of the world in the process. Explore Liwonde National Park based from an intimate wilderness lodge and relax on the shores of Lake Malawi in a luxury waterfront bungalow.
Contact us for more information on these and other beach holidays in Africa 1-866-778-1089 or email info@adventuresinafrica.com.
Images courtesy Asilia Africa and Benguerra Lodge.
Vote for Us - Top Safari Outfitter in Travel + Leisure!
We've been nominated! Film has the Oscars, television has the Emmys and in the "travel world" we have the Travel + Leisure Top Operator/Safari Outfitter awards. We are pleased to announce that Africa Adventure Consultants has been nominated as one of Travel & Leisure Tour Operator/Safari Outfitter in the World for 2010. Just being nominated is a great honor, but we need your help and are asking you to show your support by completing Travel + Leisure's 2010 survey. Voting is taking place now and will end on March 31, 2010. The survey is quick and easy and by taking five minutes to do it, you will be automatically entered to win one of several prizes, including a $10,000 dream trip from Travel + Leisure. Thanks in advance for your participation!
Here's how to vote:
1. Click on the Travel & Leisure Survey Link. 2. Check either the subscriber or non-subscriber box (you can vote either way). 3. Answer a few short questions. 4. Choose the Tour Operator/Safaris button. 5. Click on Africa Adventure Consultants. 6. Rate us in 6 categories and then please add some additional comments in the comments box.
Thanks for taking the time to vote, and please call 866-778-1089 with questions or concerns.
Thanks again,
The Africa Adventure Consultants Team Kent Redding, Kelly McElroy, Lyndsay Harshman, Gretchen Healey and Susan Ely
We're pleased to bring you the latest game update from our partners at the Governors' Camps in Kenya's Masai Mara. March-May are typically warmer and wet, but still a lovely time to be in the Mara with fewer tourists, lush green grasses and some great game viewing with the help of an expert guide. We highly recommend this season for return safari-goers looking for a new experience.
Plan now for your summer safari to see the Great Migration and request a visit to one of the Governors' Camp properties on any custom itinerary to Kenya! Call us or email for more details on planning a custom safari to Kenya.
Read on for the latest game viewing sightings and complete updates from the Masai Mara direct from the Governors' Camp:
Governors' Camp Big Cat Update: Watch the Video!
Climate Report:
We received some good rain through the new-year and the first couple of weeks of January, a total of 64mm. The remainder of the month has been hot and dry, climbing up to 33 degrees celsius. The Mara River increased dramatically rising to half way up its banks, making life difficult for the crocodiles and hippos. For at least a week the Crocodiles spent their days on the top banks or in the forest whilst the hippos looked for eddies or the slowest running water.The grassland has been the perfect grazing height for most of the plains game, growing a little longer towards the end of the month. Once the grass becomes too long, most grazers will move nearer to the river line where the hippos keep it nicely mown. This is for two reasons, it is preferred by the selective grazers and they are able to spot predators moving over the short grass.
Wildlife Report:Elephants have been regular visitors this month. There have been large numbers of families moving through the Musiara Marsh eating the sedge and into the forest where they are browsing on the new growth of Teclea. Elephant bulls have been following up the herds, some in musth in search of oestrus females, but most taking advantage of the abundance of food. It has been great to see a couple of really large tuskers one of them weighing approximately 70-80lbs each.The three local bulls, namely "Curchill", "Blossom" and "Posom" have been back visiting the forest around Little Governors Camp.One large breeding herd of about 400 buffaloes have been moving slowly between the Musiara Marsh, the park gate and Rhino Ridge.
The rhinos have been seen fairly regularly from the balloon this month, most likely because there is more peace and quiet now that the wildebeest have left us. We have also had some wonderful in camp rhino sightings with the male spotted from the bar at Little Governors and the female and her now fairly large calf seen on the opposite side of the river bank at Ilmoran Camp.The Marsh Pride of lions are spending more time apart as the game becomes sparse and they need to cover more ground. Occasionally coming together if there is a kill or they have a need for social bonding.
The Paradise Pride are on good form, they too have to look further and longer for prey. They were very brave and fortunate to have killed a hippo towards the end of the month. The five young males and the rest of the pride were feeding from it for days. Notch was not around but all the cubs are doing well. Our small pride of two males, two females and two cubs are still down by the river in their limited territory in between the Marsh and Paradise prides. This pride still does not have a name, but they have plenty of character. The lions and cubs last seen were incredibly fat, whilst the lionesses were actually fairly thin. Either the ladies were doing all the work or the boys were doing none of it!
