Tag Archives: ecotourism

Rough Guide’s 10 Best Jungle Lodges In The Amazon

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I stumbled on this list while researching a trip for next year.

Rough Guide’s 10 Best Jungle Lodges In The Amazon

So far, I have only been to 2 of them – Cristalino & Refugio Amazonas.  I am surprised Tambopata Research Centre didn’t make the list.

Refugio Amazonas Room

Refugio Amazonas Room

Hopefully, next year I will be adding one more to my list of Amazon jungle lodges – in Ecuador!  The contenders are:

Napo Wildlife Centre

La Selva

Sani Lodge

I will be targeting a visit to the two major parrot clay licks in Ecuador which is located near all 3 of these.  Since I can’t use points for the stay, money will definitely be a consideration.  I’m still in the beginning research stage so if anyone has stayed at any of these lodges I would love to know about it!

 

Wildlife Tourism: A Handbook For Guides, Tour Operators, Job-seekers And Business Start-ups

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This is a guide for tour operators, eco-lodge managers, wildlife park staff, students and others interested in a career in wildlife tourism or in adding a wildlife component to their tourism businesses. The emphasis and most examples are Australian, but the principles are relevant to all countries. The book is packed with information on skill-sets of tour guides,learning about wildlife, finding and observing wildlife, interpreting wildlife, interacting with tourists and colleagues, conservation issues and some of the financial and legal aspects of setting up your own business. Many references to other books, articles and websites are included.

 

Ophidiophobic? Don’t Let That Stop You From Eco-tourism

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If you are Ophidiophobic, you have an intense fear of snakes that goes beyond fearing the reaction to their bite and poison.  You probably can’t stand the sight of them, not even on tv or in a zoo.  If you see one unexpectedly, you may scream and/or run away even if the snake is in the firm control of an experienced handler.  If one comes on tv, you may change the channel or leave the room until the segment with the snake is over.

You’d be in good company, Indiana Jones is ophidiophobic…………………..and so am I.  So are a whole lot of people as ophidiophobia is one of the world’s top ten phobias!

The good news is you don’t have to let that fear prevent you from enjoying birding and eco-tourism travel.  There are ways to avoid them in the bush and rainforest.

1.  Take a local guide.  They know the area, know where snakes are commonly found and can avoid these areas if you ask them to.  Snakes in a rainforest are difficult to see but the guides will have better eyesight than you do.  I always ask my guide to steer us away from any snake he sees and to not draw my attention to it as I would rather not see it.  This tip alone has spared me from even seeing snakes on 95% of my birding trips.

2.  Snakes are more scared of you than you are of them.  If I had a dime for every time I read that, I could buy my own rainforest!  And I have yet to hear about a snake that can read!  But it’s true, snakes want nothing to do with humans and if they know you are coming, they will get out of the way.  As long as your guide is walking in front, they will sense his approach through vibrations and be gone by the time you get there.  If you are walking alone, which I don’t advise; then walk heavily to make sure any nearby snakes can sense your presence.

3.  Avoid situations where you could surprise a sleeping snake. Watch where you step.  If you need to sit on a log to rest, ask your guide to inspect the log first.  Don’t touch or climb tree branches.

4.  Don’t walk through primary rainforest.  Stick to well-trodden trails and avoid grasses and bush where snakes could hide.

5.  Wear protective boots and long pants.  They won’t help your ophidiophobia but at least you can hopefully avoid being bitten.

6.  Look down!  Birders are always looking up-where the birds are.  Don’t forget to look down and at the road ahead frequently so you are not surprised by a snake.

7.  Look up!  Some snakes do live in trees (unfortunately for birds).  Don’t rest under a tree.

8.  If you do see one, stay away from it!  I probably don’t have to tell ophidiophobics twice about this one, so tell your friends who are traveling with you as some people do like snakes or at least don’t fear them.

Notice how there are no pictures in this post?  Mark of a true ophidiophobic!

