Fall 4 AFRICA Friday is HERE! - the first free-born cubs, deals, tweet ups & MORE...

image (c) Rae Kokes

We’ve been roaring to go this March! We made it to the TNT Travel show last week (great to meet everyone!), David Lee of Gobackpacking.com gave us his take on South Africa and AfricaFreak tweeted up about his 58-day Ultimate African Overlander. We also announced the birth of the first free-born cubs in Zim.  Check out the latest pix on Facebook® and Twitter® as you can meet the five furry bundles of joy online!  

Join us at tomorrow's TNT Travel Show & tweet with AfricaFreak!

TNT Travel Show sponsored by taxback.com

Listen up adventurers, as tomorrow is the TNT Travel Show - woohooo!  Yes, join us at stand no. F23, beacuse this is your chance to nab a 50% discount on selected overland tours. We'll also be punting our prize draw, one lucky entrant walking away with a 6-day African Insight expedition! 

Does the early bird really catch the worm?

Well, perhaps not in this case, as our "Safari Side-kick," take a friend for free promo is about to finish. And, while all good things must come to an end, there are still a few days left to get your mate in the mood for an adventure in Africa.  With savings of up to £1,795 (October departures) on the 58-day Ultimate African Overlander it's one travel deal that's simply too good to pass up, but the clock is ticking folks, as the cut off point for booking is the 30th of September.  The good news is that with beers, braais and the Big Five on offer it's not going to be a hard sell, but if you're looking to travel later in the year here's another handy promo to watch out for.  

Starting next Friday we'll be showcasing our "Where R The Wild Tweeps" slots right here on our blog.  The deal?  You guess where the pic is taken, buzz us back on Twitter (using the #acaciawildtweep hashtag), and we'll dole out a 25% overland discount to one random winner. (Terms & conditions below*) Of course, the above would be a dead give-away for any Africa fanatic so we are going to make you flex those visual muscles a little bit more and get creative when it comes to cropping!

All eyes glued to Twitter then "Tweeps," as you could be quids in when it comes to your next adventure in Africa! And don't forget to keep your screens peeled for our new brochure (soon to be available online) as we have lots of tantalising new trips to tickle those travel taste buds!

*"Where R The Wild Tweeps": 25% discount to one random winner. Normal Local payments apply. Subject to availability. Cannot be taken in conjunction with any other discount. Tour must be booked directly with Acacia Africa. For travel before 01 July 2011.

Travel bloggers we Love...

The Internet is turning into one BIG “love-travel-fest,” which is no bad thing.  What’s on offer these days goes way further than your typical travel blog. You can find people to hook up with out on the road, choose voluntour projects to donate to online, share a few travel twips on Twitter® and even choose where to send people when it comes to their next destination.  Come to think of it, that reminds me of closing my eyes and sticking a pin in a map of Africa – I can feel the excitement building already!

So, in no particular order, we’ve fine-tuned a few of the best bloggers just for you, and if you’d like to add another to the list for future posts, we’ll be all eyes!

We don’t have a specific reason (as there are too many) for nominating these guys, but we have a lot of love for Amateurs Africa.   Self-styled, as two “average lads” they sound like just what Acacia Africa would order on an overland tour, but we’d like to say that they’re somewhat modest, as they’ve travelled (in their own words), “from Berlin to Cape Town, backpacking West Africa to get to the World Cup overland through deserts, jungle and whatever else is out there”. In fact, anyone who can stomach foods that shouldn’t even be looked at, or vomit over three passengers on a packed Portuguese coastal tram in 38 degree heat and get away with it, has our vote. Just your general, more than average, all around nice guys, and they like to tweet too...

The Aussie Nomad is a star guy who’s always up for a bit of #FF banter, and while his recent RTW trip didn’t include Africa – he does offer up some amazing insights on travel in general. Our favourite (re-titled), “How to avoid giving up alcohol and save cash for the big trip without splashing out on that sofa with the built in beer fridge”.  Well, we admit, it does sound tempting!

