Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve

Posted on November 15, 2013 by Tara

I was up at the crack of dawn having gotten to bed early the night before and enjoyed watching the birds from the balcony of our room. My husband decided to sleep in so I went to the reception to request a taxi to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Biological Reserve.

The bulk of Monteverde’s rain forest and cloud forest can be found in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve, a private nature reserve created in 1972 by scientist George Powell and Quaker Wilford Guindon. The area around the park entrance is the most visited, though camping deep in the reserve is possible with reservations. Nine main trails, which total 13 km, are well-kept and easy to access. The reserve features a large network of less accessible trails and a number of rustic research stations, two of which house 10 persons each, as well as one research station that can house as many as 43 persons, though these can now only be used by researchers.

Admission for foreigners is $17 and you can also book a guided tour for $32. After a 10-minute DVD presentation providing an introductory view of the cloud forest flora and fauna, an experienced nature guide will lead you on a 2 1/2-hour walk on MCFBR trails, where you can make your own in situ observations. Schedule: 7:30 am, 12md, 1:00 pm.

Since we had booked onward transportation, I wasn’t able to do the guided tour and had to walk on ahead, hoping to see more Resplendant Quetzals. The actual bird list is very impressive and they put out hummingbird feeders so it can be very enjoyable to just relax and watch the tiny jewel-toned hummingbirds come and go. This time, I didn’t get lucky enough to see a Quetzal so I contented myself with the hummingbirds while I waited for the taxi to come back and pick me up which he did, right on time. Next time, I would spend one more night here to allow more time for the guided tour as I do think the local guides are much better at spotting the birds than tourists are.

Monteverde’s Curi Cancha Reserve………….And A Resplendant Quetzal!

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Tara

Once we arrived in Monteverde and checked in at Cala Lodge, I was talking to Josie, the receptionist about how much I wanted to see a Resplendant Quetzal. These stunning birds are a draw for every tourist who comes here, not just dedicated birders like me. I was asking about a taxi to the Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve but she told me about Curi Cancha Reserve where it was supposed to be easier to see the Quetzals.

Curi Cancha Wildlife Refuge is a wildlife refuge in the central part of Costa Rica, which forms part of the Arenal Tilaran Conservation Area and protects cloud forest in the Cordillera de Tilarán near Juntas. The refuge entrance is about a kilometer before the famous Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve. The lower portion is drier, with few epiphytes, but the upper portion is cloud forest. While the forest is not quite so pristine as Monteverde, the most spectacular birds are much easier to see. The refuge is particularly good for the Resplendent Quetzal, the most sought-after bird of the cloud forest. The refuge is also a good place to find Keel-billed Toucan, Blue-crowned Motmot, Orange-bellied Trogon, and Three-toed Sloth, as well as monkeys.

You can join a guided tour at certain times of day but we had arrived too late. Entrance is a reasonable $12 per person and the lady selling tickets was kind enough to phone the guide who had already gone home for the day and ask where Quetzals had been last seen. He told her and she showed us on the map the path to follow. Fortunately it wasn’t too far away. The yellow line shows where they were last seen near that Viewpoint Vista.

Path to Replendant Quetzals

We headed off down the path hoping to find them before it got too dark. The visibility was already losing ground to the dense cloud cover that gives the cloud forest its name.

So we walked a while and saw a few birds and monkeys. We heard the Bellbirds but couldn’t see them as they were hiding in the trees. So we sat and waited, listening carefully but still nothing. It was getting close to the time the park would close so I took a few pics just for the memories.

Wait a minute! Was that a flash of red up there? Yes it was! Perching ever so quietly (probably snickering at us) was a single young male Resplendant Quetzal! I tried to get good photos but just couldn’t get a good focus with the fading light. These are the best I was able to get. (I did get better shots at Savegre later on)

Eventually the Quetzal flew off to roost for the night, but I was elated and proud of myself for spotting him at all! He never made a sound, if it hadn’t been for the glimpse of his red chest, I never would have seen him!

We headed back to the entrance and triumphantly showed the lady my blurry shots which proved we found a Quetzal, she was amused but happy for us!

As we walked back to the main road, we saw some agoutis and noticed how quickly the clouds were coming in as a group walking in front of us disappeared into the mist.

