May 14, 2008
Tanzania is a grand place for an African safari, but at a cost substantially over the price of a safari in Kenya
A number of readers have questioned my seeming preference for Kenya over Tanzania as a place for wildlife safaris, and I should respond. I am well aware that the wildlife-viewing opportunities in Tanzania are the full equal of those in Kenya. But it is only the safari industry of Kenya that has attempted to price their vacations at an economical level, permitting mid-income people to enjoy this superb travel adventure. As best I know, you cannot hope to enjoy even a one-week safari in Tanzania, including airfare from the U.S., for the $2,500 price that many tour operators now offer for a weeklong safari in Kenya (and some recently went down to $1,999).
That being said, Tanzania is a peaceful place with excellent safari opportunities, and many Americans may prefer to substitute it for Kenya in light of the touchy political situation in Kenya. But these are Americans able to afford the higher cost of a Tanzanian safari.
Two readers from Calumet, Michigan, Bob and Deloris Langseth, have written me about their very positive reactions to Tanzania, and I feel obligated to share their arguments with you:
That being said, Tanzania is a peaceful place with excellent safari opportunities, and many Americans may prefer to substitute it for Kenya in light of the touchy political situation in Kenya. But these are Americans able to afford the higher cost of a Tanzanian safari.
Two readers from Calumet, Michigan, Bob and Deloris Langseth, have written me about their very positive reactions to Tanzania, and I feel obligated to share their arguments with you:
We have been to Tanzania on 9 occasions since 1992. It is one of the few countries in Africa that has never had a civil war ... You do not need to land at Nairobi. Go instead to the Mt. Kilimanjaro International Airport in Arusha, via KLM. Kilimanjaro is in Tanzania and my wife climbed it at age 72 in 2004. The Ngorogoro Crater -- one of the wonders of the world -- has all of the big 5 animals, is a 4-hour drive from Arusha, and a gateway to the Serengeti. On the way you have Tarangire National Park which has the largest herd of elephants in any of the parks, and Lake Manyara with its vast flocks of flamingos... We have been beautifully served by the Menno Travel Agency in Minneapolis (800/635-2032) and/or by Safari Makers Ltd. out of Arusha, Tanzania... We went to the Serengeti in 2007 for our 50th wedding anniversary. The park rangers stated that more than 2 million wildebeest and zebras make the migration. We estimate we saw over a half million animals, along with 23 lions (5 were in one tree) as well as a cheetah and leopard... We love Tanzania and want to share this good news of a peaceful country and fabulous game parks.Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: kenya, safari, tanzania
Apr 29, 2008
As predicted, African safaris in Kenya will now be priced at rock-bottom levels to persons willing to depart right away
Here's your chance -- the last chance you probably ever will have -- to enjoy an African safari for under $2,000, including round-trip trans-Atlantic airfare. Relying on the apparent peace that has settled over the political situation there, Lion World Tours of Toronto will be attempting to re-start the flow of tourism to Kenya by charging that little for an African safari, departing New York on both May 22 and May 24. Though the dates are fairly soon, persons traveling to Kenya do not need visas, and the trip can be booked with very little trouble or advance preparation by simply phoning Lion World at tel. 800/387-2706 or 416/920-5466.
These are two special departures of Lion World's "Best of Kenya" package, and therefore the specially-reduced price does not appear in the description of the tour in Lion World's website (www.lionworldtravel.com). But the ingredients of the trip are exactly those described: a journey nine days in duration, of which one night is your trans-Atlantic crossing, one night is spent in Nairobi at the Stanley Hotel, and five nights are in the actual games parks, staying at the Sarova Shaba Lodge, the Lion Hill Lodge, and the Sarova Mara Tented Lodge (where you'll receive daily games drives in a seven-seater van, and all three meals each day). On your day of return, you'll have dayroom use at the Stanley Hotel, and will then board an overnight flight to London, and then a daytime flight from London back to New York.
As I've stated many times, exposure every day to thousands of animals and every conceivable species of wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara is an overwhelming experience, and five days of it are fully sufficient, in my opinion. This is a real African safari, of constant wonder, that would lose its impact if it were extended over a lengthier period of time.
