small group travel Archives - Distracted Birder

A Budapest Highlight: Faust Wine Cellar

distractedbirder — Mon, 11 Dec 2023 01:40:57 +0000

If you enjoy wine, this atmospheric local shop provides a curated tasting of five wines from local Hungarian vineyards. The Wine Cellar Over on the other side of the river, in Buda, sits the Buda Castle. And also…. a Hilton hotel. But it’s an old building, with old traditional cellars. And in this Hilton, you’ll find the Faust Wine Cellar. It’s not a Hilton venture. It is a local business, operated by a local man who has operated this shop for many years. Although I accessed the store after entering a Hilton, the entrance (an old stairwell) was really atmospheric and felt completely authentic. (And by that, I don’t mean “non-touristy” but rather that it was an existing structure that wasn’t created to give an artificial, created atmosphere.) There is technically an entrance/exit on the back side of the Hilton property – I don’t think this it would be as easy to find this entrance for a newcomer, but the view from this side of the building is impressive! The Experience Our tasting included five local wines, along with information about each. There were only four tables, and the setting was dark and candlelit, which might seem a little moody for midday but I think we’re just embracing the cellar vibe here. The host moved to each table providing information about each bottle, rather than speaking to the entire group at any time. He moved table to table, allowing each table to enjoy their wine and conversation between his visits. We also had the option to add some quality chocolates to the tasting, which I couldn’t turn down. There were suggestions for a chocolate to complement each wine. Or just be like me and eat chocolates almost indiscriminately. I promise I tried to stick with the pairings, but I think they were supposed to be for two people, so… I had plenty of chocolates to enjoy with my wines. TL; DR: Is It Worth It? This is a quick recommendation rather than a thorough review of the selected wines. Why? Because I am not terribly educated about wine, nor do I have a discriminating palate. Well, not entirely. I hate super oaky or very dry wines. Luckily, this only seems to affect my appreciation of California wines. Sorry, California. So these wines were really nice. Not a lot of oak, none too dry. I even chose to buy bottles, one red and one white, to bring back home as gifts. The shop is genuinely a cellar, down a stone staircase with stone walls. You sample the wines by candlelight. Budapest is full of these repurposed old spaces, like the famous ruin bars, and it provides a fun atmosphere for the experience. It was memorable and felt unique, but it was in no way pretentious. I’m a big fan of that. Speaking of “not pretentious”, the cost was 7,900 Hungarian florint when I went in 2022. That’s less than $25 USD (before adding my chocolates and eventual wine bottles). Also, the host was very nice and knowledgeable. And he seemed to really love the products and take pride in their quality. If I were in Budapest again and actually with someone who likes wine, I’d drag them here. It’s in a great area worth seeing and the venue and products are worth the time/cost. If you are the type of traveler who enjoys their wine or just trying local products, this is something you should try. At the price I paid, it was a steal and a worthwhile use of only a couple hours. Planning Tips Seatings are very limited. They only have 4 tables for tastings, each with room for up to four people. If you’re a smaller party, you still get the table for your party. I was a party of one, but I wasn’t seated with strangers unless I agreed to it*. It’s a good idea to book ahead, especially if your visit will be during high season. I booked about a week ahead, but one time (of only two seatings that day) was already booked. Typical tastings are either at 2p or 5p, but they can cater to your tastes. I arranged my reservation via email (faustwinecellar@gmail.com) and found it to be easy enough. They responded promptly to my requests. I did this wine tasting during my tour of Central Europe with Intrepid Travel, because there was lots of free time to arrange my own activities away from the tour group. *Someone showed up without a reservation and no tables were free. I was able to allow the person to join me, but there was no pressure from the owner to do so. (Having wine with someone did result in better conversation than I’d have had alone, anyway.)

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Small Group Travel: Choosing to Be Intrepid

