Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 18

I have been brushing up on my rainforest knowledge – and here are my top 5!

There are rainforests and cloudforests all over the tropics, but if you want an all-round ‘best ever’ ultimate rainforest vacation – then you need to narrow it down a bit!

Having been to a few myself, I can tell you that there are some real big differences between them all; depending on their age, their altitude, the land that surrounds them and their size – and of course they are sometimes ‘islands’ themselves becoming the only place you can find certain favourite species. So do your research before you go.

But here’s that Heads Up I promised, and some info on each…..

Corcovada National Park – Costa Rica:
I know I love Costa Rica – but I am not being biased with this choice – it is just jaw-dropping to stand in this part of the country. Yeah, Monte Verde is amazing but this wins hands down.

Linked up with contiguous rainforest across the mountains, you will see some of the more elusive mammals including jaguars and tapirs. But there are the more common invertebrates here too – so don’t forget your repellent!

photo credit: lizzie1326

Manu National Park – Peru:
Still in the Americas, you couldn’t do worse than to visit this lowland rainforest to be surrounded by a carcophany of wildlife so impressive that it holds some species records and has many endemic creatures found nowhere else on Earth!

If Giant Otters, Macaws, Hoatzins and Anacondas aren’t enough to get you tempted, then maybe the 1000 species of bird and the 41,000 species of invertebrates and butterflies might win you over – let alone the magnificent waterways and the 200 species of mammals including ocelets and pygmy marmosets.

Nouabale-Nooki National Park – Congo:
Travel to Africa for this piece of majestic rainforest – virtually untouched by humans. As a result the animals here have no real fear of humans as they accept them as just another species passing by.

With some of my favourites found right here – I hope you don’t crowd the place before I get there: forest buffalo and bongos gather at the water holes as well as bush pigs and sitatungas. Oh, and there are gorillas and forest elephants here too……

Danum Valley Conservation Area – Malaysian Borneo:
Well if it’s orang utans you want – there is no better place to see them. And with over 50km of trails and aerial walkways throughout this little visited wonderland – you won’t be short of stories to take home.

And you will certainly wear your guidebook out looking at some of these unusual and sometimes undocumented species!

And watch out overhead for those giant flying squirrels!

The Whole of Bhutan:
Lets not be picky here – the whole place is a pristine wonderland for rare and unusual mammals, birds and invertebrates; including takins, bharals (blue sheep), red pandas and snow leopards!

This country has a unique culture and a great attitude towards it’s people, it’s wildlife and wild places – and it’s culture; and to protect it they limit foreign tourists to a set number per year – and charge a hefty ‘entrance fee’. Well worth it though.

photo credit: bobosh_t

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 30

Nothing quite beats a vacation with a historical twist!

History is what makes places what they are today – so why not explore one that still oozes with that same historical feel as it may have had centuries before.

Looking at a historic castle, exploring an important but empty building or looking around a museum is sometimes the closest we get to the past – we have to imagine the rest for ourselves.

But you don’t need to imagine anything if you find yourself wandering through a frantic bazaar to the smell of frankinscence or watching exquisite rug makers entwining bright silk fabrics into traditional designs.

Welcome to the Silk Road!

photo credit: schmuela

The Silk Road was often thought to be just one well-used path through the mountains and deserts of central Asia – however, it is more interesting than that.

Both northern and southern routes from China to Europe exist along this huge area – with a myriad of other smaller or seasonally used routes, tracks and paths through many countries in the region. All of them were linking up historic cities along the way like Kashgar, Turpan, Damascus and Samarkland – places much in demand even today.

And it wasn’t only Silk which was transported either – satin , spices, medicine, gems, furs, slaves and porcelain were all carried along these routes for over 2000 years!

It was a hugely important and very well organised trade route and could carry virtually anything – unfortunately one of those things was the bubonic plague!

How come I know so much about it? I asked the experts.

Use Local Knowledge:
Rather than try to research everything myself from scratch, I just opened up a great website full of resources, facts and stories all about these routes.

They have experts who are from the region of Uzbekistan, and know the place inside out. They know the buildings, the culture, the history and the language – and so can offer some of the best tours and vacations in the area.

All this information is presented simply on their very informative website, filled with facts, great images and great vacations too.

Whether you want a quick whistle-stop tour of historic sites, or want a slower-paced adventure around the historic, religious and cultural sites – it’s all here!

Central Asia travel just got a whole lot easier!

photo credit: xoque

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 26

Now is the perfect time to go on a wildlife vacation in the colder climates!

Seeing the best wildlife doesn’t mean that you have to go to the tropics or into a rainforest – sometimes mountains and ice floes can hold a wildlife spectacle worth waiting for.

And when it is warmer in the summer, those areas normally coated in a thick layer of snow can become accessible to the less extreme wildlife watchers – and is also the exact same time that certain wildlife are most active.

Mountain Goats – Canada:
In Jasper National Park, Alberta, around this time, the healthy populations of large, white, hairy mountain goats migrate down the mountains to get a good feast at the many mineral licks in the area.

As they are quite numerous, it is not too difficult to see them at close quarters – and without disturbing them too much – as there are well established viewing points that the goats have become habituated to over the years.

An added bonus is that they will also have their kids in tow – so you could get to see a really cute little baby mountain goat for your trouble – that is of course, if seeing the adults so near isn’t reward enough!

photo credit: Lee Coursey

Pacific Walruses – Alaska:
Now most people wouldn’t find the idea of going to see a pile of pink blubbery things with huge teeth all laying in a pile on a rocky shore that appealing.

But when they turn out to be up to 14,000 male walruses – then things start to sound a bit more interesting.