A word about the price: It is $1,999 per person, and I do not believe we will ever again see such a price for a trans-Atlantic-airfare-included safari to Kenya. The rate has been greatly reduced because of the recent turmoil there, and in the hope that a bargain-shock will re-start the travel flow.
Write and read comments about this post.
These are two special departures of Lion World's "Best of Kenya" package, and therefore the specially-reduced price does not appear in the description of the tour in Lion World's website (www.lionworldtravel.com). But the ingredients of the trip are exactly those described: a journey nine days in duration, of which one night is your trans-Atlantic crossing, one night is spent in Nairobi at the Stanley Hotel, and five nights are in the actual games parks, staying at the Sarova Shaba Lodge, the Lion Hill Lodge, and the Sarova Mara Tented Lodge (where you'll receive daily games drives in a seven-seater van, and all three meals each day). On your day of return, you'll have dayroom use at the Stanley Hotel, and will then board an overnight flight to London, and then a daytime flight from London back to New York.
As I've stated many times, exposure every day to thousands of animals and every conceivable species of wildlife in Kenya's Masai Mara is an overwhelming experience, and five days of it are fully sufficient, in my opinion. This is a real African safari, of constant wonder, that would lose its impact if it were extended over a lengthier period of time.
A word about the price: It is $1,999 per person, and I do not believe we will ever again see such a price for a trans-Atlantic-airfare-included safari to Kenya. The rate has been greatly reduced because of the recent turmoil there, and in the hope that a bargain-shock will re-start the travel flow.
Write and read comments about this post.
Apr 22, 2008
In the travel trade press this week, three interesting items having a bearing on your own vacation plans
There's a considerable industry of magazines and newspapers published solely for travel professionals, which often contain news that isn't passed on to just-plain-travelers. Here are three items of which you may not have heard:
First, interviewed in the trade press, the president of Club Med, worldwide, has announced that the Club Med resorts are on their way to becoming "upscale" resorts with a heavy emphasis on families, family facilities, and couples (and less, apparently, for singles). He (Club Med's new leader) is Henri Giscard d'Estaing, son of a former president of France, and obviously brought up in a setting of great wealth (which is perhaps why the word "upscale" drips from his lips). While some of the Club Meds may still for a time be operated for swinging youngsters, their days are apparently numbered, if I read Giscard d'Estaing's remarks correctly. The Club Meds, which used to be promoted as "antidotes to civilization," are rapidly being made over into sophisticated, worldly resorts. As someone who used to value the insouciant atmosphere of Club Meds, the lack of a dress code, the pure democracy, the unpretentious high-jinx and games, I regard these new policies as a disaster. And I predict that in a few years, when the new "upscale" policies have failed miserably, Club Med will return to its former state of being, probably under a new Club Med president
The competing political parties of Kenya have entered into a "Grand Coalition," according to the country's Ministry of Tourism, and all tourists can now safely return. At a ceremony attended by Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the U.N., everyone announced their determination to achieve peace and stability, and their agreement to assign specific cabinet posts in equal measure to the two parties ("the Grand Coalition"). The few elements that have continued to riot and parade have been asked to cease their protests. As I have pointed out before, if the truce does hold, Kenya's games parks will be offering spectacular low rates in order to re-start the flow of safaris. You are again advised to check with Adventure Center, Lion World Travel, or 2Afrika for their announcements of cut-rate trips to Kenya
A bit of good news: the Department of Transportation has just doubled the penalty that airlines must pay to overbooked passengers who have been denied boarding. Henceforth, such unlucky souls will receive twice the airfare they earlier paid, up to a maximum of $800, in addition to being later transported for free to their destinations. However, if the passengers can be flown to that destination within two hours of the earlier-anticipated arrival time, the maximum penalty is reduced to $400.
