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Posts Tagged ‘Safari’

A Place to Watch Flamingos by the Millions

December 20th, 2009 by admin

Flamingos at Lake Nakuru - by donpf1 on Flickr

You may have heard of this place, or at least seen clips from it on TV; where thousands of thousands, sometimes millions, of bright pink flamingos gather in a great spectacle on one single lake. Does it sound familiar? Well, what you have seen on TV is not special effects, it is a real place with real birds and you can go there to see it. The place to go is Lake Nakuru in the Great Rift Valley, Kenya.

Flamingos at Lake Nakuru - by donpf1 on Flickr

Lake Nakuru is conveniently located close to the Masai Mara which makes it a popular destination for safari tourists. And watching flamingos is essentially the only thing you do at this destination. It might not sound like the most thrilling activity, but when the number of birds exceeds a million, sometimes two million, it suddenly becomes more exhilarating! The sight can only be described as unbelievable, when the blue lake seems to disappear under a massive layer of hungry, pink flamingos. And soon after you might see the sky turn pink, as the entire flock of birds decides to take off at the same time.

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Seasons in the Kruger Park – When and Where to Go

November 16th, 2009 by admin

Kruger Scenery Summer The Kruger Park in South Africa has two main seasons; a dry winter from April – October, and a wet summer from November – March. So what is the best time to travel to Kruger? The park is known as an all-year destination, but the different seasons will have a definite impact on your safari. So when you are planning your safari, you should keep two things in mind: What season will you be traveling, and which part of the Kruger Park will be the best for that season? In this post I will try to help you with this part of your safari planning!

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New Dinosaur Found in South Africa – Time for Dinosaur Safaris?

November 12th, 2009 by admin

A new dinosaur species has been discovered in South Africa (well, new isn’t very accurate, it’s about 200 000 000 years old). I’m not a dinosaur person, and I won’t go in too much technical details about this discovery, but I will share my immediate thoughts.

They claim it is a missing link, though, by they I mean the media. Scientists don’t like to use that term, unless they’re looking for PR. But the scientists do say that it is an important discovery to further understand the transition from small-ish two-legged dinosaurs to massive four legged monsters like this guy:

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Need Your Tips: Self Drive Safari in Okavango & Chobe

November 4th, 2009 by Hakon Kavli

Okavango Delta The past few days I have been thinking about what would be the perfect one week itinerary for a self drive in the Okavango, Chobe and Vic Falls region. The reason I have been thinking about this is, naturally, that I intend to do it. In March next year, my family will come down to South Africa, and I want to take them out on a little African adventure. The problem is that we only have one week to see everything! – A common problem in the travel world..

So this is where you come in! Do you have any tips for us??

Any places we must see in Chobe or Okavango? Safari camps, routes, etc?

Any good rental companies where we can find a reliable 4×4? (It should be based in Livingstone or Maun).

I will keep updating this post with all good tips that come in (either from twitter, email or comments on this post). And if you have a website or twitter, please let me know and I will credit your tips with your links.

Thank you very much!!

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Okavango Delta – A Crystal Clear Oasis in the Kalahari Desert

November 3rd, 2009 by admin

The Okavango Delta looks like a natural wonder as the crystal clear water comes streaming into the Kalahari Desert and creates a lively oasis of wildlife and plants once a year. After a long and dry summer in the desert, the Okavango River will be completely drained by the end of February. But come March, and the rainwater that fell in Angola a month earlier will have made it’s way down to Botswana and the Okavango Delta. From March till June the Okavango River will increase in size and eventually it forms the largest inland delta in the world!

Okavango Delta

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Self Drive Safari Tips

October 6th, 2009 by admin

Self drive safaris is a very popular way for travelers to see the wildlife in Africa. And personally I think it is the most fun way too. But I am inclined to attribute that to my still fairly young age. I have the impression that younger travelers prefer the adventurous spirit of self drives, while the more mature and settled traveler will lean towards a guided safari with a driver that knows what he’s doing. Though, I do apologize to all of my senior readers who were offended by my stereotyped categorizing.

So let’s forget about the stereotypes and rather start discussing some advice and essential questions about self drive safaris;

What to bring on a self drive safari?
What to know before I go on a self drive safari?

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Photo Diary: Self Drive Safari in Etosha, Namibia

September 8th, 2009 by Hakon Kavli

One of my favorite travel moments from Africa was a self drive safari in Etosha National Park in Namibia with my girlfriend, Eleyce. At that time we had been traveling around Southern Africa in “public” overstuffed minibuses for several weeks, so we decided that we deserved our own car for the safari. I still remember the fat smiles on our faces as we sat down in our rented Toyota Yaris. Not exactly a Land Rover like most of the other tourists, but to us the Yaris was a highly appreciated luxury!

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The Truth About Crime and Safety for Travel in Africa

August 13th, 2009 by admin

There are a few things to consider when choosing the destination for your summer vacation. Safety is one of them. And surprisingly, safety seems to be a greatly subjective topic. Everybody agrees that the Grand Canyon is stunning (include me, and I haven’t even been there), or that Norway’s fjords are beautiful. But if you ask a person if travel in Africa is safe, you will get a lot of different answers. A racist old Afrikaaner in Jo’burg might say that it’s a hell hole. The identical guy in Texas would agree. But ask a backpacker who has hitchhiked through ten countries in Africa all alone, and he might say it’s as safe as his own home town in Canada. Personally I would avoid giving a clear answer to the question, but stupidly I have already claimed in the headline that I am in possession of the truth. So now that you have already started reading, I will tell you what I really meant; “Here is what I personally think is the truth about crime and safety for travelers in Africa”.

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Africa’s Best Luxury Lodges and Resorts

August 4th, 2009 by admin

Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve & Retreat

In the latest August issue of Travel and Leisure Magazine, they revealed the results from their 14th annual World’s Best Awards. And Africa is apparently the king of the world when it comes to luxury resorts and lodges! In the category “Top 100 Hotels Overall” eight out of the top 15 hotels were African resorts! In this post I will show you more of the amazing luxury that makes Bushman’s Kloof in South Africa the #1 World’s Best Hotel, according to the readers of Travel+Leisure.

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Posts Tagged ‘Safari’

A Place to Watch Flamingos by the Millions

Seasons in the Kruger Park – When and Where to Go

New Dinosaur Found in South Africa – Time for Dinosaur Safaris?

Need Your Tips: Self Drive Safari in Okavango & Chobe

Okavango Delta – A Crystal Clear Oasis in the Kalahari Desert

Self Drive Safari Tips

Photo Diary: Self Drive Safari in Etosha, Namibia

The Truth About Crime and Safety for Travel in Africa

Africa’s Best Luxury Lodges and Resorts