Adventure in Costa Rica

Costa Rica is a wonderful destination, especially if you like active adventures. Whether you’re planning on traveling on your own, with a friend or partner or going with the whole family, Costa Rica has something for everyone. Here are some of the top activities:


Mountains and volcanoes

Costa Rica has a number of stunning mountains and volcanoes to explore. Arenal and Irazu Volcano are quite popular and offer beautiful hiking trails and amazing mountain biking. The lush Monteverde cloud forest is an incredible destination for hiking and biking, horseback riding and zip lining. Monteverde is currently in danger of disappearing due to deforestation and climate change. If you have the chance, definitely go and see it before it disappears!

Water

Over time, Costa Rica has been shaped by winding valleys and canyons. This has made it a hugely popular destination for white water rafting and kayaking. Some of the most picturesque and exhilarating rivers include the Pacuare, Sarapiqui and Reventazon, which offer from 3 to 4 grade rapids. If you prefer surfing to rafting, be sure to check out Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. Puerto Viejo is a really popular surfing destination for everyone from beginners to experts. If you’re an advanced surfer, the Salsa Brava Reef is one of the best and heaviest surf spots in Costa Rica.


Animals

Costa Rica is crawling with all sorts of critters and is, therefore, a great destination for animal viewing. For bird watching the best regions are Sarapiqui, Turrialba and Cano Negro. If you’re fascinated by the unique and slow-moving sloth, visit the Sloth Sanctuary and rescue facility in Limon (located on the Caribbean side of Costa Rica). For tropical butterflies, visit the Butterfly Conservatory in El Castillo (near Arenal). If you’re really enthusiastic about nature and have a few weeks to spare, the Sea Turtle Conservation Project is a wonderful project to volunteer with in Costa Rica.

Have you been to Costa Rica? What were your favourite adventure activities?

South Africa with Pat and Doug

Pat and Doug were just in South Africa. If you've never been to South Africa, the Lonely Planet describes it as "befitting its position at the southern end of the world’s most epic continent, with more types of terrain than photographers can shake their zoom lens at". I got a chance to ask Pat about the trip, and she shared her experience with me.

"We were in South Africa for about 15 days with two days of travel at either end," shared Pat, "the trip was 19 days in total."

"We had a couple overnights, but the key places were the Kapama River Lodge and the Bayethe Tented Lodge, both were fabulous," shared Pat, "In
Knysna we stayed at the Protea Hotel Knysna Quays and in Cape Town we stayed at the Portswood. Both places were wonderfully located."

Pat and Doug also were on safaris while they were there, giving the trip an element of adventure! "All the safari accommodations were great, especially the Bayethe Tented Lodge at Shamwari," said Pat, "it was unique!" Overall, all the places Pat and Doug stayed were very, very good and homes to great locations in South Africa.

As for the rest, I had to ask what kind of activities they enjoyed during the safaris. "Apart from the morning and evening drives, we used the spa services at Kapama. The spa itself and the location were beautiful," shared Pat, "We also sat by the pool at Kapama as the temperature was in the high 20's C. We had less time at Shamwari, but there too, we relaxed outside and enjoyed the weather."

Everyone has a favourite part about their trip, and Pat is no exception. "My favourites were the safaris of course, Cape Town activities including Robben Island - we arranged the Robben Island activities ourselves when we got there," shared Pat.

Any downsides? "Nothing really," said Pat, "I would have liked more time if anything! More time to stay at another location along the Indian Ocean, like Plettenberg, or stay in a wine country town like Franschhoek. It would have also been nice to have more time for activities I couldn't fit in too, like whale watching, or more time on the Table Mountain exploring."

I asked Pat if there was anything she'd like to share with the readers, and she had a great piece of advice: "Everyone should do at least one safari in their lifetime! The experience is so incredible it's almost indescribable," shared Pat, "It was great to experience both the Kapama and Shamwari safaris in that although the animals viewed were similar, the terrain, habitat, the accommodation and food were quite different."

We'd like to thank Pat for sharing her experience with us! Ever been on a safari? Share your insight below.