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First, interviewed in the trade press, the president of Club Med, worldwide, has announced that the Club Med resorts are on their way to becoming "upscale" resorts with a heavy emphasis on families, family facilities, and couples (and less, apparently, for singles). He (Club Med's new leader) is Henri Giscard d'Estaing, son of a former president of France, and obviously brought up in a setting of great wealth (which is perhaps why the word "upscale" drips from his lips). While some of the Club Meds may still for a time be operated for swinging youngsters, their days are apparently numbered, if I read Giscard d'Estaing's remarks correctly. The Club Meds, which used to be promoted as "antidotes to civilization," are rapidly being made over into sophisticated, worldly resorts. As someone who used to value the insouciant atmosphere of Club Meds, the lack of a dress code, the pure democracy, the unpretentious high-jinx and games, I regard these new policies as a disaster. And I predict that in a few years, when the new "upscale" policies have failed miserably, Club Med will return to its former state of being, probably under a new Club Med president
The competing political parties of Kenya have entered into a "Grand Coalition," according to the country's Ministry of Tourism, and all tourists can now safely return. At a ceremony attended by Kofi Annan, former secretary-general of the U.N., everyone announced their determination to achieve peace and stability, and their agreement to assign specific cabinet posts in equal measure to the two parties ("the Grand Coalition"). The few elements that have continued to riot and parade have been asked to cease their protests. As I have pointed out before, if the truce does hold, Kenya's games parks will be offering spectacular low rates in order to re-start the flow of safaris. You are again advised to check with Adventure Center, Lion World Travel, or 2Afrika for their announcements of cut-rate trips to Kenya
A bit of good news: the Department of Transportation has just doubled the penalty that airlines must pay to overbooked passengers who have been denied boarding. Henceforth, such unlucky souls will receive twice the airfare they earlier paid, up to a maximum of $800, in addition to being later transported for free to their destinations. However, if the passengers can be flown to that destination within two hours of the earlier-anticipated arrival time, the maximum penalty is reduced to $400.
Write and read comments about this post.
Labels: accommodations, airlines, kenya, safari
Mar 24, 2008
As a political truce appears to be holding, tourism has returned to Kenya
Several U.K tour operators announced last week that they were resuming travel to Kenya and their safari programs to that nation. One company is filling whole airplanes there, based on its confidence that peace is firmly established as a result of the recent, U.N.-brokered truce between both leading political parties. According to the British trade press, the city of Nairobi is calm, and the games parks are again receiving tourists in fair numbers.
In other African countries, a trip to view the wildlife can occasionally result in disappointment -- a failure to see any large herds of animals. That doesn't happen in Kenya -- you invariably view thousands of animals each day on their migrations across the Masai Mara. And because Kenyan safaris are the cheapest of all African safaris, you may again want to consider the many excellent packages for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. They consist of programs costing from $2,000 to $2,500 per person (including round-trip air to Nairobi from the east coast of the U.S.) from companies like Adventure Center (www.adventurecenter.com), 2Afrika (www.2afrika.com), and Lion World Tours (www.lionworldtravel.com).
Write and read comments about this post.
In other African countries, a trip to view the wildlife can occasionally result in disappointment -- a failure to see any large herds of animals. That doesn't happen in Kenya -- you invariably view thousands of animals each day on their migrations across the Masai Mara. And because Kenyan safaris are the cheapest of all African safaris, you may again want to consider the many excellent packages for this once-in-a-lifetime trip. They consist of programs costing from $2,000 to $2,500 per person (including round-trip air to Nairobi from the east coast of the U.S.) from companies like Adventure Center (www.adventurecenter.com), 2Afrika (www.2afrika.com), and Lion World Tours (www.lionworldtravel.com).
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Labels: kenya
Mar 7, 2008
If calm continues in Kenya, a great many adventurous sorts will be flying to Nairobi and picking up, on the spot, a last-minute safari bargain
If there are empty seats on the imminent departure of a van traveling by land, or a DC3 going by air, from Nairobi to the famous games parks of Kenya, those empty places are usually sold at sacrificial prices to adventurous tourists seeking a bargain; and the seats on the van or plane are always matched by rooms in the safari lodges.
Even during normal conditions in Nairobi (like two months ago, before the disputed elections), a great many safari-seeking tourists would fly into Nairobi with a hotel reservation for the first night, but with no continuing reservations beyond their arrival day. The moment they passed through airport customs, they would find numerous representatives of safari operators thronging the airport and offering last-minute places on the next day's safari departures (of which several depart daily) at 50% to 75% discounts off the price normally charged. On a safari leaving the next morning, it behooves the safari-operator to get any price they can for an empty seat.
