Scatty.com

The safari industry in Africa is a huge one, and it’s what many of the continent’s nations rely on. Each year, it’s estimated that more than 30 million people make their way to Africa to go on a safari for a long list of reasons. If you’ve been on the fence about going on one of these fascinating trips that could change your life, you may need a little push.

That’s where we come in. Let’s take a look at five reasons why you should book a safari tour sooner rather than later. Once you see what safaris have to offer, there’s no way you’ll want to miss out on that opportunity.

Gorgeous Sights 

If you’re looking for a great reason to book an African safari, what better reason than taking in the gorgeous sights? If you’re like most of the population and haven’t traveled too far outside your comfort zone, booking an African safari is a pretty big leap from your normal routine and environment. Africa holds breathtaking beauty, from the white sand beaches on the breezy coast to the grasslands, and the savanna to the towering mountains. 

What locals experience on a daily basis is a whole new world for those who haven’t experienced the endless beauty of Africa. Through a safari, you’ll get the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see places like the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania, which is considered one of the most beautiful places in the world and perhaps the most popular safari destination out there.

Wild Animals 

Perhaps the single most tempting reason you should run to book an African safari is of course the majestic inhabitants of the animal kingdom. Taking part in a safari, you quickly realize the wild animals all around you truly rule the land. It’s a humbling and breathtaking experience that can’t be replicated by simply visiting a zoo, or watching a documentary. 

Where else can you sit mere yards away from lions, cheetahs, hyenas, elephants, and all the other terrifyingly beautiful wildlife Africa has to offer? Safaris off you a chance to see animals that are specific only to the continent. On top of the world-famous African elephant, you’ll see rare creatures like the zebra, giraffe, hippopotamus, and ostrich. 

Supports Tourism 

What’s even better than booking an African safari trip? The fact that, when you do, you’re supporting the tourism industry within the country, as well as supporting the local businesses you dine at, stay overnight in, buy souvenirs from, and much more. Your patronage supports and allows local businesses and safari tours to thrive. Resulting in more resources available to continue the development of an already beautiful land, as well as resources to help care for the wildlife. 

Tourism accounts for a large portion of Afirca’s gross domestic product. While Central Africa doesn’t rely much on tourism at all, East Africa’s economy is nearly 10 percent tourism. North Africa and West Africa also rely heavily on tourism while South Africa is only a small chunk. African tourism is expected to become an industry that’s worth over $300 billion in the future thanks to safaris.

Experience Another Culture  

Getting the chance to take in another culture is always a humbling and unique experience. Most of us probably won’t get the chance to do so in our lifetime. Exploring the way a vastly different society lives their everyday lives is something we should all seek to see in our lifetime. The mannerisms, way of life, food, drink, and customs, amongst other things, are something special. 

Each region of Africa has its own culture, and you’ll get to experience the best of them when going on a safari. Some cultures will remind you more of home while others are very entrenched into the safari lifestyle, allowing you to feel like you’re truly disconnected from the hustle and bustle of life while avoiding things like television or the internet.

Conservational Support

A large portion of the safaris offered in Africa goes back toward conservation to protect wildlife and its natural habitat. These safaris do their best to not disrupt the habitat in which the animals live, while also treating any animals that may be sick or injured. National World Safaris is a group that launched in 2005 and helped to kick conservation efforts into high gear through tourism funding.

With the added funding that these legitimate safaris receive, they’re better able to prevent poachers from killing wild animals. Countries like Madagascar, Mozambique, and Botswana have seen a large uptick in tourism since the conservational efforts increased, while also seeing a large drop in poaching. Therefore, simply seeing the animals in a non-habitat-disturbing way ends up helping them in the long run.

No matter how much you love flying and traveling, heading to the airport can be one of the most stressful things that families can go through. There’s always something that someone forgets in the car or at home, or your flight can get delayed, or a long list of other problems. With all of the hubbubs that can cause stress at the airport, many of us are looking for ways to turn that stress into a positive experience.

If you have an airport trip coming up and want to have a contingency plan in case things get stressful, we’ve got you covered. Here are five great tips for turning stressful airport trips into fun adventures whether you’re alone, with family, or with colleagues. 

Go On A Walking Tour

One of the worst things about flying is how cramped we can all feel on an airplane, even if you’re a petite person. With that in mind, it’s best to stretch out your legs as much as you can before getting on an airplane, and most airports offer a lot of opportunities to do just that. Instead of simply sitting at your gate waiting to board your flight, try and walk around as much as you can.

