Posts Tagged ‘African Safari’

Why Zanzibar Island Is More Successful Than Mainland Tanzania

Monday, December 12th, 2011

The first thoughts that come to mind when thinking of Zanzibar are of pristine white beaches with the warm Indian Ocean lapping onto the shore. Zanzibar, also known as the Spice Island is home to some of the most amazing fish and dive sites anywhere in the world.

As a tourist on the island you get the sense that the people on the Tanzanian mainland need to take a leaf out of the islander’s book. Residents on Zanzibar know how to treat tourists, they know how to market a destination and they know how to market their resort. If your heading to Africa on a Namibia safari chances are you will get an English speaking guide, which is all you could ask for on a trip like this. Zanzibar not only attracts English speakers but also Spanish, German, Italian, Russian and many more. Due to the nature of the tourists diversity many street vendors, shop keepers and tour operators speak a range of languages to cater for their guests.

If you sign up to climb Kilimanjaro in Tanzania you may get lucky and find yourself with a multilingual guide but a lot of the time regrettably they are only able to speak English which inadvertently leads to tourists heading to other destinations where there are people who speak a variety of different languages. The chances of you getting a multilingual guide on a Zambia safari however is highly unlikely and this is why Zanzibar is much more successful in attracting tourists.

Mr Hamid Abubakar believes that people in Zanzibar are a lot more warming towards tourists saying “I establish a good relationship with all my guests, and as a result each year I get visitors from Europe and other places who are directed by guests who have stayed here.” Hoteliers and resort managers believe if more people on the mainland can be more active in the promotion of their products and attractions they too will achieve the success Zanzibar is currently having.

Kenya Travel Hints - Weather, Visas & Time Difference

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Kenya is located on Africa’s Eastern coast and straddles the equator. By continental standards Kenya is a medium sized country which covers an areas of 586,600km sq. Kenya is bordered by Somalia and the Indian Ocean to the east, Ethiopia to the north, Sudan to the northwest, Uganda to the west and Tanzania to the south. The Kenyan coastline is 550km long and is home to both the largest port in East Africa and Kenya’s second largest city, Mombasa. Kenya has tremendous topographical diversity, including glaciated mountains with snow-capped peaks, the Rift Valley with its scarps and volcanoes, ancient granitic hills, flat desert landscapes and coral reefs and islets.

Kenya is home to the African safari and has been for a very long time. The phrase ’safari’ comes from the Swahili language and translates to ‘travel’ in English. Roughly 160,000 tourists from the UK visit Kenya every year with a majority of 65% opting to go on Kenya safaris. Tourism is a big earner in Kenya with 65% of the GDP accounting for it.

Weather

Countrywide the hottest months are from December to March. The coastal regions are tropical with very high humidity through April and May but are cooled by the monsoon winds. The lowlands are hot but mainly dry, while the highlands are more temperate with four seasons. Nairobi has a very pleasant climate throughout the year due to its altitude but near Lake Victoria, the temperatures are much higher and rainfall can be heavy.

Visas

Visas are required for nationals of most countries including the Canada and UK. These can be obtained upon arrival at major border posts including the airport, land crossings and seaports. Visas are $50US for a maximum stay of 90 days and visa extensions can be obtained at official immigration offices in Nairobi & Mombasa. If you are combining your trip with a Tanzania safari it is most likely that your tour guide will sort your visa out for you.

Time Difference

Kenya runs on East African Time (EAT) which is +3 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Kenya doesn’t have any daylights saving time so in the BST (British Summer Time) Kenya is only +2 hours ahead. BST runs from 27th March to 30th October 2011 and 25th March to 28th October 2012.

3 Steps To Planning A Trip To Africa

Wednesday, December 7th, 2011

Before travelling to Africa it’s vitally important that you take into consideration a wide variety of aspects before you travel. Africa is most certainly not a continent you want to end up in without prior planning. Your planning should start from the moment you begin to book your holiday and continue until you reach Africa. We have listed a number of steps below for you to take into consideration when in the midst of planning your trip.

1) Visa & Passport Information

Whether you are travelling on a Botswana safari or South African safari you will most certainly need to ensure you are aware of the entry requirements for the country. Many African countries require all tourists to purchase a visa in order to enter the country which are usually valid for around 3 months. Visas can usually be purchased at border crossings including airports, land and sea borders. It is advisable however that you purchase your visa prior to arrival in the country to save any hassle and potential problems. You must also ensure that your passport has at least 6 months left on it once you depart from the country. If you need a new passport then it’s important to get one in advance as they can sometimes take several weeks or so to process…and you don’t want to be left stranded at the airport without a passport.