The March 4 edition of the Times of London reports that the safari hotels in Kenya, and the safari van and air operators, are desperately cutting prices to fill their facilities. May I suggest a promising tactic to persons dreaming of an African safari?
Go to an aggregator like Momondo (www.momondo.com), buy a cheap flight to Nairobi, make a reservation for your first night (the hotels there are currently empty), and then bargain for a last-minute seat on a safari leaving the next day. Do that bargaining either at the airport on arrival (you'll see many representatives of safari operators searching for customers) or simply go into Nairobi and visit any retail travel agency. For the next several weeks until confidence is restored, the safaris will sell for virtually any price the traveler is willing to pay.
Such advice is based, of course, on the assumption that last week's political truce in Kenya is holding. So far, it seems successful, and calm has returned to the city of Nairobi. It has always been calm within the actual games parks, and most observers would say it is now safe to return to this remarkable African nation.
According to a Kenya official speaking to a reporter of the Times: "The safari parks are quite quiet. There is a huge abundance of animals not only in the Mara, but also the northern National Parks such as Samburu, Meru and Laikipia. [The month of] May can be wet but rain is usually in short sharp bursts, surrounded by sunshine either side, therefore it never normally disrupts holidays."
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Even during normal conditions in Nairobi (like two months ago, before the disputed elections), a great many safari-seeking tourists would fly into Nairobi with a hotel reservation for the first night, but with no continuing reservations beyond their arrival day. The moment they passed through airport customs, they would find numerous representatives of safari operators thronging the airport and offering last-minute places on the next day's safari departures (of which several depart daily) at 50% to 75% discounts off the price normally charged. On a safari leaving the next morning, it behooves the safari-operator to get any price they can for an empty seat.
The March 4 edition of the Times of London reports that the safari hotels in Kenya, and the safari van and air operators, are desperately cutting prices to fill their facilities. May I suggest a promising tactic to persons dreaming of an African safari?
Go to an aggregator like Momondo (www.momondo.com), buy a cheap flight to Nairobi, make a reservation for your first night (the hotels there are currently empty), and then bargain for a last-minute seat on a safari leaving the next day. Do that bargaining either at the airport on arrival (you'll see many representatives of safari operators searching for customers) or simply go into Nairobi and visit any retail travel agency. For the next several weeks until confidence is restored, the safaris will sell for virtually any price the traveler is willing to pay.
Such advice is based, of course, on the assumption that last week's political truce in Kenya is holding. So far, it seems successful, and calm has returned to the city of Nairobi. It has always been calm within the actual games parks, and most observers would say it is now safe to return to this remarkable African nation.
According to a Kenya official speaking to a reporter of the Times: "The safari parks are quite quiet. There is a huge abundance of animals not only in the Mara, but also the northern National Parks such as Samburu, Meru and Laikipia. [The month of] May can be wet but rain is usually in short sharp bursts, surrounded by sunshine either side, therefore it never normally disrupts holidays."
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Mar 4, 2008
The possibility of peace in Kenya can permit millions of Kenyans to resume earning income from tourism
The only country in Africa to offer moderately-priced vacations in their games parks, has been Kenya. Because lodgings prices were low, as were permits to enter the areas of wildlife migration (the Masai Mara), tour operators were able to offer exciting Kenyan safaris for as little as $2,000-to-$2,250 (www.lionworldtravel.com) or $2,500 (www.2afrika.com) per person, including round-trip air from the U.S. to Nairobi. Similar trips to Tanzania, Botswana, the Union of South Africa, cost considerably more, and were regarded as unaffordable to middle-income tourists.
Those low-cost, safari movements gave employment, both directly and indirectly, to more than a million Kenyans. The New York Times recently ran a moving article on the hotel, restaurant and games park employees who have lost their employment because of the violence that began spreading over Kenya, due to a contested presidential election, two months ago. Many Kenyans in the tourism industry have no other source of income, and Kenya is not the kind of wealthy nation that can replace the loss with unemployment benefits.