distractedbirder — Sun, 10 Jul 2022 21:40:29 +0000

Recently, I chose to do a small group tour with one of the biggest providers out there – Intrepid Travel. Why? I’ll explain my decision points below. (To spoil the ending, yes, I’d totally recommend this company, although there are things to keep in mind.) — Considering Small Group Travel? Do you ever get tired of putting so much effort into logistics when you really just want to explore new places? I was there. I wanted to travel, but without quite so much thinking. Luckily, small group tours can make that happen. I’d always thought a group tour would be a good option for central Europe. The currency changes in most countries, as many European Union nations haven’t been able to switch to the euro. The language changes in each new country as well. And although trains are easily accessible throughout most of the region, sticking to trains would mean almost all my (limited) time would be in cities. Note: I’ve always wanted to visit Auschwitz. This historic site (near Krakow) makes the most sense when incorporated into larger trip covering eastern Europe, or at least Poland/Germany, because it isn’t easily accessible from a major international airport. So for me, Krakow definitely would be one destination. Now, I’m not saying that big bus companies can’t be fun for some, but they’re not an option for me. I don’t like crowds, even on my best days. And usually, to cater to typical interests and reduce confusion, there are many planned activities with little flexibility. This doesn’t fit my travel interests, so I kept my focus on small group tour companies like Intrepid and G Adventures. Choose Your Own Adventure (Company) First of all, Intrepid Travel and G Adventures aren’t the only two in the game. They’re just probably the biggest, offering great itineraries globally. There are other companies with fewer options or with more specific niches that might be well worth looking into. This includes some luxury lines. And those are neat and all, but I am not their target customer. There are certainly other small group tours out there for specific geographic areas and interests. For example, I do use a birding company for tours to see birds and even general wildlife, but I wouldn’t go that route if general/cultural tourism was my interest. And while Intrepid does offer foodie itineraries, there are definitely other options for exploring food, wine, and cooking. Always check out your options and definitely don’t assume that a company that is best for one trip is best for ALL trips. No single operator is going to be the best at all the things. If you need specialists, don’t go with generalists. And vice versa. It is always a good idea to evaluate your options, period. But the reason these two companies are a great place to start is that they have loads of options – from general exploration to niche adventure sports, from backpacking budgets to luxury accommodations. It can almost be overwhelming if you’re not sure what you want. But if you have a destination or activity in mind, the varied itineraries provided by these companies can be a tremendous asset in identifying your perfect adventure. Plus many of the itineraries incorporate flexibility and free time, allowing your to make your tour as generalized or specialized as you like. Why I chose intrepid This is quite the rabbit hole: the G vs. Intrepid debate. Some basic knowledge that isn’t terribly helpful in any way: G is based in Canada; Intrepid is from Australia. Their prices are comparable, with G probably winning that battle more times than not (but barely). Both have small groups, but Intrepid’s tend to be smaller. Each company offers different styles of tours – different budgets, activity types, demographic targets. Both try to use local guides with few exceptions. Note: “local” is usually defined by the general region. With multi-country itineraries, you don’t switch guides at every border (although you might if your tours are actually multiple itineraries scheduled back-to back. Basically just a reminder to be reasonable, folks! With each company, there might be cruises, treks, or other adventures… but there are also family options, food tours, or typical city-based tours (which was my choice this time). In many ways, they seem so very similar. Honestly, most of the podcasts I’d heard discuss group travel seemed to lean toward G – but then, most of my podcasts might have been based in North America and could just reflect a geographic bias. So I read plenty of blogs and reviews of both companies before deciding which company to use. Cost and Comfort Each company offers various price levels based on the “comfort” of the tour. As comfort goes up, so does the price. The lodging might change from tents or hostels to nicer hotels. The transport might change from local buses to private shuttles or trains. You might have a basic tour with only a few breakfasts included or a premium tour with many of the meals pre-booked. Costs are overall fairly comparable for these companies, so it’s hard to say one is distinctly a “winner” in this comparison. G Adventures might tend to be slightly more affordable, but it’s so close as to be negligible. And in some cases, Intrepid does seem to be the better deal. If the price is very similar, though, the more important thing to consider might be… actual comfort. The general feedback seems to be that both companies tend toward using local businesses for lodging, which is great for having a positive impact during travel. Unfortunately, the reviews indicated that G might use overall cheaper options and favor hostels while Intrepid provides a bit higher quality lodging. This is keeping in mind that a basic tour will have basic lodging with either company, meaning both certainly do use tents/hostels when the itinerary