Win a Trip to Africa!

We're KEEN-ly aware you're in need of a heart healthy vacay. As such, KEEN Inc., a leader in hybrid outdoor performance products, including footwear, socks and bags — is running an exciting contest with the chance to win a week-long volunteer vacation at an animal rescue society near Cape Town, South Africa.

The trip is being organized by i-to-i, a U.K.-based volunteer travel company who has sent more than 20,000 people to volunteer in Africa, Asia, Australasia and Latin America since 1996. The winner will volunteer at TEARS, an animal shelter that provides pet food parcels, veterinary treatment and animal care education for community members with animals that could not otherwise afford these goods and services. The society also works with children who have had extremely hard lives and teaches them to care and be responsible for animals. Learning these nurturing skills helps to break the cycle of abuse in these children’s lives.

“KEEN values the work that TEARS is doing - teaching a child how to care for an animal can make a life-altering impact on both the animal and the child," says Bobbie Parisi, Vice President of Marketing of KEEN. “In a struggling economy, the first charities to feel the pinch are those working with animals, so volunteers’ efforts are much needed.”

After returning from South Africa, KEEN invites the winner to share stories from the trip on its HybridLife Community page at www.keenfootwear.com/community. The community connects people who are creating possibilities, engaging with the outdoors, and caring for the world around them.

Valued at about $4000, the trip include: roundtrip coach class air transportation, provided by South African Airways, for one between a major U.S. gateway city and Cape Town South Africa to volunteer with animals in Cape Town, South Africa; and a shared dormitory room in volunteer house for a minimum of one week and up to two weeks. The travel must be completed by September 30, 2010. Beyond the volunteer opportunities, the winner can explore an amazing range of other activities - from surfing to hiking to shopping in and around Cape Town.

In addition to KEEN, additional contest sponsors include National Geographic Society, and i-to-i Volunteer Vacations.

Entries are being accepted until August 21, 2009, at www.keenfootwear.com/southafrica.

Kenya & Tanzania: Climb Kilimanjaro!

Crowned by eternal snow, Mount Kilimanjaro is called the "Home of God" because to climb Kilimanjaro is to stand on the roof of Africa. Leave it to Mountain Travel Sobek to offer the most comprehensive, one-of-a-kind Kilimanjaro adventure around. Eco-Adventurer says, "What better way to appreciate the environment than to get right up in it?" Operating Kilimanjaro climbs since 1974, Mountain Sobek was the first company to lead commercial treks up the mountain. Today, over 90% reach Kilimanjaro's 19,340-foot high summit. We think those are pretty good odds, don't you?
Climbing Kilimanjaro is a Mountain Travel Sobek (MTS) classic, enough so that anchorwoman Ann Curry used MTS to make her own ascent to Africa's highest peak. In Amboseli National Park, you'll slip into "safari mode" by viewing elephants before taking off on a six-day climb of Kilimanjaro via the rarely-traveled Rongai Route, a trail skirting spectacular Mawenzi peak. You'll track game along the Tsavo National Park on the banks of the Galana River where MTS has the only permit to camp and hike along this stunning waterway. Your savvy naturalist guides include Alex Fiksman, one of East Africa’s leading mountaineers and rock-climbing aces, and Julius Odhiambo, one of Kenya’s top ornithologists and naturalists. As a grand finale, the trip ends with some "R&R" at the Indian Ocean coast (you'll need it) where you’ll bask in shameless luxury at a deluxe resort — a perfect spot to unwind at the conclusion of an unforgettable safari.

Not up for the climb? While your spouse, partner, or friend goes for the summit, you can enjoy traditional safari activities in five-star comfort like game viewing, horseback riding, and "sundowners," at two permanent camps: Ol Donyo Wuas, at the foot of the Chyulu Hills; and Finch Hatton’s, a luxurious legacy of the former big game hunter in Tsavo. Both offer views of Kilimanjaro. On Day 10 (see itinerary below) you’ll meet the group in Tsavo after the climb.

Itinerary: Kilimanjaro & Beyond - Rongai Route

Day 1 - Meet in Nairobi, Kenya. Overnight at the Karen Blixen Cottages, just outside Nairobi.

Days 2-3 - Game viewing in Amboseli, noted for having the most magnificent elephant herds in Africa and dramatic views of Kilimanjaro. Noted researchers Cynthia Moss and Joyce Poole have conducted groundbreaking elephant studies here for almost 30 years.

Days 4-7 - From the lower slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro on the Kenya side, you'll be climbing through unspoiled forests, moorlands, and alpine zone, arriving at a high camp at 15,500'. You'll take an extra day for acclimatization below the craggy north face of Mawenzi, Kilimanjaro's forgotten peak (it's the second-highest point at 16,893 feet).

Day 8 - Pre-dawn hike (the classic alpine start) to Kilimanjaro's glacier-clad summit to watch the sun rise over the African plains, an indescribable thrill and feeling of accomplishment! Descend to camp at 12,000'.
Day 9 - Hike down through the lush equatorial rain forest, home to colobus and Syke's monkeys. Meet waiting vehicles for a drive to the hotel in Marangu, Tanzania.

Day 10 - Drive to camp along the Galana River in Tsavo East National Park where Mountain Travel Sobek has an exclusive permit.

Days 11-12 - Tsavo is Africa at its most intense and dramatic, a raw sunburned land through which the Galana, the only source of water for the wildlife, cuts a bright green swath. Accompanied by trackers and an armed escort, you'll carefully search for prides of lions, including the rare maneless males, stalk elephant herds, view hippos and crocs in quiet pools, and enjoy some of the best birding in Kenya.

