Page 31 - Layout 1

LIFESTYLE
PHOTO © JANIS TURK
points, to your arranging their hunting des-
tination and getting them home. We do all
we can to ensure that guests and their guns
travel safely and have a great trip.”
Animal lover and professional photogra-
pher George Ligon, Jr. of North Carolina
says only shoots animals with his Canon
camera. “I’ve been able to get the most in-
credible shots during my safaris in Amboseli
National Park along the Kenya-Tanzania
border. Besides all the spectacular wildlife
I’ve seen, I’ve also been able to capture some
wonderful images of the Masai people who
live in The Mara. My safari lodge’s staff or-
ganized visits to Masai villages and schools
for my group, and we were able to meet na-
tive tribesmen and women and even visit
their homes. I will never forget that experi-
ence, and I have felt safe and welcome each
time I’ve visited Africa.”
Non-hunting travelers may book their trips
through American companies like Premier
Tours, which handles Wilderness Safari vaca-
tions, or find choose luxury accommodations
in Africa through the helpful experts from
Elewana Collection (www.elewanacollec-
tion.com). Hunters may want to turn to or-
ganizations like Travel with Guns
(www.travelwithguns) before planning their
next trip.
Besides the experience of safari life, there La Residence in Franschhoek, The Steenberg
are spectacular hotels to enjoy in Africa, big
PHOTO © JANIS TURK PHOTO © JANIS MAXYMOF PHOTO © JANIS MAXYMOF
PHOTO © JANIS MAXYMOF
PHOTO © JANIS TURK
cities to explore, lakes and waterfalls to see, in the Constantia Valley, and Ellerman House
and animal orphanages to visit. A favorite stay in Cape Town, or stay downtown at the Taj
of many families is Giraffe Manor in Nairobi, with views of Table Mountain. Visit the
where giraffes poke their heads into the din- Robben Island prison where Mandela was
ing room and have breakfast with guests each held, or go see the penguins on the warm
morning. Nearby is Karen Blixen’s house, sandy beach at Fish Hoek on the False Bay
where the true-life “Out of Africa” story took Coast. Take a helicopter ride above Victoria
place, and just down the road, on land that Falls in southern Africa on the Zambezi River
was once part of Blixen’s original farm, at the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Lis-
sprawls a handsome five-star hotel called ten to natives sing in a Khoisan language of
Hemingways Nairobi, with a golf course, spa, clicks in Botswana, and go ape in Uganda, or
fine dining, and grand suites. stay in splendor at The Saxon, Johannesburg’s
most elegant hotel. You can even adopt an
Other not-to-miss places? Stay at Elsa’s elephant at the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust Ele-
Kopje in Meru, a luxury safari lodge with phant orphanage in Kenya.
11 cottages near the spot where George and
Joy Adamson camped and raised Elsa the li- Whether you’re drawn to this mysterious
oness of “Born Free.” And beach lovers, continent to shoot photos or exotics, it’s time
don’t forget Africa’s stunning coastal resorts to heed the call of the wild, for out of Africa,
in Mozambique, and near cities like Zanz- an oh so civilized adventure awaits.
ibar, Diani and Lamu.
PHOTO © JANIS MAXYMOF
There is an Africa out there for everybody.
So, if you want to ride in a hot air balloon
over desert sand dunes, start at Sossusvlei in
Namibia. Want to witness the annual great
wildebeest migration? Visit the Masai Mara
in Kenya from July through October. Want
to climb to see the snows of Kilimanjaro?
Turn to Tanzania. Then go on safari in
Kruger National Park, followed by a stay in
Cape Town with side-trips to wine lands
nearby in South Africa. While there, visit the
visit us at www.bcms.org 31