El Yunque Rainforest, Puerto Rico

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El Yunque National Forest aka the Caribbean National Forest  is the only tropical rain forest in the United States National Forest System.  It is home to the highly endangered Puerto Rican Parrot, but actually finding them in the vast forest will be quite a challenge.  First, you will need to get to El Yunque.  I recommend hiring a car so you can get there as early as possible.  If you are staying in San Juan at one of the hotels on points, it will be about an hour’s drive, 58 km.

San Juan to El Yunque

A better idea would be to stay in an eco-lodge in the rainforest.   Since I haven’t been there (yet) personally, I looked at Trip Advisor to see which lodges were getting good reviews, 3 of them were all rated very highly.

Villa Sevilla

Rainforest Inn

La Paloma (no website found)

I highly recommend using a specialist bird guide.  I like the looks of Adventours who also have the Birding Puerto Rico site and seem to have years of experience, locally owned and operated and dedicated to conservation.   Parrots are most vocal in the early morning and late afternoon and tracking them by sound is your best bet.  Since the population of parrots is so small, you will need a local guide who is familiar with the habits of the parrots but as always with birding, there is no guarantees.  Birding Puerto Rico recommends the Arecibo area for your best odds to see the Puerto Rican Amazon.   Also worth noting is that they have special permission to enter the national park early and leave later than you normally can.

El Yunque National Forest – Only 45 minute drive from
San Juan, El Yunque is a must see nature wonder.  We
have special permits to go birding to the Forest before
and after the gates are open/close to the general public.
On previous full-day birding trips we have spotted 16 of
our 17 endemic species.

Be sure to support the local conservation projects while you are there.

This group in the video below only got to see the nest boxes put up by research scientists, although to be fair it looks more like a generic rainforest tour than a group of birders.

Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata)

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The Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata), also known as the Puerto Rican Parrot or Iguaca, is the only bird endemic to the archipelago of Puerto Rico belonging to the Neotropical genus Amazona.  The species is the only remaining native parrot in Puerto Rico and has been listed as critically endangered by the World Conservation Union since 1994. Once widespread and abundant, the population declined drastically in the 19th and early 20th centuries with the removal of most of its native habitat; the species completely vanished from Vieques and Mona Island, nearby to the main island of Puerto Rico. Conservation efforts commenced in 1968 to save the bird from extinction. In 2006, the total estimated population was 34 to 40 individuals in the wild and 143 individuals in captivity.

Puerto Rican Amazon (Amazona vittata)

They can only be seen in El Yunque Rainforest on the island of Puerto Rico.   You can use miles to get to Puerto Rico and stay in various hotels around the island.

Range of Puerto Rican Amazon

They are one of the world’s rarest parrot species with only 60-70 in the wild, about 269 (2011) in captive breeding programme, for a total of 320+.  See the Puerto Rican Parrot Project (Rio Abajo aviary) website for more details.

Nesting Pair

And finally a short video about them.

Why You Should Support Eco-Tourism

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I know a lot of people think I am nuts for spending lots of frequent flier miles and money to get to exotic places where I can see wild birds in their natural habitat.  For many, they think it is enough to simply watch nature documentaries on the Discovery Channel.  But when you actually travel to these places and see wildlife in person you are part of a world-wide effort to show native populations that wildlife belongs in the wild and not in traps and cages.  Have a look at this video (found in this article)  to see what fate awaits many endangered species if we don’t do something to stop the evil practice of trapping and poaching.

Pretty confronting and sickening, right?  But this is the reality for thousands of innocent birds who are cruelly stolen from their forest homes and nests.  Some species such as the Spix’s Macaw are already extinct in the wild and only still on the planet due to conservation efforts.  Let’s not lose any more species!

This is where we, as eco-travelers can help.  We can show the local people that wild birds are more valuable left alone in nature because WE will come there to see them.  And we will stay in local lodges, eat in local restaurants, buy local crafts, hire local guides and provide lots of jobs.  I have personally met several guides who started out as poachers and were retrained to be forest wardens, protect the local native species and guide tourists on photo safaris.  So let’s support these people when we travel.  Yes, we do use miles to get there and hotel points in the gateway cities near the airports but this should allow more people to afford eco-tourism and leave us more money to spend out in the field supporting the local economy and giving these people a chance to make an honest living while preserving their wildlife!