specifies it. The Single Supplement Ugh. The dreaded single supplement. The loathed 100% surcharge for… not having a life partner (at least, one who likes to travel)? or not having friends with enough time/money to joing you? or… I dunno, just daring to want to enjoy life by yourself? Whatever the reason, some of us travel alone. And often, we expect to see our price go up as a result. It’s just the result of most prices (especially lodging) being based on double occupancy. We all know that’s how it works. But luckily neither of these companies is quite so draconian in their pricing schemes. THANK YOU to them, for being reasonable. Basically, they’ll put you in a room with someone of your same gender if you’re traveling solo. And if there’s not another traveler to pair you with, then you just get your own room! (This is assuming an itinerary that doesn’t heavily rely on hostels or dorm-style accommodations.) If you want a guaranteed private room, each itinerary varies in terms of the cost but it is generally not remotely 100%. You’ll want to ask early for a single setup, and there will be a specified supplement for the request. Availability will vary and there might be some exclusions. Also, cruises are probably grossly different… because they’re cruises. Ships almost always charge double, or nearly that, for the loss of that second berth. Itinerary Options These are very, very comparable for both companies. It’s just a matter of whether your interest is specific and the dates/cost of the options provided. I looked at both, and for my very specific interest in Central Europe, Intrepid was the clear winner (for me): I will admit that, overall, the itineraries I considered were very similar. They diverge in that (1) G uses more trains for faster transit, but loses some of the less traveled destinations in the process, and (2) G adds a couple days in Berlin. For some, this faster travel might be a point in G’s favor. And travel with G would have given me a “new country” with Germany. On the other hand, Intrepid took me to the Owl Mountains (Gory Sowie) in Poland and also to the High Tatras in Slovakia. These stops were the primary reason I preferred Intrepid’s itinerary over G Adventures. It is just much more likely that I’ll visit Germany on my own someday, or as part of another trip, whereas Slovakia is a bit more unique as a destination. This is just an example that is very specific to me, but the principle holds true for most trips you’d consider with these companies. It is very likely they will offer very similar options/destinations. You might pick a tour based solely on the itinerary, but you could end up choosing the company knowing that either will provide a great tour option for you. The Group Leader You’re gonna get a group leader. Someone who knows every area you’re going to. Someone to give you recommendations for activities and restaurants. Someone to try to keep the group dynamic positive and happy. Someone to provide a walking tour (or similar) of each new destination, so you can get your bearings. Someone to help with any transitions – like figuring out where to get some local currency or buy some toothpaste. The group leader isn’t there all the time, but is full of knowledge and always available to help when you need it. This is the same for both companies. Both try to provide a leader with local knowledge – someone from the general area (which might be a region, rather than a specific country). Although reviews of both companies were generally good (and there are absolutely people who recommend and have had great experiences with both companies), the most negative reviews I read about G Adventures were related to very bad experiences with the group leaders. Reviews seemed to reflect more consistency and overall positive experiences with Intrepid. The Smallness of the Small Group And, for me, the most important factor – the actual group you will be spending your hard-earned vacation time with! On the G site, I saw that the maximum group size was 16. For Intrepid, the maximum group size was 12. This is specific to my tour, of course. Some change depending on the adventure type and comfort level of the tour. But on the whole, this remains true: The Intrepid Adventures group size tends to be smaller than G Adventures. And this is honestly the primary factor in my choice of Intrepid over G Adventures. For me, because I’m like this, group size is the deal-breaker. And Intrepid has a smaller group size. Period. Game Over. A Conscious Bias I’ll admit one thing. I’m kinda old. Maybe not “old” in a practical sense, but old in the realm of travel media. Meaning, I do not aspire to being a “nomadic” anything. I do not refer to any of my travels as “backpacking” unless mountains and tents are involved. And lodging (aside from tents) that don’t have private baths are not really a consideration for me. My budget is firmly in the ballpark of “moderate”, with some things being thrifty and some things being splurges. I don’t do group lodging because my interests align more with sleeping than with socializing. I do not explore the local clubs/music scene/bars. I go to bed by 10pm. I go birding. I explore before 7am specifically to see cities without crowds of people. Why do I emphasize all this stuff that makes me seem really antisocial and not fun at all? Well, because I might have the impression that the average customer with G Adventures skews a bit younger. That they might market to a demographic that does not include me. That despite their diversity in itineraries, they’re still primarily geared toward a group of people exploring during a “gap” year… and that person is not me. And, that is probably a false narrative, at least for many G Adventures trips. So don’t be like me. Keep an open mind and give operators a fair shake, based on the...

