A World Heritage Site, Serengeti National Park is undoubtedly one of the most famous wildlife sanctuaries in the world. Covering an area of 14,763 sq km, it is the largest national park in Tanzania.

The Great Migration

The phenomenal display of The Great Migration occurs annually, when 2 million wildebeests, zebras and gazelles begin migrating in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area of the southern Serengeti in Tanzania and loop through the Serengeti National Park and north towards the Masai Mara reserve in Kenya. This event is a natural phenomenon determined by the availability of grazing.

Between May and July, when drought sets in, Serengeti is the site of one of the most breathtaking events in the animal kingdom – the migration of thousands of wildebeest heading southwest, north or west in search of water and greener pastures. The Lobo area remains rich in wildlife during the dry months of August to November when most of the game has moved from the grass plains in the south. This is also true of the Western Corridor towards Lake Victoria when the migration usually lingers in the area between June and July. Serengeti provides sanctuary to the highest concentration of plains animals in the world. Survey estimates indicate an animal population of over 4 million including 3,000 lions, 1,600,000 wildebeest, 300,000 Thomson‘s and Grant‘s gazelle, 500,000 zebras, not to mention over 400 species of birds in the Serengeti.

Crossing the great plains of The Serengeti allow you a chance to spy all big 5 – lion, leopard, elephant, rhino and buffalo as well as giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, topi, hartebeest, impala, Thompson’s and Grant’s gazelles, hyenas, jackals, serval, caracal, baboon, large cobras, monkey, eland, bushbuck, dik-dik, waterbuck, reedbuck, hippos, crocodiles, Patas monkey, turaco, antelope, oribi, grey bush duiker, black-and-white colobus, flamingos, Kori bustard, secretary bird, ostrich, and much more.

Tanzania Safaris

Air Canada Covid Safety Guidelines

You can fly confidently, knowing Air Canada’s Covid Safety measures are in your best interest. They include HEPA filtration systems that capture 99.9% of airborne particles, and continually refresh cabin air. All high-touch areas are sanitized with a hospital-grade disinfectant before every flight and each time an aircraft overnights it receives a thorough cleaning.

Additional preventive measures like blocking the adjacent seat in Economy Class, mandatory face coverings, and adjusted on board service are also in place to better protect customers and employees. Seat buckles, over head bin handles, light switches and controls, armrests and are sanitized regularly between flights.

More about Air Canada’s Clean Care here.

Prior to your flight:

Here are some tips in a nutshell as of today 5th June 2020. See the website for complete details.

• Confirm eligibility – if you are sick with a cough or temperature, you will not be able to travel
• Baggage – Pack minimal for carry-on
• Check in – Options for online or self service counters, and touch free bag check (at select airports). Use a face mask at the airport. Use credit or debit cards for payments at airport or on the aircraft.
• Boarding – You will be asked health questions prior to boarding. Remain seated until your zone is called. Scan your own boarding card.
• On board – Cabin grooming augmented. Customer care kits provided with masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, etc. No pillows or blankets with be offered. Bar service will be bottled water only. Boxed meals will be served on international flights or in business class on flights over 2 hours. No duty-free service will be offered on planes. For now, no adjacent seats are assigned.
• Deplaning – Remain distanced.

People are starting to book for the end of this year and next spring and summer already. Knowing that you can breathe easy about safety measures ensures a relaxed and enjoyable flight experience.  For more detailed and up to date travel guidelines, see Air Canada’s Covid page.

 

About Galapagos Islands

Considered one of the world’s preeminent destinations for wildlife viewing are The Galápagos Islands. Straddling the equator, this volcanic archipelago is a province of Ecuador and lies about 1,000 km off its coast in the Pacific Ocean.

The terrain harbors a diversity of plant and animal species. Known for their variety of local species, the islands were visited by Charles Darwin 1835. His study of Galápagos’ endemic species later inspired his theory of evolution and natural selection.

The Galápagos Islands and their surrounding waters form the Galápagos National Park, and the Galápagos Marine Reserve. The principal language on the islands is Spanish. The islands have a population of slightly over 25,000.