Photographer Of The Week – Ian Montgomery

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This is a new feature I am starting.  Each week, I will highlight a gallery of superb bird photography by a professional photographer.  I am hoping to provide inspiration both for eco-travel and for us to improve our photography skills.

This week, I am showcasing the gallery of Kea photography by Ian Montgomery.  Keas are one of the unique parrot species you can see in New Zealand.  His work is copyrighted so I will simply link to his gallery.  You can really see the cheeky personality of the Kea and how destructive they can be to cars.  Enjoy!

Gateway: San Juan, Puerto Rico

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You could consider San Juan, Puerto Rico as a gateway both for cruisers and people wanting to explore the island’s natural parks.  It can also be a jumping off point to visit other Caribbean islands by plane.  I always recommend arriving at the port of departure at least 1 day in advance as you never know what could go wrong and cause a delay and the ship won’t wait.  So where can you stay in San Juan on hotel points…………….and how can you get these points for free?

CLUB CARLSON  –  RADISSON AMBASSADOR PLAZA HOTEL & CASINO SAN JUAN

A free night here runs 38,000 points, but get the Club Carlson Visa and get your second night here free!  Yes, that’s right, 2 nights will run credit card holders 38,000 points all up!

Radisson Ambassador Plaza San Juan Hotel & Casino

PRIORITY CLUB

There are 3 Priority Club hotels in Puerto Rico starting with the San Juan Intercontinental at 50,000 points with 2 other hotels around the island – Holiday Inn Ponce & Tropical Casino for 20,000 points and Holiday Inn Mayaguez & Tropical Casino for 15,000 points.  The Priority Club Visa will get you one night at the IC or several nights at either of the Holiday Inns.

San Juan Intercontinental

STARWOOD PREFERRED GUEST

SPG offers 5 properties in Puerto Rico ranging from the Sheraton Old San Juan Hotel and Casino for 7000 points through to the stunning St Regis Bahia Beach Resort for a whopping 30,000 points.  The SPG Amex will get you 10,000 points after first spend and another 15,000 points once you spend $5000 in 6 months.  If you are lucky, you may find one of these hotels for a bargain cash & points award!

St Regis, Puerto Rico

St Regis, Puerto Rico

MARRIOTT

Marriott offers 6 hotels in Puerto Rico so there is something to suit all budgets.  If you are new to Marriott (send me a request for a referral to get some extra points after your first stay), you can get the Marriott Rewards Visa.  This will give you voucher for a free night at a category 1-4 hotel and 50,000 points.  You can use your voucher at either the category 3 Courtyard Aguadilla (30,000 points) or category 4 Courtyard San Juan Miramar (40,000 points).   If you’re flush with Marriott points, you may prefer the Ritz Carlton for 75,000 points or the San Juan Marriott Resort & Stellaris Casino for 60,000 points.

Courtyard San Juan Miramar

Courtyard San Juan Miramar

HILTON

Hilton has several options for credit cards so it’s best to check them out on the Hilton HHonors website.   In a nutshell, you will end up with somewhere between 40,000 to 60,000 points and/or 2 free weekend night certificates.  Let’s assume you go for the easiest credit card for 40,000 points.  Out of the 10 properties in San Juan, your best bet would be the  Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza which costs 40,000 points.   You do have other choices at this point level but the Conrad seem like the nicest choice.

Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza

Conrad San Juan Condado Plaza

As you can see, Puerto Rico has many great options for a short visit which can be obtained for points, and you can use credit card sign ups on all of them!  So whether you are off on a cruise such as the Parrot Lovers Cruise or starting a land-based adventure to see some of the beautiful parrots and other birds, Puerto Rico has much to offer!

Wondering how to get here?  See my blog on getting to Puerto Rico using miles!

