Working on your vacation

You have a vacation coming up, but you’ve been everywhere and seen everything that you wanted to see. Maybe you have a lot of vacation time amassed and you know you’ve been blessed with material assets that others don’t have. If so, maybe you should consider going on a Volunteer Vacation. There are many opportunities available to take an interesting vacation and still make a difference in your world. You can work in a partner program where you will work side by side with local people to improve their community. You might work in the area you are most interested in. Do you have building skills? Are you a medical professional? You can be used in various communities both here and abroad to help the disadvantaged get the medical care they need. Other opportunities are offered all over the world. You could volunteer in an orphanage, a school, caring for the elderly, or working with people with disabilities. What ever your interests, there are opportunities for you to make your vacation a volunteer experience. It will inspire you and make you thankful for all you have been blessed with. With the natural disasters we have experienced in the past year, many places could use help in rebuilding and cleaning up. The tsunami relief is still far from being completed. Many miles of beaches still need to be cleaned and many are still without shelter. Put your building skills to work to help the unfortunate countries that were affected. Do you lean more toward ecological projects? Those can be found as well. In the past 12 months, a volunteer group has spent many hours rehabilitating sick penguins so they can be released into the wild in South Africa. Released turtle hatchlings in Costa Rica and cleaning vast amounts of beach area in Sri Lanka. Other projects include, erecting a fence to protect wildlife in Australia, replanting over 2000 saplings to restore a forest in Kenya and helped preserve Griffon Vultures in Croatia. If you prefer to work with people, you may be able to help with teaching English as a second language. One organization has organized a camp to help children fight drug addiction. Another has taught basic sports skills and helped with educational development for children in underprivileged countries. Meaningful volunteer vacations can be a worthwhile project for anyone wanting to help the world become a better place. To promote goodwill and let other countries know that we as Americans care. The Church I belong to takes a missionary trip every year. They have fund-raising events, and those that go work to raise the money for their travel. They may go and finish a project started by another church, or start a new project. The Church that is sending the group often supplies building supplies. Teens have gone on mission trips to conduct one-week Bible Schools. My son had the opportunity to go on one of these mission trips and that one trip changed his life forever. He learned that volunteer work could be rewarding and unforgettable. There was time for him to visit the local sites and work with the locals on something that was important to them. He used his experience on that trip to go to a large city here in the States to minister to inner city youths during one of his summer college breaks. I found many different sites on the Internet that gives you the choice of where you want to volunteer. Is there an area you have never thought of visiting? Maybe a news story has made you curious about an area, or stirred your heart, making you want to make a difference. Can one person make a difference? The answer is a resounding YES. You can take projects for as short as one week to as long as 12 weeks. You choose what will interest you and where you would like to go. Why not take advantage to see a part of the world you would not have the occasion to visit and change the lives of people in that area. You can have a life changing experience, a vacation to remember and do your part in working for peace and understanding around the world.

