It’s been a busy week here at African Portfolio, we’re about to announce our “Savor South Africa contest” and thought we’d give you a sneak preview. As many of you know South Africa not only offers some of the best game viewing on the continent, but has of late become one of the greatest (and most affordable) destinations for food and wine lovers from around the world. We would love to share this side of South Africa with you.

All you have to do to win this fabulous safari is to enter our contest with a line or two. Call up your inner Hemingway, Bogart or even Bono, and write the opening lines for your tasty adventure. Make it fun, make it snazzy, make it pop, and we’ll create the rest of your story for you and a companion – a gourmet safari adventure you will never forget.

All the rules for the contest are here. You can submit simple words, a video, or even sing the lines you’ve penned. They simply need to persuade us that you’d be thrilled to sip wine, watch lions and sample lots of gourmet food. Now that can’t be too hard …

Check this blog in the upcoming months for a little inspiration. We’ll be featuring South African recipes, food facts, top 10 restaurant lists and much more.

Happy New Year everyone, we look forward to an epic(urean) 2010.

As much as we love our traditions, we’ve sadly discovered that it’s impossible to throw Boerewors on the braai in sub-zero temperatures. We’re spending Christmas near our office in Connecticut. Guess we’ll just have to go with lamb in the oven and warm ourselves up with a little cup of Amarula Coffee Surprise. This is a delicious Amarula based cocktail we’ve come to love (maybe a little too much). We tried it out a few weeks ago at the First Light Festival in Old Greenwich, and discovered that Americans love Amarula too.

Amarula is made from the fruit of the Marula tree and a dash of cream. Elephants love to eat the Marula fruit, and rumor has it they get drunk as it ferments in their bellies. We’ve also discovered that the Marula tree is fantastic to sleep in… very versatile tree this.

The Amarula Coffee Surprise Recipe:

• 4 shots of espresso (or 4 cups strong filter coffee)
• 60 ml (that’s 2 shots) Amarula Liquor
• 50 ml whipped cream

In keeping with our passion for food and drink hailing from South Africa, we’ve recently launched some delicious new trips. Be the first to savor them (we recommend you pack some loose fitting clothes):

1. Savor South Africa – Afficionado – A 9 day traveling feast in Cape Town and the Winelands region followed by a first class safari in Tintswalo/Manyeleti… more details
2. Savor South Africa – Connoisseur – the perfect 9 day trip for a bon vivant who loves food, wine and breathtaking scenery. This very luxurious 9 day trip includes the Cape Winelands, Cape Town and an unbeatable safari in Sabi Sands… more details
3. Savor South Africa – Epicure – for those who enjoy excellent food and wine as well as a dash of wildlife on the side, this 7 day trip takes you from Tintswalo to the Cape… more details.

We wish you all the best this holiday season!

If you’re thinking about visiting Egypt, it’s quite likely that you’re considering a cruise up the Nile as part of your itinerary. Sailing up the Nile used to be the only way visitors could get to see some of the amazing temples and tombs along the river banks. These days you can hop on a plane to Luxor or Abu Simbel, but the romantic idea of a cruise is still alive and well. A Nile cruise also gives you an unfettered glimpse into rural Egyptian life, that has changed little over the course of Egypt’s long history.

On a luxury Nile cruise you’ll enjoy great food, air-conditioned cabins, a plunge pool, and highly educated guides well versed in Egyptology. You really need a good guide because after you’ve stopped at 3 or 4 sights along the way (including Esna, Edfu, and Kom Ombo) you will be getting your Gods confused.

It’s this feeling of being “templed out” that led us at African Portfolio to consider offering one of our Egypt tours without the cruise. We call it — Essential Egypt.

What, no cruise? Opting out of the Nile cruise, especially on a vacation that will last less than 10 days, makes sense to us. You still get the opportunity to sail on the Nile, but for an evening on a traditional felucca, not for half your trip on a luxury boat. The extra time (in our opinion) is better spent with a visit to Abu Simbel, Aswan and a few extra days in Luxor. These sights are the most impressive in Egypt, and the more time you have to truly understand their history, the more meaningful your whole Egyptian vacation becomes.