“Love, love, love all things Africa…I adore a place that can challenge my perceptions and question my understanding of the world”. With a starter for ten like that, we just had to include “Go Erin Go,” but it wasn’t just Erin’s devotion to the continent that inspired us, it was her ethos, “adventures in living and giving” (this girl has philanthropy sussed!) If you’re still saving for that voluntour (and wow do we have some sensational NEW trips coming soon), you can always click through to Erin’s “Donate My Dollars” page to give back.  This year alone, Erin will be donating anywhere close to $10,000, so get involved and vote! 

Cody McKibben is God’s gift to the “location independent”.  Let’s cut to the chase, if you want to throw the towel in when it comes to the 9-5 rat race – this guy is your man! Cody’s already clocked up a fair few awards and even earned himself a notch on the “10 Digital Nomads To Learn From” list, but in a nutshell this is “Zen” for the “corporately challenged”! 

If these guys are thinking of heading to Africa in September 2011, Kenya more specifically, then I’d be up for a meet in Nairobi!  Well, who knows, but until then, the Aussie founders of Globetrooper, Todd & Lauren, have plenty of user generated itineraries covering the entire world of travel.  Of course, there are scores of backpackers and solo travellers who choose to head overland with us part way through their gap year (or much needed break from reality/sabbatical/cubicle crisis), but if you want to add some extra excitement to your trip and extend your journey, your new travel buddy might only be a click away… 

Photography and travel writing sounds like the perfect combination, and the “Globetrotter Girls” are, and I quote “desperate to be out on the road” (where have I heard that before – hmmm?!!!). But they’ve also got gusto, as their plan is, well, “not to have a plan….exactly”.  These travel-istas accept tips from their favorite fellow bloggers, travellers and digital nomads, and while Africa is not on their itinerary (yet!!!) we just had to give the female duo a mention, as adventures on the continent are anything but predictable! 

Looking to hit the road before the end of October - you'll be quids in with our recent BOGOF special, and the Annual Migration, like these blogs is one not to miss!

Highly intelligent herbivore with strong sense of family seeks “one hour” dates with adventurers

Some blind dates might leave you wondering why you turned up in the first place, but if you're romancing the Silverback, then we can give you our undoubted assurance that you'll be itching to book another encounter. 

Travelling on a budget - don't worry, as we have plenty of overland options including the 28-day Game Parks & Gorillas experience and the 18-day Mountain Gorillas To The Mara itinerary – the ideal adventure for those short on time.

Michelle Lewis, aka the Acacia Wild Bunch also has some great gorilla viewing tips (page 63) to dole out in AfricaFreak’s Safari 101 E-guide. The downloadable handbook has specific sections dedicated to areas like photography, game walks, voluntourism, and so much more – "real life" safari experts giving you their insider knowledge on what to do, where to go and what to bring. All in all, a great tool to use when planning your next adventure in Africa!

Gorilla viewing certainly tops the list when it comes to Uganda, but we'll leave you with our top five “must dos” when it comes to the Pearl of Africa...

1. Come face to face with a Mountain Gorilla
2. Be amazed at the intelligence of Chimpanzees
3. Check out the great lakes of Queen Elizabeth National Park
4. Gaze upon the source of the River Nile at Jinja
5. Take a boat trip on Lake Victoria - Africa's largest lake

And don’t forget book before 31 August and save 30% on all our September and October overland departures!

Last Chance To Keep Flying & 40% Off...WE LIKE!!!

It’s your last chance to fly the flag for SA this Friday (woohoooooooooooo! – awwww c’mon!!!!!!), but even if that’s not your chosen destination, we do have some action packed tours for you to feast your itchy feet on! And yes, if you were wondering...this flag! Yes this is THE ONE!!!!...

Let’s face it, overlanding has always been the best option when it comes to value added Africa, but we’re slashing our August departure tour prices by 40%, so now, you can spend longer on the continent and splurge more of your hard earned cash on the holiday. Can't be bad!!!

(Save £118pp) 6-day African Insight only £177pp + local payment from £100pp.  Experience game drives in the Kruger, a wildlife cruise on the Chobe River and splash your extra cash on adrenaline antics in Livingstone, Africa’s adventure capital. Departing 12 and 26 August.