Cheap discount vegas vacations how to get the best room rates in vegas hotels

Copyright 2006 Karin Manning Cheap Discount Vegas Vacations? When people think of Vegas they think of spending money and gambling. The thing is that you don't need to spend a fortune planning a Las Vegas vacation. Here are a few best kept travel secrets for finding the best room rates and cheap hotels in Vegas. Plan your Las Vegas trip during the week rather than weekends. Decide how long you want to stay in Vegas for. Many hotels offer lower room rates the longer you stay. Many of the downtown casinos and hotels are cheaper than accommodation on the Strip. Look into hotels that are not on Las Vegas Boulevard. They have bargain room rates. If you are staying for a week then ask what the weekly room rate is. Plan your Vegas trip well ahead to get the best rates. Most Vegas hotels have an incredible 90 percent occupancy rate. An incredible 63 percent of Las Vegas visitors book at least two weeks in advance. Look out for hotels offering a free night if you stay for three or more nights in Vegas. Book your hotel on an airline website. Download Travel Axe where you can search around 20 websites to help you find the cheapest Vegas deals. TIP: If you call the hotel with your Travel Axe deal they will usually try and beat their offer. Check to see if your planned trip coincides with any major conventions or popular events, etc, on at the same time. If a convention is on at the same time it could be impossible to find a room. Some conventions have attendees of more than 50,000. Here are some conventions and popular events to look out for: January - Consumer Electronics Show February - Men’s Apparel Guild in California (MAGIC) March - NASCAR April - National Association of Broadcasters, World Series Poker, Clark County Fair and Rodeo, Fremont Street Mardi Gras, City of Light Jazz Festival May - Networld + Interop (high-tech), EA Sports Supercross, Cinco de Mayo, Summer Jam, Stars, Cars & Guitars Motorhead Festival, Jazz in the Park June - Jazz Festival, International Truck Show July - Fourth of July Fireworks August - MAGIC, Newport Pacific Jazz Festival November - Softbank Comdex (software and high-tech) December - National Finals Rodeo It's a good idea to contact the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (3150 Paradise Rd., Las Vegas, NV 89109, PHONE: 702/892-0711, FAX: 702/892-2824) to find out who or what will be in town at the time you're planning to visit. It is possible to plan a cheap, discount Las Vegas vacation that will cost you next to nothing. Everything from cheap hotels, cheap airfares, cheap car rental. By spending a little time improving your knowledge about your Vegas vacation destination you can end up saving hundreds on your trip - and having more money to burn. What are you waiting for? Sin City is calling you!

The benefits of planning your hawaii big island vacation in advance

Are you interested in taking a Hawaii Big Island vacation? Hawaii’s Big Island isn’t only known as being the largest of all the Hawaiian Islands, but it is also known as being a great place to visit, especially when on a vacation. If you have recently decided that you would like to take a Hawaii Big Island vacation, you are advised to book your reservations in advance. Why you may be wondering; because there are an unlimited number of benefits to booking any vacation, including a Hawaii Big Island vacation, in advance. Perhaps, the biggest benefit to booking your Big Island vacation is advance is the likelihood of you getting exactly what you want. For instance, in Hawaii, Big Island vacation rentals are highly sought after, especially beachfront rentals. For that reason, there are a fairly large number of vacationers who are all trying to reserve a rental. While there is always enough Big Island vacation rentals to go around, booking your reservation in advance will help to ensure that you get your first choice vacation rental. If you wait until the last minute, to book your Hawaii Big Island vacation rental, you may find that your first choice has already been reserved. That is why it is important that you book your reservation in advance, especially if you are looking for something in particular. Another benefit to booking your Hawaii Big Island vacation in advance is the amount of money that you may be able to save. Of course, there is always a chance that you can save money on last minute vacations, but there are really never any guarantees. In most cases, you will find that you save the most money by booking your reservations in advance. It is possible to save money on your Big Island vacation rental, airline reservations, and car rental, all by making your reservation a decent amount of time before your trip is scheduled to take place. Another one of the many benefits to booking your Hawaii Big Island vacation in advance is planning. The sooner you make your reservations, the sooner you can start planning your trip. For instance, once you know exactly where you will be staying, it will be easier to develop an itinerary. That itinerary could include Big Island activities and attractions that you would like to participate in or see. Of course, you can also start preplanning your vacation activities ahead of time, but it is much easier to do so once you know where you will be staying on Big Island. That is why you are advised to make your Big Island vacation reservations in advance. It was mentioned above, numerous times, that you are advised to book your Big Island vacation reservations in advance. Are you wondering exactly what advanced it? If so, you will find that different individuals interpret the word early differently. There are some who feel that planning their vacations early means planning them a year early and then there are others who feel that early is about three months before their trip is set to take place. In all honestly, early should depend on the reservations that you plan on making. As previously mentioned, Big Island vacation rentals tend to quickly fill up with reservations. If you would like to book a stay at Big Island vacation rental, you are advised to make your reservations at least five or six months in advance. However, if you are simply booking a stay at a hotel or vacation resort, three months may do. You have the power to decide when you want to make your reservations, but it is always advised that you use your common sense. As you can see, there are a number of benefits to booking your Big Island vacation reservations in advance. In fact, the above mentioned benefits are just a few of the many that exist. Whether you are looking for something in particular or to save money, it is best that you start making your reservations as soon as you decide to take a Big Island vacation.

