African Safaris to Go
September 10th, 2009 by admin
Aside from the hoopla of an endangered koala, the thrill from an African safari remains one of the world’s great travel adventures. The thrill of discovering animals in the wild - the first time you come across a pride of lions or a herd of elephant - is one you will never forget.These days you can choose from Botswana, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi and Namibia for the classic safari. You can stay in four-star comfort in a luxury lodge, sleep in a tent with the sounds of Africa closing in about you, or rattle through the countryside in an overland truck. You can spend a fortune or do it on the cheap.
When to go
The Southern Hemisphere winter is the peak time for safaris and game viewing. Most safari companies run tours year-round, but summer can be unbearably hot and uncomfortable. The wettest months for southern Africa generally are November-February, while further north April and May are when the rains come.
Where to go
The Okavango Delta region of Botswana has arguably the most reliable game viewing in Africa. This vast wetlands area is a magnet for game, especially during the dry season when water is at a premium. Poaching also has been kept to a minimum. A bonus is that you can do some of your game viewing by mokoro, a canoe-like vessel that is poled through the shallow watercourses. You can reach abundant areas by mokoro and then do a game walk - travelling on foot through the African bush, with the sights and sounds of animals all around, is thrilling. The Moremi Wildlife Reserve, which is part of the Okavango region, has outstanding herds of elephant, while the Chobe National Park is renowned for its lion.
A visit to the Victoria Falls - a must on any African itinerary _ can be combined with game viewing in the Zambezi National Park. Another fine park in Zimbabwe is Hwange National Park. The savannah country of Kenya and Tanzania has those classic “Out of Africa” scenes of broad, flat expanses broken by the occasional, lonely tree. The Serengeti National Park or Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania and the Masai Mara Game Reserve or Amboseli National Park in Kenya will satisfy everyone.South Africa’s Kruger National Park has excellent varied game, but can be very crowded with weekend visitors from Johannesburg and Pretoria. The country’s many private game parks offer guaranteed animal viewing, at a substantial price.
How to get there
Qantas has two weekly flights to southern Africa: on Thursday, Perth- Harare-Johannesburg, and on Sunday Perth-Johannesburg. The Sunday flight leaves Perth at 1am, so a Saturday departure from Melbourne is required for connection. From Harare or Jo’burg, you can fly or travel overland into Africa. Air Botswana, Air Zimbabwe, Kenya Airways and South African Airways will be your most valuable aids if you are flying within Africa. Key departure centres for safaris are Maun (Botswana), Nairobi, Harare and Johannesburg.
Article courtesy of animal articles.