The young cheetah and her cub have been in the area, not venturing too far as the cub is still a little young and must be kept in hiding whilst it's mother hunts.Shakira and her two cubs are still on the Trans-Mara side of the river. Once the river has receded, she may come back over. It will be interesting to see whether her cubs will follow or become independent and go their own way at this stage.We have had a few sightings of another female cheetah traversing the boundary of the reserve and Maasai land.The three brother cheetahs were at the start of the month between Bila Shaka and the Talek River, but have moved off we think towards Keekarok on the Burrungat Plains. The longer grass will provide some good cover for the cheetah, but most of their prey will be moving onto the short grass and will be more concentrated, meaning more look-outs.
One of the female leopards along the riverline, who has become a bit more brazen, has allowed us some great sightings this month. Once she was with a kill, hiding in a small bush near the Marsh with lions on one side and hyena on the other. She seems not to be intimidated by baboons either and chooses rather to ignore them.Olive and her two cubs are still doing very well. She has moved into the Croton bushes along the River. Whilst the grass was short and green Serval Cats seemed to jump out at every turn, their camouflage not being as effective as when the grass is longer and yellow.
Altogether it has been a great month, with lots of wonderful wildlife sightings and we hope to share the magic of our corner of the Mara with you sometime soon!
An Africa Recipe for the Weekend - Zanzibar Fish Soup
Do something different this weekend and stay home Saturday night and prepare a traditional East African/Swahili fish stew from the Spice Island of Zanzibar. Zanzibar is actually the name of the group of Indian Ocean islands just east of Tanzania. Pemba and Unguja are the two main islands. Unguja is the largest island and is commonly referred to simply as Zanzibar. The island is 60 miles long and 20 miles wide and is known for its beautiful beaches, coral reefs, palm trees, Swahili-style seafood and cuisine, spices and the romantic atmosphere of historic Stone Town, which was recently declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Conversion calculator * 30ml olive oil * 15ml sesame oil * 5ml chili oil * 2 shallots, peeled and finely diced * 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed * 30ml fresh coriander stems, chopped * 5cm piece fresh root ginger, peeled and grated * 1 red chili, seeded and diced * 375ml dry white wine * 2 bay leaves * 2 strips dried orange peel * 500g crab claws * 1kg mussels, cleaned * 600ml water * 2ml saffron threads * 500g fresh fish, cubed * 8 spring onions, washed and sliced * 12 cherry tomatoes, peeled * Salt and ground black pepper
Heat the three oils in a large saucepan. Add the shallots, garlic, coriander stems, ginger and chili and cook until soft but not brown.
Add the white wine, bay leaves and orange peel and bring to the boil. Simmer for 10 minutes and add the crab. Cover the pan and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mussels and cook for a further 5 minutes until the shells open. Discard any mussels which stay closed. Remove the mussels and crab claws and set aside. Pass the cooking liquid through a fine sieve. Add water and saffron.
Bring the fish broth to a simmer and add the fish cubes. Cook for 2 minutes, then add the spring onions and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the cherry tomatoes, mussels and crab claws and cook until heated through. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Serve with lightly spiced cooked brown rice, sorghum wheat or millet if desired.
Recipe from: A Kitchen Safari Stories & Recipes from the African Wilderness by Dumi Ndlovu and Yvonne Short
Yes! There is still time to plan for a last-minute Spring Break getaway to Africa. Space is still available and we have family-friendly safaris to suit any family's interest. Even better, start planning now for your summer vacation adventure! Wildlife viewing in East and Southern Africa is excellent in June-August.
Kent is not only our resident family safari expert, but he is considered a family safari expert within the travel industry. Read more from a recent Q&A with Kent on the Family Travel Network on how to plan a family-friendly Safari.
Some things to keep in mind as you plan your family safari: 1) Watch the pace! Young kids usually do great on safari, especially if they have time to just be kids - run around, splash in the pool and play with other kids (fellow travelers and local kids alike!). Older kids also want down time to listen to their iPods by the pool or do some shopping for friends back home. Make time to sit back and relax on your trip! The kids will thank you for it and in the end, you'll be more relaxed, too.
