Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Hiking and Trekking Journeys

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Climb two of Africa’s most dramatic peaks on this safari.
See the gorge at Hell’s Gates with its bubbling sulfur springs.
See big game in huge concentrations on the Masai Mara.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Giraffes crossing the African plain.

Above the Clouds Trekking
P.O. Box 398
2 Tory Fort Lane
Worcester
Massachusetts
01602
United States
Telephone: 800-233-4499
Fax Number: 508-797-4779

Vacation Type: Mountaineering Hiking and Trekking Journeys

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Follow one of two routes to Kilimanjaro’s snowcapped peak.
Take a safari in Ngorongoro Crater before climbing to the “roof of Africa.”
Take a warm-up hike on Mt. Meru, a volcanic crater.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Heading for the summit.

Mountain Travel-Sobek
6420 Fairmount Avenue
El Cerrito
California
94530
United States
Telephone: 800-227-2384
Fax Number: 510-525-7710

Vacation Type: Safaris Nature and Wildlife Tours

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Walk among the animals, meet local people and enjoy interesting campsites.
Enjoy day hiking, rustic camping and tented accommodations in Kenya.
Avoid large groups and experience the feeling of wild Africa.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Dozing hippos.

Journeys International Inc.
4011 Jackson Road
Ann Arbor
Michigan
48103
United States
Telephone: 800-255-8735
Fax Number: 313-665-2945

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 Safaris

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Experience sunrise on the summit of Africa’s highest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro.
Tour the Serengeti National Park and see the wildlife of Ngorongoro Crater.
Visit Olduvai Gorge excavation site, where early human remains were found. adults only.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Mt.Kilamanjaro.

REI Adventures
P.O.Box 1938
Sumner
Washington
98390-0800
United States
Telephone: 206-891-2631
Fax Number: 206-891-2523

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Safaris

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Explore the Serengeti National Park.
Observe elephants close-up in Lake Manyara National Park.
Climb to the floor of the Ngorongoro Crater.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Giraffes.

Worldwide Adventures Inc.
36 Finch Avenue West
Toronto
Ontario
M2N 2G9
Canada
Telephone: 800-387-1483
Fax Number: 416-221-5730

Vacation Type: Nature and Wildlife Tours Safaris

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

View an abundance of wildlife in Kenya.
Visit the famous game reserve, Masai Mara, known for its big cats.
Explore Kenya’s lakes and see a magnificent array of birds.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of The savanna of East Africa supports many animals.

Worldwide Adventures Inc.
36 Finch Avenue West
Toronto
Ontario
M2N 2G9
Canada
Telephone: 800-387-1483
Fax Number: 416-221-5730

Vacation Type: Safaris Nature and Wildlife Tours

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

See the best of Kenya and Tanzania’s game parks.
Experience this comprehensive wildlife safari.
Stay in game lodges and private campsites.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Masai mother with hitchhiker.

Mountain Travel-Sobek
6420 Fairmount Avenue
El Cerrito
California
94530
United States
Telephone: 800-227-2384
Fax Number: 510-525-7710

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: Walking Tours Safaris

Travel Location: Africa Kenya

Take part in an all-camping itinerary on Africa’s plains.
Track wildlife in the Aberdare, Samburu and Masai Mara parks.
Enjoy gourmet meals around the campfire under starry night skies.
Children may participate.

Vacation Contact Detail

Travel picture of Good morning, Kenya.

Mountain Travel-Sobek
6420 Fairmount Avenue
El Cerrito
California
94530
United States
Telephone: 800-227-2384
Fax Number: 510-525-7710