Luxury African Travel

Many people in the US would love to travel to Africa for a luxury African safari adventure. Because the North American continent is along way from Africa, most will never book the trip of a lifetime. The experience of Africa should not be missed if at all possible. There is so much to see and do and people can do it all by taking a luxury African safari.

There are several companies that have luxury African safaris in many different countries like Botswana, Kenya, and Namibia. Also included in this category are South Africa, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe.

One of the things that make a safari an African luxury safari is the different choices available for lodging. One great place to lodge is at Kichwa Tempo tented lodge that lies in the Masai Mara. With views looking out over the plains while being pampered in high end tents full of only the best and surrounded with things all Africa.

Another place to visit and stay is in the area of South Africa. A person will want to visit places like Okavango Delta and Victoria falls. Another place to visit is the Etosha National Park. All of these places are world class sights that offer all that luxury money can buy.

Luxury African Safari In East Africa

If the area of eastern Africa is what people want to see then book a luxury African safari to see places like Masai Mara and the Serengeti. While visiting this area of east Africa a great place to stay in the luxurious Mnemba Island lodge. First class accommodations on the island resort with Zanzibarian flair are filled throughout with luxury living while on a luxury African safari.

People can explore the beaches and the jungle area while living better than most people do at home. Africa is truly one of the last great places in the world.

Lastly, taking a luxury African safari will most likely be one of the highlights in a person's life. With plenty of pictures to take and luxury living, going back home and sharing with friends will bring back the wonderful trip in ones memory. Also, the traveler may want to warn friends that they have enough pictures to last for a long weekend and to be prepared for a long visit.

Taking this ultimate trip will not only stay with the person but it might also push others to take a similar trip in the near future. A luxury African safari may not always be available as people continue to need more space and the land and animals become more stressed with the loss of habitat. Now is the perfect time to take a luxury African safari.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
Luxury African Travel

Child-friendly safari's are few and far between. There are not many safari reserves in South Africa where families can enjoy an up-market, luxurious African Safari exprience. An exception is the the Kalahari Desert. The Desert invites children and parents to enjoy a safari experience where parents can relax while their children play freely in these mystical surroundings.

A recent survey by American Express's Platinum division found that over 90 percent of its affluent cardholders prefer to travel with their children. This new breed of worldly traveleraged 15 and youngeris accustomed to fine food and designer labels, just like their parents.

While an African Safari vacation appeals to many international travelers, the up-market traveler yearns for a Safari experience that can offer a family a safari vacation that is an embodiment of luxurious comfort and personalized service. This up-market traveler is enticed by resorts that can offer superb quality; that offer assurance of the finest settings and top-quality vacation experiences.

To establish this level of extravagance and lavishness is often easily attainable and there are an abundance of resorts to choose from throughout South Africa. The more demanding challenge however is to discover a luxury safari resort that is also child-friendly.

Unfortunately there are many exclusive and luxurious South African Safari resorts that do not welcome children. When children are permitted to visit the reserves, they often forget how important it is to cater for children. They may not have kid's menus and their idea of accommodating children often means that they sleep on the corner couch. Safari resorts that claim to be kid friendly should go out of their way to create an environment in which the children are entertained and where they can feel welcome and at home.

Another essential consideration when planning an African family safari vacation is to ensure that the game reserve is in a malaria-free area and where there is no need to worry about preventative malaria medication for the parents or the little ones.

Family vacations will never be the same after visiting the Kalahari Desert. Released from the cooped up confines of urban environments, boys and girls will relish in the delight of open spaces of the African bush; sliding down the red sand dunes, coming into contact with wild animals on the game drives or on horseback safaris, and being able to meet their friends from Meerkat Manor in real life. And while the children enjoy these new South African Safari experiences, parents are free to relax, knowing that their children are safe, cared for and entertained - while they can kick back and enjoy a truly carefree vacation, maybe do a little stargazing together at night and take a stroll along the Milky Way. With the night-time air so clear and so black in the middle of the Kalahari Desert, stargazing is a truly special and unique bonding experience.

The Kalahari Reserve is also renowned as an excellent place for bird watching with more than 200 species of birds some of them indigenous to the arid zone, found in the varying habitats of the reserve. Raptors and in particular, vultures, are very well represented. The most abundant species are the white-backed vulture and the lappet-faced vulture.

Source: http://www.articlesbase.com
Luxury African Travel

You may not notice it at first. At the airport, you will look at the mountains before you, and the strange plants around you and tell yourself this is ethereal: so soft, shadows arranging themselves to present subtle depths. It’s the light, you see. To an African like me, used to a sun above, this sunlight coming from strange angles seems so beautiful.I take for granted the stark simplicity of image the sun in East Africa provides me, and wonder when tourists ‘ohh’ and ‘ahhh’ when they encounter this crispness

You may not notice it at first. At the airport, you will look at the mountains before you, and the strange plants around you and tell yourself this is ethereal: so soft, shadows arranging themselves to present subtle depths. It’s the light, you see.

To an African like me, used to a sun above, this sunlight coming from strange angles seems so beautiful.I take for granted the stark simplicity of image the sun in East Africa provides me, and wonder when tourists ‘ohh’ and ‘ahhh’ when they encounter this crispness.

