Jetsettersblog

Acacia Africa cut the size of its groups on 10 of its trips to Uganda from maximum 24 to maximum 16 effective May 1. The operator said it made the change based on client feedback. The change applies to some of the operator’s gorilla and chimpanzee trekking programs.

According to Leanne Haigh, sales and marketing manager, “Less is more as cutting numbers by a third will make the chimp trekking experience smoother, allow additional time for travel in southwest Uganda and improve the overall feel of the tours. We are not aware of any other overland specialists offering a small group experience in Uganda so the change will be a key selling point for agents.”

Acacia is also removing game drives in the Queen Elizabeth National Park from its overland trips. “We will continue to visit the park but we will suspend further game drives pending guidance on from the authorities on permits and time allocated in the park,” said Haigh. “A plus for clients, this will enable us to enhance the quality of the experience and focus on the key activity in this location, chimp trekking.”

The changes will affect the following overland expeditions: the six-day Troop To The Gorillas (TTG6), the 14-day Gorilla Encounter (GEN14), the 28-day Game Parks and Gorillas (GAG28), the 18-day Mountain Gorillas To The Mara(MGM18), the 39-day Ultimate African Adventure (UAAV39), the 46-day Ultimate African Adventure (UAAJ46), the 58-day Ultimate African Overlander (UAO58), the 56-day Grand African Adventure (GAA56), the 36-day Rivers, Lakes and Mountains(RLM36) and the 44-day Rivers, Lakes and Mountains (RLM44). The changes will not apply to the GEN14 Aug. 3 departure.

Serena Hotels joined Africa Travel Association, the industry trade association promoting tourism to Africa. Serena joined as a corporate member. The hotel operates properties in Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Zanzibar/Tanzania and Uganda.

Serena is looking at Africa as a growing market, with a continually growing demand for more accommodation. The Serena Group includes 32 safari lodges, camps, hotels and resorts in East Africa and Southern Asia, with properties in Kenya, Tanzania, Zanzibar, Rwanda, Uganda and Mozambique.

The Africa Travel Association (ATA) was established in 1975 to encourage travel to Africa and to strengthen partnerships within Africa. It works with both the public and private sectors of the international travel and tourism industry. ATA membership includes African governments and tourism ministers, tourism bureaus and boards, airlines, cruise lines, hotels, resorts, front-line travel sellers and providers, tour operators and travel agents, and affiliate industries.

KAMPALA, Uganda (01/2013) – A four-night expedition to re-trace and document the African explorations of Sir Samuel Baker, one of the more courageous and colorful 19th century European adventurers, and his second wife, Florence, a Hungarian beauty who was a former slave, is being led by Julian Fisher and accompanied on the Uganda leg by Baker’s great-great-grandson, David Baker.

A widower and committed abolitionist, Baker attended a white slave auction in Bulgaria and rescued a beautiful blonde girl twenty years his junior, who was about to be sold into a Turkish harem. In 1864, Baker and Florence, after withstanding hunger, disease, and myriad deprivations and threats, arrived at the shores of a lake in what is now Uganda, and identified the place where the White Nile enters the lake. Baker christened the lake “Albert,” after England’s late Prince Regent. Then, upstream the couple discovered the mighty Murchison Falls, where the Nile flows through a 23-foot-wide cleft in the rocks to plunge 148 feet below, forming a spectacular rainbow. Baker named the falls in honor of the then president of the Royal Geographic Society, Sir Roderick Murchison.
Those enchanted by the romance and derring-do of Africa’s great explorers can follow in the footsteps of Samuel and Florence, who became notorious in Victorian England because they traveled as an unwed couple. After their incredible adventures, notoriety turned into fame: he for his discoveries, she for her resourcefulness (among other gifts, she was an expert seamstress, who made all their clothes) and together for their unconventional romance (they later married).

Premier Safaris, a specialist in adventure/luxury safaris in East Africa, is packaging a trip for those who want to follow Samuel’s and Florence’s journey to Lake Albert. It includes a boating safari on the Nile to Murchison Falls, game drives, and stays in Murchison Falls National Park at two luxury lodges: Chobe Safari Lodge and Paraa Safari Lodge. Located in a little-known section of the Park, Chobe boasts breathtaking, panoramic views of the River Nile, coupled with the sounds of its frothing rapids. Paraa, known as the “jewel of the Nile,” also offers delightful views of the river and its resident population of hippos and crocodiles.

