Articles Africa Vacations & Tours

Morocco is very close to Europe, but despite its proximity has many differences, as Islamic country it is. So, say the fastest way for a European to enter a new world of Africa.

Northern Morocco has a similar landscape to the south of Spain. In the center is Atlas, a very large mountain range visited by adventurers. South has different entry points into the wilderness. Along the coast takes place


Adrouinaventure .c.la offers customized guided tours and camel trekking to Sahara desert of Morocco and open windows to the world of the early inhabitants of North Africa, which opened up the ancient trade routes between Africa and the Western Sahara. a magical land where snow-capped mountain peaks occur, spectacular gorges, valleys and wisely cultivated splendid mound of sand that change color as the day progresses. A visit to the Sahara desert is definitely an experience everyone should have at least once in their lifetime. It is a journey well worth the effort and you will have fond memories to last you forever. Imagine yourself on top a camel, trekking through the Sahara desert. There is nothing around you and all you can hear are the footsteps of the camel on the soft sand. The sky is vast and clear in the day and filled with millions of bright stars at night. It is a very peaceful experience, one raley known to

Hermanus, a small town in the Western Cape, South Africa, each year draws thousands to its shores to watch Southern Right whales in the bay. They come not just because of the number of whales to be seen - more than 100 in peak season - but for the ease with which one can watch them.

Dubbed by experts as "the best land based whale watching spot in the world", Hermanus lies on the shores of a sheltered bay where southern rights come to calve, mate and frolic. They come as close as 5 metres from the rocks. One can watch whales while strolling along the 12 kilometre long cliff path which runs from one side of the town to the other, or while sipping coffee or enjoying a meal at one of the many restaurants. On windstill nights the whales can be heard blowing out in the bay. Hermanus even has the world’s only Whale Crier who alerts all to the presence of whales by blowing on his kelp horn, and there's an annual Whale Festival.

The whales start arriving from July onwards, but peak season is from August to end October. That’s when the shores overlooking the bay are lined with watchers hoping to witness the breathtaking spectacle of a breach, though most seem more than happy just to see a mother and calf drift lazily past, or a large head popping up from the sea for a bit of “spyhopping, or a tail sticking up to go “sailing”. Popular with local and foreign tourists alike, the annual visit by these whales provides a significant boost to the tourism on which the town’s economy is largely based. It’s a huge bonus for a holiday resort already known as “The Riviera of the south”.

The Southern Rights have callosities on their heads, basically white warts or rough skin patches on which little creatures, called whale lice, are attached. These markings enable whale experts to individually identify the whales, and it’s been well established that many of them are regular visitors to the bay. While an area like De Hoop Nature Reserve further south has a greater instance of cows giving birth, Hermanus is also called the “nursery school” of the Southern Rights, for it is here that the cows come to “educate” their young. One often witnesses a youngster emulating its mother’s every move.

From November on the whales begin leaving the bay for the long journey back to their Antarctic feeding grounds, though there are often stragglers, cows who wait till their calves are strong enough to cope. It is not uncommon to find whales in the bay during December and even in January.

As if being blessed by the presence of whales is not enough, Hermanus is an exceptionally beautiful town with a Blue Flag beach and a great many activities for nature lovers and eco tourists, ranging from kayaking, shark cage diving, paragliding and scuba diving, to hiking and bird watching.
Neville Sherriff and his wife, Alet, operate a communication consultancy in Hermanus and are ardent whale lovers. Whale season is favourite time for them, as the tourists who come to watch whales are generally in a very relaxed mode, nature lovers, and people who are respectful of the town. They try to fit in as many seaside walks as possible to catch some or other whale activity out in the bay. More information on the whales of Hermanus can be found on Neville's website, http://www.hermanuswhales.com

The Caprivi Strip is a long panhandle enclosed by permanent water and stretching eastwards from the Kavango River to and along the Zambezi ending at the border junction of Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe and Zambia.
This lush savannah area is bounded by the Kwando, Linyanti and Chobe River system on the southern border with Botswana and with the Zambezi River forming part of its northern boundary with Zambia.

Wildlife in the Caprivi has not yet recovered from years of poaching and the destructive bushwar of the 70's and 80's but its superb conservation areas may in the future rival Etosha. Almost 70% of the bird species found in Namibia have been recorded in the Caprivi.