Hello from orlando an orlando jewel the wells built museum of african american history and culture

After I had received a general overview of the history of the Orlando area in the Orange County Regional History Center, I wanted to delve a little deeper into the social history of the Orlando area, and the Wells Built Museum of African American History and Culture was going to give me a more in-depth look into Orlando's African American history. To this day this area west of I-4 is primarily inhabited by African Americans and the difference in housing and facilities between this area and the downtown area is quite notable. As a matter of fact, the very name "Division Street" points to a distinct historical line of demarcation between black and white residential areas. The origins of the Wells Built Museum date back to a prominent local African physician by the name of Dr. William Monroe Wells who started building the Well's Built Hotel in 1926 to provide lodging to African Americans during an era of segregation when accommodations were not available to them in other areas of Central Florida. Next door to the Wells' Built was once the South Street Casino, a performance hall, which featured musicians that traveled the 'Chitlin Circuit' performing for audiences all over the country. The hotel opened with three storefronts on the first floor and hotel rooms on the second floor. Dr. William Monroe Wells was one of Orlando's first black physicians and came to the area in 1917. Born in Ft. Gaines, Georgia, in 1889, Dr. Wells completed his medical training at Meharry Medical College. During part of WWII, Dr. William Monroe Wells was the only African American physician in Orlando. During segregation, white physicians did not treat African American patients. African American doctors, therefore, earned their money from people of their own race. He worked very hard to serve the growing African American population in Orlando. With the help of his assistant, Mrs. Josie Belle Jackson, Dr. Wells is known to have delivered over 5,000 babies in Orlando. He treated patients who suffered from pneumonia, influenza, scarlet fever and other serious illnesses before drugs like penicillin were introduced. Many of Dr. Wells' patients were extremely poor. He treated their illnesses though they many times could not afford to pay his fee. This allowed them to speak forcefully against poor conditions that existed in the African American community without fear of losing their livelihood. Although African Americans were taxpayers like other residents of Orlando, they did not have access to recreational facilities, good schools, police protection, health care and other services that were provided to white citizens. This led him to build the South Street Casino and the hotel next door. Dr. Wells booked bands and other big name entertainers to perform at the South Street Casino. Many famous performers that we know today played at South Street Casino within the Chitlin Circuit. A few examples of these performers are: - Ray Charles - B. B. King - Louis Armstrong - Guitar Slim - Bo Diddley African Americans came from all over the surrounding areas to Orlando to shop and take in performances of popular musicians at the South Street Casino. After the performances at the casino, the artists checked in at the historic Wells' Built Hotel. In its heyday, the Wells' Built provided lodging for clientele such as Pegleg Bates, Ella Fitzgerald, Roy Campenella, Thurgood Marshall, and Jackie Robinson. The entertainers and athletes who frequented this establishment made it one of the most popular venues for African Americans in the South. Today the museum features over 6,000 square feet of display space. It retains the original hotel facade, a guestroom featuring authentic furniture, beading and decorations of the 1930's, and also bears an original interior wall reflecting important architectural elements and designs unique to the period. Exhibition material collected for display include: official hotel documents, an original Negro League baseball jersey, photographs, artifacts, books, multi-media exhibits, slave records and other items of historic significance. Dr. Well's home has been moved to the site of the Casino and will be restored and opened to the public. The Well's Built Museum of African American Culture and History is located just west of I-4 near Church Street at 511 West South Street, Orlando 32801, tel. (407) 245-7535. This entire article including photos is located at travelandtransitions/stories_photos/orlando_wells_built_museum. htm