Rates for the four-night safari are $1,975 per person sharing; single room supplement is $118. Rates are valid from 1 January 2013 – 31 December 2013. There is a minimum of two guests per departure.

Included in the rates are two nights at Chobe Safari Lodge and two nights at Paraa Safari Lodge, Murchinson Falls National Park, most meals, ground transportation in custom built safari vehicles with English speaking guides, all park fees (as specified in the program) and government taxes.

For reservations, email: GM@premiersafaris.com  or visit: www.premiersafaris.com

Contact: Dave Herbert, CTC
TEL: 800 409 7755
EMAIL: info@greatsafaris.com
WEB: www.greatsafaris.com

Luxury African safari operator and winner of 2012 National Geographic’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime, Great Safaris, is offering a 30 percent discount on Uganda Gorilla Permits.

The permits are valid in November 2012, or April and May of 2013, for $350 per person.

Great Safaris has also organized a full travel package for adventurers to take advantage of this great deal.

For $2389 per person, travelers can experience the “Pearl of Africa” on a 4-day adventure through Uganda’s dark green forests, in the shadow of eight blue volcanoes. Great Safaris’ guests will track and discover the mountain gorilla in its natural mountain habitat of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, venture out in quest of the golden monkey and have the opportunity to visit Dian Fossey’s gravesite.

In recent years, Uganda has become easier to navigate, especially for those with a limited number of vacation days, with the new scheduled flights.

If travelers are looking to go above and beyond Uganda, Great Safaris offers extensions to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania. Adventurers can top off their Africa experience with game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and nature walks in Murchison Falls National Park where the mighty Nile River is squeezed through a chasm, cascading into the lake below.

Great Safaris offers daily departures on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the itinerary is fully-commissionable for travel agents.

For more information on Great Safaris tours through Africa visit http://www.greatsafaris.com/list-of-african-safaris.php

About Great Safaris:

Great Safaris is a luxury African safari outfitter offering the convenience of a US booking office coupled with ten on-site offices in Africa, which are fully staffed by dedicated professionals. Destinations include Uganda, Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.

Great Safaris offers luxury programs to help adventure travelers explore Africa and create enriching life experiences. For more information please visit the Great Safaris’ website at www.greatsafaris.com

Great Safaris is a proud member of the United States Tour Operators Association, ASTA Tops, and ARC.

Great Safaris
Contact: Dave Herbert, CTC
TEL: 800 409 7755
EMAIL: info@greatsafaris.com
WEB: www.greatsafaris.com

GLENDALE, Cali.  – Luxury African safari operator and winner of 2012 National Geographic’s 50 Tours of a Lifetime, Great Safaris, is offering a 30 percent discount on Uganda Gorilla Permits. The permits are valid in November 2012, or April and May of 2013, for $350 per person.

Great Safaris has also organized a full travel package for adventurers to take advantage of this great deal. For $2389 per person, travelers can experience the “Pearl of Africa” on a 4-day adventure through Uganda’s dark green forests, in the shadow of eight blue volcanoes. Great Safaris’ guests will track and discover the mountain gorilla in its natural mountain habitat of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest, venture out in quest of the golden monkey and have the opportunity to visit Dian Fossey’s gravesite.

In recent years, Uganda has become easier to navigate, especially for those with a limited number of vacation days, with the new scheduled flights.

If travelers are looking to go above and beyond Uganda, Great Safaris offers extensions to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania.

Adventurers can top off their Africa experience with game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and nature walks in Murchison Falls National Park where the mighty Nile River is squeezed through a chasm, cascading into the lake below.

Great Safaris offers daily departures on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and the itinerary is fully-commissionable for travel agents. For more information on Great Safaris tours through Africa visit http://www.greatsafaris.com/list-of-african-safaris.php

About Great Safaris:

Great Safaris is a luxury African safari outfitter offering the convenience of a US booking office coupled with ten on-site offices in Africa, which are fully staffed by dedicated professionals. Destinations include Botswana, Egypt, Jordan, Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia, Rwanda, the Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Great Safaris offers luxury programs to help adventure travelers explore Africa and create enriching life experiences. For more information please visit the Great Safaris’ website at www.greatsafaris.com.

