According to the organization, 75 percent of the world’s 37 million cases of blindness are actually treatable, making the loss of sight a humanitarian emergency.

SEE International puts together teams of volunteer ophthalmologists to go where their help is needed, including places like Thailand, Mexico, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.

Since 1974 SEE’s eye surgeons have performed more than 360,000 sight-storing procedures.

Magellan’s has been a corporate partner of SEE International for over 20 years, providing travel kits for surgeons as well as advertising outreach to its customers.

Expeditions to the following countries are scheduled for 2010: Swaziland, Ethiopia, Lesotho, Ghana, The Gambia, Nigeria, Namibia, and Kenya.

Donations are tax deductible and may be made online via a secure server. Visit See International’s website or call 1-(805)963-3303 and mention that you heard about the organization from Magellan’s Travel Supplies.

Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE) International is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID #31-1682275.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo of Maasai woman and child courtesy of iStockPhoto.com

As the holiday season approaches, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy is remindng everyone that donations make fantastic gifts for friends and family who have everything.

“This year the focus is on what money cannot buy—shared experiences and treasured memories,” says Abercrombie & Kent Vice Chairman Jorie Butler Kent, who guides Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy. “Our guests are looking for more meaningful ways to celebrate with their families and asked us to create a Gift Program that makes it easy to donate to projects making a difference in places they have visited.”

With the help of A&K’s 62 worldwide offices, Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy has identified grassroots organizations, spearheaded by dedicated local experts in conservation, education, community development, and public health.

These are inspiring gifts designed to honor a friend or family member.  Donations range from $10 for a simple HIV test to help prevent the transmission of AIDS to an unborn child to $500 for a field trip for Maasai children who have never been on safari.

Here are three programs being offered right now. Visit Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy to read about all donation programs throughout the world.

HIV Testing in Uganda
Uganda Bwindi Community Hospital
—$10 helps assess the HIV status of a local resident with a simple field test.

Restore a Natural Landmark 
in Morocco
Morocco—Protection of the Palmeraie—
$50 plants a tree to help restore the delicate ecosystem in this thousand-year-old date palm grove, a Marrakech landmark.

A Safari Field Trip
Kenya — Friends of Conservation—
$500 gives 20 Maasai children the chance to discover their natural heritage and learn the value of protecting wildlife with a field trip to the Masai Mara National Reserve.

Donations can be made online through Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy’s secure website www.akphilanthropy.org with 100 percent of all donations going directly to the project selected.  Gift certificates will be delivered to the recipient(s) electronically or printed and mailed.

To make a donation as a family—or in honor of a loved one—go to www.akphilanthropy.org. One hundred percent of your charitable gift to Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy goes directly to support local projects worldwide. Abercrombie & Kent Philanthropy is established in the United States as a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization. Your charitable gift is tax deductible as provided by law.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Okay, British Airways won’t take you to Africa for free, but with a new promotion they’ve announced with partner credit card Chase Visa, they will give you 100,000 bonus miles that can be used to travel to many amazing African  gateways, including:

Egypt (Cairo, Hurghada, and Sharm el Sheikh)
Kenya (Nairobi)
Mauritius
Morocco (Marrakech)
Namibia (Windhoek)
South Africa (Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Port Elizabeth)
Tanzania (Dar Es Salaam)
Uganda (Entebbe)
Zambia (Livingstone, Lusaka)
Zimbabwe (Harare)

So how do you get this practically free trip to Africa? By signing up for an unprecedented bonus mile deal: earn 100,000 miles with a new British Airways Visa Signature Card from Chase.

Card Benefits

• receive 50,000 miles after your first purchase
• spend $2,000 within three months of opening your card and receive an additional 50,000 miles
• earn 1.25 miles for each $1 spent
• earn 2.5 miles for money spent on BA purchases
• spend $30,000 in a calendar year and you’ll receive a 2-for-1 companion award certificate
• $50 off a British Airways flight if booked before December 31, 2009 (for travel before the end of 2010)

This promo is especially enticing since British Airways offers what they call “Household Accounts.” This means you can combine miles with anyone living at the same address. That makes managing miles SO much easier! You’ll retain your own Executive Club membership but your mileage balances will be combined.

You may use British Airways miles on any OneWorld airline, including:

American Airlines
Cathay Pacific
Finnair
Iberia
Japan Airlines
LAN
Malev
Quantas
Royal Jordanian

Other British Airways partners also include:

Aer Lingus
Alaskan Airlines
Brussels Airlines
Caribbean Airlines
Mexicana

This British Airways/Chase Visa promo is definitely something to look into, especially if you’ll be traveling to Africa in the coming years. I know that’s how I’ll spend my miles! Apply for the card now.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Travel + Leisure honored Kichwa Tembo with a World’s Best Award for 2009 and Condé Nast Traveler added the lodge to its Gold List of the World’s Best Places to Stay.

So what’s special about Kichwa Tembo? It’s located right on the path of the annual Great Migration on a private concession leased from Maasai landlords in the exclusive western Mara. The Migration travels through here from June through October, but the animal viewing is excellent all year long.

Kichwa Tembo actually consists of two distinct camps: the more intimate and upscale Bateleur Camp and Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp.

Bateleur Camp is modeled after the classic safaris of the 20s and 30s. There are two camps of just nine tented suites each, all serviced by personal butlers. Private decks overlook the sweeping Masai Mara plains.

Kichwa Tembo Masai Mara Tented Camp comprises 40 Hemingway style ensuite safari tents (28 classic safari tents and 12 luxury tents). The camp offers both a forest and a savanna experience with outlooks either across the magnificent grasslands or Sabaringo River. A huge infinity pool with breathtaking views provides not only a refreshing dip but also some of the best game sightings in the Mara.

For more information, visit &Beyond or call 1-(888) 882-3742.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo courtesy of &Beyond