Spotlight on Safari in South Africa

Imagine watching a leopard up a tree with its kill; being surprised by hippos suddenly surging into a pond; listening to the sounds of the bush and gazing at the bright stars of the African night sky. These amazing experiences and more await you on a South African safari. It's amongst the world's finest travel experiences and one you'll never forget.

Adventure in Africa

Safari means adventure and there's plenty of adventure in South Africa. From the vast, pristine beaches of the Indian Ocean to the natural bush of the national parks, this is a diverse and beautiful land with many exciting adventure activities for you to experience.

Game Parks & Reserves

Going on safari for game viewing is the first thing visitors think of when planning a trip to Africa. You'll hear a lot about The Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and lion) which were the animals highly sought after in the days of hunting safaris. They can all be found in South Africa along with many other animals and birds.

Game Parks & Reserves

Going on safari for game viewing is the first thing visitors think of when planning a trip to Africa. You'll hear a lot about The Big Five (elephant, buffalo, rhino, leopard and lion) which were the animals highly sought after in the days of hunting safaris. They can all be found in South Africa along with many other animals and birds.

South Africa has some of the best national parks, reserves and wilderness areas on the continent offering a range of experiences from basic to deluxe. You'll come across game viewing areas all around the country. The biggest is Kruger National Park.

• Kruger National Park is world renowned, offering the most diverse game viewing experience in Africa.
• An area the size of Scotland covering nearly 2 million hectares with 16 ecosystems, Kruger is found in the northeastern part of the country.
• Established as a park in 1894, today it is home to 100,000 impala, 10,000 blue wildebeest, 9,000 kudu, 5,000 warthog, 25,000 zebra, 180 cheetah, over 1,000 leopard and 1,500 lion.
• You'll easily find elephant, giraffe, rhino, hippopotamus, hyena, crocodile and many more exotic species.
• You'll stay in camps where you are shut in while the animals roam freely in the park.
• Accommodation ranges from standard, self catering rest camps to luxury lodges with every amenity for the discerning traveller.
• Guided game drives and bush walks with an armed ranger are safe ways to see the animals.
• Be sure to stay in your car if driving without a guide. Animals are extremely well camouflaged.
• The park is a leading conservation area which has nurtured the white rhino from extinction and now safeguards the world's largest population.

The Kruger Park experience has been duplicated on a smaller scale at other parks and private reserves around the country.

Safari Options

In South Africa, the safari experience has evolved to suit all types of travellers with some rather unique options available:

• Spa-faris at luxury lodges and camps let you combine a health and wellness vacation with game viewing. Be pampered with African treatments at the on- site spa in between your game viewing drives.
• The Big 7 Safar - Head for the Eastern Cape where you'll see the Big 5 on your land safari and the white shark and southern right whale on the coast. South Africa is a leader in shark cage diving which is both safe and exciting.
• Safari Flights - View herds of game during scenic, time-saving flights between safari camps and lodges.
• Safari & Rail Journeys - Enjoy the spectacular rail routes of Southern Africa on journeys from Cape Town to Namibia, Johannesburg to the Victoria Falls or Pretoria to Durban. There are several routes to choose from for a scenic way to get around the region combined with game viewing safaris.
• Tour and Safari - South Africa is a beautiful country with many areas well worth visiting. Combine a tour with your safari experience to discover more of this unique country. Itineraries include the major cities plus the Garden Route, Swaziland, Kwa Zulu, the Drakensbergs, Cape Point and the Cape winelands region.
• Multi-country Safaris - For those with more time, add game viewing safaris in neighbouring countries like Botswana (home to some of the most untouched game viewing areas in Africa), Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and even Tanzania and Kenya. A visit to the spectacular Victoria Falls is included in many itineraries.
• Cruising plus Safari - Enjoy a safari experience when your ship calls at South African ports. Cruise lines offer overnight safaris to private reserves pre, post or during your South African cruise.

A safari in the African bush is certainly a must. Bring plenty of memory cards for your camera as you'll be taking shots continually to capture this remarkable vacation.

The Journey to Timbuktu...

