It's amazing how a person's adventurous spirit gets a wake up call by simply watching a Tarzan re-run.
"Hey," I thought. "I'm due for a holiday. I've always wanted to visit Africa. What about an African Safari?" What about it indeed!
So I rang my local travel centre and posed the question..."What do you have in the way of African Safaris?" The chirpy voice on the other end of the line immediately responded. "Sir, you've certainly come to the right place. What type of safari are you interested in?"
Pausing for a moment just a little confused by her question I replied. "Err…an African Safari. Is there a choice?"
"Oh Yes," the response came back. "Do you want to rough it or do you want to stay in five star accommodations? Are you after a Flying Safari, Group, Guided or Honeymoon Safari? What about a Family Safari? Or if you've got time to burn you could look at an Overland Safari."
This girl really knew her stuff. Did she what! But I was left just a little confused. "I just want to go on an African Safari," I responded after another long pause. "Lions, elephants, giraffes and thick jungle. I want to see Africa just like it's portrayed in Tarzan."
Again there was a slight pause. "I can't believe I just said that," thinking out loud. "This girl must think I'm two bricks short of a house." Then quick as a flash I spruiked..."Something the kids will remember!"
"Oh, you want information on the Family Safari. Great choice!"
"Yes, that's it. A Family Safari. Do you have brochures?"
"Sure sir. Just pop in at your earliest convenience and ask for Sara. I'll have all the information you need."
So there it was. Ten minutes ago I thought going on safari in Africa meant suiting up in Jungle Jim gear and carrying a rifle. How naive. There is a variable smorgasbord of holidays available. I was recommended to consider the private family safari. Reason being; not only do you get a private use vehicle but your very own guides. How neat! The good thing about this type of safari is you can travel at your own pace and there are plenty of great camps to choose from along the way. Now all I've got to decide is in which location I'm heading.
African Safaris come in all shapes and sizes. You could decide on a private or group Mobile Tented Camp Safari. These are a great way to get close to the natural wildlife. Well, close being the most sensible and safest distance from any harm.
There are
Flying Safaris
- so called because you're first flown to your destination reserve and then chauffeured to your designated camp site in true.African cross country style. Then there is the private safari which suits those of us who aren't comfortable with crowds. These are excellent simply because you can tailor your own itinerary.
Those among you who like being around people and making new friends will look at a Group Safari. Despite being more punctual and where time deadlines play a part, these are great because of their cost effectiveness.
And the list goes on... Oh, did I mention Self-Drive Safaris. These are only recommended in countries such as South Africa because of its first class road systems.
The type of adventure you want is only limited by your imagination. Just check with your local travel agent for the best options.
| ©2006 Dean Caporella. All rights reserved. |
One of the most popular ports of call for Caribbean cruise ships
is St. Thomas, one of the U.S. Virgin Islands. On the three
Caribbean cruises that I took so far, two of them included a
stopover in St. Thomas. On both occasions, there was a consensus
among other passengers we met that St. Thomas was one of the
nicer islands visited. Although the driving in St. Thomas is on
the left hand side, it is still U.S. territory so this Caribbean
island features many other conveniences of being American soil.
These included easy telephone connections for calls back to the
mainland, the use of U.S. currency and English
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Ooops. Oh those engineers. When they reconstructed the Congress Avenue Bridge in Austin, Texas in 1980, they inadvertently created a unique ECO-TOURISM DESTINATION, and an experience not available many places in the world. The bridge was evidently the perfect roosting place for bats and now houses the largest urban bat colony in North America. Yes, not only does Texas have the Alamo, it's very batty! The largest bat colony in the world is also near San Antonio (about 60 miles from Austin).
Who knew?
A huge colony roosts under this bridge in downtown Austin, and when they egress of a summer night
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Whilst much of England and Wales has been battered by torrential rains causing wave upon wave of flooding, Scotland - not normally renowned for great weather - has completely escaped the severe downpours and has been enjoying a notably drier summer than its Southern counterparts.
Each year between July and September, Edinburgh plays host to the largest arts festival in the world, drawing crowds from all over the world to indulge in an eclectic collection of culture, music, films, books and comedy on show across various venues within the city. Commonly referred to as the Edinburgh Festival, the event is
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One can get a taste of old Europe right in North America when
visiting Québec City in Canada. Québec City is the capital of the
province of Québec. It can be easily reached by a short flight
from points in the northeastern United States and eastern Canada.
It is a three hour drive from Montreal. The high season is the
summer when visitors from all over the world visit. Recently, the
number of tourists from the United States and Europe has
increased dramatically. This may be partly due to the fact that
even some cruise ships originating from eastern US ports are now
including Québec City as a port
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Costa Rica is a small country - just 75 mi/120 km separates the Pacific Ocean from the Caribbean Sea at the narrowest spot - Costa Rica still has some of the most diverse scenery in the world. Its coasts have both sandy beaches and marshy swamps, while its interior is dotted with volcanoes, dense with rain forests and abundant with unusual flora.
When you are planning your Costa Rica vacation, make sure to visit destinations like Monteverde Cloud Forest, Corcovado National Park, Tortuguero National Park or Manuel Antonio National Park. In addition, you will enjoy in your Costa Rica vacation, a
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