Walking Safaris in the Footsteps Of Famous Explorers

Designated a UNESCO World heritage Site in 1982, the Selous game reserve in Tanzania has a very diverse wildlife and virtually undisturbed nature. Named after Englishman Sir Frederick Selous, the reserve is one of the largest faunal reserves of the world. So picture this: A walking safari in a reserve area that spans 54,600 km² (21,081 square miles) and has a history of famous explorers, hunters and conservationists dating as far back as 1879. Wouldn’t that be extraordinary? Well, this article will aim to shed some light on some of the best walking safari opportunities Tanzania has to offer.

Sir Frederick Selous died at Beho Beho, a territory in the Selous, in 1917 while fighting against the Germans during World War I. Keith Johnston, a Scottish explorer, died in Beho Beho in 1879 leading a RSGS expedition to the Great Lakes of Africa with Joseph Thomson. Walking can be great fun, and when you know you’re stepping into an African wilderness steeped in history, even more so. A walking safari in this part of the world is the perfect escape from the modern world -- with its vehicles for transportation -- to the old way of getting around, as did the explorers, on foot.  Imagine reliving the experiences of some of the world’s greatest explorers. I’m sure you will agree, just the thought of it is so tempting. Walking gets you closer to nature, in fact. You’ll get to see places you wouldn’t see from a vehicle; watch animals at close range without them even being aware of your presence. And by night you’ll take refuge in a fly-camp; enjoy hot bucket showers; and hot homemade meals around a camp fire. The adventure can be thrilling.  

And don’t you worry about the mosquitoes, sleeping units are equipped with mosquito nets; and for your walkabouts, there’s always the repellent creams and sprays to help keep them at bay. The best time to go on a walking safari in the Selous is from June to October. The rest of the year is unbearably hot and uncomfortable to walk.

In Summary: There are more ways than one to enjoy a safari in Tanzania. Walking is one full-of-adventure way of taking in the deepest African wilderness, where vehicles have absolutely no access, and natural habitat is so close you can touch it. Unlike the minibus tours that are, sadly, commonplace in the tourist circuit, walking safaris do away with the vehicles to take you deeper into the wilderness. In Tanzania’s southern circuit Selous, where great explorers, hunters and conservationists set foot as far back as 1879 before us, is undoubtedly an idyllic location to experience Africa in its most natural. Travel to the Selous begins in Dar es salaam and heads south. You’ll have the option to fly there in light aircraft, or travel by road or by train. For more information on what’s on offer and where to stay en-route to your walking expedition when you get there, make sure you consult your tour operator and make advance bookings as early as possible, bearing in mind that the best time to go on a walking safari in the Selous is from June to October. The rest of the year is unbearably hot and uncomfortable to walk.

About the Author: Anthony J. Namata publishes TravelWriter Africa blog and is an Internet marketing consultant to travel and tour operators. To book a walking safari in Tanzania, contact Arusha based tour operator Abrojelay Africa Ajabu.

Overlooked Honeymoon Destinations

With the royal wedding just gone and many a celebrity wedding come and gone, the one phrase that has somewhat become a conversation piece with weddings of late is ‘safari honeymoon’. Somewhere down the line it always gets a mention. There’s something about the adventure and tranquility of the wilderness that conjures up images of a vacation nothing less than idyllic. In this article, we will explore the safari honeymoon in a tropical paradise setting ideal for celebrating newlyweds.  

Imagine a candlelit dinner for two on a riverbank at sunset; or rose petals leading from the game-drive vehicle to your room on your return from a private bush dinner. Add to that the sounds and scents of the wilderness and the starlit African sky, and you have a recipe for romance that brings you not only closer to nature, but also has a way of bringing newlyweds closer to one-another. 

