Kwara camp
* Good viewing two days ago of a pride of 3 males, 2 females and 3 cubs\
* Evening viewing of a female leopard hunting impala near Tsum Tsum � she was unsuccessful.
* Numerous groups of bachelor herds of elephants
* Large groups of Zebras and Wildebeest.
* Nigh-time viewing of Aardwolf as well as African Wild Cat, Civet and Serval
* Cheetah viewing for a couple of days � adult female with 2 cubs
* Nomadic hyena sighted frequently, but no active dens yet.
* Sighting of a python late last week.
* Excellent water birds in front of the camp and in the marshes including Saddle-billed storks, Wattled Cranes, Egrets, as well as Spur-wing and Egyptian Geese.
* The water is right in front of the camp.
Lagoon camp
* A male leopard was followed at night � it stalked and killed a springhare.
* Lagoon pride (3 females and 4 cubs) seem feeding on an impala that they had filched from Wild dogs.
* A young male cheetah was spotted by on of the Lagoon staff as it was walking past the lounge on the guest pathway.
* Large numbers of both buffalo (one herd exceeding 1000) and elephant sighted on drive as winter game-viewing gets into full swing.
* The lagoon pride 3 lionesses and 4 cubs were watched feeding on a giraffe.
* 3 roan antelope
* African wild cat, caracal, a group of 6 bat-eared foxes foraging as well as an Aardwolf basking in the sun
* General game sightings have been excellent � zebra, wildebeest, impala and giraffe
Lebala camp
* Large numbers of elephant in herds ranging from 50 � 100 strong are coming down to the river adjacent to camp daily.
* 3 herds of buffalo up to 400 strong are being seen regularly on drive
* Regular sightings of a pride of 7 lions with cubs � they killed a giraffe between Lebala and Lagoon Camps.
* 2 sightings of cheetah including a Male chasing and killing a scrub hare.
* Male leopard seen regularly around camp as well as a fem stalking but missing an Aardvark
* 4 python sightings in 2 days as well as sightings of a cobra and a puffadder � getting in a last feed before winter.
* Wild dogs � the Selinda pack of 14 spending some time in the southern traversing as well as regular sightings of the Lebala pack of 5 with the pregnant Alpha Female.
* 2 active hyena dens, 4 adults with 9 cubs and 12 adults with 2 cubs seem nightly.
* good sightings of zebra, wildebeest and giraffe with night-time sightings of honeybadger, Serval hunting, Civet, African Wild Cat and Bushbaby.
* Ground hornbills having been seen flying over the camp several times and have been heard most mornings.
To learn more about Botswana safaris with vacationtechnician.com click these links:
Botswana Safari Reports
Botswana Safari Guides
Kwando
Okavango Delta
Luxury Okavango Delta Safari Camps
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
While the Okavango Delta in Botswana has being steadily filling up these past few weeks, the arrival of the second "spike" of new 2004 flood waters (caused by the rains that fall in Angola in Jan / Feb/ March) has not materialised as yet. This been great for vacationtechnician safari camp clients in the north of the Okavango and has given a reprieve; while the early flood waters have had a chance to spread out and disperse. The water levels at Duba Camp for instance have dropped by about 10cm these past weeks - but has just started rising fractionally again these past few days.
It appears as though the biggest effects of the first and early flood waters have been more felt in the west of the Delta and large areas around Mombo Camp are still largely dry. The main flood from that first and early pulse is now just past the "Buffalo fence" just outside of Maun and should be reaching Maun shortly. Some of the flood waters in the East of the Delta have already gone way down the Gomoti River and the floodplains are starting to fill up there - although Chitabe is still dry except for those lagoons that always carry water.
In the Linyanti, the Zibadianja Lagoon is reasonably full from the localised rainfall - but not from the flood waters from Angola. We are still waiting for the flood waters to get to the Linyanti area. The waters have pushed about 300 meters down the Savuti Channel but has stopped flowing and it has receded a bit..... till the arrival of the floods.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Relaxing Ras Kutani and Spectacular Southern Tanzania from just USD 2563.00 per person sharing for this 8-day/7-night vacationtechnician.com safari.
Relax on the white coral-sand beaches of Ras Kutani, situated on the spectacular Southern Tanzanian coast just south of Dar es Salaam, before embarking on an incredible safari in the wilderness highspots of Southern Tanzania. Experience the heart of the magnificent Selous Game Reserve on game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles and game viewing from riverboats along the Rufiji River. From your safari camp Jongomero, located on the banks of the seasonal Jongomero River, explore the fascinating and game-rich Ruaha National Park � pure untouched Africa.
Price: From USD 2563.00 per person sharing for this 8-day/7-night safari
Highlights: WILDLIFE SAFARIS AT SELOUS SAFARI CAMP, TANZANIA
Exceptional African wilderness: The 54 000-square kilometre (20 849-square mile) Selous Game Reserve � a World Heritage Site � is one of the largest protected wilderness reserves in the world, boasting an enormous array of diverse African wildlife.
Largest protected wilderness reserve in Africa
Exceptionally diverse landscape
Largest elephant population in the world
World Heritage Site
Excellent birdwatching
Tanzania Safaris with vacationtechnician.com
INCLUDES
* Twin or single accommodation
* All meals at Ras Kutani, Selous Safari Camp and Jongomero
* Teas and coffees at Ras Kutani, Selous Safari Camp and Jongomero
* Laundry at Ras Kutani, Selous Safari Camp and Jongomero
* Scheduled transfers: Dar es Salaam International Airport to Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport and Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport to Dar es Salaam International Airport
* Scheduled domestic flights: Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport / Ras Kutani Airstrip / Siwandu Airstrip / Jongomero Airstrip / Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport
* Scheduled game activities as specified
* Tanzania National Park fees
* Domestic departure tax from Dar es Salaam Airport � currently USD 6.00 per person
* Emergency medical evacuation insurance
EXCLUDES
* Telephone calls
* Crafts shop purchases
* Gratuities and all items of a personal nature
* Meals and drinks not specified above
* Sightseeing and excursions other than those specified
* International flights to and from Dar es Salaam
* International Airport
* Visa fees (if required)
PLEASE NOTE
* vacationtechnician.com Terms and Conditions apply
* Rates are subject to two guests travelling together
* This package can only be booked 30 days in advance
* Itinerary conducted from Dar es Salaam International/Domestic Airport to Dar es Salaam International/Domestic Airport
ITINERARY
Day 1 � 2: Tanzanian Coast, South of Dar es Salaam
Upon your arrival at Dar es Salaam International Airport you will be met by a vacationtechnician representative who will transfer you by road to Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport where you connect with your charter flight to Ras Kutani airstrip. Spend two nights at Ras Kutani. Activities include snorkelling, body surfing, kayaking and guided nature walks, as well optional extras such as deep-sea fishing and horse riding.