(Save £238pp) 13-day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure only £357pp + local payment from £314pp. Make more of the Masai Mara and sample the Spice Island, the Serengeti and the Ngorongoro Crater for less.  With extra cash to spare, you can extend the tour with a city stay in the cultural capital of Nairobi, your final destination.  Departing 15 & 22 August.

(Save £298pp) 22-day Zanzibar, Victoria Falls & Kruger only £447pp + local payment from £239pp.  Enjoy the dizzy heights of the bungy in Livingstone, sample the wildlife by boat on the Chobe River, by 4X4 in the Kruger and make more of Lake Malawi, with horse riding, scuba-diving, sailing and village walks offered as optional activities.  Departing 17, 24 and 31 August.

The catch – book before 31 August? What catch?!!! We agree – hahaha..., but wait a minute…you can also save up to 30% on September and October departures and 20% on November and December departures. Overland departures include all camping/accommodation, most meals and services of a local guide &/or driver. Excludes return flight. Acacia Africa (020 7706 4700; info@acacia-africa.com; www.acacia-africa.com) ATOL No. 6499 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.

All prices through Acacia Africa: Still trying to pin that number one destination down...aha!!!  Gotcha!!!

Delicious Overland Discounts & Sensational South Africa...

The World Cup is over (bummer!!!), and if you're English, as per usual, the summer's looking decidedly temperamental. Weather pundits across the UK are using phrases such as, sunny spots, drizzle, turning progressively cloudier, heavy bursts of rain and further showers.  But, before the doom and gloom sets in, why not set your sights on an overland departure in warmer climes?  Of course, there’s no need to break the bank as we’ve extended our recent promotion allowing campers to save up to 40% on our overland tours departing before 01 January 2011. So even if the clouds dampen your sunny disposition you can still look forward to an amazing adventure in Africa. As we say here in the Rainbow Nation - Just Go!!!

If you travel in August you can save 40%, in September & October 30%, and even in November and December you can still save a rip-roaring 20%!  As always, we promise, no catch, but bookings should be made by 31 August.

Delicious discounts aside, back here in Cape Town we’re continuing to fly the flag for South Africa so we thought we should leave you with some old favourites from our very own "Wild Bunch" that will have you salivating over our list of guaranteed departures in seconds...

If a Ferrari is out of your price bracket don’t worry, as an ostrich ride could be your next best option for an adrenaline rush. Yes, that’s right the sports car of the elite is in fact upholstered with our feathered friends, and you can take one for an optional test drive out in Oudtshroon – maximum speed 45kms/ph!

So you’ve done the bungee in Livingstone...what’s next? The Bloukrans Bungee in South Africa is up there as a proud Guinness World Record Holder, its dizzy heights reaching 216 metres. The adrenaline fuelled excursion comes complete with countdown and of course full body harness before victims leap into the abyss.

There’s more to Cape Town than you think! : So grab yourself some diving gear and head off in a cage for a date with the Great White – shark-tastic!

Get even closer to the wildlife: Why not voluntour and get a hands on appreciation of the work being done by the “Race Against Extinction Project in South Africa. This is one of the oldest wildlife care and conservation projects for the cheetah in Africa - and the location, at the foot of the Magaliesberg mountain range, is just awesome!

Swimming with penguins – yes we know it’s a buzz! Who could resist a dip with this group of waddling waders. If it’s for you, Simons Town on the Western Cape is where you need to head next…

Suffering From Post Tournament Depression? Join Our Cape Town Office In The "Keep Flying" Campaign

Last Sunday’s final feels like a lifetime ago, but it seems that the post World Cup blues have well and truly set in.  Zavvi.com is even claiming that up to 40% of the UK’s football fanatics are at risk of developing PTD, more commonly known at Post Tournament Depression!

Recent research by the company showed that during the competition, the average British male thought about football 43 times a day, watched nearly 30 hours of the sport on TV and spent over £400 on World Cup merchandise and entertainment…and now it’s all over, the beautiful game blues are gripping the English nation.

