Climbing Mount

There are those to whom The Mountain beckons and the only response is to answer its call; to knot the shoelaces, prepare a daypack and apply the sunscreen.
And then there are those that are seeking adventure, searching out excitement and replying to the challenge to scale the heights and breathe in the celebration of life!
Majestic and imposing, Table Mountain stands guard over the peoples of the Cape, a landmark of grandiose beauty. Sometimes draped with a foamy white tablecloth, Table Mountain can suddenly be enveloped in moist, dense clouds as is typical of the summer south-easter that can blow with great might.
There are many activities for adventurers keen to unearth Table Mountain’s mysteries and discover her treasures.
A cable car to the table-top will provide inspiring views of the bay below and tremendous sights of the surrounding area. Meals can be enjoyed at the restaurant at the summit whilst marvelling over a spectacular view.
You may find yourself sharing a rock with a dassie as you contemplate the Western Cape culture or plan the rest of your afternoon. Dassies, or rock hyraxes, are round, plump little animals living in colonies on the mountain and can often be seen sunbathing in the early morning sunlight.
The Table Mountain Cableway is completely wheelchair-friendly and a good number of the paths at the summit can be negotiated with ease.
Abseiling over the edge of the ‘Table’ can provide a bit of nail-biting sport as you explore the cliffs of Table Mountain. The mountain itself is over 1 000m in height and you partake of a relatively long abseil of 110m. This adventure activity can be located next to the upper Cable Station where you can hang out over the city somewhere very far below you!
And for the avid trailist, there is a network of over 500 walks in and around the Table Mountain area. The trails ramble up and over the 1 000m plateau which is part of the northern section of the Cape Peninsula known as the Table and other routes are up Lion’s Head, Signal Hill as well as Devil’s Peak – all intriguing names with a rich history.
If you are into excellent scenery with minimal exertion, a climb up Lion’s Head may be right up your alley, however the views of the city below and magnificence of the ocean are a wonderful sight from any of the impressive peaks and ridges in the area.
Lekker Local Tips:
* There is a multitude of pamphlets, printed guides and maps readily available on trails up and around Table Mountain as well as activities to keep you entertained. This literature can be found at any tourist office or bookstore and makes it simpler and easier to explore the area.
* It is advised that you make use of a guide when hiking the network of trails on Table Mountain as they are generally up to date with the best routes to take for that season, they can entertain you with details of the local culture as well as amaze you with their knowledge on the flora and fauna of the area.
Table Mountain has been known to claim a goodly number of lives in its past and taking a guide along can better provide for your safe return.
* The weather on Table Mountain is notoriously unpredictable. Take a warm jersey or windproof jacket for a more comfortable trip if the weather turns!

Africa is home to some of the best adventure travel destinations in the world. So whether you’re after a full-on adventure holiday, or just want to chuck some adrenaline-inducing activities in with your volunteering, Africa is the perfect place to do it.

Ever since Chris Moyles, Cheryl Cole and a bunch of other celebrities climbed Tanzania’s Kilimanjaro for Red Nose Day 2009, the mountain’s been getting a lot of coverage. But you don’t have to be a celebrity to take on the tallest mountain in Africa. And getting to the summit of this awe-inspiring mountain is a real challenge, so this is one trip that will be big on satisfaction.

Of course, there’s no need to push yourself that hard though! Slightly more laid-back travellers can opt for a little hiking instead. The views are almost as stunning, but you don’t have to put quite so much effort in. The Ngorongoro Crater is certainly a good place to start, offering fantastic trekking and unforgettable wildlife.

South Africa is undoubtedly one of the best adventure travel destinations in the entire world. The coast is ideal for all kinds of water sports, so whether you’re a surfer or a scuba diver, a sailor or a water skier, this is the perfect place for you.