Once back in town, I spotted a handicraft shop called Casemcoop and was happy to see it was still open……………and it took Amex (had to meet spend on my new PRG)! This was the perfect way to support the local crafters and I proceeded to buy bags, key chains, Christmas ornaments, wall hangings, jewelry, anything I could find that had a Quezal on it! My green Quetzal embroidered bag is now used daily and everytime I see it, I remember my encounter with the beautiful bird.

We went to the pizza place next door for an early dinner, then went back to Cala Lodge so we could be up early in the morning for another chance to see more Quetzals.

Costa Rica – Something For Everyone, Especially Eco-Tourists

Posted on October 23, 2013 by Tara

First of all, the whole country is visually stunning. The Pacific coast, Caribbean coast, mountains, volcanoes, rainforests, lakes, rivers and national parks. Not surprisingly, Costa Rica is not only a popular vacation spot for mainstream tourists but also serves the cruise industry and a growing population of retirees who find their pensions go a lot further there. The tourist infrastructure is well-established and credit cards are widely accepted.

GETTING THERE

You will need a Central America award on your airline of choice. If you are new here, please have a look at the programs I recommend you to join. San Jose (SJO) is very well served by Star Alliance (red dot) carriers but there are a few interesting options on One World (blue dot) and Sky Team (green dot). Most people would either be coming from or connecting in the USA but if you don’t want to travel via the USA you can connect in Madrid on Iberia or Toronto on Air Canada.

You can also fly to Liberia airport (LIR) on any of the 3 major alliances.

WHERE TO STAY

Most of the major hotel chains are represented here but I strongly advise you not to go overboard booking them. I have seen people book 7-10 days in San Jose when the Holiday Inn or Crowne Plaza goes on Pointbreaks but this is a false economy (unless you are on a business trip). Costa Rica has so much to offer and I hate to see people spending their whole trip in the city! One night before or after a flight is fine and there are several options which I will go over in the San Jose post. Eco-lodges can be ridiculously easy to book online (even getting miles via Pointshound) with secure credit card payments and instant confirmations.

NATIONAL PARKS

As you can see, Costa Rica is truly blessed with national parks full of fascinating birds and amazing scenery! The red line and dots represent our itinerary which I chose to maximize Parrot sightings and also to see the gorgeous Respendent Quetzal. I was also reluctant to hire a car here so I had to choose places easy to get to on public transport or tourist shuttles.

1. Selva Verde, Sarapiqui

2. Laguna del Lagarto, Boca Tapada

3. Arenal

4. Monteverde

5. Carara

6. Parque Nacional Los Quetzales

7. San Jose (pre-flight)

Our Travel Route

Overnight Transit At Radisson Hotel And Suites Guatemala City

Posted on October 20, 2013 by Tara

Since the focus of this trip was birding in the wonderful national parks and reserves of Central America, we didn’t spend much time in cities. We did have a few overnight transits pre-flight and this is when eco-tourists can put hotel points to good use. We were traveling between Flores and San Jose, Costa Rica. Guatemala City is also very easily reached using airline miles if you want to make it your gateway to the region.

The Radisson Hotel And Suites Guatemala City proved to be an excellent value as we only paid 9000 points when I booked it in early 2013. It’s only a 5 minute drive from the airport and they have a free shuttle but you have to email them and let them know when you are coming. Return trips to the airport leave at fixed times from around 5am-ish.

The room was spotlessly clean and the hot shower very welcome after a morning of birding and afternoon stroll around Flores.

The wifi is free but I was too tired to do anything but check emails and pass out in the comfy bed.

I was really impressed at the great value offered by this hotel and think it’s a perfect choice for an early morning flight. The shuttle was very reliable and free! The property has been getting good reviews on Trip Advisor. The points rate has since gone up to 15,000 points but even the advance purchase rate is reasonable at $102.

Gateway: Flores, Guatemala

Posted on October 18, 2013 by Tara

Flores is a very attractive little town and if it weren’t for the fact that Tikal is so amazing, we probably would have spent a night here. The good news for Star Alliance (especially Lifemiles) members is that Taca has flights to/from Guatemala City twice daily making it very easy to access this charming town. Use the Central America award chart to see how many miles you need. The alternative is an overnight bus to Guatemala City and while I have done this in my younger days (and even last year in Brazil) I would really prefer a good night’s sleep! Linea Dorada and Autobuses del Norte operate this route for around $25-ish.

