Take a deep breath everyone,��trophy hunting is back in the news. Let’s see what we can do to calm the Internet outrage machine before it really gets going.

Here’s the backstory:��the Department of the Interior announced it was going��to begin allowing hunters to bring elephant trophies back to the U.S. from Zimbabwe and Zambia, then President Trump stated he was going to cancel that order.��The Obama Administration banned such imports back��in 2014, due to what it saw as .��

Elephants are among the most intelligent and social of animals, and their numbers in Africa have fallen from a pre-industrial high of 10��million to . So hunting them is bad, right? Well, that’s why everyone gets so outraged on the Internet about trophy hunting. But it’s not necessarily the reality.

Give me a few paragraphs to explain before you start shouting at your computer screen.

There are two major factors contributing to shrinking��elephant populations: poaching��and habitat loss. ��that the illegal trade in ivory could be worth as much as $1 billion a year, and that up to 23,000 elephants are being poached each year. That’s dramatic and dangerous, but the biggest threat elephants and other large animals��face��is from ever-expanding��human civilization, and the��towns, roads, and agriculture that eat away at their��habitat. People who rely on farming and cattle ranching value the land and the crops that grow on it.��Which means that the��elephants that graze on that land are��a threat to business.����

Sport hunting, counterintuitively, can counteract��both habitat loss and poaching��by giving the elephants a legitimate monetary value. Elephant hunts cost tens of thousands of dollars; that profit turns the animals��from a nuisance��into a valuable commodity. If a land owner stands to profit more from elephant hunts��than he does from cattle farming, he'll allow more elephants to remain wild, and he also has the incentive��to protect the animals from poaching. Many of the owners of land where��elephants are hunted hire armed security teams to protect the animals��from poachers.��

For example, hunting has in Zimbabwe as government-owned habitat. Without the cash from hunting, that might not be possible. In northeast Namibia, the number of elephants living on hunting reserves increased from . Hunting helped increase the number of the rare desert elephants in the country .����Of course, there are��also examples of the system failing elephants. Trophy imports from Zimbabwe were banned by the DOI after by poachers there, and not enough of the cash from hunting has gone back into fighting poachers.��

One thing trophy hunting does not achieve is an economic benefit to local communities. Due largely to corruption, , and government officials. There��is��some hyper-local benefit from hunting, as local villagers are given the meat from kills, and that’s often their best source of protein.

By��making elephants a source of revenue, the rich land owners��that��profit from elephant hunting are motivated to .��Teddy Roosevelt considered hunters the great conservationists. He once wrote:��

In a civilized and cultivated country wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen.�� The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsmen as enemies of wild life, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable wild creatures from total extermination.

Why can’t photo tourism replace hunting?��An individual hunter spends large sums of money on a hunt, without requiring much��infrastructure. Tourism largely takes place in National Parks. Hunting takes place on private land. Hunting protects elephants and their habitat in areas other than National Parks, where they wouldn't otherwise have any protections.��

National Geographic sums it up well. “Conservancy lands given over to trophy hunting have the added benefit of keeping the wild, wild,” .

In short, sport-hunting is a��for-profit private system that can help��conserve elephant populations.��If people are getting rich from elephant hunting, then those people are��financially��incentivized to protect those elephants.��That’s my quick-and-dirty explanation of how hunting can benefit animals like the elephant. Sadly, it doesn’t always work out as well as it should, and for every example of a well-managed, scientifically-sound elephant-management policy working in benefit of the species, there are short-sighted��assholes who fail to behave ethically to the benefit of the species. Pretty much all the countries in which elephants live and are hunted are not doing a good enough job of preventing poaching. And the international community is��not doing a good enough job of eliminating the demand for ivory.��Yet, on the whole, hunting is still crucial to animal conservation in Africa for the simple reason that the money it brings sets aside vast amounts��of protected habitat.��We don't have a better system to replace it with yet.��

It’s reasonable to want to find a better way to protect these animals��and find ways to live alongside them harmoniously.��But we’re not going to get there if we don’t at least start that discussion from a place of rationality and knowledge. Outrage and ignorance won't��help anyone—especially not the elephants.��

The post Why You Shouldn’t Be Outraged By Elephant Hunting appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

The Top 10 Whitewater Rafting Destinations

Short of measuring the size of every wave, it’s impossible to create an empirical list of the world’s best whitewater. In addition to the water itself, we looked at the quality of the company and the immeasurable awe, like how many grizzlies you might encounter along the shoreline. Be prepared to grumble: A few “iconic” rivers didn’t make the cut. But one thing is for certain: All 10 will rock your raft—and your world.

10. Tatshenshini River, British Columbia
9. Lochsa River, Idaho
8. Alsek River, British Columbia
7. Paro Chhu River, Bhutan
6. Futaleufu River, Chile
5. Zambezi River, Zambia
4. Colorado River, Arizona
3. Drigung Chu River, Tibet
2. Rio Cotahuasi River, Peru
1. Franklin River, Tasmania

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 10. Tatshenshini River, British Columbia

Learn practical outdoor and survival skills

Yukon Territory rafting

Learn valuable outdoor skills on your trip

Never rely on a guide again. On that starts in Haines, Alaska, students learn state-of-the-art minimum impact camping skills, practice route-finding, gain technical competence in backcountry whitewater, and learn how to execute emergency scenarios while in the field. All this while rafting the smaller, more technical tributaries and the giant braided glacial drainages farther downriver on the Tatshenshini.

Exact logistics are weather dependent, but students start out with a Swift Water Rescue training and certification, continue with three days of rafting the Upper Tatshenshini River where rapids like Rock Garden and Twin Holes keep students wide-eyed and attentive. The course ends with an overnight on the mostly Class III Tutshi River, with a few sections of Grade IV and V thrown in. By the end of this trip, students will have enough skills in river rescue, hydrology, raft maneuvering, oar and paddle strokes, and captaining to paddle almost anything. $3,500; offered June, July, August.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 9. Lochsa River, Idaho

Beware the Grim Reaper

Paddle the Lochsa

Take a ride with ROW ���ϳԹ���s

Idaho has the largest contiguous wilderness in the Lower 48 and quite a few rivers running through it. No matter which pick we make here, one or two classics will be left out. For pure whitewater terror, however, it’s hard to beat the two-day paddle on the free-flowing Lochsa. The continuously explosive, 40 class III-IV rapids—with names like Grim Reaper and Bloody Mary—are the result of both big volume (10-20,000 cfs) and steep gradient (30 feet per mile). This kind of whitewater is akin to more famous rivers, like the Gauley in West Virginia, but the Lochsa is bigger and longer.

For the full Idaho experience, front-load with . With Grand Canyon-style rapids through North America’s deepest river gorge, 70-degree water temperatures, and pictographs and pioneer homesteads along the way, Hells Canyon is awe-inspiring. Seven-day combination, $1,995; best in June.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 8. Alsek River, British Columbia

Quality rapids, national-park views

Beauty in British Columbia

Beauty in British Columbia

Guides here jokingly refer to the Alsek as a Class V Float Trip. There may be rivers with more concentrated rapids than the 140-mile-long Alsek, but looks can be deceiving. The Alsek, which is surrounded by massive glaciers and giant peaks as high as 15,000 feet, drains one of the largest non-polar ice fields in the world. This translates to furiously fast, massively voluminous water that rockets out of the mountains at a much steeper gradient than, say, the Yukon.

The water temperature here averages 33 degrees so if you flip, you freeze—dry suits are mandatory. To amp up the adrenaline factor, the Alsek runs through , home to the highest concentration of grizzlies in North America. Then there’s Turnback Canyon, the five-mile Class VI stretch so deadly that it must be portaged by helicopter. from $3,795; best time to go is June.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 7. Paro Chhu River, Bhutan

Hike to temples along this sacred river

Rafting in Bhutan

Raft the Mother River

More and more travelers are paying the $200-$250 per night tariff just to enter the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan, but it’s still a rare opportunity to raft the country’s sacred rivers. floats four Class II-III rivers past some of the most sacred Buddhist sites in the world, including the , a 17th-century monastery that sits on the banks of the Mo Chhu (Mother River) and has survived six fires, two floods, and one earthquake.

You’ll also hike to , a famous monastery chiseled into a cliff 2,000 feet above the Paro Valley floor. Forewarning: Don’t be shocked when you visit the Temple of the Divine Madman. The shrine to Bhutan’s most famous saint (who had a wicked sense of humor) is adorned with giant phalluses—which the Bhutanese believe ward off evil. $3,795; best time to go is November.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 6. Futaleufu River, Chile

Enjoy the amenities at permanent camps built along the river

This Class III-V roiling mass of whitewater is one Patagonian river that hasn’t been dammed—yet. Raft it before Chilean hydroelectric companies run a massive (and ugly) power transmission line through the valley.

This classic ride is singular not only in Patagonian scenery, but the Futaleufu is also unique in that the guiding company that pioneered it, , has built permanent river camps into cliff dwellings with riverside stone hot tubs, hot showers, treehouses, and beds.

While it’s not necessary to portage any of the rapids, a horseback and hiking trail follows the entire length of the river, so at any point the option to walk is always there. And when you’re not rafting or kayaking, there’s horseback riding, rock climbing, rapelling, and canyoneering.

U.S.-based operators like offer trips on the Fu, but they are operated in conjunction with Earth River. $3,400; best time to go is February.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 5. Zambezi River, Zambia

Reward yourself with some wildlife sightseeing after this raft trip

Zambezi River

Rafting one of Africa's longest rivers

If this Class IV-V stretch of Africa’s fourth-longest river were in the litigious U.S., it’s likely no outfitter would have enough liability insurance to commercially run it. But , which financed the first descent of the Zambezi back in 1981, is back in Africa with a brand-new that combines a four-day paddle with a three-day Botswana Safari.

The ride starts at the base of 360-foot Victoria Falls, passes the sheer rock walls of the Batoka Gorge, and floats class V rapids like Stairway to Heavan, Oblivion, and Gnashing Jaws of Death, which swallow rafts whole. But at least it’s not a crocodile that’s swallowing the raft. A helicopter ride back to the start provides an excellent overview of massive Vic Falls, then it’s on to wildlife heaven in Botswana’s , where lions, hyenas, zebras, wildebeest, elephants, and giraffe roam wild and free. $2,895; best time to go is September.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 4. Colorado River, Arizona

Do the dory

Grand Canyon

Don't miss this trip of a lifetime

There are more counterintuitive rivers we could have put on this list, but there are very few with more geologic and hydrologic superlatives. In the 225 miles from Lees Ferry to Diamond Creek, you’ll charge through 42 major rapids and pass Paleozoic walls that are a half-billion years old.

If you’re going to commit to (and don’t have the skills to paddle your own kayak), float it the way one-armed explorer John Wesley Powell did—in a wooden dory. For 14 to 18 days you’ll float past geologic history, hike to Indian ruins like the famous Nankoweap granaries, and camp on soft sand. Watch OARS’ newly released Whitewater Orientation —some of which was filmed on location on the Grand—before you go. From $4,898; trips offered May through October.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 3. Drigung Chu River, Tibet

Paddle your way to Base Camp

Why not acclimatize for Base Camp by rafting a few rivers along the way? , which starts and ends in Kathmandu, culminates in a visit to Everest Base Camp on the Tibetan side of the world’s highest mountain. But before you top out at that 16,900-foot barren oasis, you’ll raft the Drigung Chu and Tolung Chu, two rivers that offer up Class IV whitewater thrills and a unique riverine view of the surrounding Himalayan landscape. Between rivers you’ll visit the most storied architecture in Tibet, including , the Dalai Llama’s summer palace, the monasteries of Lhasa, and more. $5,900; offered April to October.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 2. Rio Cotahuasi River, Peru

Experience remote Incan ruins

Rio Cotahuasi

Raft in canyons three times the height of the Grand

The Cotahuasi is one of the last old-school river expeditions left on earth, with sheer canyons three times the height of the Grand and ancient Incan ruins accessible only via the river. From the town of Cotahuasi, it takes a full day just to trek to the put-in.

On the river for seven days, you’ll paddle 100 miles of stunning, intermittent class IV-V whitewater and canyons measuring 11,587 feet from river to rim. On some nights break camp near Incan ruins with potsherds and old masonry walls that only a handful of people have ever seen. One night you’ll stay in an Andean village adjacent to a local hot springs. Be sure to bring friends: requires teamwork, from punching through tough rapids to lining the rafts around impassable ones. $2,950; best time to go is June and July.

The Best Whitewater Rafting: 1. Franklin River, Tasmania

Float in eco-friendly style

Franklin River

Enjoy the banks of this pristine river

And now for a happy conservation story: The Franklin River’s ecosystem environment is one of the most pristine on earth thanks to hawk-like activism and conservation efforts by , the company that pioneered the first commercial descent back in 1978. (Incidentally, for Everest historians, Lincoln Hall was on that first trip.) Since then, the company has led efforts to prevent a dam in 1983, continues to remove noxious weed infestations along the banks, and manages the nearly invisible, leave-no-trace campsites.

that passes canyon gorges, cascading waterfalls, and floats mellow pools is a total commitment—once you start, the only way out is to keep rafting. $2,709; best November through January.

The post The Best Whitewater Rafting appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Ten years ago, Zimbabwean expat Alex­andra Fuller burst onto the literary scene with Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, a memoir about growing up the child of white settlers in the former Rhodesia. This month Fuller, 42, who now lives in Wyoming, publishes a sequel, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness (Penguin Press, $25.95). We caught up with her as the book went to press.

Your most recent book, The Legend of Colton H. Bryant, was set in Wyoming. Now you’re returning to Africa. What brought you back?
My mum was furious when Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight was published. I thought it was a love story about Africa and my mother. She did not. What hurt her were the reviews that depicted us as nothing but a hardscrabble, poverty-stricken family. None of them mentioned how well-bred the family was. My mother is like George W. Bush when it comes to family politics: you’re either with her or against her. Having decided I was against her, she imposed sanctions. She wouldn’t pick up the phone for months.

