Why use a Private Safari Guide for your African Safari Vacation?

Our very good friend, and professional African Safari Guide, Mark Homann of Bushspots based in South Carolina, very kindly gave us the answers to this very important question. Mark is a native Zimbabwean, who has worked as a private safari guide for over 15 years, working in some of the very best safari destinations in the world. We would like to thank Mark and Bushspots for taking the time to help us understand why we should use a Private Safari Guide.

An African Safari Vacation is all about seeing and learning about Africa's Wildlife and the environment they live in. By the time you entrust yourself into the hands of your guide, you will have traveled far and invested a great deal. You are stepping into a world that is so alien to you; you may as well be visiting Antarctica.

A safari guide's role is to manage your experience and to be responsible for your safety at all times. This involves a lot more than getting you in the right place at the right time. Your guide should be an interpreter unraveling the many mysteries that surround you. This is no easy feat and involves a life time of passion, observation and understanding. Now the guiding industry is a tough business to grow old in. A young guide must forgo many of the joys of modern life, work long hours for many months at a stretch far away from the bright lights of civilization for little financial reward. To gain the necessary 10 to 15 years of experience needed to be a Private Safari Guide there is one single quality that makes this small group of guides stand out within our industry, this is an unwavering passion and enthusiasm for sharing Africa's wildlife and wild places with you the guest.

A lot of African Safari Camps and Lodges have very good resident guides and a private safari guide is not always necessary. Whom ever is fortunate enough to guide you, it is important to remember, they work for you, the more you help the guide to understand your interest the easier it is for them to show you the Magic of Africa.

Many people have formed life long friendships with their guides and travel on an Africa family safari every year. It's always hard to say goodbye to your guide, but remember that memories are important, and your safari guide hopefully gave you memories to last a lifetime.

Why not make this year your year to take a trip of a lifetime?

Hills of Africa Travel specializes in customized African vacations. We offer spectacular adventures with personalized and customized service, guaranteed to provide you with the experience of a lifetime. Call us on 1-877-845-4802 to talk with an African Vacation Specialist.

Traveling to South Africa - How to Get There?

There are so many options for you to think about when planning for your African Safari Vacation.

One of these is flights and how to get there?

Hills of Africa Travel is here to help you plan your trip of a lifetime and we know the best and easiest ways in getting there.

South African Airways currently flies out of New York Kennedy and Washington Dulles to Johannesburg on a daily basis.

Delta Airlines flies out of Atlanta and New York Kennedy to Johannesburg on a daily basis. Here's a little secret - if you want to fly to Cape Town and begin your Africa family safari in the Cape region, you can connect in Dakar to a direct flight to Cape Town. Plus you get to go into the private Delta Airlines lounge and freshen up - magic.

You can also fly through Europe with night flights and a day to spend exploring in one of the European cities, eg. London.

Hills of Africa Travel specializes in customized African vacations. We offer spectacular adventures with personalized and customized service, guaranteed to provide you with the experience of a lifetime.

The Hills of Africa Travel team is ready to send you on a life-altering experience like no other. Call us today at 1-877-845-4802, or email us at hoainfo@hillsofafrica.com.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

We would like to wish all of our clients, friends, family and travelers to Africa a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Here are some translations for "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year" in the African languages:

Afrikaans: Geseënde Kersfees en 'n gelukkige nuwe jaar
Somali: Ciid wanaagsan iyo sanad cusub oo fiican
Swahili: Krismasi Njema / Heri ya krismas
Xhosa: Siniqwenelela Ikrisimesi Emnandi Nonyaka Omtsha Ozele Iintsikelelo
Zulu: Sinifesela uKhisimusi oMuhle noNyaka oMusha oNempumelelo

Hills of Africa Travel offers customized itinerary planning and guidance on travel to Southern Africa. To book your trip of a lifetime, contact us.

Exploring Cape Town - A World in One Country

Cape Town is one of the world’s most marvelous cities with its gorgeous white beaches and magnificent rolling mountains. It boasts Dutch architecture, beautiful waterfront, and a mountainous backdrop, eliciting feelings of a quaint and charming European city. Cape Town offers excellent accommodations with stellar service and extraordinary varieties of food, rich with culture and unique flavors.

Rolling roads lined with tall pine trees in the wine regions are reminiscent of northern California. The food and wine are truly delightful and the people extremely hospitable. The road systems are sophisticated and wide, offering an extra boost of confidence to those intimidated by driving on the left side of the road.

Stepping foot onto African soil will bring a smile to your face that won’t escape for the rest of your African safari vacation. The stunning days of dry and sunny weather offer a prime environment for the beginning or ending of an enchanting African family safari or romantic African honeymoon safari.

To start preparing for your African family safari or romantic African honeymoon safari, contact Hills of Africa Travel and we will guarantee you a trip of a lifetime. Call us today to Live the Magic of Africa.

Now is a great time to book a Safari to South Africa

With the strong US dollar to the South African Rand, NOW is a good time to start booking your travel to South Africa. The current exchange rate is 10 ZAR to 1 USD - WOW!

Even if you are only planning to travel in August of 2009, you should consider booking your travel now.

