Browsing: wildlife

If you’re a solo traveller, you’ll have noticed how the world tends to revolve around couples.

You’ll probably be hit by single room supplements unless you’re happy to stay in a hostel dormitory, and may feel rather lonely having dinner for one in restaurants full of happy friends and lovers.

And then when you see a brilliant sight, there’s no one to share it with except distant acquaintances on social media.

That’s why I haven’t …

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Heading northwest, towards the Mozambique border, we left Wonderboom Airport (near Pretoria) via a chartered Cessna. Ninety minutes later we arrived at Cheetah Plains, a privately owned game reserve located within the 65,000 hectare Sabi Sands reserve, which itself shares a 50km border the Kruger National Park. Sabi Sands is world renowned for Super Seven* viewing, with Cheetah Plains the hot spot for Big Cats. There are no dividing fences, which sees game moving freely …

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At least 100 elephant are slowly shuffling past our vehicle. They come pouring into the dry riverbed towards us, first appearing over the left bank, then over the right. An elephant traffic jam forms as they filter together, greeting each other, gathering in small social clusters, kicking up dust, then trudging in unison up the dry river. We sit open-mouthed, awed by the immensity of the herd passing within meters of us.

Then one young …

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As part of a larger seven-month trip around the world, my boyfriend and I knew we wanted to complete an African safari somewhere along the way. But where? How? I wondered where to start and how to budget for something like this.

Like many travelers, I started at a travel agent, collecting glossy brochures of U.S. based tour companies specializing in safaris. Mesmerized by the photos of zebras and lions, we started making a list …

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There’s an exciting moment whenever you set off on a game drive and the ranger asks what you’d like to see.
It always makes me laugh, as if this khaki-clad Dr Doolittle can conjure up spectacular animal sightings on command.
But if you do yearn for a specific view of wildlife – a leopard in a tree or a wild dog hunt, perhaps – you can increase your chances enormously by picking a destination slap …

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As Ireland’s national holiday approaches, visions of all things green will sweep over the island, as well as fill the minds of Irish descendents spread across the globe, many of whom make pilgrimages back to their motherland on the ever-popular St. Patrick’s Day. Green everything in all shades is usually the order of the day, especially for those visitors looking to make their visit to the Emerald Isle, well, extremely emerald. Green beer, green clothing …

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Botswana, with a population of just over 2 million people, is one of the most sparsely populated countries on the planet. If it were a person, standing next to South Africa, boasting nearly 25 times that figure, it might feel inadequate. But the fact that it is so sparsely populated, more than anything, is an undeniable charm. There are few places in the world you can be comfortable with space – a sleepy city or …

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Johnstone Strait, a deep glacier carved passage running between the east coast of Vancouver Island and the west coast of British Columbia mainland, is one of the best places in the world to spot killer whales (also known as orcas). The deep waters of Johnstone Strait are home to the world’s largest resident pod of orcas, numbering around 200, who are attracted to the region by the thousands of salmon who frequent the waters every …

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If you’re considering a tropical beach vacation for your summer family holiday, but were wondering if the tropics might get too scorching hot, think again. Though some islands are victims of changing seasons, Aruba isn’t. In fact, it has a consistent pleasant average hovering around 85 degrees with constant cooling trade winds all year-round and scant annual rainfall. It’s also one of the few Caribbean islands located outside of the hurricane belt. More importantly, when …

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Strewn like three bright, emerald colored jewels in the Caribbean Sea, the three U.S. Virgin Islands of St. John, St. Croix and St.Thomas provide a variety of activities for the tourists who stream off the cruise ships daily. Watersports, shopping for duty-free items, or just lounging around on the beautiful beaches are all possibilities.

But we were there to snorkel.

The crystal-clear water of the many coves and inlets of St. Thomas provide the perfect …

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Rome has many famous historical squares but Largo di Torre Argentina is particularly unique for many reasons. It is probably best known as the spot where Julius Caesar is believed to have been killed in 44 BC. Here lie the remains of the ancient Pompey’s Theatre and several Roman temples, the vestiges of which now lie scattered in a haphazard collection of ruins. All very impressive; but look carefully among the fallen columns and ancient …

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Location is the most important factor when you’re looking to buy real estate. But when you’re looking to visit Yellowstone National Park, one of the most popular chunks of real estate on earth, timing is critical.

As the world’s oldest and most-loved national park, Yellowstone attracts millions of visitors every year. Yellowstone is a grand opportunity to see buffalo and grizzly bears living in the wild. The park is at the heart of the Old …

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Tourists tend to choose Colombia or Brazil over Peru as their preferred jungle getaway, but Iquitos is definitely worth a visit. And since the Amazon has recently made the provincial list of the New Seven Natural Wonders of the World, now is the perfect time to plan a trip.

Top Iquitos Attractions

Most Amazon tourists are primarily interested in seeing exotic wildlife, as the Amazon is home to one in every five living animal species. …

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Dear uninformed tourist,

I’m sorry for calling you uninformed, and I thank you for showing an interest in my home country of South Africa. Unfortunately, you tend to get some facts about the country a little bit wrong. So, before you ask me one of these questions for the umpteenth time, I thought I’d tell you a bit about what’s really behind the most common assumptions everyone makes about South Africa.

“How come you’re white

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