Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on May 31

This guide is all about Laguna Miramar and what you can see there. It may seem to be in reverse because I want to tell you all about all the beautiful things that are there, amazing things you can see and do - then tell you the less interesting facts about getting there and accommodation.

So, lets get started with the laguna itself and the wildlife in the surrounding Lancandon Jungle.

Laguna Miramar:
The name of the lake means ‘to sight or to look at the sea’ - basically ’sea-view’ which is what the first people to stumble across it’s shores must have thought - it is huge, and as blue as a tropical ocean!

Laguna Miramar is a remote lake, protected inside the Montes Azules biosphere reserve and is surrounded by miles of hills and valleys and covered in rain-forest canopy - one of the largest areas of rain-forest in the whole of the America’s! Just to get to the lake, you have to walk from the small village of Emilio Zapata through 7 kilometers of this lush jungle, listening to howler monkeys and watching dozens of different butterflies lazily pass you by.

It really is one of the last truly remote corners of Mexico, which is why it has remained so pristine - and believe me, you’ll understand why after you have made the journey there. Oh, it will all be worth it 10 times over, but your will never forget getting there!

Four local tribes owning the lands bordering the lake are part of a co-operative, and have all signed an agreement to preserve the lakes boundaries with no development allowed within 1km of it’s shores - this includes roads so walking is a must. These communities have also agreed that there will be no motor boats on the lake at all - travel across the lake is by canoe only!

The lake itself is 16sq km, a good all year round temperature and as near as you will ever get to pollution-free. It takes 45 minutes to canoe to the main island on the lake, where you will find ruins of a local tribe where they made their last stand against the Spanish. Many other ruins are in the area, including the famous and vast city of Palenque to the north of this reserve and Tonina closer to the lake, but it’s not as big.

The Lancandon Jungle:
This extensive rain-forested region almost touching the Guatemala border, is home to a vast number of species including some very popular ‘big names’ such as jaguar, toucan, tapir, harpy eagle and red macaw. There are also crocodiles around the lake, but apparently they are harmless according to the local guides!

The ‘Selve Lancandona’ (the Lancandon Jungle) is home to:
4300 plant species - including orchids and huge epiphytes
800 butterfly species - including the great Morpho and Glasswings
345 bird species - including toucans and tanagers
114 land mammals - including ocelot and jaguar (reportedly)

It’s best to avoid this whole region between June and October as there is a lot of heavy rain here, turning all the paths and tracks into quagmires. You can still arrange your visit during this time, but there will probably be severe delays and I’m sure it won’t be that pleasant for you overall!

How To Get There: 
You can travel into the jungle and around the lake alone, in personal groups or with a guide, and there are many companies offering 2/4day tours of the area - increasing your chances of seeing everything you want to see as they will be able to show you the best routes and wildlife.

Guided tours range from $120-$330/£60-£165 depending on their length, and many need to be booked before you get there as many include the flight from Ocosingo (the nearest main city) to San Quentin the nearest large town. These and other tours also supply all equipment, food, porters and other park fees as part of the deal.

If you want to travel there independently, you need to be aware that you cannot book accommodation in advance, you have to turn up and ask there. Travel by road is the most popular (and cheapest) route, so be prepared to stand in the back of an open truck for at least 5 hours during the dry season. You do get to stop for breaks on the way!

From Ocosinga, you will drive to San Quentin, passing through at least 1 army checkpoint where you will need all your paperwork handy, there could be more than this.

When You Get There:
When you finally arrive there, you need to walk the short distance to the village of Emilio Zapata where you need to locate the comisario ejidal (the mayor) who will take your payments for entry to the lake ($3), your payment for an overnight stay ($3). To preserve the area and to make the most of your trip, he will expect you to take a guide ($10) and/or hire a canoe ($10).

After this little ceremony, you will then need to walk the remaining 7km to the lake - usually about another hour and a half walk - down a path that can only be described as an adventure in itself! When you arrive on the lake-shore you will be amazed. It is beautiful, making you temporarily forget the journey here (and the fact you have to do the same again to get back to Ocosinga!!!)

What Else Is There:
You can take a ride into a cave on the kayak to see some incredible volcanic rock formations that looked giant drips of melted wax.   You will be overwhelmed (if your lucky) by a noisy cloud of bats inside. A little further around the lake there’s a little rocky island where there are many Mayan wall paintings.  All the other Mayan remains in the area have been excavated, fenced off and sheltered from the elements to preserve them - but not here. These are just sitting there, in the jungle, in their original form.

There are more ruins on another island, but this is ‘owned’ by another community, so you need to get their permission and their guides to visit - but they have untouched ruins of some Mayan temples waiting for you to discover.

