Any traveler’s list of dream destinations is sure to include an African safari near the top. The stark landscape of the savanna, the regal silhouette of a pride of lions resting in the shadow of Kilimanjaro, these are the images of Africa that seem to live in the mind’s eye. Yet the landscapes of Africa are more varied than one might imagine, after all, it is a continent, with a continent’s worth of variety, of animal and bird species, of habitats and human populations. Real-life splendor is what a journey to Africa is all about, transforming the romance of the imagination into the romance of experience?
From the moment you touch down on African soil, the path to adventure rolls out before you. Your safari may bring you to the Okavango Delta, to Victoria Falls, or deep into the parklands of Kenya and Tanzania. When you travel in Africa you become your own Livingstone, your own Hemingway. You’re on your own expedition of discovery.
In Botswana, explore the avian Eden of the Okavango, a wetland region whose might river exhausts itself in the sands of the Kalahari Desert. Hundreds of bird species flock to Okavango marshlands, which may be explored via dugouts called mokoros or on guided island walks. Drier vistas await at Chobe National Park, along with such traditional wildlife as elephants, lions, and leopards.
The neighboring country of Zimbebwe has been called the adventure capital of Africa, where river and canyon create an arena of wonder. Hippos and crocodiles cruise the water of the Zambezi upstream from Victoria Falls. Small planes make “flight-seeing” trips over the falls, eagles and falcons soar above Aambezi National Park, and the percolating beat of the dance music known as jit heats up the capital city of Harare.
Kenya is a heart of the African dream. Its equatorial location places it in the center of the continent. This is the where the myth of the “big game hunter” was born, and perpetuated. While cameras have replaced weapons in the hands of its visitors, the quarry they shoot remains the species of legend, big cats, big game, and graceful herds.
Tanzania lays claim as Africa’s most diverse country. Its landscape verges on the supernatural. Compressed between the escarpments of the Great Rift Valley and flamingo-festooned shores of a soda lake, Lake Manyara National Park boasts blue monkeys and buffaloes, monitor lizards and tree-climbing lions. The drama of Ngorongoro Crater rests in a panorama seven miles wide and a million years old. As rich in culture as it is in wildlife, South Africa has quickly established itself as the premier destination for travelers seeking cosmopolitan diversions, sport, and natural spectacle. There’s surfing near Cape Town, skiing in the Drakensbergs, wildlife-watching in Kruger National Park. There’s even an intriguing national cuisine, complimented by a burgeoning wine industry attaining global renown.
Whatever your pleasure is for an ideal African safari, comfort, comprehensive itinerary, cultural perspectives, challenging terrain, James TravelPOINTS has the versatility of arranging the selected itinerary for your trip. James TravelPOINTS can recommend a 10-day fast-track getaway that focuses on three spectacular game reserves, Samburu in the north, private Sweetwater’s ranch, and the Masai Mara, harboring Kenya’s richest concentrations of wildlife. Evenings find you lounging at the Mount Kenya Safari Club, Samburu Lodge, Sweetwater’s Tented Camp, and the Mara Safari Club. Call us for details.
James TravelPOINTS 303 442-2340, www.travelpoints.com
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