A majority of airports know that people are going to be waiting quite some time before they fly, and make the walking experience a fun one. These airports include a lot of artwork such as sculptures, paintings, and even light shows that you can experience. Some of the largest airports in the United States that feature some great walking experiences include Phoenix Sky Harbor, Portland International, and Harry Reid International (Las Vegas).

Bring The Games

Whenever you go on a road trip, you’re likely to bring a lot of things with you that can pass the time, and that includes games. A trip to the airport should be no different, especially with the downtime compared to a road trip where you can at least see different signs and cars passing you by. With that said, try to pack as many games as you can in your carry-on or personal item, including cards, word games, or video games.

While you won’t be able to bring in an entire PlayStation or Xbox, Nintendo does offer a lot of handheld options for gamers. Even if you want to just play I Spy with your family, you won’t need to take up valuable luggage space. Everything can be turned into a game in some form or fashion, and it will help the time go a lot faster while putting people at ease.

Draw What You See

There are a lot of activities that can help you alleviate stress, and we already touched on one of them with exercise. If you don’t feel like possibly getting sweaty by walking several miles through an airport, you can still destress while at your gate. Bring a sketch pad and pencils with you to the airport and start drawing either what you see at the airport, or really anything else that comes to mind.

Studies have shown that drawing boosts your mood through increasing dopamine levels that come with using the creative and imaginative parts of your brain. People who suffer from depression or stress are encouraged by mental health professionals to draw, and you don’t have to be an expert to get the full benefits of picking up a pencil. 

Sample The Food

If there’s one reason why people don’t mind getting stuck in an airport for a couple of hours at a time is that there are a lot of food options in all of the major airports around the world. Back in the days of the shopping mall, the food courts used to be packed with a wide range of restaurants to choose from ranging from something local to a McDonald’s where you can get something familiar.

These days, you can get that same shopping mall food court feel when you head to an airport. If you have some time to kill, why not try something more local that could be available, or at least a chain restaurant that isn’t in your area? Some of the best restaurant options for United States airports include San Francisco, Atlanta, New Orleans, and Detroit just to name a few.

Learn The Airport’s History

Whenever you visit an airport, there should at the very least be a plaque that talks about the history of said airport. Other airports have an entire museum dedicated to the history of the building, so why not check in on the history of where you’re visiting while you’ve got some free time?

Some of the top airports that have a museum dedicated to their history include Sky Harbor in Phoenix, Harry Reid International in Las Vegas, and Milwaukee Mitchell International. You’ll see some cool memorabilia such including replicas planes and authentic gear that the original pilots wore in the early 20th century.

The average cost for a vacation for two people can end up costing thousands of dollars for just one week. Because of this, many have put off going on vacation, and it seems like airlines and hotels don’t want to cooperate with your money-saving efforts. In fact, more than half of the people in the United States alone resist going on vacation because they simply can’t afford it.

Not all hope is lost, though! If you’re one of the millions who are in dire need of a vacation but don’t think that you can afford it, we’re here to help. Here are five essential tips on how to find the best deals on airfare and accommodations.

Be Flexible

There is that old myth there are certain dates that are cheaper than others, with the adage saying that Tuesday is the cheapest day to fly. While that may be the case for the most part, there may still be cheaper deals on other days of the week. Because of this, being flexible with your dates could end up saving you hundreds on your trip.

Many flight planning websites are getting much better at providing user-friendly calendars where you can find the best prices within the date range that you’re looking for. If you’re flexible with the time of year in which you want to travel, that will save you even more. Flying after the holidays can end up being the cheapest time of year as there aren’t any big travel days in January or February while the winter months are still ongoing.

Look at the Luggage Fine Print

Many of us have had that moment where we thought we found an amazing deal that could have saved us over $100. However, when we get to the final checkout, we find out that the added fees end up costing just as much or more than the other ticket prices.

With that said, you’ll want to always check the fees that come with every ticket. Budget airlines like Spirit are great if you don’t have a carry-on, but bringing luggage can more than double your ticket price. Southwest Airlines, on the other hand, has no hidden fees.

Sign Up For Mailing Lists

One of the first things that you should do is look up all of the airlines that operate in the closest airport to you. Jot all of those down, and then visit their websites. When you do, sign up for their mailing lists, and they’ll be able to provide you with the best deals of the year. Oftentimes, there will be flash sales where you can fly to certain places for as low as $29.