In Cocktail Hour, she can’t even say the title. She calls it “that awful book.”
After Dogs came out, she said, “You don’t know a thing about me.” So I decided to find out. We met in Scotland. I taped hours and hours of interviews.

Cocktail Hour is a memoir of your mother’s life told through your eyes. She’s an incredible survivor, kind of the last of the British stiff-upper-lippers.
If you choose to make Africa your home, then you’d bloody well better have a stiff upper lip. The culture of Central Africa doesn’t tolerate wallowing in grief. My mother lost three of her five children, but there were people around her who lost five.

She and your father are now living on a farm in Zambia?
Yes. Whenever I call, there are elephants in the bananas or a crocodile has eaten one of the sheep. The drama never ceases.

The post In the Doghouse appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Every year, we evaluate hundreds of wanderlust-inducing trips to produce a guide to the world’s greatest adventures. This time around, we solicited the aid of a new contributor: you. (The democratic spirit is strong right now.) By the hundreds, you told us where you’re planning to go and what matters most to you on any trip. You also made two things clear: (1) You have zero plans to stop exploring, recession be damned, but (2) that doesn’t mean you’d object to saving some cash. Fair enough—turn the page and you’ll find Trips of the Year that maximize value, plus dozens of strategies for the wallet-conscious nomad.

United States

IDAHO, OREGON & NEVADA


TRIP OF THE YEAR: NORTH AMERICA



Paddle the Upper Owyhee
7 DAYS, $1,890
A good measure of the quality of a float trip is the difficulty in getting there. By those standards, it’s hard to beat River Odysseys West’s new expedition-style journey to the Class II Upper Owyhee. “The road’s crummy, there aren’t any shuttle services, and the portages are a bitch,” says ROW founder Peter Grubb. “But I’ve never been up there and seen another party.” From the Nevada put-in, on either the South or the East fork of the Owyhee (the East is the more striking canyon by far), each guest paddles his own inflatable kayak 50 miles through a basalt gorge to the confluence with the main Owyhee. (A 12-foot raft totes gear.) From there it’s another 30 miles to the take-out at Three Forks, in Oregon. The route goes through bighorn sheep country and passes abandoned stone pioneers’ cabins. Day four is reserved for two tough portages, but hard work makes Dutch-oven brownies taste better. Bonus: ROW’s new trip comes just in time for new federal legislation that, if passed, will add the desert canyon to the national Wild & Scenic Rivers registry, and protect an additional 570,000 acres of the area. Four departures in June and July; .

CALIFORNIA

Float the Tuolumne and Hike Yosemite
5 DAYS, $1,900
This new, amphibious itinerary from rafting specialists OARS starts fast and ends slow. First up: an 18-mile paddle through Class IV rapids on the Wild & Scenic Tuolumne River, Central California’s roiliest. From the take-out at Wards Ferry Bridge, it’s a 50-minute drive to the bar-equipped Evergreen Lodge, on the western edge of Yosemite National Park. The next four days are spent “glamping” on air mattresses on the lodge’s property and trekking to Yosemite classics like 8,842-foot Half Dome and wildflower-studded Tuolumne Meadows. Five trips between May and August; . CASH TIP: Ask if there are any openings—or last-minute discounts—on the May trip, when the Tuolumne runs fastest.

WASHINGTON


KILLER VALUE



Ride the Lewis River

5 DAYS, $1,200
Local mountain bikers have been riding southern Washington’s lush Gifford Pinchot National Forest since the mid-eighties. But it wasn’t until 2007 that the Forest Service opened this 2,138-square-mile forest—home to more than 700 miles of singletrack—to commercial trips. The first outfitter to take advantage: Moab, Utah–based cycling specialists Western Spirit, which debuted this five-day tour last July. The 100-mile haul starts near Mount Adams and traces a series of three subalpine lakes. “The old-growth cedars we ride through make the perfect canopy, keeping the trail surface tacky,” says Western Spirit owner Mark Sevenoff. Other highlights include postcard views of the Lewis River’s descent from the Cascades; nights spent camping and mauling grilled salmon (guides cook while you sip local beer); a trip-capping ride off the flanks of Mount St. Helens; and a price so low you’ll want to book a second date. Eight trips in July and August; .

ALASKA

Explore ANWR

10 DAYS, $10,000
If any splurge is called for this year, it’s this journey into America’s still untapped, northernmost reaches from luxury outfitter Abercrombie & Kent. The trip starts in Fairbanks, from which bush planes fly eight guests to the North Slope of the Brooks Range. Too-loó-uk River Guides will paddle you on 14-foot rafts through 50 miles of the Marsh Fork of the Canning, a mostly lazy river that meanders through green valleys in the shadow of white peaks toward the Arctic Ocean. “You’ve got 5,000-foot peaks right off the river, treeless tundra, open hills and ridges,” says lead guide Juliette Boselli. Bring your waterproof hikers for day trips along the way, and carbo-load each night on fresh-baked breads in the dome-tented camp. Scramble up a small peak and you’ll spot Dall sheep, musk ox, eagles, and falcons. End the trip where the Canning meets the Beaufort Sea and fly out over the famous Porcupine caribou herds. Top of the world, Ma. Four departures between June and August; .

BERING STRAIT

Paddle to Wrangel

13 DAYS, FROM $5,500
See how close Alaska and Russia really are on Aurora Expeditions’ new trip from Nome, Alaska, across the Bering Sea, and along the Chukotka Peninsula, at Siberia’s northeastern tip. Your base is the 100-passenger Marina Svetaeva, but Aurora’s guides offer daylong sea-kayaking options along Chukotka’s rugged coast, where sea otters and harp seals play. And pending icepack levels in the Arctic Ocean, Aurora plans to explore Wrangel Island, home to hundreds of polar bears. “We hope to get the sea kayaks in the water around Wrangel and hike onshore,” says owner Greg Mortimer. August 6–18; .

ALASKA

Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge
Comprising 16 cabins and a dining building, Alaska Wildland ���ϳԹ���s’ Kenai Fjords Glacier Lodge is the only hotel within the boundaries of 700,000-acre Kenai Fjords National Park. Fresh-caught salmon in the restaurant is nice, but the draw is thesetting: The lodge, which opens in July, sits on a pebble beach in 1,700-acre Pedersen Lagoon Wildlife Sanctuary. And because Glacier is accessible only by boat, your stay comes with a cruise through humpback whale migratory waters. Doubles, $425, three-night minimum; .

Canada

CANADA


TRIP OF THE YEAR: ARCTIC



Paddle Hudson Bay

8 DAYS, $3,500
The locals in Hudson Bay aren’t used to human visitors. “In 2007, a client was minding her business in her kayak when a 30-pound baby beluga whale jumped in her lap,” says Wally Daudrich, owner of Manitoba’s Lazy Bear Lodge, which will host paddlers on this Explorers’ Corner expedition. The trip starts with a floatplane ride from Churchill to the South Knife River. From there, paddle a sea kayak alongside Explorers’ Corner founder Olaf Malver for three days, sifting through mild whitewater chutes to the mouth of Hudson Bay. You’ll know you’ve arrived when belugas start nuzzling the boat. The next five days are spent here, paddling with the whales and eating caribou steak at the Lazy Bear. Departures in July and August; . CASH TIP: Ask about the August trip, when the price falls $500 thanks to lower local airfares.

MONTANA & ALBERTA

Bike Glacier and the Canadian Rockies

9 DAYS, FROM $3,700
Four national parks, two countries, endless high-alpine relief, and a menagerie of outsize wildlife. That’s what you’ll encounter on Backroads’ new 480-mile cycling trip, from West Glacier, Montana, to Jasper, Alberta. Twenty or so guests will spend nights in digs like Glacier National Park’s Many Glacier Hotel—rustic western luxury at its finest. But it’s the riding that shines. The trip starts on Going-to-the-Sun Road, a 50-mile asphalt snake charting an improbable course through the heart of Glacier National Park. With its expansive vistas, Going-to-the-Sun is a worthy bucket-list item for most cyclists, but on this trip the road is just the beginning. After crossing Glacier, guests pedal between 40 and 60 miles per day through Waterton Lakes, Jasper, and Banff national parks, while a support van totes gear. On the way, riders trace the Continental Divide and coast along the 143-mile Icefields Parkway, where three major river systems—and lots of elk and grizzlies—meet. Four trips between July and September; . CASH TIP: Go with a partner and you’ll save the $890 additional fee Backroads charges single riders.

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Nelsen Lodge

In ten years, Revelstoke Mountain Resort will be the world’s best ski destination. The place opened in December 2007 with one gondola and a quad accessing 1,500 acres. The master plan calls for 20 lifts, 10,000 acres, and 6,000 vertical feet—the most in North America. But there’s no need to wait. The month-old, modern Nelsen Lodge is just 60 feet from the gondola and offers post-slope relief in the form of a massive outdoor hot tub. Bonus: Glass walls offer views of the Selkirk and Monashee ranges. Thanks to an opening special that lasts through May, doubles start at $200; .

BRITISH COLUMBIA

Black Rock Resort

This three-month-old, 133-suite lodge rests on a rock promontory jutting over Barkley Sound, on the west coast of Vancouver Island. The location makes it prime real estate for three things: surfing Long Beach in summer (board rentals, Ucluelet’s Inner Rhythm Surf Co., 877-393-7873); curling up by the fire to watch the jaw-dropping storms that roll through in winter; and hiking into temperate rainforest on the eight-mile Wild Pacific Trail in any season. Doubles from $175; .

Central America

BELIZE

KILLER VALUE


Kayak Lodge to Lodge

6 DAYS, $1,590
Some 450 sun-bleached cays dot Belize’s 180-mile-long barrier reef. The best way to explore them? Take this new, lodge-to-lodge sea-kayak trip with Belize City–based Island Expeditions. The six-day journey is divided between traveling with the currents over coral structures teeming with marine life and unwinding at three rustic lodges (think seaside cabanas and conch-fritter dinners). Expect to cover up to six miles of turquoise per day in IE’s unique, mast-and-sail-equipped sea kayaks. “There’s nothing like sailing your kayak at six knots, two feet above the reef flats,” says owner Tim Boys. Trips depart weekly from November to April; . CASH TIP: Book late—IE offers $100 discounts on unfilled trips within a month of departure.

PANAMA
Surf the Gulf of Chiriquí

6-DAY CHARTER, $2,500 PER PERSON
Don’t want to take out a second mortgage to reach Indonesia’s Mentawais? There’s a better way to plan your dream surf trip. In 2006, Panama-based Lost Coast Excursions started plying the Gulf of Chiriquí, on that country’s Pacific coast, in its 100-foot motor yacht, the Explorer. What the outfitter found was a Pacific paradise with dozens of empty reef and beach breaks. The Explorer accommodates up to 16 guests in shared rooms—bring ten or so buddies and you’ve got a blue-water epic, complete with surf guides, for less than the cost of a week in Aspen. Start recruiting now for next spring, when southern swells wrap up the coastline. Guests take a shuttle from Panama City to Puerto Mutis, board the Explorer, and hit the water before lunch. Charters available between December and August; .

South America

GUYANA

TRIP OF THE YEAR: SOUTH AMERICA


Trek the Big Empty

10 DAYS, $4,600
Guyana has the land mass of Idaho, a population of 770,000, and exactly one road passing through its rainforest-rich interior. Which is to say, the place is wild. This year, high-end operator Geographic Expeditions leads an exploratory trekking trip in the country. After landing in the capital, Georgetown, guests are whisked into the jungle. First stop: 741-foot Kaieteur Falls, one of the largest single-drop waterfalls in the world. “There are no signs, no handrails, and no people,” says Michael McCrystal, GeoEx’s associate director of operations, who scouted the trip last year. Guests then hop between lodges via bush plane and canoe. (One lodge, the Karanambu Ranch, houses a small clan of rescued giant river otters, in addition to visitors.) Local guides lead the way on four-hour jungle hikes and harpy-eagle-nest-finding missions, but, accordingto McCrystal, “if you want to take the machete and bust into the jungle, we can arrange that.” Year-round; .

CHILE

KILLER VALUE


Torres Trek
7 DAYS, $2,280
Situated on the east side of Torres del Paine National Park, ���ϳԹ��� Life’s new EcoCamp—a series of wind-powered, fireplace-equipped domes—is your launchpad for four days of guided treks. Highlight: an 11-mile round-trip to the glacial lagoon at the base of the granite towers of Los Torres. Bonus highlight: Colchagua Valley cabernet back at the dining dome. Trips leave between October and April; .

PERU
City on a Hill

9 DAYS, $4,000
Haute outfitter Austin-Lehman ups the ante on the classic Peruvian adventure by turning Machu Picchu into a starting block. After hiking seven miles of the Inca Trail and entering the big city via the Intipunku, or “Sun Gate,” you get the rest of the day to explore the ruins. Then it’s off to the Tinajani Canyon for two days of mountain biking through 100-foot rock spires. The trip wraps up on the shores of Lake Titicaca, where your sea kayak awaits. After a day of paddling to stark Taquile Island, you’ll be ready to crash at the Sonesta Posadas del Inca Hotel, in Puno. Four departures between April and October; .

BOLIVIA
Andes to Amazon

12 OR 19 DAYS, $2,750 OR $4,600
Most Mountain Madness itineraries assume clients have high-altitude expertise. Not this one—though there’s serious peak bagging to be done if that’s your thing. The trip starts in the upper reaches of the Andes, where you’ll hike through 50 miles of high mountain passes and decide as a group whether or not to scale 18,600-foot Cuchillo 2. Next up: three days and 10,000 feet of jeep-supported mountain-bike descent to the Amazon basin. After dismounting, guests hop into three-man rafts and Huck Finn it through untamed Madidi National Park on the Class II Beni River. Keep your eyes peeled for giant river otters. June 10–21 or 10–28; .