The swimming is also some of the best you will find in Central America and the few divers who have sampled Laguna Miramar’s depths can get downright poetic about it in all it’s glory.   And at a thousand feet deep in places, Laguna Miramar sustains enough aquatic life to entertain any hardened diver or brave snorkeller; including turtles, crocs, and a crypto-zoological creature the Indians say resembles a manatee!

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posted by Travel Cat on May 28

Samara Beach Vacation Details: 

This is the beach resort to come to if you want sunshine, a long sandy beach and hardly any other people in your way.

We arrived in the afternoon at our Hotel - The Belvedere - after having to speak French to a passer-by to get directions…….  It was lovely.  Apart from the hotel booking us into the wrong room, it was everything we wanted.

The room was spacious and clean, the pool was right outside our room in some lovely gardens, the location was peaceful and not surrounded by any other buildings.  Unlike Monteverde - the shower was powerful and actually had hot water!

The town itself is quite small, with the main shops and restaurants being down one short road which ends at the beach - and what a beach!  The sand isn’t pristine white, but is soft and warm none-the-less - and goes on for miles.  The waves are gentle but big, and the whole area is calm.

What To Do:
There are a few surf schools here, and one was reviewed in the Times Travel Magazine while we were there!  But this is really a beginners beach so it was more ‘in the water’ for the people here than actually on the surfboard!

Suprisingly there were a lot a ’surf dogs’ here, who would play in the waves and on the beaches all day - some would even actively try to leap onto surfers boards as they came into shore!  There was also a magical moment where 3 horses were playing around on the beach, dashing in and out of the spray.

A horse was also involved in my weirdest moment there, when after eating our giant pastas at the Pizza and Pasta a go-go restaurant one evening - a lone white horse trotted slowly past in the dark.  Everyone stopped eating, and was compelled to watch this almost eerie moment in time.

It can get very hot here during the day, so don’t expect to do much walking about unless you don’t mind getting very sweaty.  I’m not normally one to perspire on a short 20 minute walk - but here there is no escaping it!  No word of a lie - nearly everyone I saw that wasn’t walking somewhere or surfing was sitting in the shade - even all along the beach in their bikini’s - in the shade.

Eating and Drinking:
Shake Joe’s is certainly the place to eat and drink  on the beach with it’s giant sofa’s, great music and friendly staff, and with such a great view - you could easily while away an hour or so here, just relaxing.

It’s also a bit too relaxing at night when ordering a nice meal in one of the many restaurants in town.  It seems as though there is no hurry at all to get your meal to you - with at least 15 minutes wait from ordering, and even a good 5 minutes wait for any additional drinks. 

Our meals arrived one time, just after I had finished my tasty banana smoothie so I ordered another.  After finishing our meals and having asked for the bill - the second drink turned up - then it took another 5 minutes to actually get the bill!!!!  Only the Soda restaurants had a prompt service - and great prices on fish and meat dishes…….

Any Wildlife Here?
Yes, quite a lot actually.  We saw Ctenasaurs (black iguanas up to a metre in length full size) running around the place at every turn, howler monkeys round the back of our hotel on several days, giant rust-coloured squirrels and a whole host of pretty birds in every bush.  We saw many wall lizards, anoles and geckos - as well as a grumpy cane toad!

On the beach there are tiny see-through crabs and larger red crabs along the shoreline at low tide, black vultures, giant frigate birds and plenty of waders. 

A whole host of butterflys, moths, dragonflies and damselflies - but also a lot of ants……..

When we next visit Costa Rica, we will definately return to this place - and maybe give surfing a go…….

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posted by Travel Cat on May 26

Welcome to my Simple Rucksack Guide. 

This start-up guide to rucksacks will cover the different types (or sizes) or rucksacks that you will find in outdoor or camping stores and it should allow you to get an idea of what size of bag you should buy depending on your needs.

Before we start though, just a note to explain that ‘litres’ is the term used to describe the volume of storage space within the bag when fully expanded. You will see all rucksacks have their size quoted in litres which is useful as a general guide, although nothing beats actually looking inside the bag for yourself.

Some brands may not have just one large internal space, but will have several compartments accessed in different ways, therefore reducing the overall size of you main compartment. So if you need to carry a laptop or larger item with you, make sure you check this before purchase.

Daysack - up to 35 litres:
These size bags are for day use only as a rule, as they only have a small amount of space within them. You should easily be able to fit food and drink into one of these, along with some essentials like notepads and waterproofs; with mobile phones, sunglasses and wallets in the side pockets. It is unlikely you will get a solid item of A4 size into one of these, but you may get lucky.

Cost: up to $90/£45

Hiking Pack - 35-50 litres:
These are usually for more serious walkers, either in towns or countryside and may well have extra straps for inserting overnight equipment or bladder packs. They are comfortably more than A4 size inside and can hold items such as laptops and cool bags for towns, or a day or twos’ clothes, sleeping bag and tent for the more serious!

