Tag Archive for 'clothing'

An African Safari Vacation Offers Both Adventure and Luxury

Published on June 14, 2009 in African Safari. Closed

{tags:}

There are many ways to see the wildlife and cultures within the various regions of Africa. You can hike and camp your way through the area with the help of a tour guide and the safety of a group, or you can opt for a luxurious resort feel in the middle of the African wild. Your choice of African safari vacation really depends upon your own personal tastes, preferences or comfort level. However you decide to explore this area, rest assured that an Africa safari vacation is one that you will remember for a lifetime, as long as you plan and prepare well for the trip that is to come. A quest to Africa is rarely a journey that will be taken on the fly. This trip will require months of preparation, including obtaining the proper documentation to travel into and out of the country, and appropriate medical care and prevention for the many potential diseases and illnesses of the region. With good preparation, you will be ready to handle all of these possible trials with ease, and be able to enjoy your trip to the fullest.

Preparing for an African Safari Vacation

Besides visiting your doctor and appropriate government offices for documentation, you will want to put plenty of thought into the types of clothing and gear that you will need on your journey. Different parts of this country can see large temperature fluctuations between day and night, and many of the accommodations will not be climate controlled. Therefore, it will be essential to be prepared for both hot and cold weather, as well as appropriate gear for warding off the many bugs and insects of the region. You will also want to bring items like lights, batteries and your own hygiene supplies. It is also important to remember all of the equipment you will need to maximize your wildlife viewing, like a good pair of binoculars and a camera or two to get those furry mugs on film. Some folks even like to bring along a laptop to allow them to document the various legs of the journey, but you can do that with a notebook and pencil as well.

There are few trips that are more exciting and adventurous than an African safari vacation. As long as you plan well and prepare thoroughly, it should be a vacation that you will remember for a lifetime. Choose your type of safari tour based on your own preference and comfort level. Keep in mind that you can select from a gamut of vacation styles, from rustic camping in the middle of the wild to a resort and spa experience that will pamper as well as educate. Depending on the type of African safari vacation that you select, you can plan for your needs accordingly. Whatever you choose, your African safari vacation will be a unique and exciting experience that you will treasure for the rest of your life.

Related posts

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

African Safari Has Everything From Wild Lions To Extremes Of Landscapes

Published on June 8, 2009 in African Safari. Closed

Africa is sure to be a dream holiday destination. The African safari is something that a lot of people look forward to with great expectations and the wildlife and scenic surroundings make it even more appealing. Still, not every African safari is going to be the dream vacation and things can and often do go wrong if it is not planned for in advance.

Lion Safaris Are Very Popular

An African safari could be the most enchanting experience that you will ever get to take, and the African lion safari is very popular in this regard. Other choices include the South African Kruger National Park and Tanzania s splendid Serengeti for which you should have prepared well in advance if you are to really get the most out of your visit.

When you do undertake an African safari, makes sure that you don t overlook the essentials such as adequate safari wear and just the right amount of luggage, which should tend be on the light side. In the summer, you would require light clothing while the winter demands heavier clothing. The weather can be hot in the daytime and the nights can turn very cold. In addition, you will need to have protection from the insects that are found in abundance. Also, take along sunscreen and a hat.

When on an African safari, you will need to be alert and on your guard especially in urban areas and you must always carry your identification with you, even when you are in bed at night.

The African lion safari is very popular though the number of lions seems to be dwindling, which only seems to whet people s appetite to view them in the wild. You would do well to check out the Masai Mara National reserve that is found in Kenya and the best time would be when the wild beasts migrate. Other worthwhile African safari destinations to view wild lions include Kruger National Park, South Africa, the spectacular Central Kalahari in Botswana, as also Tanzanian Chobe and Linyati parks, and finally all you can take in between Serengeti to Lake Victoria.

Wild lions are of course the main attraction to an African safari though attention may also be paid to the splendid landscapes, which are pretty extreme all across Africa. You can check out the jungles or open plains or there are waterways; whatever, you choose, there is something that is sure to be a photographer s delight. So, make sure to pack a good camera as well. The African safari will offer many choices, so you may have your hands full deciding on one particular type.

Related posts

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Adventure on an African Hunting Safari

Published on May 27, 2009 in African Safari. Closed

Many city people are fascinated by the notion of going on an African hunting safari, and getting close to nature-in-the-raw in the African jungle or on the African plains. The thought of it is enough to create vacation dreams for many North Americans, yet translating those dreams to reality can be a little bit complicated. Regardless, that does not stop people from dreaming away about riding on the back of an elephant and enjoying the company of some locals before watching a lion chomp down on its prey. The adventure and majesty of Africa certainly comes alive during a wonderful safari trip.

