Get closer to your adventurous side with Acacia Africa
Acacia Africa’s latest brochure will stir any travellers passion for the continent. The new edition features several twists on the traditional overland expedition, a mammoth 61-day jaunt from South Africa to Uganda, and a selection of tailor-made voluntours.
There are also 87 clearly tagged solo-friendly trips, and a fresh look five point scale appears on every itinerary, allowing individuals to determine their own, personal level of adventure.
Heath Ashcroft, Marketing Director at Acacia Africa, comments, “There’s a nomad in everyone, but we’re all at different stages when it comes to our “globetrotting-psyche,” and our latest brochure begs the question, “where will your wanderlust take you?”
Ethical explorers might fall into one and the same category when it comes to their principles, but every traveller has a different skill set and personality. This is the main reason behind Acacia Africa’s decision to showcase a range of pick and mix options in Cape Town – many of the new itineraries featuring a choice of one-to-one teaching, childcare, and for the more athletic – sports volunteering.
Additional game viewing and adrenaline antics provide a direct contrast to the more typical ethically engineered tour, the list of destinations covering, Zambia, South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Swaziland and Namibia. Often a price prohibitive endeavour, the tour operator has also broken the mould when it comes to value for money, the 2-day African Lion Rehabilitation Project starting from just £398pp (including local payment).
It isn’t usual to find a Mount Kilimanjaro climb on an overland itinerary, but now more adventurous souls can take on the challenge. The “must do” mountain trek features on the new 17-day Zanzibar to Mount Kilimanjaro expedition, and while the route follows the more popular and direct Marangu trail, it is no mean feat, the tour topping Acacia Africa’s new five point rating scale! £995pp + local payment from £440pp.
Zimbabwe is another new addition to the Africa specialist’s overland portfolio, the destination’s popularity reaching record highs after FIFA 2010. Despite the growing level of interest, the country is still tipped as one for the trailblazing explorer, which means crowd free game viewing in the Hwange National Park, and more exotic walking safaris in the rhino filled Matabo Hills throughout 2011. Available on the 32-day Southern Explorer, the itinerary comes with a further twist, adventurers having the option to switch from Zimbabwe to Botswana. No less intrepid when it comes to the location, overlanders will have the chance to delve deeper into the jewel of Africa, the alternate route featuring the Savuti National Park. According to the tour operator, the best time to travel is during rainy season (November to May), as the lush plains attract hordes of wildlife, including thousands of migrating zebra and a host of hungry predators. £1,395pp + local payment from £655pp.
Birds, the Big Five or “Beringei Beringei”? Animal enthusiasts are always going to face agonising decisions when it comes pinning down game viewing hot spots, but on the mammoth 61-day Cape Town To Kampala, Acacia Africa’s longest overland tour, they won’t have to. Perfect for career gappers, the itinerary includes, Big Five game viewing in the Ngrorongoro Crater, gorilla viewing in Bunyonyi and bird viewing at Lakes Baringo and Bogoria – two lesser-known African haunts that are world-renowned when it comes to offline twittering! £2,625pp + local payment from £1,185pp + gorilla permit from £350pp.
While the Kruger might be more of an obvious choice for an African adventure, the tour operator’s new small group safari offers a chance to view some of the smaller, but no less important wildlife in the Balule Private Game Reserve. One of 46 trips catering to adventurers with kids in tow, the itinerary features a new family friendly symbol, the daily guided walks of between 4-7kms earning the expedition a three point rating on Acacia Africa’s adventure scale. 4-day Kruger Walking Safari £425pp.
The Adventure Plus section is another exciting addition to the tour operator’s portfolio. Travellers can upgrade or downgrade their accommodation, by choosing to camp or go all out on a 4-star safari.
For more information, visit: acacia-africa.com