Wildlife

One of the best-known is the Galápagos tortoise, which lives on seven of the islands. It has an average lifespan of more than 150 years. The marine iguana is also extremely unusual, since it is the only iguana adapted to life in the sea. Land iguanas, lava lizards, geckos and harmless snakes can also be found in the islands.

Around 56 species of birds live in the archipelago, of which 27 are found only in the Galápagos. The most outstanding are penguins, which live on the colder coasts, Darwin’s finches, frigatebirds, albatrosses, gulls, boobies, pelicans and Galápagos hawks, among others. The flightless cormorant, a peculiar bird which has lost the ability to fly, and the Galapagos crake, nearly flightless, are also part of this rich fauna.

Exotic fish, rays, sea lions, sea turtles, octopus, Hammerhead Sharks, Galapagos Bullhead Shark as well as other species of shark are prolific in the sparkling waters of the islands.

Tourism

A variety of cruises exist to tour you around the islands, from small sailboats carrying 6 passengers to ships catering to 100 passengers. In addition, cruises utilize yachts of varying degrees of comfort, from budget to luxury. A cruise will take you from island to island, exploring the terra firma as well as allowing you to snorkel in the crystal blue deep waters. You will discover amazing aquatic and birdlife in just a few days of exploration.

Since a few of the islands are inhabited, Santa Cruz, San Cristobal, Isabela, and Floreana, you have the opportunity to stay on land. Spending a few days on one of these islands allows you to take day trips to nearby islands to hike, kayak and snorkel or dive. There are a selection of specialized yachts meant for diving the Galapagos. These are specially equipped for divers and will allow you to explore many regions of the Galapagos Islands.

Contact us for information on tours or see a selection of Galapagos tours here.

Major Islands

There are 18 main islands in the Galapagos archipelago, and here are some of the highlights.

• Santa Cruz Island

  This island hosts the largest human population in the archipelago. The Charles Darwin Research Station and the headquarters of the Galápagos National Park Service are located here. The Highlands of Santa Cruz offer exuberant flora, and are famous for the lava tunnels. Large tortoise populations are found here as well as sea turtles, rays and small sharks.

·         Bartolomé

Bartolomé is a small island just east of Santiago is best known for Pinnacle Rock, the stark remains of an eroded tuff cone that juts like a large sail out into Bartolomé’s northern bay and which is easily one of the most familiar landmarks of the archipelago.

·         Española

The most southerly island in the archipelago, dramatic Española is also one of the oldest and breathtaking. It plays host to several unique species and sub-species and is a great Galapagos environmental success story.

·         Fernandina

The third largest, youngest and westernmost of the islands that form the Galapagos archipelago, Fernandina’s 642 m2 is mostly barren black lava with La Cumbre Volcano dominating the landscape. Its massive domed cone continues to grumble, erupting on average every five years making Fernandina, alongside neighboring Isabela, one of the most volcanically active of the islands.

·         Floreana

Several curiosities are associated with Floreana, the sixth largest island in the archipelago, not least the whiff of scandal and intrigue that surrounds three groups of German settlers who arrived on the island in the 1930’s and that, one by one, mysteriously began to die or disappear.

·         Genovesa

The horseshoe shaped island of Genovesa is one of the youngest in the archipelago, being a mere one million years old. As it is the only island north of the equator that allows visitors, this makes it an even more special destination.

·         Isabela

By far the largest island in the archipelago at 4,588 km2 and measuring 130 km north to south and 70 km at its widest point and occupying over 58% of the Galapagos’ entire land mass.

Weather

Although the islands are located on the equator, the Humboldt Current brings cold water to them, causing frequent drizzles during most of the year.

From June to November the temperature by the sea is 22 °C. A steady and cold wind blows from south and southeast, frequent drizzles last most of the day, and dense fog conceals the islands.  From December to May, during the warm season, the average sea and air temperature rises to 25 °C . Normally, there is no wind, though there can be sporadic rain to accompany the sunshine.

More information Contact us.