rwanda

Ecotour Takes Adventurers On A Tour To Meet Gorillas

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

Observing gorillas in their natural habitat takes a bit of doing. Terra Incognita Ecotours, an adventure travel company that specializes in wildlife-focused ecotours, is offering an once-in-a-lifetime journey to Rwanda's wilderness, the home of the endangered mountain gorilla. The ecotour also helps to support the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project.

The 10-day trip takes travelers near Rwanda's Virunga Volcanoes, for an adventure that includes tracking the mountain gorillas twice. Other highlights include visiting the grave of famed primatologist Dian Fossey and meeting Dr. Mike Cranfield, a veterinarian from the Mountain Gorilla Veterinarian project who will explain the threats facing these animals and why they need to be protected. Other highlights include seeing a variety of birds, elephant, hippo, giraffe, spotted hyena, buffalo, and crocodiles in Akagera National Park and staying in the newly refurbished Virunga Lodge. A donation will be made to the Mountain Gorilla Veterinary Project on behalf of each participant. The tour is available November 26- December 5, 2010; March 4-13, 2011 and May 27-June 5, 2011. Cost per person is $6,649, Group size is limited to 16 participants; single supplement is $1,000; international airfare is not included.

Tags: africa, ecotourism, ecotours, gorilla, mountain gorillas, rwanda, travel

Luxury Stays Pop Up In Unexpected Places

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels

Would you vacation in Sri Lanka? How about Rwanda? A recent Newsweek article rounds up some luxury resorts in countries where tourism has often been stymied by governmental instability. Some of these countries, such as Sri Lanka, the jewel of the Indian Ocean, offer some of the world's most beautiful vistas. But in Sri Lanka's case, governmental instability followed by a tsunami have kept tourists away.

For developing countries or countries seeking to regain a tourism business they have lost, it often makes sense to lure the luxury traveler. The new getaways in these countries are no bargain stays. A stay in a chalet at the Sabyinyo Silverback Lodge, shown above, costs more than $400 per person. In Bolivia you can stay at the Hotel Luna Salada, where most everything, the pillars, walls, chairs, floors, tables are made of monumental blocks of salt.

There's an undeniable lure in visiting places that haven't been overrun with tourism yet. Because the hotel chains haven't taken over yet, each stay offers something a bit unique. And while the staycation is currently in vogue, there's nothing wrong with stimulating the economy in far-flung locales.

Source

Tags: bolivia, rwanda, sri lanka, SriLanka, travel

The Clinton Foundation, Charity of the Day

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Charity of the Day, Big Givers

The Clinton Foundation has recently concluded its philanthropy tour of Africa, where the former President worked tirelessly to reduce treatment costs for malaria and spoke in support of public health efforts to reduce the incidence of HIV/AIDS among children. He also helped celebrate the opening of a $1 million, 180-bed hospital in Rwanda. The foundation's Travel to Africa Blog followed Clinton on his multiple stops throughout the continent between the end of July and August 6 and includes video of some of Clinton's speeches during his visit.

Bill Clinton established his eponymous foundation during his second term as President. The foundation has grown to support programs focused on combating climate change, HIV/AIDS and other health concerns and childhood obesity.

Source
Source

Tags: africa, bill clinton, BillClinton, childhood obesity, ChildhoodObesity, climate crisis, ClimateCrisis, global warming, GlobalWarming, hivaids, philanthropy, rwanda, the clinton foundation, TheClintonFoundation