Yes, Timbuktu really does exist - and what a journey it was to get there!

Our bad luck streak started before we even left Canada! Each airline we tried to book on went out of business, and when we finally found a solvent one, we weren't sure that it would get us home, but we took our chances anyway. We had nothing to lose and we really wanted to get to Timbuktu!


We arrived in Dakar, Senegal, but our luggage did not! It finally showed up 48 hours later, after we had spent many hours and lots of money on clothing and essentials (underwear was $25.00 a pair!) Our tour leader then informed us that Air Mali was bankrupt and would not be flying us from Timbuktu to Bamako at the end of our trip. We would have to travel by land - a 2-day delay. Oh well!

Dakar, once a beautiful old French Colonial city, is now just full of deteriorated old buildings. The city is a music mecca, a "must see" if you are a fan of Senegalese music!

We departed Senegal on what we later nicknamed the "cockroach express". The Dakar - Bamako train was scheduled to take 28 hours, but actually took 40! Among the many things one could purchase at the colourful stations along the way were lovely straw fans. These were as close as we came to air conditioning. The open window on the 25km/hour train just didn't cut it! The dining car had a set menu comprising of one dish only! It wasn't too bad considering the kitchen conditions. Sometimes we dined there, and other times we bought lovely French baguettes out of the train window, as we passed through mud/thatch villages.

We finally we arrived in Bamako and were met by our local tour guide, Telly. After 40 hours of hell, he was a welcome sight, as was our lovely air-conditioned bus and the clean air-conditioned hotel rooms. Refreshed and rejuvenated, we set off in our mini-van to Djenne (via Segou). Djenne is a UNESCO sight and one of the highlights of the trip. It houses the largest mud mosque in the world, which is very impressive. You should really try and make it there in time for the colourful Monday market which takes place in the square - backdropped by the beautiful mosque. The sights and sounds and colour really stand out against all the brown. We spent our time wandering through the alleyways, and over the rooftops, looking down on life below. We engaged a couple of local boys as our "personal shoppers". They helped us bargain for mudcloth, batik, bangles, and organized a tailor for us too!

Our next stop was Dogon country. WOW! We were driven to the middle of the escarpment and descended on foot down the uneven, steep grade into the valley below. It was incredible watching our porters effortlessly snake down the rock-face, laden with boxes, cooking and camping gear on their heads, and only flip-flops on their feet! We finally made it down and arrived at our first night stop. We were promptly offered cold beer and coke (we thought they were kidding, but the Chief had a fridge in his mud hut!) Our cook whipped up a wonderful 3-course meal in one pot, over an open fire, in the middle of nowhere, for 14 people. He did this every day, 3 times a day. Incredible!


Our days in Dogon were spent walking to villages in the cool early morning hours, then lunching and having a little siesta before continuing on to our night stop. We constantly ran into inquisitive little kids or farmers as we wandered between villages. At the end of each day we erected our tents on the villagers' roofs or in a nearby field. One of the highlights of our Dogon visit was when we were treated to some colourful and traditional masked dancing, performed by the young men of the village, and witnessed and blessed by their elders. A truly unique and unforgettable experience.

On day 4 we finally made the journey up and out of the valley. It was steep, and it was hot, but it was worth it, as it afforded us some truly magnificent views over Dogon country below.

From Dogon we made our way to Mopti where we spent the night before heading up the Niger River to Timbuktu. This was a 3 day/2 night cruise, although I use the term "cruise," loosely! Our boat was a thatch covered pinasse (dugout canoe), with hard wooden bench seats. The life on the river was amazing. We passed fishing boats, crowded local ferries and lots of little fishing villages (bozo villages). As we docked at each of these, hundreds of kids ran out to greet us, shouting "ca va', 'cadeaux' and 'bon bon' . We felt like explorers from a bygone era. The locals thought we were such a novelty and we had lots of fun with them! At night we camped along the desert shores. Beautiful and peaceful. We saw no other tourists for the whole 3 days.