Why?

Because if you book and pre-pay all South African costs, then you are locked in at today's very good exchange rate and we are able to pass on fantastic savings to you.

Imagine all the amazing experiences you could have:

• Walk to the top of Table Mountain and have a picnic whilst taking in the beautiful scenery below you
• Take a wine tour and taste some of the best South African wines in the Winelands
  
• Go on safari and watch lions lazing under trees, and sit back whilst watching a huge herd of elephant walk right past you
• Stay at Birkenhead House in Hermanus where you will see amazing whale sightings from your own balcony
• Take a tour along the famed Cape Point Peninsula where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet, see some of the most breathtaking scenery
  
• See African penguins
  

Hills of Africa Travel customizes all of our safari vacations to South Africa and will create a trip of a lifetime. Call us today and we will make certain you Live the Magic of Africa.

Marriage is an adventure - why not begin with one?

An African safari honeymoon is an exciting yet tranquil exotic adventure, perfect for the first trip you take as newlyweds. Only in Africa can you sleep in a bush camp surrounded by elephants and leopards one night and in a private villa on a pristine beach the next.

Create moments you’ll treasure for life . . .


• Unwind together in a bush bath under the African sky

• Enjoy a candle-lit dinner for two at sunset on a riverbank

• Sip morning coffee while watching an elephant herd graze

A romantic African honeymoon safari is the trip of a lifetime, and Hills of Africa Travel can make it happen for you. We like to surprise honeymooners with elegant touches that make their romantic African honeymoon safari even more exceptional:

• Rose petals leading from the game-drive vehicle to your room and into the bathroom
• Bubble-filled bath and bottle of champagne
• Private bush dinner
• Picnic with champagne on the beach

We will work closely with you to carefully plan the African honeymoon safari you've always dreamed of. Get started planning your honeymoon getaway, and contact us today.

Hills of Africa Travel specializes in customized honeymoons that will give you the perfect beginning to the rest of your life. Contact us today to plan the most amazing start to your married life.

Hills of Africa Travel is so proud of our new consultants

Hills of Africa Travel is so pleased to announce that we have two new consultants. Actually one new and one we've never wanted to share with you because she's so brilliant.

Michelle Potuzak joined Hills of Africa Travel in January 2008. We absolutely love her and we haven't told you about her because we didn't want to share our secret. But she's too wonderful not to share. Michelle is so excited to be sharing her love of animals, safari, Cape Town and Africa with you.


We have just added Marcia Sandry to our growing company and we are so excited that she's decided to come work with us. Marcia is so looking forward to sharing the Magic of Africa with you.

So come visit us at Hills of Africa Travel and we look forward to giving you an Africa trip of a lifetime. We can't wait for you to Live the Magic of Africa.

Hills of Africa Travel wants you to Live the Magic of Africa

Hills of Africa Travel wants you to Live the Magic of Africa, so we pride ourselves in keeping you up to date on travel information.


Please note that with immediate effect ALL persons entering Zambia from Zimbabwe will be required to present themselves to a health officer (near the entrance boom at Victoria Falls Border) where they will be asked to wash their hands in a treated solution (this is flowing from a tap on a container) and then to walk through a treated mat (much the same as with the foot & mouth control when entering Botswana). This entire process will only take a couple of minutes, however if there are large volumes of border crossers, the process may take longer.


We can't wait for you to Live the Magic of Africa. Hills of Africa Travel creates customized trip of a lifetime travel to Africa.

Hills of Africa Cares About Your Safety & Health During Your Travels in Africa

Hills of Africa Travel prides itself in giving timely and accurate information. Travelers often have health concerns when traveling to Africa and we want to give you the right information to keep you safe and healthy. Victoria Falls is a popular destination with so much to do. We want to give you the health facts to know when you're visiting.

Zimbabwe has made the news recently with an outbreak of cholera. We want to let you know that there is no cholera threat in Victoria Falls.

People planning to visit Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, are assured that there have been no reports of Cholera in the Victoria Falls region to date.

The District Medical Officer for Victoria Falls has assured GoToVictoriaFalls and all visitors that:

• There have been no reported cases of cholera in the region to date.

• The area is safe. However, as usual all are advised to take standard precautions such as washing hands before eating and after using the bathroom, cleaning all vegetables and fruit in clean, fresh water, etc.

• For visitors intending to visit outlying areas, such as villages, we highly recommend that guests and activity operators carry bottled mineral water.

• Public health authorities are regularly in touch with stakeholders, keeping them informed and updated on all matters of public health.

• Community awareness and education is carried out in the schools and general communities. The Environmental Health Department also carries out monthly water quality monitoring exercises, and communicates with the private sector.

• The key operators in Victoria Falls ensure that all sanitation and water reticulation systems are maintained to the highest possible standard. They are heavily involved in supporting maintenance of infrastructure and assisting with water treatment chemicals for the Municipality, to ensure the health and safety of both residents and visitors.

If you have any concerns or questions please don't hesitate to contact us at Hills of Africa Travel.

To plan your trip of a lifetime, please contact us at Hills of Africa Travel. We look forward to sharing the Magic of Africa with you.