Posts Tagged ‘africa’

A Greener African Safari?

March 17th, 2010

ConservancySafarisLion254658 2 1024x680 A Greener African Safari?

Planning an African safari trip?   Then you might be interested in the Conservancy Safaris Desert Lion Safari in Namibia with Dr. Philip Stander.

This 5 day/4 night safari follows Stander and his day-to-day work with the Desert Lion Conservation project.   The safari itinerary is “dictated by the lions and could take the form of searching remote and rugged areas or investigating a human/predator conflict situation.”

Stander trains local men to operate tracking equipment, which alerts them if the lions approach the village or livestock and protects the villagers and predators. The Desert Lion Safari is one of the limited edition Specialised Safaris available with Conservancy Safaris Namibia.

Says Conservancy Safaris Namibia:

“Unlike many safari experiences where the focus is on game viewing in parks and reserves, Conservancy Safaris gets under the skin of the North West Kunene region of Namibia, giving an insight into the day to day lives of the people who live here as well as exceptional wildlife encounters. Your hosts are the Himba and Herero people who face the daily threats cohabiting with wildlife entails.”

Experts say Namibia’s community-based natural resource management program is resulting in increasing game count numbers.  Reports show  the lion populations in the area have increased from approximately 30 in 1995 to 120 in 2009.

For more info, check out Conservancy Safaris Namibia.

Image courtesy of Conservancy Safaris Namibia

10 Cool Holidays You’ll Love

March 3rd, 2010

ItalianTouristBoardofUKSardinia 10 Cool Holidays Youll Love

Looking for the coolest holiday in the coolest place in 2010?

You might find it at UK ethical travel company responsibletravel.com which works with 300+ tour operators and 600 villas, lodges, B&Bs and small hotels.

Here are 10  cool  holidays:

1. Snorkeling & swimming holidays in Sardinia, Italy

2. Peru eco-lodge holiday in the Amazon rainforest

3. Portugal yurt holidays

4. Atlas, Sahara & Marrakech holiday

5. Vietnam Hill Tribe holiday

6. Yukon dog sledding holiday, Canada

7. Hiking the Inca Trail

8. Full Moon Festival & Shamanism, Nepal

9. Windsurfing holidays in Greece

10. Self-drive Cuba family holiday

For more holiday ideas, check out responsibletravel.com.

Image courtesy of Italian State Tourist Board

Living Like A Local In Cape Town

February 15th, 2010

CapeTownHomeAwayProperty 10329 - front balcony-2

Will you be going to the 2010 FIFA World Cup in Cape Town?   If you want to live like a local (and possibly greener), take a look at the wide range of Cape Town holiday homes available from  HomeAway Holiday-Rentals.

HomeAway Holiday-Rentals has 300+ properties in South Africa and 170+ holiday homes in Cape Town.  The holiday homes include:

  • Self-catering cottage set in a tranquil garden.
  • Peaceful, self-contained holiday house situated on the edge of the Constantia Valley.
  • Lovely house with pool and charming mountain views.
  • Beautiful spacious country house with stunning views of the Indian Ocean.

For more info, check out the HomeAway site.

Image courtesy of HomeAway Holiday-Rentals

New Global Voluntours For 2010

January 29th, 2010

PlaneterraNepal People Ghorepani kids 2 1024x768 New Global Voluntours For 2010

Voluntours worldwide are growing holiday options for green travelers.

Recently, global voluntourism specialist Planeterra announced 11 new 2010 projects and volunteer holidays in The Americas, Asia and Africa.

Founded in 2003 by Gap Adventures, Planeterra is a global non-profit organization dedicated to sustainable community development through travel.

Says Richard G. Edwards, Planeterra’s Director:

“More than ever, community development, environmental and wildlife conservation projects around the world need the support of active travelers who are willing to take the time to understand what is needed and how they can help. Our programs are designed with great care so that everyone genuinely benefits while having fun learning about each other’s cultures.”

» Read more: New Global Voluntours For 2010

Cycling Cairo to Cape Town

January 26th, 2010

TourAfriqueSunGathering at the start

Fancy cycling across Africa?   Then you might want to check out small, socially responsible bike tour company Tour d’Afrique.

The Toronto-based, bike tour company is named for its annual flagship tour that crosses the African continent from Cairo to Cape Town (7,500 miles in 120 days).

» Read more: Cycling Cairo to Cape Town

Gap Adventures’ Top 10 New Trips

November 23rd, 2009

GapAdventuresThailandSailing Gap Adventures Top 10 New Trips

Gap Adventures is increasing its worldwide offerings by 185 new trips in 2010.   The company is featuring dozens of new destinations, a new trip style and an expanded list of activity options.

Here are Gap’s Top 10 New Trips for 2o10:

1. Paris to Prague Adventure

2. Project Kenya and Safari

3. Budget Galapagos

4. Istanbul to Cairo Adventure

5. Thailand Sailing – Koh Phi Phi to Phuket

6. El Salvador Express

7. Mayan Encounter

8. Machu Picchu Adventure

9. Vic Falls to Zanzibar Overland

10. Sail Belize

For more trips, visit GapAdventures.com.

Is “Eco-pricing” A Travel Trend?

October 27th, 2009

NaturalHabitatAdventuresSL exbots 02 Is Eco pricing A Travel Trend?

Is “eco-pricing” a new travel trend?

Eco-tour provider Natural Habitat Adventures has announced new  “Eco-Pricing” with its local operators, hotels and transportation providers around the world.  They’re hoping to increase traveler visits through savings to sensitive habitats including U.S. grizzly territory, Mexico’s winter home for monarch butterflies, South America, India and Africa.

An exclusive Conservation Travel Provider to World Wildlife Fund, the award-winning company has been named a 2009 Best Adventure Travel Company by National Geographic Adventure and a 2009 World’s Best Tour Operator by Travel + Leisure.

Says Natural Habitat Adventures founder and director Ben Bressler:

“We’ve always been innovators in responsible tourism – from being the first U.S. tour company to go carbon neutral to creating the first hybrid safari vehicle – and we’re always looking for that next idea. It suddenly hit us that in tough economic times perhaps the biggest idea is the simplest: Lower prices mean more travel – which means more support for threatened places. You’ll see our Eco-pricing logo all over our catalog and website, and we’ve had a great response to those efforts. It’s not a discount for discount’s sake; it’s clearly tied to our broader environmental mission, and that deeper message seems to resonate with our guests.”

The company’s Eco-Pricing program offers savings on 25+ Natural Habitat Adventures’ small-group experiential nature expeditions.

For information, check out Natural Habitat Adventures online.

Image courtesy of Natural Habitat Adventures