As they are for the more adventurous, you may get the choice of your preferred ‘back system’ to reduce sweating (see below for further details). It may also have a chest strap for support when carrying and some can be found with the waist or hip belt if you prefer.

Cost: up to $200/£100

Rucksack - 50-70 litres:
This size bag is good enough for all adventures where you must carry enough belongings for several days in the field! It usually weighs about 20-30kgs when loaded for such trips, and has many compartments and attachments for camping essentials, like sleeping bags in the top flap, and ground mats secured to the bottom. Nearly all will come with a waist or hip belt for ease of carrying which you will no doubt use when walking, along with the essential and adjustable chest strap.

Make sure that a large bag like this fits you correctly when full before purchasing, otherwise you will not have fun on your walks and you may well end up not using the straps correctly, damaging no only the bag, but yourself if using it for long periods of time.

Cost: up to $240/£120

Travel Pack - 70-90 litres:
These are the largest backpacks available, so are designed with comfort in mind. You will not doubt only buy one of these if you are planning some longer journeys! They are very large and bulky when fitted and will hang way below your waist strap or up above your shoulders, so make sure you try these for size before investing to see if you can manage them.

They have all the normal attachments, pockets and extra compartments, but all are adapted for a travellers needs rather than just for show. The shape of the pack will also have considered the distribution of weight when full to ease the pressure on any one area of your shoulders or waist, and will have a suitable ‘back system’.

These larger packs usually have adjustable back systems where you can extend or contract them for your needs, therefore making the one size fits all mentality.

Many travel packs come with a zip-on day sack included so you don’t need to pack your own smaller day sack inside. Many travel packs also have fold-away straps as standard, this way they won’t get all caught up when storing the travel pack or putting it through as hold luggage. This also makes for easier transportation short term as you can carry it like a hold-all instead but without dragging miles of straps behind you!

Cost: up to $380/£190

Types of Back System:
Rucksack manufacturers are starting to develop better ways to shape and fit rucksacks on actual people, rather than just design styles with the right number of pockets or straps etc - and one of these improvements is with the ‘back system’.

Basically, many people who carry a bag on their back for any length of time whilst walking will generate sweat on their backs where the rucksack itself prevents the hot air from the body escaping, so there are now different styles of ‘back’ to prevent this if you need to.

The part of the rucksack that contacts your back should be padded for your needs - and there are now backpacks specially designed for women to take this into account. Smaller or larger people may find that the padding of some packs is not suited to their shape, so will need to try many types until they are satisfied.

There are 2 main types of back systems depending on your needs, one is the ‘channelled back’ which has grooves in the padding itself but retains it’s original shape, the other is the ‘airflow’ system where the rucksack is curved away from the back entirely and there is no padding at all. These mean that there is no contact at all between the back and the pack - however this does create a rather odd shaped internal compartment.

In Part 2 of your Ultimate Guide to Rucksacks, I will explain how to fit your rucksack and some packing tips.

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posted by Travel Cat on May 23

In this post I will quickly run down what there is in the Santa Elena/Monteverde Region in terms of eating as well as tour information and the bank.

First Things First:
If you have booked accommodation in advance, go straight there and check in. Many hotels and other accommodation here have their own sources of local information and companies they like to recommend. Find out all about what your own hotel has to say before heading out as there are one or two touts in town who will pester you if you don’t have the right info. There are PLENTY of tour shops in town all trying to convince you of their best deals - but don’t buy the first ‘deal’ you see - make sure you shop around first.

If your hotel seems a bit unhelpful or has little information for you (or only speak their own version of Spanish that you can’t understand - as happened to us) then head to the Pension Santa Elena, (just down from the bank) where the staff are a fountain of all knowledge and can recommend the best of everything and get you picked up from outside your own hotel.

Eating in Town:
If you are on a mega-tight budget, then don’t eat in town - most hostels and pensions have shared kitchens - so go to the big ’supermercado’ on the corner of the main street and stock up there. They have bulk buy offers on staples like beans, rice and cereals as well as 5 litre bottles of water.

Maravilla Cafe- This little eatery opposite the bus station is great for all meals, whether it’s a giant gallo pinto for breakfast or a huge omelet you want - served with fresh fruit juice, then get here before 11am. Come back later for a soft tortilla or a burger and fries, or dinner of a pork or vegetarian casado with a hot chocolate. Most dishes are less than $5, with drinks around $1. The staff are polite and there is plenty of room to bring larger parties of travellers inside to share stories.

Morpho Restaurant-This cafe round past the supermercado is upstairs and double the price of Maravilla, but you do get better service including cloth napkins and more decoration - mainly butterfly related. They offer many vegetarian dishes and their food is delicious. Most dishes are around $10 and drinks $2.

