safarilover

It took me a while to compile all of this. Obviously, I am hooked, and a disproportionate amount of my income is spent on African travel, but it's my passion.

July - 1972 - South Africa, Rhodesia - 3 weeks
June - 1985 - South Africa, Zimbabwe - 3 weeks
Dec. - 1986 - South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe - 3 weeks
July - 1989 - Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe - 4 weeks
Aug. - 1991 - Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana - 5 weeks
July - 1993 - South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia - 5 weeks
July - 1995 - Zambia, Namibia, South Africa, Swaziland, Malawi - 5 weeks
July - 1996 - Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, South Africa - 4 weeks
July - 1997 - Namibia, South Africa - 5 weeks
Dec. - 1997 - South Africa, Namibia - 2 weeks
July - 1998 - Zambia, Namibia, South Africa - 4 weeks
Dec. - 1998 - South Africa - 2 weeks
July - 1999 - Namibia, South Africa, Botswana - 4 weeks
July - 2000 - Botswana, Zambia, South Africa - 4 weeks
Apr. - 2001 - South Africa, Namibia - 2 weeks
July - 2001 - South Africa, Zimbabwe, Namibia - 4 weeks
Apr. - 2002 - South Africa - 2 weeks
July - 2002 - South Africa, Namibia - 3 weeks
Mar. - 2003 - South Africa - 2 weeks
Aug. - 2003 - South Africa, Namibia - 5 weeks
Feb. - 2004 - South Africa - 4 weeks
Aug. - 2004 - Namibia, South Africa - 6 weeks
Jan. - 2005 - South Africa - 5 weeks
Aug. - 2005 - South Africa, Namibia - 6 weeks
Jan. - 2006 - Tanzania, South Africa - 6 weeks
Aug. - 2006 - South Africa, Namibia - 6 weeks
Feb. - 2007 - South Africa - 6 weeks

maxwell

Favor --
How did you like Mauritania? My next Africa trip that doesn't involve wildlife will probably be Mali or Mauritania. I've heard lots of great things about Mali but haven't heard much about Mauritania. I'm oddly fascinated by it though.

Kavey

Goodness, I would love to be able to do a trip every year... 2 a year would be just wonderful. What wonderful, wonderful memories some of you must have built up. I have many just from my few trips but some of you must have so very many!

Botsfan

Leely,
I was two years older than you when I started my trips to Africa, which were purely holidays and not living or working there. I have been 30 plus times at the rate of once a year and twice 4 0r 5 years. So carry on, girl,you can do it!
I don't ever get tired of safaris, and since finding this Forum I'm even keener. I'm just 14 weeks away from this year's fix.
Jan

Patty

Jan/Feb 2005 Kenya (9 nights + 4 night CDG stopover)
Nov/Dec 2005 Kenya/Tanzania (19 nights)
Nov/Dec 2006 Kenya/Tanzania (17 nights)

Booked:

Sep 2007 SA/Namibia (17 nights)
Feb 2008 Kenya (13 nights + 4 night AMS stopover) - just put the award flights on hold this morning, so still subject to much tweaking, no accommodations confirmed yet, but at least we have some flights on hold, woohoo!

Favor

maxwell - Mauritania was fascinating. I met a friend in Atar and we went out into the desert. The desert there just goes on and on. It was so hot it was difficult to fall asleep. Out of Nouakchott the beach on the coast also goes on and on.

I had a great time because of the knowledge and connections of my friend. I'm not sure there is so much there that other places wouldn't be worth while to visit first. Since Mali has the Niger flowing through it, I would suspect it might be more interesting than Mauritania.

maxwell

Thanks Favor. Yeah, it's the desert that appeals to me most about Mauritania. I don't know if you saw it, but there was a very interesting article in the new york times at the beginning of July about Mauritania's problem with parents forcing girls to overeat to conform to the Mauritanian preferred body type. Caught my attention since I rarely see articles on that country. I also decided I could safely skip the gym that day

Favor

I would say Mauritania's biggest problem is slavery, which is still practised.

maxwell

To clarify: I certainly was not suggesting that was their biggest problem. I am always extremely interested in cultural differences, big or small, regardless of whether or not it is a country's biggest problem.

Femi

Maxwell, I was watching a show on a tribe in Uganda where girls were actually threatened with a beating to force them to overeat.

Not quite as enjoyable as I'd imagined. I'd fantasized about eating eclairs and other goodies, not downing gallon after gallon of dairy product

maxwell

Femi - Wow - see i had no idea that went on in Uganda too. Yes, the article on Mauritania was very disturbing. Although certainly not their biggest problem facing the country, it was not a pleasant experience for the young ladies, to say the least!!

Favor

maxwell - I wasn't assuming you thought the effort to fatten girls up was Mauritania's biggest issue. I mentioned the slavery problem as a lot of people don't know it still exists in places like Mauritania.

maxwell

Favor - Thanks for clarifying that misunderstanding.
Cheers.

napamatt

Yes slavery is still practised in Mauritania, which probably means they are next in line to chair the UN Ctee on Human rights.

Favor

napamatt - no doubt! ;-)