Daily Pampering: Live out your “Out of Africa” fantasy

by Annie Scott on


Was it really only 35 years ago that Robert Redford, Meryl Streep and Sydney Pollack captured our hearts in the Academy Award winning Out of Africa?

Answer: Yes.

To celebrate this notable anniversary of an instant classic, Sanctuary Retreats, a resort group with luxurious destinations all across Africa, is hosting a special package at Sanctuary Olonana, a safari camp in Kenya — very near to where Out of Africa‘s Masai Mara scenes were filmed.

From June 1 until December 15, 2010, guests can request the all-inclusive Out of Africa Package, which includes:

  • Safari-style luxury tented accommodations
  • Game drives (from the Big Five to spectacular wildebeest migration, Sanctuary Olonana is in the heart of Kenya’s big game country)
  • Three meals daily
  • Out of Africa picnic and al fresco spa treatment at the famous film site in homage to the memorable hair washing scene of Karen by Denys
  • A traditional bush dinner with outdoor Out of Africa film screening under the stars at banks of the Mara River

There can’t be a more literal way to live out your Out of Africa fantasy. Additionally, guests staying for four or more nights between June 20 and September 30 will receive a free hot air balloon ride followed by a complimentary champagne breakfast (a $460 value).

Rates for the “Out of Africa” all-inclusive package start at $389 per person per night. Click here to book.

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Floods in Kenya disrupt safari industry

by Kraig Becker on

Last week, flash floods swept through the Samburu National Park in northern Kenya, sending travelers scrambling for high ground, while campsites, 4×4 vehicles, and even bridges were swept away in just moments. The same area was afflicted by a major drought just last fall, which also disrupted travel through the region, but now it faces an entirely different problem, that could have even longer lasting effects.

According to the BBC, more than 17 tourists on safari had to be evacuated by helicopter following the flash floods, which also took out a local elephant research station. Most of the travelers were from the U.S., the U.K. and Germany, and some of them were forced to scramble up trees to avoid the rush of water that resulted when torrential rainfall caused the Ewaso Nyiro River to swell out of its banks.

Tourism is an important part of the Kenyan economy, and the classic safari is at the center of that trade. The Samburu National Park is one of the top safari destinations in the entire country, and many visitors flock to the banks of the Ewaso Nyiro as well. Many of the traditional big game animals are plentiful there, with elephants, zebras, hippos, and giraffes all in abundance.

While the waters have already begun to recede, the washed out bridges will need to be replaced before normal travel in the area can be restored. There is no time frame as to when that will happen, but visitors are still getting the opportunity to visit the park, although alternate routes are necessary for the time being.

“How to write about Africa” and “How to write about poor people”

by Aaron Hotfelder on

In “How to write about Africa,” a classic satirical essay from Kenyan writer Binyavanga Wainaina, the author pokes fun at those who recycle the same well-worn clichés about Africa, especially the portrayal of Africans as uncomplicated stock characters.

The following satirical “advice” for writing about Africa represents the tone of the essay pretty well:

Broad brushstrokes throughout are good. Avoid having the African characters laugh, or struggle to educate their kids, or just make do in mundane circumstances. Have them illuminate something about Europe or America in Africa. African characters should be colourful, exotic, larger than life-but empty inside, with no dialogue, no conflicts or resolutions in their stories, no depth or quirks to confuse the cause…

Read the rest of the piece, originally published in the literary mag Granta, here.

Over at Aid Watch, a blog which I recommended to you, humble reader, just yesterday, Bill Easterly has some satirical “advice” for anyone looking to write about the impoverished, particularly those in the developing world. A couple of suggestions from Bill and his readers are below:

  • Display pictures of poor children (alternatively women).
  • Don’t show pictures of poor men, who make your audience think of drunkards, wife-beaters, or janjaweed.
  • Assume that all poor people everywhere have the same interests and views on all subjects.
  • Write about the interests of the poor as entirely consistent with other good things, such as preserving the natural environment and fighting global warming.
  • Suggest specific answers that will end poverty in every possible situation, such as a package of microcredit, fertilizer subsidies, and a women’s handicraft cooperative.
  • It is not necessary to talk to any real poor people, they do not understand how to solve their problems anyway.
  • Suggest to the readers some demonstrative action that they can do to end poverty, such as wearing a white band on their wrist. How these actions affect global poverty does not have to be completely spelled out.

(It shouldn’t be necessary, but let me say this again: This. Is. Satire.) The lesson, if you haven’t caught it already, is that the world’s poorest people are still people, not merely vehicles for fundraising. Their problems are immeasurably complex and sometimes hopelessly intractable.

As travelers and as people who care about world poverty, we often do more harm than good when we spout off about people and problems we only think we understand.

For more, check out Part 1 and Part 2 of the hilarious but thought-provoking “How to write about poor people.”

