6 Family Activities to Enjoy in Barbados

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

Barbados is a beautiful island located in the heart of the Caribbean Sea. Known for gorgeous beaches, a vibrant culture, and a friendly local population, Barbados is a popular spot for family vacations. If you are planning an upcoming summer trip to Barbados, be sure to decide ahead of time on some of the fun recreation options on the island. Here are six fun-filled family activities you won’t want to miss while in Barbados.

Wildlife Reserve

Children will absolutely love the Barbados Wildlife Reserve. Unlike most traditional zoos, this reserve avoids caging their animals whenever possible. This means that many of the monkeys, birds, lizards and turtles are not cramped up in cages but walking around freely in their natural habitat. This is a great opportunity for children to learn more about wildlife in the Caribbean and see amazing animals up close.

Barbados Wildlife Reserve
Image Source

Atlantis Adventure

For a chance to admire underwater life, the Atlantis submarine is the perfect option for families. This is a great way to show young children marine life before they are ready to try snorkeling on their own. A trip aboard the Atlantis submarine is safe and comfortable for children of all ages. Some of the things you will see while underwater include the thriving coral reefs, fish of every color and variety, and even mammals like dolphins.

Bottom Bay

Although there are countless numbers of beautiful beaches in Barbados, Bottom Bay stands out as one of the best for families and children. The shoreline gradually descends into the ocean, meaning there is no steep drop-off to catch weak swimmers off guard. The best time of day for families to enjoy Bottom Bay is in the morning when waves are smallest and the crowds have not yet arrived.

Bottom Bay
Image Source

Harrison’s Cave

This is a truly unique attraction and the most popular site in all of Barbados. Harrison’s Cave boasts impressive stalagmites as well as a 40-foot waterfall in the center of the cave. Children will love the mystical feel of the cave and parents will love that the guided tour is educational as well as entertaining. This is a great way to spend a rainy afternoon on the island, as the cave is accessible no matter what the weather. If the beaches look gloomy in the morning, be sure to book an afternoon tour for your family at Harrison’s Cave.

Jolly Roger

Children and parents alike will love the excitement and adventure of a cruise aboard the Jolly Roger. This pirate ship is decorated to be an authentic replica of a ship that once toured through Barbados and other surrounding Caribbean Islands. Book a family tour on the Jolly Roger and enjoy swimming with turtles at a marine sanctuary, swinging on the rope swing off the deck into the water below, and dining on a family-friendly feast at lunch.

Botanical Gardens

If your children enjoy being outdoors and admiring nature, then a trip to the Botanical Gardens of Barbados is the perfect way to spend an afternoon. Parents will enjoy that the gardens are relatively empty, meaning children can wander around at their own pace without crowds.

To enjoy the perfect family vacation in Barbados, be sure to include one or more of these fun activities on your travel itinerary.

Diane Magruder is a resort and hotel reviewer.  While she’s in between destinations, she blogs for BarbadosHolidays.org. In particular, she highly recommends checking out the Coconut Court Hotel, Barbados as a fantastic place to stay.

Categories: Islands | Tags: , , | Leave a comment

Camping – An Idiots Guide

Posted on May 14, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

Camping – An Idiot’s Guide

Camping provides a cheap, healthy and thoroughly enjoyable holiday experience; but it can be very daunting for the uninitiated. Seasoned camping veterans casually throw around insider jargon terms such as “Bivouac” or “Tent”, without stopping to think how intimidating such unfamiliar concepts can be for the inexperienced camper. Because of this I have decided to put together a user friendly, step by step guide to the dark and mysterious world that is camping.

Step One: Acquiring a “tent”.

Webster’s dictionary defines a tent as “a collapsible shelter of fabric stretched and sustained by poles and used for camping outdoors or as a temporary building”. As you can imagine camping without one would prove very difficult (almost impossible in my experience), so your first step towards a successful camping trip should be to acquire one.

Tents can be purchased from a range of specialised retailers, or more conveniently, can be borrowed from a wide range of people you know. It is a universal law of existence that every person over the age of forty has at least one tent kicking around their house that never gets used, and these people will only be too happy to let you take it off their hands so that they may experience a few weeks free of the “why don’t you play with me anymore” that discarded tents exude.

