He’s not a rich person, never known him to travel with a 1st class ticket, though I know he earns enough money online without having to work (not sure how) to be able to take time off to travel.

After receiving another email from him while he was traveling to Africa for I think the third time this year! He emailed me on the plane again, think he does it to show off as he knows I’m lucky to afford two short holidays a year.

This time he’s on his way to Botswana to explore the Okavango Delta then on to Namibia for some kind of wildlife reserve and to finish of Africa visit Mount Kilimanjaro which I think is in Kenya!

I decided to ask him how he can afford to do what he does, how does he afford the airfare tickets to so many places?

He was quite candid in his response and we got to chatting online about how he manages to travel to so many exotic locations for so little money by air! Traveling to see wild life isn’t really my thing, I prefer ancient ruins like the pyramids in Egypt, palaces/temples in Tibet or even prehistoric caving in France.

As we all know the biggest cost in traveling is the airfare tickets (and it’s getting worse), Bernard (my friend, though I call him Bernie) confirmed the biggest cost is air travel tickets since the countries he tends to travel to the cost of living is far lower than where he lives.

Basically once he gets to a country paying for food and accommodation is easy from the money he makes online (I must ask him what he does as I wouldn’t mind traveling a few years without having to work ).

Anyway, Bernie told me about a book about cheap airfare travel only available online that’s written by a sacked travel agent! Apparently this travel agent got pissed off about being given the boot so wrote a book revealing industry travel secrets about cheap airfare travel etc… and keeps the book updated with how/where to get cheap flights etc… No idea if the sacked travel agent bit is true, sounds like a marketing ploy to me, but as long as the cheap travel secrets are useful, I don’t care if it’s a sacked travel agent or a teenager with his Dad’s lap top (OK maybe I’d worry then ).

I’m planning on a two week vacation mid September 2008 to Egypt to see the pyramids (for the first time) and so was interested in cheaper airfares: with how things are going might not even be able to afford to leave the country!

I needed to be sure I’d be able to book my air ticket in advance: I can’t drop everything at a moments notice like Bernie can and travel to whatever country is cheap that day, has to be a specific country (and airfield) on a particular day (when my planned vacation starts). He assured me this was possible and the money I’d save on the one return airfare ticket would easily reimburse me for the cost of the online book.

I was still skeptical, but he’s never led me wrong before so bought the book from the website My AirFare Secrets (the books called “Save on Airfare Secrets”).

I’ve had the book a couple of weeks now and have been checking out the cheap travel information and discussing my findings with Bernie to confirm I understand everything correctly and OMG, this is going to save me a fortune on airfare tickets, hotel bills, car rental and even food!

It’s no wonder Bernie decided to extend his world travel vacation, he must spend less a week living while traveling the globe than I do stuck at home watching reruns on TV.

Even with this cheap travel guide I still couldn’t afford to do what Bernie does, (I have to work for a living) but I think if I save as much on the travel tickets as I’m estimating in September I should be able to afford three and maybe even four vacations a year (normally have two vacations).

You will be pleasantly surprised at the savings possible, I would find a great airfare ticket deal and email Bernie to confirm I’d understood things correctly, the airfares are way too cheap (Bernie had a few good laughs at my expense )

If you go on just one vacation a year and travel abroad, the information within Save on Airfare Secrets will save you a big chunk of cash, no BS.

I’ll add an update here in September how things go with my Egyptian vacation: I am so looking forward to this, been wanting to travel to see the pyramids for almost 10 years so well over due.

Update: As planned I went on my Egyptian vacation (got back late last week) and the country is even better than I could have ever imagined, the people are so friendly and interesting (I must go again).

I used half a dozen tips from the Save on Airfare Secrets book and estimate I saved over $2,000 on the trip from cheaper flights, cheaper hotel rooms and even cheaper car hire! Like I said above if I saved enough from this vacation I might be able to go on three vacations a year rather than two. Well if I save a similar amount on my next vacation AND I can wangle another two weeks off from my boss I’ll be able to afford a third vacation next year

The image to the right in one of my vacation photos, click the image to see a full size version.

