In Ayutthaya, Thailand, you can ride, feed and bathe an elephant at the Royal Elephant Kraal & Village, about an hour away from Bangkok, where the Elephantstay (Royal Elephant Kraal & Village, 74/1 M.3 Tumbol Suanpik, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya, 13000, Thailand; phone [66] 80668 7727, www.elephantstay.com) program is involved in the research, rescue and rehabilitation of elephants.
In the seaside town of Hua Hin, Thailand, the annual King’s Cup Elephant Polo Tournament will be held in 2009 on March 23-30 on the grounds of the Anantara Golden Triangle Resort (phone +66 53 784 084 or e-mail goldentriangle@anantara.com). The event raises money for the National Elephant Institute.
12 days/11 nights, April 26-May 7, 2009. Highlights: Cape Peninsula/Winelands/Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned/stay in a glass tree house at Phinda Private Game Reserve/Zulu culture and crafts/day cruise on St. Lucia estuary/see “big five” at Londolozi Game Reserve. Land, $6,692. Internal air, $1,629. Single supplement, $2,401. Game Plan Africa (Atlanta, GA; 800/593-1148, www.gameplanafrica.com).
The gentle whale shark, the world’s largest fish, is seen each year off the southern coast of Kenya. Researchers tag them on expeditions from October through March, but peak season is February-March and visitors may watch.
Visitors stay at beach resorts and can join the almost daily 4-hour trips leaving from Pinewood Village in Diani. Whale sharks stay near the surface, and snorkelers can swim nearby during the tagging process.
10-day/8-night wildlife safari, Dec. 21-30, 2008 (five departures in 2009).
Highlights: From Arusha, transfer to lodge with views of Mt. Meru and Kilimanjaro/in Great Rift Valley and Lake Manyara National Park, game drives to see flamingoes, hippos, tree-climbing lions, cheetahs, hyenas, zebras, giraffes, wildebeests, black rhinos/visit traditional Maasai boma (family enclosure)/hike into Olduvai Gorge, “cradle of humanity”/game drives in Serengeti/fly to Arusha.
Land and internal flight, from $4,895. Single supplement, $750 ($1,000 in December). Park fee, $600.
17-day/16-night tour.
Highlights: In Cape Town, SOUTH AFRICA, Table Mountain, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens/Cape Peninsula/jackass penguins at Boulder Beach/Cape Point Nature Reserve/Wine Route/in BOTSWANA, safari at Moremi Game Reserve (500 bird species)/Okavango Delta, home to crocodiles, red lechwes, elephants, wild dogs, buffalo/Savute Elephant Camp/Chobe National Park, where cheetahs, leopards and lions can be viewed/ferry into ZAMBIA/Victoria Falls.
Land and internal air, from $7,980. Single supplement, from $945.
The guidebook “Africa’s Top Wildlife Countries,” seventh edition,” by Mark Nolting (2008, Global Travel Publishers. ISBN-10 0939895129 — 640 pp., $29.95) includes the sections Best Time to Go for Game Viewing, What Wildlife is Best Seen Where, and Safari Activities (night drives, ballooning, canoeing, etc.).
The author has run the Africa Adventure Company for 12 years.
10-day/9-night wildlife safari in UGANDA, Aug. 25-Sept. 3, 2008 & March 2-11, 2009.
Highlights: From Arusha, drive to Fort Portal, stopping at Sebitoli village/in Kibale Forest Primate Reserve, see red and white colobus monkeys, chimpanzees/game drives in Queen Elizabeth National Park, home to elephants, leopards, antelope/motor launch Mweya Channel for hippos, crocs, birds/Bwindi Impenetrable Forest for gorillas and tree-climbing lions/canoe Lake Bunyonyi/hyenas, buffalos, zebras at Lake Mburo National Park.
Land only, $2,290. Gorilla fee, $570.
12-day/11-night tour of SRI LANKA, through October 2008.
Highlights: From Negombo, drive to Dambulla Cave Complex, visiting the Elephant Orphanage en route/bicycle tour of medieval capital, Polonnaruwa/en route to Kandy, visit spice garden, enjoy a cultural performance/city tour of Kandy, visit a tea plantation, watch dancers, fire walkers, drummers/Horton Plains, World’s End/Rawana Ella Waterfalls/Jeep safari in Ula Walawe National Park/in coastal Bentota, boat ride, water sports, white-sand beaches/Negombo.
Land only, $1,200. Single supplement, $235.