This incredible country certainly caters for the adrenaline junkies too. South Africa boasts both the highest commercial bungee jump and the highest commercial abseil in the world. At Bloukrans Bridge those with a seriously adventurous side can bungee jump off the bridge, plummeting a massive 216 metres towards the Bloukrans River below. While at Table Mountain, travellers can take in spectacular views as they abseil 112 metres off one of South Africa’s most iconic landmarks.

It’s odd, you wouldn’t really think of Uganda as a top adventure travel destination – but it is. You should head to Jinja, a city that has become known as the adventure capital of East Africa, offering bungee jumping and even the chance to zip wire across the Nile.

Or for something that will really get the adrenaline pumping, why not try white water rafting? This is one the best places to do it in the entire world and you can take a short half-day trip or a full on three-day one, depending on how much time you’ve got. There’s something for every level too – so whether you’re a beginner or an expert, there’s something to suit.

Finally, it’s worth taking time to try the local quad biking. It’s not one of those activities that travellers tend to plan for, but it’s more than worth a go. And aside for getting your pulse racing, it’ll also show you the spectacular countryside.

Victoria Falls isn’t just famous for Sherlock Holmes-related reasons – it’s also the perfect place for a spot of adventure. You can try your hand at bungee jumping, river boarding, canoeing, abseiling and speed boating – and that’s only the beginning. So if you’re travels are taking you through Zambia, make sure the Victoria Falls are high on your to-do list!

For something even more vertigo-inducing, Kenya offers fantastic climbing. And as challenging climbs go, Mount Kenya is a pretty impressive adversary! It’s the biggest mountain in the country, offering magnificent views from its three main summits and loads of exotic wildlife on the way up. Just be sure not to rush – while any strong walker can take on Mount Kenya, going up too quickly can cause altitude sickness.

Or, for something that will allow you to cool off and set your pulse racing all at the same time, travellers should head for Mombasa and the coast. Its miles of white sandy beaches offer everything from surfing to jet skiing and scuba diving to snorkelling, making Mombasa a great place to unwind, with a dash of adventure thrown in for good measure.

Thrill seekers in Ghana are advised to head for the Kakum Canopy Walkway – a set of seven bridges that look down on the lush rainforest canopy of the Kakum National Park. The dramatic walkway starts off at ground level, but the rainforest below gradually drops away to leave you suspended 100 metres above the ground, swaying precariously in the wind as you walk. The Kakum National Park is home to hundreds of species of butterflies and tropical birds, which are difficult to spot from the forest floor, but from the walkway you can clearly see them dotting the forest canopy with vivid splashes of colour.