 

 

 

 

Getting To Puerto Rico Using Miles

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Yesterday, I blogged about the Parrot Lovers Cruise.  Today, I am going to show you how to get to SJU airport in Puerto Rico FOR FREE using credit card bonuses so you can join this wonderful cruise.  Well not exactly “free” there are about $10 worth of taxes to pay.  If you are unable to travel at that time, this post is still worth reading as the advice would be valid for any trip between the USA and Puerto Rico.

OPTION 1 – AMERICAN AADVANTAGE

You need 25,000 miles per person or a total of 50,000 miles for a couple.  You can get these miles for free by getting the Citibank AAdvantage credit card.  Only one person in the couple has to get the card but if you both have good credit, you should both get one.  I have general airline credit card advice for Americans.   See below a sample screen with random dates near the cruise and allowing for at least 1 day layover in San Juan before the cruise.  There are several options for Citibank cards so choose one from this Flyertalk post which best meets your needs.  Remember, the cruise itself will take up about $800-ish per person of your minimum spending for a couple, then just put your groceries and bills on the card to make it up.  Both people can get 40,000 miles after a $1000 spend with this offer.

LAX-SJU

OPTION 2 – US AIRWAYS

The dates for this cruise have only medium and high level awards available so you need 60,000 miles per person.  But for future reference, low level awards can be had for 35,000 miles round trip if you are lucky with dates.  These lower awards are capacity controlled.   If you have the US Airways Mastercard, you get a 5000 miles discount if you fly on US Airways but not if you use a partner award.  The current best offer gives you 40,000 for first spend, extra 10,000 for balance transfer and 10,000 each year anniversary bonus.

JFK-SJU

Credit card discount

OPTION 3 – UNITED AIRLINES

I randomly chose Seattle as the departure city and plugged in some sample dates to see a schedule and award rate to San Juan.  This award valid for any US city would require 70,000 miles for 2 people.  There is a credit card that would do this for you.  If you have miles in your United account already, log in and you should see an ad to apply for the Chase United Explorer Visa on the home page.  If you pretend you are making a booking and get a fare quote, the offer will increase to 50,000 miles plus 5000 to add an authorized user plus $100 statement credit.  Ideally, both people should sign up for this offer.  You will have to make a minimum spend of $1000 per person/card which is easily done with normal household spending and the cost of the cruise.

UA Award

SEA-SJU

OPTION 4 – BRITISH AIRWAYS AVIOS

This option works best if you live in the east coast USA and have a non-stop flight to SJU on AA from MIA, JFK or ORD.  Awards are based on distance so use the Great Circle mapper tool to determine distance.

Distances

Then use the Avios chart to see how many Avios you need.

Avios Chart

You can get Avios by applying for the Chase British Airways Visa.  The current best offer is 50,000 Avios after $1000 minimum spend with other bonuses for larger spends.  For most couples, the 50,000 will be enough to get you from east coast USA to San Juan.

So now that you see how easy it is to get to San Juan for free just from getting one credit card per couple or at most one credit card per person, you need a place to stay in San Juan.  In tomorrow’s blog, I will show you how to use other credit cards to get free hotel nights to rest up before your cruise and have some fun exploring Puerto Rico.

 

2013 Parrot Lovers Cruise – Southern Caribbean

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If you are a dedicated conservationist, eco-tourist or birder who has been looking for an excuse to ease your spouse/partner into the adventure; this is soft ecotourism at its best!  What could be easier than boarding a luxurious cruise ship in San Juan and relaxing at sea while you cruise to a different Caribbean island just about every day.  Many of these islands have native parrot populations and there will be other bird species too.  And best of all, your participation benefits the World Parrot Trust’s conservation efforts!

Parrot Lovers Cruise 2013

In order to participate in the seminars and dedicated birding excursions, you must book with the official travel agency, Carol’s Travel Time.  If you book before 18 Feb, they are offering some bonus goodies:

Take your choice from one of the following “extras” when you book now:

1. Classic Beverage Package for two (including spirits – $616 value), or

2. Pre-paid gratuities for two ($161 value) or,

3. A $200 onboard credit

Hurry, “extras” offer ENDS Feb. 18!

