Tour Guide: Scuba and Voluntourism in East Africa

Can't decide whether you want to safari in Africa or scuba dive in a coral reef? Well, one tour company offers a unique scuba sea safari that should satisfy your craving for both land and sea adventures.

One Earth Safaris offers "scuba sea safaris" between Zanzibar, Pemba Island, and Kenya, (where sharks and humpback whales are plentiful) with visits to places like the Samburu National Reserve and Masai Mara National Reserve for sightings of the Big Five (elephant, white rhino, buffalo, lion, and leopard). Company founder Ranjit Sondhi says that seeing the Annual Wildebeest Migration is a must when visiting East Africa. One Earth guests can also track gorillas in Rwanda and Uganda in groups from 4 to 35 people. The company is currently developing plans for an underwater hotel off of Pemba Island.

The One Earth team (comprised of ecologists, ethnologists, and naturalists) has also developed One Earth Sukuma Voluntourism, a volunteer program on a wildlife conservancy that acts as a buffer to Tsavo National Park (the largest in Kenya) and as a safe haven for buffalo, elephants, antelope, giraffes, and zebras. One Earth Safaris supports sustainable tourism, which gets a huge plus in our books.

Photo: Russell Hunkin, One Earth Safaris

Comments

[Travel Accessories]

My Wife and I had planned a honeymoon in Zanzibar, but it came at time of great turmoil in the region. I'd love to hear from anyone who's dived there since things have stabilised. We ended up in the Maldives, by the way ... stunning!