2012's First Friday Wild Post, from Jess Spate Diver and Photographer extraordinaire!

2012 is here and we're back with the first, First Friday Wild Post of the year! Jess Spate is a keen photographer who has been diving for over a decade, so who better to ask about delving into the depths of Zanzibar and beyond!

Show Us Your Africa! We're Offering Our Front Cover Brochure Slot To One Lucky Adventurer

Africa is a photographer’s paradise, and now you can put your camera skills to good use, as we're offering one lucky snap happy adventurer the chance to feature their ultimate shot on the front cover of our forthcoming 2012 brochure.

Love Africa? Pucker up to the Egyptian pyramids & MORE with Essie Pederson...

Essie Pederson’s ‘Grin & Share It’ blog recounts almost everything Egypt from her 10-Day Nubians & The Nile adventure. Essie's anecdotal wanderings, colourful characterisations and tireless sense of humour bring this treasure trove of Northern Africa to life; and while it’s easy to lose your sense of time on a felucca, this is one blogger who never loses her sense of place. 

The BEST of the blog 2010!

As we’re nearing the end of 2010, we thought we’d leave you with a round up of the best Acacia Africa blog posts.  

So here’s a selection of the biggest hitters, to whet your adventurous appetite and put you in the mood for Africa… 

'A' Level Low? Fill in that gap year & grab yourself some star quality appeal in Africa!

The ‘A’ level results are in, but you’ve missed out on a place at your chosen university.  According to thisismoney.co.uk, you won’t be alone, but using your time wisely could give you star quality appeal and leave other candidates out in the cold.

Of course, there are heaps of travel opportunities around to fill in that awesome gap year, so where do we come in? OK, we don’t cover gap experiences per se, however, we do offer a host of short stint voluntours and overland trips of up to 58 days that will get you under the skin of Africa, whether its conservation or community based tourism that floats your boat.

Why not start your gap year with an overland experience and hit the open road on our 46-day Ultimate African Adventure. The positives?...

1. You’ll meet a bunch of adventure-minded people, and who knows, maybe a few safari sidekicks you can hook up with after the tour is over.
2. If you haven’t been to Africa before you’ll have a better appreciation of the differing cultures by the end of the trip, and you’ll be brimming with confidence if you’re aiming to go it alone.
3. While our voluntours are based on shorter stints you’ll still be developing a new skill set to help you shine at that all important interview - whether you’re planning to study or put your first step on the career ladder on your return home.

Before we leave you to mull over the options in our current brochure  we’d like to give a shout out to the "Keep Flying" campaign team, as they are aiming to break a Guinness World Record tomorrow (at the Vodacom Tri-Nations Test Match to be held at FNB Stadium in Soweto), by attempting to have the most flags flown in one stadium at one time.  Good luck guys we’ll be flying one too!

And as it’s Friday we couldn’t resist leaving you with this mug shot courtesy of the Skinny Backpacker – Egypt’s answer to Mr. Ed! In fact, strangely enough we think we've found the long lost brother of said camel in our current photo-library!!!

Grab some sunshine on a budget in Dahab

Nestled between mountains and ocean and looking out across the Gulf of Aqaba, Dahab sees year round sunshine. While hotter than neighbouring Sharm, May offers a more temperate climate than during the summer months when the highs can reach into the mid 40s. Guests on Acacia Africa’s 5-day Red Sea Learn To Dive holiday will be able to enjoy the laidback atmosphere of the Bedouin Moon, which is situated only 1km north of Dahab Bay, near to the Blue Hole, a renowned dive spot. The region's beachside restaurants and bars are ideal for chilled out evenings, the package including 4 open water dives, tuition and certification.

£355pp (two sharing) + local payment E30pp (to be paid in Euros) covering PADI certification fee The price includes, transfers, accommodation, most meals, dive equipment, tuition and certification, use of all hotel facilities including pool. All rooms at the Bedouin Moon have a private shower and balcony or terrace, with views of the Red Sea or mountains. Exclusions, visas, travel insurance, flights, departure taxes, course manual and workbook, tips, drinks, optional activities and items of a personal nature. Daily departures. Contact Acacia Africa on 020 7706 4700, email info@acacia-africa.com or visit www.acacia-africa.com for further information. ATOL No. 6499 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.

Something new, believe it or not, at the Pyramids: by Bob Fisher

The Solar Boat

On our last visit, we saw a recent excavation — a very large rectangular but empty pit — behind the Great Pyramid. Here in 1954, the dismantled funerary boat of Khufu had been unearthed. Today the re-assembled boat is displayed in a structure of unobtrusive design. You pay an additional fee to enter and are required to wear soft-cloth “booties” over your shoes in the very carefully climate-controlled building. This funerary boat, which would have borne the Pharaoh across the sky into eternity on the same journey as that of the Sun God Ra, is in miraculous condition.

Memphis, Saqqara (the Step Pyramid), and the Red Pyramid

We especially recommend a visit to these three sites. The ruins of Memphis, the ancient capital of “Lower Egypt” or the “Old Kingdom,” are about 20 kilometres south of Cairo, on the west bank of the Nile. Here you will see the remains of the temple of Ptah and of Apis, as well as impressive statuary, including two of Ramesses II, both about four metres high.

Saqqara is nearby and is the site of the famous Step Pyramid, the model for the Great Pyramid of Khufu, and the oldest standing step pyramid. Saqqara is also the necropolis for Memphis, and dating from the Third Dynasty, the Step Pyramid is the eternal resting place for the Pharaoh Djoser. At this vast ancient burial ground, which is located in a relatively remote part of the desert, you get an extraordinary sense of the eternal, which in many ways is what a visit to “The Pyramids” is all about.

