Most people assosiate safaris with big game, African savanahs, and the sounds of frogs and crickets. The literal meaning of safari is an overland expedition so a birding trip could be though of as a safari…

David J Ringer Is a bird man. He has seen close to a thousand bird speicies up till now and is currently on a continent hop after the next bird.

MORAVIA, COSTA RICA - You are in a place so still that a falling leaf makes you jump, so tranquil that a buzzing insect makes you flinch. You are breathing off bits of a cloud, for it is all around you. You begin to wonder whether the thunder really is coming from the sky you cannot see or instead from an invisible mountain across the valley, bidding goodnight to its neighbor. And there is birdsong, always there is birdsong, ethereal, strident, modest, wild.

This mossy tree looks like a prop from a fantasy movie. Hard to believe places like this exist and even harder to believe that places like this exist and support a multitude of life forms and us westerners, in our infinite self absorption are probably going to ruin these places some day soon…

these are only a few of the breath taking pictures on his blog which I highly recommend visiting.

 

I’ve been working with many people that are going for Safari’s in Africa and I have to say that the attempt to bring people to be aware of the complexities of the political and humanitarian situation in the places they are going to on vacation is not easy,

People at times use a clear distinction in their mind between places they can go and enjoy and places that have a real existence.

Recently I’ve seen some bridge between the duality, people are able to go on a tour to Africa enjoy the wilderness but at the same time be sensitive to the political, economical and social struggles that are such an important part of the continent.

It is O.K to remember the desperate need of Africa for assistance, are we aware of the global economical context that is explained in articles such as this? I won’t go to the extreme of saying that visits to Africa should be just for the purposes of learning more about the current situation there, I’m not even saying that there is something wrong with Safari tours, all I’m saying is that there is a need for balance. If each of take take back from his tour not just the appreciation of the wild life but a better understanding and more compassion for the people than the situation of Africa is going to change. Let’s be conscious travelers. There are a lot of opportunities out there

When in Africa one of the places for a safari vacation is the Kruger park. Check out its official site for specific information and guidance. I personally try to find travelers stories as they are the best indication of the experiences you’ll have. Check out this one. All in all I can highly recommend visiting this park that was one of the first wildlife reserves to be created in South-Africa and the area.

Tour Groups Undoubtedly traveling with a tour group will give you many advantages in keeping your safari costs down. African Safari tour deals are readily available and by joining a group, most of the expense will be paid for in advance so you’ll know exactly what your bottom line will be even before you leave home. With a tour group, your traveling and transportation expenses will be reduced significantly and better still, if you are new to the wilds of Africa, then planning your trip and the need for playing the guessing game is eliminated. The only real negative associated with a tour group is you’re restricted to deadlines however, on the plus side, you cut down on unnecessary waste of time.

here is an example for such a package but there are many others. If you prefer traveling alone here is another place.

The Kalahari’s desert is one of the best place to go for a Safari tour. The desert undergoes a major change as the Bushman were forced or tempted to leave the desert for resettlement. This nomadic tribe that used to live in the Kalahari has been moved to settlements in a process that is very hard on the Bushmans. The Universal process of moving nomadic tribes into permanent settlements is not without price, most of this resettlements have severe adjustment problems, The internal process in South Africa and Botswana is part of a changing culture. I feel that the way to turn this amazing desert into a more “civilized” place or into a place for diamond mining is not far. If Your into Safari and the rough untouched quality of the desert you better hurry before civilization would take the charm out of the place.