The only thing is, though, that these flash sales are typically only provided for people on the mailing lists. Make sure that you don’t have these airline emails sent to your junk folder, too. You won’t want to miss out on the deal of a lifetime, especially if you don’t have a particular destination in mind, which leads us to our next point.

Some Destinations Are Cheaper Than Others

A lot of people want to go on vacation to a certain destination because there are people there that they know. If you simply want to get away on a trip and don’t really care about the destination while also saving money, there are certain airports that are going to be much cheaper than others for various reasons, with the biggest reason being that the airport is in a place that relies heavily on the tourism industry.

For this reason, the United States cities that are the cheapest to fly to are Orlando, Florida, and Las Vegas, Nevada. These cities expect you to spend most of your money at resorts (and gambling in Nevada), so flights are dirt cheap. Other cheap airports in the United States include Chicago (Midway), Dallas (Love Field), and New Orleans.

Buy One Ticket At A Time

Sports fans know that it’s much cheaper to buy one ticket instead of sets of two or more. This is because it’s hard for people to dump off just one ticket in between other sets, and the box office is willing to sell them for a cheaper price. The same thing applies to airlines, and sitting two or three people next to each other is a big part of supply and demand. Families want to tend to sit next to each other, and airlines can charge a premium to have you do so.

If you’re not traveling with children, buy your tickets one at a time so that you can all get cheaper seats. Most of us end up sleeping on an airplane, anyway, so it really doesn’t matter for most to have our loved ones sitting just inches away for the next couple of hours. Splitting your ticket purchases can literally save thousands, and you may still end up getting lucky and sitting next to each other (or at least in the same row).

Australia isn’t one of the most visited countries in the world with an average of nearly 10 million tourists per year (placing it far outside of the top 10). However, there are plenty of people who want to go to Australia, and for good reason. Australia has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world, amazing people, and a great culture.

If you’ve been wanting to head down under but are not sure if you can afford it, there are plenty of ways to save big on your trip. Here are five essential tips for visiting Australia on a budget so you can experience the amazing country for yourself.

Don’t Try To See It All

People who have never been to Australia might not realize just how massive it is. There are certain cities that come to mind first, and most of them are on the east coast, so people think that they can knock out all of them in one trip. However, the major cities are all pretty far away from each other, and most need a full-fledged flight to get from one to another.

Australia is about the same size as the United States, and should be looked at as such. Unlike much of Europe where you can take a cheap train ride from one major city to the other, Australia is much different. The distance from Brisbane to Sydney is about a 10-hour drive (1.5-hour flight), which is similar to the trip between Washington D.C. and Atlanta. With that in mind, try to stick to one major metro area on your trip.

Tipping Isn’t The Same

In the United States, tipping is seen as something that isn’t required, but people will drag you through the mud if you don’t tip a certain percentage or dollar amount for services. Normally, the standard is 20 percent of restaurants and then a few dollars here and there for others. If you’re visiting Australia from the United States, you might feel obliged to follow the same kind of tipping rules, especially because a lot of places leave tip jars.

However, if you don’t tip, people won’t look at you funny or chase you into the parking lot asking why you didn’t tip. Any time that you do tip in Australia, it’s because you want to show that person that their service went above and beyond, whereas here in the States we expect tips for even the most mediocre service. There are laws in Australia that prevent adding tips without knowledge, so don’t worry about being scammed, either.

Travel in May

May is the time of year when those of us in the northern hemisphere finally get to experience warmer weather after a long and cold winter. However, if you want to head to Australia for cheap, you should head there as soon as it starts getting warmer at home. That’s because Australian winter kicks off in June, and the temperatures start dropping around May, which means the prices start dropping, too.

Getting there can be a bit tricky if you don’t live on the west coast, though. There are only a handful of cities in North America that fly directly to Australia, and they’re all in the West. Dallas and Houston are the furthest east airports, with cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Vancouver all offering direct flights. If you live in one of these cities, travel in May, and head to Melbourne, you’ll be getting the cheapest possible flight.

Visit the Museums

One of the best ways that you can take in the Australian culture without having to spend a lot of money is by visiting the many museums that the country has to offer. No matter which one of the major cities you’re heading to, there are plenty of museum options, and most of them cost little to no money. Sydney alone has around a dozen great free museums including the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia and the Chau Chak Wing Museum.

