Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Aug 19

Lake Tahoe - Hiking And Climbing Vacation Spot

Lake Tahoe is planted at the northern end of Yosemite National Park on the eastern side of central California, in the densely forested Sierra Nevada mountain range. It really is California’s mountain country at it’s best.

Lake Tahoe is a year-round recreational haven for well over a thousand years to the people of not only the southern states, but the whole of the US - and beyond. The area offers hiking, climbing and water-sports throughout the summer months, and then becomes a winter skiing destination - with many Olympic-class resorts to choose from.

It is divided into 2 parts really, with the south shore focused on a mini Las Vegas around Stateline, while the north shore is fixed firmly on the outdoor life and has the US’s greatest concentration of ski resorts.

Getting There:
There are several roads that get from coastal California across the mountain chain to Lake Tahoe, but only one coming up from the south through Yosemite, so plan your route well if you are taking in a lot of the surrounding area as well. South Lake Tahoe also has it’s own airport for those who prefer the direct option!

Half of the Lake is also in Nevada near Reno, so across state routes can be planned to arrive here in the Interstate 80, arriving north of the lake.

Before you head out, request your free Visitor Pack from AroundLakeTahoe.com (if still available) so you have all the current local information you need before arriving.

Where To Start:
Peak tourist seasons here are July and August, so expect a lot of people on the paths - and on the road that follows it’s edge too. Must See’s include Emerald Bay and Inspiration Point (a steep climb from the car park) - and Cave Rock Tunnel on the Nevada side, where the highway penetrates the mountains themselves.

There are plenty of reasonable hotels and eateries around the lake, but plan in advance to avoid disappointment. If you are camping, however - check with the state regulations for camping in that area before heading off for regulated camping and any dangers to watch out for.

Fallen Leaf Lake has the most hiking trails in the south-west, but the Balancing Rock Nature Trail is certainly worth while on the south shore, and is close to the Rubicon Trail of spectacular lake views including Emerald Bay - the most photographed part of the lake with it’s own recreated Nordic Castle on the mountainside (www.vikingsholm.com).

Ed Z’berg Sugar Pine Point State Park on the western coast is the largest state park bordering the water, and is filled with old buildings to explore. Ehrman (pronounced ‘ermine’) Mansion has some stately grounds and includes a turreted mansion which was used in the making of the Godfather II if you’re interested.

Something Different?
If you are up for a challenge, then take yourself on to the Tahoe Rim Trail (www.tahoerimtrail.org), circling the lake from the lofty heights of the surrounding mountains! It covers 165 miles across the Sierra Nevada, and can take at least a week if you attempt the whole thing in one go. If you aren’t quite that adventurous, shuttle buses can transfer you to the key sites and you can walk a short stretch at a time!

This trail is open to all types, including mountain bikers, horses and cougars - oh, and in the colder months lots of snow (sometimes completely obscuring the path) - so make sure you a prepared for whatever comes your way if you take up the challenge!

For more information on any of the National Parks and their entry costs - please visit www.parks.ca.gov and navigate to the relevant locations.

Have fun!!!

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posted by Travel Cat on Jul 16

What do you do when Kenya ‘closes’?

This was the question I had to ask myself when a friend at work called to say that she had just heard that the UK government had cancelled all flights to Kenya after a security threat in Nairobi. My heart sank, but I was nervous at the same time.

What happens to my holiday??????
Basically we had booked a really cheap deal to Mombasa a few weeks before (to get a bargain of a late deal) and had just got our visa’s, paid for our yellow fever vaccines and had started taking the malaria tablets - all ready to leave on the Sunday morning.

This all seemed less important with the threat of losing everything on the Friday. Obviously all my work mates knew where I was off to and when as I do like to talk about my adventures so when one of them heard the news on her day off - she called me to see if I’d heard.

Thoughts ran through my head of not getting a refund, or the whole process taking about 2 months to sort out with ‘deductions’ for something or other so the travel agents get to keep as much of the loss as they can - and me left in the UK with 1 of 2 choices:

1) Book another holiday somewhere else with extra funds (at least another $2000/£1000) and wait for the other money to come back (if at all)

2) Don’t book another holiday and try to work instead so not losing any more money.

Anyway, I was in a main town, so decided to take an early lunch and visit a branch of the company I had booked through up here to discuss my options. There are always such horror stories about ’small print’ and the like, that I wasn’t hopeful as I trotted across the town centre towards the travel agents.