Long flights survival tips

Everyone, at one point or the other, starts disliking flights, when we were kids it was so much fun, but now it looks like the worst few hours we can spend, and on long flights it is almost a catastrophic, spending hours in that very small space, and without much free movement or quality breathing air can make some people really edgy. There are a few things besides the lake of fresh air and space for your feet in most flights, and this is what makes most of us dislike flying long hours. However there are a few things that you can do to try and combat these long hour flights, and the boredom that comes with them, as well as take care of yourself while flying, here are a few things we thought can help. On flight If you are scheduled to fly for 4 hours or more, you probably be thinking of the things to do to kill time while on flight. Remember the following… Bring pocket books. This will keep you busy while flying and the best way to kill the time. An MP3 player and a portable game console are also good. These things are helpful in case you do not want to watch or could not see the movie shown on the screen. Exercise. Sitting on the plane for several hours would prevent your blood to circulate properly. Walk for at least 5 minutes every 2 hours during the flight. Shake your legs, bend your knees, and move. Target the seat at the aisles. This will prevent you from disturbing your neighbor sleeping if you want to get up and take a walk or go to the lavatory. An aisle seat would also give you more legroom to stretch. Try to avoid a window seat; you would only see clouds and skies for most of the time. Seats at the exit doors are the most comfortable place to be if you want all the legroom. On most airlines, these seats are reserved for disabled persons and are not available on pre-booking but can be requested when checking-in. Drink plenty of water. Long flights can dehydrate you. Flight attendants will normally offer you water or juice in between flight meals. Go easy with caffeine and alcohol. When the plane is descending, blow your nose while pinching it closed with your thumb and index fingers to help remove the ear pressure. Yawning and swallowing could help too. And finally, do not rush to the door once your plane has landed simply to get out first. Relax and do not join the rushing crowd. There is no reason for doing this since you have wait for your checked-in baggage outside.

What to see in murcia spain

Murcia is the capital city of the Spain’s Murcia region and, clearly, also the name of the region. The city of Murcia is located on the Segura River in the south-eastern part of Spain. It was built near an area of valleys surrounded by mountains, known as the market garden of Murcia. It shares the coastline with nearby Torrevieja, Spain, another popular tourist destination along the shores of the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to the nearby beaches, there is a lot to see and do while in Murcia such as museums, cathedrals and festivals, for example. The Museum of Science and Water is a hands-on, interactive museum. All of the displays, experiments and demonstrations center around the theme of water. Occasional shows and exhibitions also revolve around this water theme. There is also a planetarium which kids will surely enjoy. Another popular Murcia sight to visit is the Cathedral of the Dioceses of Cartegena-Murcia. This cathedral contains a combination of different architectural styles including Gothic, Renaissance, Rococo and Baroque. The majority of the construction was done between 1394 and 1465 and, ultimately, finished in 1972. The Bishop’s palace, known as the Palacia Episcopal, is located near this cathedral. It was constructed during the eighteenth century and is home to the local bishop. If you enjoy water, you will definitely not want to miss out on the beautiful beaches in the area. The climate is usually warm, sunny and perfect for an afternoon at the beach. The Mar Menor is a small sea separated from the Mediterranean Sea. Next to the river is a landscaped square called The Glorieta. This square is a great place to visit and enjoy a walk. It is also a great shopping area. As with many areas on the Costa Blanca, several festivals are held in Murcia throughout the entire year. Most festivals and celebrations correspond with religious holidays, such as Christmas, the Festival of the Three Kings, Easter and many of the Catholic holy days. The Holy Week Processions are the most famous celebrations in the city of Murcia. Museum sculptures are paraded to represent the life of Christ through to the time of the crucifixion. Candle light processions are also popular at both the daytime and night processions. Fortunately, there is an airport directly in the city providing for more convenient travel. The Murcia-San Javier airport is located approximately twenty-eight miles (45 kilometers) from Murcia. Though it is a smaller airport, most of the major carriers offer flights into Murcia from many European cities. When looking for a light, be sure to compare airfare prices for each carrier. The internet is a good place to search available flights, schedules and prices. It is a good idea to look at a few travel websites, as not all airlines are listed on all travel sites. You may also need to call some discount airlines directly to get the best deal possible. It may take some extra time, but the money saved may be worth it in the end.

