Showing posts with label
Adventure travel in Costa Rica.
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Showing posts with label
Adventure travel in Costa Rica.
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A national magazine known for seeking out the unusual and exceptional in travel announced on April 10 that the wildlife specialty tour operator, Wild Planet Adventures’ has received its “Top Tours of a Lifetime” award. This is the fifth time in company history that Wild Planet has received this coveted award from the editors of National Geographic Traveler.
The award as part of the magazine’s ninth annual “Worlds’ 50 Best Trips” recognizes Wild Planet Adventure’s “On the Jaguar’s Trail; from the Pantanal to the Amazon” wildlife safari in Brazil. Wild Planet operates wildlife eco-tours and safaris in nine countries and has now won this top honor for an unprecedented five of its nine destinations.
“On the Jaguar Trail” is featured in the magazine’s May 2014 issue and listed on a special Tours of a Lifetime page on National Geographic Traveler’s website. The magazine’s selection process looked for 2014’s most authentic, most innovative, most immersive, best-guided and most sustainable tours offered worldwide.
See: http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/tours/
“This year marks the 30th anniversary of National Geographic Traveler, which has always looked at the world through the lens of culture, nature, and history. The tours we selected go beyond destination to add meaning and context,” said Norie Quintos, executive editor. “They open the mind to new possibilities, new connections, and new ways of thinking— all critically important given the world’s complex issues.”
Josh Cohen, founder/owner of Wild Planet Adventures, says that the way he designs trips, specific to wildlife lovers, sets his company’s explorations apart. “The big cats, such as the jaguars in Brazil, are among the most elusive of animals, yet our guests see them time and again in their natural habitats,” says Cohen.
“Our track record for seeing the world’s rarest and most elusive animals may well be the most comprehensive of any wild animal specialists leading tours today,” he adds. “We try to avoid unnecessary intrusion into an animal’s personal space or habitat to get a great photo. Instead, we rely on the tracking skills and wildlife expertise of some of the industry’s best guides and best practices. We take every precaution we know of to limit our impact so that when our guests witness, for example, a clouded leopard, the sighting is real and authentic.”
In addition to sighting jaguars in Brazil, guests on Wild Planet’s trips to India may observe tigers in the wild; in Zambia lions, leopards and cheetah are featured; jaguars of Peru are often sighted on tours into the Amazon region; elusive clouded leopards are on the list inThailand and clouded leopards and marbled (small wildcats) cats award tour participants in Borneo.
Wild Planet Adventures is no stranger to awards. Fodor’s named its Costa Rica trip one of the world’s top 10 “must-do” trips, Smarter Travel singled out the company for the best new trips in India and Thailand, and National Geographic Adventure named the company “One of the World’s Best Tour Operators”.
About Wild Planet Adventures
The expert wildlife guides of Wild Planet Adventures go the extra mile to explore remote wildlife habitat and study wildlife patterns in destinations not often accessible to the general public. Thanks to the company’s comprehensive itineraries that balance diverse and complex ecosystems and habitats, guests enjoy wildlife and game viewing that is carefully aligned with animals’ seasonal, daily and nocturnal migrations.
Following a philosophy that interacting with nature has the power to transform lives, tours are conducted in Africa, Baja, Belize, Borneo, Brazil, Costa Rica, Galapagos, India, Laos, Nepal, Panama, Peru, Thailand and Zambia. Wild Planet Adventures is recognized by top publications in the travel industry for its itineraries that combine intimate encounters with wildlife and local culture.
For a more information and a complimentary 2014 catalog call toll-free 1.800.990.4376, or e-mail: trips@wildplanetadventures.com. To review current trips, schedules and itineraries log onto: http://www.wildplanetadventures.com/.
GreenSpot.Travel (www.GreenSpot.travel), celebrating 30 years of travel in Costa Rica and seven years as a Condé Nast Travelermagazine Top Travel Specialist, sifted through the myriad activities available to travelers to this Central American country to create the Seven Life-Altering Nature, Culture and Adventure Activities in Costa Rica. 
As a leading provider of fully custom, green vacations to Costa Rica, GeenSpot.Travel is constantly on the lookout for both new adrenaline-pumping adventure experiences and in-depth interactions with local people within their communities. Says the company’s co-founder, Irene Edwards, “We spend months every year working with local community members to make it possible for travelers to experience true Costa Rican culture, my culture.” The results of the very unscientific survey of GreenSpot.Travel travelers and the company’s own experience brought about the following list. A few of the activities are only possible at certain times of the year due to weather and tides. Most anyone can take part in all of the experiences, though as every nature-oriented traveler knows, there are no guarantees when it comes to wildlife!