The term "safari" simply refers to an overland journey. This term has been used to typically refer to visitors in Africa, although it has no actual geographical connotation. There is also a certain thematic element attached to the term, drawing upon visions of khaki clothing and a certain type of hat. Regardless of the stereotypical connotations of the term "safari", the word still calls upon some adventurous notions that many people desire to discover for themselves.

The original term was a reference to the early big game hunters that frequented Africa. Men, typically of European descent, would head to Africa to bask in its glory and to partake in the lay of the land. During this trip, the men would gather in hunting parties and hunt down various rare animals. They would take trophies for themselves and display them on walls back home, as was the custom. It became a veritable rite of passage for many men in the higher echelon of European culture, maintaining a status grip over those people for quite a few years before hunting became unfashionable.

Those times often represent a brutal period of time in the history of Africa. The notion was that Africa was a piece of property that belonged to Europe and, therefore, the animals on it also belonged to Europe. The historical significance of these safaris often carried deep-seated connotations of colonial control and power over the continent. To this day, that history still influences Africa.

Nowadays, the term "safari" usually refers to taking a photo safari. Instead of shooting animals with bullets and keeping the heads mounted above the fireplace, people are taking pictures and putting together various photo displays of the magical animals they have seen while on safari in the beautiful African continent. These photo safaris are becoming incredibly popular with people of all ages that wish to have the experience of a lifetime taking in the wilderness and grandeur of the incredible continent of Africa.

Safari parks are now also becoming common in North America to offer an experience resembling an African safari. This is a zoo-like tourist attraction that creates an environment where people can observe all sorts of exotic animals from a safe vantage point. The safari park is usually walked through or ridden through in a vehicle that is driven by a guide. The guide describes the animals that are seen and offers an historical context for the park, giving tourists and guests a complete tour of the park and engaging them in knowledgeable conversation.

The game reserves in Africa are typically on a very much larger scale than a safari park, of course. For this reason, most people still wish to head to Africa to see the magic of nature for themselves in as natural a setting as possible. Within the confines of a game reserve or a safari park, people are engaged with the pure wonder of seeing such incredible animals such as the lion or giraffe. As long as such areas are able to protect some of these animals, people will be able to participate in photo safaris for many years to come. The love of animals, exotic and domestic, may well be the greatest ally to the protection of various species threatened with extinction.

Related posts

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Evolution of Hunting

Published on May 15, 2009 in African Safari. Closed

Hunting game for food, clothing and shelter is a big part of the story of the human race. It predates the human civilization we know today in many ways. There are many discoveries that are being made that confirm that notion. An Asian fossilized spearhead discovered recently was dated at over 16,000 years old, for example. There is also evidence that we used larger animals for food some two million years ago.

The earliest form of hunting involved, as far as the experts can tell, using weapons like spears or bow and arrows shot from a distance. Believe it or not, our ancestors caught their food using the same method we use to catch the bus to work when we're late. We ran after it. Before he learned to use long range weapons, early man had no other way of catching his dinner than being persistent and wearing it down over a long trek, sometimes even in the oppressive midday heat. Some early hunters would chase antelope over 20 miles in heat over 100 degrees. Persistence hunting would be the order of the day. African hunters would chase a Kudu, which is an early version of the antelope, by startling the animal so it ran away. They would chase the beast at a fast pace, and, while the faster Kudu would always be further ahead, the hunters would catch up to it when it took time to rest in the shade. The hunter would eventually finish the animal off with a spear, but not until he was at close range. This type of hunting is still practiced in remoter parts of Southern Africa.

With changes in human society, hunting evolved. As we began to grow our own food and keep animals, hunting became a specialized task. Not just the traditional masculine endeavor anymore, hunting became a specific duty with tradesmen acquiring precise training. The other trend was hunting becoming the sport and leisure domain of the upper classes. It was here that the English word "game" became common.

Hunting has had other effects on our modern society as well. Various animals have been used to aid the hunter, but none has become as important to us as the dog. The use of the ancestors of the wolf to retrieve prey and be our loyal companions has set the dog apart. Its domestication, which took thousands of years, is considered a remarkable accomplishment. The tie between hunting man and dog goes so far back that the very word for hunting in ancient Greek is derived from the word dog.

Perhaps the most famous type of hunting is the safari, which was popularized in America by the author Ernest Hemingway. The word itself is from the Swahili, meaning long journey, and the most common type of safari occurs in Africa. It was frequently several days or weeks of camping while stalking or hunting big game, but in a more modern sense, it also encompassed trips through African national parks to hunt or watch the big game. Unlike their predecessors who ran their prey down years before, the modern African hunter often requires a special license and enlists the aid of local professionals.

Today, with natural conservation in mind, there is a more popular type of modern safari where no animals are killed. The photo-safari is exactly what its name implies, and is no less dangerous or easier for the hunter. A Polish photographer first used the term "bloodless hunt".

Related posts

Tags: , , , , , , , , , .