Other fantastic museums throughout Australia include the Melbourne Museum, the National Museum of Australia, and the Australian National Maritime Museum. There are plenty of fine art galleries, too, including the National Gallery of Victoria, the Art Gallery of New South Wales, and the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra.

Beach It Up

If you’re a fan of the beach (and many of us are), then Australia definitely needs to be on your bucket list of places to visit. Almost all of the beaches in the country are free to visit, and there’s no shortage of them with around 12,000 in the country.

That’s more than 60,000km (37,282 miles) worth of coastline to visit. Australia offers up some of the best surfing in the world, and even in its coldest months, visiting the beach is still a fun activity. The best part, though? It’s almost always going to be completely free of charge.

The United Kingdom is not one of the 75 largest countries in terms of area, but the UK is still one of the most notable countries in the world. Very few countries have the type of history that the United Kingdom does, which is why so many people want to visit. On a yearly basis, the UK is one of the world’s most-visited countries with around 36 million people making their way there.

Because of the number of tourists packed into such a small country, visiting the United Kingdom can get rather expensive, and that has caused a lot of people to not live out their dream of visiting. However, there are plenty of ways to save big on your UK trip. Let’s take a look at five essential tips for visiting the UK on a budget that can make your dream of visiting come true.

Choosing The Right Flight

There are over 40 airports in total throughout the United Kingdom, though some of them are going to be much cheaper than others. If you want the absolute cheapest flight, London Gatwick is going to be your best bet while Manchester and London Heathrow are the other two airports where you’ll spend less than $1,000 on average with a roundtrip ticket from the United States.

Out of all of the European countries to visit with a direct flight from the United States, the UK has the most options. New York City, Atlanta, and Chicago all of course fly directly to London, while other surprising cities like Raleigh (North Carolina), Orlando, and Las Vegas are also part of the list. To save the most money, try to visit the United Kingdom in February or March when prices are the cheapest of the year.

Use The Great Public Transportation

The United Kingdom offers plenty of great public transportation options whether you’re looking to stay in London or visit the entirety of the UK. London alone has underground (The Tube) and overground train options to go along with double-decker buses that are world famous. Fares are quite cheap, and you can either pay as you go or obtain a prepaid Travelcard that gets you around the city.

You won’t have to rent a car to get from one city to another, as well. The United Kingdom has one of the best railway systems in the world that connects all of the major cities while also stopping in some lesser-known towns. Getting from England to Wales and Scotland is a breeze thanks to the railway system. The furthest you can end up traveling is around 24 hours if you’re going from Georgemas at the northernmost point to Penzance at the southwesternmost point.

Tour Memberships

One of the biggest reasons why a lot of us want to visit the United Kingdom is because of its rich history. The UK has plenty of museums and attractions dedicated to its history, and offers passes for some of the more popular locations. One of these is the English Heritage Pass, which gives you access to more than 100 locations throughout the UK including Stonehenge and Dover Castle.

You can get a nine or 16-day pass with one adult costing £45-53 depending on the number of days. Two adults top out at £90 while an entire family costs just £100 for a 16-day full access pass. Other tremendous passes include the Scotland Explorer Pass which gives you access to Edinburgh, Stirling, and Urquhart Castles, and the National Trust Touring Pass which gets you into plenty of great locations like Ham House, Castle Drogo, and Belton House to name a few.

Avoid The Fancy Restaurants

While the United Kingdom doesn’t get as much love for its cuisine compared to some of its European counterparts like Greece, Italy, or Spain, some of the best restaurants in the world are located in England. The super-expensive restaurants in cities like London will be easy to spot, and they tend to lure in tourists before hitting them with a massive bill.

When trying to save money on food, try to stick to ethnic restaurants that tend to have lower prices or even street food in the larger cities. Supermarket prices in the United Kingdom are comparable to those in the United States, so you can live like you normally would if you plan on staying for a while.

Have Fun At The Pubs

Outside of history, one of the big reasons why people like to go to the United Kingdom is to experience the culture, and the pub culture is big there. While certain pubs in London can end up costing an arm and a leg, more local pubs that don’t cater to tourists can end up being incredibly cheap.

British people aren’t likely to strike up a conversation with foreigners but can be very friendly after a few pints. Those local pubs can be a great way to learn peoples’ stories in the United Kingdom and have fun while not costing a fortune.