Why are we so unsure of these things?
There are ‘fine details’ for everything these days, but we never really understand all the jargon - I mean you can read the clauses in the back of the travel brochure over and over again, but until these things happen, you have no idea which way it’s going to go.

A cancelled holiday by the government had never happened to anyone I had known, so I was totally at the mercy of the travel reps details - you make sure they are ATOL and a member of ABTA but we never really know exactly what these acronyms mean!!!

High street travel agents are notoriously bad for giving refunds or compensation after a bad vacation or hotel complaints, but they offer the cheapest late deals, so we are lured into their realm and have to hope for the best! They are not likely to offer the same generous customer service agreements of the more exclusive vacations because we are not paying their prices.

What Happened.
Well, I walked into the store to a bright cheery face, who seemed to know exactly what I was there for. We sat down and she explained what my options were from here - and I was genuinely surprised!

I could either get a full refund, or use the funds to book another holiday with them right now.

Wow! I was gob smacked! Not wanting to mess around with a different holiday slot at work I asked to see what other holidays were available leaving on the same Sunday.

As it turned out, not a lot. There was a ‘room only’ deal to Aruba for the same price (but we would have to eat out all the time meaning extra money), or a 2 weeks all inclusive deal to Cancun. We never fancied going to Cancun due to it’s crowded reputation and giant hotels all crammed into the same place - but this hotel was apparently very ‘mexican’ and quiet - not a giant sky-scraper with a zillion other people crammed around the pool.

It was flying out a day later though, and we had to pay a little bit extra than before, but it was arranged and we hastily got brochures and guide books to find out more about the resort and the hotel - finding Cozumel and Chitchen Itza as possible day trips.

Happy Ending?
As it turns out, there were several people on the flight to Mexico with us who had also been going to our doomed Kenya resort, and one ended up at our hotel with us - freakishly with the same surname as me! It only turned out that they were distant relatives living about 20 miles away from my family in the UK!!!!!

And apart from the whopping prices at the bars in town, it was a fantastic hotel and I had a fantastic time looking at the Mayan ruins and lounging beside one of the 6 smaller pools at the hotel - in peace.

Vacation Facts:

Location: Cancun - Yucatan Peninsula - Mexico - Central America

Accommodation: El Pueblito (3*) - Southern End of the Cancun Beach - 20 minutes from the Airport.
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posted by Travel Cat on Jul 13

The Wildlife in Costa Rica is just amazing.

As you may know from my travels, we only visited 3 main locations for wildlife in Costa Rica, but we certainly saw more than we bargained for.

I’ve just summarized here the main types of animals you can see in the various locations and what you might see if you had the patience (and a really good guide).  I have included some of our photos and amazing videos……

Monte Verde/Santa Elena:
In the mountains, you had very lush cloud forests, and plenty of birds, mammals and insects to see.

During the day, there were plenty of birds either soaring above the valleys like the turkey vultures, or sitting in the trees calling out - many of which you couldn’t see! Our guides knew their calls so we at least knew what we weren’t seeing!! This included quetzals and wattled bellbirds amongst others.

Almost everywhere there were flowers there were hummingbirds, at least 6 species were seen almost every day, including the ubiquitous rufous-tailed hummer. Giant guans would just sit in the trees watching you while tinamou pecked their way across the leaf litter.

Beautiful mot-mots and manakins were all around the secondary forests, but hard to identify as there are so many different types around, and we also saw one single keel-billed toucan high up in the canopy.

Around the town there were many swifts and more vultures, along with flycatchers (and the kiskadee), wrens and the easy to spot grackles. We also saw some parrot-lets, but flying too high to identify.

Mammals were also plentiful here, with sloth, agouti, capuchin monkeys and coatis around almost every corner in the quieter reserves - but in the main cloud forests we didn’t see a soul except a tame collared peccary.

Insect life was abundant - but you should do the night tours if you want to see them (and hear them) in their glory, along with frogs and scorpions included, or not do the night tours if you can’t stand cockroaches as they were everywhere in Monte Verde!!! Bats were also feeding at the hummingbirds feeders at night.

Did I forget to mention the hundreds of orange-kneed tarantulas in the banks and sides of all the footpaths!!!!!

