Ultimate Vacation Spots

posted by Travel Cat on Jan 22

Every Year there is a massive influx of millions of Monarch butterflies to certain towns in Mexico - and you could see it for yourself.

By visiting the Mexican state of Michoacan to the west of Mexico City towards the end of February, you could witness around 120 million Monarch butterflies take to the skies as they start to become active after the colder winter months.

The sky around you literally turns orange with millions of tiny wings fluttering past you in search of a tasty breakfast!

Why Here?
Every year in North America, the Monarchs react to the wetter colder climates by moving south with the sun from about August onwards, they stop over in California and Florida around October before flying to Mexico for the winter.  After a few months of inactivity in the cooler weather, they start to head back north around February/March, through the southern states for late spring, then reaching their destination in summer.

However, this migration is amazing as no one butterfly will ever make the whole round trip - only it’s offspring or even the generation after that which returns to the northern states and Canada the following summer!

Butterflies need warmth to grow and fly as they are not warm-blooded like ourselves, so if these Monarchs are going to be adults throughout the year they need to follow the sunshine to stay active - hence the migration south towards the tropics.  After all - we travel there for warmth too!

Why Visit?
Apart from the amazing sight of all these animals in the same place - their awakening coincides with the calving of Grey whales in Baja California just a bit further west again.

There are many stories of the mothers bringing their calves over to small boat so they can be petted and scratched by humans!  Strange really considering that we humans virtually wiped them out over 100 years ago!

There are hundreds of Grey whales around at this time including wandering males too!  San Ignacio Lagoon is fast becoming the best site to find ‘friendly’ whales, and offers many boat trips throughout the season specifically for this phenomenon!

Further events in Mexico include:

1st - Constitution Day - A celebration of past events - Nationwide
2nd - Candlemas - To celebrate the end of Christmas - Nationwide
10th to the 16th - Carnival - Not quite as grand as Brazil - but a great event none-the-less - Nationwide

posted by Travel Cat on Nov 27

Improve you wildlife experience 100 fold with a basic pair of binoculars - it’s the best thing I ever did!

I have travelled all over the place watching wildlife as it comes by.  No need to book a great whale watching adventure in the Arctic or a Safari in South Africa to see some great wildlife close up!

However, I always though that the naked eye was good enough for me.  I saw some amazing animals and trees on my journeys and lived with the ‘it must have been a  so-and-so’ for identification.  I was happy.

The Massive Change:
My partner asked for a pair of binoculars for his birthday present, so I set about getting him some - nothing too fancy or expensive as we didn’t know what we wanted from them - we just wanted to see small things far away!

I went to a professional store to get their advice; looked at a few trees in the distance to get a feel for them, and then settled on a light pair of 8×25 waterproof binoculars - present sorted!

However, one our first few woodland walks with them, I found that I was the one using them all the time.  It’s amazing what you can see through them - I can’t believe I was satisfied with the naked eye!

You can pick out facial markings of low flying raptors, see scars on dolphins close to the shore and the worm that the badger is eating in the woods………

The Identified Creatures:
It has made a huge difference to my outdoor experience, and I am now identifying a lot more birds and mammals - and even spotting a few of my earlier mistakes - like the hare.

I had assumed that anything small and brown on the edges of a wood was a muntjac - and was happy with that.  But the binoculars opened my eyes: that brown things has been a hare, a chinese water deer and a mongrel dog chasing rabbits!

All those years of ignorant bliss - and now I can get things right!

Only this morning I was watching some song thrushes in my holly bush - only about 10 feet away - with striking bands over their eyes.  It was so strange I got out the binoculars for a closer look - and low and behold they had red patches under their wings and more elongated chest patches: they were winter migratory redwings!

It’s quite frightening how the red wasn’t obvious to me until I got a closer look - now I can’t stop watching them in the holly - they are such striking birds.

So don’t you miss out - get yourself a pair of decent binoculars next time you go shopping!

posted by Travel Cat on Jul 10

Welcome to another fantastic fact-packed Traveling with Kids Blog Carnival!

We start with some great family stories from recent vacations - firstly with Amy @ The Q Family photo story about Thailand in A Day at The Ancient City.  Then we have a story so great that Vichuda thought that words were no enough and so filled their post Krabi Thailand - with just pictures…

There are also some great pictures with Amy @ The Q Family, who discuss the little known world of 10 Fun Aquariums for Family Sleepover - amazing!  I never thought you could do that…….

Tim Tinkel then whisks us away to the wilderness with his family travels in Virginia with his post Families Again. Along the same lines, Jessica Nagel describes her delight at the best baby jogger she has been using with Baby Jogger + Coronado = Euphoria.

James Bishop then offers us some brief advice about choosing the right tent for families if camping is something you are considering, with his article on Choosing The Right Tent.

And the final 2 are ‘on the road’ stories, with advice for getting somewhere without having to entertain the kids yourself the whole time. To start, Fiona Leonard discussed the art of Matching Children’s Books to Holiday Destinations, and gp goes on to discuss the bare essentials before you head off anywhere in A Road Warrior’s Guide to Taking it on the Road « Musings from Montana.

Hope you enjoy them all.

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posted by Travel Cat on Feb 17

Rather than visiting a jungle to plant trees - why not visit a jungle that nobody has ever visited before - and discover something new!

Papau New Guinea has been recently declared as one of the most diverse region on the planet by the IUCN, and is filled with indigenous tribes and rare species surviving in an untouched landscape.

Sitting on the edge of the Pacific and joined to north-east Australia by the Great Barrier Reef, this island certainly holds a few secrets. With tree-dwelling kangaroos and waist-high flightless cassowaries, you won’t get bored of the wildlife and plants!

Wanna go there?