As the best of the Caprivi habitat is captured in the area shared with Botswana, it's usually more productive to look at the Selinda Reserve as a safari option.

[b]Mahango Game Reserve[/b]
Enriched by the Kavango River, this is a small reserve with an ecologically diverse combination of grassland, woodland, floodplain, riverine forests and reed beds supporting over 60 mammal and nearly 350 bird species. This is an excellent reserve for elephants during the dry season. This is the only Namibian Park in which visitors are allowed to walk unaccompanied by a guide or scout.

[b]West Caprivi Game Park[/b]
Similar in habitats to Mahango, this reserve covers most of the "strip" from the Kavango to Kwando Rivers and is transversed by the infamous "Golden Highway" (a gravel and sand road responsible for many bogged down vehicles during the rainy season). Heavily poached out in the past, this area shows signs of recovery.

[b]Mudumu National Park[/b]
Flanking the Kwando River and benefiting much by the wetlands of the Kwando-Mashi-Linyanti-Chobe river system Mudumu is an excellent birding area and is also well known for its fishing. Water-loving mammals including the Cape clawless otter are abundant.

[b]Mamili National Park[/b]
Proclaimed in 1989, this almost inaccessible wetland is particularly well known for its birdlife. Mamili is only suitable for the hardiest guests and should only be tackled between September and April in 4x4 convoy fashion. This is a good area for lechwe, sitatunga, puku and spotted-necked otters. Probably the best way to experience this habitat is on the Botswana side in the Selinda Reserve.

[font face="arial" size="1" color="#336699"]Provided By: [a href="showlink.htm?1020138+0001"]The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.[/a]
[/font]

The Zambezi River is one of the most important safari features in southern Africa. While most of the attention to safaris along its course have traditionally centred on the Zimbabwean destinations, Zambia offers access to some remote and uncrowded wilderness areas on the Zambezi.

Logistically, it's sensible to divide the main areas on interest into the Upper and Lower Zambezi - the middle Zambezi, dominated by Lake Kariba is best tackled via Zimbabwe.
The Upper Zambezi
The Upper Zambezi rises on the Benguela Plateau in Angola (its source at Kuleni Hill in Zambia is undramatic) and extends through Zambia's remote western region down to Victoria Falls. This western sector is extremely difficult to explore but includes the Barotse floodplain, Sioma National Park and Liuwa National Park - the region should only be tackled by experienced safari hands.

The ancient kingdom of Barotseland, whilst having a particularly interesting history and being an area where old Lozi customs have been retained by the inhabitants, there is no game to speak of other that herds of Nguni cattle - it remains an excellent area for fishing safaris.
Sioma National Park is a rough wilderness without any roads - the park protects a large population of elephant and it's the only place in Zambia outside of the South Luangwa in which you'll find giraffe - poaching is rife with incursions from Angola matching local pursuits.
Liuwa Plain National Park is a large grassy plain and woodland area - Liuwa plains witnesses Africa's second largest wildebeest migration - this is really worthwhile!

Popular Safari Destinations
Safari Seasons
Getting Around

Overview
One of Africa's better safari locations, Zimbabwe has a diversity of habitats and good game concentrations particularly in the Hwange region and along the Zambezi River. The prime safari areas include Matusadona, Mana Pools (World Heritage Site), Hwange and Bulawayo/Matobo hills. Zimbabwe's safari industry is supported by reasonably good infrastructure and boasts Africa's most highly qualified Professional Guides. Walking and canoeing safaris, particularly in combination are amongst the best safari options in Africa

Victoria Falls is a "must-see": a World Heritage Site, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, twice the height of Niagara Falls and one-and-a-half times the width "Vic Falls" is considered to be Africa's "adrenaline centre," yet still contains a few traces of its pioneering and colonial past. The best safari season is from May to end October.
Popular Safari Destinations

Matusadona - situated on the shores of Lake Kariba, Matusadona National Park is one of the last wild sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhino and is now considered to have the highest natural population density of lions in Africa. Matusadona is ideal walking safari territory and boasts some of the regions finest safari lodges and bush camps - the area is worth visiting year round.

Mana Pools - Zimbabwe's second World Heritage Site situated on the southern bank of the Zambezi River. Mana's floodplain plays host to a profusion of game during the dry season from June to October. The area is spectacular with the Zambian escarpment acting as a backdrop.