This past weekend, both candidates for the Kenyan presidency signed a form of truce, awarding the presidency to one, the prime minister's position to the other, and thus setting up a power-sharing arrangement. If the truce holds, and violence ends in Kenya, we should soon see a return to touristic marketing -- at prices lower than ever before. Kenya will need a shove to regain its tourism. If things do quiet down, we should all consider booking a trip to this indispensable destination. An African safari -- especially in the wildlife-rich regions of Kenya, marked by giant herds of wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, rhinoceri, cheetahs, all massing before your very eyes -- is an almost mystical experience, a chance to see the world as it was before human beings trod upon it.
And having that experience can enable a multitude of Kenyans to be able, once again, to feed their families.
Keep watching three websites, in particular: those of Lion World Travel and 2Afrika, for standard low-cost safaris, and those of G.A.P. Adventures (www.gapadventures.com) and Adventure Center (www.adventurecenter.com) for safaris conducted from over-landing trucks (camping at night, preparing meals over a campfire). Here's an opportunity to enjoy a travel adventure while helping a people in need.
Write and read comments about this post.
Those low-cost, safari movements gave employment, both directly and indirectly, to more than a million Kenyans. The New York Times recently ran a moving article on the hotel, restaurant and games park employees who have lost their employment because of the violence that began spreading over Kenya, due to a contested presidential election, two months ago. Many Kenyans in the tourism industry have no other source of income, and Kenya is not the kind of wealthy nation that can replace the loss with unemployment benefits.
This past weekend, both candidates for the Kenyan presidency signed a form of truce, awarding the presidency to one, the prime minister's position to the other, and thus setting up a power-sharing arrangement. If the truce holds, and violence ends in Kenya, we should soon see a return to touristic marketing -- at prices lower than ever before. Kenya will need a shove to regain its tourism. If things do quiet down, we should all consider booking a trip to this indispensable destination. An African safari -- especially in the wildlife-rich regions of Kenya, marked by giant herds of wildebeest, giraffes, elephants, monkeys, rhinoceri, cheetahs, all massing before your very eyes -- is an almost mystical experience, a chance to see the world as it was before human beings trod upon it.
And having that experience can enable a multitude of Kenyans to be able, once again, to feed their families.
Keep watching three websites, in particular: those of Lion World Travel and 2Afrika, for standard low-cost safaris, and those of G.A.P. Adventures (www.gapadventures.com) and Adventure Center (www.adventurecenter.com) for safaris conducted from over-landing trucks (camping at night, preparing meals over a campfire). Here's an opportunity to enjoy a travel adventure while helping a people in need.
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Feb 20, 2008
With Kenya removed from the safari scene, Tanzania is your next best (but costlier) bet
Prior to the outbreak of widespread violence over a disputed election, Kenya was the leading destination for an African safari: its wildlife is so massive in numbers, and its lodgings and other costs so low, that it supplied excellent, short safaris (five nights in the actual games parks) for as little as $2,000, including round-trip airfare from the U.S. to Nairobi.
Hardly anyone is going there now, and many observers fear a lengthy conflict between various ethnic groups that will make tourism impossible. Neighboring Tanzania is regarded as a suitable substitute (the wildlife-rich Serengeti is almost wholly in Tanzania), and most safaris in Kenya would already dip into Tanzania at some point in the safari, as they did in my own trip there.
But there's a problem. And to discuss it, I invited Ken Hieber, president of 2Afrika.com (tel. 866/GO-2-AFRIKA; www.2afrika.com) onto my Sunday radio show, to be interviewed at the beginning of the program's second hour. A native South African transplanted to the U.S., he has for years operated both safaris and non-safari trips to every leading destination of Africa. If you go to the podcast of the second hour of our February 17 program (www.wor710.com, clicking on "weekend programming" and then on my name and face), you'll hear his explanation.
The problem is simply one of cost. Though the airfare to Tanzania's Kilimanjaro International Airport is no different than to Nairobi, the environmentally sensitive policies of the Tanzanian government have never permitted the massive expansion of tourism that Kenya encouraged. Fees for visiting the games parks are higher; lodgings are more costly; the cost of vans and drivers is higher. The result is that though Hieber was recently operating Kenyan safaris for approximately $2,500 per person (including trans-Atlantic airfare to Nairobi), he must charge approximately $3,000 per person for a safari to Tanzania (specifically, $2,995 for one itinerary, $3,195 for the "Tanzanite"). But -- and it's a big "but" -- his Tanzania safari places you in the games parks for at least four days more than the Kenyan equivalent.