2) Flights

When travelling on your African safari it’s crucial that you book the correct flight and try and get the best deal for your money. Once you have booked your accommodation and safari trip it’s a good idea to get straight onto booking your flights. Booking up flights in advance is a great idea as you can usually pick them up quite cheaply, the same applies with making bookings on late flights. One tip would be to try and avoid peak season bookings as airfares can increase by around 40%-50%.

3) Medical Information

When heading out anywhere in the world whether you are climbing Kilimanjaro or trekking into the rainforests of Uganda, it’s important to check out if you need any vaccinations before you go. For most of Africa, especially equatorial Africa you will need malaria tablets and of course various vaccinations including typhoid, cholera and rabies if you are likely to be around animals on a day to day basis. Although not as prevalent these days, Yellow fever is another vaccination that is highly recommended as some countries still require you to show them your health card to prove that you’ve had the vaccination.

The above just covers three aspects of your trip and there is plenty more to consider including your own personal safety and how to finance yourself when you’re away, safely and sensibly.

African Safari Holidays- The Mystery Awaiting You

Saturday, November 26th, 2011

If you are arrangement for safari holidays, then the kernel division is to elect to choose the most appropriate destination. There may be jungles at lot of safari holidays venues, but safari holidays fancy journeying to the solid forests that require been enigma by their own. The denseness of the jungles need terrify you, but the excitement want use you step up big on your passion level. Africa is outstanding through the planet for the thick jungles that assure up a greater duty of the continent. So, why don’t you policy up for an African safari? The richness as well as the massive array of sources can be well south africa holidays well versed in this share of the earth. This propel continent is well well known for one reason- Jungle! However, there are several tournament reserves available, which can be utilized via families feeling journeying and expeditions. Wildlife trips, adventurous touring, campfire sessions, etc. are implies of delight for people and trekker from unique regions of the earth. Often, audacious couples like to take safari honeymoon journeys. The love developing sessions at tents sited within the dense jungle is a dissimilar design. The adventure issue will be much more than the habitual bed and housing approach. The closeness becomes much more and hence the honeymoon nights are invested by means of huge erotic behaviors by means of elevated intensity. This is obviously something that shouldn’t be given a neglect. However, you can elect ample of thrill trips through the spirit of the jungle. The rediscovering sitting of jungles can be fun as well as electrifying. And then there is the LION! Won’t you fond come across the king of jungle and its relatives walking and roaring while african safari journeying in closed jeeps!

induce wandering to the thick forests that need been enigma by the use of their own. The denseness of the jungles want terrify you, but the thrill require manufacture you make your presence felt big on your passion

South Africa Safari Vacations - Drive Via Rustic Jungles

Friday, September 2nd, 2011

these days, the concept of safari holidays has become quite in style as bulk of the world travellers prefer to safari holidays spend a number of days by getting closer to the natural era and they challenge to payout their vacation in the deep and direct jungles of the African continent. There are few nations in the continent that provide give these tourists the notable possibility to revel in their safari holidays in the forests of South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana.

Safari holidays are not intend the other vacations. You produce the high and exhilaration in such trips and get the south africa holidays risk to encounter with various of the wildest animals alive on this planet. South Africa Holidays will bring you the odds to consume several days and nights in the kingdom of lions and the lions too will welcome the guests by roaring loud. Such air travels to the jungles are really pleasurable and thrilling. The foliage and the wildlife are the most important attractions of South Africa Holidays. The closest manner to make a start your expedition is to stop with the world popular Kruger nationwide parkland which is measured as the Eden of lions. The lands put forward you to survey numerous of the wildest african safari portions of the jungle. The good ingredient of this lands is that there are vast schedules of somewhere to live. You can go to see the forest cottages and invest the night with the noise of frenzied animals and insects. for the nearly everyone part of the travellers select packaged tours where they earn the threat to roam around the intact park in jeep or any SUV.

associates who come here for the premier age should opt for reasonably priced safari holidays where they can try the packaged trips through the forest with guidebooks. There are choices for camp out and biking within the savannah. There are myriad journey bureaus who concoct and systematize such tours throughout the year. Try to payout in discrete category when you are on safari holidays so that you can prefer back adequate memories to appreciate. exact thinking and coordination with the vacation operators can take care forest holiday effective. The guidebooks will pick you to all the venues of interests within the core city and also try to do the people comfy by guiding them to produce the glimpse of not often seen leopard obtaining a deer. boost through the whole forest district and smell the taste of freshness and see numerous of the unique observes can get you awestruck.