There are no chain hotels here so you can’t stay here on points. There are all kinds of small, local hotels that looked pretty nice and would do just fine if you can’t/don’t want to stay in the Tikal park. Trip Advisor has the best list, unfortunately I didn’t stay at any of them to make a personal recommendation.

When we checked out of the Tikal Inn, we used their free shuttle that lets people off at either the airport or at the edge of the town. We loved the cobblestone streets, Guatemalan architecture and poking around the craft shops!

We had dinner at this restaurant and the food was excellent! I went for the pork tacos, my less adventurous husband stuck with a hamburger.

After dinner, we hopped in a “tuk-tuk” to get back to the airport. It cost less than $5 and took less than 10 minutes.

Security was making everyone open their bags for a manual inspection so be sure to allow enough time in case there is a line. We only had these little carry-on backpacks.

I love that they had a conservation charity box to help wild birds in the departure area! I put in most of our left-over cash, just keeping enough for a taxi to the Radisson in Guatemala City in case the shuttle didn’t show up.

The Birds Of Tikal National Park

Posted on October 17, 2013 by Tara

Yesterday, I posted about the travel aspect of Tikal National Park and because I had so many photos decided to split the birds off into their own post. Tikal has quite an impressive bird list, with several of my targeted parrot species. I’ll screenshot the parrots and leave you to visit the bird list on their website. Remember, creating a successful birding adventure means identifying the species you most want to see and finding out the best places to see them. I have highlighted in yellow the parrot species I saw at Tikal. I did see the other species later in Costa Rica. The subspecies of Olive-throated Parakeet found here is more commonly known as an Aztec Conure. We saw a small flock near the Grand Plaza flying swiftly overhead-as conures do.

Montezuma Oropendulas were everywhere throughout the whole trip.

Keel-billed Toucan

Lineated Woodpecker

Montezuma Oropendula

Brown-hooded Parrot (Aztec Conure)

Ocellated Turkey

Montezuma Oropendulas and White-fronted Parrots sharing a tree

Great Kiskadee

White-collared Seedeater

Lineated Woodpecker

Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher

Collared Aracaris

Blue-grey Tanager

Long-tailed Hermit

Tikal National Park, Guatemala

Posted on October 16, 2013 by Tara

Tikal National Park is located in the Northern Guatemala area of Petén, 60 km from Petén’s capital city of Flores. The closest airport is in Flores and you can use any Star Alliance carrier to book an award on Taca to get there. If you collect Avianca-Taca Lifemiles, there are some amazing bargains to be had if you are flexible with dates. Look how much you can save from the normal rate of 37,500 miles one way!

If you fly into Belize, it is pretty easy to get to the park overland. There are also overnight buses between Guatemala City and Flores but if you have Lifemiles you can book this flight for as little as 3500 miles, a true bargain!

A – Tikal National Park
B – Flores

Whatever you do, please stay at least one night in the park! This gives you a chance to do the sunrise and/or sunset tour plus spend a regular day inside the park exploring the ruins. There are 3 lodges inside the park within walking distance to the entrance.

Tikal Inn – Trip Advisor – My review

Jaguar Inn – Trip Advisor

Jungle Lodge – Trip Advisor

All have their pros and cons so I suggest reading the reviews on Trip Advisor to get a feel for the lodges. We loved our stay at Tikal Inn and can highly recommend it. If these 3 lodges are full, you can seek accommodation at El Remate or Flores but you won’t get to the park in time for sunrise.

The park is open from 6am – 6pm daily and entrance fee is 150 Quetzals. You can also enter the park from 4am for sunrise or stay in the park after sunset, for 250 Quetzales. During these extra hours visitors must be accompanied by a guide. There are no ATMs and they don’t take credit cards so bring cash!