So what are the options?

1.  Do nothing.  Replay that disallowed goal over and over in your head.  Die-hard England fans might want to make a dart board out of Assistant referee Mauricio Espinosa to reduce heightened levels of anxiety

2. Watch & learn - Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic certainly knows his stuff when it comes to PTD!

3. Join our Cape Town office in the “Keep Flying” campaign and celebrate everything that’s great about the Rainbow Nation.

Personally we like option 3, and while we admit that the “Keep Flying” campaign has a South African slant, why not just go with the flow, fly that flag on facebook and support the great nation that bought you Nelson Mandela, fantastic safari experiences and one of the best world cup’s we’ve seen in a while.

How to get involved? Keep flying the flag. It’s a symbol of the vibrant and welcoming nature of South Africa, and a reminder, that together we can achieve anything. (Feeling better already?!!!) Grab a background, an email signature, a profile pic (for Facebook, Twitter etc). Post it, badge it, print and share it.

If you're truly passionate about the Rainbow Nation, why not just go! Book yourself on one of our guaranteed overland departures before the 31st of July, enjoy the very best of South Africa and more besides, and save 40% on July departures and 30% on August departures.

More importantly, Stay positive. Stay upbeat. Travel with the locals. Celebrate local. Greet a stranger in South Africa – a local one. Say “howzit” or “heita”. Get involved. Locally. Wear a flag. Respect the flag. Just love it. All of it, and all of us. Remember all we’ve done. Remember the beautiful game. And never forget, it’s nothing as yet.

We’ll be keeping those flags flying until 10th of August – and whatever your nation, remember footy fans, there’s always another world cup around the corner! Of course, you can't beat the officlal "Wavin' flag" anthem, so get your ears round the uplifting beats of K'naan, click through to  our online brochure  and plan your next dream trip in the Rainbow Nation: the ultimate cure for PTD sufferers across the globe!

Want To Watch The Annual Migration?: Overlanding Will Be Your Best Shot!

It’s that time again: "Annual Migration" season is upon us, and we’re gearing up for the “Seventh Wonder of the World”!  However, according to various sources, this year’s event will be a sell out: in fact, even Kenya’s Tourism minister, Najib Balala, has been turned away – the majority of accommodation in the Mara having been snapped up way in advance.

OK, we can hear you sigh as your eyes glance over that last sentence, but its not all doom and gloom just yet - and, we have the ideal solution.  Yes, you heard it here first, “head overland and you can still grab a front row seat to Africa’s unforgettable wildlife spectacle!"

We know that if you have your heart set on this spontaneous extravaganza having to switch to an alternative tour would be unthinkable, so we’ve guaranteed over 500 overland and small group safari departures from now until the end of the year. And, if you want more wildlife for your wonga, you can take advantage of our current deals, or get your eyes round our recent mailer and save up to 40% on our overland tours departing in July.

One for Annual Migration Addicts, the 13-day Kenya & Tanzania Adventure includes game viewing in the Masai Mara and the Serengeti - the overland tour ending with a beach stay on Zanzibar.  

£595pp (no single supplement) + local payment from £332pp. Save 40% off the tour price if travelling in July (£238pp), 30% off the tour price if travelling in August (£178pp) and 20% if travelling in September or October (£119pp). 

The following departures are guaranteed: 25 (July); 01, 08, 15, 22 (August); 05, 12, 19, 26 (September); 03, 10  (October).

Guaranteed Departures & Sensational Savings....

We are pleased to announce that we have guaranteed over 500 departures on our overland and small group safaris. This means that you can book with 100% confidence that the tour will run giving you the peace of mind to book your international airfares. Check out our May mailer to find out more, and feast your eyes on some sensational savings...

Friday Feel Good Africa Vibes: Win An Overland Tour For Two & Hook Up With Our Adventurers...

This Friday we’re sending some feel good Africa vibes down the line, including a chance to win two seats on our 21-day East African Explorer overland tour.