Louisiana an outdoor experience

Whether you like to party or you love history, you will find an attraction you like in Louisiana. One destination you can’t pass up when you go to Louisiana is New Orleans, especially if you are traveling during Mardi Gras when you can experience the excitement of the parades, parties and live music. New Orleans has a variety of events that are worth exploring. In Lafayette you can visit different swamps and take a unique swamp tour or have a unique fishing experience. The capital at Baton Rouge offers a variety of museums and historical sights. For gaming options there is Shreveport and Bossier City in the northern part of Louisiana. No matter where you go in Louisiana you are bound to find a historic plantation and most of them have public tours available to travelers. New Orleans is most known for their blend of history and culture that you can experience through a variety of events, restaurants and cultural events. There is plenty to do in New Orleans including visiting a live theater, shopping in a unique gallery or boutiques and visiting one of the many festivals. Thousands of visitors come to New Orleans each year for Mardi Gras which has large parades, street parties and costume balls. You can’t visit New Orleans without touring the French Quarter which is the best cultural center of the city. There are a number of live music clubs with everything from jazz to country available in this part of the city along with a variety of restaurants from Cajun, Creole, Southern and French cuisine. You can even opt to take a guided tour that will show you the area’s culture and historic sites. The capital of Louisiana is Baton Rouge. This is a very culturally diverse city to visit that is very popular with tourists. A number of festivals can always be found along the riverfront entertainment district along with the cities port which is one of the largest in the United States. You can choose to tour the Louisiana State University and Southern University. The area around the city has several plantations that you can visit and tour with the two most popular being the Magnolia Mound Plantation and Mt. Hope Plantation. Staying in Louisiana almost always means finding a bed and breakfast to stay at. The Louisiana Bed and Breakfast Association at louisianabandb is an excellent way to look at all your options and find the best one for your traveling needs. One new option is the L’Auberge du Lac which is a 750 room casino and gaming resort. A new Hilton was built at the former Capitol House Hotel in Baton Rouge in 2006 which now has a fitness center, pool and salons. Some of the rooms at this hotel come with beautiful views of the Mississippi River.

Angsana resort spa great barrier reef one of the small luxury resorts of the world

Why not travel to the Barrier Reef for your Australia Luxury Vacation, and stay at the Angsana Resort & Spa, one of Australia’s great luxury resorts, and one of the small luxury hotels of the world. It is the only resort in the region situated on the beachfront, and it nestles in the beautiful village of Palm Cove. It is the resort for visiting the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest tropical rainforest which is close by. The Angsana Resort & Spa has a lovely sandy tropical beach, three swimming pools, and a luxurious spa, you don’t have to go anywhere other than this luxury resort, but there is a lot to do if you so wish. There are excursions to the Great Barrier Reef, trekking in the tropical rainforest, wildlife watching, and not for the faint hearted bungee jumping!! If you are a nature lover, then the Angsana Resort & Spa is perfect for you. On the other hand if you are a water sport enthusiast, or a spa freak then you are also in the right place. As the resort fronts the Coral Sea it is perfect for snorkelling, windsurfing, scuba diving and windsurfing. The Angsana Spa has a wonderfully calm setting, and here you will find aromatic baths, massages, facials, and body therapies on offer. As befits one of the Small Luxury resorts of the World the accommodation is understated but luxurious, there being only 67 suites, with ceiling to floor glass doors that overlook outdoor patios and tropical gardens, allowing the breeze in. They are all air conditioned and decorated with Thai silk drapes, with ceiling fans as well. Each suite comes fully equipped with television, private mini-bar, personal safe, hairdryer, bath robes, slippers, coffee and tea making facilities and a kitchenette that comes with a refrigerator, microwave and table settings. If your bank balance runs to it, then book the Angsana Suite, which is just furnished extravagantly, and superbly well equipped, this suite has its own swimming pool, sun terrace, and even a BBQ. The Far Horizons restaurant is a good restaurant serving Asian inspired food based mainly on seafood and other local ingredients. You can sit inside or on the beachfront, and you can add to this the Poolside Gourmet BBQ for lunchtime eating. The Angsana Resort & Spa Great Barrier Reef does credit to the Small Luxury Hotels of the World Group, and if you are in that part of the world then you can safely include it in your Australia Luxury Vacation Itinerary. Check out other Australian Vacation Spots at worldwidevacationspots/categories/Oceania%26%2339%3Bs-Hidden-Hotels/Australia

