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THE AFFLUENT TRAVELER
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Adventure Spotlight
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Witness the great wildebeest migration
by day and spend your evenings in ultimate
luxury at &Beyond Klein’s Camp, bordering
Tanzania’s Serengeti.
ADVENTURE SPOTLIGHT
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SPOT THE BIG FIVE ON
SAFARI IN EAST AFRICA
Sub-Saharan Africa is amazing. Giraffe graze and
gallop across the grassy plains of the Serengeti;
warthogs outwit cheetahs; playful hyena pups
learn to hunt and zebra narrowly avoid deadly
riverside croc encounters. For those eager to spot
the Big Five (lion, elephant, buffalo, leopard, and
rhino), there is no better time to experience a
safari than during the wildebeest migration.
1.5 million of these burly creatures follow the
seasonal rains and annually migrate across the
savanna. They typically travel through Tanzania
from December through July, and then pass into
Kenya’s Masai Mara for August and September.
Recognized as one of Africa’s “Seven Wonders of
the Natural World,” the migration is a must for
anyone’s bucket list. For a high-end safari
experience, stay at one of &Beyond’s
extraordinary luxury lodges and safari camps.
SOAK WITH SNOW MONKEYS IN JAPAN
Snow monkeys, also known as Japanese macaques, really know how to
live. Unlike their primate counterparts, these little mountain dwellers
spend their afternoons relaxing in bubbling hot tubs. No other primate,
with the exception of humans, lives in a colder climate, so they deserve
a good steam. Tourists can spot these endangered bathing monkeys at
the Jigokudani Wild Monkey Park, in the heart of Japan’s hot springs
country. Amazingly human-like, snow monkeys can make more than
30 vocalizations and a wide range of facial expressions. They are a
popular tourist attractions among foreigners and among the Japanese,
who see the macaques as a symbol of success and good fortune.
SWIM WITH GREAT WHITE
SHARKS IN SAN FRANCISCO
Da na. Da na. Though the movie
was
released in 1975, its memorable theme
song continues to haunt. Great white
sharks have fascinated us and freaked us
out for years. Now there’s a way to safely
swim with the world’s largest predatory
fish. Several companies offer day-long cage
diving trips to observe great whites from
inside a submerged metal cage. Every fall
around the Farallon islands (near San
Francisco), thousands of marine mammals
congregate to breed and calve their young.
In this all-you-can-eat elephant seal buffet,
it’s common to spot 15-foot sharks,
mouths lined with some 300 serrated
triangular teeth, snacking on 300-pound
seals. Makes for an unforgettable
underwater encounter.
Photo credit: © &Beyond 2016
©Derek Heasley / shutterstock.com
©Adisorn Saovadee / shutterstock.com