We reached the end of our river journey and were welcomed by our drivers who brought us to Timbuktu by jeep. Timbuktu has the feel of a frontier town, right on the edge of something big, which it is! We enjoyed our day wandering the streets with our guide "Mohammed Ali" pointing out the mosques, Koran schools and the homes of the explorers that had first come there. It is dusty and brown, with the monotony only broken by the vibrant dress of the women strolling by. We did the touristy thing and rode a camel with the Tuaregs, out into the Sahara. It was beautiful looking back and seeing Timbuktu in the distance, blending into the desert.

After boarding our privately chartered Russian plane, (with Kazak pilots), we made our way back to Bamako, where we bid a sad farewell to the group and leaders. Over the weeks we had learned so much from Telly about Mali and it's people, and had developed a lovely friendship with him. We had all experienced so much!

I departed West Africa with a range of mixed emotions. I was physically tired, and by the time we had finished with the Bamako airport beaurocracy, I was frustrated and truly happy to be heading home. We encountered even more difficulties than I have written about (we lost more luggage, hotel beds collapsed from under us and I was almost knocked unconscious when a mud brick fell out of the roof and onto my head while I slept). All of that certainly made for a challenging trip. Despite all of our bad luck, when I think about the smiles of the kids, the colour and sounds of the markets, and the warmth of the people of Mali, I am so glad that I made the remarkable journey to Timbuktu.

We got back to Canada only to discover that we had made it out on Sabena's last flight to North America! I guess we really were meant to make the trip after all! Despite all of the difficulties we encountered and the bad luck we had along the way, this was an amazing trip and well worth doing!

-Lesli

Vietnam Part 2: Hue, Ha Long Bay and Hanoi

The next stop on our trip was Hue. Hue was the old imperial city and the ruins of the city are still there. Hue is built on the banks of the Perfume River, so it is worth taking a boat downstream to watch life go by as well as visit the Thien Mu Pagoda. If you can, stay in the old part of town right behind the walls of the imperial city. Rent a bike and cycle around exploring pagodas and the markets.


One of the highlights of my trip was renting a motorbike and driver and touring the countryside for the day. We journeyed through villages, rice paddies, war remnants and had the most incredible lunch at a monastery. Then we visited another monastery while the monks were chanting, saw joss sticks getting made along the side of the road and drove by canals with canoes made from pieces of American war planes. It was just a fantastic day and I think, the highlight for everyone.

From Hue we took the Reunification Express overnight, north to Hanoi. It was a great 12 hour trip. The train was spotless and the service was terrific. You may wish to pack your own cheese and French bread though!

After arriving in Hanoi we took a bus directly to Ha Long Bay. This takes about 3 hours and we then spent the afternoon cruising the bay and marveling at the limestone peaks that rise from the waters. There are hundreds of them. It was a very misty afternoon, not really warm enough for swimming, although some brave souls took the plunge! We explored some great caves and then had a sumptuous seafood feast onboard!

Back to Hanoi the next day along 'dog alley', so named for the many restaurants along the route serving dog! Hanoi is lovely. You can easily while away several days here wandering through the old quarter, strolling tree lined boulevards and admiring the beautiful lakes and faded colonial architecture. A definite must see is the water puppets. The troupe does several shows a day and the variety of puppets and stories they tell is incredible!

This rounded up the trip aptly named 'The Spirit of Vietnam'. I toured with a small group and the trip went off without a hitch. Whether you decide to go with a small group or tour Vietnam on your own, its a wonderful destination that offers a very special travel experience.

Vietnam Part 1 - Saigon, Hoi An and the Marble Mountains

Vietnam had been on my list for 10 years, so I could easily have been disappointed after all that time, but I wasn't. Vietnam is absolutely amazing! It is geographically stunning, the people are genuinely friendly, the food is delicious and the colonial architecture elegant. It has a complex history with memories and visions of war everywhere. Now a country at peace, it has been an emerging travel destination over the years, yet you still feel it is refreshingly unspoiled. And as I discovered, Vietnam is so much more than rice fields and conical hats!