Vacation Type: Mountaineering Cross-Country Skiing

Travel Location: North America Canada

Learn skiing in powder, ski mountaineering and backcountry skiing. Learn the basics of ice and rock climbing, as well as avalanche awareness. Push your limits on a sport rock climbing weekend in Bow Valley’s canyons.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Learn to climb peaks with Yamnuska.

Calypso Diving Centre
Marasli Street 24
Agios Gordis Beach
Corfu
49100
Greece
Telephone: 661-53101
Fax Number: 661-34319

Vacation Type: Safaris Nature and Wildlife Tours

Travel Location: Africa Botswana

Explore the broad reaches of Africa’s veldt on comprehensive safaris. Fly over the Okavango Delta or cruise its narrow channels in dugout canoes. See wild lions and elephants on big game drives or from special “tree lodges.”

Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of A family of lions in Kenya.

Tread Lightly Ltd.
One Titus Road
Washington Depot
Connecticut
06794
United States
Telephone: 203-868-1710
Fax Number: 203-868-1718

What’s a veldt?

The term Veld, or Veldt, refers primarily (but not exclusively) to the wide open rural spaces of South Africa or southern Africa and in particular to certain flatter areas or districts covered in grass or low scrub. The word comes from the Afrikaans (ultimately from Dutch), literally meaning ‘field’. However, this simple translation does not convey the subtleties of the many idiomatic nuances of the term. Veld can be compared to the Australian terms “outback” or “bush,” to “the prairie” of North America, or to the “pampas” of South America but the comparisons are not exact. A Yorkshireman might equate “wandering across the moors” to “walking through the veld.”

Okavango Delta Tourist Information

The Okavango Delta (or Okavango Swamp), in Botswana, is the world’s largest inland delta.

The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that dried up some 10,000 years ago. Today, the Okavango River has no outlet to the sea. Instead, it empties onto the sands of the Kalahari Desert, irrigating 15,000 km² of the desert. Each year some 11 cubic kilometres of water reach the delta. Some of this water reaches further south to create Lake Ngami.

The waters of the Okavango Delta are subject to seasonal flooding, which begins about mid-summer in the north and six months later in the south (May/June). The water from the delta is evaporated relatively rapidly by the high temperatures, resulting in a cycle of cresting and dropping water in the south. Islands can disappear completely during the peak flood, then reappear at the end of the season.

The water entering the delta is unusually pure, due to the lack of agriculture and industry along the Okavango River. It passes through the sand aquifers of the numerous delta islands and evaporates/transpirates by leaving enormous quantities of salt behind. These precipitation processes are so strong that the vegetation disappears in the center of the islands and thick salt crusts are formed.

The Okavango is home to a prosperity of wildlife and attracts thousands of visitors a year. There are camps within the delta region that cater to these visitors.

The delta provides a seasonal habitat to numerous different species. Among these are African Bush Elephants, the African Buffalo, the Hippopotamus, the Lechwe, the Topi, the Blue Wildebeest, the Giraffe, the Nile crocodile, the Lion, the Cheetah, the Leopard, Brown and Spotted Hyenas, African Wild Dogs, the Greater Kudu, the Sable Antelope, both the Black and the White Rhinoceros, the Plains Zebras, the Warthog and the Chacma Baboon. The delta also includes over 400 species of birds, including the African Fish Eagle, the Crested Crane, the Lilac-breasted Roller, the Hammerkop, Ostrich, and the Sacred Ibis.

The Okavango Delta has been under the political control of the Batawana (a Tswana sub-tribe) since the late 1700s. Most Batawana, however, have traditionally lived on the edges of the Delta.

Botswana Tourist Information

Botswana is dominated by the Kalahari Desert, which covers up to 70% of the land surface of the country. The Okavango Delta, the world’s largest inland delta, is in the northwest. The Makgadikgadi Pan, a large salt pan lies in the north.

