The Birds Of Soberania National Park

Posted on December 15, 2013 by Tara

Yesterday, I blogged about how to arrange a visit to Soberania National Park. Now I will show you some of the birds you can expect to see there. A comprehensive bird list can be found on the Canopy Tower’s website. Of course you won’t see them all but with luck you can see some of the highlights.

RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTER OBSERVATION TOWER

I always prefer to climb a tower to have a bird’s eye view over the rainforest. When you are at ground level in dense forest, bird sightings may be only a colored rustling in a tree or a fleeting glimpse as they fly over your head and disappear into the forest before you can aim your camera. The observation tower here was good for sightings (from a distance) of Red-lored Parrots, Yellow-crowned Parrots, Blue-headed Pionus Parrots and Toucans. In the last photo you can see a glimpse of a ship going through the Panama Canal!

The construction of the tower is pretty cool too! Since it is deep in the rainforest, you can’t get a photo of it from the ground except looking straight up or from the top looking straight down.

Next we headed off down the trail towards the lake, got half way there and got rained out.

We fled back to the main building and kept busy watching the jewel-toned hummingbirds. We were the only people there until a tour group showed up on segways (not sure how they drove them over the bumpy Pipeline Road)!

RAINFOREST DISCOVERY CENTER MAIN BUILDING

Rental cars can be safely driven here and parked in their car park.

DRIVE TO GAMBOA

After leaving Pipeline Road, we drove past the Panama Canal to the Gamboa Rainforest Resort to check out the birds down by the river. We had planned to have lunch there but the restaurant was closed.

GAMBOA RAINFOREST RESORT

GAMBOA BRIDGE

We had to drive across this rickety looking bridge that made me very nervous! I crept along at 5km per hour with annoyed locals piled up behind me.

Soberania National Park, Panama

Posted on December 14, 2013 by Tara

Soberanía National Park (Parque Nacional Soberanía) is a national park in Panama near the banks of the Panama Canal in the provinces of Panamá and Colón, some 25 kilometres (16 mi) from Panama City. The Chagres River runs through the park.

Established as a national park in 1980, the park covers 55,000 acres (223 km²).The park is popular with birdwatchers due to the abundance of bird species in the park. Some 525 bird species are found here, including motmots, toucans, trogons, flycatchers, antbirds, woodpeckers, tanagers, and hawks. Among the rare bird species in the park are yellow-eared toucanets, crimson-bellied woodpeckers, sirystes, and rarely seen harpy eagles. Some of the best birding in the park is along Pipeline Road. Pipeline Road extends for several miles and passes through old-growth and secondary forest. Birds are best spotted here in the early morning.

GETTING HERE

You can use a Central American award to Panama City (PTY). Then the best thing to do is hire a car so you have freedom to get around as you choose. Since this park is so near the city, it can be easily driven to from wherever you are staying.

Soberania National Park, Panama

WHERE TO STAY INSIDE THE PARK

On points, you have 1 option which is on the outskirts of Soberania National Park, the Radisson Summit. This was my choice since I could use only 28,000 Club Carlson points for 2 nights since I have the Club Carlson Visa card. A pleasant surprise was that you get the free breakfast even when you use points! Make sure you request a rainforest view room for a spectacular view!

You could also stay at the Gamboa Rainforest Resort which is closest to Pipeline Road & the Rainforest Discovery Center or the Canopy Tower which has nice packages that include guided birding excursions (not cheap)!

HOW TO VISIT THE PARK

You can make an independent visit or join a tour. The Canopy Tower has day visit packages that include a trip up their 50 ft high observation tower and a guided bird walk. Many people just rent a car and head off on their own down Pipeline Road. Be aware that this is a very rough road and you will only get a few miles without 4WD. There are plenty of birds to see along the way.

My choice, dictated partly because we only had a small car from Alamo and also because I like to watch birds from towers was the Rainforest Discovery Centre. If that link doesn’t work (they need to renew their domain), try Google cached version here. It costs $30 entry but you get a $5 credit to spend in the small gift shop. The staff know all the local species and can identify them for you. You also get access to a 32 metre high observation tower with platforms every 8 metres and over 1.2 km of walking trails. There are educational posters & clean restrooms in the main building and hummingbird feeders that keep these delightful little birds close at hand.

