:: Free Traveler ::

Eccentric travel writers, tourism experts, and dedicated politicians across Africa gathered at the Cross River State which boasts to visitors that it is the “cleanest state in Nigeria,” for a five-day Ecotourism symposium. The conference was organized by the African Travel Association — a tourism group created to promote travel and investment in Africa.

With the onslaught of global warming fundamentally changing the cultural environments of emerging nations, eco-tourism is vastly seen as a medium to preserve these countries’ natural elements. The eco-tourism movement seeks to create sustainable economic development through the tourist industry, and conserve the biological and cultural elements of rising nations.

Mention the word “Nigeria” to anyone and all political correctness is unfairly abandoned because of the nagging stereotype adopted by the unenlightened that some Nigerians are scammers who are constantly conducting “backdoor deals.” In developing a steady tourism market, Nigerian politicians and tourism agencies are faced with the task of successfully trying to shed the negative images some hold of Nigeria and its people.

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THE BEST OF HUNTING AND FISHING IT’S AS WONDERFUL AS YOU’VE HEARD — BUT NOT AS EXPENSIVE AS YOU’VE FEARED

It’s an unfortunate myth among american hunters that taking a safari in Africa is a rich man’s sport. In truth, Africa is not only affordable but one of the greatest bargains in the entire hunting world.

Some safaris are high-priced. Lions are found primarily in remote areas that are difficult to reach and where camps are expensive to supply. Permits, too, are extremely limited. So safaris for them are costly, as are those for elephant and the great antelope such as bongo, mountain nyala, and Lord Derby’s eland. But there is a whole world of African hunting that is affordable.

The most common safari today is a short, relatively inexpensive hunt for a selection of plains game. It’s quite possible to spend seven to 10 African hunting days and take half a dozen good trophies for about what you’d pay for a good guided elk hunt in the West. You could also spend 10 to 14 days afield and take the same half-dozen antelope, plus a leopard or Cape buffalo, for about the same money as an Alaskan Dall sheep or grizzly hunt.

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