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Jaguar Safari in the Pantanal: The Best of Brazil

distractedbirder — Sat, 03 Jul 2021 14:47:14 +0000

I decided to take a trip to Brazil based almost entirely on the appeal of the Pantanal. I’m not sure how well-known this site is to the general public, but it is a tremendously popular ecotourism destination. There’s plenty of cool critters and beautiful birds to see in Brazil, but the most people come to the lowlands for one specific target – one of those charismatic big cats everyone loves to see. It’s almost certain that a visit to the Pantanal will include a search for the Jaguar. That Darned Cat I had never seen a big cat before my trip to Brazil. At that point, my only trip to Africa was to Ethiopia – not a “Big 5” destination. And of course I’d love to see every Panthera this world has to offer. I’m just a bit slow to get started. At the time, videos of male jaguars preying upon black caiman had experienced quite a moment of internet popularity. This is unlikely to be a tourist’s view of the cat, of course. This big cat with beautifully patterned fur is near threatened, having lost about 40% of its historic range. Besides, visitors have to have realistic expectations! Any glimpse of this secretive predator would be exciting. Populations are most stable in equatorial South America, especially the Amazonian rain forests of Peru. Despite larger populations in the Amazon, the Pantanal in Brazil has the reputation for providing the best opportunity for observing a jaguar in the wild. I booked an available tour. The itinerary included 10 days in the Pantanal and Cerrado (plus an extension into the Amazon basin). Granted, this was a birding tour. But we’re talking a birding/wildlife tour now. On trips like this, the birders tend to be less driven to get the highest bird numbers and have a broader interest in wildlife. The Wetlands The Pantanal begins just south of Cuiabá, a city in the western Brazilian state of Mato Grasso. It’s the largest tropical wetland in the world. It covers most of the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, but extends into much of Mato Grasso and crosses borders into Bolivia and Paraguay. The Pantanal is protected by the Ramsar Convention and a portion is designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Pantanal is a depression, a large delta of converging rivers. It is seasonally flooded and supports a diverse ecosystem of vegetation and dense wildlife populations. But it’s also a threatened system – particularly from cattle ranching and logging. Cattle ranching is the dominant land use across the entire wetland. (And, as a special added concern, sometimes predators aren’t welcome in landscapes where they might prey on livestock.) Destination: Porto Jofre From Cuiabá, we head south on the Transpantaneira, the two-lane dirt highway connecting Poconé to Porto Jofre. Porto Jofre is, quite literally, the end of the road. It’s actually north-central in terms of the Pantanal, but this is a northern access point from Mato Grasso. This is a long day of travel. In fact, Porto Jofre was our second destination. We had already driven for hours after leaving Cuiabá to arrive at our first lodge near the Rio Claro. This was the second stretch, but it was still a lengthy drive on a dirt road. It did include a nice lunch stop and great birding, though. In central and South America, the bird feeders frequently include fruits. This stop was no exception, and we were delighted to see hungry araçari eating lunch. After hours of driving (with birding stops), we arrived at Porto Jofre in the early evening. This was our most anticipated destination of the entire tour. There wasn’t much opportunity for birding on the grounds this night. But we were excited for the following day, which would begin the search for wildlife along the river. Jaguar Safari The next morning, we boarded the boat from our dock on the Rio São Lourenço to search for our prime target. This is not the serene excursion you might be picturing – imagine, instead, numerous motorboats heading out on the river throughout the day. Each is searching for the same elusive cat. A sighting leads to frantic calls over the radio, and all boats descend upon the same location. The moments are filled with anticipation of seeing the cat and dread that our arrival will be too late… One… Finally, the call came for a location somewhat close to us – our driver raced over in time to see a beautiful adult Jaguar striding along the river’s edge. She was the first big cat I had ever seen, and she was perfect. I couldn’t stop shaking; the sight of her filled me with a rush of relief and happiness that was surprising to me. She soon started walking, stalking along the banks of the river and moving in and out of sight behind the vegetation. We were told she had cubs and was hunting for them, although we did not spot them at the time. All the spectators watched her walk the bank for hundreds of meters, slowly boating along to keep her pace. Eventually, she stalked away, tracking inlets where boats could not float. Two… Once she had disappeared, we ventured away down the river to observe more wildlife. But, as luck would have it, she re-appeared not long after. This time, she was simply sitting at rest on a small sandy point. After a few moments, the cat began walking again. Unfortunately, she didn’t venture very far down the bank before she disappeared from view. Three! The day’s river tour was eventful with a number of great wildlife observations, in addition to our two jaguar sightings. It was about time to end the day when another call came over the radio. We weren’t far from the reported location, so our captain sped down the river to try to see jaguar a third time. As