At Saqqara we are also very pleased to see that the site has not (yet) become overdeveloped. There is an extraordinary stillness and acoustical beauty here; you hear and feel the continuous desert breezes as you wander undisturbed throughout the site. What is new this time around is a wonderful small museum of Pharaonic treasures and statues; the latter are especially beautiful because of their distinct “personalities.” At Saqqara you can also admire ancient mastabas (impressive flat-topped, rectangular tombs with sloping sides), which in their simple, eloquent way embody the pure geometrical beauty of these Pharaonic treasures of ancient Egypt.

The Red Pyramid is also worth a visit because, like the Step Pyramid, it will give you a clear idea of why all the great pyramids are not identical, and how each has its own particular style, shape, dimension, and appeal. The Red Pyramid has more of a flattened appearance and evokes a great sense of solidity and the weight of these amazing structures, as well as the immense weight of time, which is manifest in them. At the Red Pyramid, you can also now go inside … be entombed … so to speak. I can assure you, because I did it, that this is a remarkable experience, and not just something to dine out on at home. But be forewarned; this is not an experience for claustrophobes. The passageway that leads into the interior of the Red Pyramid is very narrow, has a very low ceiling, is not well lit, is hard going for most of the way (especially coming back), and has the appropriate airlessness of a tomb. However, you get a very real sense of the massive size and weight of a pyramid — from the inside; and of human frailty. You also get an up close look at how a pyramid was built. After descending into the interior of this pyramid, you eventually come to three chambers, each of which has a stepped ceiling, one almost 13-metres high. You will also stand on a spot in one of the chambers, which lies directly beneath the apex of the Red Pyramid itself. I cannot guarantee any kind of mystical experience, but it is a “moment” that you will not soon forget.

On the way back from the Red Pyramid, be sure to stop by the side of road and admire the equally amazing Bent Pyramid which materializes in the distance against the desert sky.

TRAVEL TIP: To the uninitiated, the hawkers at the major sites can be intimidating. You must run the gauntlet of hawkers because they have been given the lucrative exit corridor through which visitors must pass before exiting the site. On the other hand, why not? Considering how contemporary marketplaces elsewhere on the planet bombard us with much more subtle and subliminal commercial messages, I enjoy this direct approach. And bargaining of course is de rigueur. When bargaining however, remember that this is not a competition to see who “wins”; rather it is a traditional practice through which both buyer and seller reach a reasonable agreement that satisfies both.

Get more out of Cairo at: http://robefish.wordpress.com/2009/05/13/cairo-a-singular-state-of-mind/

About the Author

Bob Fisher is a Canadian travel writer and Editor of the Philosophical Traveller (http://www.PhilosophicalTraveller.ca), the subtitle of this online travel journalism site is “Taking the long way home.” He is also a columnist for E-magazine, the in-flight magazine of UK-based Eastern Airways.

Siggi Hosenfeld is the Editor of Kenya Travel Ideas. Originally lured to Kenya by Robert Redford – well not personally, but we know “Out of Africa” was a key part of the inspiration, Siggi is continually returning to her second home. On 22 July, Siggi will be raving about the food in the wildlife capital so if you fancy a nosh up in Kenya, catch up with her next Wednesday…

Image: Cairo, Giza pyramids, the Sphinx (COPYRIGHT - GARDEL Bertrand/hemis.fr), courtesy of Egyptian State Tourist Office

Egypt Uncovered: Tom Fielding “finds a more mystical Egypt that is still waiting to be discovered”

A vast expanse of sand stretched out before me, the fine soft grains covered in abstract monoliths of all shapes and sizes.  For a moment, I felt as though I had been transported onto the film set of a “Star Wars” movie.  All I needed now was my son’s light saber and you could call me Luke Skywalker.

 

The rock-strewn landscape glittered like gold in the midday sun, the harsh rays bouncing off the twisted structures.  Eager to get a birds eye view of Egypt’s mystical White Desert we left the 4X4 behind us and headed off to climb one of the larger rocks.  With no wind to speak of, and ravaging temperatures somewhere in the mid 40’s it was an intense endevour, but worth it for the mesmerising views.

 

The chalk sculptures, which rise up majestically from the sand have been formed by the fierce desert winds - an art gallery that comes courtesy of the natural world.  If you look closely, the gnarled shapes have a certain “lifelike” quality about them – as though faces have been carefully etched into the rocks by a human hand.

 

As the sun started to set on the rich desert landscape we were invited to camp out in a traditional Bedouin tent, which is customarily divided into two sections by a woven curtain known as a ma'nad. Inviting as it was, I decided to roll up one of my three comfortable mattresses and spend the night pitched out on a rocky outcrop under the stars. I was eager to savour the experience in its entirety, from dusk to dawn. 

The sun melted away into the ether casting hues of violet and pink across the massive rocks, the moonlight throwing strange shadows over the rugged terrain and lulling me into a peaceful slumber.

Acacia Adventure Holidays’ new 15-day “Pharaohs & Deserts” adventure also includes a traditional felucca cruise down the Nile to Luxor and costs £954pp (based on two sharing). The price includes all highlights, transport, accommodation, airport transfers, mattress for felucca/camping, meals as indicated, services of drivers/guides. Excludes visas, travel insurance, departure taxes, flights, tips, drinks, sleeping bag for felucca/camping, optional activities and items of a personal nature. Year-round departures. Contact Acacia Adventure Holidays; 020 7706 4700; info@acacia-africa.com; www.acacia-africa.com. ATOL No. 6499 and ABTA No. W4093 PROTECTED.

 

Drop by next Tuesday as Danielle Bruce will be going overland to experience more of East Africa…

Image: White desert, North of Farafra (COPYRIGHT - RIEGER Bertrand/hemis.fr) courtesy of Egyptian State Tourist Office