Branjolina Helping African Tourism

by Erik Olsen on

Karen posted about the newest do-gooder exploits of Branjolina and we just couledn’t resist adding our two cents here. People Magazine reports that the both-divorced duo are personally propping up the tourism industry of Namibia through their efforts to…well, just by visiting the country.

Yes, here they are awaiting the birth of their child, and all the magazine covers, all the E television stories the tabloid coverage has had the added benefit of making Americans aware that you can actually visit Africa, that it’s not just a big, dark place on the map where people die. The Namibian ambassador says the Namibian embassy in Washington has been “inundated with calls from the media and individuals inquiring about Namibia.” “It would be an honor for Namibia to become the birthplace of the Pitts’ first biological child,” he said.

Star power. Man, how about that?

Spring Break: Adventurous Family Vacations

by Neil Woodburn on

Spring break is just around the corner.

If you haven’t booked your vacation yet, and don’t fancy entertaining the kids at home, The Sunday Times has come up with an impressive list of family vacation options that promise to be adventurous and exciting. Be warned, however; these are not your ordinary Disneyworld-type of family getaways. We’re talking about camel safaris in Egypt, dune riding in Namibia, Kayaking in Malta, exploring Incan ruins in Peru, and a variety of others that are guaranteed not to feature Mickey Mouse. This is the very first list of “Family Vacations” I’ve ever come across where I would love to go on every trip mentioned–and I don’t even have kids. It is truly a remarkable selection of adventures.

The descriptions accompanying each of these trips include costs, tour outfitters, and the minimum age required f children.

Africa Travel: Namibia

by Adrienne Wilson on

Namibia is a South African country bordering the South Atlantic Ocean between Angola and South Africa. The complex shaped, wind swept sand dunes found in country look so perfect and painted it’s almost eerie. I’m pretty sure I mentioned them before or the country’s Skeleton Coast known from tales of shipwrecked vessels and lost sailors wandering for miles in search for water, if only a drop and food to keep them from falling faint. After days without even a crumb lost men disappear, hungry desert animals come along, and I’m sure you can gather the rest. The Namib desert is one of the world’s oldest and driest deserts on Earth and while a shipwreck hasn’t been reported in some time there are other reasons to visit this vast barren landscape. Take to the skies on a fly-in safari to cover a large amount of the desert coast in a short amount of time or you can roam around by foot for a closer look should you have the stamina and verses the funds for an expensive plane ride.

There are a number of ways and reasons to visit the land and sand of Namibia. My first suggestion is through these two photo galleries. The first comes from Courtney Milne’s travels and the other from Culture Focus. For extra first-hand tales in Namibia visit Calvin and Sharon’s Africa Travel blog. If luxury on the coast is still of interest pop into the Skeleton Coast Camp for what looks like a very nice place to crash after your day-time safari. Unlike some of the previously mentioned African countries, a Google search on Namibia will generate several results. So happy travels and remember to take lots of water.

Quad Biking in Africa

by Dave (Blogsmith Old) on

Quad biking the sand dunes of Namibia – what a cool way to explore the land! Writer Marie Javins recently shared her African adventure biking tale, which sounds like loads of fun. I’m not sure which company Marie used for her excursion, but I did find this one operating in Swakopmund and it could very well be the one she went with.

Marie does mention that she realizes that quad biking might not be the best eco-friendly sport for the Namib dunes to endure. I did find this dated article about a proposed green tax for adventure companies using the bikes, but could not confirm if it is in place. These are also efforts underway to create an eco-park encompassing the coastal dunes. In many cases, there are specific areas designated for these bikes, which some say are far less damaging to the terrain than most off-road vehicles.

I still think this is a neat way to get around, but I do try to be informed about the environmental impact of activities like this before I decide to hop on board. In this case, I’d probably still do it if given the chance in my travels. Would you?

Calvin & Sharon’s Africa Travel Blog

by Adrienne Wilson on

Every time I see someone blogging about their experiences while in Africa, I swear to myself that I too will save enough money to get to Africa – fast! It’s so expensive, but the memories gained have to be priceless. Calvin and Sharon have evoked that feeling and sudden impulse to fly across the Atlantic once again in colorful recounts of Namibia and Botswana in their Impulse Adventure travel blog. After reading several parts of their tales, I found this entry on the Himba people of Northern Namibia to be most engaging. It’s the kind of thing you can read over and over again without building a true sense of what the culture of the indigenous people from the Himba are like. Calvin’s photos are excellent additions to the entry which describes the attire, lifestyle, and traditional way to enter a Himba settlement.

Calvin’s photo of the women’s legs here is an example of some of the jewelry and anklets that play an important role in indicating marital status and puberty. Like many items worn by the Himba these are never to be removed. Males wear thick necklaces made of manure and ochre. The idea of putting manure in my hair or wearing something made with a large portion of it seems beyond me.

So many pieces to this entry are really worth your time including the great collection of photos that accompany most of the posts. Overall it makes for a nice cultural blog.