Ras Kutani (Dar es Salaam, Southern Tanzania)
Charming beach cottages
Tranquil Indian Ocean
Pristine white beaches
Indigenous tropical forest
Exciting water activities
Day 3 � 4: Selous Game Reserve
Spend the day at leisure before transferring to Ras Kutani airstrip for your scheduled flight to Siwandu airstrip in the Selous. From here it is a short game-drive to Selous Safari Camp where you will spend two nights. Activities include guided walks, game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles and boating on the Rufiji River. Set on the banks of the Rufiji River in the northeastern sector of the Selous Game Reserve, Selous Safari Camp offers an exceptional Southern Tanzanian safari in one of the largest protected and untouched wilderness reserves in the world.
Teeming with African wildlife, the Selous is home to enormous herds of elephant, large journeys of giraffe, lion and leopard. In addition to game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles led by professional vacationtechnician Africa rangers, guests may enjoy guided bush walks which allow observation of the 2 000 species of plants, as well as game viewing from intimate riverboats.
Day 5 � 7: Ruaha National Park
After breakfast, you will be transferred to Siwandu airstrip for your scheduled flight to Jongomero airstrip. From here it is a short game-drive to Jongomero Camp where you will spend three nights. Activities include exciting game-drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles.
Jongomero (Ruaha National Park, Southern Tanzania)
Exclusive tented safari camp
Remote Ruaha National Park
Exceptional diverse game viewing
Interpretive twice-daily game-drives
Excellent birdwatching
Day 8: Dar es Salaam
Enjoy an early morning game-drive and breakfast before your transfer to the airstrip for your scheduled flight to Dar es Salaam Domestic Airport. On arrival at 14h00 you will be transferred to Dar es Salaam International Airport.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Gorilla Decline
Ten years ago, about 17,000 Eastern Lowland Gorillas roamed the eastern Congo. But since 1994, their numbers have been slashed by more than 70 percent and fewer than 5000 gorillas remain. There is hope, however, as a new multimillion dollar investment looks to strengthen the protection of the gorilla's habitat and reverse the decline in their population. Conservation International is supporting The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International (DFGFI) to help the gorillas and other animals and plants found in their habitat.
Source: www.conservation.org
Uganda Safaris and Gorilla Tracking/Trekking Holiday from vacationtechnician
Sunsets May Help to Guide Migratory Birds
A sunset may do more than refresh the soul. It could recalibrate the internal compasses of migrating songbirds, U.S. and German researchers reported.
The researchers, who attached radio transmitters to thrushes and then followed them by car at night, said their findings help explain how birds fly across the equator at night without getting lost.
The experiment, published in the journal Science, is one of the first to use free-flying birds instead of captive birds in a laboratory. Martin Wikelski of Princeton University in New Jersey and colleagues in the United States and Germany first caught several dozen thrushes and attached tiny radio transmitters to them.
Knowing that birds use magnetic fields to orient themselves, they put some birds in an artificial magnetic field to confuse them and then let them all go. The birds that had not been tricked flew north, as they usually do, but the birds exposed to the artificial field flew west, the researchers said. The next evening, all the birds were free to see the sun. Subsequently, all flew north again. "We suggest that birds orient with a magnetic compass calibrated daily from twilight cues," the researchers wrote.
Source: Reuters
Birding in Africa with vacationtechnician
New Action Plan for Seabirds
Seabirds across the Southern Ocean are set to benefit from new conservation plans. New Zealand and the Falkland Islands have each adopted new National Plans of Action for Seabirds (NPOAs).
In the Falkland Islands the long-term survival of many seabirds (including the Black-browed Albatross, with 70% of the global breeding population) has been boosted by the Falklands Government's adoption of its National Plan of Action for Seabirds. The plan was drafted by Falklands Conservation (BirdLife in the Falklands) and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (BirdLife in the UK), under the guidelines of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation. The introduction of local mitigation measures to the longlining fleet has led to a significant reduction in the number of seabirds killed in recent years. The vast majority of seabird mortality in the Falkland Islands is now caused by factory trawlers that discharge offal. The adoption of a specific plan to address the problems caused by trawling makes a significant first in seabird conservation around the world.
In New Zealand, the BirdLife representative, Forest and Bird, has broadly welcomed the release of the New Zealand plan, which will apply to all seabirds affected by commercial and non-commercial fishing methods. However, the organisation has raised concerns that the plan's emphasis on voluntary mitigation methods is likely to mean that many thousands of albatrosses and petrels will still be needlessly killed each year by New Zealand fisheries. Currently at least 10,000 albatrosses and petrels are killed annually in New Zealand waters by trawlers and longliners, with a two-tier system appearing to be in place. Japanese tuna boats operating under strict regulations in New Zealand waters have reduced seabird by-catch from 4,000 birds per year to fewer than 20 individual birds. However, a New Zealand fishing boat recently caught 300 seabirds in a single month. These discrepancies are explained by the fact that the Japanese tuna boats have 100% observer coverage and strict requirements to follow, but New Zealand boats do not. Forest and Bird point out that New Zealand has pushed for regulations in a range of international fisheries (including the Antarctic). Yet there appears to be a double standard being proposed, with voluntary methods within New Zealand and strict regulations on the high seas. Forest and Bird will be monitoring the implementation of the NPOA and stress that an early review of the plan will be essential.
Source: www.birdlife.org
Pelagic Sea Birding in South Africa with vacationtechnician
Young Female Chimps Upstage Males
It would seem young female chimpanzees take their studies a little more seriously than their male classmates, a study in the journal Nature has shown. Females learn from their mothers how to gather termites much faster than males - who prefer to spend more of their time playing, US scientists say. Elizabeth Lonsdorf and colleagues conducted their research on wild chimps in Tanzania's Gombe National Park. They say the gender differences are similar to those seen in young humans.
Girls and boys pick up fine motor skills such as writing at different rates, and the team suggests its research could therefore indicate that sex-based learning differences may have an ancient origin. Educationalists trying to develop learning strategies for children could find the work instructive, the scientists believe.
In a four-year long field study, the team observed 14 young chimps and their mothers engaged in the practice of 'fishing' termites out of mounds with tools made from vegetation. The research found the females learned the skills earlier, spent more time at it and tended to catch more termites with each try.
The young males spent a lot of their time playing and swinging around - behaviours the team says may help them in typically male adult activities later in life, such as hunting and struggling for dominance.
"The availability of animal protein is limited for chimpanzees. They can fish for termites or hunt colobus monkeys," explained Dr Lonsdorf, who carried out the study with Lynn Eberly and Anne Pusey. "Mature males often hunt monkeys up in the trees, but females are almost always either pregnant or burdened with a clinging infant. This makes hunting difficult. But termites are a rich source of protein and fat. Females can fish for termites and watch their offspring at the same time. Adult females spend more time fishing for termites than males do. The young of both sexes seem to pursue activities related to their adult sex roles at a very young age."
