Safari Newsletter Dated August 16, 2019
Dear Vacations To Go Customer,
In this newsletter, I'll tell you about Africa's best safari reserves
for observing wildlife. There are several distinct regions that
offer varying landscapes and specific game-viewing opportunities, as
well as unique experiences that aren't related to the animals. Click any
link to see a list of itineraries that visit that destination.
Follow the Great Migration.
Tanzania
and
Kenya
offer unparalleled wildlife viewing during the
Great Migration,
the annual movement of nearly 2 million animals (mostly wildebeest and
zebras) between Serengeti National Park and the Masai Mara National
Reserve. Many safaris visit both of these countries.
The 5,700-square-mile
Serengeti National Park
in Tanzania is perhaps the world's most famous game reserve. It's one of
the best places on the continent to view prides of lions. Look for
leopards in acacia trees and cheetahs and spotted hyenas on the plains.
For a unique perspective, consider an unforgettable hot-air balloon
flight over the Serengeti as the sun rises.
Kenya's
Masai Mara National Reserve
offers some of the best opportunities to see the "Big Five" -- lions,
leopards, buffalo, elephants and rhinos. Other creatures to seek include
hippos, Grant's gazelles and topis (a type of antelope).
See Africa's "Garden of Eden." This is the name given to the
amazing
Ngorongoro Crater,
a caldera in Tanzania formed by the collapse of an ancient volcano. It
is home to a dense wildlife population. More than 25,000 large animals
live within its 100 square miles of desert, grasslands, forests, lakes
and streams, and safari guests descend nearly 2,000 feet into the crater
to see them.
Go where the flamingos flock. In Kenya, thousands of these
long-legged pink birds gather at the shores of
Lake Nakuru,
where they feed on algae. This also is an ideal spot for viewing
cormorants and hornbills, and it has a small population of black
rhinos.
Explore South Africa's first national park. Established in
northeastern
South Africa
in 1898,
Kruger National Park
is one of the largest wildlife reserves in Africa, with a rich abundance
of animals, plant life and natural scenery, as well as archaeological
findings.
Don't forget the marine wildlife. Two oceans meet at Cape Point
Peninsula, south of the city of
Cape Town
in South Africa. The mingling warm and cool waters support a diverse
cast of marine life including whales and fur seals. Many South Africa
itineraries include a stop at the penguin colony of Boulders Beach.
View brilliant birds. Rose-hued carmine bee eaters, green-fronted
Meyer's parrots and black-and-white trumpeter hornbills are among the
species to watch for in
Lower Zambezi National Park,
a top preserve in
Zambia
that's known for its rich birdlife. To the north is another favorite
park that's often featured on Zambia itineraries,
South Luangwa National Park,
with about 400 bird species like marabou storks, goliath herons and
steppe eagles.
Marvel at "the smoke that thunders."
Victoria Falls
at the Zambia border often is incorporated into southern Africa safaris.
It's the world's largest waterfall, based on height and width of the
water sheet during the rainy period. During the peak of flooding, the
spray from the falls rises high above the gorge and is visible from
about 30 miles away, hence the original name, Mosi-oa-Tunya, or
"the smoke that thunders." Near the falls, visitors can spot a variety
of wildlife. The best game viewing is during the dry season from June to
October.
Visit remote preserves.
Botswana
is nearly the size of Texas but has only about 2.2 million residents.
Its game preserves are so vast and isolated that one must fly bush
planes to and between them. The
Moremi Game Reserve
boasts an incredible predator population of lions, hyenas, leopards,
cheetahs and wild dogs.
Chobe National Park
houses an enormous elephant herd. Meanwhile, the
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
is the second-largest preserve in the world, where you can spot elands,
giraffes and ostriches.
Track black rhinos. In
Namibia,
safari itineraries visit
Etosha National Park,
which is home to endangered black rhinos that gather at watering holes.
Etosha also is a popular spot for nocturnal wildlife viewing. Namibia
safaris also may travel to the southern end of the country to explore
Fish River Canyon,
bested in size only by the Grand Canyon. Hot springs on the canyon's
floor form pools that attract waterbirds like Egyptian geese, olive
thrushes and black storks. Mountain zebras, jackals and leopards also
reside here.
Meet mountain gorillas. In
Rwanda,
see the rare mountain gorillas studied by zoologist Dian Fossey. Most
Rwanda safaris center on
Volcanoes National Park,
where visitors follow trackers through the thick forests to locate
families of these magnificent creatures, and then spend an hour
observing them.
You also can come face-to-face with gorillas in
Uganda,
in
Bwindi Impenetrable National Park.
Chimpanzees and other primate species thrive in the evergreen forests of
Kibale National Park.
Uganda's most-visited preserve is
Queen Elizabeth National Park,
with nearly 100 mammal species and more than 600 bird species. Safari
travelers often board a boat for a cruise along the Kazinga Channel to
spot Nile crocodiles, hippos and elephants.
Top 10 Africa vacations
1)
Wonders of Kenya,
9 days with Trafalgar. Begins and ends in Nairobi. Save 5%.
Starting at $3,175. Departures from January 12 through December 20,
2020.
2)
Nairobi to Zanzibar Adventure,
10 days with G Adventures. Begins in Nairobi and ends in Stone Town.
Save 25%. Starting at $1,449. Departures from August 30 through
November 22, 2019.
3)
Best of South Africa,
9 days with Cosmos. Begins in Johannesburg and ends in Cape Town.
Save $100 per couple. Starting at $1,999. Departures from January
18 through November 28, 2020.
4)
Botswana Highlights,
9 days with Intrepid. Begins and ends in Victoria Falls. Starting at
$2,945. Departures from September 11, 2019 through December 30,
2020.
5)
Tanzania Private Safari,
8 days with Monograms. Begins and ends in Arusha. Starting at $4,119.
Daily departures from January 1 through December 29, 2020.
6)
The Plains of Africa Kenya Wildlife Safari (Explorations),
14 days with Collette. Begins and ends in Nairobi. Starting at $4,871.
Departures from May 14, 2020 through April 22, 2021.
7)
South Africa: Wine & Wildlife,
10 days with SITA Tours. Begins in Cape Town and ends in Johannesburg.
Starting at $5,800. Daily departures from September 12 through December
19, 2019.
8)
Tanzania: Serengeti to Zanzibar,
10 days with Tauck. Begins in Arusha and ends in Zanzibar. Starting at
$6,990. Departures from February 10 through December 21, 2020.
9)
Spectacular South Africa,
9 days with Luxury Gold. Begins in Cape Town and ends in Kruger National
Park. Save 10%. Starting at $7,352. Departures from January 17
through November 30, 2020.
10)
Kenya & Tanzania Highlights,
11 days with SITA Tours. Begins in Nairobi and ends in Arusha. Starting
at $7,245. Daily departures from September 10 through December 31, 2019.
Customers in the US and Canada can call us toll-free at 800-291-3346.
For a list of our other toll-free numbers worldwide, click
here.
For the world's best selection of deeply discounted cruises, click
here.
For river cruises along famed waterways, click
here.
For escorted tours to destinations worldwide, click
here.
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Bahamas and Europe, click
here.
Please e-mail me your comments, suggestions and questions at
alanfox@africasafari.com and
I will respond the same day.
If you enjoy our newsletter, please forward this email to family and
friends.
Sincerely,
Alan Fox
Executive Chairman
Vacations To Go
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