If you'll go to the website and click on Tanzania, you'll see the available opportunities. The one assurance I can give (based on my own safari experience in both Kenya and Tanzania) is that a Tanzania safari will provide the same, breathtaking, almost mystical experience of the world as it was before human beings came onto it.
Write and read comments about this post.
Hardly anyone is going there now, and many observers fear a lengthy conflict between various ethnic groups that will make tourism impossible. Neighboring Tanzania is regarded as a suitable substitute (the wildlife-rich Serengeti is almost wholly in Tanzania), and most safaris in Kenya would already dip into Tanzania at some point in the safari, as they did in my own trip there.
But there's a problem. And to discuss it, I invited Ken Hieber, president of 2Afrika.com (tel. 866/GO-2-AFRIKA; www.2afrika.com) onto my Sunday radio show, to be interviewed at the beginning of the program's second hour. A native South African transplanted to the U.S., he has for years operated both safaris and non-safari trips to every leading destination of Africa. If you go to the podcast of the second hour of our February 17 program (www.wor710.com, clicking on "weekend programming" and then on my name and face), you'll hear his explanation.
The problem is simply one of cost. Though the airfare to Tanzania's Kilimanjaro International Airport is no different than to Nairobi, the environmentally sensitive policies of the Tanzanian government have never permitted the massive expansion of tourism that Kenya encouraged. Fees for visiting the games parks are higher; lodgings are more costly; the cost of vans and drivers is higher. The result is that though Hieber was recently operating Kenyan safaris for approximately $2,500 per person (including trans-Atlantic airfare to Nairobi), he must charge approximately $3,000 per person for a safari to Tanzania (specifically, $2,995 for one itinerary, $3,195 for the "Tanzanite"). But -- and it's a big "but" -- his Tanzania safari places you in the games parks for at least four days more than the Kenyan equivalent.
If you'll go to the website and click on Tanzania, you'll see the available opportunities. The one assurance I can give (based on my own safari experience in both Kenya and Tanzania) is that a Tanzania safari will provide the same, breathtaking, almost mystical experience of the world as it was before human beings came onto it.
Write and read comments about this post.
Jan 4, 2008
What went on in travel during the period of our holiday hiatus?
We took off for vacation from the day before Christmas till the day after the New Year's holiday. What went on (in travel) while we were gone? Plenty.
As if the sinking of the longtime Antarctic expedition ship known as the MS Explorer wasn't sufficiently disturbing, still another Antarctic vessel (the Fram of Hurtigruten Lines, formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyages) hit an iceberg in Antarctic waters, suffered considerable damage, returned immediately to port (fortunately, without injuries to any passenger), and has been temporarily taken out of the sailing schedule to permit repairs. This is all a dramatic lesson that Antarctic cruises aren't the picnics they are portrayed, and entail some element of danger. (Just prior to hitting the iceberg, the Fram lost all power -- and maritime investigators will also be pondering that mystery.)
Another tragedy? Maxjet, the heavily-advertised new trans-Atlantic airline for luxury-loving, business-class passengers, went bankrupt and ceased operation. Its amenities, apparently, weren't luxurious enough for the hedge fund managers, heirs, heiresses, and other types that book this sort of super-premium crossing of the Atlantic. The latter continue to flock, it seems, to the much more expensive Eos and Silverjet Airlines that provide them with fully-reclining beds and other attentions, for which they pay as much as $3,000 each way, as compared with the paltry $1,500 charged by the now-defunct Maxjet. My tears are flowing.
The airfare aggregator known as Kayak (www.kayak.com) acquired the longer-established airfare aggregator known as SideStep (www.sidestep.com), to form a mighty and much larger aggregator (an "aggregator" doesn't sell tickets, but simply collects and reveals all the cheapest airfares and then tells you where you can go to purchase them). The newly-merged and brand-new giant aggregator is claiming it will soon surpass Expedia in sales -- which seems all to the good. (Too many questions abound as to whether Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are really presenting you with unbiased, impartial airfare data. The aggregators seem much more all-inclusive and of greater use by cost-conscious travelers.)
And finally, as you know from the front-page headlines (and our post of yesterday), the beginnings of a civil war seem evident in Kenya, temporarily removing that nation from tourism.