Source: www.news.bbc.co.uk
Tanzania Safaris with vacationtechnician
Greenland's ice cap under threat
Greenland's ice sheet could disappear within the next 1,000 years if global warming continues at its present rate, a report in Nature magazine suggests.
Jonathan Gregory and colleagues from the University of Reading, UK, say their studies forecast an 8 degrees Celcius increase in Greenland's temperature by 2350. They believe that if the ice cap melts, global average sea level will rise by about 7 metres. And even if global warming was halted the rise could be irreversible, they say.
The researchers estimated that Greenland was likely to pass a threshold of warming beyond which the ice sheet - second in size to Antarctica - could not be sustained unless much greater reductions were made in emissions of greenhouse gases. They found that over the next 350 years, global warming was likely to pass the critical threshold in 34 out of 35 model calculations.
If the ice sheet was removed, Greenland would be a lot warmer because the land surface would be at a lower altitude and reflect less sunlight. "Unlike the ice on the Arctic Ocean, much of which melts and reforms each year, the Greenland ice sheet might not re-grow even if the global climate were returned to pre-industrial conditions," says Dr Gregory.
A broad consensus of mainstream scientific opinion holds that human-produced greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), are driving an unnatural rise in global temperatures. Before industrialisation, the atmosphere contained 280 parts per million (ppm) of CO2. At present, it stands at 370 ppm.
The only international agreement on cutting greenhouse gases is the UN's Kyoto Protocol, which requires industrial countries to make a small cut in global emissions by a time frame of 2008-12. But the pact is in limbo. It still needs to be ratified by Russia to take effect and in any case has been abandoned by the United States, the world's biggest CO2 contributor.
Source: www.news.bbc.co.uk
Global Warming Information from vacationtechnician.com
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
The dolphin/human connection and healing The connection between humans and dolphins has been documented historically since ancient Grecian times and possibly even earlier. It has been proposed that the notion of unconditional
positive regard that dolphin encounters create is healing in itself. Dolphins seem to possess the extraordinary ability to trigger the healing processes within us. People have reported feelings of profound inner peace and states of euphoria after swimming with these incredible marine mammals.
Sufferers from psychological and physiological disturbances, such as acute depression, attention deficit disorders, post-traumatic depression and bi-polar disorders have made remarkable and in some cases, even permanent recoveries after swimming with wild dolphins. The sound vibrations
emitted from dolphins are said to have potent influences on the body, mind and spirit.
This hypothesis has been reinforced through the work of Dr Horace Dobbs. Dr Horace Dobbs first noted the idea that dolphins have healing powers in the UK in the mid-1970s.
Two incidents convinced him that dolphins have a special therapeutic influence on the human mind and spirit. In the first, Geoff Bold, a lifeboat mechanic who was close to nervous breakdown, swam with a friendly dolphin called Donald. After this encounter, Bold's depression was considerably lifted. A few years later, when Dr Dobbs took a group of people out to see Simo, a friendly bottlenose dolphin swimming off the coast of Wales, he was intrigued to note that the dolphin spent most time with one man, Bill Bowell. Then aged 54, Bowell had previously suffered both a heart attack and a nervous breakdown, and had slipped into a state of deep depression. The meeting with Simo was a
remarkable turning point for him. He described the dolphin encounter as more therapeutic than all the anti-depressant drugs he had been taking. After subsequent swims, Bowell started to change from being apprehensive, withdrawn and nervous into an altogether more confident and outgoing
person.
�Dolphins have always evoked in me most of the values we humans are striving for, especially freedom and love. I could never justify their confinement. Since I started in 1974, I have conducted all of my research with wild dolphins in the open sea. It was their choice to participate. They were always free to swim away at any time - and often did. It was a challenge, but I succeeded in showing that it is possible to work with totally free wild dolphins that chose to associate with humans.� - Dr. Horace Dobbs
" best guides = best safaris ~ a bad guide in the best camp will ruin your safari."
Soul Safaris Dolphin Experience �
Located along a miles long white powder beach in southern Mozambique, a resident pod of over a hundred gentle and playful dolphins are waiting for you to join them for a stay in paradise.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Last night we had a fantastic sighting at the Ongava Tented Camp in the Etosha National Park, Namibia watering hole, it happened right in front of the lapa.
Straight after dinner at about 21h00, ten lions surrounded the water hole, very thirsty indeed. After they quenched their thirst, two of the lions walked in between the tents, the rest made their bed next to the water hole besides the trees. The guests sat and watched them for about an hour. Hein then escorted all the guests to their tents.
We heard the roaring of these beautiful creatures the entire night.
The next morning at 5 'o clock the entire camp got a wake-up call. The waitress, Magda put on the lights at the lapa when a lion lying in front of the lapa charged her, luckily Jan the scullery guy, was standing behind her and pulled off a bare-banger.
Needless to say the whole camp woke up instantly. NJ, the guide, and Hein charged down to the lapa immediately to investigate. The lions casually left the camp area allowing the guests to be put at ease before being escorted to the lapa. What an extremely exciting 12 hours!
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Chitabe Trails Safari Report
Dear Friends,
As the rest of Botswana's Okavango Delta experiences the inundation of an early flood and a late deluge, rising and falling with the ebb and flow of an ancient rhythm of life-giving waters, Chitabe remains but a distant goal in the timeless history of the surging waters' memory- when once the island was completely encircled by water, we await the marvels of this phenomenon again.
The climate has settled into an autumn chill- clear bright skies, with chilly evenings and mornings. The average temperatures have altered somewhat dramatically, with highs around 29 degrees and lows around 12 degrees Celsius. We huddle around the fire for early morning breakfasts, tucking into bowls of Ben's delicious hot porridge as the dawn chorus of Swamp Bou Bous, Meyer's Parrots and Starlings welcome the sunrise.
The African Marula Trees have provided a feast for our local fauna- baboons, squirrels, elephants and resident humans have been indulging in the delicious fruit, which have covered the ground below their magnificent boughs.
The bushbuck ewe that calls Chitabe Trails island home has dropped, and she and her lamb are often seen picking their delicate way through the vegetation. She has particularly beautiful markings, and her offspring is a gorgeous carbon copy of her�
At the outlying pans, Saddlebill Storks, Wattled Cranes, Spurwing, Pygmy and Egyptian geese, Pied Kingfishers and Blackwinged Stilts are delighting in the abundance of water- a birder's paradise!
A fond farewell to our migrant species of feathered friends, who have finally headed north- apart from one woodland kingfisher who seemed to have lost his compass, or enjoyed our company so much that he left a few weeks after all the rest had gone.