New Zealand and Australia

Milford Sound, New Zealand

Milford Sound

DEAL OF THE YEAR

That New Zealand is the place you fantasize about most is no surprise. But here’s what is: This is the year to stop drooling and go. With a historically favorable exchange rate (at press time, one U.S. dollar equaled just under two New Zealand bucks) and round-trip flights available for around $800, adventure in Middle Earth is suddenly on sale.

FOR TROUT LOVERS

TRIP OF THE YEAR: NEW ZEALAND


Heli-Fishing Heaven

11 DAYS, $4,475
A year ago, this trip would have cost about $2,000 more. With New Zealand’s top guides, you and your partners ride a chopper from Auckland to the private Poronui Ranch, a safari-style camp on the North Island, 16 miles away from the nearest road. Catch your fill of piggish trout on the Mohaka River, then fly to the South Island, where you’ll set up shop at a hut in the Minaret Peaks. Spend your days choppering between alpine streams where the water is vodka-clear and the browns are football-size. Trips run between October and March; . CASH TIP: Four-day heli-fishing trips cost $2,680.

FOR MULTISPORT GLUTTONS
Do It All

8 DAYS, $2,300
“This is a really punchy trip,” says Andrew Fairfax, owner of Active New Zealand. “Punchy” is a Kiwi-ism for packing your days with adrenaline. To wit: On this whirlwind, called Tui Multisport, guests hike the Franz Josef Glacier, a World Heritage site; cycle Hollyford Valley; sea-kayak Milford Sound; and take a scenic flight to the Siberia Hut, one of the South Island’s many isolated mountain lodges. Departures between October and April; .

FOR HARD RIDERS
South Island Singletrack

14 DAYS, $2,200
If the thought of riding the South Island tip to tail on century-old logging roads makes your heart pound, add this: You’ll take a helicopter ride over the Roaring Meg River, get dropped in the Pisa Range, and descend 20 miles through high country overlooking the Southern Alps. Sacred Rides’ new South Pacific Singletrack trip has everything: steep canyon descents, mountain traverses, and undulating cross-country pedaling. On a rest day, don crampons and pick your way through eight-mile-long Fox Glacier. End the day sipping local Monteith’s ale at a bed-and-breakfast. Departures in December, February and March; .

DON’T FORGET ABOUT AUSTRALIA
Trek the Larapinta Trail
11 DAYS, $6,500
“Everybody thinks there’s not much out there,” says James Fuss, the Aussie guide who cooked up this new trip for Wilderness Travel. “But the Larapinta is one of the best desert treks in the world.” Fuss selected the most scenic sections of the historic 139-mile Lara­pinta Trail, in the Northern Territory, and condensed them. Guests follow the West MacDonnell Ranges, just as Aboriginal red ocher traders have done for thousands of years; gape at the massive night sky from luxurious bush camps; and eventually wind up at iconic Uluru (Ayers Rock). May 25–June 4; . CASH TIP: Book now, with the U.S. dollar strong, and WT will lock in a discount that could reach up to $600.

Asia

BOTSWANA, NAMIBIA & ZAMBIA

Safari for Less

8 DAYS, FROM $3,850

Want to save on a safari? Go in the off-season. On Wilderness Safaris’ new Summer Spectacular trip, guests visit iconic sites like Victoria Falls and Botswana’s Okavango Delta while staying in camps where plunge pools come standard. But the draw is your first stop, the Kalahari Desert. In the wet summer, from November to April, areas like Deception Valley teem with herds of springbok, which come to drink standing water. Lions and cheetahs aren’t far behind. Trips leave between December and April; .

The post Go Farther, Spend Less appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Get ready for the new age of adventure on the world's wildest continent. Whether it's the Ugandan National Kayak Team leading raft trips on the raging White Nile or entrepreneurial young guides building stylish bush camps with an eye toward helping local communities, a fresh generation is redefining travel in Africa. Leave your pith helmet at home.

Mozambique: The New “It” Country

South Africa: The New Paradigm

Safari Camps: The New Aesthetic

���ϳԹ��� Guides: The New Adrenaline

Thrill Seekers: The New ���ϳԹ���s

The Isles Have It

After 16 years of civil war, Mozambique is back in the bliss business, with 1,500 miles of Indian Ocean coastline, thriving coral reefs . . . and peace at hand

“Tem força,” said Abudo, in Portuguese. “O vento há-de soprar.”

Have strength. The wind will come.

The sail flapped listlessly as we drifted in the sun's growing heat. We'd hired the 70-year-old fisherman to sail us in his wooden dhow across a channel from Ilha de Moçambique, a tiny speck off the northern coast, to a nearby isthmus of the mainland. Soon the wind did come, billowing the patched sails of nearby fishing dhows and winging them to sea. Beaching at a thatch village under coconut palms, we waded through tidal inlets to a spectacularly empty, several-mile-long curve of white beach. After snorkeling in the quiet shallows, avoiding enormous sea urchins, we hiked back to discover our dhow sprawled on its side on a sandy flat at least 500 yards from the water's edge.

“What do we do now?” I asked Abudo.

“Now we wait for the sea,” he replied.

��

Back in the fifties and early sixties, Mozambique then a Portuguese colony was on its way to becoming the Caribbean of Africa for white South Africans, landlocked Rhodesians, and others. After Portugal granted independence in 1975 commemorated in Bob Dylan's song “Mozambique” a new black socialist government came to power. Then came 16 brutal years of civil war.

Now, after more than a decade of peace, Mozambique is rebuilding, and tourism is one of its brightest spots. But you don't go there to zoom your crystalline lenses across the African savanna and zing off photos of the Big Five. During the war, bush fighters slaughtered many animals for food, and, as a result, there really isn't much big wildlife in the scrubby interior. Where you do find stunning wildlife is among Mozambique's palmy archipelagoes, coral reefs, and 1,500 miles of Indian Ocean coast that the civil war paradoxically kept pristine from development. Some 700,000 visitors arrive in the country annually (nearly double from 2001), many of them eco-tourists who've quickly spread the word.

During our year's stay in the capital city, Maputo, where my wife, Amy, was doing research on dance, we took advantage of the coastline most weekends. On our children's five-week Christmas school break, we flew deep into the subtropics, 12 degrees south of the equator. It was here, in 2002, that the World Wildlife Fund helped Mozambique establish Quirimbas National Park. This encompasses 11 of the 28 islands of the Quirimbas Archipelago, plus a large swath of the mainland's mangrove and miombo forests and the St. Lazarus Bank farther offshore, considered one of the world's premier diving and sportfishing locations.

The park is an experiment in eco-tourism, approved by the area's traditional fishing villages in order to preserve their way of life, manage marine resources, and develop basic services in a region with a life expectancy of less than 40 years. Rather than bringing in the masses, the park emphasizes limited, high-end tourism. Opened in 2002, the Quilálea Island resort offers elegant thatch-and-stone villas with access to empty beaches and some of the archipelago's best diving right offshore. The Medjumbe Island Resort, also on its own small island, gives easy access to bonefishing and scuba diving. At the Vamizi Island lodge, outside the park on a seven-mile-long island, you can luxuriate in a house-size villa. Backed by European investors, Vamizi collaborates with researchers from the Zoological Society of London to preserve the area's sea turtles and the mainland's elephant habitat.

In the clear waters of another island group, the Bazaruto Archipelago, off the southern coast and protected by a national park, you can swim (if you're lucky) with the threatened dugong a shy sea cow that supposedly inspired the mermaid myth. Upscale lodges here include the Benguerra and the Marlin.

My 51st birthday happened to find us on Ilha de Moçambique, which lies partway between the Quirimbas and the Bazarutos. The Portuguese built their stronghold in East Africa on this tiny, 1.5-mile-long sliver of old coral and shipped out the interior's gold and ivory from here. Today there's still no place on earth like Ilha, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Tree roots sprout from the broken walls of old coral-and-stone villas in its narrow streets, rusted cannonballs lie about the massive fortress, the tiny chapel of the Southern Hemisphere's oldest church overlooks the sea, and the ornate St. Paul's Palace seems untouched dusty furniture and all since the time of the Portuguese.

European artists and architects are rehabilitating old villas into small hotels. We stayed at the Escondidinho, which had been renovated by an Italian doctor. Under its portico, looking onto a courtyard where it's rumored slaves were once sold, a French ballerina and her computer-engineer partner who chucked it all to move to Africa run a bistro featuring a delicious cuisine that, like the island itself, takes its accents from Africa and Europe, Arabia and India.

At the hour Abudo predicted, the ocean refloated our dhow. Soon we were broad-reaching amid flying spray. We would land just in time for me to join a fast-paced game with Ilha's men's soccer team near the fortress walls. Then I would meet my family in the bistro for kid-goat stew and birthday flan. But for now, it was just the wind and the sea.

Access & Resources
Getting��There:��Fly South African Airways () from New York to Johannesburg to Maputo for about $1,400 round-trip. From there, it's a two-hour flight on LAM () to Pemba, the launch point for charter flights to the Quirimbas. (For the Bazarutos, flights depart from Vilanculos.) Prime Time: April September, with crowds peaking in August. Where to Stay: The Quilálea Island resort has nine villas ($400 per person; 011-258-2-722-1808, ). There are 13 chalets at Medjumbe Island Resort (from $345 per person; closed for renovations until March; 011-27-11-465-6904, ). Vamizi Island lodge has ten beach houses ($560 per person; 011-27-11-884-8869, ). Escondidinho, on Ilha de Moçambique, is a ten-room guesthouse (doubles, $50; 011-258-2-661-0078, ). Benguerra Lodge offers 11 chalets ($395 per person; 011-27-11-452-0641, ). There are 19 chalets at the Marlin Lodge (from $213 per person; 011-27-12-460-9410, ).

Peter Stark's book Astoria: John Jacob Astor and Thomas Jefferson’s Lost Pacific Empire: A Story of Wealth, Ambition, and Survival will be published in March 2014 by Ecco.

���ϳԹ��� Capital

More than just the darling of Bono and the Bills, South Africa is breaking down barriers—from cosmopolitan Cape Town to the wild superparks of the future

IT'S THE DREAMLIKE, cinematic power of Africa unfolding yet again. This time, it's late afternoon when the leopard emerges from the bush, 20 feet away, crossing the sandy wash with a lazy stride, pelt rippling in the golden light. Then the radio crackles and we're fishtailing across the 54-square-mile Ngala Private Game Reserve, on Kruger National Park's western edge. Another cat's been spotted, and Jimmy Ndubane, our Shangaan tracker, leads us straight to it. This one is anything but lazy; seconds after we see the white tip of its tail twitching in the grass, the beast leaps forward and zigzags explosively through the meadow. We hear its prey, a mongoose, screaming and, finally, silence. It's awful, it's beautiful, it's what you came for: Africa forever.

However unforgettable, such classic safari epiphanies explain only part of South Africa's allure. You could come for the climbing or surfing, to dive with great white sharks, or to experience the spectacular two-ocean sailing. (The sleek black hull of Shosholoza, South Africa's 2007 America's Cup challenger and the race's first African entrant, was hauled out on the dock across the harbor from my hotel room in Cape Town.) You could come to beat the crowds flooding Johannesburg for the 2010 World Cup soccer finals—though you'll probably miss Oprah's glittery 2006 New Year's Eve bash.

The best reason, however, is hope—the dream that things can get better in Africa, that South Africa is leading the way, and that you can be part of it. A dozen years after the nightmare of apartheid, South Africa can still be a tough, bitter environment. But Mandela's vision of a democratic, multiracial African nation is alive and well, and tourism, once the target= of a global boycott, is the fastest-growing area of the economy, providing 1.2 million jobs for the country of 47 million.

On a wide-ranging journey through the nation's wild and urban landscapes, my goal was to max out on the abundant pleasures on offer while witnessing that transformed face. This meant obligatory visits to sprawling, hustling Jo'burg and laid-back, spectacular Cape Town, cities where the street life is set to a booming kwaito beat and revolutionary history is so fresh it's like 1776 was yesterday. South Africa, of course, remains happy to outfit you in khaki, mix you a gin-and-tonic, and make your Hemingway fantasies come true. But in the bush, too, big ideas are taking shape. The first is black empowerment, the integration of economic realms long dominated by whites. The second is South Africa's role in the global movement to create vast “transfrontier” parks that transcend borders while restoring wildlife routes.

Both ideas are being enthusiastically enacted at Tembe Elephant Park, a 190-square-mile preserve just south of Mozambique. The co-owner of Tembe's serene lodge compound, former Durban private detective Ernest Robbertse, manages the operation in partnership with the Tembe tribe. And walls will be coming down: In 1989, war in Mozambique led South Africa to erect an electric border fence, cutting off Tembe's massive 220-strong elephant herd from much of its range. The goal is to remove that barrier, reuniting Tembe's herd with their relatives in Mozambique's Maputo reserve.

An even grander expansion is planned at Kruger National Park, where I took a revelatory, weeklong game drive with naturalist Mike Stephens, experiencing close encounters with lions, rhinos, and a fantastic array of birds. Vast as Kruger may be (it's bigger than Israel), it's part of a pipe-dream-in-the-making called the Great Limpopo Transfrontier Park, which will one day unite Kruger, Mozambique's Limpopo, and Zimbabwe's Gonarezhou in a superpark the size of Maine. “Hopefully,” one official told me, “we'll get herds the size of the Serengeti.”

For now, nothing I saw matched the luxurious wildness of Ngala. The lodge's 20 cottages are unfenced, so you must summon an armed guard if you want to leave your room after dark. This frisson of danger, along with manic four-wheel sprints cross-country looking for game (not allowed in Kruger), adds a keen adrenaline edge. Yet here, too, Ngala quietly preaches the transfrontier vision and, via its support of the Africa Foundation, social justice. In nearby Welverdiend, I saw the foundation's work: new schoolrooms and families piloting “hippo rollers,” easy-to-roll barrels, to the well.