Step Two: Locating a field.

So you have your tent, now you need a place to pitch it. The back garden is always an option, but if you’re older then about 12 years old then the neighbours are going to assume that your partner has kicked you out of the house. If you don’t have a partner then they’ll assume you’re nuts.

Nobody wants the couple next door trying to get them sectioned, so you’re going to need to find a field slightly further afield. There are typically two ways to go about this; first, you could pay a visit to one of the innumerable professional campsites located around the country. Here you will be able to rent a few square yards of turf where you can camp in relative peace. I say relative, because it is important to remember that a professional campsite is likely to be packed full of other campers. If you want a cheaper and more secluded alternative then one isn’t usually hard to find. Farmers are encouraged to leave a certain number of their fields empty for purposes of soil fertility, and often won’t mind letting some strange person borrow one of them for a few days in exchange for a meagre fee. Those campers that we were trying to avoid a few sentences ago come in handy here, as they tend to be very active online when it comes to listing good potential camping locations. It is worth noting however that if you do this, you will likely be forfeiting luxuries such as running water and toilet facilities, so come prepared.

Step Three: Erecting your tent.

Good luck.

These days most tents come with an instruction manual, and you’ll want to locate this and put it aside, it will come in handy later – a rookie mistake is to try and read the instructions, which are typically roughly as comprehensible as a wall of Egyptian hieroglyphs. Your first step towards tent construction varies depending on what kind of tent you have, but a good first step is to unpack everything and do a quick inventory to discover exactly which important part is missing.

One interesting modern development is the pop-up tent. This handy little spring loaded contraption is designed to erect itself upon being tossed into the air. What it tends to do in practice is flop lamely back down to the ground, this instantly break the second you attempt to interfere with the magic. If you were unfortunate enough to borrow one of these then my best advice is to spend the night in your car, then use said car to reverse over whoever lent it to you.

Eventually a combination of trial and error, asking people for help and prayer should furnish your with a tent that is, at the very least, inhabitable.

 Step Four: What’s next?

So now you’re officially camping, but what does one do in such circumstances?

Well for starters, camping is one of the few activities that hands its participants are water tight excuse to play with fire. Building a campfire is a great way to relax, enjoy yourself and dispose of incriminating evidence. Gathering sticks is generally not hard, but convincing them to ignite can be a problem. Remember those instructions I told you to put aside earlier? This is the point in the trip where they come into their own, unfurled to their full size you won’t find a better firelighter.

Once the fire is roaring to your satisfaction it’s time to think about feeding yourself. Tempting as it may be, trying to roast food over an open fire is unlikely to end well. I’d recommend instead trying to lay your hands on a small camping stove (available at all good camping stores, and probably also from whoever loaned you the tent). This can be used to cook anything from tinned beans to tinned pasta. Yummy.

So there you have it. You should now be thoroughly prepared for your entry into the exciting and unpredictable world of recreational camping.

Neil Park is a freelance writer and camping enthusiast who specialises in writing about outdoor gear and berghaus clothing. He’s been camping for seven years, and can now almost always successfully pitch a tent on the second attempt. 

Categories: General Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

5 Australian Music Festivals not to be missed

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

If you love music, plan your vacation in Australia around one of the great Australian music festivals. A complete listing of music festivals in the Lucky Country would run into the hundreds, but these five have stood the test of time as some of the biggest and the best. Be sure and mark their dates on your calendar and book your accommodation early or don’t forget your camping gear.

Big Day Out

Unlike many of Australia’s music festivals that had small, grassroots beginnings, Big Day Out was a Big Budget Day Out from the outset. The first Big Day Out was held at Sydney’s Holdern Pavilion 1992 and featured the Violent Femmes and Nirvana. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect, because the release of Nevermind after their inclusion in the lineup catapulted the band to stardom and helped make the initial Big Day Out a Big Success.

Big Day Out

By 1994, Big Day Out had spread from Sydney and included the Gold Coast, Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide in Australia as well as Auckland New Zealand. Held towards the end of the Australian summer in late January and early February, in just a decade, Big Day Out has become as much of an anticipated event as the Melbourne Cup.

