Astounding Africa: Your Time has Come!

The distant echo of South Africa has become a thunderous roar, and I am thrilled to announce I am heeding the call and going on safari in May! Not just any quickie, surface-deep safari, but total immersion with Overseas Adventure Travel’s “Ultimate 17-day Safari.” We will travel as a small group  to conservation-minded Botswana; less-traveled Zimbabwe where I will partake of an elephant-back safari near Victoria Falls, the largest curtain of water in the world; and to Zambia for  incredible wildlife viewing while canoeing the mighty Zambezi River.

This magical adventure promises to fulfill all my African fantasies and leave me with memories that will lift and carry me over mountains and oceans and plains for years to come. If you, too, have been dreaming about going on safari in Africa, wake up and start packing; your time has arrived! Lower fuel costs mean flights are half of what they were a year ago.

May is regarded as the perfect time to go as the rainy season has ended and the cool, dry, sunny days of winter have begun. The Okavango Delta in Botswana is home to over 400 species of birds and to the world’s most endangered species of large mammal. The Delta’s water level is high enough to float in a dug-out canoe, or mokoro, with your guide. Avoiding hippos lolling in the shallow waters will be the challenge. I have wanted to experience this Delta since meeting a world-traveler in Costa Rica who insisted it was not to be missed.

Botswana tours are more pricy than those in Kenya or Tanzania because of logistics and restrictions on tour numbers. OAT travel pricing is extremely competitive. They ensure small group sizes and they do not charge a punishing single supplement. Accommodations are comfortable lodges and high-end tent camps. There are a few spots left for the Ultimate Safari, but they are going fast.

OAT representatives will be at theLos Angeles Adventure Travel Show February 27-28. If popping up at 5AM to go game viewing does not appeal, check out the many other trips they offer around the globe. There is sure to be one just right for you.

Adventure-travel writer, Linda Ballou, shares Great Outdoor days in L.A, as well as a host of travel articles on her site, along with information about her travel memoir, Lost Angel Walkabout-One Traveler’s Tales, her historical novel Wai-nani, A Voice from Old Hawai’i and her latest action-adventure novel The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon at-www.LindaBallouAuthor.com.  

Interview with Birding Adventurer – James Currie

 
James Currie is the driving force behind Nikon Birding Adventures TV which focuses on destination and adventure bird-watching. He explores the best exotic birding destinations on the planet; the most unusual, rare and highly sought after bird species; amazing cultures and wildlife. He is the informative, passionate – and sometimes crazy! – host for BATV that portrays a unique blend of information and adventure, making bird-watching refreshing, contemporary, interesting and exciting. The program has a strong conservation emphasis and highlights the importance and urgency of preserving the planet’s incredible birdlife.

LB: What got you started in this career? Was there a pivotal event in your life that brought you to being a birding adventurer?

JC: I started as a birder really young. My folks owned a restaurant on the slopes of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa and it was there that I first found my love for birds, wildlife and the outdoors. But the moment that really got me hooked was pretty awe-inspiring. I was sitting on a granite boulder on the mountain watching some Rock Hyraxes (Rabbit-like creatures) when a massive Black Eagle swooped in and picked one off right in front of me. I remember being transfixed by the bird’s power, beauty and mastery of flight. From that day on I started trying to see as many birds as possible.

Read more of the interview here