You will buy your first entry ticket at the gate about 15 km down the road before you reach the actual park and lodges. Since you will have already paid to enter, it’s a good idea to make at least a quick visit even if you are tired. We decided to do the sunset tour as part of our Tikal Inn package. We didn’t actually see the sun set (we didn’t climb the pyramid), but we did see some of the ruins and lots of birds! Here’s a few photos from the sunset tour (bird photos are on tomorrow’s post).

If you stay in one of the lodges, the next day you will have to buy a new ticket here. Cash only!

Map of Tikal.

These people were doing some kind of ceremony. I have no idea what it was but it was pretty cool to observe!

The history of these amazing ruins is beyond the focus of this travel blog but you can get a good idea from Wikipedia.

Tikal (/tiˈkäl/) (Tik’al in modern Mayan orthography) is one of the largest archaeological sites and urban centres of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. It is located in the archaeological region of the Petén Basin in what is now northern Guatemala. Situated in the department of El Petén, the site is part of Guatemala’s Tikal National Park and in 1979 it was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Tikal was the capital of a conquest state that became one of the most powerful kingdoms of the ancient Maya. Though monumental architecture at the site dates back as far as the 4th century BC, Tikal reached its apogee during the Classic Period, ca. 200 to 900 AD. During this time, the city dominated much of the Maya region politically, economically, and militarily, while interacting with areas throughout Mesoamerica such as the great metropolis of Teotihuacan in the distant Valley of Mexico. There is evidence that Tikal was conquered by Teotihuacan in the 4th century AD. Following the end of the Late Classic Period, no new major monuments were built at Tikal and there is evidence that elite palaces were burned. These events were coupled with a gradual population decline, culminating with the site’s abandonment by the end of the 10th century.

The trails are well marked so it is unlikely you will get lost but the condition of the trails can be challenging, especially if they are muddy. I managed to throw my back out and struggled quite a bit. I was so sore from this, I decided to forego the sunrise tour as I didn’t want to slow down a whole group and go birding around the grounds instead. We made a 2nd visit during normal hours and were able to take advantage of a small shuttle that takes you up to the Grand Temple for a nominal fee (less than $5). These photos are from the 2nd day.

Outside the park is a small market with souvenirs and handicrafts, some of which take credit cards at a premium. There’s a restaurant near the shops and another one across the road that is cheaper and had good food.

I couldn’t resist the “Angry Bird” Quetzal t-shirt!

The souvenirs weren’t cheap, I wanted this painting but couldn’t afford it and didn’t want to lug it around the rest of the trip. I did end up buying a needlepoint Mayan wall hanging with Quetzals on it.

Mini-Tikal

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Posted on October 5, 2013 by Tara

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is not only one of the best places to go birding in Belize, it’s also one of the easiest to get to. It’s located about halfway between Belize City and Orange Walk. If you are staying at one of the lodges inside the sanctuary, you can arrange for them to pick you up at the airport for about $70. If you are staying in Belize City, any bus that is headed to Orange Walk or further can drop you at the junction from which it’s about 3 miles to the sanctuary. Theoretically you could make a day trip from town if you get the first bus of the day at 5:30 am, but I strongly advise you spend at least one night at one of the lodges inside the park. If you’re on a cruise ship, I would suggest contacting one of the lodges below to organize transport and a guide.

The Belize Bus website also has a schedule for buses from Belize City direct to Crooked Tree village.

Bus service to Crooked Tree
Jex and Sons Bus Service provides bus service between Belize City and Crooked Tree.
Buses depart from Belize City Monday to Friday at 10:50 am and 4:45 pm; Saturday at 10:50 am; no bus on Sunday.
Buses depart from Crooked Tree at 6:30 a.m.
Trip time: about 1.25 hours
Fare: BZ$3.50

Using airline miles to get to Belize is very easy from the USA, please see my guides to Central America and Belize.

There are 3 eco-lodges inside the sanctuary:

Crooked Tree Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews – My review

Bird’s Eye View Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews

Tillett’s Village Lodge – Trip Advisor reviews

More details about visiting the sanctuary come from the Belize Audubon site.

With 16,400 acres of lagoons, creeks, logwood swamps, broadleaf forest and pine savanna, you will be sure to see a wide array of wildlife. The Sanctuary protects globally endangered species including the Central American River Turtle (locally known as Hickatee), Morelet’s Crocodile, Mexican Black Howler Monkey, and Yellow-headed Parrot.

