I’ve been doing a lot of online holiday shopping and recently picked up some nice travel gifts at Magellan’s Travel Supplies. When my items arrived, the box also contained a flyer about Magellan’s partnership with a nonprofit organization called SEE International.

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©(3) nonprofit organization. Tax ID #31–1682275.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo of Maasai woman and child courtesy of iStockPhoto.com

If you’re a member of HHonors, Hilton’s frequent guest program, you’ll want to keep tabs on the upcoming opening of Hilton Windhoek in Namibia.

Hilton Worldwide recently signed a management agreement with Pride of Africa Hospitality, Africa Pride Hospitality, and United Africa Group for the first Hilton property in the country.

Mark your calendar for mid-2010. That’s when this brand new 154-room hotel will open its doors in Namibia’s capital city.

This Hilton is especially appealing since it’s part of a mixed-use development that includes a casino, restaurants, and boutiques as well as residential houses and offices.

The hotel is under construction now. Stay tuned for more details as Hilton releases them.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo courtesy of Namibia Tourism Board

Twenty-nine animal conservationists who have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize, the world’s leading award for animal conservation. The nominees’ work spans the globe, representing a range of species from insects to mammals, and includes amphibians, elephants, bats, wolves and sharks, among many others. The Nominating Committee will review the applications and select the six finalists, who will be announced in the spring of 2010. The Prize Jury will then determine the winner who will be announced in mid-2010 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala, to be held September 25, 2010, in Indianapolis.

Twenty-nine animal conservationists who have dedicated their lives to saving the Earth’s endangered species have been nominated to receive the biennial Indianapolis Prize. The nominees’ work spans the globe, representing a range of species from insects to mammals, and includes amphibians, elephants, bats, wolves and sharks, among many others. The Nominating Committee will review the applications and select the six finalists, who will be announced in the spring of 2010. The Prize Jury will then determine the winner who will be announced in mid-2010 and honored at the next Indianapolis Prize Gala, to be held September 25, 2010, in Indianapolis.

In addition to receiving the $100,000 Prize, the recipient is also awarded the Lilly Medal, an original work of art that signifies the winner’s contributions to conserving some of the world’s most threatened animals.

The 2008 Indianapolis Prize was awarded to legendary field biologist George Schaller, Ph.D. Schaller’s accomplishments span decades and continents, bringing fresh focus to the plight of several endangered species—from tigers in India to gorillas in Rwanda—and inspiring others to join the crusade.

“Following in Schaller’s footsteps will not be easy, but the current nominees are exceptional,” said Michael Crowther, president and CEO of the Indianapolis Zoo, the organization responsible for initiating the conservation award. “These conservationists are all living their own unique and fascinating adventures that battle the odds, but achieve great victories.”

The nominees for the 2010 Indianapolis Prize include many individuals working to conserve the diverse wildlife of Africa:

Iain Douglas-Hamilton, Ph.D.: (Save the Elephants) Founded Save the Elephants; devotes his life to the cause of elephant conservation—from testifying before Congress to leading anti-poaching aid programs in Africa.

Jack Hanna: (Columbus Zoo and Aquarium) For more than 30 years, Hanna has been the public face of zoos, bringing the conservation message to millions of people worldwide; passionately dedicated to Rwanda’s endangered animals and its people.

Lisa Hywood: (Tikki Hywood Trust) Works tirelessly to preserve Zimbabwe’s wildlife—including captive breeding, management and monitored release of endangered species and conservation education in under-privileged, rural areas.

Laurie Marker, D.Phil.: (Cheetah Conservation Fund) Founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund; led a conservation program from humble beginnings in rural Namibia to an unparalleled model for predator conservation.

Gregory Rasmussen, Ph.D.: (Painted Dog Conservation) Diligent advocate of the critically endangered African wild dogs; founder of the Painted Dog Conservation, which strives to increase the range and numbers of wild dogs in Zimbabwe and elsewhere in Africa.

