tripto

Africa – the second largest continent in the world is also home to the largest desert in the world—the Sahara. In fact there are three deserts on the continent—The Sahara, the Namib and the Kalahari. Together these three amazingly vast and diverse land masses cover a large portion of Africa. Beautiful, yet treacherous, these areas of the continent provide a rich geological and cultural history that dates back millions of years.

The Sahara Desert – As inconceivable as it seems, this desert is ever changing, shrinking and growing in size. Satellite photos studied from the early 1980s show that the Sahara’s southern edge is expanding into the Sahel, a dry band that separates the desert from the Savanna. But the mid-1980s saw this area grow green and wet again. A common trade route for many centuries, caravans traveled through the Sahara spending days and weeks traversing the immense landscape. Several desert oases here made trade possible between the ports of North African and the southern Savannah markets.

There are around 4 million people or so that dwell in the Sahara, mostly in Mauritania, Western Sahara, Algeria, Libya and Egypt. Additionally there is a fascinating and impressive array of animal life, include gerbil, jerboa, cape hare, desert hedgehog, barbary sheep, oryx, gazelle, deer, wild ass, baboon, hyena, jackal, sand fox, weasel and mongoose. The bird life includes more than 300 species. This vast life and diverse culture comes all in one desert.

The Namib Desert – The sand dunes of the Namib Desert are the highest dunes on Earth. While the Sahara is the largest desert in the world, the Namib is considered the oldest desert, having endured arid or semi-arid conditions for at least 80 million years. In the Nama language, Namib means “vast”, and this is no exaggeration. At 50,000 kilometers, the Namib-Naukluft Park is the largest conservation area in Namibia and one of the largest in the world. Wind blows the thirsty Namib Desert sand into sharp ridges. Amazingly there are animals, insects and plants that reside in this beautiful, yet mostly inhospitable region of the world. One of its most unusual inhabitants, the Welwitschia, is a shrub-like plant that grows just two long, strap-shaped leaves continuously throughout its lifetime. It is believed that they are very long-lived, possibly living 1000 years or more. Some individuals may be more than 2000 years old.

The Kalahari Desert – A geological wonder, the Kalahari Desert is part of the huge sand basin that reaches from the Orange River up to Angola, in the west to Namibia and in the east to Zimbabwe. The sand masses of wind-shaped sand that are so common in the Kalahari landscape were created by the erosion of soft stone formations. Thanks to vegetation in the area, the dunes were stabilized 10,000 to 20,000 years ago. Strangely enough, the grasses, thorny shrubs and Acacia trees can survive long drought periods of more than 10 months a year. Some scientists don’t consider the Kalahari a true desert because some parts of the Kalahari receive more than 10 inches of rain in a year. Animals that live in the region include brown hyena, lion, meerkat, several species of antelope, and many types of birds and reptiles.

About The Author
James Weis

Eyes on Africa, an African safari company, boasts an extremely knowledgeable team of staff members, who are passionate about every aspect of travel to Southern Africa, including its wildlife and safari destinations. When you’re ready to plan your African safari, a holiday in Africa, or if you just have questions, please feel free to contact us toll free at 800-457-9575 or visit our web site at http://www.eyesonafrica.net/contactus.htm and complete an information request form.

Knysna is a lovely area located on Africa’s ‘Garden Route.’ The garden route is one of Africa’s main locations for travelers and stretches along South Africa’s Coast. Knysna is located between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean.

About Knysna

Knysna is a lovely area located on Africa’s ‘

Garden Route

.’ The garden route is one of Africa’s main locations for travelers and stretches along South Africa’s Coast. Knysna is located between the Outeniqua Mountains and the Indian Ocean. Knysna’s name is thought to derive from the Khio word for ’straight down.’

This name reflects Knysna lagoon’s steep monoliths, appropriately called ‘The Heads.’ Knysna has a mild Mediterranean Maritime climate that ensures year-round greenness and impressive flora and fauna. It is a great vacation location for travelers looking for vacations out of the ordinary.

Traveling in Knysna

There are myriad activities to enjoy in Knysna, from exploring its blue lagoon to hiking in its Tsitsikamma National Park area. Travel is easy; you can rent a car, take a taxi, walk around, or rent bikes. Keep in mind, however, that during high tourist seasons, traffic can be bad, so you’re better off going with any of the other options.

