The Okavango delta is an awesome spectacle of nature. Here, a river flows through curves and turns and gauges itself in the African wilderness, ending on the sands of Kalahari desert, forming a delta, and giving rise to sprawling life.

Okavango is the biggest wetland in the whole of Africa, and because of this, you’ll find huge concentrations of wildlife here. The aerial view of the delta reveals that it is a network of water bodies, interconnected into each other, with land masses in between them, tangled like a web.

Okavango promised sights of elephants, hippos and rare birds along the river bed, and antelopes, zebras and wildebeests in the thick forest cover. The high concentrations of easy to catch mammals attracts a huge number of predators like the hyenas and the cheetahs, if you are lucky, you might even come across a tiger. The best time to hit the delta is dawn, when the mist un furls itself over the water body and you can spot some really wonderful birds and aquatic antelopes, thrusting with freshness. (more…)

Tags: elephant, animals, south africa, resorts, safari, animal, hotels, leopard, holiday, lodges

If you had to choose one destination in Africa, Ngorongoro crater reserve would be it. This place offer possibly the most varied and diversified collection in Africa and the probably the world. The formation of this crater is attributed to bursting of a giant volcano here, centuries ago. This crater is now the largest in the world.

The environment and surrounding of the crater area varies from swamps, forests, lakes and open savannah grasslands. On a typical day, a game tour offers you a chance of sighting almost 30,000 animals. The walls of the crater may be as high as 600 meters. So all this backdrops guaranteed diversity in the animal couture found here. You can find hippos in the swamps, flamingos in the lakes, elephants in the thick forests and hyenas, preying on the wildebeest and buffaloes, grazing in the open savannah grasslands.

The rare African black rhino can also be found, hiding from the hunters and humans, in the high walls of the crater. Ngorongoro also houses the maximum number of predators, ranging from black mane tigers to cheetahs to hyenas, in the world. (more…)

Tags: hotels, safaris, holiday, big five, south africa, national parks, resorts, adverture, animals, vacation

Talking about african safaris, Kruger national park definitely has to top our list. Kruger is one of the best national parks, with the best safari tours in Africa. It is a charming and mesmerizing experience when you see lion prides hunting the bongos or just roaming about, playing with each other. You can also catch herds of elephants, sulking in the sun or in the numerous rivers that pass through this national park. This park is set up in a perfect backdrop of savannah forests, rivers, mountains and scores of animal species that are bound to make your African safari a memorable experience. And as an icing on the cake, you can book your accommodations in and around the national park, and these accommodations offer you unparalleled luxury. One of the best accommodation spots are available at Hazyview and phalaborwa, situated on the outer ring of the park.

There are certain places which share an unfenced boundary with the kruger national park, like the sabi sands, and if your pocket permits, you should try and get your luxury accommodation at any one of such places. At sabi sands, you can enjoy a spa while watching migratory birds, deer, or even the king – lion! (more…)

Tags: adverture, leopard, africa, big five, holiday, lion, kruger park, vacation, safari, national parks

Prepare for the road on your next vacation and save money on fuel costs!

Over long weekends and school holidays, South Africans always hit the highways and byways in great numbers. It is a known fact, that virtually two-thirds of travelers spend at least one-half of their vacation time traveling and sightseeing, driving to the beach, dropping off and collecting kids and friends from various venues. With all of this time behind the wheel and as petrol prices are continuously raising, people will be looking for ways to reduce how often they have to fill it up and also ways and means to avoid a breakdown along the road that would spoil the holiday fun, whether on the way to the beach or a vacation destination.

Where the car meets the roadgood place to start:
Check the tires. Make sure they are wearing evenly. If not, the suspension, wheel alignment or shock absorbers may need adjusting. Check the tire pressure. Match the load rate with the estimated weight of your family and the luggage youll bring on a long trip. To help prevent a costly breakdown and to increase fuel efficiency, have all fluids, filters, hoses and belts checked, and replaced if necessary, by professional technicians. Most manufacturers recommend changing the oil every 10 000 kilometers; make sure your estimated round-trip mileage doesnt exceed the reading indicated for the next oil change.

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Tags: animal, hotels, africa, camping, vacation, rhino, resorts, safaris, wild life, holiday

In northwest Namibia in the Kunene Region is the Etosha National Park. The park shares boundaries with the regions of Oshana, Oshikoto and Otjozondjupa. First established in 1907 this park was 100,000 km2 and was the largest game reserve in the world. At this time Namibia was still a German colony known as South West Africa. The park is now slightly less than a quarter of its original size but still remains very large and its wildlife are protected.

An area called the Etosha Pan dominates the park. The salt pan is a desert area that is roughly 130km long and gets as wide as 50km is some places. The salt pan is usually dry but fills with water in the summer and attracts pelicans and flamingos in particular. Periannual springs attract a variety of animals and birds year round including black rhinos and black face impalas.

Some wildlife in the area depends on the salt from the pan which during the dry season blows across the pan and can reach the southern Atlantic. (more…)

Tags: africa, hunting, national parks, lodges, kruger park, big five, vacation, animal, holiday, safari

In keeping with the Serena philosophy of harmony with the environment, each property demonstrates an ethnic design making full use of local materials that blend with the immediate surroundings. The attention to detail and commitment to hygiene, using only the highest standards of produce is legendary across East Africa.

Serena hotels have also been eco-tourism pioneers for many years and have initiated important environmental programmes to protect wildlife, communities and fragile habitats. Their philosophy that tourism should offer a distinctive experience of the country visited rather than simply an experience in a country, is their firm ethos.

The Nairobi Serena Hotel
There are seven Serena properties in Kenya-the first is their city flagship, the Nairobi Serena, a member of the Leading Hotels of the World organisation, located on the edge of the city in a tropical garden setting, but only a few minutes from the town centre.

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Tags: safari, vacation, hunting, animals, camping, national parks, elephant, kruger park, adverture, travel

As the second largest continent spanning an incredible 11.7 million square miles, Africa has a multitude of resorts, activities and landmarks to visit.

Perhaps one of the most notable of these is the East African Ngorongoro Crater which is home to a stunning nature reserve. It provides a selection of lodges and luxury accommodation along with Safari camps and tours of the conservation efforts.  The NCA (Ngorongoro Conservation Area) covers over 8000 square miles of Eastern Africa’s most beautiful land and located on the edge of the crater is the Ngorongoro Crater Lodge whose structure upholds the distinctive African architectural style.

Another prominent landmark in Africa is located right in the heart of the country of Tanzania. The Serengeti National Park was founded by the British in 1951 with the aim to preserve its exquisite wildlife. In contemporary tourism, the National Park offers a huge range of Safari tours and visits to the Biosphere reserves and World Heritage Sites. Another important event which happens in the Serengeti National Park each year is the annual wildlife migration, where millions of Zebra and Wildebeest move south to find the short rains, then North West after the long rains. All this happens between October and June. Visiting the Serengeti National Park is a great opportunity to discover the wild African plains and observe what has been happening there for millions of years. (more…)

Tags: elephant, rhino, animals, adverture, lion, safari, animal, holiday, vacation, african