Great Safaris is a proud member of the United States Tour Operators Association, ASTA Tops, and ARC.

30% discount on Uganda gorilla permits

$2389 per person,
4 Day Land Itinerary with Gorilla Permit

Mountain Gorillas, Chimpanzees, Tree Climbing Lions… Indigenous Tribal Pygmies

Uganda is the “Pearl of Africa”.

Rich with abundant wildlife, dark green forests and 8 blue volcanoes – the landscape is breathtaking in this varied eco-system!

Track and discover the Mountain Gorilla in its natural mountain habitat of the Bwindi Impenetrable National Forest and visit with the indigenous natives of the forest, the Batwa Pygmies to learn of their skills and traditions.

This is the “experience of a lifetime, never to be forgotten”. Limited opportunity for Gorilla Permits $350 for November 2012, April & May 2013 only.*

Uganda has become easier to navigate, especially for those with a limited number of vacation days with the new scheduled flights.

Great Safaris offers Itineraries from 4 to 7 days in duration with extensions available to Rwanda, Kenya and Tanzania including Game Drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park and Nature Walks in Murchison Falls National Park where the mighty Nile River is squeezed through a chasm, cascading into the lake below.

Dave Herbert, CTC
Chief Experiential Officer
www.GreatSafaris.com

1-800-409-7755
info@greatsafaris.com
400 N. Brand Boulevard,
Suite 920, Glendale, CA 91203
Great Safaris LLC- 2011 CST #2070685-10

African Travel released its 2013 brochure with a new design and a series of new programs for Africa.

The company is also introducing Small Group Journeys with a maximum group size of 12 and set departures to popular safari destinations in Kenya, Tanzania, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

“African Travel’s 2013 brochure continues from the rebranding done last year using the new logo and product positioning to demonstrate our new tag line, ‘We Know Africa.’

The new look, feel and content of the brochure is based upon extensive research carried out with both consumers and agents to determine what is expected of a tour operator’s brochure dedicated to promoting safaris to Africa,” said Jim Holden, president of African Travel. “The new brochure includes sample itineraries to use for planning tailor-made safaris and reintroduces small group journeys for those travelers who prefer to travel in the company of other travelers rather than on their own.”

African Travel is also introducing a new family itinerary for 2013. “Africa is a perfect destination for families to reconnect and spend time together, while enjoying the thrill of a wildlife safari, encountering animals up-close at conservation centers, and getting to know the culture and traditions of local children and families,” said Holden.

“It’s an enriching experience for the whole family and a great way to celebrate such life milestones as anniversaries, birthdays and graduations.” Read Jetsetters Magazine feature stories about African Travel in South Africa.

Safari enthusiasts wanting to discover one of Africa’s most remote and beautiful regions should head to southern Tanzania with The Selous Safari Company. This luxury safari specialist has just announced its best ever specials for next year, offering huge savings and free nights to those who book longer stays and multi-camp itineraries in 2013/14. What’s more, they continue to offer low season rates during high season dates next summer.

Providing an unrivalled safari and beach experience, The Selous Safari Company comprises Jongomero, located 70 km away from its nearest camp in the relatively undiscovered Ruaha National Park. Offering unique and private game viewing experiences, this boutique camp is situated in woodland next to a seasonal sand river and offers eight luxury, tented suites, a swimming pool and first-class cuisine, as well as the only qualified guide to carry out game walks in the park.

Further east, the Selous Safari Camp is located on the shores of Lake Nzerakera in the heart of the Selous Game Reserve and provides a host of alternative safari activities from overnight walking safaris to boat safaris and game walks. Watch families of elephant congregate at the lake to drink, or take to the open water and get as close as you dare to wallowing hippos and sly crocodiles, which snake through the water and sunbathe on the muddy banks and small islands.

While the peaceful beach retreat of Ras Kutani offers the complete antithesis to a hot and dusty safari. It nestles in lush tropical forest, between a white sandy beach and coastal lagoon, just waiting to be explored. This exotic hideaway is home to a plethora of unique wildlife, from numerous bird and monkey species, to whales, dolphins and turtles – and even the elusive leopard!

