Acacia Africa nominated for two World Travel Awards

Celebrities from Bono to Angelina Jolie have all given something back to Africa, but it’s time for the ‘A’ list to make way for Acacia Africa, as the tour operator has been nominated for two World Travel Awards, including Africa's Leading Responsible Tourism Company and Africa's Responsible Tourism Award.

Known as the “Oscars of the Travel Industry” the awards are a way of celebrating excellence, the organisers rolling out the red carpet for the very best tour operators, airlines, tourist boards and destinations across the globe.

Heath Ashcroft, Marketing Director of Acacia Africa, comments, “It was exciting to hear that we’d received not just one, but two nominations. We’re hoping that adventurers who share our passion for ethical tourism will visit the World Travel Awards website and vote for us, as if we win, all of the causes and initiatives we support will benefit.”

According to Acacia Africa, whether you decide to head overland, hop on a small group safari or sign up for a voluntour, you can make a difference. The tour operator offers a range of options from half-day “insight” experiences to one-day volunteering opportunities – and if you have more time to travel, there are also 14-day in-depth feel good adventures. With so many choices available the Africa specialist has pinned down a list of the top ten life changing trips:

1. Are you a whizz-kid when it comes to the 3Rs? Go back to school in South Africa and sign up for one-to-one teaching in Cape Town (29-day Kruger, Swaziland & Community voluntour £1,965pp + local payment from £469pp)

2. Take a more practical approach to volunteering in Uganda and help to build and paint local schools in Jinja (14-day Gorilla Encounter overland itinerary £575pp + local payment from £237pp + gorilla permit from £350pp)

3. If you’re a budding conservationist join the anti-poaching team in Zimbabwe and sweep for snares at the Victoria Falls (12-day Zimbabwe Adventure & Anti-Poaching voluntour £945pp + local payment from £200pp)

4. Share your football, netball, cricket, tennis, athletics or rugby skills with the children of Cape Town, and score a few feel good points in South Africa (38-day Wildlife & Community voluntour £1,785pp + local payment from £575pp)

5. Do your bit for the lion kingdom and go walking with lions in Zambia’s Livingstone (2-day Rehabilitation & Release Into The Wild voluntour £385pp + local payment from £13pp)

6. Prepare to be wowed on a visit to a wild dog project in Zimbabwe (32-day Southern Explorer overland expedition £1,395pp + local payment from £657pp)

7. Share life with the locals on a guided walk and village visit in Malawi (58-day Ultimate African Overlander £1,795pp + local payment from £961pp & gorilla permit from £350pp)

8. Visit the Khama Rhino Sanctuary in Botswana and learn about Serowe’s conservation success story (7-day Okavango Wilderness Trail small group safari £495pp + local payment from £169pp)

9. Travel through the valley of a 1,000 hills and experience Zulu culture in South Africa (6-day Lesotho, Battlefields & Zululand small group safari £415pp + local payment from £188pp)

10. Learn to track the desert wildlife with the Kalahari bushmen in Namibia (19-day South West Safari overland tour £575pp + local payment from £294pp)

Voting for the World Travel Awards closes on 19 August 2011.

For more information, visit: acacia-africa.com