Botswana has diverse areas of wildlife habitat, including the Okavango Delta, the Kalahari Desert, grasslands and savannas, the latter where Blue Wildebeest and many antelopes as well as other mammals and birds are found. Northern Botswana has one of the few remaining large populations of the endangered African Wild Dog.

Botswana’s principal tourist attractions are its game reserves, with hunting and photographic safaris available. Other attractions include the Okavango Delta region, which during the rainy season is a maze of waterways, islands, and lakes. The tourism industry also helped to diversify Botswana’s economy from traditional sources such as diamonds and beef and created 23,000 jobs in 2005.

Vacation Type: Scuba Diving Snorkeling

Travel Location: Europe Greece

Dive the in unexplored seas surrounding Corfu and Praxos islands. Explore caves, spectaular drop offs and undersea arches in the blue seas. Taste local cuisine, watch famous Greek folk dancing and enjoy the beaches.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Ruins of another age beneath the Ionian Sea.

Himalayan Travel
112 Prospect Street
Stamford
Connecticut
06901
United States
Telephone: 800-255-2380
Fax Number: 203-359-3669

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Walking Tours

Travel Location: North America Canada Newfoundland

See some of the world’s largest concentrations of puffins and gannets.
Explore Terra Nova National Park and watch for moose and caribou.
Visit North America’s oldest city and watch icebergs float by on the bay.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Kayaking beneath a bridge in Newfoundland.

Outer Edge Expeditions
45500 Pontiac Trail
Walled Lake
Michigan
48390
United States
Telephone: 800-322-5235
Fax Number: 313-624-5140

Vacation Type: Archaeologic and Historic Tours Nature and Wildlife Tours

Travel Location: South America Brazil

Visit spectacular sights as you travel South America from Brazil to Peru.
Ride a train to Machu Picchu and trundle past rural Peru.
Experience the market in Tarabuco, where villagers gather in native dress.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of A night out in La Paz, Bolivia.

Tread Lightly Ltd.
One Titus Road
Washington Depot
Connecticut
06794
United States
Telephone: 203-868-1710
Fax Number: 203-868-1718

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Native Culture Tours

Travel Location: South America Peru

Live like a nomad in the Australian Outback or dive the Great Barrier Reef. Travel in small groups to maximize your experience in far-off places. Canoe deep into the Amazon jungle or swim with freshwater pink dolphins.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Camel safari in the Red Center.

TravelWild International
P.O. Box 1637
Vashon Island
Washington
98070
United States
Telephone: 800-368-0077
Fax Number: 206-463-5484

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Native Culture Tours

Travel Location: Southeast Asia Indonesia

Tour the enchanting lands of Bali and Borneo.
Enjoy an unforgettable visit to the Tanjung Puting Orangutan Preserve.
Learn about the endangered orangutan from Dr. Birute Galdikas.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Orangutans gather for lunch.

Tumbaco Inc.
7855 NW 12th Street
Suite 115
Miami
Florida
33126
United States
Telephone: 800-247-2925
Fax Number: 305-592-7060

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Natural History Tours

Travel Location: North America United States Pacific Northwestern USA Alaska Manitoba

See sea otters frolick in Alaska or tufted puffins in the Pribilof Islands.
Observe game gathering at the waterholes of Namibia and Kenya.
See the wonders of the natural world with knowledgeable guides.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Bear gets a scratch from a birch tree.

Southern Heritage Expeditions
P.O. Box 22
Waikari
North Canterbury
New Zealand
Telephone: 0064-3-314-4393
Fax Number: 0064-3-314-4137

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Scuba Diving

Travel Location: South America Ecuador

Enjoy a relaxed and independent tour of the incomparable Galapagos.
Explore the underwater world of these islands with their amazing fauna.
Fully-equipped yachts provide a superb cruising and diving vacation.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Exploring the underwater world of the Galapagos.

FITS Equestrian
685 Lateen Road
Solvang
California
93463
United States
Telephone: 800-666-FITS
Fax Number: 805-688-2943