Recent changes at the time of the first publishing of this story (13 Jan 2014) encouraged us to recommend booking as soon as possible, and the message is still important today as travelers continue to compete for the same experiences in Africa. Some of the reasons for that are explained below.
Heightened Interest in Africa Travel
It’s official, travel to Africa is hot! And if you’ve been thinking about an African safari trip, you are not the only one, so now is the time to start your planning your tour to Africa in earnest if you want to secure space in some of the more desirable camps and lodges with access to the best game viewing.
2014 Began With Africa Listed as a Top International Travel Destination
As 2014 began, some of the industry’s most respected publications are pulled out their crystal balls, and recommended Africa – and particularly South Africa and Zimbabwe – as their top international travel destination for the year.
The New York Times “52 Places to Go in 2014” singles out Cape Town at the top of its list for its Mandela-shaped history and its status as “World Design Capital” for 2014. It also includes Namibia (#6), Addis Ababa, Ethiopia (#13), Kenya’s Laikipia Plateau (#19) and Dar Es Salaam in Tanzania (#39) – all places Bushtracks knows well. Travel & Liesure echoes the sentiment, ranking Cape Town as its first entrant in its “Best Places to Travel in 2014,” with a mention of Zimbabwe, and its convenient access to Victoria Falls.
But Conde Nast Traveler’s Perrin Post may have offered one of the most interesting perspectives on 2014. In her “14 Travel Predictions for 2014,” respected blogger Wendy Perrin predicted that “More families will vacation in Africa.”
None of this is news to us, since we’ve been singing the praises of African safaris and sending travelers on safari for over 20 years. But what does all this recent, positive press on African travel mean to prospective safari-goers, and to safari operators like Bushtracks?
Reserving your space for Peak Travel Times
Quite simply, if you have been thinking about a safari during peak travel times – particularly December 2014 – we strongly recommend you finalize your travel plans as soon as possible, but no later than within the next 2 weeks, as space in top camps is quickly filling up. Heightened demand for safaris in South Africa, as well as East Africa, comes not only from American travelers, but from Europeans whose winter holiday schedule corresponds with ours, and who have long flocked to Africa for a sunny getaway.
For more information, or to get started with your research, visit www.bushtracks.com, or call one of our experienced African travel planners at 1-800-995-8689.
The first version of this article was posted on 23 Jan 2014 at 3:14 PM.