My trip began in Saigon and finished 12 days later in Hanoi. The streets of Saigon were incredible with motorbikes everywhere! There are 3 million motorbikes on the street at any given time - imagine the round-abouts! I took my own cyclo tour visiting the War Museum, City Hall, the Rex Hotel and various other sights including the famous ones from the book/movie 'The Quiet American'. I also strolled down Dong Khoi street which was famous for its brothels and massage parlours. It is now a rather chic area of Saigon with fancy restaurants and shops. The buildings are all very elegant and more sophisticated shopping can be done here. 



Eating is easy in Saigon as there are outdoor night markets everywhere; food was wonderful and very inexpensive! An average dinner cost about $3.00USD - and that includes a large beer! 



We spent a day boating on the Mekong, which is well worth a visit. If you can get in a small boat and pole down the tributaries it is quite beautiful, very lush and very peaceful. We stopped at various islands and wandered through villages.




From Saigon we made our way to Hoi An. Once a bustling port town, Hoi An is now a lovely haven of cobbled stone streets where coloured lanterns hanging from colonial buildings. You can get anything made to measure here. There are over 300 tailors! But try not to spend your whole time shopping! Instead just wander the streets, rent a bike and cycle into the country - it is very flat, rent a boat and paddle to some of the nearby islands and wander through villages, visit the early morning fish market, watch the school girls bike to school wearing their immaculate white ao dais. Hoi An is a treasure, so enjoy! 




From Hoi An we drove north to the Marble Mountains and China Beach. It is definitely worth climbing the 200 steps to the top of the Marble Mountains. Get a beautiful view and poke your head into some of the cave temples. From there a quick stop to see China Beach – an untouched beach (at least at the moment). We continued on and went over the Hai Van Pass. If it wasn't foggy, which it usually is, the view would have been spectacular.

-Lesli

Egypt Part 3 - Hot Air Ballooning

I have always wanted to go hot air ballooning and thought I would give it a go over the Valley of the Kings. This was truly one of the highlights of my trip! I thought it would be a bit of a jerky lift off but we seemed to just float into the air. One of our first sights was Queen Hatshepsut's Temple, what a gorgeous setting at the foot of a limestone cliff-face. The view from up there gave a great perspective of the division between life alongside the Nile and the desert.

See Part 1 or Part 2


Instead of taking normal transportation into The Valley of the Kings, such as a bus, we rode donkeys - that's right - for 7 miles, seemed like 50! But we were a great spectacle for the Japanese tourists as we trotted in! We may even have attracted more attention than King Tut's tomb!

There were many tombs open to view. The walls of the tombs are covered in unbelievably well preserved paintings of gods and goddesses, and complex hieroglyphics depicting their life and afterlife. Most of the burial chambers were looted except King Tutankhamun, hence the fantastic displays at the Cairo Museum. But you will still find King Tut's body in his tomb. You pay extra to enter King Tut's tomb if you are so inclined.


From the valley we hiked up and over to Deir el Medina, which is the workers village. On the way you end up over top of Queen Hatshepsut Temple and get another fantastic view. In Deir el Medina you can still see the remains of the tomb builder’s homes and their own tombs that are almost more beautifully preserved than the king’s tombs. We then climbed back onboard our donkeys to make our way back to the Nile. On our way back we trotted through a little village, and the kids were just getting out of school. They must of thought we were a silly sight, but they were high- fiving us nonetheless!

We had a fantastic last dinner in Luxor and some last minute shopping. Silver and gold are pretty good purchases in Luxor. We were up very early the next morning for our convoy to Hurghada and the Red Sea. The winter winds had picked up so it was far cooler on the coast than I had expected. What to say about Hurghada, not much really. It is a seaside resort in either constant disrepair or expansion, hard to know which. What was wonderful was our day out at sea, snorkeling. The underwater life was fantastic and the sea was that gorgeous blue that just invites you in.


Once back in Cairo, I did some more last minute shopping and eating before saying goodbye to a great group of people I had spent the past 2 weeks with and reflecting on the fact that I had indeed seen the Great Pyramids, Abu Simbel , hot air ballooned over the Valley of the Kings and cruised down the Nile! Not bad!

-Lesli