A&K does the unimaginable

by Tom Johansmeyer on

Luxury travel company Abercrombie & Kent is getting ready to surprise you. On February 19, 2009, it will celebrate its newly redesigned website with an unusual discount program. Starting at 9 AM (CST), a savings of 5 percent will be offered on each of five itineraries. Every half hour, another 5 percent will be cut from the price. By 3 PM, the discount will reach its final level of 60 percent off. Of course, departures are limited and on a first-come, first served basis.

So, this is your chance to spend for an A&K experience what conventional travel would normally cost.

For example, the “Once in a Lifetime Egypt” trip could sell for as little as $3,328 (a savings of close to $5,000). You’ll get 10 days that include the Four Seasons Cairo, not to mention a Nile cruise on Sun Boat IV. “Once in a Lifetime Kenya” consists of eight days for possibly as little as $2,118 (with a stay at the Fairmont Norfolk Hotel, among others), and the experience in Spain could cost $6,000 less than usual. The other destinations are Botswana and Zambia and a voyage to Melanesia aboard “Clipper Odyssey.”

Remember: the sale begins at 9 AM (CST) on February 19. Put a reminder in your calendar and be ready to click fast!

Tour d’Afrique Off and Running!

by Kraig Becker on

The 2009 edition of the Tour d’Afrique got underway last Sunday, with cyclists setting out from Cairo, Egypt on a 7317 mile long race to Cape Town, South Africa. In between they’ll pass through the Sudan, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Botswana, and Namibia, fostering international goodwill along the way, while raising funds for environmental protection and promoting cycling in Africa.

The race is broken down into 96 stages of various lengths, with a typical day getting underway at 7:30 AM, when the top riders start out on the course. They are soon followed by another group who may not be contending for the top spot, but still want to complete every mile, while the “Back Pack” is made up of a group of riders who just want to enjoy the adventure and soak up some of the culture of the countries they are passing through.

This is the seventh year that the race has been run, and the web coverage seems to be the best ever. For instance, there are photos from each stage, videos from the various countries and introductions for some of the riders, and a daily blog with results and news from the course.

With six stages done, the riders have more than three months of riding ahead of them through a variety of climates and terrains before reaching their final destination on May 9th. They’ll struggle through the Sahara Desert, roll across the Equator, and race across an endless savannah, and they each payed more than $10,000 for the privledge. Seems like it’s an adventure worth every penny.

Photo of the Day (1.10.09)

by Brenda Yun on


First, this from natavillage.org:

On March 4, 2006, Nata made history by becoming the first village in Botswana with a website. natavillage.org is a unique opportunity for the reader to witness the battle to control the spread of HIV/AIDS in an African village. Botswana has the second highest HIV infection rate in the world (37% for ages 15-49). The co-founders, a Canadian traveler, a U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer, and a local businessman were all frustrated that millions of dollars pour into Botswana due to the AIDS pandemic yet little money reaches remote villages like Nata.

The site offers the visitor 3 videoblogs, a 10 minute documentary, over 350 flickr photos and a blog that gives the reader an intimate look into the lives of the villagers. The reader is given the opportunity to donate directly to the village and the funds are managed transparently by a local 6 member board of trustees with very little overhead cost. The donor can see the results of their generosity through regular photos of what is purchased.

People living with AIDS in Nata must travel 60 miles to reach the ARV (anti-retroviral ) clinic. Many can’t afford the $4.00 bus fare. The trust provides transportation money for all members to reach their life saving ARV’s. The trust also purchased a sound system and generator for an out of school youth group that provides vital HIV/AIDS educational activities to Nata and the surrounding villages. We hope to serve as a model for other villages and change the way aid is distributed in the developing world.

There’s not a lot more to say about this photo from jonrawlinson other than that it’s a perfect shot taken in Botswana of a Masarwa man. The creation of natavillage.org is certainly an inspiring story and a cause worth contributing to in this new year.

If you have some great travel shots you’d like to share, be sure to upload them to the Gadling pool on Flickr. We might just pick one as our Photo of the Day!

One for the Road: Whatever You Do, Don’t Run

by Kelly Amabile on

Australian Peter Allison is a safari guide who has spent much of the last twelve years leading eco-tourism trips in Africa. This past summer, The Lyons Press published his memoir, a collection of hilarious True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide: Whatever You Do, Don’t Run recounts Allison’s stories of “…face-to-face encounters with big cats, angry elephants and the world’s most unpredictable animals — herds of untamed tourists and foolhardy guides.”

Allison set off for Africa at the age of nineteen and had originally planned to stay for only a year. After six months he was broke, but found work tending bar at a game reserve. He eventually became a guide and taught others how to do the same. More than a dozen years later he’s still leading tours and educating folks about life in the bush. Allison’s book shares insight about the difficulties of keeping tours minimally invasive for the animals, as well as humorous tales of tourists gone wild. Read with caution and remember — only food runs!