Costa Rican Bird Route

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The Costa Rican Bird Route is the first birding trail of its kind in Central America. Located in the northern region of Costa Rica, this ecotourism project offers a variety of bird watching and nature tourism opportunities. The Bird Route consists of 18 nature reserves specifically chosen for their high diversity of bird species. Most importantly, this region hosts the last remaining habitat in Costa Rica for the endangered Great Green Macaw (Ara ambiguus). The Costa Rican Bird Route offers the best opportunity to view this species on the planet!  Use your miles for a Central American award to get here!

On our trip, we visited two of the lodges on the Bird Route:  Selva Verde & Laguna del Lagarto.

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SUPPORT THE BIRD ROUTE

1. Visit the Bird Route The success of this project is dependent on sustained tourism to the sites involved, so come explore all that the Bird Route has to offer.

2. Make a Donation. Make a tax-deductible donation to the Costa Rican Bird Route project using the secure Paypal button here. Donations are used to support the efforts of the private landowners. This includes assistance with producing brochures, maintaining websites, creating signs, etc. Money will also be used for continuous education efforts within the communities of the Bird Route. Rainforest Biodiversity Group is looking to implement bird education curriculum within these communities as well as fund future workshops for the landowners.

3. Volunteer. Rainforest Biodiversity Group is looking for volunteers to work with the private landowners of the remote sites of the Bird Route, assisting them in developing their land for eco-tourism. These newly created reserves are at varying stages of development as eco-tourism sites.

 

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!

Ecotourism Through The Ages

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Ecotourism is an extremely rewarding experience for people of all ages.  Given the diversity of places you can go and the range of adventures from very soft “Birding from a cruise ship” to the most challenging treks through dense jungles; how do you decide which type of adventure is right for you?  Let’s take a look at various age groups and see what they have going for them and what challenges they face.  Don’t take the age groups TOO seriously, these are generalizations and not meant to be strict guidelines but simply food for thought!

Travel expenditure by age group

18-30

backpackers

These people are young, (hopefully) healthy and have more freedom.  They are at the beginning of their careers, have probably not settled down yet to marriage, kids and a mortgage.  They can save their discretionary cash for travel but since they are just starting out jobwise, won’t be raking in the big bucks yet.  Of course there are exceptions with young adults who go straight into high-powered careers and do have more money to spend.  People in this age group will have no problem with more physically challenging treks, are usually happy to don a backpack, fly economy and stay in hostels or budget hotels.  They lack experience in travel and dealing with other cultures but will learn quickly if they are open-minded.  They are most likely to seek out a social life and want to spend the evening partying and still be able to wake at dawn for birding.  They also are likely to meet other like-minded travelers at hostels and form impromptu groups for safaris or trekking.

Suggestions:  Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Mexico, India

31-45

Off the beaten track

These people are now pretty well established in their careers and may not find it so easy to get time off work.  Even if they do get vacation time each year, they may not like leaving their job to a temp for a couple weeks.  They are likely to be married and have a kid or several so they may need to  plan trips around school holidays.  This means travel during peak seasons.  They are still young enough to be physically fit and will have more travel experience under their belts.  They may have grandparents who can watch the kids so they can get away on a big trip and they will have the means to do so.  They have traveled quite a bit by now and are more confident and ready to seek out new adventures.

Suggestions:  Venezuela, Laos, Indonesia, Costa Rica, Bolivia

45-60

Birding from a tower

At this age, many people will be at the top of their careers, and have more discretionary income.  If their kids are grown, they will have freedom to travel when they wish and avoid high season.  They are no longer as strong and fit as they used to be and their eyesight may be declining.  They can still go on jungle treks but may have trouble keeping up with the group and stop to rest more.  They may also have more trouble spotting birds at a distance as glasses steam up in the tropics.  They will need a good guide to help them find birds.  They are well-experienced travelers by  this time, used to dealing with other cultures whether they speak the language or not and take minor inconveniences in stride.