Small steps, small connections. Will South Africa's future include prosperity, huge parks stretching over the horizon, and all its people experiencing Africa's riches, traveling in the footsteps of the wild herds of long ago? All I know is that I'm going back.

Access & Resources
Getting There: Fly to Johannesburg from New York on South African Airways () for about $1,200 round-trip. From there, fly to Durban to see Tembe Elephant Park. Conservation Corporation Africa's Ngala Private Game Reserve () is a two-hour flight from Johannesburg on Federal Air (011-27-11-395-9000, ). Prime Time: ���DZ��𳾲�����ʲѲ�������. Where to Stay: Tembe Elephant Lodge offers ten safari-tent suites for $162 per person (011-27-31-267-0144, ). Ngala's 20 thatched chalets start at $280, including an overnight walking safari (011-27-11-809-4300, ). In Cape Town, try the hip little Kensington Place Hotel (doubles from $190; 011-27-21-424-4744, ), on the slopes of Table Mountain.

Bed, Bush, and Beyond

The latest safari camps aren't only rediscovering the rugged glamour and extravagance of canvas; they're also letting the community in on the action

Africa

Apoka Lodge // Uganda Good-quality digs were in short supply in Uganda until locals Jonathan Wright and his wife, Pamela, opened the remote Semliki Safari Lodge and Kampala's Emin Pasha Hotel. Now comes their latest addition, Apoka, in the northeast's Kidepo Valley National Park—the choice place to see cheetahs. Ten elegant tent-cottages outfitted with locally made furnishings look out on the savanna—a landscape traversed by the Karimojong, seminomadic pastoralists who receive a percentage of the lodge revenue and sell their crafts in the lodge store. Doubles from $640; 011-256-41-251-182,

Naibor Camp // Kenya The Art of Ventures, the company that started the groundbreaking Zen-like lodge Shompole in partnership with a group of Masai in southern Kenya, created nearby Naibor in 2004. The camp has recently been moved to the banks of the Talek River in the heart of the Masai Mara Game Reserve, flush with rhinos, cheetahs, hippos, zebras, and tons of birds. Its eight opulent canvas tents with verandas sit in a riverine forest, close to a wildebeest migration route. Doubles from $860; 011-254-20-883-331,

Onguma Camp // Namibia Built just outside Etosha National Park on a 50,000-acre private reserve, the luxury camp at Onguma has seven spacious tents incorporating wood, steel, and stone, all under billowing canvas ceilings. The U-shaped layout of tents, lodge, and a pool allows 24/7 views of a central watering hole. As in Kruger National Park, plans are afoot to remove fences between private reserves alongside Etosha to create one greater park. Doubles from $500; 011-264-61-232-009,

Nkwichi Lodge // Mozambique So lavishly remote is Nkwichi, the only way to reach it is by boat. Hidden on the eastern shore of the vast white-sanded Lake Malawi—one of the world's largest freshwater lakes—Nkwichi's six chalets (each with secluded open-air baths) are surrounded by the 370,000-acre Manda wilderness reserve, the perfect setting for exploring, canoeing, sailing the cerulean waters, or hammock time. The owners have helped the community with everything from growing vegetables to creating the reserve and developing a sustainable environment for tourism. Doubles from $320;

Marataba // South Africa Opened in 2005 on a private concession in Marakele National Park, a few hours north of Johannesburg, this 15-suite camp is owned by the Hunter family, which also runs the excellent Gorah in Addo Elephant Park, in the Eastern Cape. Set in a malaria-free landscape that quickly changes from veldt to mountain, Marataba has stonework reminiscent of African ruins—and huge windows to take in the expanse of Big Five habitat. Doubles from $1,000; 011-27-44-532-7818,

Edo's Camp // Botswana In a 300,000-acre private reserve in the western Kalahari Desert, the four twin-bed tents of Edo's Camp overlook a water hole frequented by antelope and are the latest offering from esteemed outfitter Ker & Downey. Resident guides or the indigenous San people can help you track the seven endangered white rhinos relocated to the reserve from South Africa. Doubles from $660 (closed December through February); 800-423-4236,

Mequat Mariam // Ethiopia A two-bedroom tukul—a round thatch-roofed hut of stone and mud—sits at the edge of a cliff at nearly 10,000 feet, overlooking endless canyonland. This small piece of nowhere is Mequat Mariam, some 400 miles north of Addis Ababa. Mequat and its sister property, Wajela—a seven-hour trek away, with photo ops of baboons—are the work of Tourism in Ethiopia for Sustainable Future Alternatives, which supports nearly 300 local families. From $35 per person; 011-251-11-122-5024,

Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge // Rwanda Virunga Lodge, with its gorgeous vistas of the lakes and volcanoes of Parc National des Volcans, set the standard for comfort in gorilla-watching country, and it will soon have company: the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, set to open this spring. The brainchild of the people behind Governors' Camp, in Kenya, Sabyinyo is owned by a trust that helps support 6,000 households in the area. Doubles from $600; 011-254-20-273-4000,

Lupita Island Resort and spa // Tanzania The 14 open-air suites, each with a plunge pool, are carved into a hillside on lush Lupita Island with views across Lake Tanganyika. For off-island awe, take a four-hour drive to Katavi, one of the mainland's most remote savanna parks, or try a two-day trip on a lake cruiser to chimp-filled Mahale Mountain National Park. Doubles from $1,300; 011-255-27-250-8773,

Shumba camp // Zambia Wilderness Safaris, winner of multiple conservation and community-involvement awards, never does things in small measures. So it's no surprise that it opened four camps at once in Kafue National Park, one of the biggest reserves in Africa. All are intimate; the best of the quartet is Shumba, in Kafue's remote northwestern corner. Its six immense safari tents on raised platforms have four-poster beds and inviting couches looking onto sweeping savanna and wetlands. Doubles from $1,480; 800-513-5222,

Additional reporting by Danielle Pergament

Access & Resources
Since these lodges are remote, it's usually wise to book them as part of a bigger, customized itinerary—your best bet is to have a reputable outfitter plan the logistics for you. Lodges can direct you to favorite outfitters, or you can try these recommended companies (check out the Web sites to see what each specializes in): Abercrombie & Kent (800-554-7094, ), Bushtracks Expeditions (800-995-8689, ), Explore Africa (888-596-6377, ), Ker & Downey (800-423-4236, ), Mango African Safaris (888-698-9220, ), Maniago Safaris (800-923-7422, ), Micato Safaris (800-642-2861, ), Africa ���ϳԹ��� Company (800-882-9453, ), Uncharted Outposts (888-995-0909, ), Volcanoes Safaris (770-573-2274, ), Wildland ���ϳԹ���s (800-345-4453, ).

The Wild Bunch

Nine Stellar guides with new-school safari smarts—and a commitment to conservation—take adventure and altruism where they've never been before

Phil West
The Nairobi-based West, 31, who guided for Kenya's Lewa Wildlife Conservancy before striking out on his own, is as passionate about ethnobotany as he is about tracking leopards. His custom-designed East African safaris might include a six-day walk through the Lewa Wildlife Conservancy and two Masai areas, Il Ngwesi and Lekurruki Masai, plus rafting down Kenya's Ewaso Ng'iro River. Like most outfitters, West has arrangements with local tribes and parks, so nights can as easily be spent in a tent or a lodge and days spent ambling or driving.

Grant and Brent Reed
The two South African brothers, Grant, 32, and Brent, 33, come from a family of naturalists—which explains their safari savvy and bird and reptile expertise. (Grant has been collecting snakes since he was five.) Cofounders of Letaka Safaris, the brothers offer everything from walking safaris to birdwatching in Botswana. But for a triple shot of adventure, sign up for one of the nine-day Wildguides courses at their Okavango Guiding School. Participants of all skill levels learn how to handle rifles, track animals on foot, and find their way back to camp on their own, while becoming versed in geology, fauna, and conservation issues of the lush Okavango Delta. ,

Endale Teshome
Born in Ethiopia, Teshome, 31, herded goats in the remote Bale Mountains until his teens. After guiding on his own, he joined Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris, studying his nation's ancient and cultural history along the way. If it's the vastly diverse flora and fauna of the south you want to see, that's his home turf. In the north, Teshome tours rock-hewn churches—places few foreigners have seen.

Craig Doria
South African Doria, 44, guided for ten years in Zambia, where he helped create an anti-poaching unit in the national parks, a passion he's carried to Tanzania, his current base. He's written two books about snakes and also collects DNA for wildlife research. His deluxe tented-camp- and lodge-based safaris, tailored to clients' interests, include hikes, driving, sailing, and more.

Derek Shenton
The third generation of his Zambian family to go into guiding and conservation, Shenton, 41, has built two camps, Kaingo and Mwamba, deep in the game-rich South Luangwa National Park, the launchpad for his guided walks and drives. The stylish Kaingo offers big-game close-ups. (Shenton's forte is tracking cats.) Three hours away by foot is the simpler but equally wild Mwamba. Shenton is a founding member of the South Luangwa Conservation Society, which fights poaching, offers job training, and educates children about wildlife.

Peter and Tom Silvester
The Silvester brothers, from Kenya, merge hipness with high ideals. Peter, 42, runs Royal African Safaris, an ultra-luxe outfitter operating in East Africa, Botswana, and South Africa. Frequented by celebs, CEOs, and royalty, RAS specializes in custom itineraries. (Guides usually visit clients in their home country to iron out details.) Guests stay in tented camps or at lodges like Loisaba, a 60,000-acre community ranch run by Tom, 39, who works it in tandem with the local Laikipiak Masai and Samburu and offers clients everything from mountain biking and camel safaris to rafting. A portion of the profits goes to wildlife research and the community. ,

Corbett Bishop
Originally from Texas, Bishop, 35, moved to Tanzania in 1994 to lead trips up Mount Kilimanjaro and, two years later, started a safari company there, offering mobile luxury camping and camel- or donkey-assisted treks. Bishop's most recent project, the two-year-old Ol Tukai Conservancy, funds both community development and conservation projects; it's named for a village in a critical wildlife corridor between Tarangire and Lake Manyara national parks.

Beyond Kakhi

Two-story rapids, hot, spouting lava, a frenzy of sharks, lions in the dark—if it's thrills you're after, you'll find them in Africa

Rafting
White Nile, Uganda
There's a simple way the guides at Nile River Explorers measure waves on the White Nile: If a 16-foot raft disappears entirely, the wave is about the size of a two-story building. But while the river's 30,000-cubic-feet-per-second flow (roughly three times that of the Colorado) creates monster rapids, there are swimmer-friendly calm spots in between, and NRE's guides include charter members of the Ugandan national kayak team. The 18-mile day trip begins with five Class IV–V rapids, each with placid, crocodile-free pools below. Day trips, $95; luxury tented accommodations at the Nile Porch from $54; 011-256-43-120-236,

Hiking
Ol Doinyo Lengai, Tanzania
Allan Mbaga, Tanzanian owner of African Outdoor Expeditions, has worked with David Breashears and Imax film crews on Kilimanjaro, and he'll take you up Ol Doinyo Lengai, a 9,235-foot peak north of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area. You'll spend two days climbing steeply through volcanic ash and lava rock; near the top, hikers pitch camp in the inactive south crater before exploring the north crater's steaming vents and magma pools. The five-day trek includes a visit to Lake Natron, where flamingos flock by the thousands. $1,900, all-inclusive; 011-255-744-263-170,

Surfing
Southwest Madagascar
This May through October, African Surfaris will guide clients around the planet's fourth-largest island—considered one of the last undiscovered surfing outposts. The trip starts in the Toilara Reef region near the southwestern town of Toilara, just 25 miles north of Flame Balls—a hollow 200-yard-long left reef break two miles offshore. Ten-day trips from $1,600, including airfare from Johannesburg, lodging, meals, and boat trips; 011-27-82-836-7597,

Fly-fishing
Zambezi River, Namibia
Cast a fly on the Zambezi, where 15-pound dagger-toothed tiger fish prowl. The posh Impalila Island Lodge, at the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi rivers, is not only the best place to find the ferocious fish; it's also within striking distance of Victoria Falls and beast-rich Chobe National Park. Seven-day trips with Aardvark McLeod from $4,000, all-inclusive, from Johannesburg; 011-44-1980-840-590,

Lion Tracking
Tsavo East National Park, Kenya
In 1898, two lions ate scores of railroad workers near what is now Tsavo East National Park. Today, area lions regularly kill livestock in nearby settlements, which is why in 2002 Earthwatch Institute launched its Lions of Tsavo program. Volunteers join American and Kenyan scientists to track and study the cats during night drives in order to help people and prides coexist. Thirteen-day trips from $3,249; 800-776-0188,

Horse Trekking
Malawi and Zambia
This fall, Malawi and Zambia are set to create the Nyika Transfrontier Conservation Area, a 13,500-square-mile international peace park. The best way to explore this remote region is by horseback on a mobile safari: two nights at the upscale Chelinda Lodge, followed by a week of galloping through montane grasslands and forested valleys, and hoofing it to the top of 8,553-foot Nganda Mountain. Ten-day trips from May through October, $3,090, including lodging, meals, and riding; 011-44-1-837-82544,

Diving
Port St. Johns, South Africa
Each winter, as the water temperature drops along South Africa's eastern coast, millions of sardines rocket the 300 miles from East London to Durban—serving as the main course for sharks, seals, whales, and superpods of 5,000-plus common dolphins. June and July are the best months to catch the frenzy. Six-day dive trips from $1,800, including lodging, diving, and meals at iNtaba River Lodge; 011-27-21-782-2205,

The post Africa Now appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

It’s an infinite planet of adventure—but you want trips that inspire, excite, recharge, and revolutionize your sense of possibility. You just hit the motherlode. From trekking the classic heart of Patagonia to exploring British Columbia’s wilderness coast (with African safaris, polar epics, and Italian idylls spicing up the menu), your dream journey is here.
PLUS: The Trip of the Year winners—we select the world’s ten best adventures.