In tomorrow’s post, I will show you some of the birds we saw that I managed to photograph both from the tower and the main buidling’s deck.

How A Parrot Learns Its Name In The Wild

Posted on December 13, 2013 by Tara

This is pretty cool! I bet you didn’t know that wild parrots have names!

Industry News About US-AA Merger

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Tara

While I was away, more details have been released about the timeline of the merger. The most important thing for eco-tourists to note is the date US leaves Star Alliance, especially if you have plans to visit Central America, South America or Australia/New Zealand. Currently these zones are better served using a US Airways Dividend Miles award so you will want to book your trip by 30 March, 2014 so travel ends by 22 Feb, 2015. You would still be able to use your US miles on One World airlines but these areas have better options with Star Alliance.

US Airways to join oneworld on 31 March 2014

US Airways will join oneworld® with effect from 31 March 2014, following completion today of its merger with alliance founding member American Airlines. All its regional affiliates, operating under the US Airways Express brand, will also transition to oneworld at the same time.

Their entry into oneworld with effect from the first flights on 31 March 2014 will follow immediately upon their exit from the Star Alliance with the final flights on 30 March 2014. All parties are taking every effort to ensure that the alliance transition is as seamless as possible for customers.

US Airways to Leave Star Alliance March 30, Join Oneworld March 31, Begins Integration of Frequent Flyer Accounts

In a letter to employees, Parker said that customers will soon be able to earn and redeem rewards miles on both program. The US Airways program, Dividend Miles, will eventually be merged into American’s AAdvantage program. In addition, in early January, the AA code will be placed on all US Airways flights and vice versa, as the combined airline aligns its schedule.

Another significant change for customers will be the co-location of American and US Airways in airports, starting with its hubs.

In addition, US Airways said that it will continue numerous relationships with airlines in Star Alliance after it leaves at the end of March. Flyers will be able to continue earn miles on the following airlines: Aegean, Air China, Air New Zealand, Avianca, Ethiopian Airlines, Eva, Shenzhen Airlines, Singapore Airlines, South African Airways, TAM, TAP, and Turkish Airways.

Avianca Lifemiles – Buy Miles 2×1 Is Back!

Posted on December 12, 2013 by Tara

This has been out for a while, just getting caught up after my trip.

Dear Tara Tuatai :

Buy Miles 2×1 is back!

We want you to live twice as much and because you deserve more, for each block of 1,000 miles you buy between December 3^rd and 30^th, 2013, you will receive the double!

Enjoy this bonus of 100% more that LifeMiles gives you. Is very easy! Buy now at LifeMiles.com and your miles will be accrued in your account automatically.

Remember you can enjoy your miles flying to more than 1,300 destinations and with our vast partner network: Hotels, Car rentals, products of our LifeMiles Catalog, songs from the best Universal Music artists and much more.

Just Returned From India & Sri Lanka

Posted on December 11, 2013 by Tara

No one probably had a clue I was travelling as I had scheduled a blog post to appear daily continuing my series on Central America. For my personal home security, I never announce my dates of travel. We had an amazing trip to South India & Sri Lanka and saw some amazingly beautiful birds! I will start blogging about this trip as soon as I finish the Central America one which still has posts on Panama that will appear over the next week.

This was a trip originally planned for 2015 but shortened and brought forward to take advantage of some US Airways promos and lessen the chance that by 2015 the award on the merged AA/US program would become more expensive. We used TG & SQ all in business class for 180,000 miles for two tickets booked from my account. Since I have the USDM credit card, I will get a rebate of 30,000 miles.

I have to get photos uploaded, everyday life back to normal and go through all the spam to make sure there aren’t any legit comments stuck in there. I apologize in advance if your comment has been delayed. We were in very remote areas with no internet access, no wifi option in internet cafes while transiting a town and I didn’t want to be dealing with sensitive log-ins while using someone else’s computers.