1. MOUNT KILIMINJARO – TANZANIA
The highest mountain on the African continent, ‘Kili’ measures an astounding 19,340 feet at her highest point. The challenge to climb this majestic mountain has lured many to scale her heights, a demanding but worthwhile ascent by most accounts. Kili, which has five distinct ecological zones, is an extinct volcano.
2. OKAVANGO DELTA – BOTSWANA
The champagne-coloured waterways of this famous floodplain form the basis of a pristine Wetland of International Importance (RAMSAR). With some of the most fantastic birding globally and a wild dog population, the largest inland delta in the world is often called Africa’s most beautiful destination. The region can be explored by land, boat and air. Enjoy the spectacular diversity of flora and fauna species.
3. THE EGYPTIAN PYRAMIDS
Easily the most recognizable of the 7 Wonders of the World, the Egyptian Pyramids have long held fascination for thousands of people. Recent resurgence of interest Egyptology has made trips to this alluring destination more popular than ever. The majority of visitors view the pyramids at Giza. The origins of these majestic structures continue to be a source of lively debate, while the stories of ancient curses and grave robbers delight us all.
4. PONTA DO OURO – MOZAMBIQUE
With around 100 Bottlenose and Spinner dolphins making the sheltered waters of Ponta du Ouro their home, this region is definitely worth visiting. Dive the reefs to 40 metres in depth; they are teeming with a rainbow of marine life. Dolphin dives are a popular while in winter the haunting call of the humpback whale can be heard.
5. KRUGER NATIONAL PARK – SOUTH AFRICA
The oldest, most established reserve in Africa, the Kruger boasts an amazing variety of game and bird life throughout its numerous habitats. The fantastic opportunities to view the Big Five draw many visitors to the park, hoping to spot lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard and black rhinoceros. Game drives and guided walking trails offer great animal watching opportunities in the African bush.
6. DJEMAA el FNAA SQUARE – MARRAKESH – MOROCCO
A tapestry of colours, smells, sites and wonderful local characters make a visit to this bustling marketplace an unforgettable experience. Be entertained by fortune tellers, street performers and henna women. The Municipal Market sells local fresh produce. Take a ride in a Horse-drawn carriage and enjoy the spectacular sunset. More performers come out in the evening and entertain till midnight. Enjoy the famous local orange juice or mint tea!
7. THE SERENGETI – TANZANIA
The Serengeti National Park, covering 14,763 sq. km, is named ‘endless plains’ in Masai. Here are 35 species of mammals, including wildebeest, zebra, lion, cheetah, leopard, elephant and giraffe, and over 200 species of birds.
The annual wildebeest migration is possibly the most spectacular natural event in Africa.
8. THE VICTORIA FALLS – ZIMBABWE
From either Zimbabwe or Zambia you can experience the world’s largest sheet of falling water. The spray can be seen up to 30 kilometres away – hence the local name ‘Mosi-oa-Tunya’ – “The smoke that thunders”.
Apart from the spectacular views including permanent rainbows arcing across the face of the falls, one can experience the waters along the river at closer quarters with white water rafting.
9. LAKE MALAWI
The 3rd largest lake in Africa is a tropical paradise. The tranquil waters lap against shores lined with palm, mango, banana and avocado trees. Here you can kayak, while snorkeling offers access to the colourful kaleidoscope of endemic cichlids found at this UNESCO world heritage site.
10. TABLE MOUNTAIN – SOUTH AFRICA
This iconic landmark stands in the centre of the beautiful city of Cape Town.
Climb, or experience the wonders of the revolving cable car. Either way a visit to one of the most recognizable mountains in the world is a must for your trip around the great African continent. And while you’re there, enjoy the wonders of Cape Town -beaches, winelands, Robben Island – each one a ‘Top 10′ in its own right!