For the daring traveler, Russia offers a fantasyland of empty mountains, crashing whitewater, and untrammeled backcountry.

Affordable satellite phones make far-flung expeditions safer. But if you never hang up, you lose the solace of the wilderness.

Contributors: Jason Daley, Kimberly Lisagor, Amy Marr, and Tim Neville

The Road to Lanceville

If your hero is a guy named Armstrong, you’ll need a hero’s ride. We pick 2004’s best.

2004 Road Bike Review

WANNA RIDE JUST LIKE THE BIG TEXAN? Guess what—you’ve got company. Road-bike sales nationwide increased 35 percent between 2001 and 2002, from $187 million to $252 million, a trend that is expected to continue. Cycling-industry consultant Jay Townley confirms that Lancemania is indeed driving first-time roadies into America’s shops. But Townley, who heads up an ongoing bike-retail study, attributes the spike to “diehards who understand what they’re doing.” Maybe that’s you—or perhaps you just hammer the odd half-century with your buddies. Whatever your passion, if you’re lusting for a new mount, ���ϳԹ���‘s bike-obsessed editors have already done your homework for you, pooling a combined 63 years of saddle time to extensively test seven eminently worthy rides. You’ll find your perfect setup here, including, of course, one that goes very well with yellow.

GIANT OCR1, $999
THE PITCH A weekend workhorse for club riders, charity cruisers, and heart-rate checkers.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… At two ounces shy of 22 pounds, including Shimano pedals, the OCR1 is porkier than the other rigs on these pages, but you’re getting bomber durability and a comfortable ride at a fetching price. Giant built the frame with 6061-T6 aluminum, a gold-standard bike-tubing alloy, and added a bump-dampening carbon-fiber front fork, taller head tube, adjustable stem, and slightly longer wheelbase. The rider pedals in a somewhat upright, stable stance, which lends confidence to those who might otherwise get the jitters crouched over a carbon-fiber hot rod. To keep the price under a grand, Giant marries a mixture of Shimano and SRAM parts in the drivetrain. Meanwhile, a carbon-fiber seatpost and beefy 25cm tires—road bikes typically run 23’s—help soften the bumps.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? Punish your shiny blue OCR1 with a decade’s worth of rain, sleet, slush, and snow, or take on 10,000 miles of road-expansion joints—it’ll still be there for you. Giant’s forgiving, compact geometry invites new roadies to build up their mileage and confidence without endless ibuprofen hits. On the other hand, in tests this bike climbed and accelerated like an 18-wheeler: slowly. “I wouldn’t attack my own shadow,” said one tester. But remember: You’re not chasing trophies, just having a blast. This bike rewards with quick handling during evasive maneuvers and near-gyroscopic stability on ripping descents. Get the OCR1 up to its ideal cruising speed, around 17 miles per hour, and you’ll never want to come back down. (800-779-2453, )

Worldwide Wild

Kenya, Tanzania, Ethopia, Zambia

Kenya
Climbing Mount Kenya
[2004 Winner]
Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, has 2,283 feet on 17,058-foot Mount Kenya, but Kili is mainly a trekker’s mountain, whereas Kenya offers challenging technical climbing. (You need to have at least solid 5.6 skills.) On this 14-day trip, you’ll spend four to five days acclimatizing while hiking from tropical to high-alpine terrain and camping at sites with sweeping vistas. You’ll climb 15 to 20 pitches of 5.6-5.8 rock on Shipton’s Route, to one of Mount Kenya’s twin summits, 17,021-foot Nelion Peak. (The next day you can do the optional 17,058-foot Batian.) If you’re ambitious, sign up for an extension to climb Kili’s Umbwe Route, and determine for yourself which peak is the true African king.
High Point: You’ll encounter none of Kili’s midmountain Coca-Cola vendors.
Low Point: You’ll encounter none of Kili’s midmountain Coca-Cola vendors.
Travel Advisory: You’d better like your climbing partners. The hut atop Nelion barely sleeps four, and there’s hardly room to sit up.
Outfitter: Mountain Madness (206-937-8389, )
When to Go: November to March
Price: From $3,975
Difficulty: Strenuous

Tanzania
Mountain-Biking the Savanna
Being outpaced by a cheetah as you roll through the savanna isn’t out of the question on this 13-day, 300-mile ride from the base of 14,979-foot Mount Meru to the Ngorongoro Crater. You’ll bike up to 40 miles a day along dirt roads and singletrack and check in on animal hot spots like Tarangire National Park (ostrich habitat), the shores of Lake Manyara (pink flamingo country), and the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater (the whole cast of The Lion King).
Outfitter: KE ���ϳԹ��� Travel (800-497-9675, )
When to go: June and September
Price: From $2,595
Difficulty: Strenuous

Ethiopia
Trekking the Highlands
Explore Simien Mountains National Park on this 17-day adventure, more than half of which you’ll spend trekking through terraced farms, along volcanic escarpments (home to Simien fox and walia ibex), and to the summit of 15,158-foot Ras Dashen, Ethiopia’s highest peak.
Outfitter: World Expeditions (888-464-8735, )
When to Go: January and November
Price: $3,390
Difficulty: Moderate

Zambia
South Luangwa Walking Safari
On this two-week safari, you’ll hoof four to seven miles a day across the northeastern woodland savannas of 3,500-square-mile South Luangwa National Park, escorted by an armed ranger and a guide who will track giraffes, elephants, lions, hyenas, zebras, and, if you’re lucky, the rare African wild dog. In the evening you’ll wind down at comfortable bush camps like the Chikoko, on the roadless banks of the Luangwa River, and open-roofed (don’t worry—you’ll be there during the dry season) bungalows at Mwamba.
Outfitter: The Africa ���ϳԹ��� Company (800-882-9453, )
When to Go: June to October
Price: From $3,995
Difficulty: Easy

Worldwide Wild

Antarctica, Canada, North Pole

Antarctica
Following in Shackleton’s Footsteps
[2004 Winner]
Ernest Shackleton crossed the Southern Ocean to South Georgia Island in a dinghy. You’ll make the trip aboard the 295-foot, 110-passenger MS Endeavour, sailing from Stanley, in the Falkland Islands, to the west side of South Georgia in five warm, dry days, and under the capable leadership of veteran mountaineers Peter Hillary and Dave Hahn, as well as Shackleton historian Kim Heacox. It took the famed explorer only 36 hours to cross South Georgia on foot in 1916, but you’ll be glad to take five days to hike and ski the same route, roping up for the 24-mile traverse past 9,500-foot glaciated peaks. This rare 15-day trip was 12 years in the planning and is the only commercial expedition to follow Shackleton’s exact path across the island, from King Haakon Bay, on the western end, to the whaling port of Stromness, on the east coast. As you cross, look for white-camouflaged snow petrels and compare notes with Shackleton’s observations. (How far have the glaciers receded since his trip?) You’ll discover firsthand that “the Boss” was a mad genius after you ice-climb up and rappel down 4,387-foot Trident Peak—a section Shackleton did with only nails driven through his hiking boots and a hemp rope to slide along. This is a self-supported expedition, so be prepared to haul gear-laden sleds and backpacks and camp on the ice. If comfort is your priority, no one will fault you for skipping the crossing altogether and staying on board the Endeavour for the sail to the other end of the island—the traverse party will beam back daily reports and images.
High Point: Wandering through a colony of 40,000 king penguins in a remote bay accessible only by sea.
Low Point: Storms. Pack the Dramamine, because you could get 25-foot swells for five straight days as you travel to and from the Falklands.
Travel Advisory: As in the Gal‡pagos, the wildlife on South Georgia has little fear of humans, so don’t get too close to that rutting elephant seal.
Outfitter: Geographic Expeditions (800-777-8183, )
When to Go: November
Price: $9,200
Difficulty: Easy to strenuous

Canada
Backpacking Baffin Island
This 12-day, 70-mile trek passes through the rolling hills, rivers, and summer tundra of Baffin Island’s Auyuittuq (translation: “The Land That Never Melts”) National Park, established in August 2000. This is Arctic Canada at its best: a northern landscape blooming with purple mountain saxifrage, moss campion, and mountain avens. Glacier-draped peaks form granite faces like the one on 5,495-foot Mount Thor, and you can spend a day front-pointing on Turner Glacier. Or just look for eider ducks, gyrfalcons, and arctic foxes from your camp.
Outfitter: Equinox Wilderness Expeditions (604-222-1219, )
When to Go: July
Price: $2,795
Difficulty: Strenuous

North Pole
Arctic Ski Tour
(New Trip)
Follow explorers Richard Weber and Mikhail Malakhov—the only people since Robert Peary, in 1909, to have successfully traveled unsupported to the North Pole and back—on this 13-day, 70-mile nordic-skiing expedition to the top of the world. The route heads over shifting pack ice from Ice Station Borneo, around open stretches of the Arctic Ocean, and below 50-foot-tall pressure ridges of broken ice. After your accomplishment has sunk in, you’ll call home on the sat phone, then camp on the snow before choppering back down to Borneo’s heated tents.
Outfitter: Mountain Travel Sobek (888-687-6235, )
When to Go: April
Price: $17,850
Difficulty: Strenuous

Worldwide Wild

California, Maine, Alaska, British Columbia, Montana/Alberta

California
Backpacking the John Muir Trail
[2004 Winner]
Every mile on this classic American ramble along the spine of the Sierra has a highlight. If you’re not marveling at sheer granite cliffs or clear alpine lakes, you’ll be stopping in grassy meadows to admire the surrounding 14,000-foot peaks. The 15-day, 146-mile hike begins at Florence Lake, near Kings Canyon National Park, and travels south through some of the Sierra’s classic must-see sections, including Evolution Creek, which teems with golden trout; 13,159-foot Forester Pass, the highest pass on the Pacific Crest Trail; the high-alpine lakes of the John Muir Wilderness; and the seldom visited Golden Trout Wilderness. Why go with a guide instead of hoofing it on your own? For one thing, a small mule train will follow behind your group, carrying food, tents, and 15 pounds of your personal gear. And with Muir Trail veteran and ecologist Jay Ericson as trip leader, you’ll get plenty of beta on the trail’s history and wildlife. By the time you exit the wilderness in Sequoia National Park, you may be tempted to turn right around and head north again.
High Point: The summit attempt on 14,494-foot Mount Whitney, the tallest peak in the lower 48.
Low Point: Pack animals can be slow on the trail—expect them to show up with your flask of Jack and stash of Snickers an hour after you’ve set up camp.
Travel Advisory: Buy a California fishing license and bring your pack rod—you’ll be passing through some of the Sierra’s premier trout-fishing territory.
Outfitter: Mountain Travel Sobek (888-687-6235, )
When to Go: August and September
Price: From $3,990
Difficulty: Strenuous

Maine
Allagash Waterway Canoe Trip
On a map, the Allagash Waterway—92 miles of interconnected rivers, lakes, and ponds in northern Maine—looks like a snake that has swallowed a couple of unlucky frogs. This remote swath of North Woods wilderness will swallow you up, too, as you paddle two-person canoes for a week and set up waterside camps next to 1,222-acre Umsaski Lake and deep in boreal forests full of moose and bears.
Outfitter: Wilderness Inquiry (800-728-0719, )
When to Go: July
Price: $750
Difficulty: Easy

Alaska
Ski-Mountaineering Powder Steeps and Glaciers
(New Trip)
Your mission on this two-week tour of the remote Neacola Mountains, about 100 air miles southwest of Anchorage in Alaska’s Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, is all about first ascents and descents. First you’ll ski through unnamed peaks before deciding, along with your guides, which spires to summit. Then you’ll make base camp on a glacier and set out for downhill action rivaling that of any heli-ski operation.
Outfitter: Alaska Alpine ���ϳԹ���s (877-525-2577, )
When to Go: May
Price: $4,000
Difficulty: Strenuous

British Columbia
Sea-Kayaking Queen Charlotte Strait
Well north of the waterways of Johnstone Strait, you’ll paddle tandem kayaks for six days among the sheltered bays and islands of Queen Charlotte Strait, a wild archipelago full of humpbacks and bald eagles, with B.C.’s snowcapped mountains in the distance. After dodging whale flukes, seals, and curious porpoises, you’ll set up camps on the pebbly, driftwood-strewn beaches of secluded islands like Bell, Hurst, and Nigei.
Outfitter: Sea Kayak ���ϳԹ���s (800-616-1943, )
When to Go: August and September
Price: $1,050
Difficulty: Moderate

Montana/Alberta
Biking and Hiking Glacier, Banff, and Jasper
This eight-day international ride-athon not only covers 42 miles of Glacier National Park’s Going-to-the-Sun Road but also takes in 177 miles of Banff and Jasper national parks’ Icefields Parkway for a firsthand look at the massive glaciers that spill out of the Canadian Rockies. In between, you’ll stay in stately park lodges and hotels and hike the Plain of Six Glaciers Trail.
Outfitter: Bicycle ���ϳԹ���s (800-443-6060, )
When to Go: June to September
Price: From $2,576
Difficulty: Moderate

