Win A FREE 6-day African Insight Overland Tour!: PlanYourSafari With Johan Knols Our Third #AcaciaWildTweep Judge

Calling all South Africa fans!!! Here's some more news on our #AcaciaWildTweep competition:) Another interesting blogger is joining our panel of expert judges. Next up is Johan Knols, Editor of PlanYourSafari, a guy with an unrivalled passion for adventure, wildlife and everything ‘safari’.

So Johan – tell us a bit about yourself…

It all started in 1994 when I left The Netherlands and headed off to start a new life in Africa. My first year in Tanzania was simply amazing and I was completely hooked.
I worked my way up from lodge manager to owner and professional guide of my own mobile safari company in Botswana – and in 2004 I became an Honorary Wildlife Officer for the Botswana Department of Wildlife and National Parks. At the moment my big passion is sharing everything I learned with whoever wants to hear it.

And what can we adventurers expect from PlanYourSafari?

From first time safari goers to avid wildlife enthusiasts, you’ll find everything you ever needed to know about planning the perfect safari. In a nutshell, I provide you with advice that I gained during my 15 years of working in the African safari industry. You’ll also be able to take a look “behind the scenes”, as we’re always featuring contributors on the blog that are experts in their own field.

What will you be looking for from adventurers when you come to judge the #AcaciaWildTweep entries?

Original content, thinking out of the box, honesty and creativity.

Your favourite spot in South Africa and why?

The battlefields – Beautiful country side, great history and amazing guides to tell the stories of the Zulu wars.

Any humourous anecdotes to share with us Johan?...

A few years ago I took a wrong turn-off and ended up with a minivan of a tour-company in the middle of Alexandria (township) in Johannesburg. It was the time when lots of minivans got hijacked and therefore it was a tat scary.

And what about your MOST memorable safari in South Africa?

In May 2009 I had the opportunity to spend many days traversing the Sabi Sands. I saw great wildlife and many great lodges.

Any advice for adventurers in South Africa?

Have respect for the environment, the inhabitants and the wildlife of South Africa, and refrain from taking anything away with you from a national park or game reserve.

We know this will be a difficult question! But can you give us the low down on the best game viewing location in South Africa?

It has to be the Madikwe Game Reserve because of the diversity of the landscape, the presence of the BIG Five and the high standard of lodges.

And those top three MUST SEE destinations on your next South Africa jaunt?

The Karoo, Addo Elephant Park and the Meerkat excursion of Meerkat Magic close to Oudtshoorn.

Make the most of your safari experience and click on over to PlanYourSafari

Want to win a free 6-day African Insight overland tour! Check out the #AcaciaWildTweep competition details

You've gotta' be "in it to win it" so fill out our #AcaciaWildTweep Q&A

Wild Tweep competition terms and conditions: Entrants for the “Wild Tweep” competition must have visited South Africa, although not necessarily on an Acacia Africa tour. 1 X African Insight (Tour code: NAI6 or SAI6). For travel before 01 January 2011. Non-exchangeable or transferable. Subject to the Acacia Africa booking terms and conditions as laid out in the 2010/2011 brochure and availability. Excludes flights/ visas, insurance, spending money, optional activities and any other items not listed as ‘included’ in the Acacia brochure under the African Insight heading. All entries should be emailed to gowildonline@acacia-africa.com.

“#AcaciaWildTweep” Judge - Get all the latest news from Travelcomments.com and win a 6-day overland tour!

Listen up wannabe “#AcaciaWildTweeps” as we’ve got yet another amazing blogger judging our competition. Next up is Seb Hermanns, Editor of Travelcomments.com, a BIG fan of the Kruger, and a man who will never fail to amaze you when it comes to handy travelling hints in Southern Africa.

So Seb – tell us a bit about yourself…

I landed on the continent for the first time in 98’ and got involved in some voluntouring in Zanzibar and Zimbabwe. I think the Africa travel bug just creeps up on you and every year you’ll find me heading back to Southern Africa. As for Travelcomments.com, well I guess I’m a blogger with a passion for the region, and South Africa’s up at the top of the list!

And what’s happening on Travelcomments.com?

All kinds of news & info about travelling in Southern Africa. The topics range from tour offers and travel related news to music downloads, recipes, backpacker news, interviews, videos, podcasts – you name it!. Put it like this – the umhambi blog is the voice of TravelComments.com...

What will you be looking for from adventurers when you come to judge the "#AcaciaWild Tweep” entries?

A good mix of enthusiasm, passion and wanderlust...

Your favourite spot in South Africa and why?

The Wild Coast /former Transkei. Why? Amazing landscape, the rocky coastline, never ending beaches, space to relax and to think about yourself, the world and everything else! Pure chillaxation!