After weeks of wedding planning and perhaps a long-haul flight, the last thing you want to do is get up at 5am to go on a game drive. It would be so much more relaxing to take a couple of days off on the beach, or at a lodge that isn’t a safari destination, to get over the jetlag and the exhaustion brought on by the wedding. This is where you get to unwind for a few days before moving on to a busier schedule with touring. Your choice of accommodation henceforth could range from the lodges, to the tented camps and hotels. It would be ideal, however, to find accommodation that caters for small groups of people, say up to 20 people at a time. And then of course, when planning your trip, let your tour operator know what you want to see. Be specific…so they can tailor something suitable to your needs and budget. It is your honeymoon after all. Get the best you can out of it!

Tanzania has the best of both worlds. You’ll get the beach, sun and sand all you want, and a trip into the wilderness in the northern or southern circuit of this beautiful country. In the north you’ll get to enjoy game viewing around the slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro, home to the Serengeti, Lake Manyara, Ngorongoro Crater, Olduvai Gorge and Tarangire national parks.

Tanzania’s southern circuit’s Selous is Africa's largest unexploited game reserve. And then there’s Ruaha National Park whose Elephant sanctuary is the largest in Tanzania. If you want to view wildlife off the beaten path, ask your tour operator to give you the lowdown on Tanzania’s southern circuit and what it has to offer the honeymooner in search of a quiet yet exciting location to relax and unwind.

In Summary: A safari honeymoon has had its share of mentions in recent years, what with the royal wedding of Prince William to Kate Middleton, and discussions and rumors of similar bent that have surfaced with a host of other celebrities, the idea of a honeymoon in the wilderness is getting all the more appealing to many. That said, to arrange a memorable safari honeymoon requires good planning. Great and diverse safari holiday destinations abound, but what makes all the difference is when you plan according to your needs. You may come up with your own ideas, it’s up to you, or perhaps work with what’s already available, but whatever you do, make sure you get a couple of days rest before you move on to a more hectic schedule. After the wedding, the last thing you want to experience is a fast paced vacation from the outset, without giving yourselves time to catch your breath. At the end of your tour, it is recommended that you take another couple of days off to recover before heading home. Tanzania offers the best of both worlds. The sea, sun and exotic world famous game reserves in both the north and south of the country.  So if you want a memorable safari honeymoon, consider Tanzania for sun, sea, beach and the wilderness.

About the Author: Anthony J. Namata publishes Travel Writer Africa blog and is an Internet marketing consultant to travel and tour operators. To plan your honeymoon safari in Tanzania, consult Arusha based tour operator Abrojelay Africa.

Discover the Amazing Advantages of Going on a Luxurious Mobile Tented Safari

What I particularly like about mobile tented camps is that they are seasonal and can be removed during the rainy season or relocated to where the game is. Permanent structures in the bush have their advantages but a tented camp kind of brings you closer to nature. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to view game on foot and horseback from around your camp site? This article will discuss the numerous options and advantages of going on a tented safari in the African bush. 

A tented safari doesn’t mean you have to resort to propping up your own tent in the wilderness and cook for yourself; it can be a lot more exciting than that...a lot more luxurious in fact, IF you let the professionals take care of the mundane chores whilst you sit back and enjoy the wilderness, wildlife, and the night sky as you camp around a fire grilling some delicious game meat. I’m going to assume that you want a break, right? Now let’s take a look at what you can expect to experience. 

Mobile tented safaris allow you to immerse yourself in the wild, away from other tourists, away from the bright lights (typical with lodges) that deny you views of the African night sky. Not to mention, the annoying sound of generators that – in addition to providing power, pollute and sour the atmosphere. Permanent camps serve their purpose, but a mobile tent is by far more liberating in that, you can follow the game; you can find idyllic locations you may want to spend time in and camp there; it opens up a world of opportunities for an exhilarating African safari adventure. All laced with the amenities of large walk-in tents with comfortable beds, a tent to dine in, and a crew of people to take care of your 3 course dinners; serving your cold drinks; ensuring you get a hot shower and that you are comfortable. With a mobile safari camp not only do you enjoy privacy, you have the flexibility to plan the route you take, and perhaps most importantly, seeing the wildlife on your own terms. It also allows you to plan and schedule your own game drives with your guide. When you choose to leave camp, be it at dawn and returning by dusk, or you decide to stay in bed and then have a lazy breakfast and watch what happens from camp, is entirely up to you. 