Samara:
Down in the heat here, we had more ctenosaurs (black iguanas) than you could shake a stick at - it really was a giant reptile resort. They didn’t do much, but they were quite a size!

A whole range of different birds were here - along with our friend the rufous-tailed hummer - including giant frigate birds, wading birds and many green parrots of all sizes as well as the splendid blue jay - and my favourite the little noisy and brightly coloured rufous-naped wren.

Mammals were narrowed down to just variegated squirrels and howler monkeys (which isn’t a bad deal really) but there were plenty of dogs and horses roaming the streets and the beach to keep your attention.

We also saw quite a few snakes here, along with gecko’s, cane toads, small lizards and damselflies - and mosquitoes!!!!!

Arenal/La Fortuna:
This area had the largest variety or mammals that we had come across with more sloths as well as anteaters, agouti’s and howler monkeys. It was also a great place for bird variety with both keel-billed and emerald toucans all over the place, along with dozens of smaller birds including the tanagers and manakins, parrots, trogons, tree creepers, flycatchers and the amazing oropendola’s with their giant hanging nests.

Add to this the huge numbers of soaring birds including black vultures, swallow-tailed kites, hawks and falcons circling the volcano sides and you have quite a ’twitchers’ fest! Oh and don’t forget even more hummingbirds here!!!

Insects were also abundant here with leaf-cutter ants leading the way. A vast number of butterflies including the blue morpho could be seen along with swallowtails and glass-wings, but also snakes, frogs and small lizards were around if you stopped to look - we found a bright yellow eyelash viper at the side of the road leading the Arenal Volcano which was almost invisible - which is really frightening - you could have leant against that bank to catch your breath without thinking!!!

A fantastic trip to nearby Cano Negro with Canoa Aventura was where we found the beautiful water birds including the perching anhinga’s and cormorants and the circling wood storks! Plenty of spoonbill, ibis and heron for any bird lover here! Not many ducks, but woodrails and jacandas were on every corner as well as active kingfishers the length of the river.

You will also find a huge number of caiman in the water, and we were lucky to spot a feeding boa on the river bank - swallowing a huge iguana.

We were also very lucky to see a troupe of capuchins dangling off the trees over the river, scooping up water to drink with their hands - very dangerous with all the caiman around!!!

Add to this some amazingly vibrant green basilisks sun-bathing on the banks alongside uneaten green iguanas (over 3ft long), several types of turtle and some well camouflaged Brazilian long-nosed bats on a low tree which really took some staring at to make out which was tree and which was bat!

I haven’t named everything we saw in our month long visit, but it included hundreds of creatures that we were able to identify - imagine all those we saw (or walked right past) that we couldn’t record.

We can’t wait to go back next year!!

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posted by Travel Cat on Jul 10

Just the Two of Us!!! 

We all want a lovely beach vacation when it’s just the two of us, but if you have never been to an isolated tropical location or secluded European cove, you might want some pointers.

So I have listed below 10 of the most popular and romantic beach locations around the world where you can get to spend a lot of time with your loved one without being in the center of a city, or close to a giant harbour!

The Maldives - The best location I have ever found where you can guarantee peace and quiet are the islands of the Maldives, just south of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean. Some of these beautiful islands have less than 20 rooms, and all you can see on the horizon across the azure waters are a few dotted islands and the splashes left by dolphins and turtles.

Fiji - Here in the south Pacific, there are plenty of islands to visit, all of which have their own secluded beaches and tropical hideaways for you to explore. Not only can you do nothing on your hammock here, you can also charter a small boat and day-trip to an uninhabited island all to yourselves.

A Villa in Italy - How many times have you looked at a cluster of terracotta buildings perched on a rocky slope overlooking a pristine cove and wanted to be there? Wanted to explore the tiny winding passageways from your room to the beach in the sunshine. Well, you can, and it’s in the Mediterranean.

Bermuda - These gems in the Atlantic certainly have the desired isolation and warm climate for total relaxation. With intriguing pink sandy beaches and a colonial feel, you will find sophistication and charm in the resorts with walking, cycling and water-sports all available without the high temperature and humidity of more tropical locations.

Bahamas - Need I say more? This place oozes romance; with great weather, stunning views and plenty of islands to choose from - and if money isn’t an object, why not charter a boat for the 2 of you to guarantee isolation and a view of whatever beaches you want!

