Month: March 2011

What to Remember for Your Safari Clothing

Whatever you do, don’t leave behind any essentials of an African safari tour

And that is the first commandment.

The least thing you want to know once you get on board is that you have left a vital gear behind. Safari by nature, requires a number of essentials that are literally helpful while you are on your travel. On the other hand, you may need to drop some of non-essential things since they will only add up to your luggage weight. Remember, pleasure of the safari adventure is not measured by the number of useless gears that you have with you (which in the end makes you uncomfortable because of weight) but by the comfort of having gears that are truly needed while on trek.

One of the most indispensable is off course the safari clothes. You would want to be comfortable during your trip but never forget the protection. Long sleeves shirts are a must. They do not only cover you from harmful mosquito bites but may also cover your skin against exposure to sun. Along with these, you can also have some long pants with you to serve as protection during winter nights (if you are traveling during winter) and mosquito plague.

The number one rule of thumb with safari clothes is to make less exposure to animals as much as possible.

This can be done by avoiding bright colored clothes that attract animals. This is perhaps the reason why most safari clothes appear in colors such as light brown, khaki, light green and tan. White clothes and other colors are definitely shades that you must avoid. They may either refrain you from viewing animals closer or they may attract danger towards you. You can also have the advantage of keeping yourself cooler with neutral colors as they don’t trap as much heat during the day.

Mobility must always be the top consideration. Don’t bring with you more than 25 pounds worth luggage since you will travel a lot and will transfer from one small vehicle to another. Make it also a point that your safari clothes and gears are packed in waterproofed materials such as that of the duffel bags.

The majority of safari guides recommend only 2 to 3 days supply of clothing as there will be facilities for laundry in lodges and camps. However, if you are planning to stop over some African city restaurants, you may consider bringing one set of more dressy clothes.

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Tips on Spotting Lion Country Safari

The big five. Whoever gave that name and whoever designated which animals should be included in their revered group must be given honor since he (or they) have picked the best constituents of the group. But the question still arises why other more graceful and robust animals were not included in the list.

Why are not giraffe, being the tallest member of the animal kingdom is not chosen for the big five? Or the hippos and the gorillas, are they not large enough?

Actually, the term big five was not given primarily to the five members because they were large or graceful or tall. The main category facilitated by the hunters (and not the tour operators) is the difficulty of cornering these large animals and bagging them.

The lion, being one of the big five along with the rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant is very much esteemed since it is the king of the jungle. Though safaris are not exactly characterized as jungles in the typical sense, lion country safaris are still very much sought after.

Lions tend to be lazy though. However, it is their instinct to give as much distance away from humans if possible. This is why they are rather hard to hunt than those of the plains games like the antelopes, wildebeests and the likes. So how would one maximize lion country safari game viewing?

For one, you have to know the right season. It is usually the dry season that encourages the congregation of both preys and the predators in common places. These places are normally around the riverbed, water holes and the lakes. If you would not want to take the risk of getting to near with the lions and other wild animals, you may chose to avail small shelters that overlook the spots where animals naturally proceed. Nonetheless, you can maximize the use of your open vehicle.

Summer is not only good because it is when most animals group. This is also the season when vegetation is significantly thinned. Thus, better game viewing. It is strange how the biggest of elephants can camouflage with the thickest grasses but that still is the way that it goes.

Dry season varies depending on the region where you are camping. In the eastern Africa, first dry season occurs between January to March and the second dry season is from July to October. In southern Africa however, dry season extends from May through October.

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The Pleasures of Safari Parks

It is impossible to enumerate all safari parks, national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, conservation areas and the likes in a single article. So we have decided to focus our discussion on the top five African Safari parks destination. Let’s begin

South Luangwa National Park of Zambia
Fairly unexplored, South Luangwa is a treasure that only needs to be discovered at its own time. The birthplace of walking safari and the haven of elusive leopards, this is the best place to seek isolation, away from the crowd that characterize other national parks.

Selinda Reserve of Botswana
A very highly rated safari park in all Africa, most seasoned travelers recommend a visit or two to this park to experience what truly is an African safari. Packed with dense population of wildlife, birds and plant species, this truly is a haven that is enjoyed both by the wild and the tamed. Naturalists’ most enjoy it here due to the diversity of species found in single locations.

Kruger National Park of South Africa
For the sheer enjoyment of seeing endless arrays of animal species, plants and birds, Kruger would be the best bet if you would like to see diversity. Since it scales more than the size of Wales, it is not unlikely that it harbors the largest concentration of species that is unequalled anywhere else. The rich tapestry of ecosystems is such that it would be hard to imagine how all things coexist in competition to live in a space so large.

This safari park was the pioneer of its kind since it has already existed since 1889, the year when the first realization of endangerment of animals is conceived. Primarily intended to protect wildlife in advance, Kruger now stands as the largest single place harboring excellent game reserves.

Masai Mara of Kenya
Being the most excellent wildlife safari park in the whole region, Masai Mara is duly recognized for supporting large herds of cat species. It is home to endless plains that are populated with grassland, thus ideal for game-viewing. See leopards, cheetahs and lions in action as they mercilessly follow after their kill during the exchange of life and death in the plains of Masai Mara.

Serengeti National Park of Tanzania
Oh the sound of the name alone brings memories of might and migration. This is one of the most famous national safari parks in all Africa as it is the site for the annual migration of wildebeest, zebra, buffalo, and antelopes. The birth and death place of most calves, this truly is a place to behold if you want to experience authentic deal.

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