Hotel Review: Park Inn By Radisson, San Jose, Costa Rica

Posted on December 10, 2013 by Tara

We only had one night in San Jose before flying to Panama. Normally, we would have stayed out near the airport at whatever hotel had the best points rate but we got a mistake rate for this hotel on FlyerTalk for 5000 points plus a nominal amount of Colones. I think they loaded the Colones rate in the USD field or something like that. Thankfully they honored the rate and several of us got a nice bargain before they corrected the rate.

Escape to This San José, Costa Rica Hotel’s Ideal Location
Situated three blocks from Paseo Colón, the city’s main avenue, and walking distance of downtown, the Park Inn hotel’s location in San José is perfect for vacations and business trips. Sample local and international cuisine at RBG Bar & Grill, and enjoy a dip in the shimmering outdoor pool. After a long day exploring San José, Costa Rica, this hotel’s comfortable accommodations are just what you need to relax. In-room amenities like free wireless Internet access and 42-inch flat-screen televisions make it easy to unwind after your adventures in the city. This hotel’s property in San José provides you with all the features you need for a perfect stay.

We found the room to be just as described on their website. It’s basically a normal budget business traveler type of place but OK for a night. We aren’t really that interested in cities, especially when you have the natural paradise of Costa Rica to see. The wifi was slow but that’s par for the course in most hotels.

The location is downtown, a short taxi ride away from any of the bus terminals. From the airport, take a Tuasa bus, then hop out at the Pizza Hut and walk a few blocks to the hotel. Don’t stop and buy a pizza, they cost around $20 for one pizza!

Our room was large, clean and had all the necessities. We were also pleasantly surprised to see a complimentary rubber ducky! The view of the city was nice and the breakfast buffet (included in the rate even for awards) had a great variety of typical breakfast foods. We were happy with it, and so are most people on Trip Advisor.

Gateway: San Jose, Costa Rica

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Tara

San Jose, Costa Rica is a pleasant enough city but it pales in comparison to the many delights to be found elsewhere in the country. There are lots of hotel chains here so good opportunities to use your points but please don’t hang around the city just because there are some good Pointbreaks! Get out there and see Costa Rica!

GETTING THERE

You will need a Central American award ticket and all the major alliances have flights to SJO.

STAR ALLIANCE

United Airlines has flights from Chicago, Houston, New York & Washington

US Airways (due to merge with AA in early 2014) has flights from Charlotte

Air Canada has flights from Toronto

Copa has flights from Guatemala City, Managua, Panama City, San Pedro Sula & Tegucigalpa.

Avianca-Taca (incl Lacsa) has flights from Bogota, Caracas, Guatemala City, Lima, Managua, Mexico City, Miami, Panama City, San Pedro Sula, San Salvador & Tegucigalpa.

ONE WORLD

American Airlines has flights from Dallas New York & Miami

Iberia has flights from Madrid

SKYTEAM

Delta has flights from Atlanta & Los Angeles

Aeromexico has flights from Mexico City

GETTING TO & FROM THE AIRPORT & AROUND TOWN

Of course taxis are always an option and once you are in town they are reasonably cheap, around $3-5 in Colones. You can also use the Alajuela bus to get from the airport to the Alajuela terminal for around $1, then use a taxi to your final destination. If you have arrived from elsewhere in Costa Rica, all bus lines will finish here. You may need to change terminals to go elsewhere in Costa Rica.

When leaving Costa Rica, be sure to save enough cash to pay the departure tax. You could use a credit card but it will post as a cash advance. Be careful with the ATMs as some of them have low maximum withdrawals of $400 so if you need more than that you have to do multiple transactions.

The duty free & shopping area in the airport as you depart have a nice variety of shops selling the usual duty free booze, cigarettes, perfumes and some nice handicrafts. There were some sales on the jewelry, buy 2 get 1 free. I was a good customer here!

WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS

As you may expect with a large capital city, San Jose is well supplied with chain hotels at reasonable prices. Unless you get a really good deal on a city hotel, I would stay near the airport for convenience.

CLUB CARLSON

Park Inn – 38,000 points

Country Inn & Suites – 9000 points

HILTON

Hampton Inn & Suites by Hilton San Jose-Airport – 30-40,000 points

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Cariari San Jose – Costa Rica – 20-30,000 points

HYATT

Hyatt Place San Jose/Pinares – 8000 points

IHG

6 options including a Holiday Inn Express near the airport for 15,000 points and an Intercontinental for 30,000 points.