Turks and Caicos - This beautiful chain of over 40 islands and cays is certainly a place to ‘get away from it all’. Breath-taking turquoise waters, powder white soft sandy beaches and a tranquil vibe sums up this location.

Brazil - A relatively undiscovered destination, with Buzios as an area famed for it’s 20 lush beaches and a bustling night life or Ponta Negro’s beaches can ‘wow’ you with the same vibrancy after dark! It is Brazil so your romantic vacation will not be boring…..

The Seychelles - A more expensive location - mainly to keep it exclusive. And you will want it that way - just you and the lapping ocean! There are a few more isolated spots away from the main island, and it’s these locations that will make you want to stay…….

Hawaii - The smaller resorts on these amazing volcanic islands could be your ideal beach vacation if you look around - it’s not all chain hotels and surfing here - you can still find pristine locations where it will just be you two and your dreams…..

South of France - You don’t need the beach for romance in this country, but the south coast of France has it anyway. Miles and miles of pristine beaches and lonely coves. The culture will make you feel like you are the only couple in the world enjoying it.

Plan Your Romantic Beach Vacation
Don’t let you dream romantic beach vacation be ruined by something avoidable otherwise you could end up just having another great holiday - rather than that special break.

The vacation you hoped would be the perfect dream of a quiet, sunny, and secluded vacation could become ‘nothing special’. Money and memories wasted.

So, to keep your romantic beach vacation just as you planned here are a few tips that will help you really enjoy that unforgettable and romantic vacation on a tropical or isolated beach.

• Plan in advance for your accommodation - otherwise you could end up settling for something not 100% what you wanted, but the dates were right.
• Think ahead for car hire and special trips or romantic meals. Popular trips and restaurants can book up in advance - leaving you without a thing. Don’t risk a last minute decision as you may be very dissapointed.
• Sun creams, insect repellants and mosquito nets may not be romantic - but if you are travelling to areas where you could be affected by sunburn or insect-bourne illnesses, these are essential. You don’t want to end up in pain, or in hospital!
• Holiday Insurance is vital if you are travelling abroad - even for just a few days - as you never know when anything unplanned could happen.
• Unless you are planning a family, make sure you are more than prepared for all eventualities as mild sickness or time zone changes could affect the effectiveness of some oral contraceptives!
• To help - always avoid tap water and ice if travelling abroad and make sure you only eat well cooked foods from busy restaurants, cook your own or eat at your hotel.

And above all - Enjoy your trip!

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posted by Travel Cat on Jul 5

Compare Car Hire Prices from One Simple Site.

There are ’comparison’ sites just about everywhere now. You will find them for holidays, loans, energy suppliers and now for car hire. But I think it’s all good news for the consumer.

How Does It Work?
Basically, if you want to check some prices for car hire on your next holiday or business trip you just need to go to one huge website that will then search all the known car hire companies for their best deals and availability saving you the time and effort of going in and out of all the individual sites.

This is exactly what the Argus Car Hire site is offering you - and has been doing so for over 10 years.  You arrive at their home page - enter your destination country and the dates you require and they start their searching.

They are linked to many well know car hire firms from across the globe including Alamo, National, Budget and Europcar to name a few - so you know that anything they have to offer will show on this site.

You select the type and style of car you need and you pass through a very easy to use series of forms to complete your booking or start again with a different location or dates.  And with over 12,000 locations worldwide to collect your car from including Algeria, Costa Rica, Japan and Namibia - they have everything covered!

What Sort Of Prices?
Well, the price you see on their site is inclusive - there are no hidden costs - your book without charge and pay for your car on arrival.  With both Orlando and Capetown for as little as £11 a day you can’t go wrong! ….And pick up points in all major airports in Germany including Munich, Frankfurt and Cologne for you car hire Germany , and locations all across Europe.

Obviously in the more remote countries, you may find higher prices, and less vehicle choice - but that is the same for any service you could name!

What Else Do They Offer?
With a current blog running with all the news surrounding travel and car hire stories (apparently more people are currently hiring cars rather than fly long haul with the ‘credit crunch’ at the moment - read more)- as well as a guide to renting a car, they offer a newsletter for you to sign up to to keep on top of current deals and new services they may offer in the future.

They also offer a search engine to find you a hotel for your journey if you haven’t already found a place - maybe for a one night stop-over as you drive across Europe

This is a paid post.

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