Best Tours in Africa 2013
From Traveler Magazine's 2013 Tours of a Lifetime
Tanzania: Tracking Dr. Livingstone
After a series of earlier expeditions on the African continent, David Livingstone returned to Africa in 1866. He got his bearings in Zanzibar, where this tour also starts. You’ll visit the former spice trade capital of Stone Town, as well as the house he stayed in. Next, it’s off to Lake Tanganyika, Africa’s deepest lake, which Livingstone helped map, and Ujiji, where journalist Henry Morton Stanley encountered the ailing explorer in 1871 and famously remarked, “Dr. Livingstone, I presume.” (At some point on his journey, Livingstone had lost contact with the outside world.) Several game drives are woven into the itinerary. Africa Adventure Consultants: “In Livingstone’s Footsteps: The Final Journey,” 10 days; $3,975; www.adventuresinafrica.com
Kenya: Walk for Elephants
The country’s Laikipia ecosystem is home to one of the largest free-ranging elephant populations in East Africa, but the intensified, illicit hunt for ivory threatens to decimate it by 2020. Raise funds for a local anti-poaching initiative while trekking the stomping grounds of these beloved giants. Led by the company founders, this walkathon and camel-supported camping expedition covers up to 15 miles a day from Laikipia to the Kirisia Hills, led by Samburu guides. Hidden Places Travel: “100 Miles for Elephants,” 9 days; $3,450; www.hiddenplaces.net
South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe: Giving Safari
Boutique safari specialist Priscilla Macy cherry-picked this five-country tour from the most raved-about components of her customized African itineraries, like the two nights spent aboard Ichobezi safari boats floating down the Chobe River. What makes the trip different are the philanthropic outings; one group took local children to see Victoria Falls—a first for most of them. Global Sojourns: “Safari, Culture, and Philanthropy in Southern Africa,” 14 days; $4,400; www.globalsojourns.com
Namibia: Conservation Corps
Live your Wild Kingdom dreams by lending a hand to scientists in the Khomas Hochland—the highlands of central Namibia—as they research ways to minimize conflict between humans and wildlife. Document behavior, set cameras and live traps, and perhaps even help capture and collar a big cat. Biosphere Expeditions: “A Game of Cats and Elephants,” 13 days; $2,780; www.biosphere-expeditions.org
Morocco: Surfin’ Sahara
Few know that Morocco is home to some of the world’s sweetest and most reliable surf breaks. This trip is part surf camp, part cultural odyssey. Spend three days riding waves at a locals-mostly beach near Agadir—beginners welcome—then trek through Berber villages in the High Atlas Mountains and wander the souks and ruins of Marrakech. Access Trips: “Morocco Desert Surf Safari,” 8 days; $2,140; www.accesstrips.com
Egypt: New Nile Route
Plying a recently reopened route from Cairo to Aswan (or vice versa), this cruise aboard the luxe 32-cabin Sanctuary Nile Adventurer is a veritable survey of Egyptian history, from Abydos, an ancient city dedicated to Osiris and a burial place for early pharaohs, to the rock tombs of Beni Hassan, cut into the limestone cliffs of the Nile for provincial rulers during the Middle Kingdom. Onboard perks include lectures on Egyptology and classes on hieroglyphics and Egyptian cooking. Sanctuary Retreats: “Nile Adventurer,” 10 days; $3,440; www.sanctuaryretreats.com
Ethiopia: Anthropology 101
This trip plumbs the exotic depths of this diverse country mostly on foot. Visit Surma villages, where young men consume cattle’s blood and milk and engage in ritual dances, amd women insert clay discs into their lower lips as a rite of passage. Explore the remote Omo National Park, a tract of wilderness framed by massive cliffs of volcanic basalt and granite. Journeys by Design: “Trekking to Surma, Ethiopia,” 13 days; $3,363; www.journeysbydesign.com
Contributing editor Margaret Loftus has reported and written “Tours of a Lifetime” for the past eight years.
Related Topics
You May Also Like
Go Further
Animals
- Cougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treksCougar travels 1,000 miles in one of longest recorded treks
- Rare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginningRare gray whale spotted in the Atlantic—and it's only the beginning
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- Termite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million yearsTermite fossils prove mating hasn't changed in 38 million years
Environment
- Why the 2024 hurricane season could be especially activeWhy the 2024 hurricane season could be especially active
- Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.Mushroom leather? The future of fashion is closer than you think.
- This deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the worldThis deadly fungus is hitchhiking its way across the world
- Why 'funga' is just as important as flora and faunaWhy 'funga' is just as important as flora and fauna
- This exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the worldThis exploding mine holds a treasure that may change the world
History & Culture
- See the story of Jonah and the whale like never beforeSee the story of Jonah and the whale like never before
- This ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the pastThis ancient mosaic offers extraordinary insights into the past
- These are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit themThese are the real dunes that inspired Dune—and you can visit them
- Meet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius CaesarMeet the only woman privy to the plot to kill Julius Caesar
Science
- Women’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to changeWomen’s bodies are understudied—but that’s starting to change
- Hundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right nowHundreds of tiny arachnids are likely on your face right now
- What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.What's worse than a hangover? Hangxiety. Here's why it happens.
Travel
- A taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street foodA taste of West Bengal, from curries to Kolkata street food
- Discover southeastern Spain's secret coastal regionDiscover southeastern Spain's secret coastal region
- All aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sunAll aboard Norway's slow train under the midnight sun