Any humourous anecdotes to share with us Seb?...

Well, it happens everyday – asking for directions in the streets (“not too far” or “just down the road”) and learning to handle “now”, “just now” and “now now” … ;-)

And what about your MOST memorable safari in South Africa?

Well, there are many, but the one I will always remember is when I saw wild dogs in Kruger for the very first time. It was before sunset and literally 500m after we passed the gate we saw a pack of wild dogs resting on the road … we followed them at least for 20min as they moved on. Great experience!

Any advice for adventurers in South Africa?

Let me answer this with a quote from St. Augustine “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page.” Be sure that your “book” is getting bigger and bigger with every day you are travelling. Not every page will be full of mind-blowing tours & activities, but you'll never forget those truly personal experiences!

We know this will be a difficult question! But can you give us the low down on the best game viewing location in South Africa?

Kruger, Kruger & Kruger. And Hluhluwe, of course! If you are into Ellies don't miss out Addo!

And those top three MUST SEE destinations on your next South Africa jaunt?

Cape Town – Augrabies NP – and of course, without a doubt, the Kruger NP!

Keep in touch with the latest news on Southern Africa at Travelcomments.com

Want to win A Free 6-day African Insight overland tour! Check out the #AcaciaWildTweep competition details

You've gotta' be "in it to win it" so fill out our #AcaciaWildTweep Q&A

Wild Tweep competition terms and conditions: Entrants for the “Wild Tweep” competition must have visited South Africa, although not necessarily on an Acacia Africa tour. 1 X African Insight (Tour code: NAI6 or SAI6). For travel before 01 January 2011. Non-exchangeable or transferable. Subject to the Acacia Africa booking terms and conditions as laid out in the 2010/2011 brochure and availability. Excludes flights/ visas, insurance, spending money, optional activities and any other items not listed as ‘included’ in the Acacia brochure under the African Insight heading. All entries should be emailed to gowildonline@acacia-africa.com.

“#AcaciaWildTweep” Judge - Safari On Down With AfricaFreak

Listen up potential “#AcaciaWildTweeps” as we’ve got some interesting bloggers judging our competition. First up is Michaël Theys, Editor of AfricaFreak, and perhaps one of the greatest enthusiasts on the World Wide Web when it comes to understanding the ultimate safari experience. You might also want to check out AfricaFreak’s “FREE Safari Tips 101 Ebook” now available on the blog!

So Michaël – tell us a bit about yourself…

I have an unrivalled passion for Africa, having spent almost 24 years living on the continent. From my early childhood in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Burundi...to Kenya and Tanzania, Zambia, and finally South Africa; I have experienced some truly life changing experiences. Editing the AfricaFreak is a chance to share my knowledge with adventurers across the globe and revisit some of my past highlights. Ultimately, I’m hoping that the blog will become the number one reference tool in the domains of African safaris, wildlife and conservation – and maybe even, a kind of National Geographic for Africa! J

And what’s hapenning on AfricaFreak?

Africa Freak is the ultimate African safari experience revealed to you in a few simple clicks. Featuring insider tips, you can discover everything you ever needed to know about wildlife viewing in Eastern and Southern Africa. Full of guidelines and general information on safari destinations and African wildlife...virtual Africa is literally at your fingertips.

What will you be looking for from adventurers when you come to judge the “#AcaciaWildTweep” entries ?

3 words could define what I’m looking for: originality (& creativity), sincerity (& fun, humoristic…) and knowledge (work put in, effort)!

Your favourite spot in South Africa and why?

Difficult to pick one particular spot as there is so much to do in the country. For wildlife nonetheless, I’d have to stick with Kruger National Park. I know it’s probably not a very original answer, but the Kruger is by far the richest and most diverse ecosystem you can possibly dream of!

Otherwise, I’m a big fan of the Western Cape, Cape Town in particular! Stunning beaches, great food and wine, and a unique landscape with its typical Cape fynbos vegetation!

Any humourous anecdotes to share with us Michaël?...

Funny, hmmm…great question! J

I was on an Archaeology fieldtrip in the Highveld (not too far from Johannesburg) to search for some rock art paintings. It was nighttime and we were all asleep (well, “almost” all of us were asleep…). What you need to know here is that we were staying in a “kind of” bungalow (very basic) with no windows, in the middle of the bush. In other words, there were wild animals running around…

All of a sudden, I hear these funny grunts coming from outside. Still half asleep, I wake up and grab my torch by the side of my bed. Of course, at that time people were going nuts already (especially the girls lol…they were terrifiedJ). I switch on the torch towards where the noise was coming from, and I see this HUGE WILDEBEEST HEAD staring at me! Everybody started screaming all at once…

Very frightening on the moment I must admit, but we then realised it was Justin (one of our teammates) joking around with a “stuffed wildebeest” head! J I would’ve punched him if I could!