Aside from the excellent walking safaris in Mana, the Zambezi River adds another dimension and is ideal for canoe safaris. The southern shoreline in Zimbabwe has two excellent safari lodges and is renowned for its "backed up" fly camps that offer an ideal means for exploring this unique area.

Hwange National Park - ranks amongst the finest of Africa's game reserves - it arguably sustains a greater diversity and variety of wildlife than any other conservation area in the world. Hwange is situated on nearly 2 million hectares of Kalahari Sand and holds no permanent water - gameviewing is therefore excellent with large populations of big and small mammal species and particularly strong concentrations of Buffalo and Elephant. Hwange, especially around Main Camp is very popular - there is also a selection of first class private safari camps and lodges in the more secluded and quieter areas of this massive park.

Victoria Falls - World Heritage Site and one of the natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls is recognised as one of Southern Africa's prime tourism drawcards. The falls, flowing at just under 33 million cubic metres per second at peak during April are truly spectacular and represent the largest curtain of falling water on earth.

Any safari in southern Africa should include a stop-over at Vic Falls - we recommend a maximum stay of two nights unless you're doing a rafting expedition. Vic Falls is an important hub into the more attractive safari destinations elsewhere in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana.

Bulawayo/Matobo Hils - Bulawayo, meaning "place of slaughter" is one of Zimbabwe's oldest and most historically important towns.

The Motobo Hills ("matobo" - 'bald-headed ones') are best described as "a moonscape of endless granite humpbacks" covering an area of approximately 2000 square kilometres - a region packed with history and legends of Shona dynasties, Ndebele armies, British colonists and the many wars that they fought. The area is well known for its impressive rock art paintings and the site of Cecil John Rhodes' grave. It is also believed that the Motobo Hills have the highest concentration of Black Eagles in the world.

Eastern Highlands - this north-eastern sector of Zimbabwe is not in the ordinary sense a wildlife destination. It is however well known for its wonderful mountainous and legend-filled landscape, birdlife, botanical attractions, trout fishing and excellent hiking and walking trails.

The Eastern Highlands are off the main safari circuit and should ideally be tackled on a self-drive basis.

Situated in the central-western region of Zambia, Kafue National Park, like the Luangwa is recovering steadily from the ravages of poaching - its diverse habitats have the capacity to carry game populations that may one day rival the more well known reserves of some of its neighbours.
Most of the park is dominated by miombo woodland and broad grassy "dambos" with a riverine forest fringing the Kafue as it runs southwards through the park and empties into Lake Itezhi-tezhi.

The primary wildlife interests are found in the Busanga floodplains and the Nanzhila Plains. Kafue is considered to be Africa's best reserve for antelope. The Defassa waterbuck and Red Lechwe are a speciality of the Kafue.

The Busanga Plains
Miombo woodlands and the vast Busanga Plains dominate the northern sector of the Park. These floodplains are fed by the Lufupa River, which after bursting its banks and then receding creates rich grass lands that attract a huge diversity and high concentrations of antelope.
This sector is well known for its Sitatunga, Red Lechwe and Puku. Predators, particularly lion are frequently seen, Lafupa Camp is an excellent spot for finding leopard.


The Nanzhila Plains
The south of Kafue is characterised by miombo, Kalahari sandveld, tall mopane forests and the grasslands of the Nanzhila Plains. Lake Itezhi-tezhi is a 370 square kilometre lake in the east.
The southern sector is well known for its Roan, Sable, Oribi, Eland, Lichtenstein's hartebeest. Cheetah are often seen in the Nanzhila Plains. Elephants are most likely to be found around Ngoma and Chunga.

Provided By: The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.

The Luangwa River, one of the Zambezi's biggest tributaries flows south through a deep valley of fertile grasslands, woodlands and riverine forests. The Luangwa Valley itself is the southern extension of the Great Rift Valley that stretches from North Africa down to the Zambezi River.

The Luangwa Valley has a long history of game protection despite which horrendous decimation of its great herds occurred in the mid-70's and 80's following independence. The valley has recovered steadily over the last decade thanks to subsequent government intervention and the work of amongst others, organizations such as Save the Rhino Trust and the Luangwa Independent Rural Development Project.

Safari operators in the valley since the 1960's and particularly over the last few years are largely responsible for the ongoing conservation efforts and positive results seen today.