Of course, we’ll customize any trip to Egypt for you, so don’t hesitate to contact us, and we do have a wonderful Egyptian tour that includes a cruise.

While our first love will always be the classic African safari, this past year we’ve engaged in an affair with Morocco. The heart flutters started with our initial wanderings into the imperial cities of Fes, Meknes and Marrakech. These royal cities have long enthralled travelers seeking a little mystical adventure. We were hooked from the very first alley we got lost in. Every city has its charm, but you really do feel like you’re in medieval times when you wander around the souks and watch craftsmen work much like they did hundreds of year ago.

We could bore you with the details of our affair and chit chat about the food, the architecture, the people, the desert and the mountains. But for today, we’d like to open the door and welcome you inside a little gem we found in the heart of the Fes medina.

Riad Fes Sitting Area

Morocco has been blessed with a trend to convert older homes, traditionally owned by rich merchants and nobility, into exquisite boutique hotels. The Riad Fes is one of our favorites. It’s a lovely family-run hotel built around a central courtyard garden with a fountain. The Riad has been furnished in traditional style with its own hammam (Moroccan sauna) as well as a few modern touches on the rooftop terrace including a swimming pool and gym. The rooftop restaurant offers wonderful views of the medina below where you can enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner. The Riad actually has 3 restaurants, all serving excellent traditional Moroccan cuisine.

One of the joys of staying in a Riad is the intimacy they offer and personalized service. The Riad Fes has four rooms and 13 suites. All are lavishly decorated, each room is totally unique. We’re quite sure that the four-poster bed and private terrace overlooking the garden was what kick started our affair and put it into full gear.

More About: Riad Fes l Morocco’s Imperial Cities l The Essence of Morocco

Going on safari is one of the best decisions you’ll ever make. It isn’t the cheapest vacation around, but it’ll be worth every penny. We think a luxury safari ultimately gives you better value for money than a budget safari. And here’s why:

Quality Guides and Trackers — Guides and trackers can make or break your safari experience, they are the ones who will be able to locate the animals you wish to see. This is especially important since reserves and parks cover a vast territory and rare animals like rhino require a lot of knowledge to successfully track down. It’s also important to have a guide that can communicate his knowledge well. The bush contains many wonders that the untrained eye will miss. Spotting rare birds, insects, medicinal plants and trees, animal spores — quality guides will make every safari drive an exciting adventure, regardless of whether you see the Big 5 or not.

Safari Vehicle — You want to be able to spot wildlife and take a quick photo without climbing over your fellow passengers or having to wait your turn for a glimpse of the lion kill. Luxury safaris will ensure your safari vehicle is uncrowded and every seat will have a window or open view.

Nourishment — When you’re up at the crack of dawn and you’ve seen sights you’ve previously only dreamed about, you really work up an appetite. Meals are important and there’s usually plenty of them when you’re on safari. The quantity of food is rarely a problem but the quality can differ greatly. And enjoying a good glass of wine while watching the sun go down is simply heavenly.

Beds — Since you’re up early, a good night’s sleep is crucial to enjoying your safari. The drives are often bumpy and dusty and the mid-afternoon break is perfect for a nap. A comfortable bed in a tent, on a sleeping platform, or in a luxury lodge is well worth it.

Location, location, location — Luxury safaris get prime locations in national parks and offer access to private reserves. This translates into a unique safari experience with fewer crowds and better amenities. In private reserves you can go on night drives and get off the main road to get much closer to grazing giraffe or napping lions.

Tip: The price of a luxury safari will usually include full board, game drives, park entrance fees and quality guides. When you shop around, make sure these are all included in the price because they can add a significant amount to your total safari cost.

More Great Safari Tips from African Portfolio