Travel Agent - November 26, 2007 - (Page T7)

Enjoy your favorite activities in a thrilling setting B B B B Sunglasses with a good cord Flashlight Basic ﬁrst aid kit Photocopy of your passport, important phone numbers, credit cards, driver’s license, medical insurance, tickets, and contact number of who to phone in case of an emergency Photo courtesy of Tanzania Serengeti Balloon Safaris DIVING Dive courses are offered at many of the hotels and lodges on the mainland coast as well as Zanzibar, Pemba and Maﬁa islands. For the ultimate Tanzania dive experience, steer your clients towards the islands of Zanzibar and Pemba. There they’ll ﬁnd world-class reefs ﬁlled with tropical ﬁsh. Equipment is easily rented from dive shops and lodges. The island of Maﬁa is also a great dive destination; Chole Bay, Kinasi Pass, and the eastern reefs are easily accessible by wooden dhow sailboat. Diving off the mainland is also possible. The offshore islands around Dar es Salaam, and further north in Bagamoyo and Pangani offer opportunities for divers and snorkelers. To the south, the remote areas of Mikindani and Kilwa Kisiwani offer less tour operator support; but they do serve up secluded beaches with the possibility of hiring local ﬁshing boats for dive and snorkeling excursions. It’s possible to dive in Tanzania yearround, but avid divers will want to avoid the rainy season (late October to early December), when visibility is limited. FISHING Deep sea ﬁshing excursions in Tanzania can best be arranged through local operators or hotels. Excursions usually take the form of day trips. The Indian Ocean along Tanzania’s coast teems with big-game ﬁsh, including marlin, tuna, swordﬁsh and barracuda. Anglers will also ﬁnd plentiful grouper, red snapper, and other local species. In the Zanzibar Archipelago, resorts and lodges along the northern and eastern parts of Unguja and the island of Pemba offer ﬁshing charters out into the Pemba Channel and surrounding waters. Along the mainland coast, steer clients towards Pangani and Dar es Salaam, where they’ll ﬁnd optimum conditions for deepsea ﬁshing, although a lesser abundance of big game ﬁsh. In Dar es Salaam, ﬁshing boats can be chartered from Msasani Bay, as well as the larger hotels and lodges. Trips from Pangani offer easy access to the Pemba Channel, a main migratory route for big-game pelagics. Although inland fresh water ﬁshing in not permitted in national parks, tour operators and lodges can arrange day trips to nearby lakes and rivers, as well as longer overnight ﬁshing safaris. Lake Victoria affords an opportunity to experience freshwater lake ﬁshing. Excursions can be organized from surrounding villages, as well as the larger ports of Mwanza and Musoma. During the rainy season, rivers and their tributaries swell with ﬁsh and river life, and any time after the short and long rains is a good time to plan a ﬁshing safari. HOT-AIR BALLOONING Aﬁcionados of this gentle sport can go to Serengeti National Park, and soon it will be established in Selous Game Reserve as well. The excursion sets off before dawn, ﬂying low over the plains as the sun rises. After landing, passengers have a champagne breakfast in the middle of the African bush, as zebra and antelope graze nearby. The optimum time to go aloft in a balloon is during the Great Migration, which takes place after the long rains in April, May and June. The country’s sole hot-air balloon operator is Tanzania Serengeti Balloon Safaris: www.balloonsafaris.com, balloonsreservations@habari.co.tz. Tanzania Travel Specialist • Travel Agent Magazine 7 http://www.balloonsafaris.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - November 26, 2007

Travel Agent - November 26, 2007 Online Now Contents From the Editor From the Publisher Contributors Europe: InterContinental Geneva Puts Forth a New Look and a New Way to Get to Know the Swiss City London’s Soho Hotel Pacific/Asia: Taichung: Taiwan’s Third Largest City Pacific/Asia Briefs and Packages Tanzania Travel Specialist Mexico: A Roundup of Premier Hotels in Mexico City Q&A with U.S. Director of the Mexico Tourism Board Mexico Deals Las Vegas: A Three-Day Itinerary for Gen-X couples Creating a Kid-Friendly Vacation for Gen-X Clients that Still Includes Alone Time for Parents Richard Harper of Mandalay Bay Caribbean & Bahamas: What’s Happening in St. Kitts Puerto Rico’s Other Rainforest, Toro Negro Hawaii: The Big Island: First-Class Resorts and Native Culture Hotels: The Sky Lodge in Park City; The Lodge at Vail Tours: American Safari Cruises in Alaska’s Inside Passage Pacific Northwest: Suncadia, Eco-Friendly Resort Near Seattle Cruise: The Added Lure of Sailing with a Celebrity Onboard Small Ships Offer Up-Close Experience Cover Story: Hip Hotelier, Social Scientist Supplier Profile - Maximilian Brockmann: The New Face of Auto Europe Agent Profile: Sigrid Carter of Envoyé Travel The Orient-Express: Fabled Train Remains an Elite Product Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Europe Bookings as Dollar Falls Freestyle Cruising Casinos On the Rise in the Caribbean Maui’s Grand Wailea Resort Prepares for Major Renovation Visit Europe Media Exchange In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - November 26, 2007

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