Recommend July 2013 - (Page 67)

SERGIO ORTIZ Opposite page: Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa. Those opting from more remote locations will ﬁnd Remote Tanzania, Katavi and Mahale (from $7,335 pp dbl, land-only) to be an exceptional experience. The trip offers astonishing wildlife viewing that includes ventures into Mahale Mountain National Park to encounter the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees along with eight other rare primate species plus ﬁshing and snorkeling in pristine Lake Tanganyika. letaka safaris Photography is the key word when it comes to Letaka Safaris, a tour operator based in Botswana with a sterling record of guiding safaris into the wilderness of this entrancing country. Letaka is such a recognized authority on the region that it serves as a training facility for guides in Botswana. It has operated alluring trips to the country for more than 12 years and has cemented close relationships with some of the more prominent travel agents in the U.S. The company “strongly encourages” prospective guests to book safaris through travel agents because making travel arrangements in Africa can “often be tricky.” The Letaka Photographic Workshop (from about $6,680 pp dbl, plus international airfare) is a 7-day in-depth photographic study that will take place in September of this year and in May and September 2014, and which exceeds the expectations of both professional and advanced shutterbugs. It’s a photo safari led by published professional photographers experienced in African wildlife. The guides are limited to three guests to provide immediate and individual attention to photographic problems or questions. Accommodations are in some of the leading lodges in Botswana as well as in bush camps to give guests an authentic feel of the African experience. the photo safari The Photo Safari is a small, travel agent-friendly tour company operated by William Cowger, a Michigan commercial photographer who founded the ﬁrm after having lived in South Africa where he developed a passion for wildlife and nature photography and was so “awestruck that I had to ﬁnd a way to share that experience with others.” Since 2005, Cowger has led 24 photo safaris to the Serengeti. The Photo Safari currently leads four expeditions a year, a number that Cowger says will expand to eight in the near future. Passionate about photography as well as nature, he claims that he loves every photographic journey to Africa, but is especially fond of the Serengeti, a place he calls “the healthiest ecosystem on the planet,” where most of the company’s workshops-safaris are based. The trips are 12-day, photo-intensive expeditions (from approximately $6,500 to $7,000, international airfare not included) and vary in accommodations. According to Cowger, accommodations are “dependent on the time of year and the location of the fabled great migration that takes place in the Serengeti. However, we spend no less than three nights in the middle of this spectacle in luxurious lodging and sample wonderful food.” The lodges for the photo safaris include delightful properties like the Kifurumu Tented Camp on a ridge overlooking the gamerich Rift Valley; Sopa Lodge, the only tourist development on the eastern rim of the Ngorongoro Crater; Mt. Meru Game Lodge, a garden property on the banks of the Usa River, and other highly regarded game resorts. Cowger considers the Serengeti migration to be the greatest natural show on earth. “Our trips are designed to photograph tens of thousands of large wild mammals in a natural ecosystem that’s twice the size of Connecticut—and there are no fences.” His clientele varies from seasoned professional photographers to “observers who don’t even bring cameras.” Cowger adds that all travelers leave with a sense of having visited a place with an “unheralded variety of wildlife and experiencing the peaceful Tanzanian people.” proud african safaris Photo enthusiasts and visitors to Africa alike agree that the “heart-thumping” experience of seeing Tanzania’s great migration is an unrivaled spectacle. A common misconception, however, is that the migration only happens during certain months. Proud African Safaris, a small ﬁrm known for its luxury safaris, takes visitors to the Serengeti throughout the year in customized private safaris strategically scheduled to coincide with the seasonal migrations. The company has partnered with professional wildlife photographer James Blue to lead 12-day exclusive, small photo safaris into the Serengeti (from about $7,500 pp, international airfare not included). The groups are limited to about nine guests who want to capture magniﬁcence in their cameras. Four-wheel drive vehicles will carry only three photographers. Offering ﬁrst-class accommodations, expert naturalist advisors and continual photography instruction, guests are almost assured to return with some brilliant images of the region’s wonders. Early registration is recommended, as space is limited. Serious photographic enthusiasts capture incredible moments while shadowing the big cats that hunt during the great migration. Proud African Safaris subscribes to a “road less traveled” philosophy and takes guests through the bush to view and photograph subjects seldom seen. “The ability for a guide to have a natural connection to the ﬁeld is one of the main strengths of our guides,” says Adam Stephen Meshallu, lead guide and owner of the company. “A guide with a truly natural guiding instinct for the landscape and wildlife of Tanzania has the ability to provide guests with remarkable wildlife viewing experiences.” And the photographic images captured during an African safari cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world. ● Archived related articles (available on recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive): Safaris in Southern Africa (March 2013) contact information African Travel, Inc: (800) 421-8907; africantravelinc.com Letaka Safaris: letakasafaris.com The Photo Safari: (248) 828-0666; thephotosafari.com Proud African Safaris: (614) 563-3579; proudafricansafaris.com july 2013 67 66-67 AF Safaris.indd 67 6/19/13 3:12 PM http://www.recommend.com/magazine/issue-archive http://www.africantravelinc.com http://www.letakasafaris.com http://www.thephotosafari.com http://www.proudafricansafaris.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Recommend July 2013

Editor's Notes
Hotel Desk: Eleven Experience
Tour Talk: DuVine Cycling + Adventure
Expedition Cruising: Explore the Unexplored
Eleven Experience's Chalet Pelerin
Brazil Travel Planner
Grand Solmar Land's End Resort & Spa
Guatemala Travel Planner
Latin America Specialist Courses
The Broadmoor, Colorado Springs
5 Ways to Adventure in North America
Swain Tours Shines in the Land Down Under
Seeing African Wonders Through a Viewfinder
Trinidad & Tobago
Soaring to New Heights in Saint Lucia

Recommend July 2013