- Jump Out of Your Boots the First Time You Hear the Ear-Pounding Call of a Howler Monkey on a Hike in the Rainforest
The pristine Corcovado National Park with its old growth rain forest is located on the remote Osa Peninsula, boasting some of the most abundant wildlife populations in the country (including howler monkeys). It is GreenSpot.Travel’s most frequently recommended destination in Central America for travelers focused on immersion into nature, while staying in the eco-luxe comfort of boutique lodges.
- Smile Like a School Kid as You Stand Up on a Surfboard for the First Time
A variety of beach breaks and conditions allow Costa Rica to make every surfer happy, form world champions to those aspiring to get started. Lessons are available in a number of fun coastal areas from knowledgeable and colorful instructors, many of whom offer a money back guarantee that you’ll stand up on your very first lesson.
- Reach Peace with the Power of the Ocean in Search of Dolphins, Whales, Stingrays, Barracudas and Giant Sea Turtles Snorkeling the Reef of Caño Island
Just off the southwest coast of Costa Rica, you’ll find Caño Island. Its waters are unquestionably some of the best in the country for snorkelers and divers seeking marine life and gorgeous underwater scenery.
- Keep Your Heart in Your Chest While Rafting Down the Narrow, Winding Class IV Rapids of the Pacuare River Canyon
Twists and turns, plunging waterfalls and soaring cliffs rising straight up out of the water characterize the difference between descending the larger rivers of North America and the tighter rugged jungle-cloaked terrain of a rafting trip in Costa Rica.
- Scream and Shout at the Top of Your Lungs While Ziplining past the active Arenal Volcano
If you’ve reached this point on the list and haven’t yet screamed or shouted, flying over half a mile through the air over the rain forest canopy with the grumbling Arenal Volcano in the background, all the while harnessed onto what at the time seems like an impossibly thin metal cable should do the trick!
- Eat a Little Too Much of a Home-cooked Meal with a Local Señora, Followed by a Nap in a Hammock with the Afternoon Rain Pounding on the Thatched Roof
Consult with Richard Edwards, GreenSpot.Travel co-founder and official Head Hammock Tester, if you need further instruction on the finer points of reaping all the benefits from this activity.
- Stay Up Insanely Late to Catch a Glimpse of Baby Hatchling Sea Turtles Scampering into the Surf on the Caribbean Coast
Staying up late to quietly observe as many as 60 to 100 baby sea turtle digging their way out their nest in the sand and inexplicably flapping their way down the beach to the surf is as emotional as a wildlife encounter can be for even the most seasoned nature traveler. 
About GreenSpot.com TravelGreenSpot.Travel specializes in planning custom luxury vacations and adventures in Costa Rica and neighboring Central American countries. The company has been recognized and named by Conde Nast Traveler magazine as a world’s Top Travel Specialist for Costa Rica and Green Travel from 2006 to the present. GreenSpot.Travel believes the best green vacations in Costa Rica, Panama, El Salvador, or Nicaragua should be carefully planned and orchestrated directly with each client on a custom-designed basis. A vacation should be memorable, luxurious, adventurous, and embrace the spirit and nature of one’s destination. Green travel can be just that when it seamlessly connects a traveler to new places and its people in spontaneous and memorable ways. GreenSpot.Travel distinguishes itself from other specialized travel planners in these special ways:
- GreenSpot.Travel’s lifetime of connections and personal ties to its destinations allow for meaningful experiences and positive contributions to the communities and places visited.
- Since inception GreenSpot.Travel has supported efforts to protect native species and virgin rainforest in private nature preserves maintained by local partners.
- Its carefully selected hotels and lodges contribute to conservation, use renewable energy and locally-sourced foods in their restaurants, and are continually looking to minimize environmental footprints.
- Ownership and staff at all lodges are local residents with strong community ties, integrated with the area's economy and culture.
- A portion of GreenSpot.Travel profits are invested in destination communities through grants to help grow small businesses and fund community development projects.
For more information or to talk to a GreenSpot.Travel expert call: (877) 891-3539, Email:info@greenspottravel.org or visit: http://www.greenspot.travel/.