Packages include:

ENJOY LOW SEASON RATES DURING HIGH SEASON DATES NEXT SUMMER
Expert Africa (www.expertafrica.com  / 020 8232 9777) is offering those travelling in high season dates low season rates, with a seven-night safari and beach adventure from £3, 004 per person (saving £645 per person). Valid for selected departures in 2013, the itinerary includes four nights on safari at the Selous Safari Camp, plus a further three nights at Ras Kutani on a full-board basis. Also included are flights from Heathrow with British Airways, internal transfers, game viewing drives in open sided 4×4 vehicles, walking safaris and boat safaris, as well as concession and park entrance fees, taxes and surcharges.

STAY NINE NIGHTS OR MORE FOR EXTRA SAVINGS AND A FREE NIGHT
Rainbow Tours (www.rainbowtours.co.uk  / 020 7666 1250) is offering 10 nights for the price of nine on this longer safari and beach adventure, from £3,870 per person (saving £1,000 per person). Valid for selected departures in 2013, the itinerary includes three nights on safari at Jongomero, three nights at the Selous Safari Camp, plus a further four nights at Ras Kutani on a full-board basis. Also included are flights from Heathrow with British Airways, internal transfers, game viewing drives in open sided 4×4 vehicles, walking safaris and boat safaris at Selous Safari Camp, as well as concession and park entrance fees, taxes and surcharges.

Experiencing The Dark Continent One Bucket List Entry At A Time…

Africa is so diverse and offers so many different environments, countries & experiences that you could return year on year to complete your bucket list. From swimming with whale sharks to climbing Mt Kilimanjaro TripAfrica has put together a top-ten of African bucket list experiences.

Swimming With Whale Sharks
Swimming with the biggest fish in the ocean is humbling, frightening, stunning, magical and unforgettable. With whale shark sightings year round, the Mozambique is arguably one of the best places on earth to dive into this experience. Snorkelling & diving trips are readily available from both the mainland and more remote islands. A 7 night stay at Guludo Beach Lodge, Mozambique is from £2,720 per person.

Walking With Giants
The opportunity to walk amongst and interact with elephants is incredible. Doing so in the very heart of the Okavango Delta with three simply huge pachyderms is totally unforgettable. This is not a gimmicky ride atop an elephant, but a real chance to become a member of the herd, if just for a brief afternoon. Simply magical. A 6 night stay at Stanely’s Camp & Chobe Chilwero, Botswana & including the Elephant Experience is from £3,432 per person.

Mastering The Mighty Zambezi
The Zambezi River is steeped in both local folklore, colonial history and more recent tales of adventure and adrenalin. The ultimate adrenalin activity here has to be rafting the some 25 rapids, many of which are the highest grade commercially raftable. A 9 day multi-day rafting trip exploring beyond the main rapids and including a helicopter flight out of the gorge is from £2,695 per person.

Witnessing The Great Migration
One of the worlds most famous and biggest migrations happens throughout Eastern Africa all year round. From December to March in Southern Serengeti, June to July in Northern Serengeti, both Tanzania and from August to October in the Maasai Mara, Kenya there is opportunity a plenty to become part of this amazing animal movement. A 5 day safari into the Maasai Mara staying in a private house with exclusive use of a vehicle is from £2,253 per person

Spending A Magical Hour With Our Cousins
Visiting Bwindi Impenetrable Forest in Uganda or the Virunga Mountains, Rwanda should be at the very top of everyone’s bucket list. Trekking through the forest in the early light, being awarded, after many hours of slog, with a habituated group of gorilla is beyond incredible. Spending an hour with gorilla is a dream come true for many. A 6 day safari in Rwanda and including one gorilla permit is from £3,103 per person

Reaching The Summit Of Kilimanjaro
Climbing Mt Kilimanjaro is tough, rough and thoroughly exhilarating. In a time of experiential travel people are expecting more from their trips, more challenge, more adrenalin, more exhilaration, just more. Giving more height to a trip by including a Kilimanjaro climb is one way to satiate this desire. Be it a charity excursion or a personal escapade a Kili climb has to top the list. A 7 day Kilimanjaro climb taking in the Machame route is from £2,223 per person.