The valley contains 4 designated conservation areas including the South and North Luangwa National Parks, the Luambe and Lukusuzi National Parks. The latter two parks have no safari facilities and the state of their game populations remains uncertain with poaching an ever-present reality.

The Luangwa is essentially a dry-season safari destination. As all of the camps are small and relatively exclusive, advance bookings are essential.

South Luangwa National Park
Unquestionably Zambia's most famous wildlife sanctuary, the South Luangwa covers a vast 9050 square kilometers and is dominated by a flood plain and savannah that extends from the Luangwa River to the Muchinga escarpment rising over 800 meters from the valley floor in the west. The annual rains fill the valley's sandy rivers and feed the Luangwa which becomes a raging torrent in its journey down to the Zambezi - this annual flooding replenishes the Luangwa's game carrying capacity as it fills the low-lying plains and spawns new ox-bow lakes. The green season (November to April) although practically off limits at that time is when large herds of elephant congregate.

Norman Carr, perhaps Zambia's greatest conservationist, active in the South Luangwa for over 50 years, was responsible for what we now know as the modern walking safari. A safari activity that ranges from casual nature walks in the vicinity of camp to full-blown portered trails. The South Luangwa is unquestionably one of the best locations in Africa to experience a walking safari.

The park itself although not having a massive diversity of game is renowned for its leopards (particularly in the Mfuwe area) and other predators and holds strong populations of buffalo and antelope. The Luangwa has important populations of Thornicroft's giraffe and Cookson's wildebeest. Bird life is excellent in the Luangwa with over 400 species having been recorded.

Most of Zambia's best safari operators are found in the Luangwa, all in the east of the park in close proximity to the river itself. Permanent safari lodges are the main bases for safari activities but there are a number of excellent seasonal bush camps in the remoter areas that should be considered by more serious and active safari-goers. Portered trails, reminiscent of the old pioneering ways are available - a very special safari option.

North Luangwa National Park
The North Luangwa, about half the size of its southern counterpart is an undeveloped and entry-restricted gem in the African bush. If you're looking for exclusivity and remoteness, then you'll find few places in Africa to compare!

Similar in terms of game and vegetation to the South Luangwa, this wilderness area is renowned for its buffalo herds and attendant lions. Mark and Delia Owens brought the North Luangwa to public attention through their book "The Eye of the Elephant" (also available under the title "Survivor's Song"). The Park remains totally off-limits to the public as it has for nearly 4 decades, only two operators have access to this pristine wildlife area

Provided By: The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.

Popular Safari Destinations
Safari Seasons
Getting Around

Overview
Up until the 1970's Zambia was considered to have had some of the highest game populations in Africa. This safari destination has been recovering steadily over the last few years with fresh government controls over hunting and poaching. Almost 30% of the country is currently under game management.

Zambia has a relatively undeveloped tourism infrastructure and a small but sophisticated safari industry with excellent lodges and seasonal bush camps, as well as some of Africa's best safari guides. Safaris in Zambia are ideally suited for "old Africa hands" or those seeking a remote and more exclusive safari [see our recommended safaris.

A vast grassy plateau dominates the country with the prime wildlife regions being concentrated around the Luangwa, Kafue and Zambezi water systems, while not sharing the game diversity of some of its neighbors, Zambia's wildlife concentrations are impressive. It is ideal for specialists seeking specific African game species or bird life on a brilliant scale.

Zambia is the home of the modern walking safari and without doubt offers some of Africa's best traditional walking safaris, particularly in the Luangwa Valley

Night drives are a speciality in Zambia and provide arguably the best means for seeing some of the more elusive nocturnal species, including leopards.
Popular Safari Destinations

The Luangwa Valley - One of Africa's finest safari destinations, famous for its landscapes and diversity of game, strong populations of antelope, buffalo and predators - its birdlife is magnificent. The Luangwa is particularly well recognised for its walking safaris.

Kafue National Park - Kafue has an impressive mammal list and boasts the greatest diversity of antelope in Africa including important populations of Defassa waterbuck and Red lechwe. The area appeals particularly to old Africa hands and specialists - this area is very remote.

The Zambezi - Victoria Falls is the obvious tourism favourite on the Zambezi. The more remote lodges, canoeing and other safari options on both the upper and lower stretches of the river make it an ideal safari destination.