East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival

You may not have heard of the East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival, but if you love the Blues, you will have heard of the Byron Bay Bluesfest. The first Bluesfest was a humble event held at the Arts Factory in Byron Bay in 1990. The success of that inaugural event surprised even its organizers, attracting a capacity crowd of 6000. As the Bluesfest grew, it was forced to move to increasingly bigger venues. In 2010, under new management, the renamed East Coast International Blues & Roots Music Festival found a permanent home in Tyagarah, a small community just outside of Byron Bay.

Blues & Roots Music Festival

The fact that the Bluesfest (or call it what you like) was named the Australian Event of the Year in 2010 gives you an idea of just how popular it is. With international acts that appeal to young and old alike, held in one of Australia’s most beautiful locations, it’s no surprise that for tens of thousands of Australians and overseas visitors, Easter weekend means only one thing: Bluesfest weekend.

Tamworth Country Music Festival

Those who don’t go to Big Day Out in late January go to the Tamworth Country Music Festival. Like the Bluesfest, the Tamworth Festival has humble origins. There is some debate over whether it began with a talent quest held in 1968 or in 1973, when a local radio station hosted the Country Music Awards Golden Guitars. Whatever its origins, though, it has grown to become one of the world’s biggest music festivals. This is not just the opinion of its organizers, either. In 2007, Forbes magazine rated it number 8 in its list of the “World’s Coolest Music Festivals” and it is officially recognized as the second largest country music festival in the world. If you love country music in a country atmosphere, be sure to book your Tamworth accommodation for the last weekend in January at least a year in advance or you may end up sleeping on a hay stack.

Woodford Folk Festival

If you attend the six day Woodford Folk Festival that takes place between the 27th of December and the 1st of January every year, you won’t have to worry about booking an accommodation, because there aren’t any. This event, which is attended by up to 130,000 every year, is held on a 500 acre property owned by its organizers, the Queensland Folk Federation, just outside the small town of Woodford, about 45 miles north of the Queensland capital of Brisbane. Bring your camping gear, because if you don’t, you will be sleeping on the bare ground.

Woodford Folk Festival

The Woodford Folk Festival is an outgrowth of the original regional festival, the Maleny Folk Festival, which was first held in 1987. It was moved to Woodford in 1994 when it outgrew its original venue. The organizers also host the Dreaming festival in June. This festival, also called the International Indigenous Festival, is another one to put on your list of Australian music festivals.

WOMADelaide

In spite of its enigmatic name, WOMAdelaide has grown to become one of the world’s premier world music festivals. WOMAD is an acronym that stands for “World Of Music, Arts and Dance” and that is exactly what this festival is all about. Originally held in 1992 as part of a larger festival, the Adelaide Festival of Arts, it was a bi-annual event until its overwhelming popularity led to its establishment as a stand-alone yearly extravaganza. In 2012, in celebration of its 20th anniversary, WOMAdelaide will be held for four days, between the 9th and the 12th of March.

From relatively humble origins, WOMADelaide has swelled massively and now attracts crowds of nearly 100,000 (and growing) and includes 100 food, crafts and other stalls as well as a stellar lineup of indigenous and overseas acts. Unlike many Australian music festivals, WOMADelaide goes out of its way to make children welcome, with free admission to children under 12 and a special Kids Zone where children can safely play.

This short list of great Australian music festivals really doesn’t do justice to the full spectrum of Australian music festivals. Left off this list were several great festivals like the Bellingen Global Festival, the enormously popular Splendour in the Grass, the Falls Festival or Victoria’s Rainbow Serpent Festival, to name just a few. It will give you a start, though and whichever one you choose to attend, you will thoroughly enjoy.

Author Byline
Rob writes for ‘Book It Now’ about popular events and destinations around Australia. Visit our website to find accommodation in the Hunter Valley as well a great range of holiday accommodation across Australia.