While most of the news has been bad, I'll be on the lookout for emerging bargains and travel opportunities, and I expect a lot of them in the coming days. Happy New Year!
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As if the sinking of the longtime Antarctic expedition ship known as the MS Explorer wasn't sufficiently disturbing, still another Antarctic vessel (the Fram of Hurtigruten Lines, formerly Norwegian Coastal Voyages) hit an iceberg in Antarctic waters, suffered considerable damage, returned immediately to port (fortunately, without injuries to any passenger), and has been temporarily taken out of the sailing schedule to permit repairs. This is all a dramatic lesson that Antarctic cruises aren't the picnics they are portrayed, and entail some element of danger. (Just prior to hitting the iceberg, the Fram lost all power -- and maritime investigators will also be pondering that mystery.)
Another tragedy? Maxjet, the heavily-advertised new trans-Atlantic airline for luxury-loving, business-class passengers, went bankrupt and ceased operation. Its amenities, apparently, weren't luxurious enough for the hedge fund managers, heirs, heiresses, and other types that book this sort of super-premium crossing of the Atlantic. The latter continue to flock, it seems, to the much more expensive Eos and Silverjet Airlines that provide them with fully-reclining beds and other attentions, for which they pay as much as $3,000 each way, as compared with the paltry $1,500 charged by the now-defunct Maxjet. My tears are flowing.
The airfare aggregator known as Kayak (www.kayak.com) acquired the longer-established airfare aggregator known as SideStep (www.sidestep.com), to form a mighty and much larger aggregator (an "aggregator" doesn't sell tickets, but simply collects and reveals all the cheapest airfares and then tells you where you can go to purchase them). The newly-merged and brand-new giant aggregator is claiming it will soon surpass Expedia in sales -- which seems all to the good. (Too many questions abound as to whether Expedia, Travelocity and Orbitz are really presenting you with unbiased, impartial airfare data. The aggregators seem much more all-inclusive and of greater use by cost-conscious travelers.)
And finally, as you know from the front-page headlines (and our post of yesterday), the beginnings of a civil war seem evident in Kenya, temporarily removing that nation from tourism.
While most of the news has been bad, I'll be on the lookout for emerging bargains and travel opportunities, and I expect a lot of them in the coming days. Happy New Year!
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Labels: antarctica, fat cats, kenya, websites
Jan 3, 2008
At least temporarily, Kenya has been eliminated as a destination for African safaris
As you would expect, all the tour operators to Kenya are downplaying the dangers posted to tourists from the outbreak of violence over disputed elections. "It's all hoo-haa." "It happens every time they vote." "It doesn't affect the safari areas." "You are met at the airport and immediately transferred to a lodge outside Nairobi -- there's no danger."
I'm not so sure. The violence in Kenya seems of a special order that hasn't ever been experienced at that level of civil warfare. It has thus far claimed hundreds of lives, and reflects ancient ethnic enmities between the dominant Kikuyu faction and the less powerful Luo tribes (like Sunnis against Shiites). Mobs of young men have sallied forth from their communities to club opponents and destroy property. And the government's clumsy effort to steal the election seem so obvious as to insure a continuation of the violence for weeks to come. I presently would not go to Kenya.
And that's a shame. Because Kenya offers the best wildlife viewing at the lowest-prices for safaris in all of Africa. Currently, a weeklong safari in Kenya is on offer for about $2,399 per person (from companies like Lion World Travel of Toronto, www.lionworldtravel.com), including round-trip airfare from New York and several days of all-inclusive arrangements in the games parks of the Maasai Mara.
So what's your recourse? Botswana offers similar wildlife viewing, but Botswana is an unusually expensive destination, and has been kept that way by the tour operators, who have never offered an affordable air-and-land package there. Tanzania has the same giant migrations of wildlife crossing its territory as Kenya does, but there are no inexpensive group tour programs known to me that go directly to Tanzania without first passing through Kenya.