On our eastern boundary, the once mighty Gomoti channel has risen again from a long period of drought, risen and fallen, the water claimed by the thirsty sands of the Kalahari below. Hippo have moved into the area after a long absence, and their calls reverberate into the African night, competing with the mighty roars of the four massive Gomoti lions, as they have been named, who have also recently appeared from the Moremi area.
Our resident coalition of male lions in the Chitabe sandbelt area have developed an interesting adaptation. Previously being buffalo specialists, they would bring one down almost every week, but now since the buff have not been in the area for some time, they have begun killing giraffe on a semi-regular basis, and have even brought down the occasional juvenile elephant.
The lioness that brought her cubs into the relative safety of the camp has moved her brood off- after she introduced them to her former pride-mate and her year-old cub. We were all mesmerised by the meeting, which took place in the middle of the day right in front of the camp. Before she left, the Warrs from the UK were treated to the sight of her calling out and suckling her cubs right outside their tent!
Ebineng was out on the Gomoti when he spotted three lionesses stalking a buffalo. One completed her final charge and was able to leap onto its back. With her sisters bring up the rear, the buffalo thundered away and into the channel, sending up plumes of spray in all directions. When Ebs and his guests were again able to see clearly, the buffalo was making off on the other side of the floodplain, leaving a disappointed-looking lioness on the other side of the water!
We have had a sighting of a lactating female cheetah in the area, which would be a pretty good indicator of cubs being somewhere nearby- although we haven't seen them yet, the grasses are still very high, but just starting to turn to a tinge of autumnal dun. Later in the month they will begin to flatten and die down, affording us better viewing opportunities.
Leopard sightings have been good, and there are at least six in the area close to camp- occasionally we hear the large male who lives in the island alongside give his unmistakable rasping call, sending the baboons into a fury of shouts and roars. Relax has also spotted a lactating female in the acacia woodland, so hopefully we might spot her cub or cubs soon!
Speaking of cats, vacationtechnician clients saw a young female caracal on sunset road, which was a truly memorable experience, as they are extremely shy and hard to spot.
The Moonstone Pack of six wild dogs have been sighted several times this month- and although they are a small and raggedy pack in comparison to the larger Mogogelo pack, they are doing well, hunting impala successfully in the sweet-grass areas of mopane woodland. We are expecting a litter from them in July, when they will form a den- this should hopefully swell their numbers somewhat�
The walking season is upon us again, and we have walkers out there almost every day, soaking in the wonders of being on foot out there in our glorious wilderness. This is an experience enriched by encountering things one would not normally notice from a noisy moving vehicle- the engagement of all of the senses (including some that have no name), revelling in your body, at one with the majesties of creation that surround you. Sleeping out in the hide, serenaded by the plinking sounds of the reed frogs, listening to the whoops of hyena giggling at their own private jokes, and hippos chortling to themselves in the channels is an experience few will ever forget.
The sunsets have transformed once again into their winter splendour- the sky is like the inside of a cobalt Faberge egg as the golden orb of the sun sinks us into another star-studded African night. Listening to the chirrups of the scops owls and the warbling lament of the nightjars as we sit around the fire of an evening reminds us all what a special and wondrous place Chitabe is, and we invite you to share the joys both great and small of simply being here.
Click here and Introduce yourself to a friendly vacationtechnician!
Client Comments
Ora and Michael Singer (New York)- " Ben was and amazing, outstanding guide who was very aware of what we had and had not seen, and chose our route accordingly!"
Fred and Gill Schwab (UK)- " The friendliness, warmth and hospitality here are the very best. Staying here is like staying with friends. A big thank you to everybody."
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
TOP TEN SAFARI RECOMMENDATIONS
#1: Best all-round safari: Jacana Safari, Botswana. Excellent choice for first safari, also ideal for single travelers as there is no single supplement if you are �willing to share�. The group of no more than 8 has 100% exclusivity in all camps.
# 2: Best �Ultimate Safari� experience: Best of Southern Africa flying safari. Traveling by private dedicated aircraft between premier camps in best areas of 4 countries (Namibia, Botswana, Zambia & Zimbabwe). Excellent review by Travel Editor of New York Times who took this trip in May 2003.
#3: Best value for money: Zimbabwe fly-in safari. The Wilderness Safaris camps in Zimbabwe are being filled by savvy Africa travelers who know that it is during these times that one enjoys the finest wildlife encounters, at attractive prices.
# 4: Best �active� safari: Rhino Safari, Zimbabwe: game drives, foot safaris with best-qualified guides in Africa (Zimbabwe full pro guides); tracking rhino on foot, boating on Lake Kariba, canoeing on Lower Zambezi River, and more.
# 5: Best �new� trip for 2004: Gorilla treks in Rwanda are back!
#6: Best combination of two countries: Botswana and Namibia. Botswana has lots of opportunities for game-viewing, the incomparable Okavango Delta and it combines perfectly with Namibia�s desert and dune experience.
#7: Most unusual destination: Madagascar. Adorable lemurs, amazing people, strange spiny forests, always the unexpected. Just don�t expect everything to work 100%�
#8: Trip most likely to be a �life-changing� event: Mana Canoe Trail, Zimbabwe.
#9: Best honeymoon destination: North Island, Seychelles. No question.
#10: �Best kept secret� safari area: Mashatu Game Reserve, Tuli Block. Too many of our clients return from Mashatu with multiple leopard sightings or other fabulous game-viewing experiences for this area to remain �undiscovered� for long.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Hello Friends,
ZIMBABWE - WORTH A SECOND LOOK?
If you are at all interested in Zimbabwe, this is one Southern African country where the prices have not increased lately, so please give us a call for a quotation. We can put together a very attractive safari including Makalolo Plains (Hwange Game Reserve) and Matusadona Water Camp (on Lake Kariba), together with Victoria Falls.
On longer itineraries, the Mana Pools area can also be included - and adventurous types may wish to do the Mana Canoe Trail between Ruckomechi and Chikwenya. I have had more than one client tell me that this safari was a life-changing event.
While Zimbabwe has lately been a controversial destination due to the political situation there, the safaris are operated in very remote and very safe areas, completely isolated from any populated towns or cities. Zimbabwe has had excellent rains so far this season, which is good news for the game later on in the year. The wildlife sightings have been absolutely awesome! On a recent safari vacationtechnician clients spotted over 20 different mammal species in one game drive in Hwange National Park � including Wild Dog, Lion, and the very rare Red Hartebeest.
NEW ZAMBIA PACKAGES
Zambia's magnificent national parks are relatively unknown, but our associates Star of Africa has unveiled a series of stunning safari destinations in four of Zambia's most game-rich areas. The lodges offer a diverse choice of environments, and represent a very exciting upmarket wildlife circuit. When managing director Dave Bennett was here in Europe recently, he told me that the game-viewing at some of the camps have been extraordinarily good, with some clients experiencing as many as 5 different leopard sightings on one game drive. Dave tells me that game-viewing in the Lower Zambezi area is very similar to that of the near legendary Mana Pools area of Zimbabwe.