Worldwide Wild

Italy, Greece, France, Scotland

Italy
Biking the Southern Hills
[2004 Winner]
An east-to-west odyssey across the sole of Italy’s boot, from Bari to Lamezia Terme, weaves through untrammeled Puglia, Basilicata, Campania, and Calabria—regions as beautiful as Tuscany and the Amalfi Coast, minus the tourists. You’ll start the 12-day trip in Puglia, with its ancient beehive-domed limestone dwellings, or trulli, and cycle about 50 miles a day over rolling countryside to the cave city of Matera, a World Heritage Site. After visiting Greek, Roman, Byzantine, and Norman ruins, hit the wilds of Pollino National Park, and wander the beaches of Cilento Peninsula, which juts into the Tyrrhenian Sea. You’ll also check out archaeological digs at ancient sites, see fresh mozzarella di bufala stretched by hand, and end the days with bacchanalian feasts and luxe rooms in cliff-perched palaces.
High Point: The ten-mile descent to Cittadella del Capo and your swanky digs for the night: the Palazzo del Capo, a five-star seaside resort.
Low Point: A fiery tongue from an irresistible pepperoncini, the Calabrese hot pepper.
Travel Advisory: Take it easy on the Cirò; wine or you might find the roadside donkeys keeping pace with you the next day.
Outfitter: Ciclismo Classico (800-866-7314, )
When to Go: June
Price: From $3,795
Difficulty: Strenuous

Greece
Inn-to-Inn Sea Kayaking, Hiking, and Yoga on Crete
(New Trip)
During eight days on Crete’s southern coast, perfect your morning sun salutation in an ancient Venetian fortress overlooking the Mediterranean, paddle through Gaudiesque caves, and hike the Samaria Gorge, Europe’s version of the Grand Canyon. You’ll sleep seaside at quiet family-run inns and lounge on white-pebble Sweetwater Beach, where clear springs flow from the rocks and bathing suits usually get left on the shore.
Outfitter: The Northwest Passage (800-732-7328, )
When to Go: May and October
Price: $2,495
Difficulty: Moderate

France
Hiking from Mont Blanc to the Mediterranean
(New Trip)
On this 15-day north-south traverse of the French Alps, hike more than 80 miles on sections of the GR5 trail, from Mont Blanc to the Côte d’Azur. Traveling up to ten miles per day, traipse through Vanoise and Mercantour national parks—home to ibex and golden eagles—and over 9,000-foot mountain passes to snooze in snug inns and mountain refuges. Eventually, the glacial valleys and granite spires give way to sunny Mediterranean villages.
Outfitter: Wilderness Travel (800-368-2794, )
When to Go: June to September
Price: From $3,795
Difficulty: Strenuous

Scotland
Highlands Off-Road Coast to Coast
This eight-day bike ramble winds 230 miles—from Loch Hourn, on the west coast, to Montrose, on the east. With plenty of climbs and bangin’ descents, you’ll pedal 35 miles a day along drovers’ roads and forested singletrack, skirting the Cairngorm and Grampian mountains and crossing the River Dee before hitting the North Sea. Your toughest day: climbing 2,507-foot Corrieyairack Pass. At night, luxuriate at charming inns, sampling Scotch whisky.
Outfitter: Saddle Skedaddle (011-44-191-265-1110, )
when to go: June and August
Price: From $915
Difficulty: Strenuous

The Road to Lanceville

Litespeed Solano, Specialized Roubaix Comp, & the Cannondale Saeco

2004 Road Bike Review

2004 Road Bike Review

LITESPEED SOLANO, $2,795
THE PITCH Reenact Breaking Away aboard this deluxe titanium long-hauler.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… A more affordable version of the flagship Litespeed Vortex, from which this steed borrows geometry and design. The Solano offers the company’s new G.E.T. (geometrically enhanced titanium) tubing. Huh? Get close and you’ll see that the top tube is three-sided in cross section, the down tube is teardrop-shaped, and the seatstays are ovalized. What this high-tech design means to you is improved strength and responsiveness. Litespeed spec’d out the rest with a Shimano Ultegra drivetrain, plus carbon-fiber wheels and fork, to make an 18-pound-four-ounce road warrior.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? This is an inspiring ride. Roadies who find themselves pulling the peloton along a straightaway will fully appreciate the Solano’s weight-to-stiffness ratio and traditional racing geometry. Sprinters will rejoice over the stubby chainstays and powerful feel. Happiest, however, will be century riders, long-distance devotees who’ll swoon over this rig’s ultraplush ride. Are there flaws? A few. The Solano likes to hold a straight line, so racers and fitness riders who charge down mountain passes may have to wrestle her a tad. Also, this bike features ugly bar tape and one of the least comfortable saddles we’ve ever straddled. But both are quick fixes on a ride that will deliver years of joy on your favorite stretch of blacktop. (423-238-5530, )

SPECIALIZED ROUBAIX COMP, $2,600
THE PITCH Everything you need in a speed rig.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… Specialized lovingly spec’d out this 17-pounder for race-day duty with carbon fiber in the frame, seatpost, headset, and cranks. The slick-shifting Shimano Ultegra 27-speed drivetrain offers ample teeth for hill climbers and flatland sprinters alike. Meanwhile, durable Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheels are a nice touch for heavyweight rookie riders still working their way down to racing trim.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? The Roubaix manages to balance two conflicting agendas: a smooth ride—previously the domain of heavy or flexy frames composed of steel or titanium—and the rock-solid stiffness needed to efficiently transfer power from body to bike. It rolled like butter in tests, and we expect it will indefinitely keep you cranking comfortably and strong, even after mile 70 of your district road championships. Why? Specialized tucked six small elastomers—rubber shock absorbers that soak up all the cracks and potholes that would otherwise rattle your spine—inside the fork, seatstays, and seatpost. When the call goes out for speed, just think, “Faster,” and you’re there; the bike is so responsive, it’ll feel like it’s glued to your body. (408-779-6229, )

CANNONDALE SAECO, $5,000
THE PITCH This two-wheeled missile will spirit you to just about any podium this side of Paris.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… Cannondale’s lightest bike ever is also its zippiest. The secret is Optimo, a new house-brand aluminum alloy that the Connecticut-based company says is 15 percent stronger than the 6061-T6 metal widely used on other bikes. This gave engineers the option of either creating a stiffer frame without adding heft or shedding weight without sacrificing strength. They went for option two—and came up with a remarkably rigid bike that weighs just 15 pounds. Cannondale also saved weight by hollowing out the bike’s cranks and axle, then tricked out the rest of the ride with lightweight Mavic wheels, Campagnolo shifters, brakes, and derailleurs, and carbon-fiber Cinelli handlebars.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? It is if you’re in the market for a purebred racer. Climb, sprint, bomb a descent—your Saeco will never cry uncle. The rear triangle and oversize bottom bracket shell withstood the pounding of even our weightier (over 190 pounds) testers. Of course, as a racer the bike isn’t exactly plush—more F1 than SUV—but the shock-dampening, hourglass-shaped seatstays eat up a lot of the sting. Campagnolo’s top-shelf components are glass-smooth. Finally, with gold-plated cranks and Saeco team logo, this one is a real head-turner. If your performance is even half as good as your bike looks, you’ll be team captain in no time. (800-245-3872, )

The Road to Lanceville

Jamis Satellite, Cerv�lo P3, & the Trek Madone 5.9

2004 Road Bike Review

2004 Road Bike Review

2004 Road Bike Review

JAMIS SATELLITE, $680
THE PITCH Road-bike pricing comes down to earth.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… This 22-pound-14-ounce bike is designed to grow alongside a cyclist’s skills and fitness. The Jamis strategy: Give buyers a Reynolds-steel frame and carbon-fiber fork, then bolt on heavier, lesser-quality parts: wheels, brakes, and drivetrain.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? Yes, if you want a reliable introduction to pavement without dipping into your 401(k). The Satellite rides like a bike that costs twice as much. Out on the road, the feel was so plush and the riding position so relaxed, the Satellite reminded us why steel is a superior material for soaking up bumps in the road. The hidden price of that delicious ride is weight: The extra five pounds under your saddle doesn’t seem like much—until you reach a hill. (800-222-0570, )

CERVÉLO P3, $3,599
THE PITCH This one’s aerodynamically perfected for slicing through air and blowing past everybody else.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… The airfoil-shaped frame and seatpost, the flat carbon-fiber fork and V-shaped wheel rims—all are standard tri-bike designs. But the P3’s rear wheel cutout is not. By tucking the wheel into a sweeping, 15-inch-long curve in the frame, Cervélo effectively created an airfoil that moves air over the hoop with less turbulence. Cervélo’s aerobars and Shimano’s top-of-the-line—and lightest—Dura-Ace drivetrain fill out the complete speed package.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? The P3 delivers straight speed and little else. Crediting the frame’s low body posture and the P3’s overall ultra-efficient design, one of our testers shaved two minutes off his usual 20-mile test ride without even trying. Of course, riders will have to make some sacrifices in comfort, handling, and hill-climbing ability. The tight aluminum frame shot every bump right up our spines, its hypertwitchy feel made sprinting and traffic adventures in maintaining control, and the extremely low aerobar height made long, steep hills a pain in the back. But for triathletes who race and train on empty stretches of asphalt, this shouldn’t be a problem; it could even prove a psychological boost: When you ride a bike built for breaking speed records, you’ll push yourself harder to see how fast you can really go. (866-237-8356, )

TREK MADONE 5.9, $5,000
THE PITCH You, too, can own Lance Armstrong’s winning wheels.
YOUR MONEY BUYS… Trek engineers are so reluctant to share their carbon-fiber shake-and-bake recipe, they haven’t even filed details of the process with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Whatever the black magic, it’s allowed the company to craft an absurdly feathery (15 pounds 12 ounces), aerodynamic bike that climbs and sprints with no energy-sapping lateral flex. Trek topped things off with the trickest of components, including Shimano’s top-shelf Dura-Ace brakes and drivetrain, super-stiff Bontrager Race X Lite wheels, and a titanium-and-leather San Marco saddle. Lance rode a stock version of this bike in the 2003 Tour de France.
THE RIGHT BIKE FOR YOU? If the Madone doesn’t put you at the front of the peloton on a sickening incline, it’ll at least make you feel like you belong there. The tight, responsive frame transfers every muscle twitch into forward motion. Nothing under 16 pounds should feel this solid, but the Madone inspires confidence even during descents on sketchy mountain roads. Go ahead—stand up and stomp on the pedals: Trek’s proprietary rear-triangle design will withstand all the torque you can dish out. The Bontrager wheels and carbon-fiber frame broadcast every bump to your body, but the Madone is still surprisingly comfortable for a pure race rig. Shimano Dura-Ace components are precise, light, and as lustrous as the frame they adorn. (920-478-4678, )

The Pulse

Q&A, Doggie Fitness, & Do and Don’t

Q & A WITH
PAUL SCOTT
How long does it take to see real gains in endurance?


—Mike Wood, La Jolla, California



SIX WEEKS IS YOUR ANSWER. This time frame recognizes that endurance comes via two separate activities. One is long, slow distance to get your muscles and joints used to the miles. The other is intermittent sprint sessions to condition your body to working at higher heart rates and to increase your cardio efficiency. This holds true for elite athletes. “I find that it takes six weeks to get my endurance back after taking time off,” says Peter Reid, winner of last year’s Ironman Hawaii triathlon. “The first three weeks, I build up the volume. Then I recover for a week, and then finish by ramping up the volume for the last two weeks.” After a month and a half, you should be able to chart your gains by watching your pace increase even though your heart rate stays the same.
[DOGGIE FITNESS]
Percentages of dogs and their owners, respectively, who lost weight when sharing an exercise routine such as walking, running, or hiking
SOURCE: THE IAMS COMPANY
Do & Don’t Spring Training
DO make your outdoor cardio workouts 20 percent longer than the length of your indoor treadmill or spinning workouts.


DON’T immediately run on sidewalks or roads. Use trail running to ease your legs and back into pavement-pounding shape.


DO ease off on the duration and frequency of your strength-training sessions as your time outdoors increases, or you’ll wear yourself out quickly.


DON’T assume that you’ll be able to keep lifting the same weight after you dial back the weight training.


SOURCE: WAYNE WESTSCOTT, DIRECTOR OF FITNESS RESEARCH AT THE SOUTH SHORE YMCA, QUINCY MASSACHUSETTS

Worldwide Wild

New Zealand, Fiji, Australia

New Zealand
Sailing and Diving the Upper North Island
[2004 Winner]
Cruise the island-studded Hauraki Gulf for eight days on a 58-foot luxury yacht, exploring the northern tip of the North Island and pausing between scuba dives to fish for snapper and hike through bird sanctuaries. Spend your nights in posh wilderness lodges; enjoy five-star meals featuring Akaroa salmon; and expect perks like helicopter transport to Tutukaka, one of seven overnight stops. And what could tempt you away from, say, a 19th-century colonial villa on a private beach? Only the promise of what lies offshore: Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, where a maze of coral tunnels and caverns teems with a wild array of aquatic life. Explore wrecks like the Rainbow Warrior, where multicolored critters have turned the Greenpeace ship (sabotaged by the French secret service in 1985) into a psychedelic artificial reef.
High Point: Diving an ocean ravine as dozens of stingrays glide by overhead.
Low Point: Sailing a starboard tack while you’re perched on the port head.
Travel Advisory: The South Pacific and the Tasman Sea meet at the tip of the North Island, so expect mild to wild water.
Outfitter: First Light Travel (011-64-9-360-8320, )
When to Go: Year-round
Price: $7,700
Difficulty: Moderate

New Zealand
South Island Alpine Course
In this weeklong tent-to-hut excursion in the Southern Alps, you’ll helicopter to the edge of the Bonar Glacier for two days of mountaineering and snow-craft instruction. (You’ll spend one night in a self-made snow cave, so pay attention!) After a two-day traverse of 7,730-foot Mount French, ditch your crampons and hike the valleys of Mount Aspiring National Park.
Outfitter: World Expeditions (888-464-8735, )
When to Go: December
Price: $2,190
Difficulty: Strenuous

Fiji
Exploring the Wild Side
(New Trip)
Witness fire walking in highland villages, raft the Class III Upper Navua through a rainforest dotted with waterfalls, and snorkel the coral gardens of the Mamanuca Islands on this 15-day romp through Fiji’s remotest regions. You’ll spend nights in beach lodges and tribal villages.
Outfitter: Asia Transpacific Journeys (800-642-2742, )
When to Go: June and August
Price: $4,195
Difficulty: Moderate

Australia
Exploring Aboriginal Lands
After flying from Darwin over coastal grasslands, bed down in bare-bones camps in Garig Ganuk Barlu National Park, a swath of Aboriginal land between the Cobourg Peninsula and the Kimberley Plateau. Native guides lead you on walks to ancient pictographs, swimming holes, and waterfalls.
Outfitter: Journeys International (800-255-8735, )
When to Go: August
Price: $3,195
Difficulty: Moderate

Made to Order

The Custom-Trip Transformation

The promise of Himalayan ecstasy beckons from the cover of a slick brochure. It would be the perfect trip if it didn’t involve sharing a tent with a stranger. And, well, maybe if it started a few weeks later.

