The thing about African wilderness trails November 10, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Safari, ecotourism , 5comments
Walking on a wilderness trail is the only way to feel the pulse of the African “bush”. That is what I believe anyway. I have experienced my fair share of the African safari concept: vehicle-based photographic safaris, 
game drives and stays in high-end and exotic game lodges, and even canoe safaris down the wild Lower Zambezi. But none of this compares to following a game trail on foot: listening for a warning call, watching the reactions of the tracker, sniffing the breeze, or simply existing in your immediate sphere. Nothing compares - except perhaps for the canoe safari. (more…)
Why community-based tourism is so important October 23, 2007
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : Community, ecotourism , add a comment
The concept of the Peace Parks is gaining recognition for the vision that it is. I have written about it many times before as a model that shows the way forward for people and the planet. The embracing symbolism of transfrontier conservation areas cannot be overstated because it will only be by a process of inclusion and integration that humans will continue to exist as a species. If we fail to acknowledge and sanction the right-to-life of all of creation we will be left with a denuded and over-used earth unable to support humans.
We have a choice and the time for making that choice is now. We cannot afford to put it off.
One idea that is gaining ground in Africa is that of community-based tourism. (more…)
Book a Safari September 18, 2007
Posted by AJK in : News , add a comment
At ecoAfrica Travel our goal is to find products that makes a difference; a difference in nature, ethics, conservation, empowerment, communities, education and footprints. In essence we want you as a traveller to walk away from Africa with the feeling that your visit made a difference to the lives of the people and the preservation of its natural environment, and that you have learned something about Africa, its people and its wildernesses.
Countries we will show you:
Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
If you like activities:
Adventure, Cultural, Walking Safaris
Or protected areas:
National Parks, Private Reserves, World Heritage
Or certain habitats:
Beach, Bush, Desert, Forest, Island, Mountain, River, Saltpan, Wetlands
Or maybe you are looking for a type of safari:
Luxury, Family, Value-for-Money
Impressions of the Great Walk in Tsavo July 25, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : Safari , 1 comment so far
Tsavo. A place of ghosts….. Read my personal take on the Great Walk in Tsavo.
The photo at right was taken on the Galana River. A peaceful scene…
In the Company of Man Eaters July 16, 2007
Posted by Clarissa Hughes in : News, Safari , 1 comment so far
Conjure up a marriage between “Out of Africa” style camping and hunter-gatherer game tracking and you get the Great Walk. Taking place in Kenya’s largest national park, Tsavo, the walk covers a comfortable 153 kms in 12 days.
Situated in south eastern Kenya Tsavo is approximately 12,000 km2 and was designated in 1948 by the colonial government. Divided into East and West the boundary between the two sections of the park is formed by the Mombasa-Nairobi highway and the railway line that connects hinterland to the coast.
Great Walk in Tsavo National Park: Google Earth track and photos July 14, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : News, Safari , add a comment
Well, I’m back from the Great Walk of Africa. It was truly one of those “experiences of a lifetime”. But Clarissa will write a descriptive piece about the Great Walk. I have, as promised, prepared a Google Earth track of the Great Walk (it downloads an eventual 2.2MB target kmz file). Also our photos are here and here. Enjoy.
Great Walk in Tsavo National Park June 3, 2007
Posted by Ralph Pina in : News, Safari , add a comment
Tomorrow I leave on the Great Walk of Africa, traversing 200km of West and East National Parks in Kenya. Can’t wait. We follow the Tsavo and Galana rivers across this great African wilderness. The place has a fascinating and infamous colonial history, mostly revolving around the legendary “man-eaters” of Tsavo who preyed on the labourers who built the Lunatic Express railway that runs north-south across the park.
I have built a preliminary map of the route (its a gross approximation) but will be taking my GPS to log the track and publish on Google Earth and Google Maps.
Update: Impressions of the Great Walk
Got to go…
About June 1, 2007
Posted by AJK in : News , 2comments
About ecoAfrica
ecoAfrica started online life, on the cusp of the internet revolution, in 1995 as African Alternatives. It has always been dedicated to the promotion of eco-travel in Africa (ecotourism). The team behind ecoAfrica has evolved into ecoAfrica Travel. This blog aims to, amongst other things, reflect the views of the fine people who make up that team. Read about ecoAfrica’s values.
About ecoAfrica’s team
Bertus likes the hammock and he’s been trying to convince everyone here that he needs a place to put it up, but so far no luck. But lest you think that he’s just another Lounge Lizard, he does have a sensitive side and Tai Chi is how he connects with it. Clarissa likes to go out in the wild for long walks, but she loves her comfort; so much so that her bedroll takes up all her allotted space on her trips. Ralph also loves walking (he even parks in the furthest parking space at the mall, so that he can walk more), sea-and-river kayaking. If he and Clarissa were any greener, we would have to water them every morning.
Elsabe doesn’t like Ralph and Clarissa’s slow pace, so she prefers running. If it wasn’t for her driving partner Julia, who loves sleeping more, they would probably jog to work every morning (30km). Julia doesn’t only love the pillow, but also Ericas (foot-long-native-tubular flowers in various colours - a guy’s description) which she nurtures at home and at night she chases and smacks a white ball across a hockey field (it probably has someone’s face on it).
We are very fond of Salomi, even though she dresses like an Eskimo. And once she emerges from her hood, she is a like a bubbling stream. Edna recently came from a trip in Namibia and she can’t stop talking about it. For her it was a very spiritual and educational experience.
Lizanne is our resident Environmental Ethics expert with more degrees than Bertus has grey hair. And she is not just brainy, we use her to make us look good in Elle Magazine as the rest of us are photographically challenged.
Lezel, our in house rock-chick, lives for bookings. She gets this stern “I-can’t-smile-until-my-client-is-happy” look on her face when she is working. Luckily for us this gets sometimes replaced with the “webmaster-fix-my-pc” smile on her face.
Our latest addition is Annemarie who sees herself as a bit of a Gypsy; and she looks the part too. When she is not telling me my fortune, she loves to travel all over the world.
If you would like to speak to any of the wonderful people here, you will need to speak our language and that is travel or to be more precise, eco-travel. Now before your eyes roll over in your sockets and you start calling us treehuggers (officially there is only one in the office), eco-travel doesn’t mean we are going to bore you with speeches or make you wear funny clothes. Eco-travel just means that while we are doing all the fun things everybody else is doing, we also make sure that we respect the environment around us - and make a difference.
We arrange for individuals and small groups to go and experience nature in its unspoilt state, by making appointments with the wildlife here in Africa. If you would you like to meet them, look at one of these options below and we will hook you up.
Countries we will show you:
Botswana, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe
If you like activities:
Adventure, Cultural, Walking Safaris
Or maybe you are looking for a type of safari:
Luxury, Family, Value-for-Money