Suggestions:  Pacific Islands, Africa, Peru, Ecuador

60 and Up

Cruise ship adventures

This is when most people start thinking about retirement, so they will have plenty of free time.  Depending on income, they may have the means or they may be on the pension and a tight budget.  At this age, travel insurance companies start raising the premiums and they may have other pre-existing conditions like heart conditions, arthritis, gout that also affect travel insurance.  They will need to take things slower and may not be able to hike through steamy rainforests; or carry their own gear.

Suggestions:  Birding from a cruise ship-Panama and Caribbean itineraries often visit places rich in birdlife.

Which one am I?  My husband and I are in the 45-60 group.  I am a very experienced traveler having crossed Africa on my own in my early 30’s and always traveled on a budget and independently.  We aren’t fussy about accommodation but like it to be as natural as possible and blend into the environment; but are not afraid to use hotel points for 5 star hotels at gateway cities and airline miles to fly business class.  We embrace different cultures and are ready to try almost anything (maybe not all kinds of food though).  We know how to pace ourselves and can trek in the rainforest but move slowly and stop for rests more often so try to avoid younger groups where the people would become impatient.  I have a great camera kit and long lenses but don’t have the strength to hold it for a long time to focus on birds in flight or camouflaged in trees.  My eyesight isn’t the greatest so I do appreciate a good eagle-eyed guide!  My husband has gout so we only have a couple travel insurance companies we can use.  We are lower income and need to budget; if it weren’t for miles and points we couldn’t go anywhere!

So where do you fit in?  Are you a 35 year old accountant with 2 kids who wants to go to Brazil?  Are you a 55 year old who likes hostelling and budget traveling and wants to go to Australia?  Are you a 21 year old entrepreneur who has already made his/her first million and wants to spend a month in Indonesia?  Let’s hear your story in the comments!

Destination Hobart, Tasmania (Melaleuca)

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GETTING TO HOBART

Yesterday, I gave some information about the endangered Orange-bellied Parrot.  Now let’s find out how to get to see them in the wild!   The “A” shows where Melaleuca is in relation to Hobart.

Tasmania is the smallest state in Australia and I am going to assume that if you are coming from overseas, it won’t be your only destination in Australia.  I have another post  about how to get from overseas to Australia on miles.

There are two major airlines that fly from the mainland to the main airport, Hobart (HOB) – Virgin Australia and Qantas.  Virgin is not yet in any major airline alliance and there are few opportunities to use other airline partners on domestic Virgin (DJ) flights.  Aussies can readily get Velocity points from credit cards and other partners.  Here’s an example of a round trip redemption from Sydney to Hobart.   From Brisbane it is the same, from Melbourne a bit less and from Adelaide a bit more.  From Perth, it goes up quite a bit.

 

QANTAS also has a distanced based award chart with a handy award calculator.

Sydney and Brisbane both are in Zone 2.

By contrast, have a look at the award cost from Perth.

Qantas is a member of One World so it often works out cheaper in both miles and money to use their partner American Airlines to book this flight.  AA has a flat fee of 10,000 miles each way no matter where you are flying to and from in Australia so they are a good bargain for longer flights.

 

British Airways has a distance based chart but short distances can be a bargain when booked with Avios.  They start as low as 4500 from Melbourne, 9000 from Brisbane up to 12,500 from Perth each way.

WHERE TO STAY

The flights to Melaleuca leave from Cambridge Airfield which is very close to Hobart Airport where your flight from the mainland arrives.  The purple dot indicates the location of the Quality Airport Hotel.  This runs around $125-ish in cash or since they are part of the Choice hotel chain you can use 25,000 points to book it for free!

 

HOW TO GET TO MELALEUCA FROM HOBART

Only small aircraft that seat 6-10 people fly this route.  Par Avion is the main tour operator that does day trips to Melaleuca and take you to the bird hides to see the Orange-bellied Parrots.

