This week's newsletter--Okavango Delta, Botswana--is the fourth in a series covering my African Travel safari in Southern Africa. There is a link to photos at the end of the newsletter. If you are not interested in Africa, please click here to skip down to the cruise deals.
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We fidgeted as we stood by the small airstrip, watching the chopper pilot refuel. One day into the Botswana portion of our safari, we'd signed up for an optional sightseeing tour by air that was highly touted by other guests we'd met at last night's campfire.
The helicopter held four passengers, one beside the pilot and three in the row behind. We had drawn straws for seating assignments before we left camp, winner to sit by the pilot in the front row, loser in the middle of the back row and the other two getting back-row window seats.
I had drawn a window seat, but now on the scene I realized that there were no window seats in the back row because there were no windows--or doors--in the back row. Only the cockpit had doors.
We climbed in and fastened our seatbelts, and as the pilot came around to check mine, he shouted over the roar of the rotors, "It's okay to ride with your foot on the skid."
I was still wondering if I would even be able to ride without doors, so this new mental picture took me aback. I turned to my son (secure in the middle seat) with the raised-eyebrows sign we always use when one of us has just realized what he's gotten himself into, and he smiled back without so much as a trace of pity.
Carefully, I slid partially off my seat, slipped my right leg out of the chopper and lowered a foot down to a runner that was about halfway to the ground. I held my camera with both hands, but as we lifted off I noticed that my seatbelt suddenly seemed quite flimsy, so I gripped the back of the pilot's chair with my left hand, white-knuckle style.
Our pilot was an intrepid young Kiwi named Trent, and with a bit of flair he followed the short runway to the end, like a bush plane taking off, then banked into a rising 180-degree turn to take us over our tented camp before sweeping out into the Okavango Delta.
The first animal we spotted was a showstopper, an adult giraffe wading shin deep across a pool of lily pads and casting a long shadow on the water. I took a half dozen blurry pictures as we sailed over his head, some shooting almost straight down, and gave thanks for having lost the draw for the seat in the cockpit.
For an hour, we soared above the emerald green foliage and royal blue water of the delta, literally never out of sight of the animals we had come to see. There were Nile crocodiles, zebras, elephants, impalas, kudus, waterbucks, eagles, wildebeest--the list went on and on. We saw hippos sunning on islands and lumbering along underwater, single file, at the bottom of a crystal-clear canal.
There are countless islands in the delta, and our pilot would gain altitude as we crossed them and then swoop down low and fast across the lakes and channels, a major adrenaline rush that set our hearts pounding.
We arrived in Botswana just yesterday, at the first of three tented camps we will visit, all run by Orient-Express. We flew over the Kalahari Desert for 90 minutes to get here and never once saw a city, a village, a house, a car or a road. Off-the-beaten-path doesn't begin to describe it.
This camp is called Eagle Island and is home to 12 guest tents on raised wooden platforms, each facing the water. We are completely surrounded by the delta, and the camp is only accessible by air for most of the year. There is a small gift shop, a dining room for breakfast on chilly mornings, an open-air dining area by the water and a communal campfire.
Unlike most safari lodges, game viewing here is done by mokoro (dugout canoe), poled along through the reeds by a guide standing in the back, or by motorboat or on foot. On the water, crocs and hippos abound, along with giant monitor lizards and birds such as the brightly colored malachite kingfisher. On land, you never know what you might find. We saw elephants and herds of impalas and zebras and heard the distant roar of a lion on our treks.
One of the true highlights of this magical camp is a big, affable Botswanan named Onx, part naturalist, part guide and part storyteller. Among his many talents, Onx is an expert tracker, which requires not only the ability to recognize a footprint but also the knack for telling the origin and age of, for lack of a better word, poop.
"Hyena poop," he pointed out, on one walk. "Leopard print," he explained, a few minutes later. "Fresh elephant dung"...well, even I could identify that one.
On one island, Onx walked up to an active, eight-foot-tall termite mound and broke off a piece of the hard, gray shell and plopped it in his mouth. "Termite mounds are made out of termite dung," he explained. "Some people think it is quite good. Who wants to try it?"
There are times in one's life when a golden opportunity to do something stupid presents itself, but good sense ultimately prevails. This was not one of those times.
In the spirit of "when in Rome...," I bit into a marble-sized chunk of termite dung, and now I can authoritatively report that there is no good reason for you to ever do the same.
Sunset in the delta brings its own special moments. Last night, through the thin canvas walls of our tent, we listened to hippos grunting from the water and baboons screaming at a leopard. Tonight, we dined by the water on crocodile and bream, before retiring to the campfire to discuss the day's events and trade regrets about how quickly our time here had passed. Tomorrow we fly to a new tented camp.
Perhaps one day you will visit Eagle Island, and if you do, my wish for you tonight is simple--an hour with your foot on the runner.