Fear not, picky traveler: The adventure industry hears you. Responding to a surge in the demand for custom itineraries, a growing number of outfitters now offer design-it-yourself tours. At Mountain Travel Sobek, 15 percent of the trips are custom jobs. And last year, Butterfield & Robinson assigned half a dozen staffers to its new Bespoke division, which customizes adventures for a quarter of the company’s clientele. “It’s part of an overall trend toward individualism,” says B&R marketing director Cari Gray. The biggest factor is clients’ desire to pick their own dates, she says, along with wanting to travel with family and friends. The best news is—as you’ll see from the sample trips below—creating your own private outing doesn’t have to come at a premium.

+ When a customer asked Olaf Malver, “chief exploratory officer” of Explorers’ Corner (510-559-8099, ), to design a kayak trip that follows a river from its headwaters to the ocean, Malver set his sights on Siberia. The resulting itinerary is a two-week paddle down the Zhupanova River. The 15-day adventure has been so successful, it’s now a regularly scheduled group trip. The $5,100 price tag remains the same.

+ For serious road cyclists, Iron Donkey Bicycle Touring (866-255-3637, ) designs high-mileage itineraries on Ireland’s back roads. Owner Tony Boyd, a Belfast native, just finished mapping a 29-day, 1,500-mile route that runs over emerald hills to pasture-fringed villages. Riding a section of that route in a one-week trip would cost a group of eight $690 per person, including maps, luggage transfers, and B&B accommodations.

+ Founded in 2002 by former investment banker Emmanuel Burgio, Blue Parallel (800-256-5307, ) offers high-end custom trips to South America. Its outdoorsy Peru, Chile, Argentina, and Brazil itineraries can be packed with private perks like after-dark tours of Machu Picchu. A weeklong jaunt runs $4,000 to $6,000 per person.

+ If you prefer high altitude to high end, sign on with the Patagonian Brothers (info@patagonianexpd.com, ). Damian and Willie Benegas are identical twins and veteran mountaineers who can guide you up everything from a Patagonian icefield to Everest.

Stealth Health

The Latest in Smart Microbe Management

You’re yearning to see foreign vistas and exotic wildlife. But some exotic (and invisible) wildlife is yearning to see you in the worst way. The best defense against the diseases of travel are, as always, knowledge and prevention. First, consult the up-to-date warnings posted on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention () and World Health Organization () Web sites. And peruse our quick-and-dirty lowdown on the most prevalent bugs and how to safeguard against them.

Malaria
Each year, 300 to 500 million people contract this mosquito-borne protozoan disease, and about one million die. In recent years, strains of the disease have developed a resistance to the prescription drug chloroquine and, in some pockets, resistance to other prophylactics.
Hot spots: West Indies, Southeast Asia, South America, and Africa
Symptoms: Cold flashes, hot flashes, jaundice, and anemia
Prevention: If you’re heading into chloroquine-resistant areas, ask for quinine, Malarone, or Mefloquine—but beware the psychological effects of the latter, which can include scary hallucinations.

West Nile Virus
This mosquito-borne virus, most prevalent in the summer and fall, hit the United States for the first time in 1999. In 2003 it infected at least 8,912 people, killing 211.
Hot spots: The U.S., Africa, and the Middle East
Symptoms: Flu-like symptoms that, in severe cases, lead to inflammation of the brain or viral meningitis.
Prevention: Like it or not, there is no vaccination—slather on the deet.

Hepatitis A
Hepatitis A is contracted through contact with the stool of an infected person, so when you’re traveling in areas with questionable sanitation, religiously follow the “Boil it, cook it, peel it, or forget it” rule. Also, drink only bottled water, and wash your hands often.
Hot spots: Central and South America, Eastern Europe, and the United States
Symptoms: Malaise, weight loss, jaundice, dark urine
Prevention: There is a vaccination, but it’s best to get a combined vaccination for hepatitis A and B as well as typhoid.

Dengue Fever
This mosquito-transmitted virus is like catching a nasty case of the flu.
Hot spots: 50 to 100 million cases of dengue occur each year in Central and South America, Central Africa, India, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and even parts of the U.S.
Symptoms: A fever that causes a severe frontal headache, joint and muscle pain, and a rash—and lasts seven to ten days.
Prevention: A vaccine is under development, but until then, stay mosquito-proof.

Yellow Fever
Another mosquito-borne virus, yellow fever has been a scourge on South America and sub-Saharan Africa for decades. It can range in severity from a flu-like syndrome to severe hepatitis.
Hot spots: The Panama-Colombia border region and Central and West Africa
Symptoms: Headache, fever, jaundice
Prevention: A live vaccine provides protection for up to ten years and is almost 100 percent effective.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome)
In 2003, there were 8,098 confirmed cases of this virus worldwide, and China has already confirmed new cases this year.
Hot spots: China, Hong Kong, and Southeast Asia
Symptoms: Chills, headache, and fever, which can develop into a severe respiratory illness like pneumonia.
Prevention: The only way to avoid SARS is to avoid exposure—keep your eye on the news and the above-mentioned Web sites.

Ebola
Ebola is the T. rex of infectious diseases, an unstoppable hemorrhagic fever that kills 55 to 95 percent of those infected.
Hot spot: Central Africa
Symptoms: Bleeding, chest pain
Prevention: Stay out of Ebola’s path. Check WHO’s outbreak reports before setting out to to reenact Livingstone’s African epic.

Worldwide Wild

The Trip of the Year

Peru
Three Ranges Exploratory Trek
The northern reaches of the Peruvian Andes have for centuries been prime real estate for those who want to get lost—or at least remain unfound. The Cordilleras Raura, Huayhuash, and Blanca—three ranges consisting of massive blocks of nearly impenetrable ice and rock—are the setting for this intense 25-day mule-supported exploratory trek. You might recognize some of the scenery: British mountaineer Joe Simpson’s epic tale of survival, as recounted in the book and recently released documentary film Touching the Void, unfolded in these mountains. Starting in the Cordillera Raura, a two-day drive from Lima through Peru’s central plains, you’ll explore the eastern fringes of this ancient range on a four-day trek, camping in verdant meadows or along glacial moraines. Rarely will you be lower than 13,000 feet. Next you’ll cross into the Cordillera Huayhuash—a formidable mass of skyscraping peaks that include Peru’s second-highest, the serac-scarred 21,765-foot Yerupajá;. The air will seem as thick as llama wool when you reach 9,932-foot Huaraz, the Chamonix of Peru, for a two-night rest at an inn. Set out the following morning into the 112-mile-long Cordillera Blanca—one of the largest concentrations of 20,000-foot peaks in the world—for more than eight days of trekking past Inca ruins, through paperbark forests, and across 15,000-foot passes. From your campsite, you’ll have plenty of time to ogle the fluted pyramid of 19,511-foot Alpamayo.
High Point: The views of Huayhuash National Park—from your 14,350-foot campsite—will take away what little breath you still have.
Low Point: The tropical mountain-climbing paradox: high-altitude chills, intense equatorial sun. Slather on the sunblock and lip balm during the day, but don’t forget the down jacket and booties for camp at night.
Travel Advisory: Make your peace with switchbacks before signing up for this trip. You’ll climb no fewer than 11 passes in 18 days.
Outfitter: Wilderness Travel (800-368-2794, )
When to Go: May
Price: From $3,795
Difficulty: Strenuous

The post Trips of a Lifetime appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

ON FOOT

As the low, rumbling growl reverberated from the bushes, we froze in our tracks, every sense on red alert. The growl—so deep and powerful that it seemed to emanate from the earth itself—wasn't a threat, really, just a reminder. “I am the king of beasts, and I stand at the top of the food chain around here. For now, I choose not to kill you—as long as you don't do anything stupid.”
We'd been tracking the pair of lions on foot in Zimbabwe's Matusadona National Park for almost an hour. And although we caught only occasional obscured glimpses of them—the closest from perhaps 200 feet away—the thrill of the chase and the adrenaline rush of our discreet encounter were something no checklist-toting game-viewers could ever experience from the safety of their minivan.

Quite simply, everything changes when you are on foot, on the animals' turf, playing by their rules. (Of course, we held the ultimate trump card in this game: a .458 Mauser rifle in the hands of Steve Carey, our hunky blond Zimbabwean safari guide. “It'll stop an elephant, “he assured us. “And the one behind him.”) Shortly after the lion encounter, we dialed down the adrenaline meter and lolled silently under an acacia tree for an hour, waiting to see what might walk by. Nothing did, but Steve suddenly jumped up and said, “I heard something. Let's go.” Ten minutes later we came upon an antelope, skin still warm to the touch, its neck crushed by a leopard—another reminder that we were puny interlopers in a land where the beasts still rule.

Our safari was organized by Graeme Lemon Walking Safaris, whose trips can be booked in the U.S. through African Portfolio (800.700.3677; www.africanportfolio.com). Cost is $210-$240 per day, plus $50 for boat transfers to and from Kariba. Accommodations are roomy tents equipped with cots.

By Sailboat

As the 15-strong herd of elephants—bulls, mamas, and babies—stood haunch-deep in the shimmering blue waters of Zimbabwe's Lake Kariba, placidly grazing the lake bottom near the shoreline, our safari vehicle approached to within a few yards. Suddenly, a big bull turned to glare menacingly at us. Did we worry? Naah.

Our safari vehicle, you see, was a 30-foot sailing catamaran. We hovered just off-shore, impervious to any pachydermatous attack save for a good hosing down, which we would have welcomed on that hot afternoon. Our three-boat flotilla of Wharram Tiki 30s—fast, stable, gaff-rigged cats that sleep six in slightly cramped quarters—spent four days cruising the remote 170-mile-long reservoir. Each night we'd pull into protected coves along a shoreline that just might shelter more large mammalslions, rhinos, zebras, buffalo, and hippos—and fewer people than any lake in the world. Although most clients sail the boats themselves, Sail Safaris owner Lance Reynolds commands the flotilla from a lead “mother ship.” Fluctuating water levels and the thickets of Daliesque dead trees make navigation tricky for newcomers, however polished their sailing skills.
Mine were definitely tarnished. Although a veteran windsurfer, I had never sailed a boat. Under Reynolds's tutelage, however, I quickly picked up the basics, and I don't doubt his claim that any weekend dinghy sailor can hand the Tiki 30 with a brief checkout. A staff captain can accompany nonsailors. But for all the fun of sailing, this trip was mainly about the animals. I've already forgotten how to furl the jib, but I'll always remember the look in that bull elephant's face.

Sailing safaris can be booked in the U.S. through African Portfolio at 800.700.3677 or www.africanportfolio.com. For a group of four, a four-day trip costs $1,825, a seven-day trip, $2,730, including meals, national park fees, and taxes.

By Mountain Bike

To become truly intimate with the animals of Africa, you must travel as they do: under your own steam. A mountain-bike safari is a great way to explore the bush, and southern Africa is the most bike-friendly of safari regions. At the Mlilwane Wildlife Sanctuary and the Mkhaya Game Reserve in Swaziland, a five-hour drive east of Johannesburg, I rented low-tech mountain bikes and rode with local Swazi guide on a network of good dirt trails that ranged from relaxed to technical. From my bike saddle I saw zebra, impala, giraffe, hippo, and the rare black rhino, and rode in the middle of a pack of bounding springboks. Mkhaya's accommodations are comfortable safari tents, while Mlilwane's digs are more rustic—thatched “beehive” huts and cabins.

For more creatures and comforts, head into South Africa. Faw-Mbili Game Lodge in the Thornybush Nature Reserve adjacent to renowned Kruger National Park, is a friendly, luxurious bush lodge that accommodates up to ten guests. You can take a guided walking safari in the morning, a mountain-biking tour midday, and a Land Rover safari after dinner. The terrain here consists of easy, sandy roads, and the wildlife is abundant—I rolled among the “Big Five”: lions, elephant, buffalo, leopards, and rhinos. Which means that the guides pack pistols along side their CamelBaks.
Guided mountain-bike safaris at Mlilwane cost $6.75 per hour (including bike rental), and park lodging is $5 per person per night for camping, $13 per person per night for beehive huts, and $28-$32 per person per night for cottages (including breakfast). Mkhaya accommodates groups of five or more in luxury safaris tents for $87 per person per night, including meals and safaris. Contact Big Game Parks at 011.268.404.4541; www.biggame.co.sz. Kwa-Mbili Lodges charge $113 per person per night, including all meals, bikes and guided safaris (walking, biking, and driving). Contact 011.27.15.793.2773; www.kwambaili.com.

By Canoe

Feather your paddles, sit tight, and slip past the elephants drinking at water's edge. Watch out for cruising crocodiles and the occasional loony hippo launching a high dive into the river from a steep bank while displaying a lethal set of choppers. All part of another leisurely day canoeing an idyllic stretch of the Lower Zambezi River, from Mana Pools National Park in Zimbabwe to Kanyemba on the Mozambique border.