Categories: Australia | Tags: | Leave a comment

Angry and Grumpy Birds of the Kruger Park

Posted on April 22, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

If you’re a bird lover or just a “things-that-strike-terror-in-the-heart-of-grown-men” kind of person then you’ll love this line up of truly angry and vicious birds. As predatorial as they are, they are majestic and clever to boot, which accounts for a lot of small animals running for their lives.

Kites

Kites are small predator birds (55cm) with a long wingspan of 1.6-1.8 meters which makes them the perfect size to be expert fliers. They come in two classifications mainly called “Yellow billed Kite” and “Black shouldered Kites”.

The Yellow billed Kite can frequently be seen in the summer time and often leaves when winter reaches in with its icy tendrils. They are swift birds and dive on their prey with surprising speed. It’s very agile and it often catches insects, mid-air, with its claws. Yellow billed Kite’s are notorious criminals when it comes to feeding and they frequently steal food from other birds as well as humans.

Yellow billed Kite

The Black shouldered Kite is 30cm big and has a wingspan of 84cm which makes it much smaller than the Yellow billed Kite. It’s a big eater as it needs to eat at least 25% of its body mass each day to give it sufficient energy. The “Blouvalk” can be seen fairly often in the South African region but it doesn’t feature too often in the Kruger Park.  They feed almost exclusively on mice but will also feed on other birds as well as reptiles and insects. Their most recognisable feature is when they hover over a patch of grassland in search of their prey.

Vultures

The White backed Vulture is the most common vulture in the Kruger and it’s most descriptive features is its distinctive white back and grey neck. They reach a height of 90-100cm’s and have a massive wingspan of at 2.2 meters. They are very social birds and stick together in large groups, they also sleep with their heads tucked under their wings. When they want to feed they will soar to great heights and watch for any signs of a kill. Normally vultures or predators will attract their attention and after the kill they will swoop in and eat the left over’s of the kill. Research shows that 50 White backed Vultures consumed at least 23kg’s in 3 minutes, making them voracious and fast eaters.

Vultures

The Lappet-faced Vulture is the largest of the vulture species in the Kruger Park. It reaches a height of 98-105cm and has a wingspan of 2.8 meters. They are not as social as the White backed vulture but will stick with other pairs during feeding and bathing. They are ferocious when it comes to food and will attack anything near their food or food they wish to have. Their strong beaks are used to rip the skin off carcasses, which most vultures don’t eat, and they tend to push others aside to feed using their large bulky bodies.

Fiscal Shrike

Shrikes are medium predatory birds with a height of 50cm and an attitude of an eagle. These little birds will catch their prey and hang them on thorns and twigs to eat at their own convenience. They primarily hang their prey to rip off smaller chunks when feeding and also use it to degrade toxins in grasshoppers they catch (such as the Lubber grasshopper) They are fiercly territorial of their feeding and breeding grounds making for intense competition between pairs.

Secretary bird

The Secretary bird, according to us, is one of the most beautiful predator birds found in the Kruger Park.  The most recognisable traits of this bird are its long legs and eagle like body. It’s a tall bird with a height of 1.3m and a wingspan of 191-220cm’s. They do not migrate and stick to grasslands as well as the savanna. These birds do not hunt alone and will hunt in pairs when they need to feed. When they hunt they will walk in the tall grass and will stomp on grass to scare any small animals hiding from them. They are also known to wait near fires to catch any animals running away from the fire, although they don’t eat very large creatures, they will however hunt small antelope or feed on carcasses. In Africa the bird is also called the Devil’s horse and are well known for their ability to attack snakes and eat them by trampling on them.

Ruan Smit is an experienced content writer who enjoys writing aobut the various animals and birde he encountered on his Kruger park safari. The kruger park is truly inspiring and I’d love to go back and write there again while lounging in one of the lodges.

Categories: South Africa | Tags: , | Leave a comment

The Living Thermal Village: Whakarewarewa, New Zealand

Posted on April 19, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

It’s rare now to be able to experience the wonder of a different, unspoilt way of life. Cast your mind back to colonial times when European explorers and holidaymakers would have taken weeks to reach these far flung destinations to witness wonders far removed from their daily lives. Lands where the cool breeze and calm skies of home are replaced by an angry thermal land that can destroy as well as provide warmth and salvation through cold winters.