2) Make sure camps and lodges are family-friendly. Does the camp offer a "family tent?" A swimming pool? Separate kids' activities? Some lodges even offer an early "kids dinner" separate from parents offering a more kid-friendly menu and allowing parents to spend some time alone. 3) Communicate with your safari planner and your guide. How do you want your day structured? What do you want to focus on - searching for the big cats or walking with the Maasai? Be sure the day has something for everyone in your family.
Our top family safari recommendations include:
Kenya Family Safari: This safari is ideal for families with younger kids and pre-teens. The luxury camps offer family tents and a junior guiding program keeps younger travelers entertained, too! Families can enjoy game drives together and village visits with the local Samburu tribes.
Tanzania Adventure Safari: A great adventure for families with teens who like to get out, be active and explore the world! Visit less-traveled spots in Tanzania and sleep in your own private camp in the midst of the Migration in the Serengeti!
Wild Zambia and Malawi Safari:The prefect escape for recent high school or college grads and their families! Walk through the wilds of Zambia and relax and snorkel your days away on Lake Malawi! This trip is over $400 off per person if booked by March 31, 2010 - a special offer only available through Africa Adventure Consultants.
For more information on planning your own customized family safari or booking one of our top safari recommendations, please call us at 1-866-778-1089 or email info@adventuresinafrica.com.
Photos by Kent Redding and courtesy of Les Listwa family (bottom right).
Many of our trade partners in Africa are going green! Sustainability has long been a mantra in Africa...there just wasn't any other option for survival. If you were a lodge or camp in the bush, you had a local village grow your veggies, you reused water wherever possible and you employed staff from surrounding communities. But now, green is being taken to the next level, especially in countries like South Africa, where green technology is developing quickly. At Africa Adventure Consultants, each of our travelers participates in our Travel Green program where we now offset 100% of all carbon emissions for every safari. We're pleased to report that some of our partners in Africa are doing what they can to be green and sustainable.
Pafuri Camp This camp situated in the most northern parts of the Kruger Park enjoys wonderful sunshine year-round. Taking full advantage of this, all guest units including the staff village, have solar geysers. Food waste is separated and removed from the reserve to an officially approved dump. Water Cooler to be installed to encourage guests to fill up their water bottles. Elephant monitoring and Rhino re-introduction projects on the go. Currently assessing other alternative energy options. Visit Pafuri Camp on our Southern Africa Deluxe Safari.
The Peech Hotel (Rosebank - Johannesburg) By renovating an existing structure and introducing eco-friendly solutions The Peech sets an example for other hotels and industries in South Africa: solar water heating; grey water recycling; energy-efficient lighting; double-layer insulation to reduce heat in summer and heat-loss in winter; ecological detergents and cleaning agents; organic herb & vegetable garden supplying ingredients for the bistro; recycling (cans, paper, glass & kitchen oil). You can add a night at the Peech on arrival in Johannesburg with most any safari in Southern Africa. Londolozi Game Reserve (Sabi Sands in Kruger region) Renowned for its pioneering work in conservation development, Londolozi has now introduced a fully functional prototype electric Land Rover which moves guests silently through the wilderness with a lower carbon footprint than the conventional game vehicle. It is charged by connecting it to a wall plug socket. The third phase of the project will be about further progression towards lighter, longer lasting, eco-friendly batteries and moving towards solar energy. Stay at Londolozi on our Grand Southern Africa Safari.
Are the late-winter blues getting you down? Nothing like an Africa beach getaway to chase those blues away! Here are three of our top-recommended beach holidays to get you into the sun - get ready to wiggle those toes in the sand, snorkel and dive clear waters and eat fresh seafood!
vailable, as well. The intimate Matemwe Bungalows is the ideal retreat for travelers looking for privacy and excellent accommodations and cuisine.
alawi Surf & Turf enjoy the inland beaches of picturesque Lake Malawi. Add a little game viewing and you've got the perfect African escape! Be one of the few to discover the secrets of Malawi—“The Warm Heart of Africa.” On this week-long adventure tour in Malawi you’ll enjoy a wonderful combination of game viewing, beach and water activities, forgetting about the rest of the world in the process. Explore Liwonde National Park based from an intimate wilderness lodge and relax on the shores of Lake Malawi in a luxury waterfront bungalow.