Saturday, August 25, 2007
Friday, August 24, 2007
Sunday, March 18, 2007
Airline Travel Lingo! Does The Language Need An Interpreter ?
by: William Lezubski
With airline travel increasing in record numbers, more people are experiencing the frustration of understanding the airlines industry language, and leaving them feeling that they need an interpreter for the travel information they're receiving from the airline industry! It seems that air companies think that every individual that flies should have to understand all that travel Jargon they place on their flight reservations, and maybe it's about time we figure out what they're talking about, because it's costing you money and valuable time!
Once you learn all the airlines travel terms, you won't be dependent on your local travel agent anymore, and he/she won't be able to collect all the wonderful service fees from you for being your traveling interpreter.
The price of your travel flight is based on many intricate components that the airlines reservations department implement, not to purposely confuse you, but to formulate their airfares and determine what they need to charge each passenger for all flights taken.
Now if you already know most of these airlines flight terms, then that's ok. However, there are many people that are new to traveling, and are now beginning to use online air suppliers to capitalize on the great deals they offer. But when you're making that reservation, you want to understand why the flight you selected is so cheap, and what are the reasons for the low pricing.
Misunderstanding in Airline Terms can cost you more money!
Most of the airlines service terms you will come across will play a big factor on whether you pay an expensive price for you ticket, or getting the discounted travel deals you're looking for in the first place. I will explain the most common industry terms that many people get confused about:
Nonstop versus Direct or Through Service: Don't get this one confused, because many airline companies don't explain this properly. Nonstop means exactly that, and most travelers want these flights, so they book-up quickly. You fly from your origin and land at your desired destination without any stops in between.
Direct or Through Service: This can get a little confusing to many individuals. The aircraft even though is en route directly to your destination, it may be making some routine stops on the way, and all passengers must remain on the planeplane at that time. There are many times when you print your ticket that it will not list the cities that it will be landing in, so it is always wise to investigate a little further, and see how long the stop is going to be in each individual city.%
Connecting Flight: When you're on this type of service flight, now this is treated differently than the other services above. With this type of flight the plane travels from one city to another, however, the passengers must change aircrafts at some point between the origin city and the destination city.
On-line Connections: This is when you change an aircraft but continue to fly with the same carrier. So if you're flying form Los Angeles to New York on American Airlines. If you make a stop for example in Denver, you will change planes at that airport, but with the same American Airline carrier.
Interline Connection: This is when you as a passenger changes airplanes, but instead of boarding the same company plane you will be on a different airline. For this example, you're flying from Seattle, Washington en route to San Antonio, Texas. If you were on a United flight, you will have a stop in a city in-between your origin and destination, and let say you have to get on an American carrier to continue your journey. The main reason for this is that the particular airline company may not be flying into certain cities due to particular business reasons, so then they share with competing airline business companies.
Open Jaw: No it's not when you see the price of your ticket and your jaw drops. This trip is one in which you depart out of one city, and later return from another city. For example: you fly from San Diego, California to New York City, and then return back home from the city of Boston back to San Diego. This can dramatically increase your airline ticket, so if you're looking to visit a family member in another city that you arrived in, and then depart out of another city where your families live, then carefully check and make sure you understand this term.
Consolidators: A consolidator can be your friend if you understand how they work. Simply put, they purchase tickets from an airline at a rate less than the tariff, with the intention of reselling the tickets to either you the public or travel agencies. They buy tickets in bulk from air carrier companies, and therefore offer substantial savings. If you happen to be wondering what a tariff is, it's basically set pricing, rules, and regulations all put in place by authorized organizations in the airline industry.
Lets talk types of Fares! If you're searching for fares online, you will come across a list of different terminologies for your ticket, and it will reflect on the price you end up paying. The airlines distinguish certain fare prices by the terms normal or restricted.
Normal Fares: A normal fare is first class, business class, and economy. These have no restrictions such as advanced reservation requirements or minimum stay stipulations. Such flights are valid for one year from the date of the first flight and can be extended if not used within that period.
Restricted Excursion and Discounted Fares: These have certain restrictions, and that is why they are cheaper to purchase. They're sold with a number of conditions attached, which most require advanced reservations, and there is normally a minimum and sometimes a maximum stay requirement. Travel dates are pre-determined, and any changes in most cases are subject to a penalty, or at times you can't make any changes at all! Airlines limit the number of seats at these fares to encourage travelers to book early.
With an understanding how the air travel industry communicates, and how they determine a flight schedule and pricing, you will eventually be able to speak their language, prevent air lingo confusion, and obtain the best flight itinerary and price with this new knowledge!
About the Author
About the author: William Lezubski (Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC), and Certified Travel Counsellor(CTC) - William is the owner and author of "Discount Caribbean Vacations Web Site" available at www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com A great source for Cheap Flights to the Caribbean!