The Tree House Restaurant- This showpiece is on the main road and has a giant tree growing out the middle of it. We didn’t eat in here ourselves as the menu was much more expensive than we cared to spend (seeing as the Maravilla was about 5 shops down) but never-the-less it was always full of people up there - and you got free Internet with your food.

Chunches Cafe- This little mezzanine to the Store opposite Pension Santa Elena has some basic dishes at very reasonable prices, including cakes. The staff are very helpful and usually English speaking so you don’t just have to point to the menu and smile. They also offer free Wi-Fi to customers and free or cheap books in all languages.

There was also a lovely little bakers to the right of Maravilla’s (as you face it) that is open very early in the mornings and serves the most tempting pastries, hot out of the oven. With fresh bread available as well and take-away coffee this is definitely the place to visit before that early morning bus to San Jose or a trip round the rain-forest! Prices range from less than $1.

The Bank- Now this was an adventure! The entrance to the building is across a very nice car-park and the security guard will let you inside. In this lobby there are 2 ATM’s and a selection of lockers. What for you ask? Well you are not allowed to take and bags inside the bank, you must choose a locker. Then you pass through a little screening ‘box’ where you have to step inside and let the door behind you close before it scans. If it doesn’t like you the door behind you will open again and you will be checked. If you pass their screening the door to the bank opens and you walk in. No hats to be worn in here, and the barriers are drawn on the floor.

It seems that every single thing done in here needs a duplicate receipt printed, so the queue moves very slowly indeed. I was about 7th in line when I entered (my partner was refused entry so had to wait in the lobby). After about 10 minutes we hadn’t moved - the only thing moving were the printers, throwing out endless paper to be signed. One woman already at a counter wandered off to get herself a glass of water she had been there so long. Good job they had MythBusters on the TV to pass the time.

After about 30 minutes I got to the front! I wrote down my withdrawal amount as the cashier spoke no English, then watched him punching details in to his computer. He disappeared off to confirm my card details then came back and starting printing stuff out - then he froze. Then he wandered off.

He finally came back with another staff member who spoke to me - ‘There’s been a problem’. Oh no, what’s happened? My partner was sitting outside - I didn’t want to lose my place in the queue - ‘What’s the problem?’. Phew, it turns out that he had typed in $4 less than I wanted due to the exchange rates (my card was in £’s, the bank dealt in local Colones, and I wanted $’s).

He looked so relieved when I said that everything was ok! I signed about half a dozen receipts then we were done. I left the bank.

45 minutes after entering!!!

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posted by Travel Cat on May 20

How many of you actually know where it is?

I bet most of you haven’t even heard of it or thought it was in Africa! Well, Guyana is a small country (about the size of the UK) in South America: bordering Brazil, Venezuela and Suriname, with the Atlantic Ocean as it’s coast.

Guyana is typically referred to alongside it’s neighbouring coastal countries French Guiana and Suriname as ‘The Guianas’, as they are more Caribbean in culture than South American, but it is certainly an amazing country to visit on it’s own. It has vast tracts of untouched rain-forest and 9 Amerindian tribes still living off the land there.

With it’s tourism era only just beginning it is very expensive to travel around, although you can live on around $30-$40/£15-£20 a day (not including and guides for touring). There are very few sandy beaches here so you can be guaranteed of the place to yourselves away from the hordes - so you must expect to pay the premium for that.

What’s There? - A lot of crime! Seriously, this place is best visited with a tour company and everything taken care of by others. Georgetown (the capital) is very dangerous - even to locals! It really isn’t a country that you can just turn up in and wander a round with your rucksack like you can in most other South American countries. Go with the professionals and you will have nothing to worry about.

Top Wildlife - includes some record breakers: the giant river otter (over 1.5 metres long), the magnificent harpy eagle (the biggest eagle in the Americas), the elusive jaguar (the largest cat in the New World), the morpho butterfly (the largest butterfly in the whole world, with a 20cm wingspan!) and giant amazonian lilies over 2.5 metres in diameter!

Worth Going? - If you have the money, and you want to go somewhere that no-one else you know has ever been, then Guyana is a must! Also your tourism will directly help reduce deforestation of the jungles - if people want to holiday there, the country will have to keep it nice to reap the rewards.

Wilderness Explorers (www.wilderness-explorers.com) are one of the best tour operators in the country and can tailor-make a trip for you. You will be staying in eco-friendly lodges all the way (where hot water and air conditioning are rare) and by working with the local tribes - who will be your guides - this company will benefit the environment. Hopefully the Amerindian guides will learn first-hand how their wildlife preserved in the rain-forests can make their country, and themselves, a lot more money than destroying it.

The BBC have recently produced a 5-part series on this beautiful country called Expedition Guyana which no doubt will tempt you further with their images.