Lente Lidia Roode: (Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre) Established the Hoedspruit Endangered Species Centre, a nonprofit organization that provides a safe haven for orphaned and sick animals, complete with an education center, rescue unit and breeding program.

Additional nominees working outside of Africa:

Karen Eckert, Ph.D.: (WIDECAST: Wider Caribbean Sea Turtle Conservation Network) Dedicated to research, multilateral marine resource management and the international conservation policies for sea turtles for more than three decades.

Gerardo Ceballos, Ph.D.: (Instituto de Ecologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico) Leader in designing conservation strategies for endangered species and threatened ecosystems; conducted the first geographically explicit analysis of patterns of population and species extinction in a major taxonomic group (mammals).

Nigel Collar, Ph.D.: (BirdLife International) Researched and compiled a unique and comprehensive dataset on globally threatened bird species that was published in groundbreaking regional Red Data Books worldwide.

Ruth M. Elsey, M.D.: (Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries) Fostered programs to enhance the survivability and sustainability of the American alligator, in addition to parallel efforts for other crocodilians.

George Fenwick, Ph.D.: (American Bird Conservancy) Founded American Bird Conservancy; dedicated to creating and sustaining globally significant biodiversity reserves, tackling policy-based threats to birds and generating funding resources for the biodiversity community.

Rodney Fox: (Rodney Fox Shark Expeditions/Fox Shark Research Foundation) Miracle survivor of one of the world’s worst shark attacks; regarded as a world authority on Great White Shark research, observation and conservation.

Birute Mary Galdikas, Ph.D.: (Orangutan Foundation International) More than 35 years of advancing research on wild orangutan ecology and behavior; established rehabilitation and release programs and saved millions of acres of tropical rain forest in Kalimantan.

Paul Garber, Ph.D.: (University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) More than 30 years of dedication and commitment to research, conservation and educational programs involving the monkeys of Latin America.

Maurice Hornocker, Ph.D.: (Selway Institute; Professor Emeritus, University of Idaho) Devoted his career to understanding the ecological role of wild cats and advocating for the conservation of large carnivores, including the first-ever field investigation of cougars.

Rick Hudson: (Fort Worth Zoo; International Iguana Foundation; IUCN Turtle Survival Alliance) Dedicated advocate for reptile conservation, including groundbreaking work with the Jamaican iguana and the coordination of the largest turtle rescue event in history.

Rodney Jackson, Ph.D.: (Snow Leopard Conservancy) Conducted an in-depth radio-tracking study of snow leopards in the 1980s; dedicated to building local communities’ capacity as key players in conserving the species.

Jana Johnson, M.S., Ph.D.: (Moorpark College, The Butterfly Project) Founded The Butterfly Project, a center for endangered butterfly propagation and research; helped the Palos Verdes blue butterfly population, once presumed extinct, grow from 200 to 10,000.

James Earl Kennamer, Ph.D.: (National Wild Turkey Federation) Devoted leader in wild turkey research, scientific wildlife management and forging cooperative conservation partnerships to grow the wild turkey population from 1.3 million to 7 million in less than 30 years.

Thomas H. Kunz, Ph.D.: (Boston University) For more than 50 years, has significantly and instrumentally contributed to the conservation and teaching of bat ecology, physiology and behavior.

Amanda Lollar: (Bat World Sanctuary) Established Bat World Sanctuary, the largest rehabilitation facility in the world dedicated exclusively to bats; created the first nutritionally sound diet for debilitated bats.

Edward Louis Jr., Ph.D., DVM: (Omaha’s Henry Doorly Zoo) Tireless conservation advocate of island biogeography, including the discovery of 30 percent of known lemurs to date.

Stephen McCulloch: (Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institution) Created legislation to fund several ongoing marine mammal research and conservation programs while working to construct the first teaching marine mammal hospital, science and education center.

Rodrigo Medellin, Ph.D.: (University of Mexico) Galvanized bat research throughout Latin America by using a multipronged approach including research, education, population biology, molecular ecology and community involvement.