Treading in Livingstones Footsteps
Visiting one of the worlds ‘Natural Wonders’ is amazing and surely a bucket list number. Standing at the very top of the Victoria Falls, the mighty Zambezi gushing past just a few metres from you, with your toes hugging the very lip of this particular Natural Wonder has to be up there as a moment of a lifetime!. A 5 night stay in Livingstone, Zambia at the River Club and including a trip to Livingstone Island is from £3,350 per person

Riding Wild With The Big 5
Getting in the saddle doesn’t have to be for the experienced rider only and experiencing game viewing from horseback is a wonderful experience. Riding out and sleeping out in the bush, under a blanket of stars with only your horses. A 6 day riding safari in private ‘big 5’ reserves in South Africa is from £2,650 per person.

Flying High Over The Serengeti
The Serengeti National Park is almost certainly one of Africa’s most famous wildlife hotspots. A balloon safari over the Serengeti followed by a champagne breakfast has to be one of the most romantic and memorable starts to any day. A 6 day stay in Lemala Luxury Tented Camps included two nights fly camping and a balloon flight over the Serengeti is from £4,252 per person.

Chilling With Chimpanzees
Trekking with chimpanzees, our closest relative, is loud, brash & hectic and not to be missed. Chimpanzee troups move quickly and noisily through the forest. At Greystoke Mahale, where the forest meets the crystal clear waters of Lake Tanganiyka an experience that mixes Tarzan with Robinson Crusoe is to be found. An 8 day safari combining Chada Katavi with Greystoke Mahale and including chimpanzee trekking permits is from £4,685 per person.

*All trips are based on two people sharing throughout and include return economy flights from London Heathrow.

For additional information & images please contact Becx – safari@tripafricatravel.com

Escape The Crowds & Find Your Own African Dream With TripAfrica

TripAfrica offers a selection of Super Secret Safaris to entice & whet the appetite of even the most experienced Africa ‘old-hand’. The ultimate in wilderness & wildlife with the opportunity to escape the crowds and become truly immersed in your own private Africa makes this selection of experiences a must do special for safari & wildlife enthusiasts.

Small Group Secret Safaris in Zambia
Small group safaris with a maximum of only 8 clients per trip are available to some of the more remote and off the beaten track destinations and offer some truly exceptional wilderness experiences. Zambia is raising its flag as the home of the secret safari with three incredible small group trips available to three very different and remote areas.

Experience the biggest migration that nobody has heard of in Liuwa Plains National Park, Western Zambia. Bordering Angola this little flood-plain park is cut off from everywhere for many months each year. A 5 day fly in safari to the only accommodation in the whole park to search for migrating wildebeest & zebra is from £3,985pp.

North Luangwa National Park sits above and beyond its more famous sister park and with less than a handful of properties within the park boundaries, is virtually exclusive. Conservation is the key here with a healthy & growing population of black rhino. A 7 day traditional mobile safari traversing this pristine wilderness is from £3,885pp.

Every November one of the largest congregations of mammals anywhere in the world occurs in the little known Kasanka National Park, Zambia. Nestled up against the Congolese border this tiny, privately managed park is hidden away well off the beaten tourist trap and home to the annual spectacle that is the straw coloured fruit bat migration. A 5 day safari to experience this amazing wildlife phenomenon is from £2,850pp.

Tailor-made Hidden Mozambique
Those that see Mozambique as purely a white sands & sea destination should think again. This incredible and diverse country is home to two huge wilderness regions, one little explored and one previously little cared for.

Gorongosa National Park, once ravaged by the aftermath of the terrible civil war, has been reborn and is emerging as one hell of a wildlife & wilderness destination. A 7 day safari exploring the diversity of Gorongosa is from£3,445pp.

In the far North of the country lies the remarkable Niassa Reserve, a true frontier, an unexplored wilderness and refuge for wildlife. Here you enter the world of the unknown and head out on pioneering game drives across unchartered territory. A 6 day safari exploring this hidden land is from £3,890pp.

All prices are inclusive of international flights out of London & based on two people sharing.

TripAfrica is an owned & managed by Becx Whitefiled and is a true Africa specialist travel company. With over a decades experience in the travel industry and over 6 years spent living, working in and exploring Eastern & Southern Africa, TripAfrica is able to offer unrivalled passion for the dark continent and an intimate knowledge of wildlife, animal behaviour & culture and even 4×4 driving advice & route planning!

For any and all information please contact Becx directly safari@tripafricatravel.com. TripAfrica currently offers tailored travel in Tanzania, Kenya, Rwanda, Uganda, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana and Namibia. Madagascar, CAR, Mali & Ethiopia are just some of the destinations to be added to the portfolio soon.