Knysna has multiple golf courses, shops and cafes, all near the amazingly blue lagoon at the center of Knysna. One of the most fun activities if you’re traveling in Knysna is visiting the elephant park. Here you can visit and interact with the elephants by feeding and touching them. It is an amazing experience and one that should be explored if you’re traveling through or to Knysna.

Traveling to locations near Knysna

From Knysna, other locations are accessible by minibus, taxi, or rental car; travel is thus fairly easy. It is about five hundred kilometers to Cape Town and around two hundred and fifty kilometers to Port Elizabeth.

To and from Knysna, there is also an old, historical steam train that travels between Knysna and George (the local airport) and is a great way to take in some excellent scenery. Another small village on the sea near Knysna is Brenton-on-the-Sea, and it is here that you will find even more secluded beaches.

Eating in Knysna

There are a number of restaurants that line the lagoon’s waterfront. You don’t need to travel far to enjoy excellent sea food and other dishes. There is a local brewery in town that also offers tastings and tours.

Travel Lodging in Knysna

There are a number of excellent hotels, guesthouses, and Bed & Breakfasts for travelers to choose from in Knysna, though price and availability tends to be limited in the high tourist seasons. If you have your own transportation, you can also check out nearby Buffalo Bay or Brenton-on-the-Sea.

Author: Marcela Devivo
Article Source : http://www.todaystravel.com

By: Jacob Fiennes

From their construction throughout the centuries the Pyramids of Giza have represented mystery, wonder and awe to all. They are perhaps the only great architecture of the ancients to have survived more or less completely intact.

The oldest pyramid at Giza is the Great Pyramid of Cheops, also known as Khufu, and is the largest known pyramid in existence. It was built around 2500 BC of over two million limestone blocks, each almost three tons in weight. An astonishing achievement and is believed to be the work of around twenty thousand slave workers.

Nearby are the smaller pyramids belonging to Cheops’s son and grandson as well as the Great Sphinx, known as Abu ‘l-Hol, a half-lion, half-man figure of majestic proportions.

Each evening at dusk an enormous sound and light show is played out and, despite its rather tacky touristy nature, is a real fast-track introduction to Egyptian history. Scout through the many persistent camel drivers around the site for a decent tour of the pyramids on humpback, with the best time of day being at daybreak or sundown as these times are quieter and offer the most breathtaking atmosphere to view the pyramids in.

As perhaps the best possible example of real estate location the forty acre Mena House offers rolling views of lush parkland and beautiful gardens right on the Saharan doorstep with the pyramids as a backdrop. Before 1870 the Mena House was King Khedive Ismail’s official hunting lodge, yet today it offers serene escape from the heady tourist areas that surround the Pyramids. Featuring an eighteen hole golf course, a gorgeous swimming pool set right in the lush gardens, and a certain aire of colonial grandeur felt perhaps most on the breakfast terrace, which Evelyn Waugh described best as being “like having the Prince of Wales at the next table”. To enjoy the Mena best choose a room in the old yet beautifully restored suites for a grand view of the Pyramids.

About The Author
Jacob Fiennes is an enthusiastic traveller and photographer with a passion for discovery. He is a founder and regular contributor to the hugely popular worldwide hotel reservations site http://www.travelbx.com/. Visit the site for your next hotel room reservation, flight ticket, tailored holiday package and much more. http://www.travelbx.com.

You will be delighted to hear that Chobe National Park is not only the second largest national park in Botswana but also has one of the greatest concentrations of game found on the African continent. The Park is divided into four sections, the Serondela area, the Savuti Marsh area, the Nogatsaa and Tchinga, and the Linyanti Marsh.

You might think what are you supposed to do in a national park that has four sections. Well the logical thing to do is to view the wildlife and experience the magic of Africa. The first section of the park you want to visit is the Serondela area. This section of Chobe National Park is filled with dense green forests which in turn attract African wildlife like elephants, buffaloes and the famous bee-eater. The Serondela area is the most visited part of Chobe National Park because it is situated near the Victoria Falls. Well if you ever visit Botswana go see the Serondela area in Chobe National Park, it will truly amaze you.