Patrick T. Redig, DVM, Ph.D.: (The Raptor Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota) Dedicated more than 35 years to protecting raptor populations though extensive field work, bench research, clinical work, professional teaching and community service.

Patrick Rose: (Save the Manatee Club) Worked to help educate opponents, build coalitions and focus on specific protection goals for manatees, including protecting the manatee’s habitat and advocating for strong growth management laws.

Carl Safina, Ph.D.: (Blue Ocean Institute) Brought ocean conservation into the environmental mainstream by using science, art and literature to inspire “sea ethic.”

Simon Stuart, Ph.D.: (IUCN-World Conservation Union) Developed the IUCN Red List Categories and Criteria, which assesses the extinction risk for species.

Amanda Vincent, Ph.D.: (The University of British Columbia) First person to study seahorses underwater, document extensive commercial trade, and initiate a seahorse conservation project, Project Seahorse.

The biennial $100,000 Indianapolis Prize represents the largest individual monetary award for animal conservation in the world and is given as an unrestricted gift to the chosen honoree.

The Indianapolis Prize was initiated by the Indianapolis Zoo as a significant component of its mission to inspire local and global communities and to celebrate, protect and preserve our natural world through conservation, education and research. This award brings the world’s attention to the cause of animal conservation and the brave, talented and dedicated men and women who spend their lives saving the Earth’s endangered animal species. It was first awarded in 2006 to Dr. George Archibald, the co-founder of the International Crane Foundation and one of the world’s great field biologists.

In 2008, the Indianapolis Prize went to Dr. George Schaller, the world’s preeminent field biologist and vice president of science and exploration for the Wildlife Conservation Society. The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation has provided funding for the Indianapolis Prize since 2006.

Southern Africa is one of my favorite regions on Earth. The topography is diverse, animal viewing—including the “Big Five” of African elephant, rhino, lion, leopard, and Cape Buffalo—is almost too easy, and the people are incredibly engaging. That’s why I was very intrigued to learn about the new Zambezi Queen riverboat—built in 2009—that is now offering safaris on the Chobe River in northeast Botswana.

The Zambezi Queen

If you’re addicted to HBO’s series No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency that’s set in Botswana, you know the country’s southern border is buffeted by South Africa, to the west and north is Namibia, to the east is Zimbabwe. (A very small portion of the northern border is also shared by Zambia.)

Visitors from all around the world are drawn to several regions of Botswana: the Kalahari Desert at the center of the country, the lush Okavango Delta in the central north, and Chobe National Park to the northeast. It’s at Chobe National Park that you’ll see the largest population of African elephants (numbering close to 120,000).

The steel hulled Zambezi Queen riverboat explores the Chobe between Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and Chobe National Park and ties up just miles from where four countries—Botswana, Namibia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe—meet. (It’s an easy trip to the dramatic Victoria Falls from here.)

This brand new riverboat houses 14 cabins, all with private balconies. Four are master suites with air conditioning while the remaining 10 staterooms are cooled via ceiling fans.

You’ll enjoy the pool on the top deck (forward) as well as the dining room and lounge with floor-to-ceiling windows that are perfect for spying game all day long.

Onboard guides will take you on safaris via tenders (three aluminum high-speed boats) that allow for super up-close viewing of animals. Land-based game viewing from 4x4 vehicles is also an option in Botswana’s Chobe National Park. If you’d like to see what local village life is like, the Zambezi Queen can arrange for a tour. And, there are two fiberglass boats for those who wish to hook some tiger fish and bream.

Two– and three-night safaris are available and are priced in South African rand. Pair your voyage aboard the Zambezi Queen with one or two game lodge stays in Botswana; the Royal Livingstone in Zambia for Victoria Falls; or lodges in South Africa’s Timbavati or Sabi Sands Private Game Reserves.

For more information, talk with your travel agent or contact Zambezi Queen at +27 (0) 21 438 0032.

—Andrea M. Rotondo for LuxurySafariExperts.com

Photo courtesy of Zambezi Queen