Whakarewarewa

The Thermal Region

Whakarewarewa thermal village is located right in the heart of the thermal region on the North Island near Rotorua. The village is truly living with the oldest inhabitant an elderly colonial gentleman who married a tour guide almost two generations ago. The ground literally melts the rubber on cheap shoes and erupts around you with steam and the stench of sulfur that is inescapable throughout the region.

Cooking In the Village

One of the most iconic images from the village brochure is an image of people eating freshly cooked corn. It’s more exciting than it seems because it’s cooked in what seems like an instant in a huge bag tossed into the thermal, mineral rich, waters that bubble all around the village. There’s no need to add butter or salt as this corn has a fresh flavour that is only enhanced by the rich contents of the thermal springs.

When the ground gives way to form a new fissure the villagers build a box over the new vent to cook Hangi. This simply means food cooked in the earth. This particular technique is not widespread, however, but it is traditional in the village itself. Maori elsewhere would use different techniques to build their earth ovens. It’s almost like a slow-cooker where food can be placed in the ‘oven’ for up to seven hours resulting in beautiful tender dishes. The only irony is that the full Hangi meal can only be booked online which seems strange in a place steeped in tradition.

Taking Advantage of the Gift

The thermal energy in the village is seen as a gift and is utilised at every opportunity. Whilst the villagers do have modern technology it is generally shunned where the (free) gift of thermal heat can be used to satisfy their requirements. From the cooking discussed earlier to bathing in thermal baths carved in stone with the fresh, warm, mineral rich water flowing through them to washing their clothes the natural resources are used in preference to western technology. Indeed the tour guides almost have a sense of longing about them when they describe the missing grass that has now been paved on the run up to their equivalent of a village hall. Even in this place where so much tradition is maintained the Western influence has taken from them.
Geysers, Mud Pools and Boiling Lakes.

Visitors can stroll through the surrounding thermal wonderland (image source: Michael Napoleon) which is largely untouched by the villagers or Westerners except for the small paths. The stench of sulfur becomes only stronger as you walk alongside huge steaming lakes and watch as thick mud bubbles like gravy that’s been on the hob for hours on full heat. It’s strange to look across the beautiful hills or across the other side of the village watch the Prince of Wales Geyser erupt whilst all around you the very earth steams and bubbles and groans.

The Earth Rules

Unlike in our calmer cities the very ground decides where a property can be located. Dotted around the village are homes that are now empty as the thermal activity drove holes in the very foundation of the house, filling it with steam and destroying the structure. There are few modern workers in the village as one would expect. Two churches compete with local faiths but there is no optician, no bustling medical centre and electricians seemed to have driven from the city to fix one gentleman’s power supply. I guess the gift might feed, clean and warm the villages but it can’t provide the vices that have addicted us all from TV to the online booking form for lunch.

Robert Sterling is a traveller from England who has always dreamt of living back in the days when explorers could truly discover new parts of the world and see a way of life those of us who live in the world today that tends every single day towards homogenization can only dream of. He does his best to see what is left of the old ways of life and document those for the generations to come.

Categories: General Travel | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Things to Take With You to Lanzarote

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

If you are visiting Lanzarote then you are in for a great holiday that will give you a range of exciting experiences and provide you with ample relaxation. If you haven’t been before however, then you may be wondering what to expect and what you should take with you. Here we will look at some of the items that you would be smart to take with you on a holiday to Lanzarote to help you make the very most of it.

Lanzarote Beach

Clothing

The majority of your clothing in Lanzarote will be the clothes you would bring to a beach holiday so that will mean vest tops, swimming clothes, hats and other things that you can use to relax in around a beach or around a pool. The best way to pack for a holiday is to bring several pairs of trousers and shorts, and to choose tops that can match with these. The more items you have that you can mix and match together the more flexible you will be. If you are staying in villas or apartments then you might have washing facilities so you will be able to bring less.