Day 1 – Arusha Coffee Lodge, Arusha, Tanzania
On arrival from your international flight into Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, Kenya, connect with a one hour scheduled flight to Arusha, Tanzania. On arrival you will be met and transferred by road to Arusha Coffee Lodge where you stay for one night (bed and breakfast).
A safari vacation in Tanzania will provide both you and your family with some fantastic safari memories. Tanzania has some of the most luxurious lodges and wonderful guides for the perfect African safari and with only a short flight to Zanzibar you can relax on one of the beautiful African beaches.
Opened in December 2001, Arusha Coffee Lodge is stylish, comfortable and efficient and is an ideal to acclimatise before your safari.
The lodge consists of 23 luxury chalets which are creatively decorated. Each luxurious chalet is spaced throughout the lush coffee grove to ensure privacy and solitude. The beds are very comfortable and furnishings are of top quality with lots of interesting coffee themed artefacts. There is even a little sitting room with couch and chairs off from the bedroom. The elegant bathrooms are grand with nice fixtures including bath and shower. One of the nicest features is the private wooden deck attached to each chalet which overlooks the coffee plantation. As the majority of arrivals are at night, the deck offers a great morning spot to experience your first sights and sounds of Africa. You might spot the first wildlife of your safari as vervet monkeys can be seen as they clamber around
There is a swimming pool and spa area behind the reception and restaurant, and the lodge also has a wonderful bar and lounge area which offers a great atmosphere.
Days 2 to 8
Over the next seven days you will be taken on a private game safari in a fully equipped four wheel drive vehicle with radio and a highly experienced driver/guide. You will have the flexibility to go where you wish, when you wish, and can vary your activities to include walking where possible as well as unlimited game drives, while visiting some of Tanzania’s most famous national parks and conservation areas (fully inclusive of meals and activities).
Days 2 and 3 – The Tree Camp, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge, Tanzania
In the morning you will be met and taken by road in a westerly direction for approximately four hours to Ngorongoro Crater Lodge in Northern Tanzania, where you stay for two nights at the Tree Camp.
Perched on top of the breathtaking Ngorongoro Crater and surrounded by some of the most spectacular flora and fauna, Ngorongoro Crater Lodge offers guests accommodation in a truly unique setting. Tree Camp has just six large suites each with Victorian bath, shower, a huge four-poster bed, armchairs and massage room. There are several verandas, each with wonderful views of the 80miles_ crater below you.
Inspired by ancient African architecture, the lodge offers modern, comfortable accommodation in keeping with the natural splendour of its surroundings and takes the form of three small villages. Each village commands awe-inspiring views of the crater floor 500 metres below.
There are three attractive bars and a charming tree house. Hearty breakfasts, buffet lunches and four course dinners quell appetites sharpened by fresh air and safari excitement.
In the early morning of Day 3 your driver will take you down into the Crater for a morning’s safari game viewing. When the Crater becomes busy, you will leave and head off to explore the surrounding area and one of the small craters, before returning to the lodge.
Ngorongoro Crater was originally a volcano larger than Mount Kilimanjaro but approximately three million years ago a huge series of eruptions caused the centre to subside forming a vast volcanic caldera ten miles wide. The floor of the caldera is 1500ft below the rim and on this 80-mile_ area live 20,000 animals of all kinds. There are thousands of wildebeest, zebra, antelope, giraffe and other plains game, lion, leopard, hyena and bat-eared fox and seventeen rhinoceros which have been preserved from the poachers and are now beginning to flourish again. The animals in the crater are used to the presence of mankind, which makes this a good area for wildlife photography, particularly as the crater floor is so diverse with areas of swamp, woodland and dry savannah grassland, all set against the backdrop of the forested crater walls.
In the southern quarter of the crater lies Lake Magadi which is a haven for waterbirds and you can frequently see flocks of thousands of flamingos gathered in one corner making their raucous calls and presenting a mass of pink wings, necks and legs.
To the north east of Ngorongoro lie other craters, such as Empakai and Ol Moti, which provide excellent walking opportunities and if you visit Empakai you can descend into the steep-sided forest crater and admire the beautiful lake that sits in its base. From time to time you meet groups of scarlet-cloaked Maasai herding their cattle and goats, and for those clients staying a little longer in Ngorongoro it would be possible to visit a Maasai boma to see something of their way of life.
Days 4 and 5 – Lake Manyara Tree Lodge, Lake Manyara, Tanzania
Today you will be taken two hours in a south westerly direction towards the Rift Valley to Lake Manyara Tree Lodge where you stay for two nights.
