Africa's Top Wildlife Countries (Africa's Top Wildlife Countries: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia,) [Englisch] [Taschenbuch]

Mr. Nolting correctly assumes that wildlife will be one reason to visit Africa. So he has organized his book so that you can find how when and where you can see wildlife under conditions that match what you want to know and experience. For example, inside the front cover you can cross-check a month and location to find out when it is best to see animals. Inside the back cover, you can check the frequency of animal viewing by animal type, location and month. On page 43, you can see what types of safari activities are available where (type of driving, walking, canoeing and boats. On pages 58-59, you can see what the temperature and rainfall are like in those months. Elsewhere, you can find out which sleeping and traveling arrangements are less expensive, and what you get for paying more. So, if you know what wildlife you want to see, you can narrow down your interests into a few locations and times of the year very quickly. Then, you can focus your reading on what the locales, accommodations, and experiences are like there. Although Mr. Nolting offers safari planning services, you could use his book to work with someone else . . . or to arrange your own trip.

Each wildlife locale is filled with information about the topography, weather, people, wildlife, and personal safety issues.

I especially liked how Mr. Nolting included descriptions of his own wildlife viewing experiences in the places where he has visited.

There's also lots of good information about accommodations, and explanations about the pros and cons of various types. You can have luxury there (for a luxury price), or you can rough it like you would on a camping trip in the U.S. for very little money (after the air fare is covered).

I found the general health information helpful too. Where is malaria a problem? Where do you need a yellow fever vaccination?

What if you don't want to go on safari? No problem! The book describes beach resorts, scuba diving choices and how to climb Mount Kilimanjaro.

There's even a bit of history.

I was especially interested to learn about places I had not heard about before that are not crowded with tourists.

I have read guide books to many other wildlife destinations, and I found this one to be the best I have seen for completeness and ease of use. It made me feel confident that I could put together a wonderful trip to Africa. I'm going to start saving my pennies now.

After you read this book, I encourage you to also dip into the bibliography to read some of the more than 100 books that can help you develop more specialized knowledge about your areas of interest.

Enjoy your safari, even if it's just one you dream about!

I found this to be a very helpful book for trip planning: when and where to go and getting an idea of what different kinds of safaris have to offer. A number of valuable charts regarding the best times to see certain wildlife, climate, etc. The book is a good way to narrow your choices before starting to collect brochures and get travel guides for individual countries. The coverage will not replace good field guides or travel guides---just get you ready for that stage. One caveat: I didn't care for Nolting's snobbishness about the best way to travel (I managed to see more than I might have on one of his "first class" safaris).

I found this book great to whet the appetite for safari, but once I decided where I wanted to go, I found the detailed information lacking. It's great for a broad overview of LOTS of places though.. but needs to be used in conjunction with other more specific travel guides.