we approached the location, we saw a neat row of boats – waiting. They motioned for us to stop, and so we sat motionless, staring across a channel of water. Soon, between us and those aligned boats, the head of a jaguar appears. The cat was swimming across the river! The mother had already crossed – this was the second cub. We only really saw its head as it swiftly paddled through the water. But it was remarkable – to see how easily and quickly those cats can swim! Cost/Benefit: Are Jaguar Tours Good? Heck, I can’t be certain about this. It probably requires some research, and even then the decision to seek out this type of activity would come down to personal interest/comfort. Honest assessment, there’s probably potential for tourism to wreak havoc here, same as anywhere. If people want to see the cats, they might need more places to stay, might need more boats on the water. At some times, maybe there already are a large number operating in a finite linear space. But whether you see cats crossing the water or prowling on the water’s edge, you can only get as close as your captain allows. The cat will always have more options for movement than the tourists, even if there’s an annoying number of boats out on the water. And lodges do not seem to dominate the landscape. There are a few options in Porto Jofre, but the development is still at low densities and minimal. On the other hand, the allure of the jaguar does provide clear economic value to an ecologically sensitive area, which doesn’t hurt when there are economic powerhouses vying for the same landscape. And the tourists are coming to see the cats, giving a remarkable incentive to support conserving the habitats and land use that would keep them around. Bottom line: Like in all ecotourism activities, it’s good to be thoughtful about choosing a conscientious tour operator. But given the lower potential for tourists to directly impact the cats, it does seem sensible to give the wetlands (and their threatened wildlife) a distinct, measurable economic value. This is in addition to any intrinsic value of the ecosystem. Unfortunately, that type of value is not universally respected. The Wildlife Parade As lovely as seeing the jaguar was, it was only the highlight of a tremendous day on the river. We saw herons trying, unsuccessfully, to devour an utterly enormous catfish. Elegant swallow-tailed kites swooped around us, catching insects in mid-flight. Osprey perched above us, enjoying its recent catch. And, one of the most common sights was families of capybara, watching us from the bank. This Otter Be Good… If any critter were to secure a Number 2 spot on our “Best Wildlife of the Day” list, it would have to be the Giant Otter. Note: We did not actually make a “best wildlife of the day” list. The best on this day was pretty clear to everyone with a pulse. Also, no more lists are allowed. We probably spend more than an hour reviewing the bird checklist each night… (yep, that is actually a thing we do!) We watched a family of Giant Otters as they swam together, eating a meal of fish. As we watched, they climbed out of the river to return to their bank den. As some continued swimming nearby, one otter dug sand from the den entrance. Then, others stalked around the nearby bank, blatantly marking their territory. It was a tremendous production of natural history theatre. Porto Jofre – Day Two Our itinerary included two days of in the Porto Jofre area. Since we’d seen the jaguar on our first day on the river, most folks opted for bird walks on our second day. We saw a good number of birds, including some lovely Toco Toucans, grey ibis, and wetlands full of lily pads and wading birds. But the most engaging species was not hard to spot on the grounds of our lodge – the Hyacinth Macaw. There was even a statue of a macaw on the grounds, although I assumed at first that the statue was just honoring a beautiful local bird. We didn’t see any on our first day at the lodge. But, as it turns out, the statue was an omen of many sightings to come. Once macaws were spotted in the trees outside our rooms, they seemed to be in every tree. And, in typical macaw fashion, they seemed to be laughing at us from their high perches. These are simply spectacular parrots, large and brilliantly colored. I am a sucker for a blue bird; I just can’t help myself. Beyond the grounds and the wetlands, we continued to explore small trails just off the entrance road. Short walks led to a number of new songbirds in the understory of small forest tracts and shrubby edges. We did take some short drives to increase our trail access, but there was plenty habitat to explore and keep us birding through the day. For Your Consideration When to Go Although I’ve heard Porto Jofre can actually be a fairly busy place, we were lucky that there were probably less than ten boats on our section of the river this day. I’m sure timing is important here for both the crowds and the possibilities of seeing jaguar in the Pantanal, so it’s worth consideration – especially if large numbers would lessen your enjoyment of the experience. In the wet season, typically October-April, many of the grasslands are flooded. This is also during the southern hemisphere’s spring and summer, so these months are generally warmer and rainier. During this time, you’d have less hiking opportunities and wildlife might be more dispersed. In drier periods, water bodies might be more limiting as the precipitation wanes. The fauna tends to be concentrated and easier to spot/access. My tour took place in mid-August, which is dry season and winter in the southern hemisphere. So if you want drier weather, good temperatures, and better wildlife viewing… you’ll probably shoot for...

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