Travel can have such a positive impact on both the traveler and the destination.

As travelers, we learn, we grow, and we experience new and different things.

And as responsible travelers, we can give back to the destinations that offer us so much by helping protect the places we visit and supporting the local communities.

As KeeKee likes to say, leave only paw prints.

Known as Ecotourism or Sustainable Travel, there is a growing interest in this type of travel among travelers, tour operators, and destinations. It offers a win-win-win as it benefits for you and your family, the environment, and the local people.

Africa is a top destination for sustainable travel, and for safari operators like African Travel, Inc., it's how they do business. According to Sherwin Banda, President of African Travel, “Sustainable tourism uplifts local communities and supports wildlife conservation in Africa. Our commitment is to leave the destination better than we found it by reinvesting in Africa to ensure the continent remains vibrant for future generations to enjoy.”

Through their African Travel Cares (#AfricanTravelCares) and their partnerships with the not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation, income from trips booked supports over 60+ initiatives and local communities, places, and wildlife.

  

One of African Travel’s premier partners is Shamwari Private Game Reserve. Located in the southeastern part of South Africa, an hour outside of Port Elizabeth, Shamwari is one of the largest private game reserves in South Africa, with seven luxury lodges, one explorer camp, and two different education and rehabilitation facilities. It employs over 325 local staff.

At destinations like Shamwari, your entire family can have the experience of a lifetime, while supporting the destination, as the private game reserves are protecting the animals and employing the locals.

Shamwari has a rich conservation story. Many species, like the black rhino, the Cape lion, cheetah, hippo, and buffalo, were gone from this area because of hunting and development. Over the last 25 years, they have consolidated and rehabilitated the land, and these wild animal species were reintroduced and are now thriving.

They have excellent learning programs and experiences designed specifically for families. Their conservation programs and centers are world-renowned.

• The Rhino Conservation Project is one of the best in Africa, protecting these gentle giants from the alarming rate of poaching happening.
• The Born Free Foundation Big Cat Rescue Centre draws attention to the plight of wild big cats.
• The Shamwari Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre, considered one of the best in Southern Africa, provides veterinary care to young, abandoned, orphaned, or injured animals in the area surrounding the reserve.

You and your family can enjoy a virtual sample of this life-changing experience by going on Shamwari’s Virtual Safari at Shamwari (link to it on your website). You’ll see a pride of lions, an elephant enjoying a cooling mud bath, giraffes grazing, zebras rustling, white rhinos eating, and more.

We hope this excites you to explore the benefits of an African Safari. Start dreaming and planning your family's safari vacation today.

Africa Adventure Awaits!