Responsible tourism- Eco tourism

An African beach holiday/vacation can do more bad than good to the environment and the locals. As with anything when profits come before anything else including the environment then it is easy to see how some places that have been created as tourist areas can do more damage to the environment than good.

For starters some African governments have been selling prime beachside locations to foreigners, sometime displacing the communities nearby and other time affecting even their livelihoods by making some beaches exclusive. In some areas of Africa virtually all the infrastructure is foreign owned from the shopping centres to the restaurants, hotels and curio shops. Read more

A deeper understanding of wild Africa

To truly appreciate wild Africa, we must adapt a different way of seeing. The whole is often much greater than the sum of its parts. So instead of seeing the animals and plants that make up the ecosystem individually we should seek to understand and visualise the web of interactions and relationships that make up the ecosystem.

Whether on a Kenya safari or in Kruger national park in South Africa, instead of looking at wild Africa through our binoculars and magnifying glasses we should seek rather to float above the earth on an imaginary balloon and appreciate the landscape in its entirety rather than in bits.

When ecologists use the word landscape they often use it in reference to the climate, soil, vegetation, animals and topography that forms an interacting unit.

Landscapes have spatial dimensions including the dimension of time. Just like in an art form or in language involving the construction of sentences, the position of parts in relation to one another is crucial in determining the outcome.

Often where an organism is found gives a vital clue as to why it is found there. The time dimension is equally essential because everything we see in a landscape has a history, like a legion of shadowy ghosts matching behind it.

Over the years the African continent has allowed the evolution and maintenance of unusually diverse plant and animal species, intricately adapted to each other and to their environment.

Just as the shape and height of a building are determined by its foundations, so does the soil set the limits of form and function of an ecosystem.

Herbivore numbers are limited not by the total amount of plant material produced by the ecosystem but by the quality of nutritious, palatable and accessible food. Grazer numbers are limited by the quality of grass (In particular the nitogen content), while browser numbers are limited by the quality of available and edible material during the critical dry seasons when most trees have shade their leaves.

It seems self-evident that the number of predators has a direct impact on the prey population, but the reality is a little more complicated. Other factors also play a role including preference of predators for particular types of prey.

Predator preferences are partly influenced by the ease with which the different species can be captured, the size of the meal and also partly due to learned behaviour.

Individual predators tend to specialize on just a few species of prey usually the ones that were the main part of their diet when they were learning to hunt.

Southern Africa

Southern Africa offers an wide variety of attractions and landscapes from the enormous dunes of the Kalahari to the quasi-Siberian highlands of Lesotho where you can even go skiing in winter. There is also Wildlife viewing, and beautiful sandy beaches.

Southern Africa’s national parks and reserves rival those of East Africa and are also considered relatively cheaper. Among the most famous of these are Kruger National Park, Botswana’s Chobe National Park and the Okavango delta and Namibia’s Etosha Pan.

Namibia’s Namib desert is home to the worlds tallest dunes and the bizarre two leafed aloe also known as Welwitschia mirabilis, which can live for up to 2000 years.

For those thinking of canoeing then the Zambezi river is a great place to see animals from your canoe. It is this river that is responsible for the majestic Victoria falls. Victoria falls is accessible from both Zimbabwe and Zambia, and here you can participate in a wide variety of adventure sports, from bungee jumping and white-water rafting to helicopter rides.

For those looking for beach vacation spots, the Indian Ocean is the place, especially in Mozambique, teh island of Madagascar and the Comoros.

The island of Madagascar is best know for its biodiversity with new species being discovered all the time and the island is also popular with eco tourists.

For those interested in history there are remains of the slave trade that took part centuries ago as well as those of the first missionaries in the region.

Culturally southern Africa most emblematic people are the Zulu whose militaristic nineteenth century empire under the leadership of Shaka Zulu spread across this vast region and causing havoc. Southern Africa’s Bushmen or San are the original inhabitants of this region and survived on hunting game and gathering wild fruits and plants.

Kenya with something for every traveler

Scenic Safari

The Kenyan coast holds rare beauty, flaunting a distinct shade of the blue Indian Ocean outlined with white sand beaches. The ocean embraces glistering coral reefs reflecting life and beauty. Along the lamu and mombasa coast are Arab and portugese forts, old township, and ruins of swahili settlement. Mombasa and lamu are a perfect mix of natural beauty and fascinating history. The ideal beaches protected by the reefs are calm and appealing.

The offshore reefs enfold coral, innumerable fish, sea turtles and dolphins. The spectacular coral gardens and marine life is an  ideal spot for divers and snorkellers. The Pemba Channel is an excellent base for big game fishing. Visitors can enjoy this natural paradise with a wide range of resorts around Diani Beach.

Lake Naivasha is another water-side flocked by nature lovers. This beautiful freshwater lake is surrounded by thick paprus and forests of the yellow barked Acacia Xanthophlea. The region flourishes with bird life and is ideal for bird watchers to walk along the nature trails.

The picturesque countryside and the friendly people are the charm of the land rich in the wealth of its contrasts; the landscapes and cultures that keeps you intrigued every second of your awaken moment. From the colourful and diverse culture of the inhabitants to the colours that the sky paints from dawn to dusk, Kenya is truly Magical.

Culture Safari

Kenya’s people are just as diverse as its natural world. The 42 tribes with their different culture and traditions inhibit the region along with the migrant Arabic, Asiatic and European populace. The country demonstrates an outstanding multi-ethnic and multi-racial blend.

Kenya is most popularly known for its maasai people and their culture, but many other regions and ethnic communities have a rich culture too. Communities the likes of the Samburu that live in and around the samburu national reserve. Samburu is just as enchanting. The Ewaso Nyiro in the North of Kenya flows through three reserves, samburu, Buffalo springs and Shaba. The lush green region nurtured by the river draws wildlife in great numbers and is visited by large herds of Elephants and other game. The samburu vicinity has several common Northern species like Gerenuk, the Reticulated Giraffe and Grevy’s Zebra. The forests down the riverbanks are also home to many birds, Impalas, Zebras, Grant Gazelles, Giraffes, Buffaloes, Leopards, Lions and Cheetah.

Beach and Wildlife Safari

Kenya is a land of expansive  savannas, white sand beaches, snow-capped mountains and extensive wildlife. Home to the world’s biggest concentrations of elephant, giraffe, antelope and zebra it boasts some of the richest and varied collection of game in its parks and game reserves. The game reserves also flourish with rhinos, buffalos, lions, leopards, cheetah and are also abode of the rare green turtle, the sable and Hirola antelope and thousands of bird species.

Sports Safari

Kenya has embraced all modern international sports that one enjoys in other parts of the world. This includes the trilling spor of river rafting, steep rock climbing and the lot. All over Kenya, sport is a part of every day social life.