Oprah’s 10 terrific reads for 2009 showcase diversity and travel

by Jamie Rhein on

Regardless of what one thinks of Oprah, it’s hard to argue that the woman doesn’t have her thumbprint on some mighty great stuff. Her “10 Terrific Reads for 2009,” for example, is filled with suggestions that capture the flavor of travel, adventure and diversity. Many of them are about people from one country who have been brought to another by life’s circumstances or their drive to explore.

If you read these 10 books, I’d say you’ll have a thought-provoking and enlightening journey through certain parts of the world, particularly Africa. Before you head out on your next journey, pick up one of these and pass it on.

Here are the 10 books with the countries that provide the setting or settings. For a summary of each book, click each title.

  • The Bolter, Frances Osborne–Kenya (Great Britain connection)
  • Dreaming in Hindi, Katherine Russel Rich–India (U.S. connection)
  • Little Bee, Chris Cleve–Great Britain (Nigeria connection)
  • Blame, Michelle Huneven–U.S. (This one doesn’t have a cross-cultural component but is compared to Sand and Fog which is one of the best novels showing cross-cultural connections gone wrong that I’ve ever read.)
  • Losing Mum and Pup, Christopher Buckley–U.S. (Another without a cross-cultural component, but loss of parents is cross-cultural and Buckley’s dad, William F. Buckley certainly had a lot of opinions about the world.)
  • Zeitoun, Dave Eggers–U.S. (Syrian connection) I met Dave Eggers. He’s as wonderful in person as his writing reflects. Truly splendid. I’m buying this one.
  • Say You’re One of Them, Uwem Akpan–Kenya and Rwanda. Akpan is a Nigerian writer.
  • Some Things that Meant the World to Me, Joshua Mohr–U.S. Part of this novel takes place in Home Depot in San Francisco. Doesn’t the bring up an unusual mix of images?!
  • The Invisible Mountain, Carolina De Robertis–South America. The reading guide mentions Argentina.
  • Strength in What Remains:A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness, Tracy Kidder–Burundi and U.S.

The ultimate road trip: 12,500 miles across Africa on a motorcycle

by Sean McLachlan on

Thomas Tomczyk is serious about motorcycles. He’s done three motorcycle trips across India, from the steamy southern tip all the way up to the frozen highlands of Ladakh. Now he’s starting his childhood dream–an epic trip 12,500 miles (20,000 km) across Africa.

His zigzag tour will take in 22 African nations including South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Tanzania, Burundi, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Sudan, the Central African Republic, Chad, Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Mauritania, the Saharawi Republic, and Morocco. . .

. . .before he ends up skinny, exhausted, and happy at my house in Spain, where my wife will fatten him up with her excellent paella.

Full disclosure: Thomas is a friend of mine. We covered the massive Hindu pilgrimage of Kumbh Mela together in 2001 and barely managed not to get trampled to death by hordes of naked holy men. But even if I didn’t know him, this trip is so thoroughly cool I would have reported on it anyway.

Thomas isn’t just going on vacation; he’ll be visiting innovative grassroots projects that are making life better for the average African. Through his website Africa Heart Beat he’ll be telling us about ordinary people doing extraordinary things, such as creating a job center for landmine victims in Mozambique, an AIDS theater group in Botswana, and a Muslim-Christian vocational center in Mali that’s bringing the two communities together.

“The idea of crossing Africa came to me when I was 10,” Thomas says.”A large map of the world hung above my bed in a small Warsaw apartment. I would study the geography of each continent, its road and railroad network. The most prominent continent would be Africa, placed in the middle of the map, right above where my head would rest on the pillow. The idea stayed in my mind for years. I would eventually learn to ride motorcycles in India and cover the Horn of Africa for publications in Poland and US. In January 2009 my grandmother passed away and I decided it was time to do the trek I’ve been thinking about for so long. Traveling for travel’s sake was past me, and I decided I needed to find a purpose as I travel, something that would give meaning to the journey and benefit others.”

While 20,000 km is a long way to ride, he’s done it before in India. His longest journey there was 20,000 km on a 1950s technology 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet. I’ve ridden that bike and it’s a monster– heavy and tough enough for the task. This time he’ll be probably picking up a KTM 640 LC Adventure, a lighter but rugged off-road bike from a dealer in South Africa when he flies there Thanksgiving Day.

He’ll be crossing some very remote areas but will keep in touch as much as possible with an array of communications equipment. There will be regular updates on his blog, Facebook page, and YouTube channel. On the day after Thanksgiving, when Thomas is safely in Johannesburg and on the first day of his eight-month journey I’ll be writing about some of the gear he’s bringing along and share some advice he has for covering your own journeys as you do them.

Know of a project Thomas should cover? Tell us about it in the comments section!