In summary: Safari camps in permanent structures are great and serve their purpose, but if you’d like to get closer to the wilderness and away from the roaring generators and the bright lights that deny you the sounds and scents of the wilderness and a clear view of the African night sky, consider a mobile camping safari. Having to prop up your own tent and to take care of all the mundane, yet essential, chores to keep you fed, bathed and tracking down where the action is can be a deterrent, agreed, but it doesn’t have to be that way. The tented safari experience has moved on to cater to the more discerning clientele who want to experience a bit of rough and still enjoy a bit of luxury. So the next time you’re considering an Africa safari, ask your tour operator to provide you with further information on mobile camping safaris.

About the Author: Anthony J. Namata publishes Travel Writer Africa blog and is an Internet marketing consultant to travel and tour operators. To book a mobile tented safari in Tanzania, contact Arusha based tour operator Abrojelay Africa.

How to Plan a Safari Holiday around the East African Safari Rally

When I was a little boy growing up in East Africa, I used to follow the East African Safari Rally with a lot of interest and enthusiasm. I remember back then I wouldn’t miss it for the world! Now if you’re a rally enthusiast and want to enjoy the best of both worlds—an exciting safari rally and a fabulous safari holiday—organizers of the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally have unveiled their night stops schedule for this year’s competition that will run from November 18 to 29. This article will explore the safari holiday options along the safari rally route winding through the game parks and tourist resorts in both Kenya and Tanzania. So, if like me, you are a safari rally enthusiast, this article can help you get started with planning your trip.

The rally kicks off from the Sarova Whitesands Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya. Mombasa, an island separated from the mainland by two creeks, Port Reitz in the south and Tudor Creek in the north, is a coastal town steeped in history and the center of coastal tourism with some of the most fabulous beaches and marine life on the East African coast. If a holiday on the beach is what you desire, Mombasa would be an ideal place to enjoy your vacation and watch the rally start early on the morning of November 20. On that very day, the rally will finish deep inside Amboseli National Park at the Kilima Safari Camp…clearly, another location you may want to be at when rally drivers arrive. You can’t be at both places on the same day without having to join the race, so you’re going to have to choose: either you camp out in the Amboseli National Park to see them arrive and then enjoy a spot of game viewing when they’ve departed; OR see them as they take off in Mombasa. I like to see the cars in a more roughened-up state, in which case I would go for the latter.

On the second day the rally heads to Tanzania where the roads on this event are the toughest, and breaks at the Mount Meru Hotel in Arusha where the crew will spend November 21^st and 22^nd and then rally under the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro before re-entering Kenya. Your choice of safari holiday therefore, spans two East African countries from the Kenyan coast to the game reserves in both countries. 

Arusha, a city in northern Tanzania, is surrounded by some of the most famous landscapes and national parks in Africa. Situated below Mount Meru the city has its own National Park on Mount Meru and is close to the famous Serengeti national park, Ngorongoro Crater, Lake Manyara, Olduvai Gorge, Tarangire National Park, and Mount Kilimanjaro. When it comes to what to do and where to go, you will be spoilt for choice. My advice is you consult a tour operator on available options according to your budget and interests, and then please don’t forget to make your reservations early.

In Summary: With the Kenya Airways East African Safari Classic Rally dates and routing now out, there’s no better time than now to plan a safari holiday that’ll see you soak up the Mombasa sun; swim and snorkel in the Indian ocean; and view game in some of the most exotic locations in both Kenya and Tanzania. If you love fast cars AND the safari rally, this is the time to plan a safari holiday of a lifetime. Just make sure you consult a tour operator on all available options, and try to stay updated on the safari event so you can plan your trip around it. 

About the Author: Anthony J. Namata publishes Travel Writer Africa blog and is an Internet marketing consultant to travel and tour operators. To book a safari in Tanzania, contact Arusha based tour operator Abrojelay Africa.