Edition 46: Spring 2009

People attending the grandiose show can’t believe their luck. Considering the discounted price of their tickets, they’d been expecting seats in the upper reaches, as well as a few annoying punters rustling with candy wrappers, but now they are firmly planted in the front row, experiencing an intimate performance seemingly put on for them alone. 

The stage: Africa, today.

Has there ever been a better time to visit? There is an unparalleled diversity of experiences for you to enjoy, and with more of the place to yourself and falling prices, brought on by the current economic climate, the world’s greatest theatrical production is now even better value.

For those of you whose travel budgets haven’t been affected by the credit crunch, I expect you’ll continue on as you’ve always done, perhaps using the reduced tariffs to either upgrade or extend parts of your next African holiday. However, what I’d really love to know is how those of you who have an insatiable desire for travel in Africa are altering your plans in today’s economic environment.

Are you doing simple things such as shortening your vacations, visiting in the cheaper off-season and staying in more modest accommodation? Or are you fundamentally changing what you see and do while in Africa?

Have you thought about branching out like Matthew Covarr (North to Natron, page 48) to explore lesser known parks and wilderness areas that don’t carry the same price tag as the big hitters? Are you following Sue Watt’s lead (Windhoek: a tale of two cities, page 42) and mixing your safari time with budget-minded ventures into rural or urban areas, giving yourself the opportunity understand life in Africa away from the tourist trade? Or are you going even further and giving back to the continent that you hold dear, volunteering in local communities with organisations like Camps International (People over profits, page 88)?

Besides offering insights to experiences you may not have been aware of, these stories also hope to show that there is this amazing array of rewarding African travel options for you, no matter what your budget.

Today, on that vast African stage, each and every character – both natural and cultural – is ready to step out from behind the curtain. We hope you’ll be there to enjoy it like never before. Safari njema!