MARRIOTT

Courtyard San Jose Airport – 15,000 points

STARWOOD

Aloft San Jose – 7000 points

Sheraton San Jose – 7000 points

We only spend one night here at the Park Inn because there was a mistake rate posted on FlyerTalk for 5000 points. Otherwise, we would have stayed at either the HIX or Hampton Inn near the airport.

WHAT TO DO IN SAN JOSE

(Emphasis on things of interest to birders)

Visit the Ara Project at Alajuela if they haven’t moved to Punta Islita yet.

Visit parks to see Crimson-fronted Conures frolicking in the trees.

Wet parrots near the Hampton Inn

The next morning was nice and sunny so we saw dry Crimson-fronted Conures & a few pigeons near the Alajuela bus station.

Hotel Punta Islita (Near Ara Project) Available With Marriott Points

Posted on December 8, 2013 by Tara

The Ara Project had been located in Alajuela for years but were recently served an eviction notice. They eventually found a new home on Punta Islita and have been working hard to get a new breeding centre and release site up and running. They are anticipating a “reveal” with a new website on 15 Dec, 2013.

The good news for miles & points collectors is that the nearest hotel, Hotel Punta Islita; to their new location is available with Marriott Reward points. It’s a beautiful property and a great place to take the whole family as there are plenty of activities to occupy those who are less interested in bird watching.

Hotel Punta Islita Spa

Hotel Punta Islita is easily accessible from both Liberia International and San Jose International airports. Local 40 minute flights service the regional Islita Airstrip, including private charters. For those who prefer to drive, Hotel Punta Islita can be reached through a good road network connecting with Costa Rica’s main cities. Land transportation takes about two hours from Liberia and about three and half hours from San Jose. Here you see the location (red star) in reference to the cruise ship port of Puntarenas, the airport at Alajuela & the capital, San Jose.

The most recent program involves a full partnership with The Ara Project. Jumpstarted in the 1980’s by a retired expat American couple The Ara Project is now staffed by a dedicated group of scientists, administrators, and volunteers who have successfully reintroduced close to a hundred red and green macaw specimens in three wildlife release sites in Costa Rica. Hotel Punta Islita is proud to host the program’s headquarters, donating a plot of land, a specialized aviary cage, living quarters for a biologist, and the biologist’s wages. The recently- inaugurated Lapa Lookout is an education and viewing center where guests can learn and participate in the recovery and release efforts.

Rooms start at $203 USD which is not bad for such a posh hotel.

You will need 30,000 Marriott Rewards points for a free night here and other than the holiday season, availability looks really good! If you are new to birding and would like to be introduced to the hobby gently, or your spouse/partner/family wants other activites while you go birding, this is a great choice!

An Afternoon At The Ara Project, Alajuela, Costa Rica

Posted on December 7, 2013 by Tara

Founded in 1989, the Ara Project (ARA) is a Costa Rican licensed zoological park and non-profit organization dedicated to the conservation of the two native macaw species of Costa Rica: the critically endangered Great Green or Buffon’s Macaw (Ara ambiguus) and the Scarlet Macaw (Ara macao).

ARA promotes macaw conservation, contributes to the scientific community, encourages the protection of tropical forests, and educates the public to assure the benefit and enjoyment of present and future generations.

Naturally I was very keen to visit them and see how their breeding centre is run. They have some macaws who are destined to fly free again in the wild and some who are injured or not healthy enough to survive in the wild so need to be housed in a sanctuary. Although they have had their Alajuela facility for many years, their landlord has evicted them and forced them to find a new location. They are in the process of moving to Punta Islita and by the time you read this, they may have already relocated. If you want to visit them, please contact them on their website to arrange the details.

These photos are of my visit in August 2013 to the Alajuela facility which is very near the airport; with Jenny very kindly giving us a hasty tour of the Scarlet Macaws & Great Green Macaws before the heavens opened up with a torrential downpour. It’s amazing what they can do to help these birds! If you visit them, please be generous with a donation, even if you can’t visit, donation details are below the photos.

This video shows what it’s like to release Macaws back into the wild. What a great feeling this must be!