How to win: Sign up your friends and family to our newsletter, Facebook and Twitter pages. Send through the name and contact email of the friends and family you’ve added to competition@acacia-africa.com. Each new name and email address we receive gives you another chance to win! Closing date 12 midnight, Friday the 30^th of April.

You can even put amazing Africa to the vote with your travelling buddies!...

The Vote: If your mates had a choice between beer or the Big Five, what would it be? We’re pretty certain that our “Bring Your Buddies” Africa discounts will have them overlanding in next to no time, as the more you bring along for the ride the bigger the discount! That’s a huge £1,696 saving for a group of four friends travelling together on our 58-day Ultimate African Overlander! The offer applies to each person travelling in the group. Bookings to be made before 31 March.

One person travelling = 15% off tour price

Two people travelling together = 17.5% off tour price

Three people travelling = 20% off tour price

Four or more travelling together = 25% off tour price

(Please note: All discounts exclude local payments and gorilla permits)

Here’s a couple of shout outs from adventurers who are currently booked up with us for 2010. Please buzz us on our Facebook wall if you’d like to hook up and we’ll put you in touch…

Hook up with Gemma: Anyone departing out of Nairobi on 28th March? I join this tour in Dar Es Salam on 6th April.
 Would be great to get in touch with you.

Hook up with Rene: South West Safari, Livingstone – Cape Town, leaving April 7th 2010. Hey, just wondering if anyone else here is on this trip? Get in touch!

Hook up with Ruth: Hey Guys, I am doing the Cape Desert Safari on 17th April. Anyone else doing it get in touch. Will be in Cape Town from the 10th of April so could meet before hand too!

Hook up with Saarika: Anyone booked on the Kenya to Cape Town trip starting 25th April?

Hook up with Rob: Hey! I just booked on the 1st of May Desert Tracker trip. Anyone else on that get in touch!

Hook up with Philippa: Hey everyone! I just booked myself in for tour KTA13 that starts May 23. Anyone else going on this tour? I cannot wait!!!

Hook up with Jennie: Anyone going for the East African Explorer from Joburg to Nairobi starting 27 May? Would be great to catch up before the trip.

We’re also extending our RT to win until the 31^st of March so if you want to be entered into our random draw with a chance to win a 25% discount on your next overland tour simply copy and paste the following retweets into Twitter as they appear below…

RT #GoWildOnline w/h Acacia Africa (Overland Life) http://bit.ly/8gvLDX



RT #GoWildOnline w/h Acacia Africa (Scenic Vistas) http://bit.ly/5drALH



RT #GoWildOnline w/h Acacia Africa (Culture Vultures) http://bit.ly/4Wj0Lk



RT #GoWildOnline w/h Acacia Africa (Adventure) http://bit.ly/6Pp0ZK


RT #GoWildOnline w/h Acacia Africa 
(Wicked Wildlife!) http://bit.ly/91Qt4Z



For more details on the Go Wild Online campaign visit: http://bit.ly/8zoxxm

Still undecided when it comes to your next adventure on the continent? Grab a copy of our 2010 online brochure and lose yourself in Africa; or check out the following rave reviews from our adventurers – thanks for the feedback guys!

Here's a gr8 write up on the Desert Tracker overland tour:) Follow the trip!

And some sensational feedback from the South East Adventure overland tour - follow the trip...

Just Go!

Acacia Africa

Destinations London (04-07 Feb): Get The Low Down On Your Next Adventure

It's here!!! Destinations London 2010 will be kicking off tomorrow, so if you want to get the low down on your next adventure in Africa, drop by to stand number AA28. South Africa fans can also pick up a "Wild Tweep" application at the show and be in with a chance to win a free 6-day overland tour. Closing date for entries 12 Feb 2010.

Before heading off to the best travel show in town you can catch up with all the latest news in our "5 Minute Braai" February mailer featuring: The Sizzle: A Fifth off February Sales, The Steak: Focus on Tanzania & The Sundowner: Acacia to Australia...



And we've just had news in on Penya Africa's rising star. The afro-soul singer, Dela - now featured on our "Crazy about Kenya FB page". Get ready for the New East African Sound!