Puerto Rican Amazon

I always recommend flying in a day or two in advance of a cruise to make sure you don’t get held up by weather delays.  There’s plenty to do in Puerto Rico and I will be covering that in another blog, and I will also go over how to get there on frequent flyer miles.

They have already announced one of the excursions in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

October 26 – Discover how scientists and aviculturists are working together to save the critically endangered Puerto Rican Amazon Parrot with this exclusive tour available only to guests aboard the Parrot Lover’s Cruise. Departing at 8:30am local time, attendees will get a chance to visit the Vivaldi (or Rio Abajo) Aviary, a research station which is closed to the general public and located in the 5,000 acre Rio Abajo Forest Reserve.

While on site, you will meet with members of the PR Amazon Recovery team. During a tour of facilities and surrounding area, you will learn about the captive breeding and release program and may be able to glimpse one of the parrots that have recently been returned to the wild. A small donation is included in your excursion price and will assist with efforts to save this critically endangered species. With a stop at the mall for some lunch and shopping, then back to the cruiseship to find your luggage awaiting your arrival, there’s no better way to start your trip!

Ticket Price: USD $110 per guest (excludes lunch.) Each ticket includes a $36 donation to aid parrot conservation. Contact Carol to book your spot »

Please note:

  • Prices are valid while availabilty lasts. Please contact Carol for current rates.
  • Prices are per person based on double occupancy. Single or 3rd/4th person occupancy is available, contact Carol for pricing.
  • Prices quoted include a donation to the World Parrot Trust and conference expenses (on-board seminars and activities).
  • Bookings must be made through Carol’s Travel Time in order for passengers to be able to participate in Parrot Lover’s Cruise seminars and activities.

How to get to Puerto Rico using frequent flyer miles.

Where to stay in Puerto Rico using hotel points.

Lonely Planet’s List Of 10 Common Travel Scams

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Eco-tourists travel to the far corners of the earth in search of rare and beautiful birds, many of which are found in developing countries where western tourists can be seen as walking wallets.  Let’s examine Lonely Planet’s list and see which scams could be used on typical eco-travelers.

1.  Fake police scams are riskier in cities where they target independent tourists but eco-tourists driving in their own cars in places like Brazil could be vulnerable.

2.  Gems and carpets I see as more of a risk in the Middle East and North Africa, also in Bangkok.

3.  To avoid airport taxi scams, I use the official prepaid airport taxis whenever they are available.  I also check up on public transport options and just buy the same ticket the locals are buying.

4.  Timeshare scams – not common in typical birding destinations.

5.  Closed places scams are more of a problem in cities.

6. & 7.  Motorbike scams – if you’re on a motorbike, you would be scaring the crap out of the birds so don’t bother with them!

8.  Bird shit – LOL, goes with the territory for birders!

9.  Bar/tea shop scam – involves different kinds of birds (non feathered variety) so eco-travelers shouldn’t be worried.

10.  Hotel scams – again more of a problem in cities, the eco-lodges are too remote for that.

So in summary, you will have to beware more in cities before heading out to the lodges.  All the eco-lodges I have stayed at are very reliable and honest and they care about the environment.  They don’t want to rip you off, they want you to send your friends to them!

Lonely Planet Travel Photography Book

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If you’re like me, you dream of getting those crisp clear wildlife shots that are reminiscent of a National Geographic cover.  Realistically, we aren’t going to make it to Nat Geo, but we CAN improve our photography skills.  I have the previous edition of this book and as I was looking through Amazon.com, I just happened to notice they updated it a few months ago.   It’s a great book for any kind of travel enthusiast, not just eco-tourists!  It also comes in a Kindle version but in this case I would recommend the paper version so you can take it out in the field while you practice photography.

Thank you for using my affiliate link for your Amazon purchases.  It won’t add anything to your costs and none of the airline online malls link to them anymore.