Avibase has a complete bird list for Belize and many of these can be found at Crooked Tree. The main draws for me were the parrots. My research on Surfbirds had turned up several trip reports saying that Yellow-headed Parrots, Red-lored Parrots, White-fronted Parrots and Olive-throated Parakeets could be found here. This was also the only place I could find that is easily accessible where Yellow-headed Parrots were regularly seen.

Robert

Mick from the Crooked Tree Lodge had organized Robert to be our guide and he proved to be excellent! Like all good guides, he tailored our visit to the target species we were interested in (parrots) and pointed out all other birds along the way. Parrots like to feed in the fruit tree orchards and it didn’t take long for Robert to locate a pair of Yellow-headed Parrots feeding on a mango tree. Since the tree was on private property, he went in to ask the homeowner if we could enter for a closer look. While he was inside, the two parrots flew out of the orchard, over our heads and disappeared into the forest. They were much too fast to get a photo of but at least we saw them! The only other parrot species we saw on our walk were some Red-lored Parrots. I did manage to get a photo of one…..not a very good one though!

Other highlights of our walk were Vermilion Flycatchers, Blue-Grey Tanagers and quite a few other birds. If you don’t like bad/blurry photos, stop here. Otherwise, scroll down for some more bird pics!

Belize – An Eco-Tourist’s Delight From Sea To Crooked Tree

Posted on September 30, 2013 by Tara

Belize

Sandwiched between Mexico and Guatemala with some spectacular coastline and beaches, Belize offers much to eco-tourists who are interested in both birds and sealife. The red dots on the map show the two places we visited- Crooked Tree Sanctuary and Bullet Tree Falls. The Belize Barrier Reef is a haven for divers and snorkelers and the beaches of the Cayes attract all kinds of tourists. Belize also has several reserves and sanctuaries to attract birders.

GETTING THERE

Getting to Belize is very easy using frequent flier miles. You will need a Central American award on your alliance of choice. American Airlines (One World) flies from Miami and Dallas. If you have Star Alliance miles, United Airlines flies from Houston IAH daily and seasonally from Newark. US Airways flies seasonally from Charlotte. Avianca flies from San Salvador with connections elsewhere in Central and South America. Skyteam is served by Delta’s flights from Atlanta and LAX starting in Dec 2013.

Belize is also a popular port for cruise ships and even if you only have a day in port, you can still make a worthwhile day trip to a nearby sanctuary such as Crooked Tree or Belize Bird Rescue. I will be doing detailed posts on both of these places. Going further afield to the Cayo District where there are more reserves, caves and Mayan ruins is doable if you have a long day in port, otherwise best to leave this area for a land trip.

You can also get to Belize by bus from Mexico and Guatemala. You can find all the details of transport to and from Belize and how to get around Belize on this very detailed blog. You can also look up timetables of buses. Although some people do hire cars, we found buses very cheap and easy to use in Belize.

You should be aware that buses do not serve the airport, you would have to walk about a mile to the main road where they pass. Since we had just come off a long journey with 5 flights from Brisbane, I opted to have our accommodation pick us up and I must say it was really nice to have someone there waiting for us. I’ll post more when I review the lodge. A taxi to Belize city or bus station is a fixed $25 USD.

HOTEL POINT OPTIONS IN BELIZE

Since Belize is so small, you really don’t need to schedule an overnight near the airport. There is one hotel near the airport if you have an early flight, the Global Village Hotel. Only 2 hotels can be booked with points.

Club Carlson – Radisson Fort George – 38,000 points

Best Western – Biltmore Plaza – 16,000 points

Unless you have a very early flight from BZE, I would advise you to just stay at Crooked Tree and commute back to the airport.

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

As I said before, you need to do some research and find out what kind of birds you want to see, the best place to see them and where you can stay nearby. The Belize Audobon Society has a complete list. Since I was targeting parrots, I knew there was one species I would only find in Belize during this trip -the Yellow-headed Parrot. Belize does have other parrot species and you can find a whole list of birds in Belize here. Most of my target species would be seen in multiple locations so I gave the Yellow-headed Parrots priority and chose to visit Crooked Tree Sanctuary. Our next major stop would be Tikal in Guatemala but there were other places I wanted to visit, the Belize Zoo and Belize Bird Rescue enroute. With research, I chose Parrot’s Nest in Bullet Tree Falls mostly because I wanted the experience of sleeping in a tree house!

