Archive for November, 2009

Fun Safari Facts

Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

africa facts african portfolio ostrich rider

Did You Know ….

  • You can learn how to ride an ostrich while visiting South Africa. If you’re really talented you can even become an ostrich jockey and race professionally. However, ostriches aren’t really the ideal safari vehicle, so some lodges now offer horseback and elephant back safaris for a smoother ride.
  • White rhinos and Black rhinos are both in fact various shades of grey, it’s their upper lips that distinguish the two species. White rhinos have a square upper lip, Black rhinos have pointy upper lips.
  • At Boulder Beach near Cape Town (South Africa), you’ll be shooing away penguins from your beach towel and if you’re lucky, get to swim alongside them. Bring a wetsuit, the water is pretty chilly in these parts.
  • The Himba of Namibia smear their skin with a mixture of rancid butter, ash and ochre to protect them from the harsh desert climate. The paste (Otjize) is often mixed with the aromatic resin of the Omuzumba shrub to make it a little more palatable.
  • Hippos can’t swim, they walk along along the bottom of rivers or lakes. Hippo’s are also Africa’s most dangerous animal and responsible for more human fatalities than any of the “Big 5″ (elephant, buffalo, leopard, lion and rhino).
  • You can cage dive with crocodiles and Great White sharks in South Africa.
  • Individual wildebeest can cover over 30,000 miles in their lifetime. Their annual migration route takes them in a continuous loop from the Serengeti in Tanzania’s to Kenya’s Masai Mara region.
  • The great Victorian explorer David Livingstone died trying to find the source of the Nile River in 1873. Today you can defy death by white-water rafting down the source of the great Nile River which is in the district of Jinja, (Lake Victoria) Uganda.
  • Mopane worms are a very popular food source in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, South Africa and Zimbabwe. The larvae of the Emperor Moth is eagerly harvested (the head is plucked off and the guts squeezed out), dried and sold throughout the region. You can buy cans of Mopane worms soaked in brine, in most local supermarkets. A great souvenir and cheaper than a 6 foot carved giraffe.
  • You can practice your bow and arrow hunting skills on a cultural safari with the Hadzabe tribe in Tanzania and the San Bushmen of Namibia and Botswana.

Come and enjoy an African Safari with us and experience these adventures yourself.

Posted in Explore Destinations | No Comments »

VillageReach ~ Tales From the Last Mile

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

Recently I read about the inspiring work that the team at Village Reach is doing and wanted to share their efforts with you.  VillageReach partners with governments, communities, and other organizations to provide innovative, efficient, and sustainable improvements to health systems in developing countries.

Across the globe, life at the last mile is similar. Located far from urban centers, last mile communities are characterized by poverty, lack of access to basic services, insufficient infrastructure, and limited economic opportunity.  Health care at the last mile is often inadequate and inaccessible.  Good health is an essential component of economic productivity, and provision of basic health care is imperative for support of productive communities.  Deficient transportation infrastructure means that medical services and commodities readily available in urban health centers only reach rural health centers on a sporadic and unreliable schedule.  Insufficient communication and technology systems limit vital communication between doctors and patients and prevent collection and recording of essential operations data needed to make informed rural health policy decisions.

These issues are particularly critical in Africa. Sub-Saharan Africa has 11 percent of the world’s population, bears 24 percent of the global burden of disease and has only 3 percent of the world’s total numbers of health workers according to the WHO.   Sizeable rural populations, low levels of economic development, and high rates of HIV/AIDS infection exacerbate the challenges of providing rural health care in Africa.

Read on to learn more about last mile communities in different regions and to hear tales from the last mile.

http://villagereach.net/challenges-at-the-last-mile/tales-from-the-last-mile/

Posted in What's Happening in Africa | No Comments »

Treehouses in Africa

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

As safari experts, we know there’s nothing that beats a night under the African stars with only a mosquito net between you and the Southern Cross. Staying in a treehouse in Africa is a unique experience. Many African treehouse lodges are luxurious chalets nestled in Baobab, Leadwood, Mahogany or Marula trees, and come complete with sunken baths, four poster beds and wildlife at your fingertips. Private decks provide a wonderful view of the forests and riverbeds at these gorgeous locations, and some allow you to roll out your bed for an evening under the stars. Waking up and staring into the eyes of a giraffe is surely something we all aspire to. Enjoy this selection of treehouse hotels in Africa and click on the headings for more information.

http://goafrica.about.com/od/africatraveltips/tp/treehouses.htm

Posted in Types of Safaris | 1 Comment »

A Day in the Life on Safari

Wednesday, November 11th, 2009

A typical day in the life of a safari includes getting up at the crack of dawn, eating your meals in the open air, getting excited about identifying animal dung, actually enjoying instant coffee, marvelling at the sheer enormity of the African elephant, and so much more.. .

What should you expect on an African Safari Trip with us?  Get detailed information about a typical day’s schedule on a luxury african safari.  http://www.onsafari.com/what_to_expect.php

Posted in What to Expect on Safari | No Comments »