Add to this the fact that around 250,000 seabirds and 16 species of other marine mammals ply these waters, it all seems a little bit more worth while!

Wolverines – Finland (and US/Canada):
These versitile little mustelids are not easy to spot in their forest homes, but when you have sunlight switched on for 24 hours a day, you are more likely to see one of these cute – yet formidable – creatures.

Reputedly able to single-handedly bring down adult moose and elk and with modified teeth able to rip apart frozen meat and break open bones – you don’t want these things to evolve to be any bigger!

There are many feeding stations around Lieksa, and the wolverines have become quite used to human viewers. Small viewing lodges come with all the mod cons to make your visit more pleasant, but these mammals are very nomadic and are quite difficult to pin down.

photo credit: Kakakrokodil

Atlantic Puffins – Iceland:
These little comedy characters come here to Westman Islands (Vestmannaeyjar) in their millions to breed.

You can find them all over the place setting up nest and reaffirming bonds between pairs – and of course you will get to see the aptly named ‘pufflings’ – baby puffins.

Every year, these not-very-able fledglings leave their underground nests before they can quite manage to fly properly and they end up all over town. So you can join the locals for the puffling round-up (almost a National sport) and help catch all the stray babies and take them to the ocean where they can follow their parents to the open seas.

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 22

This fantastic destination is one of the most popular wedding spots in the States!

With the draw of all those bright lights – it is hard to think that you’re not missing out on some great adventure if you don’t go there!

It is in movies, songs and holiday brochures everywhere – so who can blame you for wanting to be one of the 40 million people who visit Las Vegas every year!

And seemingly – the very fact that it is crammed top to toe with people and runs on 24 hours a day is one of the reasons for that draw.

Why Are They All Here?
People from all over the World travel to Las Vegas day after day – and stay for sometimes just the 1 night!

The culture of the place can be felt in the air as you stroll around the place of an evening – themed restaurants, bars, hotels, wedding chapels and much more. Something from every continent is calling out to you to be tried or tasted.

The Hotels are so big and the choices for food and drink are so extensive that you can see a little bit of the whole World on every street. And it feels great!

photo credit: Stratosphere Hotel & Casino

I only stayed there for 3 nights for a friends wedding and we just ran out of time to see everything. Well, it was hard to rush around trying to check off all the things in the guide book AND trying to enjoy yourself too!

Taking the whole day to go visit the Grand Canyon was great – but it meant 1 day less in this frantic yet almost soothing city. I felt asthough I could just wander around for ever amongst the ornate buildings, shopping centres and streets.

It seemed never-ending – and I didn’t mind ending up back at the same place twice. It was all so enthralling.

Why Aren’t You There?
I can’t believe anyone wouldn’t want to visit Las Vegas at some point anyway – just to see what all the fuss is about.

They must be the same people who say that they ‘would get bored in the Maldives’.

Instead of thinking of a destination in terms of what you presume it must be like from the pictures – you just need to try it out: get online and search for Las Vegas Letsgo2.com and take a look at the inside of some of the properties and hotels. The ambiance may well change the way you think about the place.

I mean if 40 million people think that it is THE destination to visit – then why can’t you believe them? That’s like the whole population of Canada, Jamaica and Costa Rica combined recommending the place!

Imagine the thrill and excitement of getting married in the first place – and then triple that with the thrill and excitment of the Entertainment Capital of the World – and you have got one of the best combinations for your wedding you could have possibly have!

And what guests are going to turn down an invite to THAT wedding?

posted by Travel Cat on Jun 14

Have you ever wanted to snowboard on water?

Rather than the cold weather and excessive clothing required to board your way down a ski slope – why not try a similar sport but in bright sunshine in your shorts!

Wakeboarding is gaining in popularity across the world and can take place in many more countries than snowboarding due to natural lakes and waterways being more common that snow-capped peaks!

Of course you will need access to a boat or land-based vehicle to tow you – but many people prefer the locations and warmer weather!

You also get to choose your funky wakeboard – which is much easier to use and carry than water skis!

What Is Wakeboarding?
It is a combination of snow-boarding, water-skiing and surfing techniques and has been growing its own language and following for some years.

There is the connection to a boat or other vehicle to consider, as many stunts and jumps will need to have you using one hand to hold on with and so will affect your ability to do many twists and turns – and adds a bit to the balance that isn’t needed in surfing or snow-boarding.

photo credit: fincher69

You can’t just use any old boat though – as the wake it creates (and that gives this sport its name) is all important. Boats with low wake just will not be very conducive to stunts and tricks – like Butter Slides and Tantrums – which involve jumping over or onto the wake itself.

Creating Your Own Style:
There are many different wakeboards to choose from – each specific to your needs and the jumping requirements of your technique.

Whether you want to do more surface tricks (with smaller fins) or you want to create good grip in the water for great take-offs (with central channels) – you’ll need a different board set up.

But it can also depend on your mode of propulsion as some set ups like cable parks work better with finless boards – and pipes and rails can be affected by fins and channels on the board too.

There are many places to find all the wakeboard equipment information you need to match your style to an actual board – as well as great tips.

Learning More:
If you haven’t tried this before, or you want to try out different boards or techniques, then why not consider a course or lessons to extend your experience?

Large training schools and experienced operators will have a variety of boards for you to try out as well as differing propulsion methods to see which suits you best.

And learning to wakeboard can actually be a great first step to trying out other freestyle sports like snow-boarding or surfing.

If you are 8-18 and near the West Coast and want to start or improve on your wakeboarding, wakeskating or wakesurfing – take a look at Shasta Wakeboard Camp for some inspiration…..