African Safari Special
April 27, 2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/artsandliving/travel/features/2008/safari/index.html
Safaris have come a long way from pith helmets and visions of "Out of
Africa." These days, you can ride a bike into the enormous Ngorongoro
Crater in Tanzania, take a river safari through Botswana's Okavango
Delta, drive across the open plains of Kenya's Masai Mara and watch the
famous wildebeest migration, or get away from the crowds and sneak up
on lions on foot -- with an armed guard, of course. Options vary
wildly in terms of animal sightings, landscape, culture and cost. You
can camp out in a conventional tent, stay in a kid-friendly lodge, bunk
with villagers or splurge on a bush camp in the wilderness where your
"tent" comes with a queen-size bed and a shower under the stars.
Roughing it is optional in the bush these days. In many ways,
there has never been a better time to visit Africa. The demise of
apartheid in the early 1990s and the subsequent end to wars in southern
Africa have made South Africa a thriving destination and put countries
throughout the region, particularly traditionally peaceful countries
such as Zambia and Botswana, back on the tourist map. A sad exception
is Zimbabwe, where a once-strong safari industry has suffered along
with the rest of the country's economic fortunes. But happily, after
more than two months of ethnic violence in Kenya, hopes are high that a
power-sharing agreement will return stability to the country and its
mammoth travel industry. In this special section, we compare
safari experiences in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia and South Africa. We tell
you how to plan your own safari, with tips on cutting costs, when and
where to go, choosing a tour operator and lodging options. Still can't
decide? Our Safari-O-Matic chart shows how many of the "Big Five"
animals you can find in Africa's most popular national parks plus our
picks for other highlights. So go wild.
