Austin-Lehman Announces New Partnership with Wilderness Safaris
OutdoorHub 05.21.12
Award-winning tour operator Austin-Lehman Adventures (ALA – http://www.austinlehman.com/), the active travel company setting adventure vacations standards on five continents, will expand its footprint in Southern Africa and offer distinctive African adventures operated by Wilderness Safaris (http://www.wilderness-safaris.com), southern Africa’s leader in responsible travel.
The new relationship will greatly expand ALA’s current Africa tour offerings, adding four active luxury safari itineraries with pre-set departures in Namibia and Botswana. ALA is now fully enabled to offer private, custom safari planning services utilizing Wilderness Safari’s vast network of camps, guides and overland safaris in Botswana, Namibia, Malawi, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, the Seychelles, Kenya and the Congo.
“While we have been offering our guests Africa for some time now, we are excited about teaming up with Wilderness Safaris to enhance our African programming. It was a natural for us to forge a close relationship with like-minded folks who also share our vision and small group commitment to quality, value and giving back to the local communities we visit,” explains Dan Austin, ALA’ founder and director. “We are thrilled to now be aligned with Africa’s most experienced and trusted name in expedition travel and responsible tourism.”
Austin notes that Wilderness Safaris is part of the Wilderness organization, a group of ecotourism companies supporting conservation and community development initiatives that together endeavor to use tourism to build sustainable conservation economies in Africa.
“Matched with our own efforts with our nonprofit Wheels of Change organization, our safari guests will travel with confidence knowing that their extraordinary adventures in Africa will serve to enrich and benefit the communities and individuals we encounter,” Austin said.
This month Austin will travel to Namibia with Wilderness Safaris and representatives of the World Wildlife Foundation to investigate additional ways to engage local communities in wildlife conservation, ecotourism and sustainable development. Austin says that he will also be on the lookout for expanded partnership opportunities and ways his company might continue to make a difference in Africa in collaboration with Wilderness Safaris.
Austin-Lehman Adventures website now lists four unique southern Africa safari itineraries from Wilderness Safaris affording maximum diversity of guest activities, seclusion and authentic experiences specifically designed for the discerning ALA guest. They include:
Botswana – Migration Routes – Tracing through Botswana’s most renowned regions, participants bear witness to the stunning beauty and continually moving game of northern Botswana from walking on islands in the jewel of the Kalahari, the Okavango Delta, to the diverse, wildlife-filled Linyanti concession, with its seasonal elephant herds. 10 days/9 nights from $4, 978 per person.
Botswana – Great Wilderness Journey – This offers an opportunity to explore Botswana’s contrasts and extremes in prime wildlife viewing areas where few people travel. This is a nostalgic, first class camping / lodge safari that recreates the sense of a game-viewing adventure reminiscent of the great African explorers. 11 days/10 nights from $7,898 per person.
Diverse Namibia – This is an active adventure exploring the iconic areas of the vast Namibian countryside – its dunes, desert, plains and superb wildlife – enhanced by exclusive accommodation in private reserves and concessions. 10 days/9 nights from $3,768 per person.
Namibia – The Great Journey – From the dunes of Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert, the stark beauty and diversity of the Skeleton Coast, amazing marine life just off Swakopmund, the volcanic rock-strewn landscape of Damaraland and the game-filled Etosha National Park make this an unforgettable adventure. 13 days/12 nights from: $7,548 per person.
Privately guided and tailored family and small group explorations can also be crafted for the most personalized and ultimate African guided experience.