Two of our clients with St. Louis Zoo Travel recently traveled to the South Luangwa region of Zambia on an inspection trip, where they spent several days with Star of Africa, whom they described as 'a real winner in Zambia'. Our clients were complimentary about the level of guiding, the accommodations and the wildlife.
Here is what they had to say about Puku Ridge: "The accommodations are superb. Each unit is huge, with a sitting area, a deck overlooking the plain, sunken tub, etc. Quite reminiscent of Jao Camp in Botswana. The dining area is nicely laid out, overlooking a pool built into the side of the hill. Wildlife is all over the place." They were equally impressed with the other camps and experienced some excellent game-viewing such as observing a pack of 22 wild dogs, large herds of Black Lechwe, good views of the endemic Thornicrofts Giraffe and much else besides, including a great number and variety of birds.
Star of Africa has now introduced several package deals which include all or some of their lodges, at attractive rates. For example the 9-day 'Zambian Spice Trail' safari includes 2 nights at each of Star of Africa's luxury lodges in the Victoria Falls area (Sussi & Chuma); Lochinvar National Park (Lechwe Plains Tented Camp); Lower Zambezi National Park (Kulefu Tented Camp) and South Luangwa National Park (Chichele Lodge or Puku Ridge). Please call or e-mail for detailed itineraries and prices which start at around $3,000.00 p.p. sharing for an 8-day 'Classic Zambezi' safari which includes 3 nights in the Lower Zambezi area.
MADAGASCAR MAKING A COMEBACK
The good news from Madagascar is that it is safe to travel to the country again. A new broom sweeps clean in the form of new President Marc Ravolamanana who is reputed to be a man of great vision.
Madagascar isn't for everybody, and at times it can be a difficult place to travel due to poor roads and other minor inconveniences. However, if you can handle the fact that not everything may happen exactly as per the timing on the printed itinerary, it may just be the place for you. Just the other day I saw comedian John Cleese in a television interview situation where the reporter wanted him to be 'funny'. All Cleese wanted to do was talk about the lemurs he had seen on a recent trip to Madagascar, where he did some charitable work. Like so many before him, John Cleese was clearly totally enchanted by these amazing creatures. He went on and on about how beautiful and entertaining they were, how many different kinds there are, and how endangered many of them were due to habitat loss. One could sense that Clease would much rather be in a forest in Perinet than the television studio he found himself in...
Anybody that's been to Madagascar can relate. I am not a great 'monkey' fan, and I generally consider the few African monkey species which I have seen, especially the cheeky Vervet monkeys, to be a bit obnoxious. By contrast, Madagascar�s lemurs are stunning. It took me all of 15 seconds to fall in love with the first species of lemur I had a good look at, namely the Ringtailed Lemur, at Berenty. Following a family group of Ringtails around on a foraging expedition at Berenty, was one of my best nature experiences ever. The mothers were casting me a wary eye, and the little ones almost seemed to be 'daring' one another to get close to me, and then dart away. I was so close that I could see the particular type of flowers that they were picking, ever so daintily but very effectively, steadily moving from one shrub to another.
So take off the watch, brush up on a few words of French, and book a trip to Madagascar. You will love the lemurs! And possibly a lot of other things too - the people, the birds, the reptiles, the spiny forest, and simply being in a country that is just so 'different' in almost every way one can imagine.
NEWS FROM SOUTH AFRICA
When is the best time of the year to visit South Africa? Definitely during the South African Spring (Fall in the northern hemisphere). South Africa is a year-round destination but the far north-eastern part of the country - where the major game reserves are located - is prone to hot, humid and often rainy conditions in the summer months from December through about March.
So if you are planning a trip to South Africa, and have some flexibility with your dates, September and October are probably the two best months. The winter months of June, July & August are good too, just a bit cold and with a significant chance of rain in the Cape.
From the outset of the year, many South African venues and suppliers have either held or lowered their rates for 2004 and 2005. There are quite a few good special offers goings, the best of which is: From May through the end of September, stay for 2 nights at either Jock Safari Lodge (inside Kruger Park), Sanbona (south-western Cape) or Shamwari (Eastern Cape) and stay for 3 nights free (Room Only basis) at either Lake Pleasant in Knysna or Steenberg Hotel in Cape Town. Sanbona Game Lodge has over 7 different Rock art sites for guests to enjoy. It is also home to cheetah as well as the 'big five' mammals. There are over 165 bird species including Black and Fish Eagle. Hot air ballooning is available as an optional extra.
The Cape Grace is offering a 4 night stay for the price of 3 nights until 19 December 2004. This is an effective 25% reduction on a 4 night stay.
Great news is that Chapman's Peak on the Cape Peninsula has reopened and the views are absolutely amazing. Even better is that Wilderness Safaris are not charging an additional fee for either their Private or Scheduled Tours utilizing the improved toll road.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Dear Friends,
I share with you an extraordinary event that took place on Monday, May 10, 2004, as we were navigating from Puerto Egas, James Island towards Bartolom� Island. Our First Officer and Expedition Staff noticed the presence of cetacean activity along the horizon, and once near the sighting area they were looking at Orca Whales (Orcinus orca), unfortunately, also called Killer Whales.
The Captain authorized to slow down the ship's speed, and to lower our Zodiac landing craft. The environmental sensitivity, skill, support and enthusiasm shown by our staff is a key element in achieving unique wilderness experiences. Afterwards, and for over an hours time, vacationtechnician guests enjoyed spectacular views of one of the world's most amazing marine mammals.
Once in the water, the Expedition Team, led by Chief Naturalist Alejandro Villa, carefully approached this pod of whales, which included three females and one male. Males are larger than females, and have a dorsal fin twice the size of those of females. An ecologically-sound approach generated an extended contact with the whales. With the advantage of having digital photographic equipment, Alejandro documented the event, gathering vast material in both photos and video. One-of-a-kind material for our graphic marketing efforts, training, web page, and of course on board lectures and presentations!
And so, life continues its determined course in the Gal�pagos Islands. Our guests will return home with a vivid image of this extraordinary event, and without a doubt, will recommend this destination and our services. It is this kind of events that provide magic to these islands, and to vacationtechnician Expedition Philosophy.
When was the last time you saw Orca Whales in the wild? Gal�pagos waits for you.
vacationtechnician.com Nature Reading
Contact vacationtechnician.com
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
In the mists of the Virunga Volcanoes of central Africa the last remaining mountain gorillas face extinction. The rarest and largest of the great apes, they are among our closest relatives yet one of the most endangered mammals on earth. They are threatened by poaching, loss of habitat, disease and war. Mountain gorillas are an important resource for the people of Rwanda, Congo and Uganda across whose borders their tiny forest habitat stretches. Political instability and war have caused many set-backs, but as peace slowly returns, the economic potential of mountain gorilla conservation has also re-emerged.