Wherever you come from, you will feel a twinge when you drive past the vast cities of shacks on your way to town. You will notice that there is no grass, or vegetable there – only thousands of flowers – yellow, blue and red plastic bags that litter this landscape. Then, quicky the Third World called Langa will fly past you and you will enter the Southern suburbs of the city. Unless you are well travelled and used to such things, you will gape.

The contrast:

A city vast to everywhere you can see, and all of it arranged, and tidied, and pampered, and paved, and designed for you to enjoy, and thrive. With Parks, and Malls, and pavements and Street lights everywhere, and theatres, and stadiums and pretty paved spaces designed for nothing but people to stand around and look cool.

Cape Town is probably the only city in Africa that embraces fully all the cliches associated with that loaded word: civilisation. People are friendly to a fault, things work, and the city is old enough to have developed a very strong and original identity. It is often described by travellers as genteel, or European.

If you spend enough time here, if you get used to the vision of Table Mountain – that flat-topped slab of rock a thousand metres high; if you get used to driving past Cliffs, and sunsets where the ocean turns into molten gold; after you have become jaded with the endless gourmet restaurants – which serve food cheaper than their equivalents anywhere in Europe; after your palate is bored with red wine that flows down your throat like a blessing, red wine that will cost you $2 a bottle; after this, there are some questions you might start to ask.

Part of why I travel is romantic – to be somewhere new – looking at people I do not know, seeing views I have never seen. It is impossible to travel to a beautiful place and be a realist from day one. You are overwhelmed by contrast and colour. By exotic things: an accent, the shape of people’s eyes, even how different their phone-booths look.

But – the other reason I travel is to get perspective - how can I know myself, where I come from without being somewhere else?

As an East African, to do this successfully in Cape Town there are some painful realities to face. For this city, liberal, and friendly is the real story of Apartheid. The rest of the country was too newly settled for raw feelings to go away, for the anger to be forgotten.

Here, Aparthied worked, and in a sense it is still working in the subtle friendly way Cape Town presents. Here is the only province where the National Party has a power base; this is the city with the worst managed and most desperate townships in South Africa.

This is the city that black high income professionals dread to be posted to, “There’s nowhere to go where there are black people,” they say. Most black people – mostly Xhosa in Cape Town live up to an hour’s drive away in large townships like langa, Gugulethu and Khaelithsha.

Now there is a strange and ignored reality to this city – I guess in the same way that Mombasa is a Swahili city, Cape Town is a Coloured city. Coloured being one of those name political correctness has failed to replace. Coloured covers a whole Nation of people: descendants of the original tribes of Cape Town; descendants of Indian and Malay slaves who were brought here; descendants of black people who migrated South looking for work and needed a permit and got one by being classified coloured; descendants of the first Angolan, West African slaves; descendants of the first (black or mixed race) Boers who lived and owned property here, and lost it when the British introduced informal aparthied. There are Afrikaans speaking coloureds, English speaking coloureds, and Xhosa speaking coloureds. There are black coloureds, blonde coloureds, moslem coloureds, cross-dressing coloureds, catholic coloureds – coloureds who miss aparthied, when the blacks knew their place; coloureds who died fighting it.

Source: Travel Intellegence
Luxury African Travel

Self Drive & Fly In Tours Introduction

If properly organised, a self-drive holiday is one of the most enjoyable ways to visit the Southern African subcontinent as it gives you all the structure and confidence of an organised tour as well as the flexibility and privacy of holidaying in your own vehicle.

The concept is simple: we create an itinerary with you, taking into account the time of your visit, your ports of entry and departure, your interests and your special requests.  We then pre-book your accommodation and reserve a vehicle, with mobile phone if required, for you to use during your stay. On arrival at the airport you will then be met by our representative who will hand you your travel documents, help you to collect your hired car and answer any questions you might have, before leaving you to enjoy your holiday safe in the knowledge that should you have any problems or questions we are only a phone call away.

Vehicles:  Having Europcar as our primary partner means that we can supply you with anything from a no frills small car to an 8 seater microbus or a fully equipped 4x4.  With your car you will also receive a booklet with practical information for motoring in South Africa, including a detailed map, a mobile phone (if required) and the peace of mind that comes with the well known Europcar back-up network and service.

Licence Requirements:  A valid, unendorsed driver's licence, in English, is required for car hire.  Whilst driving you are required to have your driver's licence in your possession at all times.  Minimum age limit is 21 years.

Driving:  In South Africa we drive on the left, major roads are tarred and are usually of a hight quality.  However some smaller, minor roads may be dirt roads and in poor condition.  Care should be taken, especially in the wet.  Major towns and attractions are well signaled with sign posts in English.  Seat belts are obligatory by law and are an important safety feature; they should be worn at all times.  It is advisable to lock your car doors when travelling and to keep windows closed in urban areas.  When long distances need to be covered, drive during day light hours, sticking to well travelled roads where possible.

Fly In: 
Where local conditions dictate, or for those with limited available time, we substitute air transfers for the hired car, in many cases a private plane for your exclusive use.  This allows you to reach areas otherwise inaccessible by car and gives you a very different view of the African countryside below.  Our fly-in holidays are ideally suited to travel in Namibia and Botswana where distances can be great and the terrain difficult.  However it is also a time efficient way of travelling in South Africa where many lodges and game reserves have their own private airstrips. 

Sample Itineraries:
Southern Africa is a subcontinent filled with endless holiday possibilities and so we have designed the following selection of sample itineraries to showcase some of the potential highlights of your proposed holiday. 

Source: Luxury African Travel