Note however that there is a slightly cool breeze in Lanzarote when compared to the other Canary islands. This is pleasant during the day and can help to make Lanzarote a more relaxing place to stay as the sun and atmosphere are not quite as oppressive. However at the same time you also need to be weary of cooler evenings, so make sure that you bring some cardigans for sitting out on your balcony.

Lanzarote

Activities

You also want to make sure that you consider your choices of activities. Lanzarote is a great island for relaxing, but it also has plenty of exciting things to do whether you want to trek across a mini desert or climb mountains. If you do have such things in mind then you should bring at least some closed toe shoes, as boiling hot sand from the desert can be very unpleasant when it gets under your feet in your sandals. You should also have at least one pair of real trousers if you want to trek or explore, and a good idea is to invest in some linen here which will be light and keep you cool while protecting your legs whether you’re scrambling up rocks or straddling a camel. Finally be sure of course to bring sun block and shades etc to protect you from the sun.

Other activities you might be interested in could include surfing and possibly scuba diving. In that case you want to bring a wetsuit and/or a surf board and boat shoes.

Money

The money you’ll need in order to get by in Lanzarote is of course the Euro. You will find out here that they have a relatively average cost of living, and while this isn’t a super cheap holiday like Bulgaria, you will still get by on a few hundred Euros per week – and even less if you are planning on staying in an all inclusive hotel.

Nick Ball is an enthusiast blogger and a writer who has recently published a . He likes to share his views and ideas on some of the best .

Categories: Islands | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Entrance: Your Entrance to the Central Coast

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

The Entrance is an unusual name for a city, but it is an appropriate one for this popular Central Coast NSW tourist destination. The Entrance is an English translation of the original aboriginal word for the area, “Karagi,” and it has stuck ever since the first European settlers arrived in 1820. The city sits near the narrow strip of land that separates the Tasman Sea from Tuggerah Lake. With its wonderful assortment of beachside and lakeside Entrance accommodation options, it is one of New South Wales’ favorite family vacation spots.

The Entrance

The Entrance is often referred to as the Pelican Capital of Australia because the enormous population of these fascinating birds that gathers there. For a close up look at them, go to the ocean side of the Entrance Bridge at 3.30pm, when they are fed from a ramp that has been specially built for that purpose. While you’re there, you may as well take a nice afternoon stroll or bike ride as far as you like along the bicycle and walking track that extends for miles along the edge of Tuggerah Lake. Stop in at one of the small local grocery stores along the way, grab a snack and take it out onto one of the long jetties and enjoy the tranquil view.

Pelican Feeding

The Entrance is the entrance to so many stunning beaches, even locals have trouble exploring them all. If you are looking for a beach with all the amenities you could ever want, then you don’t have to go anywhere else. It is right there at your feet. Or you can cross the Entrance Bridge and go a few miles north to Pelican Beach. This long, undeveloped stretch of beach is a favorite haunt of local surfers, who can find uncrowded waves almost anywhere along its nearly 7 mile (12km) length.

A good way to explore the beaches around the Entrance is simply to follow a car loaded with surfboards. There are at least a dozen beaches tucked in coves and nestled against rugged headlands between the Entrance and the other Central Coast cities to the north and south of it. Some of these, like Avoca Beach and Terrigal, are very well developed, while others, like Forresters Beach, can only be entered via steep wooden staircases. Once you are on the beach, you feel like you are miles away from civilization.

Blue Bay Beach

The Entrance is made for families. It has a nice, relaxed feeling and it seems like there is a park or playground everywhere you turn. Aside from the surfing beaches, which can be very dangerous when the waves are up, there are many sheltered beaches, too. Many families choose to stay in Blue Bay, just south of and almost within walking distance of the downtown district. Blue Bay couldn’t have a more descriptive name, unless it was Sapphire Bay. Its glittering, tranquil waters are sheltered by an offshore reef, making it a perfect family beach.

The Entrance really is your entrance to everything the beautiful Central Coast of New South Wales has to offer. If you’re looking for relaxation and fun for everyone, you can’t get past the Entrance.