Top southern california beaches

You cannot visit Southern California without stopping at one of its many wonderful beaches and dipping your toes in the Pacific Ocean. However, if you have a limited time on your visit and can only visit one beach, you may have a difficult time choosing. Which Southern California beach should top your list? Well, it depends on what you're looking for: Surfing: Huntington Beach: With over 50 surfing competitions held each year in Huntington Beach, plus a Surfing Walk of Fame, Surfers' Hall of Fame and International Surfing Museum, Huntington Beach, or "Surf City" as some call it, is the place you'll want to visit to surf and watch surfers in action. Forget your surfboard or boogie board? No problem, you can also rent one in Huntington Beach. You'll want to visit the pier at Huntington City Beach where you can watch the surfers as well as take in the views, which include Catalina Island, 22 miles away (check out the pay scopes for closer views). Another reason to go to Huntington Beach is that all three of their beaches (Huntington City Beach, Huntington State Beach and Bolsa Chica State Beach) have concrete fire rings which allow you to have nightly bonfires and cookouts. Swami's Beach: Located in Encinitas below Seacliff Roadside Park, Swami's Beach is also a great place to watch the surfers, as it is considered one of the best surfing spots along the San Diego County coastline. Sunbathing and Relaxing: Zuma/Point Dume: Of course, you can sit in the sand and relax at all the beaches in Southern California, but Point Dume and Zuma beaches, approximately 19 miles west of Malibu on Pacific Coast Highway, are the beaches to go to escape the crowded Los Angeles beaches. When driving west on PCH you'll come to Point Dume first, then Zuma. Point Dume is a little quieter than Zuma, so if you want to lie in the sand and sleep, or read a good book, Point Dume is it. Of course, just because Point Dume and Zuma beaches are great for relaxing, that's not all there is to do. Some consider Zuma beach one of the finest surfing beaches as well. People Watching: Venice City Beach: Want a quirky beach experience? Then you'll have to visit Venice Beach, at the end of Washington Street in Venice. There you'll find skaters, performers and those you're not quite sure if they're performing or not. On any given weekend you can be treated to musicians, acrobats, mimes, magicians and other assorted entertainers. You'll also find restaurants and all sorts of shops along Ocean Front Walk, as well as Muscle Beach, where you can find bodybuilders pumping iron. If you like crowds, you'll love Venice Beach on the weekend. Fun Out of the Water: Santa Monica State Beach: If you get tired of sunbathing or playing in the ocean, Santa Monica State Beach is great because you have Pacific Park at Santa Monica Pier with rides, games and restaurants. You have to really try hard to be bored at Santa Monica State Beach. Rides include a carousel, roller coaster, bumper cars, motion simulator and a nine-story Ferris wheel with spectacular views. You can also roller blade and ride bikes on the bike bath along the beach. These are just a sampling of the great beach experiences you can have in Southern California. Just remember to bring and apply your sunscreen, drink plenty of water throughout the day, and enjoy your visit.

Great barrier reef vacation at south long island nature lodge in the whitsundays

For the top Great Barrier Reef vacation you will find the South Long Island Nature Lodge in the Whitsundays comes top of the list . It is an adult only very secluded island retreat accessible only by helicopter, catering for a maximum of ten guests. This is the place for a luxury Australia vacation with fine dining, premium Australian wines, incredibly personalised service in a totally unspoilt part of Australia. The Whitsundays consist of 74 islands of which 8 are inhabited lying midway along the Queensland coast, bordered by the Great Barrier Reef and cradled by the Coral Sea South Long Island Nature Lodge has an all inclusive tariff except for wine and beers includes private helicopter tours, and private catamaran yacht cruises to explore the coral gardens, deserted beaches and the unique wild life in this part of the Whitsundays. South Long Island Nature Lodge has just ten superb waterfront bungalows overlooking the private beach of Paradise Bay and is a perfect escape for a top Great Barrier Reef vacation, as this is the most secluded and unspoilt location in the Whitsundays. The bungalows are right on the waterfront, surrounded by tropical rainforest with spectacular views of Paradise Bay. . Possibly the most spectacular time you will have at the Lodge is when you are taken by helicopter out to The outer Great Barrier Reef, and there really is nothing to beat a view of the reef from the air, stretched out below you. It will also take you to Whitehaven beach possibly one of the most beautiful places in the world. Fine dining is a necessity for a vacation to be truly successful and this luxury Australian Vacation to South Long Island Nature Lodge will give you fine dining every night, with fresh local produce, and some of the best seafood you will get anywhere. The chef will basically cook whatever your dietary requirements and food fads are, it is that personal a service. Food is eaten dinner part style , under a thousand star sky overlooking the beach. This enables you to meet and get to know people you’d never normally chat to, and have some scintillating conversations. The South Long Island Nature Lodge really is paradise for the stressed executive and partner, with never more than ten guests, no televisions, no young children, no mobile phones, and no day visitors to disturb you. It’s like your own private island, with your own chef, and boat skipper at your beck and call, and a hostess to ensure your every whim is met. All of which makes for a perfect Australia Luxury Vacation. For more information on Australia Holiday Hideaways go to worldwidevacationspots/categories/Oceania%26%2339%3Bs-Hidden-Hotels/Australia/

