Safari and Wildlife

In the Pantanal area of Brazil, the abundance and diversity of the vegetation and wildlife are spectacular. Our trip, Aug. 24-Sept. 5, 2007, was timed to take advantage of the dry season (June to November).

My husband, Al, and I had our trip arranged by Open Door Tour Operator (Rua Alan Kardec, 87, Galeria Maria Auxiliadora, Sala 4, CEP 79008-330, Campo Grande - MS, Brazil; phone +55 67 3321 8303, fax 3384 6763, www.opendoortur.com.br). All transactions were handled by e-mail, with questions answered in a quick, professional manner.

My husband, Steve, and I took a 2-week safari through Kenya and Tanzania, March 27-April 15, 2008, with Masai Travel, Inc. (800/587-1644, www.masaitravel.com), which advertises in ITN from time to time.

I cannot say enough about the trip, including the accommodations (each of the Serena lodges was unique), the food and the itinerary, not to mention the guides and the extent they went to to enable us to get up close and personal with the animals.

On TANZANIA, June-July ’08

by William Reed, Denton, TX

If you want to touch Mother Earth, Africa is a good place to start. You will get to see, smell and feel the vibrancy of life around you.

The “secret season” in South Africa is during September and October. That’s what Nadia Eckhardt of Africa Easy Travel Company (2212 Queen Anne Ave. North #148, Seattle, WA 98109; 800/617-2319, www.africaeasy.com) told us years ago. We’ve traveled four times with her during that time of year and have enjoyed lovely weather and few crowds.

by Deanna Palic

Hollywood goes to Chile

During a month-long Africa trip, I wanted to get up close to lions. It wasn’t until I got to Zambia and the Waterfront Hotel & Campground aka The Zambezi Waterfront, Victoria Falls aka The Waterfront (P.O. Box 60407, Livingstone, Zambia; phone +260 213 320606 or 07 or 08, fax 213 320609, e-mail [for accommodation] waterfront@safpar.com or [for activities] zaminfo@safpar.com or visit http://safpar.com/waterfront) that I was able to book, in their activity center, an adventure called “Lion Encounter.”

The piéce de résistance of our October ’07 trip to INDIA was a stay at Jim’s Jungle Retreat (Village & PO Dhela, Ramnagar - 244715, Nainital, Uttarakhand, India; phone +91 5947 238038 or 238039, fax 5947 251636, www.jimsjungleretreat.com).

Opened in 2006 at the southern edge of Corbett National Park & Tiger Reserve, it’s situated far enough from the public road that you don’t hear foot traffic, horns or any sounds of civilization, only bird calls, elephants trumpeting and (if you are lucky) the roar of a tiger.

The claim is that on the Galápagos Islands you will see animals that are found nowhere else on Earth: marine iguanas, giant tortoises and thousands of birds, including red-billed tropicbirds, pink flamingos, storm petrels and penguins, not to mention whales, fish by the thousands, etc.

It was not easy to make the arrangements in advance to attend the Elephant Roundup in Surin, Thailand, but it was well worth the effort. The Elephant Roundup, a “rodeo” in which elephants participate in events, is held each year during the third week of November.