The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund continues the work started by its founder thirty years ago protecting the mountain gorillas. It also works to ensure the people of the region genuinely benefit from their unique natural heritage.
In the Virunga volcanoes of central Africa Dian Fossey discovered the gentlest of the great apes. She lived amongst the mountain gorillas for nearly 20 years and shamelessly defended them from poachers.
In Rwanda, she founded the Karisoke Research Centre (1967) to provide the world's primary focus for mountain gorilla conservation and research. Through the pages of National Geographic magazine and countless television appearances she focused world attention on the gorillas' plight.
She began raising money to pay for anti-poaching, and in 1978 set up the first ranger patrols in Rwanda. She was murdered by an unknown attacker in the early hours of December 27, 1985, in her cabin at Karisoke. Her friend Alan Root, the wildlife filmmaker who introduced her to gorillas in 1967, recalled in Swara magazine: An occupational therapist with lung problems, a great fear of heights and no training in animal behaviour, Dian was hardly tailor-made for the job of following gorillas among the steep ravines of a 14,000-foot, rain-shrouded volcano. With only a two-day crash course on data collection from Jane Goodall to guide her, Dian recorded everything she saw, and from the beginning she saw clearly that gorillas were doomed unless something was done about the uncontrolled encroachment and poaching that was going on. Over the next 13 years Dian collected a vast amount of data on mountain gorillas. Her work, and that of the co-workers who joined her in the later years, not only led to a greater understanding of gorillas, but to a world-wide concern for their safety.
Saving the Gorillas in the Mist - the work of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund
With more than 30 years experience to build on, the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund has determined an optimum annual programme to ensure the long-term survival of mountain gorillas. Its aim is to reinforce and encourage African ownership, build local capacity, and empower grass-roots initiative by applying successful conservation, research, education and development techniques through existing local networks.
Science & Research
Since Dian Fossey began her study of gorillas in Rwanda in 1967, scientific research has been central to mountain gorilla protection and the basis of all conservation planning. The Fund's on-going scientific and research projects, coupled with an effective system for collection and distribution of scientific data, allow conservationists to make informed decisions and plan new projects effectively.
Applied Conservation
Ranger patrols and law enforcement within the national parks have always been the main deterrent to poaching and the unsustainable use of forest resources. The Fund provides training, equipment and material support for national park rangers, wildlife veterinarians and local conservation groups, which, along with an effective regional communications network, continue to reinforce the front-line of mountain gorilla protection.
Community-Based Conservation
The survival of the endangered mountain gorillas is above all dependent on their human neighbours. The Fund's long-term programme of grass-roots projects aimed at sustainable development, conservation education and small-scale enterprise initiatives for the communities living adjacent to and within the gorilla habitat will help realise the full economic potential of mountain gorilla conservation for the region and encourage a strong conservation culture among the local people.
Public Awareness
Through the pages of National Geographic magazine and the release of Gorillas in the Mist, Dian Fossey effectively ended the trade in mountain gorilla infants and curios across the world. Our strong media relations and hard-hitting campaigns continue to raise local, national and global awareness of the plight of the endangered mountain gorillas - especially in times of war and political instability.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Global Warming Facts from the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation
May 12, 2004 New York Times
Global Warming Ignites Tempers, Even in a Movie
By SHARON WAXMAN
LOS ANGELES, May 11 � Any studio that makes a $125 million movie about global warming is courting controversy. But 20th Century Fox does not seem to have fully anticipated the political firestorm being whipped up by its film "The Day After Tomorrow."
Environmental advocates are using the film's release, scheduled for May 28, as an opening to slam the Bush administration, whose global warming policies they oppose. Industry groups in Washington are lobbying on Capitol Hill to make sure the film does not help passage of a bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions, which many scientists say contribute to global warming.
Meanwhile on Tuesday Fox sparred with celebrity advocates who complained that they had been disinvited to the movie's premiere, only to be reinvited later in the day.
All this is occurring as the entertainment industry is on the defensive, with television networks acknowledging they are censoring themselves to avoid being accused of promoting indecency and the Walt Disney Company distancing itself from a film critical of the administration's foreign policy.
In a telephone news conference on Tuesday former Vice President Al Gore compared the exaggeration of the film's premise to the approach of the Bush administration to global warming.
"There are two sets of fiction to deal with," Mr. Gore said. "One is the movie, the other is the Bush administration's presentation of global warming." He accused the White House of "trying to convince people there's no real problem, no degree of certainty from scientists about the issue." The news conference was organized by moveon.org, an Internet-based liberal advocacy group.
Dana Perino, the spokeswoman for the Council on Environmental Quality, which coordinates environmental policy for the White House, said the administration's policies would reduce global warming threats without destroying jobs.
"While they're working on movies," she said, "we are advancing our scientific knowledge, developing transformational energy technologies and reducing the greenhouse-gas intensity of the American economy."
Early this week Laurie David and Robert Kennedy Jr., vocal anti-Bush environmentalists, said that Fox had withdrawn their invitation to the film's premiere in Manhattan but later called to reconfirm the invitation.
In between, a Fox spokesman said the studio had arranged a special screening for them and Mr. Gore a day before the premiere, and another screening for scientists.
Ultimately Fox chalked the invitation issue up to miscommunication.
Invited or not, Ms. David, a prominent member of the Natural Resources Defense Council, said Fox rejected an offer to have the premiere serve as a fund-raiser for any one of numerous environmental groups. (Studios often use premieres as charitable fund-raisers.)
Before learning from Jim Gianopulos, Fox Studio's chairman, that her invitation to the premiere had been reinstated, Ms. David said: "Fox is completely disinterested in raising any consciousness. In fact they're bending over backward to disassociate themselves from the environmental community."
She continued, "Any connections to anything political they're afraid will hurt the opening."
A Fox spokesman denied any attempt to play down the movie's environmental message or to distance the film from activists. "Clearly the movie is entertainment, but all of this activity creates additional interest, making it more topical," Jeffrey Godsick, the spokesman, said. "It's been wonderful."
Directed by Roland Emmerich, "The Day After Tomorrow" imagines a catastrophic climate change and the rapid arrival of a new ice age caused by global warming. Massive storms destroy Western Europe, Manhattan is covered in a sheet of ice, and tornadoes blast Los Angeles.
The film's trailer shows Dennis Quaid, who plays a paleoclimatologist, warning the vice president � played by an actor who closely resembles Vice President Dick Cheney � that "if we don't act now, it will be too late."
