Changing Perceptions

Unfortunately, Africa as a continent is often misunderstood and maligned. Stereotypes are quick to simplify, portraying Africa as a single entity. This is a continent of 2000 languages and some 3000 tribes, a continent with more individual countries than any other. Yet its portrayal, in popular media and in many political circles as well, tends to lurch from ignorance to racism.

At Heritage Africa we like to dispel these simplifications and celebrate the diversity that Africa brings to the world. No other continent has given as much, nor has any other such complex or eternal tales to tell. Everything we do at Heritage Africa is completely customized. Cultural experiences can be built into an African safari program. Heritage can also provide the focal point to tours and vacations to different corners of the continent. These tours and experiences usually flow from three core themes.

Heritage and Change – Exploring West Africa

In West Africa there are so many stories that remain untold. All the slave castles has their own poignant history, arousing emotion in Ghana and along the Gulf of Guinea. The history of brutality and atrocity comes alive as you explore the sites. Standing in dank cells you sense the souls of the stolen. The air remains heavy with suffering spirits: mothers, fathers, siblings, ancestors. Darkened passages lead to a gate of no return. You can imagine the lines of slaves, hear jangling shackles meeting the Atlantic’s churning scream.

Castles and other West Africa slave sites provide a heartbreaking experience. It always feels personal, the threads of history untangled on ephemeral whispers. And to hear the numbers, to hear the scale of what took place, can be harrowing. Still, history rarely ever provides comfortable viewing. Away from the coast there are tales to imagine at slave markets, memorials, routes and trees. It’s the sense of what came next that transforms these histories. Out of this horror there is now such enthusiasm, success and hope.

While heritage takes centerstage when exploring West Africa, a key piece of the story is how this region has changed, especially how this heritage has evolved. Although undoubtedly affected by the part, you feel that West Africa is on the cusp of enormous transformation. Experiencing what had to be overcome increases your admiration for everything that has happened since, all over the world. It turns uncomfortable viewing into a celebratory occasion, while honoring very complex histories.

Over the last quarter of a century, Heritage Africa has organized a wide variety of cultural tours to West Africa. We’ll leave it to Eris T. Sims, the NAACP’s senior director for events planning to give an opinion on the tours we run.

Evolving Tradition – African Safaris Led By Indigenous Experts

Stories of poaching and illegal hunting often create a popular narrative, suggesting Africa has a problem. Let’s remember: wildlife has been virtually wiped off every other continent bar this one. For countless millennia, local people have lived in harmony with the land, protecting and preserving nature as it always has been. Many different tribes continue to coexist with wild nature, their traditions evolving to meet demands brought by tourism and outside influence. Yes there are poachers and hunters: the problem lies in demand beyond Africa’s borders.

Indigenous people utilize their ancestral knowledge to keep you safe on a safari. You may see a pile of feces; your guide knows the age and sex of the animal, as well as when it passed through. There are so many clues and signs: an upturned stone, an indentation in a bush, leaves fallen from an acacia. Exploring with indigenous experts impresses an understanding of both nature and culture, as well as impressing admiration for all the minute details.

Experiencing this evolving tradition is incorporated into our African safaris, particularly in East Africa. Do note that many guides, trackers and guards often come from communities who have traditionally lived in the area, for example, the Masai or Samburu. So there is usually a cultural experience right in front of you, it’s just different from visiting a village, waving a camera around, and expressing sympathy for poor-looking conditions.

We believe the real cultural experience involves learning from the gatekeepers of the land. It is based upon their cultural richness, their incredible understanding of a realm that most others can’t even grasp. People like the Masai, Samburu, Hadzabe, and San, have the knowledge to make the world a better place, if only their story was given recognition. Our African safaris like to infuse some of this heritage in a way that can challenge perceptions.