The one, near-budget alternative is a quick-trip to South Africa that combines a several-day stay in Cape Town with a two-night excursion within wildlife-viewing areas nearby. This one is called "South Africa in Style," it's operated by LionWorld Travel, of Toronto, and has an opening price of $1,999 plus tax in May. The program includes roundtrip airfare on South African Airways from either New York City or Washington, D.C., four nights at the five-star "12 Apostles and Spa" in Cape Town, including breakfast each morning, two nights at the Jackalberry Private Game Reserve on a full-board basis, all internal flights, all transfers, and a half-day tour of Cape Town. That's an absolute wow of a price for such comprehensive, quality features.
A variation on the "South Africa in Style" program is also available in May at $2,399 plus tax, which includes four nights at the Cape Cadogan Hotel in Cape Town, and two nights at the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand region, with all internal flights and transfers.
Until matters calm themselves in Kenya, this is about the only affordable way to enjoy a safari-like experience (as short as it is) in Africa. For more information, either go to the Lion World website (see above) or call them toll-free for more details at tel. 888/722-4872.
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I'm not so sure. The violence in Kenya seems of a special order that hasn't ever been experienced at that level of civil warfare. It has thus far claimed hundreds of lives, and reflects ancient ethnic enmities between the dominant Kikuyu faction and the less powerful Luo tribes (like Sunnis against Shiites). Mobs of young men have sallied forth from their communities to club opponents and destroy property. And the government's clumsy effort to steal the election seem so obvious as to insure a continuation of the violence for weeks to come. I presently would not go to Kenya.
And that's a shame. Because Kenya offers the best wildlife viewing at the lowest-prices for safaris in all of Africa. Currently, a weeklong safari in Kenya is on offer for about $2,399 per person (from companies like Lion World Travel of Toronto, www.lionworldtravel.com), including round-trip airfare from New York and several days of all-inclusive arrangements in the games parks of the Maasai Mara.
So what's your recourse? Botswana offers similar wildlife viewing, but Botswana is an unusually expensive destination, and has been kept that way by the tour operators, who have never offered an affordable air-and-land package there. Tanzania has the same giant migrations of wildlife crossing its territory as Kenya does, but there are no inexpensive group tour programs known to me that go directly to Tanzania without first passing through Kenya.
The one, near-budget alternative is a quick-trip to South Africa that combines a several-day stay in Cape Town with a two-night excursion within wildlife-viewing areas nearby. This one is called "South Africa in Style," it's operated by LionWorld Travel, of Toronto, and has an opening price of $1,999 plus tax in May. The program includes roundtrip airfare on South African Airways from either New York City or Washington, D.C., four nights at the five-star "12 Apostles and Spa" in Cape Town, including breakfast each morning, two nights at the Jackalberry Private Game Reserve on a full-board basis, all internal flights, all transfers, and a half-day tour of Cape Town. That's an absolute wow of a price for such comprehensive, quality features.
A variation on the "South Africa in Style" program is also available in May at $2,399 plus tax, which includes four nights at the Cape Cadogan Hotel in Cape Town, and two nights at the Lion Sands Private Game Reserve in the Sabi Sand region, with all internal flights and transfers.
Until matters calm themselves in Kenya, this is about the only affordable way to enjoy a safari-like experience (as short as it is) in Africa. For more information, either go to the Lion World website (see above) or call them toll-free for more details at tel. 888/722-4872.
Write and read comments about this post.
Jul 5, 2007
Some African safaris continue to cost less than $2,000 including air
I've often referred to the African safaris costing less than $2,000 that a Canadian firm called Lion World Travel sold to the American market earlier this year. Amazingly, they've maintained that price for early-September departures of their South African programs -- including round-trip air from New York or Washington, D.C. And they will charge only slightly more than $2,000 on their best-selling program to Kenya departing in November and early December: $2,199 per person, including trans-Atlantic air, on the company's Best of Kenya program taking you on safari in the wildlife-packed (wildebeest, elephants, lions, giraffes, monkeys, cheetahs) Maasai Mara. You can book these programs either at its website www.lionworldtravel.com or by phoning tel. 800/387-2706. I very much doubt that an airfare-included price of under-$2,000 can be maintained in 2008, and these several departures may provide your last chance to enjoy a unique adventure at a moderate cost.Write and read comments about this post.
Fifty years ago, 
Arthur Frommer is generally acknowledged to be the nation's foremost travel authority. He is the founder of the
