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.

Firstly, many Tanzania lodging and accommodation providers are offering discounted rates for families and couples to offset the economic downturn’s impact. Some are even giving free nights to guests on prolonged stays. Upgrades, complimentary meals and gifts are also a regular occurrence at hotels and resorts. Tour operators and travel agencies are also responding with reduced prices for safari packages, cultural tours, Mount Kilimanjaro climbing expeditions and ecological excursions accordingly. Combined with other travel service providers drastically reducing the rates on their offerings, the time could not be better for the discerned traveler to take full advantage of a golden chance to substantially reduce their travel costs in Tanzania.

Secondly, with proper planning and a decent strategy, a prudent vacationer to Africa should openly ask and seek discounts and special offers. Some tourist may realize that this is perhaps the best time to experience an African safari at reasonable prices maybe even as high as 20 per cent off what they would have paid in an ordinary year. For instance, the average 10-day standard lodging safari in Tanzania with visits to the Northern Safari Circuit (Serengeti, Lake Manyara, and Ngorongoro Crater) and eventually the ‘Spice Islands’ of Zanzibar will cost about $ 4,500 per person that equals about $900 in savings. Sounds pretty close to an air ticket price doesn’t it. Yes indeed and those international carriers are also offering cut-rate prices. All you really have to do is ask and you shall receive. It is certainly a bargain, so do not let the so called global financial crisis deter you from going on your African safari in Tanzania.

Lastly, your hard earned money will take you further while on a safari in Tanzania than in years past. Costs of meals at restaurants and hotels have been reduced as demand has shriveled over these past several months. Moreover, souvenirs – carvings, crafts, jewelry and paintings can be bought at reasonable prices for the same reason. There are great deals to be had. All you need to do is believe that they are out there and then find them. Don’t get it all wrong in some obscure place where a so-called financial crisis is unfolding. Just imagine sipping on a sun-downer at a rustic colonial safari lodge on the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater with few other souls between you and the teeming wildlife in the rolling landscape beyond.

Remember that a safari in Tanzania is memorable for the abundance of wildlife, the kindness and friendliness of the people, and the magic and mystery of the landscape. Make the decision to visit a land as ancient as the African savannah stretching across the Serengeti plain and as modern as any other country on earth. Unlock the beauty and the majesty of Tanzania by planning your trip with all the exclusivity and flexibility that you desire in these extraordinary times. There could not be a better time to go a ‘trip of a lifetime’ in real Africa. Don’t let the opportunity pass you by.

But in the Mount Kenya Safari Club’s heyday in the 1950s all these activities were common, Hollywood heartthrob William Holden (Bridge Over The River Kwai, Network) and his partners, oil billionaire Ray Ryan and Swiss financier Carl Hirschmann, ran the place as the most elite private members’ club hotel in the Africa. Membership was by invitation only and members included Bing Crosby, David Lean, Charlie Chaplin, Steve McQueen, Conrad Hilton, Winston Churchill and the Maharaja of Jaipur.

Stefanie Powers and John Hurt still keep houses adjoining the club.Holden, fell in love with Kenya on safaris in the ’50s, was known for his practical joking in the bar, such as snakes hidden in the bottom of a peanut tin. He was also a very hands-on manager, keeping an eye on the bar and its goings-on via telescope from his private villa.

“Bill Holden said, when he saw the hotel ‘This is the most beautiful place in the world’, remembers American Don Hunt, Holden’s friend and chairman of the Mount Kenya Game Ranch, a conservation project set up next door to the club. The club’s beauty includes sweeping highland forest that leads into dense thickets of bamboo, while rich clusters of birdlife and herds of waterbuck roam nearby.

Canadian-based hotel group Fairmont, has changed the hotel four years ago. The beauty that awaits you when you turn right past an electricity substation from the nearest township, Nanyuki, with a family of warthogs trotting alongside. A few minutes later, imposing iron gates embroidered with Mount Kenya Safari Club logo, two elephant heads, you can see what captivated Holden.

Manicured lawns sweep down to a pool, past flower-filled ponds and then on to the slopes, where they climb for kilometers to the snow-dusted peak of Mt Kenya. The club is constructed on the equator its line cutting straight through the main bar, following the curve of the national park before running straight along the seventh hole of the club’s petite nine-hole golf course.

The Mount Kenya Safari Club general manager is, Philippe Cauviere a gregarious Frenchman with “hospitality in his blood” The club’s 124 rooms are imposing and royally decorated, many with gargantuan fireplaces lit each evening to stave off the crisp mountain cold. The General Manager’s aim is to bring back the delight and the glamour to the club as well as the tradition, and he spares no details, his dream is to bring back the white peacocks that used to roam the grounds, the zebras and even cheetahs. He also aims to restore the spirit of the club as a vacation destination.

The Norfolk Hotel in Nairobi, where the history is more White Mischief than Mogambo, scenes from White Mischief was filmed in the hotel and much of the real mischief took place inside its walls. Now, the walls are adorned with paintings of another African epic by Irish artist Timothy Brooke, made from sketches of his time as an extra on Sydney Pollack’s Oscar-scooping Out Of Africa.

The Norfolk is Nairobi’s oldest hotel, opened in 1904; it is one of the few buildings to survive the razing of Colonial-era buildings in the ’60s that followed the overthrow of British rule. This venerable abode, along with Mount Kenya and the Mara Safari Club, were purchased by Fairmont in 2004 from Lonrho Hotels & Lodges. A $50-million refurbishment started and it would have been completed last year.

The Norfolk Hotel has seen the bulk of Fairmont’s investment, with Mount Kenya a close second, and it is evident as soon as you arrive. The most controversial change was to eliminate the terrace bar, which once hosted Nairobi’s hard-drinking set, with the elegant Lord Delamere Terrace, where seasonal bites replaced heavy spirits and regulars are likely to be seen working on a laptop than nursing a hangover. However it’s still a lovely bar to catch a Tusker, a Kenya beer.

Mara Safari Club Camp, a luxury safari tented camp is located on an oxbow along the Mara River. The Mara Safari Club is characterized Hippos bathing beneath your tent. The camp was leased from a Masai Chief. The main area with a restaurant, bar and library is the social focus of the club where safari stories are swapped and thirsts quenched, however the Mara is really about wildlife and savannah, safaris to view wildlife imply no time is spent in the tents.