Durban waterfrontThis is my second trip to Africa in 5 months. I wasn’t planning on returning so soon, but South Africa Tourism hosts a fantastic travel trade show in May, so here I am. I arrive to Durban after two days of travel, a bit worse for the wear, but immediately pumped up by the excitement in the air. Durban hosts Africa’s Travel Indaba every year and they make a big deal out of it. Murals painted across the airport walls, a welcoming party, everyone is excited --- it’s time for Indaba!
I’m scheduled to the hilt every day from 7 AM to nearly midnight. Meetings with our existing partners across the continent as well as some 35 meetings with new safari lodges, tour operators in new destinations, ski resorts (not lying!) --- anything I think our travelers might be interested in is in my crosshairs. I LOVE trade shows. I learn more in 3 days than I have in 6 years of planning trips to South Africa. That is how valuable these shows can be.
It doesn’t hurt that the setting is Durban. Located up the coast from Cape Town, Durban is on the Indian Ocean, surrounded by lush sugarcane fields. It’s a bit off the beaten tourism path (due to its grittiness), but the Maharani Hotel, at which I’m staying, and the conference center, are both modern and lovely. The best part of Durban is the promenade – which is wide, charming and runs along the beach. The morning after the trade show ends, I stroll along the promenade with a huge number of Durbanites. It’s Sunday morning and I’m shocked at how many people are out exercising with their friends and loved ones. I spend a half hour out on a pier, watching the local surfers at their craft, before heading back to the Maharani Hotel to catch my Uber for the airport. Time for safari!
The holiday of a lifetime. The company is Alaksa-owned and thhat makes a big difference to the experineces you get i.e. meet genuine First Nations tribes people. The amount of wildlife was beyond my expectation, and seeing everything on sucha small, intimate boat made it even more spoecial and unique.
Liz O
1 day ago
Adventure Life covered all the details in planning our trip to Ireland. Any questions we had were answered immediately. Any trip glitches, which always happen when traveling, were resolved immediately. There were no worries, just fun!
Kathleen Weller
1 day ago
It was an outstanding, up-close, educational vacation of nature, culture, history, animals and geology! It was everything they promised! Binoculars were plentiful on the boat, but I'm glad I brought my own. Food was excellent. Rooms had black-out shades. Pack/wear multiple layers of clothing (I carried a small backpack when off the ship). Crew were delightful and very accommodating! Remember to jump FEET FIRST first when taking the optional polar plunge! Spend as much time outdoors as you are able and ENJOY!!!
Janet Dutton
6 days ago
Excellent travel advice and service
This is my second experience working with Adventure Life. I’m sold. Jess Heuermann is an experienced traveler and provides a lot of useful information when planning a trip. These are the questions I like to ask at the outset - What’s it like to go here, there, what would you suggest, what do people report, can we add any additional side trips? Jess took the time to answer my questions and seek additional information to share with me. Petchie Colina is outstanding in helping with travel logistics and final preparations. Adventure Life has excellent guides and offers private guides and small group adventures. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk with the guides and drivers to learn more about their countries, cultures and histories. A highlight was having the guides pick local restaurants where we could share meals together. Highly recommend.
Claire Cordon
1 week ago
Our six-day tour in Iceland went smoothly with one exception. We had asked for two rooms each night. Somehow we were booked with one room with three beds. It could not be fixed at the first hotel in Reykjavik because the hotel was fully booked. Once informed of the problem, however, Adventure Life rebooked for two rooms for the remainder of the trip. As an 85-year-old traveler, I appreciated that one could participate at different physical levels at many of the stops. Iceland is a great place to visit but on the expensive side.