 They can also provide flights for people who want to spend a few days at Melaleuca and camp out.  There are more details on their website.

The Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service website has more information.  Be sure to check out the sound clip of the OBP, they are pretty quiet for parrots!

For bushwalkers and those who are able to fly into the Tasmanian south-west, there is a good chance of seeing Orange-bellied Parrots. At Melaleuca, in the Southwest National Park, a bird hide has been built especially for observing the birds. From mid-October until the end of March, the birds are regular visitors, coming and going throughout the day. However the best times to see them are in the early mornings or late afternoons. There are two bushwalkers’ huts with room for up to 20 people.

If you are VERY lucky, you may also see Ground Parrots like this blogger reports!   Tasmania has a wealth of nature reserves that have great birding, so I would recommend spending at least a week here.  I will be doing more posts later about other birding hotspots in Tasmania.

 

Refugio Amazonas And Tambopata Research Center Lodge Reviews

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Last week, I did a comprehensive post on all the lodges that are available in Tambopata National Reserve.   I have only been to two lodges so in the other post, I was only able to assess the lodges by their websites and what other had said about them on Trip Advisor.  Now I can give a more personal review.  I am reviewing these two lodges together as they are part of the same group and if you visit Tambopata Research Center (TRC), you will have one night at either Refugio Amazonas or Posada Amazonas before and after the TRC trip because it is a LONG way down the river!

Refugio Amazonas

The journey to get there is half the fun and the birding begins right away!  I have a full account on my main website Feathered and Free which actually reads more like a blog post so I won’t copy everything again.  The service was amazing from the moment we were picked up at the airport in Puerto Maldonado, given our safety gear and leaf lunches to the nature walks and birding.  Our guide, William was well trained, knew all the species and had a good eye for spotting them.

Refugio Amazonas Room

The lodges were both beautifully laid out and in harmony with the rain forest.  What I really love is how the rooms are open to the jungle and you can see and hear everything that goes on 24 hours a day!  Mosquito nets are provided and we found the beds very comfortable.  People are warned not to leave personal effects and food out as macaws and monkeys can and will take anything they find. Meals are done buffet style and the food was excellent!  We were amazed at how they could cook the variety of dishes they did out in the middle of the rainforest!  There is a well-stocked bar and library where you could take a book and relax in a hammock during the siesta time.

TRC Room

Macaws can and do come into the rooms!

At TRC, there are several semi-tame Scarlet Macaws that were rescued from nests in cases where the parents weren’t feeding them.  This often happens with a 2nd chick, the parents sometimes neglect the younger in favor of the elder one.  These semi-tame macaws are called “Chicos”, and they would not be alive today if they hadn’t beed rescued and fed by researchers.  Although they are totally wild and free, they have come to realize that free food is a good thing, so they usually come around at breakfast time hoping to steal as much from the buffet and people’s plates left unattended as possible.  It’s quite hilarious as they are experts at faking out the lodge staff and work in teams to distract the staff while their mate swoops in to steal something!

 

VIDEO CLIPS!

Macaws Casing the Joint

Pancake Thieves

 

TRC will give you a lifetime of memories and if you do stay here, the only thing you will regret is that you didn’t stay longer!

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

Getting to Peru

Gateway Lima

Getting to Tambopata

Choosing an Eco-Lodge

Tambopata Eco-Lodges

Review of Refugio Amazonas and Tambopata Research Center

New Club Carlson Visa Gets 2 – 3 Free Nights Near Panama’s Soberania National Park

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Panama is a fantastic place for birders!  Soberania National Park is less than an hour’s drive from the airport and there is even the Metropolitan National Park right in the city of Panama City!   The bird lists are very impressive!   Birders on a budget can stay at the Radisson Summit on points and drive over to the Canopy Tower for a day visit.  Birders with more to spend can also stay overnight.