Here in one of the richest wildlife areas of southern Africa, the Zambezi is flat and glassy and broad as a lake, bounded by waterside villages on the Zambian side and by riverine forest thick with mango trees, itala palms, and towering natal mahoganies on the Zimbabwean shore. Watch for kudus and warthogs by day, lions, leopards, and hyenas by night. Narrow, meandering side channels teem with bird life—harons, egrets, hornbills, and ibises.
Local outfitters Ruwesi Canoe Trails, Natureways, Shearwater, and Safari Par Excellence negotiate the hazards on three- to nine-day trips. You can choose your side of the river—Zambia or Zimbabwe—and your style of trip—a “fully serviced” safari (staff go ahead by truck to have tents, hot showers, and dinner ready), or a “participatory” safari (you tote the gear, help prepare meals, and help set up the tents).

The cost ranges from about $400 for a three-day drive-in, participatory trip to $1,200 for a four-day fly-in trip. Book through African Portfolio in the U.S. (800.700.3677; www.africanportfolio.com) or in Harare, Zimbabwe, (011.263.4.481117).

On Horseback

As your horse lopes across the high grassland of Malawi's Nyika Plateau, your approach is likely to flush out a clutch of roan antelope, reedbuck, zebra, or eland. Or head south toward the rocky peaks of Vitinteiza and Mwanda, where klipspringers bound like pogo sticks over stony ground. Much of the great treeless plateau in the country's far north is unlike any other landscape in Africa—bare as the Scottish moors or the rolling grasslands of Montana. It's the site of 3,000-square-kilometer Nyika National Park, Malawi's biggest, where the upland wildlife is staging a comeback after having lost numbers to local poachers and cooking pots.

There are few roads across the plateau and vehicle traffic is restricted in the park, so the best view of Nyika is from the back of one of David Foots' fine thoroughbred or Boerperde horses. Foot can tailor a trip to suit from two to six novices or experienced riders. You'll set out from the chalets of Chelinda Camp, then stop at remote safari camps (walk-in tents, bucket showers) along the North Rumphi and North Rukuru rivers. You'll cover a lot of the landscape on the seven- and ten-day trips, which cost approximately $200 per night per person, including accommodations, meals, horses, and equipment (airfare not included). Call Equitour at 800.545.0019; www.ridingtours.com.
��

The post Stealth Safaris appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.

Chibembe camp, Zambia 2:00 a.m. startled awake by a loud crash, I lie still, pulse racing. Then I hear it again: something thrashing the sausage tree outside my tent. Curiosity overcomes terror; I grope my way to the canvas wall, lift the fabric, and poke my head out. In the moonless gloom I make out a thick pillar about five feet away. The tree? No, too close. Finally my eyes adjust to the starlight, and the pillar resolves itself into the left hind leg of an elephant. It's tearing branches off the tree and munching them up. I look at the leg again and an irrational impulse seizes me: I could touch it!

I scoot farther out and extend my arm. Not quite. I squirm until I'm stretched out as far as I can possibly be. The leg's six inches away, now four—but then it shifts out of reach. Dang. I debate another try, but the significance of the leg's new position hits me. I look up. Seven feet above my face is an elephant anus. Somewhere ahead of it, a stomach the size of a 50-gallon oil drum rumbles. Instantly I decide that “Oh, about four inches” will be an acceptable answer when someone back home asks how close I came to a wild elephant.

The managers of Zambia's game parks, it hardly needs saying, do not encourage guests to reach out and touch the animals, particularly the five-ton variety. And I really needn't have risked a gruesome obituary to have an inspirational encounter with an elephant there. Zambia may well be the finest place in Africa to experience game viewing the way it used to be: in small groups, often on foot, in parks that are truly wild. And all of it, as a result, up close and personal. Not once during the month I spent there did I see feeding lions surrounded by zebra-striped minibuses. Often, our guides and a handful of other guests were the only humans for hundreds of miles. But like so many of Africa's wonders, this abundant wildlife has a sad back-story.

Slightly larger than Texas, Zambia sits between the war-ravaged countries of Angola and Mozambique in southern central Africa. For years after independence from Britain in 1964, Zambia's autocratic rulers, fat on copper revenues, scoffed at tourism. Enormous national parks and game management areas (GMAs) languished almost unvisited except by poachers, who extirpated the country's black rhinos and cut its elephant population by 90 percent while other game flourished in obscurity. Then, in the 1970s and 1980s, worldwide copper prices plunged, also plunging Zambia into crisis. Years of high inflation and high unemployment followed, and the parks remained empty.

After the 1990 CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species, where a ban on the sale of ivory was signed) and multiparty elections in 1991, things began to improve—if slowly. Now, a decade later, under President Frederick Chiluba, the national debt remains staggering and food prices continue to exceed what many Zambian families can afford, but corruption is reportedly “under control” (not getting any worse), the elephant population is waxing, and there are even rumors (fueled by occasional footprints) that a few black rhinos survive deep in the remote North Luangwa area. What's more, Chiluba's administration has decided tourism can grow the Zambian economy, help sustain its wildlife parks, and raise money needed to address the country's crushing social problems (Zambia has the continent's highest concentration of AIDS orphans, and has been inundated by thousands of refugees from Angola). According to a 1999 article in Zambia's Financial Times, revenues from tourism now exceed $150 million per year, and in 1996 accounted for one fifth of the growth in the nation's economy. The relief my tourist dollars might bring was important to keep in mind as I flew over poor towns en route to the country's spectacular game parks and their luxurious accommodations.

Zambia's habitats vary considerably, from lush riverine canopies along the Zambezi River—which originates in northwest Zambia and forms part of its southern border—to the intermittent shade of deciduous thorn forests, to open, Serengeti-like velds. You could choose to stay in one camp and never run short of things to see, but given the geographical diversity, it's better to pick several and spend three to four days in each. I started in the Luangwa River Valley in the northeast, flew (virtually all inter-park commuting is by Cessna) to Kafue National Park in the west, and then ventured on to Lower Zambezi National Park in the south.You can drive from park to park, but the distances aren't short, and as one guide said, referring to Zambian potholes, “You can tell the drunk drivers here; they're the only ones who go straight.”

The full scope of the “walking safari” hit me as I crouched behind a shrub with four other wide-eyed guests, watching a lioness sleeping under a mopane tree. She was all of 50 yards away.

We sat quietly, quiet enough to hear the pinches of dust one of our scouts used to test the direction of the wind. He carried an old Mauser rifle, there for insurance but almost never needed. Finally, he gestured it was time to leave. We crawled away, leaving the lioness unaware she'd been spied upon.
Such unobtrusive, walk-in encounters are the signature activity of the camps scattered along the Luangwa River. Although most of the camps also offer driving safaris (especially at night, when foot travel through the bush is a bad idea), the drives aren't nearly as intimate. When you pull up in a Land Rover, the animals know you're coming. What the night drives do offer are compelling and even eerie glimpses in the guide's spotlight: a crocodile laying eggs on the riverbank; a hunting civet (it looks a bit like the love child of a raccoon and a junkyard dog); a pennant-winged nightjar—a whippoorwill—like bird with 20-inch-long wing feathers—fluttering up in the beam like a kite shivering in a high wind.

The basic layout of the camps I visited in South Luangwa National Park—Chibembe, Tafika, and Chinzombo—was the same: a luxurious base lodge with one or more satellite camps. At Chinzombo, guests are driven to the outlying camps; but Chibembe's are situated where there are no tracks at all, so you walk to each (four to five miles) while your luggage is carried ahead by porters. Mornings and afternoons are devoted to six-mile loop hikes with a guide, an armed scout, and a porter who carries the makings for tea in a box on his head.

Along the Luangwa, the Africa I had daydreamed about while reading H. Rider Haggard as a boy came alive. We walked for hours in the warm sun of the African spring, and in the near distance saw impalas, zebras, a few elephants, wildebeests, and giraffes, as well as the ever-present vervet monkeys catching air between branches. Overhead, gray louries, called “go-away birds,” really did croak Go-way! Go-way!

From Chibembe Camp it's a 30-minute flight upriver to Mwaleshi, one of only two camps in the 1,800-square-mile North Luangwa National Park. Rod and Guz, a young couple who are typical of the hosts I enjoyed in every camp, met us on arrival. Gracious, outgoing, awesomely well-versed in natural history, the two lead an itinerant life, managing wilderness camps during the dry season and guiding trips down the Luangwa River during the wet. We tracked lions in the morning, elephants in the afternoon, and one day climbed part of the 4,600-foot Muchinga Escarpment to a waterfall with a deep swimming hole that, Rod assured us, only occasionally conceals a hippo.

I brought back a nice souvenir from Mwaleshi, a plaster cast I made from the footprint of a large male lion. It took the entire pound of plaster powder I'd brought with me (normally sufficient for three or four impressions of Arizona cougar tracks). I didn't have to go far to find the print. It was in the mud in front of my shower.

Over breakfast at Busanga Plains Tented Camp in Kafue National Park, I mentioned a fascination with Cape buffalo (the world's meanest cattle) to Justin Matterson, director of the camp's parent company, Chilongozi Safaris. Matterson, an expat Brit, came to Africa in 1995 on a three-month contract for a youth charity, and stayed on to canoe the entire length of the Zambezi. Then he went to work for Chilongozi. As I talked about the Cape buffalo, he listened for a bit, then plopped his slouch hat on his head and said, “Right, let's go.”

Collaring another guest, we piled into the Land Rover and roared off, past herds of roan antelope and puku, under baobab trees and circling vultures, to where the last of the forest clumps gave way to limitless plain. We stopped and scanned the horizon with binoculars, spotting a family of warthogs and a secretary bird. We drove on for another mile or two, took another look…and there they were. Three hundred Cape buffalo moving like a vast black amoeba over the grass. We idled the Land Rover as close as we dared and watched for an hour, eyed in return by three massive bulls on flanking guard duty.
Matterson delivers this what's-your-pleasure game viewing with nonchalant elán. In a way, Kafue makes it too easy: Each year, the Lufupa River floods the plains of Kafue, rendering them an impassable morass. When the river recedes, the plains explode in tall grass, attracting thousands of grazing animals—as well as the cats that dine on them.

Nor is there any shortage of dazzling fowl. As I was packing to meet the Cessna, a lilac-breasted roller flew down and perched in front of my tent, its iridescent purple, green, and sky-blue feathers flashing in the early sun like a necklace of mixed jewels. I held my breath until it flew up and vanished over the grass.

Fish eagles had just begun calling when we lowered three canoes into the Chifungulu Channel. It was dawn at Sausage Tree Camp, and my first sight of the place after flying in late the previous evening from Kafue. We planned an all-day paddle—a rafting safari—down the Zambezi.

If the nodders in our party weren't awakened by the sight of crocodiles sliding into the water at our approach, they certainly were when we surprised a three-foot monitor lizard perched on a high overhanging branch. It misstepped making its getaway and performed a spectacular cartwheeling plunge into the water between our canoes. Mike, our guide, seemed unconcerned by crocs and somersaulting lizards, but hippos—hippos are another matter—so he stayed in the lead to keep an eye on them.
The first 30 or so hippos we encountered merely glared at us before grudgingly moving aside, but we soon met our match, a quintet arrayed in phalanx across the channel, blowing and puffing and absolutely refusing to budge. We landed upstream and portaged the heavy Fiberglass canoes past the group while they snorted, perhaps in amusement. (Later I heard that one of the guides, on a solo canoeing outing, tried to bluff his way past these same five hippos. Afterward, he swam to shore unscathed and recovered both halves of his canoe downstream.)

A ponga—a no-frills, v-bottom motor boat—collected us at dusk and took us back up the channel in the dark. We were guided as we went by millions of fireflies whose flashing marked the banks like landing lights on an airstrip. The camp greeted us with the surreal vision of a linen-covered dining table set on the bank, aglow in candlelight and sparkling crystal. As the Southern Cross slid toward the western horizon, I fell asleep to the sound of lions calling back and forth across the channel.

��

We Got Game
Walks (and drives and canoe trips) on the wild side

The Republic of Zambia, named for the Zambezi River, lies just beneath the seventh southern parallel and boasts 19 national parks. Its dry season runs from May until October, and July through October is considered the best time to visit. In September and October, animals are easier to find because they congregate around the last remaining water holes; however, it can be stiflingly hot (90-plus Fahrenheit).

WHAT TO PACK
Keep it light. One bag, plus a carry-on, as space is extremely limited in the Cessnas that fly to the camps. All camps have daily laundry service, so you can get by with a change or two of clothes. White clothing is verboten on game walks (it spooks some animals and sends them running).
BEFORE YOU GO
You'll need hepatitis and typhus shots, and you'll need to take malaria prophylactics while there. The Centers for Disease Control (800-311-3455) recommends Lariam (mefloquine hydrochloride). Consult your doctor. The best malaria prevention, of course, is to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes.

GETTING THERE
South African Airways (800-722-9675) has flights from Atlanta to Johannesburg (from $1299 round trip), connecting from there to Lusaka, Zambia's capital. Beyond Lusaka you'll be flying in smaller aircraft.

OUTFITTERS
Africa Calls (505-982-1976; safari@africacalls.com) is a great resource, as is the Association of Professional Safari Guides (800-251-7255; http://www.safariguides.com). Tongabezi Expeditions (011-260-3-323235; http://www.tongabezi.com) runs Tongabezi Lodge ($250-$375 per person per night, depending on the season). Chilongozi Safaris ($250; 260-1-265814; http://www.chilongozi.com) has three camps. Chinzombo Safaris ($260; 260-1-225076) operates a lodge and two bush camps. Taita Falcon Lodge (260-3-321850) starts at $120. All quoted prices include meals.

The post The New Classic Walking Safari appeared first on ���ϳԹ��� Online.