Luxury lodge safaris in tanzania

Lodge Safaris in Tanzania – I will try to avoid the travel clichйs of ‘unique’, ‘off the beaten track’ and ‘renowned for…’ These tired expressions are used over and over again for almost every destination in Africa! The lodge safari in Tanzania is by far the best way to see this lovely country. Tanzania has so much to offer, including many parks that have few visitors and high concentrations of game animals. Some National Parks boast just one lodge in a million hectares. Your Lodge safari in Tanzania can truly offer a taste of what the early explorers experienced. When choosing your lodge safari, do so with care. Many visitors want to see the great migration and the Serengeti. Some lodges are in fact hotels and although very nice; they do not contribute to that ‘out of Africa’ experience. What is called for is a camp experience and the private camp is ideal for a special experience. When you look to plan your trip try not to go for the ‘lodge safari’ but the private camp safari. Your choice of lodge or camp is a very important part of the whole safari picture. These camps are usually made up of a small number of tents. Not the two man tent with no standing room and sleeping on the hard and sometimes damp ground, nor is there the cooking over a stove and eating grass and sand with your tinned food. No, these private camps have tents that have large comfortable beds, a bathroom en suite and some even boast a butler service. The cuisine is of the highest quality and you dine from bone china and drink champagne [or beer] from crystal glasses. If you want to listen at night to the song of the African bush with the occasional distant [or sometimes close] roar of a lion; if you want to open your tent in a morning to be greeted by Impala and Zebra grazing so close to your tent that you could almost touch them, then choose one of the tented camps. If you want to be in a remote part of the park but close to the animals; if you want to stand in the open plains of the Serengeti and not be joined by a caravan of twenty other safari vehicles, then the private camp is your option above the mere mass-market tourist lodge. There are several such camps scattered throughout the Serengeti. Your choice of camp will depend on what time of year you visit Tanzania. A good camp is Kusini Camp in the Southern Serengeti. It is small, luxurious, and in the ideal spot from the end of December until March, as the great migration is in this area at this time. However, the rest of the year this camp is a little isolated and animals may be harder to see. A problem with planning a safari round the migration is that the migration follows the rains and the rains are notoriously unpredictable. Your camp may end up being in the wrong area of the Serengeti. At times of little rain the migration can remain in the Northern Serengeti at a time of year when normally the animals have crossed into Kenya. Many safari expeditions in a season of little rain may find themselves in the wrong country! This is a headache for safari operators, as a disappointed client is not good for business. However, this can be solved with a ‘mobile camp’ and this is not only the best option but also by far, the most expensive option. To get around the high costs of the mobile camp there is a new breed of camp emerging, a semi-permanent camp. This is a tented camp that moves perhaps three or four times per year. It will follow the migration, ensuring that whilst the migration is in the Serengeti, the camp will also be in the mist of the animals. One such camp I have heard good reports about is EMC [Exclusive Mobile Camp – Serengeti]. It is friendly, knowledgeable, embraces fair trade tourism and best of all, the camp is very good value for money. They have a web site and an office in Arusha which will give out details of the migration and the position of their camp. This is great, both for tour operators and for people wanting to plan a safari. This is where the internet can help in a positive way, to help you plan a safari that will truly be a holiday of a life time. There is no need to hope your travel agent will do a good job in planning your vacation. Take some of the responsibility your self and plan your safari; check out your destination and accommodation. If your travel agent or tour operator is not cooperative or flexible, ask around and go to someone who is willing to earn their commission.