Lake Bangweulu - The Bangweulu floodplains on the periphery of the permanent swamps of Lake Bangweulu are a birder's paradise. The area contains one of the last remaining habitats of the rare Shoebill.

Matusadona is one of the lesser known wilderness areas in Africa. It boasts a unique combination of pristine and rugged wilderness with the "waterfrontage" of Lake Kariba. Matusadona is also one of the last remaining sanctuaries of the endangered Black Rhino. It is commonly recognized as having the highest concentration of wild Lions in Africa. However, it has relatively poor accessibility by road and extremely harsh internal network of roads, which keeps the crowds and traffic out.

Matusadona National Park is one of several protected wildlife areas with shorelines on Lake Kariba. Some 338,000 acres in area, it is bounded on the west by the Ume River and on the east by the Sanyati River. Two-thirds of it lies south of the Zambezi Escarpment, formed by the 1968 foot-high "Matuzviadonha" Hills from which it takes its name. The best way to experience Matusadona is on a walking safari. Other options include overnighting on the shoreline with a cruiser or houseboat, taking a Sail Safari into the area, or staying at one of the lodges/camps in or on western edge of the park. Spurwing Island and Matusadona Water Lodge are very attractive lodge sites in the centre of the Matusadona shoreline.

Open woodlands on the plateau behind the escarpment are dominated by Julbernardia globiflora. The mountain acacia, Brachystegia glaucescens, is also common on the slopes and ridges of the escarpment.

From the plateau the park falls abruptly to a flat, low-lying area covered mainly with Mopane scrub and woodland and with dense patches of Jesse bush. The entire northern boundary of the park is created by the lakeshore itself. This shoreline, which is subjected to irregular variations in water level caused by fluctuations in annual rainfall, is still in a state of rapid ecological change and development.
Wildlife
Along much of it are "drowned forests", up to several kilometres wide, containing dead trees standing more than 29 years after the filling of the lake. Many of the animals rescued during "'Operation Noah" when the lake was filling were released into Matusadona, which now holds strong populations of most mammals occurring in the Zambezi Valley.

Buffalo are especially prominent and herds of up to 1000 strong often congregate along the shoreline in the dry season. Their population is thought to be growing at about 9% per annum, and this rapid expansion is caused largely by the development of the wide swards of torpedo grass, Panicum repens along the shoreline.

This swamp grass is indigenous to the Zambezi valley. It was generally absent from the lakeshore until 1970, when a combination of circumstances including the decline of the Kariba weed, Salvinia molesta, enabled it to gain a foothold on what were, until then rather barren shores. The dying Salvinia created an ideal mulch for the torpedo grass. It can survive for long periods under water and becomes available to buffalo and other herbivores towards the end of the dry season when other sources of fodder are largely depleted.

Lion, leopard, hyaena and other predators occur in good numbers throughout the park. It is widely acknowledged that Matusadona has the highest concentration of wild lions - even more than Ngorongoro Crater. There have also been isolated reports of cheetah over the years - a small population was reintroduced in 1995.

There is a small but important population of the endangered black rhinoceros, found mainly along the foot of the escarpment. They are mostly concentrated in the west of Matusadona. Eight white rhinoceros were introduced into the park in 1984 but did not survive, probably because they had lost their natural immunity to sleeping sickness over many years of captive breeding in tsetse-free areas.

Hippopotamus and crocodile declined after the lake filled but are now recovering well. Hippopotamus have benefited from the development of the torpedo grass swards and the deeply incised shoreline provides hundreds of suitably sheltered habitats. A recent survey of the crocodile population estimated their density at one adult animal for every 656 feet of shoreline.

One of the Matusadona's most compelling features is its luxuriant birdlife; over 240 species have been recorded in the park. The fish eagle is common along the lakeshore where it makes use of the dead trees as nesting sites. Most parts of the lakeshore have conspicuous populations of grey herons, goliath herons, great white herons and saddlebill storks. Plovers, waders and geese are generally abundant and there are notable populations of osprey, woolly-necked storks, open-billed storks, white-winged plovers and red-winged pratincoles. There are several large colonies of darters and reed cormorants within the treelines, and at least one colony of white-breasted cormorants has appeared recently.

Bee-eater colonies are often found in the sandstone banks and cliffs of the minor rivers that traverse the valley floor. Most local raptors are present in good numbers.


Provided By: The Zambezi Safari And Travel Co. Ltd.