Fox, which financed the big-budget movie, is part of News Corporation, whose chairman and chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, is a strong supporter of Mr. Bush. Mr. Godsick said he did not know if Mr. Murdoch had seen the film.
Mr. Kennedy, an environmental lawyer, said on Tuesday that Fox's attitude toward environmentalists seemed comparable to other instances of self-censorship by media corporations in a politically charged climate.
"This is part of an unfortunate pattern that fits in with CBS canceling the Reagan mini-series and Disney refusing to distribute Michael Moore's film" "Fahrenheit 9/11," he said in an interview before his invitation to the premiere was reinstated. He was referring to recent controversies over political considerations affecting entertainment decisions.
"This is like back to the 1950's and 60's, where people in Hollywood were scared to death of Joe McCarthy, censoring artists, not distributing films, blackballing people," he said. "It's a classic thing that you're supposed to avoid in democracy, the merger of state and corporate power."
Mr. Godsick said that Fox, which plans to spend about $50 million to market the film, was not keeping any interested party at arm's length. The marketing strategy had no connection to the other recent episodes in Hollywood, he said.
"Look, different groups have different agendas," Mr. Godsick said. "Some are to politicize things, some are to go beyond that. The real power of the movie is to raise consciousness on the issue. That's a win-win for everybody."
The studio's Web site promoting the film, thedayaftertomorrow.com, does not include the words "global warming" in its synopsis of the story. But the site does include a section labeled "What can you do?" with a link to Future Forests, a nonprofit British group that promotes limiting carbon-dioxide emissions.
Mr. Emmerich ensured that the movie production participated in CarbonNeutral, a program that involves buying credits to offset carbon-dioxide emissions created during the movie's filming, Mr. Godsick said.
Fox marketing executives have expressed concern that the movie not be perceived as a scientific "treatise," as one executive put it, emphasizing that its appeal is as an action-adventure, roller-coaster-style experience.
Moveon.org said it planned to have thousands of volunteers handing out leaflets about global warming outside theaters when the movie opens. Meanwhile in Washington a coalition of industry groups, including the National Association of Manufacturers, is working to make sure that the movie does not contribute to the passage of a bill limiting carbon-dioxide emissions.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Global Warming and Climate Change is the biggest environmental threat humanity will face in the 21st century. Caused by an overabundance of the heat-trapping gas, carbon dioxide, in the earth's atmosphere, global warming has caused changes in climate worldwide as well as disruptions and dislocations in habitats and wildlife.
"To me the question of the environment is more ominous than that of peace and war. I'm more worried about global warming than I am of any major military conflict." - UN Weapons Inspector Hans Blix, March 14, 2003
"Our house is burning down and we are blind to it.The earth and humankind are in danger and we are all responsible. It is time to open our eyes. Alarms are sounding across all continents. We cannot say we did not know! Climate warming is still reversible. Heavy would be the responsibility of those who refuse to fight it."
- French President Jacques Chirac, World Summit on Sustainable Development, Johannesburg, August, 2002
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Pre-empt Global Warming
by Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev, the last president of the Soviet Union, now heads Green Cross International. He sat down with NPQ editor Nathan Gardels on Oct. 7 in New York to discuss Russia's position on the Kyoto Protocol and US President George W. Bush's renewed push for nuclear non-proliferation.
NPQ | In his speech to the opening session of the United Nations General Assembly, United States President George Bush called for a renewed emphasis on stopping nuclear proliferation -- especially in North Korea and Iran -- to ensure the bomb doesn't fall into the hands of terrorists.
Yet, the US is planning a new generation of small, "more usable" nuclear weapons. And in its agreement with Russia to reduce warhead stockpiles, it has agreed only to "decommission" its weapons, not "demilitarize" them -- in other words, store them, not destroy them.
Doesn't this US posture undermine the credibility of the non-proliferation agenda?
Mikhail GORBACHEV | Much progress has been made between the US and Russia in reducing our nuclear arsenals. But, yes, this US posture is troubling. Since the US has refused to ratify the treaty to prohibit nuclear testing, it is clear it intends to go on perfecting its nuclear weapons. It is clear it is not thinking of abolishing nuclear weapons over the longer term. On the contrary, there is a new concept of American doctrine, as you mention, that foresees the "battlefield use" of nuclear weapons. This does away with the idea that the only purpose of nuclear weapons is as a deterrent.
It prompts other nations to ask, "Why must we abide by the non-proliferation treaty when the No. 1 member of the nuclear club continues to perfect and develop its own weapons?" That is a double standard.
If the US only thinks about its interests instead of the global good, other nations are asking why they, too, shouldn't be putting their own interests first as well?
These questions cannot be wished away. And they are not just being asked by authoritarian or terrorist states. Challenging this double standard is precisely what democratic India had in mind with its nuclear tests.
For now, the US doctrine has sown mistrust and suspicion among the world community.
NPQ | In the absence of a superpower competitor, what can be the aim of America trying to perfect a new generation of nuclear weapons?
GORBACHEV | That is a question, it seems to me, that the American democracy with its open debate about everything else ought to be discussing. It is, after all, a far more significant issue than Monica Lewinsky. Democracy doesn't seem to be working on this particular issue.
It is very important for America to understand how the only remaining superpower can act responsibly in the world. Why isn't it taking the lead, for example, on ratifying the Kyoto Protocol instead of withdrawing from it and trying to kill it?
NPQ | Well, the US doesn't seem to be the only power that doesn't like the Kyoto Protocol. When the US withdrew from the process, it was denounced as unilateralist. Now, Russia -- the critical industrial power whose ratification will make or break the treaty -- is balking. (Russian President Vladimir) Putin says he questions it. And his economic advisor said: "The Kyoto treaty will doom Russia to poverty, weakness and backwardness. If the US and Australia can't afford it, how can Russia?''
GORBACHEV | There is no doubt that reducing greenhouse gases will have costs -- it will take spending money, products may be more expensive, and it will affect competition. That can't be denied. But what is the alternative? Climate change is real, and its costs for the whole planet will be very real. These problems can be solved, especially as we modernize industry with environmental concerns in mind.
Leadership is about making hard choices, taking into account the long view. Let's hope that Russia does not stand on the sidelines on this issue of global warming. Let's hope it doesn't let the international community down. Whenever we have talked about this, President Putin said he will ratify the Kyoto Protocol in the end. I trust him on this, but as President (Ronald) Reagan used to say, "Trust, but verify."
NPQ | What do you think of the American doctrine of preemption?
GORBACHEV | Those who talk about leadership of the world all the time ought to exercise it. Rather than develop strategic doctrines of military preemption -- as we've seen in Iraq, where no weapons of mass destruction have yet been found -- let's act where the intelligence is clear: on climate change and other issues such as water, where today 2 billion people in the world don't have access to clean water. Let's talk instead about preempting global warming and the looming water crisis.