The next section in the park is called the Savuti Marsh area. Long ago, in fact millions of years ago this was a large inland lake whose water was cut by tectonic movements. These days the Savuti marsh is fed by the Savuti Channel, which supplies the marsh with water. The Savuti Marsh is covered with savannahs and grasslands, which attract thousands upon thousands of wild animals every year. During the rainy season you will be able to see an astounding amount of different bird species in the park as well as lions, hyenas and zebras. Now and then you might also be privileged to see a cheetah. If you unable to make the rainy season don’t despair because even in the dry season you will be able to view warthogs, kudus, impalas, zebras, wildebeests and the king of the Chobe National Park the elephant. If ever you want to experience a large scale migration of animals you must visit the Savuti Marsh. It is renowned for its annual trek of zebras and predators.

The third section of Chobe National Park is The Linyanti Marsh. This section of Chobe National Park also called the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. This region is shared between a very small number of private camps. Travellers to this region will be able to view the African wildlife privately and exclusively. If you ever end up in Botswana during the dry season, then The Linyanti Marsh is the place to visit. During the dry season huge concentrations of species such as the zebra and elephant can be seen. It is also renowned for lions and hyenas. All bird lovers will find this region of the Chobe National park irresistible.

The last region is the Nogatsaa and Tchinga, a hot and dry hinterland. All that’s known about this area is that it holds water well into the dry season and during this time it’s a great place to spot elands. I only recommended this area to the adventurous traveller. You truly need hair on your teeth if you want to visit this section of Chobe national park.

The true attraction of the Chobe National Park however, is its elephant population. You have not experience the true spirit of Chobe national park, until you see the African elephant. Visit http://www.chobe-national-park.com/

Author : Goffe Holt
About The Author
Goffe Holt is a travelholic. He specializes in travel and has virtually been all around the world. He is on a mission to see every corner of the earth. Visit http://www.chobe-national-park.com

Ancient Egyptian Art is one of the most recognized, admired and collected art in the history of the world. From delicate gold jewelry to vivid paintings to massive statues dozens of feet tall, for over 5,000 years Egyptian art has fascinated, delighted and awed generation after generation with its beauty, style and mystery. While genuine ancient pieces of art are rare and extremely valuable, modern Egyptian artists make beautiful art and jewelry that is inspired by some of the greatest recovered works from ancient sites, and which adheres strictly to the styles used by ancient artists. Jewelry in gold and silver with inlaid stones are fashioned after pieces of jewelry recovered from ancient tombs. Papyrus Paintings are painted in vivid color on genuine papyrus, made using the same principles developed thousands of years ago on the banks of the Nile, where the papyrus plant grows to this day. Paintings are executed in the style of frontalism, one of the most striking characteristics of ancient Egypt.

Frontalism

Frontalism is the style in which every known piece of ancient Egyptian art was produced. In paintings, the style of frontalism means that the head of the character is drawn in profile, while the body is drawn from a front view. However, even though the face is in profile, the eye is drawn in full, as it would be seen from the front. The legs always face the same direction as the head, with one foot forward and one back.

Ancient Egyptian figures, especially of gods and pharaohs, are noticeable for their very formal, even rigid stance and posture, but their faces are always serene, regardless of the scene in which they are depicted. There were very strict rules about how a god or pharaoh could be represented, which even included a prohibition against anything being drawn in front of the face or body of the pharaoh, even when the scene depicted clearly required it for any kind of realism. Realism was simply not a goal of ancient Egyptian Art. It is these very formal and stylized rules that have made Egyptian Art one of the most widely recognized forms of art in the world. Over thousands of years Egyptian artists adhered to this one style, which is quite remarkable, especially as compared to the extreme differences in art expression that have occurred in the modern world in just the past 100 years or so. The only acknowledged variations are in the portrayals of animals and common people as compared to the more formal depictions of pharaohs and gods. As can be seen in many Egyptian paintings, animals and common people or slaves are represented in a more natural manner, though still within very strict and formulaic rules.

This frontalist style is the primary reason why ancient Egyptian art is so easily recognizable, and its appeal has lasted through many centuries to this day.

Author : Ann Hession
About The Author

Ann M. Hession is the founder of http://www.egyptianartisans.com. A graduate of Harvard University, Ms. Hession has been fascinated by ancient Egyptian art and culture since high school. Egyptian Artisans is dedicated to sharing the beauty and mystery of ancient Egypt through making available fine Egyptian art and jewelry.

Article Source : http://www.articlecity.com/