“It was an unforgettable trip and we fell in love with Africa. I was pleasantly surprised by all of the birds and we saw every animal we hoped to see and photograph-many times. Our guides taught us so much!
We were happy to have seen all the areas we did. EXPLORE did a great job planning this trip for us. All our expectations were met and then some.”
-Lynne Cooper, Fall 2009
Mountain gorillas are massive, shy, majestic and so human-like it is almost beyond belief. Since the 1970s when the now famous primatologist Dian Fossey brought the horrible plight of gorillas into the mainstream, these amazing animals have held a special place in the imagination of many. With only about 700 mountain gorillas remaining, seeing these creatures in person is truly a one-of-a-kind experience.
Trekking through the lush, cloud shrouded tropical jungles of central Africa in search of a family of gorillas is quickly becoming a popular adventure and a great way to make a contribution towards helping save the species. For the greater part of the last 30 years the mountain gorillas’ habitat has been in war zones and as a result the gorillas have been affected by massive habitat loss, poaching and disease. As peace spreads through the area conservation has become a top priority.
Money from tourism has become one of the most important sources of income in the fight to save the gorillas. Tourist dollars pay for the rangers who protect the gorillas and provides a financial incentive to countries to make saving the gorillas a priority. However, great strides are taken to ensure that visitors do not have a harmful effect on the animals by allowing only a small group of visitors a short period of time to see the gorillas each day.
The Parc National des Volcans in Rwanda is likely the best place in the world to see mountain gorillas, with nearly half of the total population living in this area, and now is easier to get to than ever! Spending 3-4 nights in Rwanda and 2 days trekking with gorillas is a fantastic trip to combine with an incredible safari watching the “big five” in Kenya or Tanzania.
Want to go to Africa for the holidays? Go somewhere warmer? This is a great time to visit but be aware lodges are filling up for 2010.
Email us if you’d like more information - info@exploreafrica.net – we’d love to help you plan your holiday!
THE GREAT MIGRATIONHave you always wanted to see Africa’s Great Migration, one of the greatest spectacles of the natural world? The time to go is in December, January and February, but because so many people want to see this mass movement of over 2 million animals, lodges are beginning to fill up already.
From the vast Serengeti plains in Tanzania to the champagne-colored hills of Kenya’s Maasai Mara, over 1.4 million wildebeest and 200,000 zebra and gazelle migrate in a clockwise fashion over 1,800 miles each year in search of rain-ripened grass. It is truly a staggering experience! Encounter the vast herds of the wildebeest migration as they fan out in a seemingly un-endless blanket across the landscape.
The thundering hooves of the herds and the enormous clouds of fine red dust they leave in their wake have become an icon of East African safari. Filled with dramatic encounters, this incredible journey takes the herds across fast-flowing rivers inhabited by some of Africa’s largest crocodiles and plains filled with predators.
HOLIDAY TIME IN CAPE TOWNThinking of traveling to warmer climates around Christmas time? Cape Town is a great option, but unless you book early it is almost impossible to find a room.
Cape Town is a city where old and new harmoniously converge in history, architecture, cultural pursuits and the essence of its people. It is dominated by a towering, table-shaped mountain, set on a peninsula of soaring, rocky heights and lush valleys, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet.
The fast pace and bright lights of the city meld effortlessly with a choice of white sandy beaches, magnificent green areas with rivers, vleis and dams and a floral kingdom that is wholly unique to the Cape. There are also plenty of must-sees to check off your list like Robben Island, Cape Point and the Victoria & Alfred Waterfront. All of this combined with the spectacular warm climate make Cape Town a fantastic destination.
The African continent is under siege. Over population and massive extractive industries from uncontrolled mining to deforestation threaten the continent. A few extraordinary individuals have dedicated themselves to conserving its most critical ecosystems. Visit the most extraordinary reserves representing the cutting edge of conservation in the African continent. Witness the beauty and majesty of Africa at its most powerful. CLICK HERE FOR ITINERARY DETAILS.
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An East Africa Trip of a Lifetime with Dr Don Johanson
Dr Don Johanson sharing information about the hominid fossil
From one of our travelers whose family went on our special East Africa itinerary with Dr Don Johanson (famed for his discovery of Lucy, a 3.2 million-year-old hominid skeleton which he unearthed in Ethiopia’s remote Afar region in 1974). He is a world renowned paleoanthropologist and Founding Director of the Institute of Human Origins (IHO), a human evolutionary “think tank” he founded in 1981…
We had the most wonderful 11-day trip of a lifetime to Africa! Led by Dr. Donald Johanson, the man who discovered “Lucy”, the missing link between man and ape, we were treated to a safari with animals of all sorts (zebras, elephants, giraffes, lions, cheetahs, baboons, and the like) as well as an opportunity to learn about early hominids!
While we were a little apprehensive about sleeping in “tents” through the Serengeti, we were pleasantly surprised that the “tent camping” was better than some hotels we stay in while traveling, the service was incredible, the food amazing, the accommodations first class, and the views and access to nature absolutely unbelievable!
We will miss our morning wake-up calls by a Masai warrior complete with hot tea, coffee, and cookies to start off our mornings! A trip for all ages, from our youngest at age-10 to our oldest at age-13 along with us older kids at heart, this was an absolutely amazing trip!
Rand M, San Francisco, California
Ballooning Over The Serengeti
Elephants at a watering hole
Zebras
Lions
Hippos
Masai
Lion cubs
Dr. Don Johanson and the family at Olduvai Cafe (next to the painting of "Lucy" on the wall)