With airline travel increasing in record numbers, more people are experiencing the frustration of understanding the airlines industry language, and leaving them feeling that they need an interpreter for the travel information they're receiving from the airline industry! It seems that air companies think that every individual that flies should have to understand all that travel Jargon they place on their flight reservations, and maybe it's about time we figure out what they're talking about, because it's costing you money and valuable time!
Once you learn all the airlines travel terms, you won't be dependent on your local travel agent anymore, and he/she won't be able to collect all the wonderful service fees from you for being your traveling interpreter.
The price of your travel flight is based on many intricate components that the airlines reservations department implement, not to purposely confuse you, but to formulate their airfares and determine what they need to charge each passenger for all flights taken.
Now if you already know most of these airlines flight terms, then that's ok. However, there are many people that are new to traveling, and are now beginning to use online air suppliers to capitalize on the great deals they offer. But when you're making that reservation, you want to understand why the flight you selected is so cheap, and what are the reasons for the low pricing.
Misunderstanding in Airline Terms can cost you more money!
Most of the airlines service terms you will come across will play a big factor on whether you pay an expensive price for you ticket, or getting the discounted travel deals you're looking for in the first place. I will explain the most common industry terms that many people get confused about:
Nonstop versus Direct or Through Service: Don't get this one confused, because many airline companies don't explain this properly. Nonstop means exactly that, and most travelers want these flights, so they book-up quickly. You fly from your origin and land at your desired destination without any stops in between.
Direct or Through Service: This can get a little confusing to many individuals. The aircraft even though is en route directly to your destination, it may be making some routine stops on the way, and all passengers must remain on the planeplane at that time. There are many times when you print your ticket that it will not list the cities that it will be landing in, so it is always wise to investigate a little further, and see how long the stop is going to be in each individual city.%
Connecting Flight: When you're on this type of service flight, now this is treated differently than the other services above. With this type of flight the plane travels from one city to another, however, the passengers must change aircrafts at some point between the origin city and the destination city.
On-line Connections: This is when you change an aircraft but continue to fly with the same carrier. So if you're flying form Los Angeles to New York on American Airlines. If you make a stop for example in Denver, you will change planes at that airport, but with the same American Airline carrier.
Interline Connection: This is when you as a passenger changes airplanes, but instead of boarding the same company plane you will be on a different airline. For this example, you're flying from Seattle, Washington en route to San Antonio, Texas. If you were on a United flight, you will have a stop in a city in-between your origin and destination, and let say you have to get on an American carrier to continue your journey. The main reason for this is that the particular airline company may not be flying into certain cities due to particular business reasons, so then they share with competing airline business companies.
Open Jaw: No it's not when you see the price of your ticket and your jaw drops. This trip is one in which you depart out of one city, and later return from another city. For example: you fly from San Diego, California to New York City, and then return back home from the city of Boston back to San Diego. This can dramatically increase your airline ticket, so if you're looking to visit a family member in another city that you arrived in, and then depart out of another city where your families live, then carefully check and make sure you understand this term.
Consolidators: A consolidator can be your friend if you understand how they work. Simply put, they purchase tickets from an airline at a rate less than the tariff, with the intention of reselling the tickets to either you the public or travel agencies. They buy tickets in bulk from air carrier companies, and therefore offer substantial savings. If you happen to be wondering what a tariff is, it's basically set pricing, rules, and regulations all put in place by authorized organizations in the airline industry.
Lets talk types of Fares! If you're searching for fares online, you will come across a list of different terminologies for your ticket, and it will reflect on the price you end up paying. The airlines distinguish certain fare prices by the terms normal or restricted.
Normal Fares: A normal fare is first class, business class, and economy. These have no restrictions such as advanced reservation requirements or minimum stay stipulations. Such flights are valid for one year from the date of the first flight and can be extended if not used within that period.
Restricted Excursion and Discounted Fares: These have certain restrictions, and that is why they are cheaper to purchase. They're sold with a number of conditions attached, which most require advanced reservations, and there is normally a minimum and sometimes a maximum stay requirement. Travel dates are pre-determined, and any changes in most cases are subject to a penalty, or at times you can't make any changes at all! Airlines limit the number of seats at these fares to encourage travelers to book early.
With an understanding how the air travel industry communicates, and how they determine a flight schedule and pricing, you will eventually be able to speak their language, prevent air lingo confusion, and obtain the best flight itinerary and price with this new knowledge!
About the Author
About the author: William Lezubski (Accredited Cruise Counsellor (ACC), and Certified Travel Counsellor(CTC) - William is the owner and author of "Discount Caribbean Vacations Web Site" available at www.discount-caribbean-vacations.com A great source for Cheap Flights to the Caribbean!
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