Categories: Australia | Tags: , | Leave a comment

Discover the Beauty of Grand Canyon National Park

Posted on April 11, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

Who doesn’t love the Grand Canyon? “Oh, wow, it’s a giant hole in the ground. Thanks for bringing me here, Dad,” says the 21st century child before returning to his handheld videogame. Teach your children about the wondrous world around them. From Hermits Rest on the west side to Yaki Point on the east side, Grand Canyon National Park (GCNP) has much to offer the whole family.

Many people don’t think of the Grand Canyon when they think of Las Vegas, but Las Vegas Grand Canyon tours are a great way to experience all the GCNP has to offer. Here is a list of a few of the great activities you can experience during a Grand Canyon tour:

Grab a Vessel and Hit the Water!

Float gently down the Colorado River or—if you’re skilled enough—take on the rough rapids with a raft, kayak, or canoe. Taking control of something so powerful is an irreplaceable feeling. White water rafting is an experience that cannot be replicated by a water park; let nature be your water park.

Fishing for Dinner!

If you love to fish, there may be no better place in the country than in the Colorado River running through the GCNP. For the most fish and the best experience the fall and winter are perfect times to make the trip. You must also get an Arizona fishing license before you can pull any rainbow trout from the river. It’s a little bit of a hike from lodging to the river, so be prepared and bring your hiking boots. Speaking of hiking boots…

Take a Hike!

There are many trails going many places at the GCNP. I highly recommend the Tusayan Ruin Self-Guiding Trail. This trail starts at the GCNP Museum and has historic lessons along the way. You are welcome to hike the trail alone or with a friend, but I suggest, if it is your first time, to go along with a park ranger who can teach you some interesting facts about this beautiful and scenic place.

Go For a Bike Ride!

The trails of the GCNP may be the most ideal place for some off-road cycling. Winding and twisting trails with beauty all around you experience nature’s gift while working up a nice sweat as well. Be sure to go with a friend, even if you are an expert cyclist. Safety first!

Take a Donkey Ride!

Have you ever ridden on a donkey? If not, what better place than the Grand Canyon to do so? Ride your burros down into the crevasse for an authentic frontier experience.

Watch the Wildlife!

Did you know there are more than 300 species of birds that live in the GCNP? Well it’s true. Where else can you find bald eagles, falcons, condors, and the spotted owl? Only in the GCNP will you be able to feast your eyes upon some of the world’s most beautiful creatures of flight.

Kevin O’Connor is a content manager for Olicity. He works with Grand Canyon Tours to help you get the most out of your trip.

Categories: United States | Tags: , | Leave a comment

7 Reasons to Visit Porto, Portugal

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

Have you been to Portugal, yet? If not, you may want to start by checking out one of the most interesting and historically rich cities up North: Porto (traditionally referred to as oPorto). Besides being an interesting place to visit, full of cultural charms – it is also considerably inexpensive… especially for a place with so many things to see and do.

Porto

In case you’d like to know more about Porto, we have prepared this article highlighting some of the best reasons to visit this charismatic city that is always so charming and full of life (hence its nickname of “cidade invicta”). With that in mind, let’s see what awaits you over there:

Fantasporto Film Festival

If you’re interested in fanstastic/horror movies, you should check out the Fantasporto. This International Film Festival has been growing in prestige and popularity over the last decade, and there are plenty of interesting events associated with it, every year from February to March. Not exactly a display of the local culture, but still very much worth looking into.

Boat Ride along rio Douro

Once a major commercial channel, the river Douro circles the city with its majestic splendor. In fact, Porto was *the* major Port town in the country, back in the day. The trade channels have obviously changed over time, but the Douro remains beautiful as ever. To visit the Porto and not take a boat ride along the six bridges would be unthinkable! So get on board and enjoy the lovely coastline.

Douro shoreline

Ride a Tram to the Tram Museum!

Anyone who misses the picturesque tram cars from the past will be delighted with Porto. Not only there are still a few trams active through the city center (quite the sight, they are!) but also because there’s a great Tram Museum waiting for you at the end of the line. If you like trams, this is not to be missed.

International Jazz Festival

For those who enjoy listening to some Jazz Music: you might as well visit Porto during the months of October or November, at the time of the city’s International Jazz Festival. Going by the moniker “Douro Jazz”, this festival has been running for around a decade and probably will keep going stronger for many years to come.