There is an ethical travel company that can offer the opportunity to venture deep into these unexplored jungles. Their motto is ‘tread lightly…. go far’ and they have a great reputation - TV traveller Bruce Parry worked for them for years…….

What Will You Do?
Well, apart from have the adventure of a lifetime, you can choose the length of your adventure from 2 weeks to 5 months and you will still not want to leave!

The expedition is in 4 stages starting with a week of intense Jungle Training - where you will learn skills to help you survive in the jungle and learn some of the native language, then you start the Expedition.

Supported by local non-governmental organisations, you will help local communities and the environment they depend on. They will offer their hospitality to you and your team in return for your support and skills. You will also be put to use teaching local children as part of a specific teaching program suited exactly to their needs.

Rural communities have different requirements depending on their location and needs - all this is taken into account - and the long term effects are crucial. It’s not a quick fix expedition - the work you do counts for more.

Sometimes you will be a long way from civilisation or even a small local town, but you are always in the capable hands of the trained staff and have emergency back-up as part of the package. You also get a taster of diving at the end of the course if you have any energy left!

Who Offers This Amazing Package?
Since emerging in 1990, TrekForce have been offering expeditions and adventures to many remote but needy destinations on the planet, always supporting local people and cultures to make sure that their challenges are worth while.

TrekForce also take credit for helping to create 100 new national parks across many continents, are among the first groups to record and maintain biodiversity studies in jungles and mountains where needed. They have also planted a quarter of a million trees in that time and are now a carbon neutral company. The schools they have supported and the teaching hours they have completed are astounding.

Is This The Only Course They Offer?
No, they have destinations in Central and South America, North Africa, Nepal and Borneo for you to think about.

The adventures range from as little as 2 weeks (for your basic jungle skills) starting at £1200 - or the whole 5 months full package for up to £4100 - that’s less than £30 a day for the pleasure of living and working abroad! That’s less than a meal for 2!

The whole deal, like all great eco holidays, doesn’t include the flights - allowing you to travel elsewhere before of after by whatever means you like - so saving carbon emissions!

However, it does include a pre departure meeting, all meals and accommodation while exploring, airport and local transfers, all training and 24 hour emergency back-up. There is even a little reunion afterwards if you want to catch up with everyone. Not a bad deal in my book!

Are you up for the challenge!!!

posted by Travel Cat on Jan 17

With their economy at an all time low at the moment - why not take advantage! The UK£ is very low compared to a lot of currencies - including the US$ - so why not hop on over to the little ‘vacation island’.

Accommodation will be cheap at the moment as so many people are trying anything to get the customers - including the stores - they have gone ‘discount crazy’ - even some of the great big companies like Marks & Spencer, a cornerstone of any British High Street.

Although you may have to search around for a cheap flight anywhere at the moment, they are out there. Sometimes it is cheaper to get 2 singles - or stop off somewhere on the way over - but it’s worth it if you want to see this wonderful little country.

What’s the UK like?
It is currently winter at the moment, so don’t expect to be wearing T-shirts around, but this means that you can snuggle up in a little cottage on a river with a real wood-burning fire warming the timber framed cosy front room!

You could be waking up to the view of a snow covered landscape or reading a great book while the rain and wind howl around your lodgings with you nice and warm inside. On the clear days, there will be plenty to keep you busy with horse-riding, hiring a canal boat, touring an ancient city with it’s castle or just wandering through cobbled streets and stopping for lunch in a quaint ‘tea shop’.

Scotland has plenty of winter sports to offer, including skiing, snowboarding, dog-sledding, reindeer tours, whale watching and even hunting with eagles! There is plenty of rare wildlife in these parts too, including seals, dolphins, red squirrels and of course - the Loch Ness Monster! Stop off in the historic hill-side city of Edinburgh to hear the cannon salute on your way past.

What about Wildlife?
Nature-lovers will love the coastlines of the British Isles for birding around this time. The Norfolk coast of England, the whole coast of Northern Ireland and estuaries of Scotland are all great locations for migrating birds - like the Barnacle Geese in the Solway Firth - and seabirds alike.

In more northern regions you will need to be on the look-out for bottle-nosed dolphins and whales as they hunt for food in these winter months - and the Scottish highlands hold reindeer, red deer and wildcats!

Man Made Fun?
Many theme parks are closed for the winter, but there are plenty of free museums in London and other main towns, and of course there are places that need to be seen to be believed. Take the Isle of Wight in the English Channel. This little island is filled with dinosaur bones - and you have every chance of finding your own while you are there. It also has brightly coloured sand making up one amazing cliff-line.

Many Zoo’s and Safari Parks are still open through the colder months, but you may not see many animals - they are no doubt hiding in their heated houses! On the other hand there are many native animals, like otters and wild ponies that can be seen better in these months as they depend on certain sources for food.

Ancient man-made landscapes are also amazing to see covered in snow, or on a frosty morning. The Tarr Steps in Exmoor cross a fast icy river, Stonehenge catches the low sunlight, and ancient castles and forts hide in a curtain of mist. You can even take a walk out across the sea bed at low tide to several islands on the south-west coast if it’s not too windy!

What Else:
Take your vacation in the UK and not only can you enjoy what it has to offer, you are also within touching distance of the whole of Europe. You can drive to Paris for lunch or have a weekend vacation in Italy. Many tour holidays are on offer if you want to go further.

If you only have 2 weeks then don’t even look at Europe - it will only tease you with it’s variety and make you consider ‘hopping’ around to destinations for a few days here and there. This won’t do any of them justice! Just select 2 or 3.

Consider at least a month, if you really want to soak up the atmosphere of several countries - and consider a flexible train or coach ticket. There are 60 or so countries in Europe - and there really is no need to rush them! They aren’t going anywhere!

Oui?