Safari and Wildlife

15-day/13-night tour, July 18-Aug. 2, 2008. 

Highlights: Fly from Johannesburg, SOUTH AFRICA, to Windhoek, NAMIBIA/world’s largest sand dunes (1,000 ft.) in Sossusvlei/the Moon Landscape along the Swakop River/flamingos at Walvis Bay/fur seals at Cape Cross/jackals, hyenas roam the beaches of Skeleton Coast National Park/San rock art dating back to 3,300 B.C./the Etosha Pan, home to 114 mammal species/Cheetah Conservation Center/end tour in colonial Windhoek. 

$7,025 from New York. Single supplement, $910.

10-day/9-night NAMIBIA tent safari. Highlights: black rhino in Torra Conservancy/at Hoanib River, elephants, lions, giraffes, oryx/meet Himba herders/in Hartmann’s Valley, Fairy Circles/crocodiles in Kunene River. Land only, $6,412. Single supp., $330. Kunene Conservancy Safaris (Box 8255, Swakopmund, Namibia; phone +264 [0] 81 149 0399, fax +264 [0] 64 40 6136, www.kcs-namibia.com.na).

With the failure of the March and April rains this year, the effects of the drought in Kenya are intensifying. Some areas have been in drought conditions for almost three years. In Mombasa and along the North Coast, hotels are scrambling to store water.

In the national parks the wildlife is suffering. More than 60 elephants and hundreds of other animals have died, some of thirst and some from lack of vegetation.

13 days/10 nights. Highlights: From Nairobi, drive to Samburu Reserve for Grevy’s zebra, reticulated giraffe/Big Five in Sweetwaters Game Reserve/400 bird species in Lake Nakuru National Park. Land only, from $3,998. Single supp., from $598. Internal air, $200. International Expeditions (Helena, AL; 800/633-4734, www.ietravel.com).

10 days/9 nights. Highlights: In Cape Town, enjoy seafood at Black Marlin and fusion cuisine at Ginja/wine tasting the Western Cape, Stellenbosch, Franschhoek/game drives in Kruger National Park. Land only, from $6,995. Single supp., $1,815. Safari Ventures (Tampa, FL; 888/341-7771, www.safariventures.com).

In Sri Lanka, at press time, government forces had pushed the Tamil Tigers into a 10-square-kilometer area in the northeast, all that remains of the separate nation for which the Tamil minority group is fighting. Since 1983 more than 70,000 have been killed in this, Asia’s longest modern war.

In April, the Tigers’ proposals of a unilateral cease-fire were dismissed by officials in Colombo, who said the Tigers used previous cease-fires to rearm and that they must surrender.

 9-day/7-night tour of UGANDA, Sept. 15-23 & Nov. 3-11, 2009. Highlights: In Entebbe, Lake Victoria and Botanical Gardens, home to casqued hornbills, turacos, colobus monkeys/in Mburo wetlands, canoe papyrus swamps to view goliath herons, pygmy geese/in Lake Mburo National Park, zebras, leopards, hippos, otters/in Queen Elizabeth National Park, grey kestrel, chanting goshawk, griffon vulture/in Kibale Forest National Park, track chimpanzees (local cost $90) and many birds. From London, £1,895 (near $2,736); from Entebbe, £1,445 ($2,086). Single supplement, £325 ($469).