Everyone will have their own priorities whether it’s adding to a life list or observing certain species so do your homework!

Gateway: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

Posted on August 5, 2013 by Tara

GETTING THERE

Port Elizabeth is South Africa’s fifth largest city and is located on the Indian Ocean coast half-way between Cape Town and Durban, in the Eastern Cape, about 260 km from Knysna. It can be easily reached using Star Alliance miles on South African Airways or One World miles on British Airways. Using Avios is a good deal here as the JNB-PLZ route is 564 miles so only costs 4500 Avios one way. Using United Mileage Plus would require 12,500 miles for the same route. You may be able to get a good price using an online travel agent such as Expedia too.

WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS

Port Elizabeth is a pleasant city at the end of the Garden Route but for eco-tourists it will just be a jumping off point to nearby game reserves and the Hogsback region further east which has one of the subspecies of Cape Parrot which I will cover in a separate post. You won’t want to stay here long, maybe a day or two if you make the day trip to Birds of Eden (separate blog post) in Plettenburg Bay.

Club Carlson: Radisson Blu Port Elizabeth costs 38,000 points per night, with a BOGO if you have the credit card.

I wouldn’t worry too much about hotel points here as there are plenty of guest houses and hotels under $75 including these two.

If your flight lands early enough, you may just want to pick up a rental car and head off straight away. Warning, automatic cars are quite a bit more expensive than manuals. In my example, there were manual cars starting from $46 a day.

WHAT TO SEE

Port Elizabeth is well placed to see several game parks.

African Dawn (Wildlife Sanctuary), Thornhill, ☎ 042 2860 710, 9am-5pm. African Dawn Bird and Wildlife Sanctuary offers a selection of birds and wildlife to view including Cheetahs, Servals and much more. Braai and picnic places available.
Kragga Kamma Game Park, (Follow the M15 west from the city center for about 15 minutes), ☎ +27 (0)41 379-4195 (cantor@worldonline.co.za). Gates are open from 8AM to 5PM. You can either sleep in the camp or take self drives during the Day. White Rhino, Buffalo, Cheetah, Giraffe, Zebra and others. Excellent value small park. R30 entrance fee.
Roseate Tern hiking trial, Next to Pine Lodge Resort off Marine Drive, Summerstrand, ☎ +27 (0)41 585-9711. 9 km circular trail.
Pumba Private Game Reserve, ☎ +27466032000. Day guests can experience the Day Safaris, which are conducted all year round. Each package is tailored to the needs and wants of the individual group, but individual safari times will depend on the season. Visitors can look forward to seeing cheetahs, rhinos, elephants, hippos, lions, buffaloes, White Lions, leopards and a host of other exciting animals.
Visit Addo Elephant National Park.
Kariega Game Reserve, (90 minutes outside PE), ☎ +27 (0)46 636-7904.
Shamwari Game Reserve, (45 minutes outside PE), ☎ +27 (0)42 203-1111 (fax: +27 (0)42 235-1224).
Visit Mountain Zebra National Park.
Visit Tsitsikamma National Park.

Miles To The Wild

Create unforgettable eco-tourism and birding adventures using miles & points!

Category Archives: Destinations

Monteverde’s Curi Cancha Reserve………….And A Resplendant Quetzal!

Costa Rica – Something For Everyone, Especially Eco-Tourists

WHERE TO STAY

NATIONAL PARKS

Overnight Transit At Radisson Hotel And Suites Guatemala City

Gateway: Flores, Guatemala

The Birds Of Tikal National Park

Tikal National Park, Guatemala

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary

Belize – An Eco-Tourist’s Delight From Sea To Crooked Tree

GETTING THERE

HOTEL POINT OPTIONS IN BELIZE

PLANNING YOUR TRIP

Gateway: Port Elizabeth, South Africa

GETTING THERE

WHERE TO STAY ON POINTS

WHAT TO SEE