NPQ | In your time in power in the Soviet Union, we used to talk about the dictatorship of the proletariat. Now, more than a decade after the Cold War, we have something new -- a dictatorship of the consumer.
The mass market and political system give them what they want, when they want it, which is now. But the consumer calculus is self-interest; his horizon is short term. In the consumer societies, there is thus no constituency for the future -- for the long-term issues we've been discussing, from climate change to water.
How can a constituency for the future be built?
GORBACHEV | All of us, but particularly in America, consume too much for the planet's well being. Americans are less than 5 percent of the world population, but use 30 percent of all the energy. Gradually, we need to abandon the model of consumer society. If we continue with this model, we will surely undermine nature. And that, in turn, will undermine the stability of our societies.
Building a constituency for the future is, as I said, a task for political leadership. But it also requires an active civil society because, as we know and as you suggest, political leaders in today's more democratic world look most often to the next election, not the next generation.
To add to this problem, the great gap between rich and poor that has grown with globalization is already undoing the accomplishments of the democratic wave of the early 1990s. More and more, there is a trend toward authoritarianism as a way to cope with the dislocations of globalization.
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
Seychelles - The Indian Ocean could lose most of its coral islands in the next 50 years if sea temperatures continue to rise and reefs badly damaged by global warming do not recover.
Global warming triggered the death of between 50 and 98 percent of coral reefs in a region stretching from northern Mozambique to Eritrea to Indonesia in 1998 and although there has been some recovery, scientists remain concerned. "We have reason to believe that if climate changes continue due to the carbon dioxide that is being pumped into the atmosphere, the temperatures at ground level and in the oceans will go up," Dr. Carl Lundin, head of the marine program of the Swiss-based World Conservation Union (IUCN), said.
"So virtually all the coralline islands have a decent chance of disappearing in 50 years," Lundin stated in Victoria, the capital of the Seychelles.
Coral reefs are among the most diverse and productive communities on earth. Found in warm, clear, shallow waters of tropical oceans worldwide, reefs have functions ranging from providing food and shelter to fish and invertebrates to protecting the shore from erosion.
Many coral reef organisms can only tolerate a narrow range of environmental conditions and are very sensitive to damage from environmental changes such as rising temperatures which can cause bleaching and eventual death.
Lundin said sustained warming up of ocean currents which followed the El Nino effect in 1998 resulted in bleaching and widespread damage to corals in the Indian Ocean.
"So a very large region has been affected and an awful lot of damage has been caused by the temperature increases which varied from one to two to generally up to five degrees Celsius."
The Seychelles' coralline islands of Amirantes, Aldabra, Bird island and Denis island which support unique ecosystems are seriously threatened.
"These islands are made of fossil reefs that have been raised out of the water but as erosion continues, they are likely to be gnawed away," said Lundin.
Lundin said there was some coral recovery with islands which lost up to 100 percent of their coral cover in 1998 having regained between two and 20 percent of their cover.
He attributed the gradual recovery of corals in Seychelles to time and the lack of negative development.
Take a virtual tour of the Seychelles newest luxury Eco Destination: North Island
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
SWAKOPMUND, Namibia -- Out in the rolling red dunes stretching for hundreds of miles from this palm-lined resort lie the remains of some wrecked C-119 cargo planes.
They're the latest evidence of Hollywood's growing infatuation with the Namibian desert -- sets for "Flight of the Phoenix," a 20th Century Fox remake of the 1965 adventure set in Mongolia's Gobi Desert.
Namibia may not be an obvious stand-in, but it beat out other locations scouted in China, Chile, South Africa and the United States.
"Not only does Namibia have the tallest dunes, but it also has the perfect climate, because it is close to the ocean," said production designer Patrick Lumb. "It is ideal, because it looks isolated and inaccessible, when in actual fact we're 10 minutes away from Swakopmund."
Peaceful Remote Luxury
Swakopmund, home to about 30,000 people, is a popular resort on the Atlantic coast with numerous restaurants and outdoor cafes. Those were packed with cast and crew from the United States, Britain, South Africa and 15 other countries during the four-month film shoot.
"I tell my wife I'm roughing it, but I'm not," said Wyck Godfrey, an executive producer from Los Angeles. "It's like a tourist town."
"Flight of the Phoenix" was the latest in a series of big-budget Hollywood movies shot here in recent years, including "The Cell" (2000), "Beyond Borders" (2003) and "The Young Black Stallion" (2003). There have also been film productions from India, Italy, Poland and Britain, and documentaries, commercials and music videos are regularly shot here.
Still, this southern African country remains relatively undiscovered as a film location, said Guy Nockles, the movie's Namibian unit production manager. "It is new, has variety and is a great location," he said.
Namibia has decent infrastructure and a government eager to help international film productions get what they need.
The movie work is a boost for an economy in which more than a third of the population lives on less than $1 a day.
Business was booming in Swakopmund during filming of "Flight of the Phoenix" -- particularly at the popular fish restaurant The Tug, which was frequented by director John Moore and lead actor Dennis Quaid.
Add up the money spent on accommodation, restaurants and other personal expenses, and the movie put $35.3 million into the local economy, Nockles said.
It also created much-needed jobs in an area with about 40 percent unemployment, said Freddy Kaukungua, spokesman for Swakopmund's municipal government.
"They are part-time, but if more and more movies come, we can create a whole new sector," he said.
"Flight of the Phoenix" used up to 280 crew members a day, including around 130 Namibians. Their wages were not high by Hollywood standards, but the $14.50 daily minimum was double the local rate for unskilled workers.
The recent volatility of the South African rand, to which the Namibian dollar is pegged, is a problem for international productions.
"Mad Max Fury Road," also a 20th Century Fox production, canceled plans to film here last fall when the U.S. dollar fell sharply against the rand. The producers of "Flight of the Phoenix" had hedged against foreign exchange volatility by buying all the rands they needed early.
There were a few problems during the shoot, filmmakers said, citing a break-in at a crew member's home and insufficient policing in the town.
And Swakopmund is also incapable of supporting more than one feature film at a time.
"Accommodation would be the biggest problem. There are no more houses available for rent," said Nockles, who co-owns a production company, Namib Films. "You walk around restaurants, and you can't get in. You look in, and it's mostly film crew."
Nockles is convinced Hollywood will be back.
"Americans after every war make a stack of movies," he said. "They just had a war in the desert. Where else would they come?"
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Vacationtechnician personalized luxury adventure travel transports you to the most exquisite wilderness and chill out retreats on Earth. Conserving rare biodiversity through low volume tourism; our aim is your indulgence -at no one's expense. Plan now to be assured a rejuvenating escape at a restful pace -to an unspoiled gem in the purest sense.
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