There is a special way to get up to 3 nights FREE at the Radisson Summit or any of their other hotels with the Club Carlson Visa.  They currently have only a USA version of this card but they do say they will introduce cards in other countries.  ***Disclaimer, this is not an affiliate link, these links go direct  to Club Carlson’s site.  Just sharing an awesome deal!

The USA one with US Bank comes in 3 varieties:

Club Carlson Premier Rewards Visa Signature card Highlights

  • 10 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels3
  • 5 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else3
  • Up to 85,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 35,000 points once you spend $2,500 on your card within the first 90 days1
  • 40,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card4
  • Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.2Exclusively for cardmembers!
  • Your upgrade is automatic5 – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Gold Elite Status after you activate and use your card
  • Already reached Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 15 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card6
  • Enjoy all of these benefits for $75 Annual Fee

Club Carlson Rewards Visa Signature card Highlights

  • 6 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels3
  • 3 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else3
  • Up to 60,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 10,000 points once you spend $1,500 on your card within the first 90 days1
  • 25,000 renewal bonus points each year when you renew your card4
  • Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.2Exclusively for cardmembers!
  • Your upgrade is automatic5 – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Silver Elite Status after you activate and use your card
  • Already reached Silver, Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 10 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Gold or Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card.6
  • Enjoy all of these benefits for $50 Annual Fee

Club Carlson Business Rewards Visa card Highlights

  • 10 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases at participating Carlson Rezidor hotels3
  • 5 points per $1 spent in eligible net purchases everywhere else3
  • Up to 85,000 Bonus Gold Points – receive 50,000 Gold Points after your first purchase plus 35,000 points once you spend $2,500 on your card within the first 90 days1
  • 40,000 renewal bonus pointseach year when you renew your card4
  • Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.2Exclusively for business owners!
  • Your upgrade is automatic5 – Your Club Carlson membership will be upgraded to Gold Elite Status after you activate and use your card
  • Already reached Gold or Concierge Elite Status? You will receive 15 qualifying nights toward obtaining or maintaining Concierge Elite status after you activate and use your new card6
  • Enjoy all of these benefits for $60 Annual Fee

Remember, I am not a financial advisor so it is up to you to make sure you should have this credit card.

Club Carlson is a great program for non-frequent travelers as they have several promos throughout the year where you can earn points, so even if you don’t want the credit card, still join Club Carlson and be on their mailing list for promos.  Usually chain hotels suit eco-travelers best as gateway hotels but we are lucky that Club Carlson has a great option right near the Soberania National Park.

Depending on which card you get, you will have 1 or 2 free nights right off the bat!  But these cards have a little something extra!  Did you notice this part?

Bonus Award Nights – When you redeem Gold Points for 2 or more consecutive Award Nights, your last night is free.

This means that to get this (or any other Carlson hotel), you would redeem 38,000 points and get the last night free!  This effectively reduces rewards to half price, a fantastic deal any way you look at it!  I would recommend staying here 2 nights, birding along Pipeline Road and into Soberania National Park, then move to one of the other hotels in the city, go birding at the Metropolitan National Park and check out the Panama Canal, Panama Viejo or any of the markets, redeem one night and get the second night free.  This makes for 4 nights all up in Panama free!

Bird In Flight Photography

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The beauty of birds has intrigued humans for many years.  What better way to take home the memories of your birding adventure than a photograph?  I know I have been trying for a couple years now with my DSLR to get that perfect flight shot but it just never seems to happen.  The camera and lens is just so heavy I can’t hold it still and it isn’t always practical to take a tripod on the kind of trips I do.  I went searching online and found this excellent advice from a fellow blogger, Glenn Bartley.

How to Photograph Birds in Flight

He recommends ditching the tripod and shooting hand-held which I do try to do with little success.  The quality of his shots shows his control over the camera, even hand-held!  The shot below is one of my better ones but it’s clear I have a LOT to learn when compared with Glenn’s superb shots!