Rob Baedeker
Papa never had it this good
In Ernest Hemingway’s 1936 short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” the protagonist hunter gets an adrenaline-spiking close-up view of an African legend: “Macomber saw the lion now. He was standing almost broadside, his great head up and turned toward them. The early morning breeze that blew toward them was just stirring his dark mane, and the lion looked huge, silhouetted on the rise of bank in the gray morning light, his shoulders heavy, his barrel of a body bulking smoothly.”
Some 70 years later, Abigail Dillen, an attorney from Bozeman, Mont. on a safari in Kenya led by Karisia Limited, described her encounter with the queen of the savanna this way: “We saw a lioness five feet away. She was hunting; there was a pride of cubs lounging around like house cats in the sun. My heart was pounding we were so close to her.”
Much may have changed since Hemingway’s swaggering, big-game-hunting colonial Africa of the 30s, but the thrill of the close encounter remains central to the modern safari experience...
Papa never had it this good
In Ernest Hemingway’s 1936 short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” the protagonist hunter gets an adrenaline-spiking close-up view of an African legend: “Macomber saw the lion now. He was standing almost broadside, his great head up and turned toward them. The early morning breeze that blew toward them was just stirring his dark mane, and the lion looked huge, silhouetted on the rise of bank in the gray morning light, his shoulders heavy, his barrel of a body bulking smoothly.”
Some 70 years later, Abigail Dillen, an attorney from Bozeman, Mont. on a safari in Kenya led by Karisia Limited, described her encounter with the queen of the savanna this way: “We saw a lioness five feet away. She was hunting; there was a pride of cubs lounging around like house cats in the sun. My heart was pounding we were so close to her.”
Much may have changed since Hemingway’s swaggering, big-game-hunting colonial Africa of the 30s, but the thrill of the close encounter remains central to the modern safari experience...
Rob Baedeker Papa never had it this good In Ernest Hemingway’s 1936 short story “The Short Happy Life of Francis Macomber,” the protagonist hunter gets... more
UNRANKED
CURRENT SCORE
less stats more stats6.84
Rank (best ever) 17
Score (all time) 5490.00
Created 06/20/08
Views 5440
Votes [disabled]
view list history
1
Karisia Limited
James Christian and Kerry Glen's Nairobi-based Karisia offers a wide range of walking, photographic, ornithological and cultural safaris. Christian and Glen arrange all the details of the luxury trips, including chartering planes and teaming up with lodges like the Ngong House in Nairobi and Naibor (Nigel Archer's new camp in the Mara) for "safari chic" expeditions. The couple draw on their backgrounds as naturalists and photographers for trips that emphasize African ecology and culture.
www.kerry-glen.com
2
Abercrombie & Kent
In operation since 1962, this luxury outfitter has a network of local offices throughout the continent. Notable trips include four-wheel drive excursions in Botswana, and canoeing, boating and walking safaris in Zambia. The "East Africa Hemingway Safari," in 2007, promises the "romance of classic 'Hemingway'-style camp life."
www.abercrombiekent.com
3
Conservation Corporation Africa
Operator of more than 40 safari camps across southern and eastern Africa, CC Africa's itineraries include a number of group and private options such as the Namibian fly-in safari, featuring the game-rich Etosha National Park and star-gazing at the Sossusvlei Mountain Lodge through a high-powered, computerized telescope.
www.ccafrica.com
4
Wilderness Safaris
This outfitter's vast menu of safaris lets you see Africa by your transportation mode of preference: walking, flying, driving, canoeing, and more. The 14-day "Great Malawian Journey" features a range of accommodations, from wilderness lodges to guesthouses to small, intimate inns in private concession areas and national parks and forest reserves in Malawi. The trip includes forays into prime bird-watching terrain, and kayaking on Lake Malawi.
www.wilderness-safaris.com
5
Orient Express
OE Safaris operates five luxury properties in Southern Africa, including the Savute Elephant Camp in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Private-excursion options include the "Wildly Indulgent Scenic Picnic Flight," a helicopter lift to a secret location Okavango Delta for a champagne picnic breakfast on a deserted island.
www.orient-express.com
6
Cox & Kings
The self-proclaimed "longest established travel company in the world" offers group and private tours to Southern and Eastern Africa. The "Tanzania in Style" package tours 5-star camps in three game-viewing areas, including Lake Manyara, where, during your forest walk (escorted by Masai askaris) you may get a peek at the legendary tree-climbing lions.
www.coxandkings.co.uk
7
Geographic Expeditions
In addition to a wide range of African tour packages, Geographic Expeditions also offers "private mobile safari units" for the ultimate in luxury, and access to hard-to-reach, exclusive nature preserves. A typical Namibia excursion might include quad biking to Himbo village or fishing on the Kunene River at the Angola border.
www.geoex.com
8
Micato
With 40 years of experience, Micato Safaris is a family-run outfitter specializing in luxury sojourns and personalized service. How personal? Each guest visiting Kenya is invited to dinner at the owners' home. Choose from an extensive collection of private bush homes and game drives through Kenya and Tanzania's wildlife reserves.
www.micato.com
9
Tribes Travel
A fair trade travel company that focuses on sustainable ecotourism, Tribes offers tailor-made trips to Kruger National Park, including a lodging option at Londolozi, located in Sabi Sand Game Reserve, one of South Africa's most exclusive safari lodges and esteemed by Nelson Mandela as a model for nature preservation.
www.tribes.co.uk
10
Rwanda/Uganda Mountain Gorillas Trip, Mountain Travel Sobek
This Emeryville, CA-based outfitter offers a number of Africa trips, from Egypt to Botswana, but their unique journeys to Rawanda and Uganda are perennial favorites. Accomodations are basic in Rwanda and basic to rustic in Uganda. The real luxury is what Nadia Le Bon, Director of Special Programs, calls the "comprehensive primate experience"--guided hikes into gorilla habitat for close-up viewing. To complement the gorilla trek, these safaris also offer additional game viewing in Nyungwe and Akagera National Parks (the latter being a haven for bird-watchers).
www.mtsobek.com
[source: https://www.forbestraveler.com/adventure/african-safaris-story.html ]
Not watching this list (get updates on this list).
(all people watching this list)
).
MORE LISTS
Top Ten Things You Might Write on a Dirty Windshield
RECOMMENDED LISTS
COMMENTS