Lake Manyara Tree Lodge is the only lodge inside Lake Manyara National Park. It is one of the most luxurious and elegant small lodges in Tanzania with ten imaginatively designed tree house suites made of local timber, set on stilts among huge mahogany trees. Each suite is elegantly furnished with a comfortable bed, sitting area and an en-suite bathroom with a proper bath, as well as an outdoor shower. You can admire the rich forest through your window and your game viewing deck outside. Between safaris you can relax in the lounge areas and you can take a dip in the pool. Safari game drives are enjoyed in open vehicles with your guide and on foot with special Masai Warriors.
Lake Manyara National Park is renowned for its tree climbing lions and its abundance of spectacular forest. You find sausage trees, their huge pods being much sought after by the local elephants, cactus like candelabra trees, mahogany, fig and acacia trees – all leading down to the beautiful waters of Lake Manyara. The wildlife includes the lions, elephant, buffalo, antelope, giraffe and a host of smaller creatures, as well as over three hundred and fifty species of birds which you will have the opportunity to see whilst out on your private safari game drive with your guide.
Days 6 and 7 – Tarangire Nomad Shared Camp – Tarangire National Park, Tanzania
Today you will be taken on a game drive two hours east to Tarangire where you stay for two nights at a shared ‘traditional’ camp.
Tarangire is one of the most attractive National Parks in East Africa. The focus of any safari here is the Tarangire River, a beautiful quite shallow meandering river which provides a reliable source of water for the big herds of elephant, antelope, buffalo and big cats, which inhabit Tarangire. The most exciting time to visit is between June and the end of October when this water becomes even more important and over 3,000 elephant migrate into Tarangire from Manyara. One of the most attractive aspects of this National Park is the variety of vegetation which includes areas of open grassland, riverine bush, hill country and wetland and swamps; all of which supports a particularly wide variety of species. The trees of Tarangire are exceptionally attractive and include thousands of huge old baobabs, acacia, cactus-like candelabra, mahogany and sausage trees, with their huge pods which are much favoured by the elephants.
Nomad Safaris have set up a semi-permanent camp which operates throughout the dry season and is located on a private area of land where you can enjoy all that Tarangire has to offer by vehicle both during the day and at night time, and on walks which are fascinating in this beautiful riverine country enabling you to reach out and touch things, examine tracks and learn the fundamentals of bush craft. This semi permanent bush camp is based upon a model which has been used for many years in the Serengeti with large walk in tents proper beds, simple safari furniture and en suite long drop w.c. and bush shower. A cheerful and competent support team runs the camp and an experienced chef prepares amazingly delicious meals which are all the more enjoyable for being taken in this remote and beautiful corner of Africa.
Days 8 to 12 – Breezes Beach Club, Zanzibar, Tanzania
In the morning you will be transferred two hours to Arusha to board a scheduled flight departing at 1215 to Zanzibar. On arrival at 1345 you will be met and taken to Breezes Beach Club where you stay for five nights in an ocean front room (half board).
Breezes Beach Club is situated along a pristine white sandy beach, edged with palm trees.
The rooms are comfortable, spacious and fully air-conditioned, with luxurious en suite bathrooms, and are all tastefully furnished in authentic Zanzibari style. There are three bars, one by the pool, and three restaurants, which serve exceptional cuisine, featuring local spices, tropical fruits and delicacies from the Indian Ocean. The Breakers Lunch Restaurant serves barbecues on the beachfront under the shade of palm trees.
You can enjoy a great variety of recreational facilities; the marine activities include windsurfing and pedal boats, and there is also a swimming pool, a floodlit tennis court, and a fitness and aerobics centre. The Bazaar shop sells a variety of beautiful African arts and crafts.
In this beautiful setting, reflecting a sophisticated Swahili style enhanced with candlelight and spice scented aromas, you can enjoy a variety of treatments and therapies, all aimed at relieving the negative impacts of a modern lifestyle such as stress and exhaustion.
The international team of professional therapists at the Frangipani Spa offers a wide variety of facial, body and hand and foot treatments, as well as specialised massage techniques. The Frangipani Spa also offers ‘The Kili Foot Treatment’ and ‘Apres Safari Treatment’ which are specially designed packages to soothe and rejuvenate after the dust and bumpy roads of the African Bush. An excellent option for those who are looking to recover after an adventure filled safari.
A safari in Tanzania with a remote luxury beach Vacation in Zanzibar is a perfect combination where you can spend time with the guides and game, aswell as relaxing on the beach, in both these fantastically beautiful African locations
Day 13
You will be transferred to Zanzibar to board a scheduled flight departing at 1630 to Nairobi’s Jomo Kenyatta Airport. Arrive at 1800 and continue with your homeward bound flight.