Safari: conservation in action

Mark Pawlak    Adventure Sports & Travel Thoughts, safariadventureholidays     Africa, eco-holidays, eco-tourism, safari, safari hoidays, tanzania

Each hostel New York has will have people staying who have travelled all over the world. It’s part of the hostel experience to mix and share stories, reveal travels far and wide, and soak up the experience of others. And one common theme or sensitivity comes through when socialising with well-travelled people: a love of nature.

Zebra in Tanzania Image: Flickr/ David Berkowitz

Our appreciation of the planet’s fragility is a relatively new thing. Until recently, surprisingly few people realised what impact we were having on the environment. Happily things are changing. One noticeable move is the interest in conservation holidays and eco-tourism. If there is one way to see nature up-close while directly supporting its protection, it’s by taking safari holidays.

Conservation, however, is not complete protection: animals on wildlife reserves are not hidden from natural predators, nor are they shielded from the worst nature can throw at them – just from the dangers we can pose to their survival.

Keeping animals in zoos helps breeding programmes for those truly endangered species, but to better understand how eco-systems and natural environments are preserved, it’s always best to get to the countries where these animals originate and see what’s being done.

Previously people went on game safaris to collect trophies; today tourists prefer to shoot animals with cameras. By going on safari your money goes into the local economy and helps create jobs. Well-trained guides help find you the best picture opportunities, and thanks to funding and international initiatives, some of the most precious habitats on Earth are helped. When managed properly, the safari offers real-time conservation and unforgettable travel experiences.

Top 10 Safari Destinations

Tim B    Top 10 Adventure Sports Travel Lists     kruger, masai mara, mount sinai, okavango delta, safari, tanzania, tigers, top 10

A safari features on most people’s bucket lists. Watching a pride of lions saunter a few metres away from you, a tiger cross the road in front of your 4X4, or a herd of elephants gently filling up your telephoto lens – a safari promises extraordinary experiences. There is something truly magical about seeing the moon shining through the skeletal branches of a lonely tree on a stretch of grassland, or viewing a hippopotamus baking in the sun with egrets perched on its back. The word safari comes from ‘Ar safar’, Swahili for journey. Let the urban jungle take a backseat as you embark on a journey of a lifetime through grasslands, forests and deserts.

1. Tanzania

A 2000-feet deep crater brimming over with wildlife, one of the world’s most diverse eco-systems and ancient baobab trees – every aspect of Tanzania presents a traveller with photo opportunities worthy of a National Geographic magazine cover. read more