Senior Moments October 08

October 2008

[ SENIOR MOMENTS ]
Stephanie on Safari
Stephanie Vendig, Ledger Columnist

    Ideally, retirement offers more opportunities for travel. The growth of the cruise ship industry—whose average age of clients is 67—and the travel industry in recent years has been phenomenal. And marketing to the 50+ population is in full force. Between discounts offered for older travelers and organizations catering to this demographic, traveling to a distant place is not the privilege of only the young or the rich.
My traveling to distant places started in 1963. Some 40 years later, the travel gene is in my blood, and I continue to look for different kinds of trips which will help me understand this planet Earth with its diversity of people and nature.
    Recently, an African safari in Botswana became my choice. A safari focuses on observing wildlife in their own habitat. Parks and reserves, including private concessions, are set aside to protect these animals. Botswana, just north of South Africa, has 40% of the country reserved for wildlife.
    Generally, the price of safaris will vary according to your accommodations—of which there is a wide range. You can be part of a safari group that sets up their own tents, or like we did, go to a semi-permanent camp of tents with pit toilets, some rigged flush toilets, showers from buckets overhead and a common eating area. You can join a group, or you can go as individuals with your own guide.
Safaris are rarely aerobic. You may take walks, but you are separated from the animals by your vehicle, including canoes or boats. In a Land Rover with open-air seating, you look for sightings of animals throughout the day. If you are the restless type, it might be “boring” as you patiently wait for animals and birds to appear magically before you. For me, it was like taking the lab session of a wildlife biology course. With the guide, you were not only looking for animals, you were introduced to their habits, their predators, their food, and how they survive. We were looking at tracks and dung to see where they might be going or what they were doing. And it was positively exciting when we were “up close and personal.”
    If you are fascinated by animals at the zoo and are interested in their natural state, consider a safari for your next trip—and never say you are too old.