FITU (Festival International Tunas Academicas)

If you’re rather listen to something pertaining to the local musical culture, then consider checking out the FITU: International Festival of Academic Tunas. Also taking place around October/November every year, this festival brings together some of the best academic singing groups from the country and beyond. Come cheer the power of youth!

Portugal Fashion

Another regular event of growing reputation and international projectil is the Portugal Fashion, that usually takes place in November. If you’re interested in fashion shows and want to see what the Portuguese stylists have been doing, this is the place to be!

Port Wine Cellars

One of the most iconic products created in Porto and famous the world over is the delicious Port Wine. To not see the cellars where they create this wondrous wine would be a sin, especially since there are actually guided tours available! You get to see how this divine beverage is made, and even be offered a taste from several batches. This could be one of the most unforgettable moments in your journey!

There you go: just a few of the points of interest available at Porto. If you ever go there, watch out because you may just fall in love with this curious city. And if you’re looking for low cost flights to Porto, this website should also be of use. Have fun!

Categories: Portugal | Tags: | Leave a comment

The Art of Tracking within a African Safari

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Hippo Traveller

I always find it quite amusing when I’m with a new group and they watch me, for the first time, bend down and pick up some animal poo. The reactions are quite mixed. There are those that look in utter amazement and then crowd forward to see what I’m holding in my hands, and why, there are those that turn their nose up at the thought of handling faeces but still have that inkling of curiosity to see why I am doing it in the first place and there are those that recoil in horror, take a few backward steps and tell me how disgusting I am. Whichever group you are in, I can guarantee that by the end of your trip to Africa you will have held, in your unprotected hands, a slice of poo.

It’s not that I do this for the shock value, although my inner self is having a little bit of a giggle, it is part of the all encompassing educational nature of being in Africa, the art of tracking wildlife in the African bush. You can learn an awful lot by simply picking up animal faeces and examining it.

I would say, however, that picking up the dryer form of animal faeces is much more agreeable than the ‘wet’ kind! The wetter the faeces the nearer you are to the animal, pretty self-explanatory really. But you can also tell from the shape of the faeces as to which animal it belongs to, or at least which group of animals it belongs to. Large melon-sized balls are probably from rhino, elephant or maybe even hippo, smaller raisin sized droppings (often found in a pile) are likely to be from social antelopes, elongated twisted faeces about the size of your thumb, are more likely to be carnivores and large kidney beans shapes are probably zebra. Just having an idea of the shape can help you out.

There is so much you can learn from looking at faeces – you just need to know what you are looking for.

But to get the real nitty-gritty you will have to pick up the faeces, look at it closely, carefully tear it apart and look at what is inside. The classic example is discerning the difference between elephant, white rhino, black rhino and hippo. Hippo are pretty easy because although they eat grass, the same as white rhino, they often use their tail to spread the dung around, and so consequently most of it is found suspended in bushes and trees. Hippo faeces will also be found near water sources, whereas white rhino will be found out in the open bush. It will also be made up of entirely dried bits of grass.

The real test comes to rhino and eles. Black rhino and elephant feed off similar vegetation – they are both browsers meaning that they eat leaves and twigs although at times elephants will also consume grass. Elephants are prone to stripping bark and so you may see long strands of undigested bark in their faeces, look carefully. But the main thing to look out for are the ways more twigs are cut up in the faeces. Elephants will rip and tear at twigs and small branches, leaving a rough and jagged end to the twigs, whereas black rhino will cut the twigs at a 45° angle with their back teeth. So when you are teasing apart the faeces, keep an eye out for cleanly cut small twigs, with a 45° angle, as this will help you identify the faeces from being that of the black rhino.

If that is the case, keep an eye out for a suitable tree to climb! Black rhinos are renowned for being rather feisty.

Jenny Bowen is the founder of Sense Africa. Sense Africa creates tailor-made safari holidays and adventures for the more discerning traveller to southern Africa, providing a professional and personalised service.

Categories: Africa | Tags: | Leave a comment