Birding Tours: Finding the Best Guide for Your Travels
I always use the same birding tour company when planning a big trip. Why? Because they’re great. And also because I’m lazy. This technique can work for you too! But maybe not. Who am I to tell you how to live your life? Now get out there and bird, folks. But first, find a good bird guide! Decisions, Decisions Okay, look. There are loads of companies out there providing wildlife-oriented tours, especially of the feathered persuasion. Birding companies aren’t remotely rare. So I’m just going to tell you who I’ve used before (and recommend), and a tiny bit about why (when I feel like it). And, full disclosure, no tour…
A Paradise Paradox in Hawai’i
People recommend Hawaii for its beaches and coffee and volcanoes. And those might all be great reasons to go to a place, but I’ll put a word in here for these islands’ amazing diversity. This may not be a reason many go to Hawai’i – the average tourist is unlikely to witness much of the State’s remaining native biodiversity. Instead, this is a gentle encouragement to appreciate the unique wonders that flourish on isolated tropical islands. — Disclaimer: I went to Hawai’i, mostly for work-related responsibilities. This was probably a once-in-a-career meeting destination for me, and it means my itinerary was focused on wildlife conservation efforts rather than personal travel.…
2021 Vaccinated Vacation Adventures
It turns out that 2021 was, indeed, better than 2020 in many ways. Granted, the endless working from home and refrigerator access probably hasn’t helped the fit of my wardrobe. Bummer. But in terms of travel, the outlook has become markedly more positive. For those of us lucky to have it, access to the vaccine has definitely opened up more vacation options! The year started with the certainty of… well, uncertainty. But a willingness to be adaptable led to a couple opportunities I wouldn’t have predicted in January. — Sadly, I’ve written exactly zero blog posts in recent months, which means I’ve written nothing about the international trips I was…
An Amazon Ecolodge Experience at Rio Cristalino
Brazil is a great wildlife destination. But it’s also a huge country with an overwhelming number of possible birding destinations – from coastal Atlantic forests and cerrado to cloud forests and the Pantanal. But despite all the options, it’s almost impossible to skip the rain forests of the Amazon River, especially when the itinerary includes a comfortable Amazon ecolodge like Cristalino Jungle Lodge. My trip to Brazil was a packaged tour with Rockjumper Birding Tours. I spent ten days traveling through the Pantanal and the cerrado habitats north of Cuiaba. But they also offered an option to extend the tour, adding a 4-night/5-day excursion to the Amazon. So although my…
Post-Vaccination Vacation Plans: New Developments
I have vacation plans! I’ve plotted so many things for 2021 that have already been cancelled. It’s difficult to share thoughts of travel without the caveat that – what with pandemics being the nasty, unpredictable beasts they are – any plans are more likely to be trashed than not. After a trip to India was postponed to 2022 and a European cruise was cancelled (which was entirely expected), it’s difficult to feel entirely optimistic about 2021 travels. However, I’m going to embrace hope and share my currently scheduled adventures anyway. I’m genuinely excited, and I think these post-vaccination vacation plans have a good shot of happening! Recent History: Florida Just…