Day 13 - Drive to palm-fringed Watamu Beach at Malindi on the Indian Ocean coast, where you can swim, snorkel, bird-watch, or go deep-sea fishing (optional).

Day 14 - Morning on the beach; fly to Nairobi in the afternoon and depart, or join one of our extensions in East Africa.
Dates & Prices

2009
Jun 01 - Jun 14
Jul 09 - Jul 22
Jul 31 - Aug 13
Aug 29 - Sep 11
Sep 28 - Oct 11

2010
Jan 24 - Feb 06
Feb 22 - Mar 07
Jun 20 - Jul 03
Jul 20 - Aug 02
Sep 17 - Sep 30
Oct 17 - Oct 30

2009 Prices
$6,295 (11–15 members)
$6,595 (7–10 members)
$6,995 (3–6 members)
$1,250 park fees
$300 internal air
$1,200 single supplement

Toll Free 1-888-831-7526 (USA & Canada)

So what are you waiting for? The ice caps to melt?

Cape Town, South Africa: 'The Nelly' aka. The Mount Nelson Hotel

Is that really? No... it couldn't be. I think I've found... The Gates of Heaven?
Or close. It's... The Nelly! Can a hotel's nickname get any better than that? Bono, Alicia Keys, Kate Moss... if they're gonna fly off on a jaunt to Cape Town, they say, 'Might as walk through the pearly white gates' (or rather, the fancy white columns). This is where they rest their weary heads: The Orient-Express' iconic Mount Nelson Hotel (also known as 'The Nelly'). Just check out that prime location with sweeping views of South Africa's famous Table Mountain.
South Africa... what can we say? It brought us Nelson Mandela and the hope for freedom, now realized. So we say, begin the day with a stroll through their gardens and you'll no longer need to imagine yourself 'Out of Africa' because, yes, you've arrived. Next, head to the renowned Librisa Spa for The African Wellbeing Experience beginning with a lavender soak and concluding with a vanilla and wild ginger massage. That should work up your appetite. We also recommend, for those who can (and can't) afford to stay the night, tea time with five different kinds of teas, tiny finger sandwiches, savory quiches, scones, cakes of every shape and size, and big bowls of strawberries, fruit salad and blueberries.
Prepare for a night of stars at the Mount Nelson’s Planet Champagne Bar where you can mingle with stylish Capetonians and other guests from across the globe while sipping exotic cocktails under a twinkling fiber optic Milky Way.

It won't come cheap, but we can tell you this much... you'll be hard pressed to find a better spot overlooking Table Mountain on the tip of this promising continent.

Room rates begin at $650/per night.

www.mountnelson.co.za or call 800-237-1236

South Africa: #1 Game Reserve in the World

If you haven't seen the incredible footage at Kruger National Park, we recommend visiting Youtube after your little tete-a-tete with Jaunt Magazine.

Why?

Because plenty of amazing survival instincts abound.
And we're all about survival of the fittest (not counting those who amend nature with 'the knife').

Speaking of which, now's the time to give a shout out to Travel + Leisure's #1 in The World.

South Africa's:
Singita Sabi Sand.

Giraffes, lions, zebras, elephants. We're really not sure what more you need, but, perhaps, 45 immaculately designed environmentally friendly lodges deep in the African bush?


Singita Ebony and Singita Boulders are located in the Sabi Sands reserve known for prolific wildlife, while Singita Lebombo and Singita Sweni in Kruger National Park, close to the Mozambique border, offer more of the same and stunning wilderness.

We could go on and on about realizing what life has to offer, conservation, the beauty of Africa, the homeland of every single one of us, but instead we'll give you this.

A glass and wood cabin at Sweni Lodge for river views, 4 restaurants, 4 bars, and wine tasting in the 14,000-bottle cellar at Boulders Lodge.

5 star Africa.

Kruger National Park
27-21/683-3424
www.singita.com

Once you get your game on, don't you dare forget to give a little back. Here are a few sites for conservation and volunteer travel in South Africa to round out your life-changing trip.

www.i-to-i.com/south-africa

www.volunteertravel.com/southafrica.html

www.caresa-lesotho.org.za

Hamba kahle.
That's goodbye in Zulu to you.

Africa: Heli-Fari Out

Adventure...
It's the last refuge of the revolutionary.
At least that’s what I always say.

In this day and age, finding the right destination to fit your needs can be as elusive as finding ‘The One’. So before you throw caution to the wind and blindly take the travel plunge, look into luxury destination with a twist. Swim with sharks or charter a seaplane, just don’t say I didn’t recommend an African heli-fari.

Heli-Fari, Far Out: The Okavango Delta with Orient-Express

If you really want to take your safari to new heights, Orient-Express Safaris offers the path less ordinary with the heli-fari experience. Their three camps; Eagle Island Camp, Savute Elephant Camp and Khwai River Lodge – are all, without-a-doubt, extravagantly... eco-friendly. At Eagle Island Camp deep within Botswana's Okavango Delta on the island of Xaxaba, you are surrounded by Illala Palms and a camp overlooking a lagoon fed by the Delta while you enjoy Champagne picnics, outdoor showers at Savute Elephant Camp or specialty cocktails at Eagle Island’s Fish Eagle Bar, a NY Times honoree for one of ‘the most romantic bars in the world.’

So save up, shut up, and get your safari on.

www.orient-express.com/web/luxury/travel/travel_botswana.jsp