And what about your MOST memorable safari in South Africa?

Kruger once again. This one time (while on a self-drive safari), we saw both lions, elephants, rhinos, 3 cheetahs and a herd of buffalo (comprising of almost 1000 individuals) in just one day.

I have often experienced magical moments on a safari, but I must admit this was extra special!

Any advice for adventurers in South Africa?

South Africa is a huge country with so much to visit and discover. Take your time! I recommend at least 3 weeks if you REALLY want to enjoy and benefit from what the country has to offer!

Try to combine safaris with the beach, and perhaps a bit of shopping time in Johannesburg (Sandton City’s a shopper’s paradise) or Cape Town.

We know this will be a difficult question! But can you give us the low down on the best game viewing location in South Africa?

Most definitely the Kruger, and some of the private concessions like Sabi Sabi, Londolozi or Madikwe Game Reserves.

And those top three MUST SEE destinations on your next South Africa jaunt?

1. Kruger

2. Cape Town

3. Gauteng

Get sorted with your safari & click on over to AfricaFreak

Want to win a Free 6-day Acacia African Insight overland tour! Check out the #AcaciaWildTweep comp details

You've gotta' be in it to win it so fill out our #AcaciaWildTweep Q&A

#AcaciaWildTweep competition terms and conditions: Entrants for the “Wild Tweep” competition must have visited South Africa, although not necessarily on an Acacia Africa tour. 1 X African Insight (Tour code: NAI6 or SAI6). For travel before 01 January 2011. Non-exchangeable or transferable. Subject to the Acacia Africa booking terms and conditions as laid out in the 2010/2011 brochure and availability. Excludes flights/ visas, insurance, spending money, optional activities and any other items not listed as ‘included’ in the Acacia brochure under the African Insight heading.

Got That Friday Africa Feeling?!!!

The Acacia Africa 2010 brochure is hot off the press, so get ready to zip back to Zimbabwe on our new dedicated small group safari or leap into Lesotho and saddle up in one of Africa’s up and coming adventure travel destinations.

You can also brush up on the historic bush in South Africa’s battlefields, as we’ll have an adventure to suit any budget, our new 6-day Lesotho, Battlefields and Zululand itinerary costing only £390pp + local payment from £182pp.

And here’s one NOT to miss!!! Get ready for our “Go Wild Online” campaign, starting in December. Whether you want to research, converse or get actively involved in the adventure buzz, the choice is yours. There will also be a major prize giveaway and discount vouchers up for grabs, so dust off that backpack if you’re feeling lucky and join us on our Facebook and Twitter pages for regular updates - coming soon!

More news just in…

Want to spice it up in Morocco? Well the country might be paparazzi central at present due to the filming of Sex In The City II, but we can promise some more off the beaten track haunts on our 8-day Ski & Surf itinerary including, Oukaimden in the Atlas Mountains, the perfect place for more adventurous skiers, and Taghazoute, once a 60’s hippie enclave and now one of the best locations to catch those point breaks...

And just in case you missed those tweets – here’s a brief selection…

Wonga Widget: Whammy Quadruple November discounts -11-day Cape Desert Safari featuring 24/7 game viewing at the Etosha NP.

Up for a beer? Tour through the SAB Miller factory and discover how your favourite tipple is brewed!

As our new brochure is packed with plenty of sensational South Africa small group safaris we couldn’t resist releasing these late snapshots from the recent Overland Tweet: on the 43-day Kenya to Cape Town. Dan’s recently moved onto India, but you’ll get plenty of insight when it comes to Acacia Africa on his “Around The World Travel” blog including, a full review of the trip so drop by online...

The "Africa Freak" NOW on Facebook - everything you ever needed to know about the safari experience and more!... One of our favourites is not the Horse Whisperer, but wait for it, the Lion Whisperer - and while we wouldn’t be advising you to get quite this close, you can go walking with lions at the Antelope Private Game Reserve in Zimbabwe:)

We'll also have some new bloggers coming to you live and online soon - all of Acacia Africa's travellers sharing their travel tips and some spell binding photography. If you're just crazy about the continent and want to journey with our fans online then email us at info@acacia-africa.com and put those travel writing skills to the test!

Finally, for those of you who want to spend more of your time on the continent, have those adventure CV’s at the ready, as we’re on the look out for new recruits in our Cape Town office. If you share our passion contact us direct :)

“Just Go…”

The Acacia Africa team