Category: Travel Tales

Discover Costa Rica’s Flora & Fauna

I’m just back from two weeks in Costa Rica and loved every minute of my trip. If you adore lush, beautiful scenery and the bountiful wildlife that lives within it, this is an inspirational destination, especially given the country’s determination to protect its natural heritage through eco-conscious development. The infrastructure is good which makes it easy to visit many of the national parks, and if you want to really get away from it all, the extra effort to reach the Corcovada Peninsula is well worth it. I found the Costa Ricans to be so welcoming and friendly, which really helped to make this a very special holiday. These are just some of the places I visited and the wildlife I spotted along the way.

Upon arrival into San Jose International Airport we were welcomed into this tremendous country by the warm smile of the Costa Ricans, or Ticos, as they call themselves. They are genuinely proud of their slice of paradise, and after spending two weeks travelling around Costa Rica I can understand why. We started our journey like most, in the capital, San Jose. Instead of staying in the city we opted to stay on the outskirts in Santa Barbara de Heredia.  After a short 25 minute drive from the airport we arrived at the Finca Rosa Blanca – a wonderful, artistic design property situated on an organic coffee plantation, surrounded by beautiful gardens and unforgettable views of the valley and beyond. It is definitely worth spending a couple of nights here to unwind after a long flight.

Sarah at the Finca Rosa Blanca

Finca Rosa Blanca

Our next destination was Tortuguero National Park on the Caribbean Coast. The overland transfer from San Jose by road and boat took 3 hours, however the transfer is like a tour in itself. Once you have left the city behind the scenery is stunning. You drive through the Braulio Carrillo National Park before reaching the lowlands of Limon, with hectares of banana plantations. Once you reach Cano Blanco you transfer onto a small boat for the last leg of your scenic transfer through the waterways of Rio Tortuguero. By the time we arrived at Evergreen lodge we had already seen Sloths, Caimans, Herons and Spiders Monkeys. The lodge is situated on the banks of Lake Tortuguero and this idyllic setting makes it the perfect choice -you can relax on your porch in a rocking chair and listen to the surrounding wildlife. You never have to set an alarm clock to wake up in the morning when you can rely on the Mantled Howler Monkey cries at 5am. Their cries can be heard up to 3 miles away, making them the loudest land animal on the planet.

A sloth in Tortuguero National Park

Our 3 day, 2 night programme, included a trip to the local village, a morning walk through the national park, and – the highlight of my trip –  a cruise through the canals of Tortuguero National Park . This was undoubtedly the best way to view the scenery and wildlife. If you are travelling to Tortuguero between June-Sep – it’s turtle nesting season!

Tortuguero National Park

Leaving Tortuguero behind we set off for Corcovado, located on Costa Rica’s remote southern pacific coast. The transfer was a scenic flight with Nature Air to Palma Sur airstrip, then an exhilarating 1 hr 30 m boat ride through mangrove channels, which are home to American Crocodiles.

A scenic flight with Nature Air

American Crocodile

The Osa Peninsula is situated in the remote southern tip of Costa Rica. With mind-blowing flora, abundant wildlife and deserted beaches, this is a wildlife fanatic’s dream! You are never far from the calls of the Howler Monkeys and the sight of many rare birds, but it’s not just about what you can see on land, the Osa Peninsula is one of the best areas to dive and snorkel in Costa Rica. As part of our 4 day package at the Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge we took a boat to the Isla del Cano and just before reaching the island we were welcomed by a pod of 30 Spotted Pacific Dolphins. These graceful creatures move though the sea so beautifully, every time I encounter them my heart races with excitement. The underwater visibility was excellent – at least fifty meters allowing us to spot two white tip reef sharks, an eagle ray and lots of colourful fish.

Howler Monkey, Osa Peninsula

Casa Corcovado Jungle Lodge

For anyone who is interested in visiting Corcovado National Park, I would recommend a 4 day/3 night package staying at the Casa Corcovado. This heavenly jungle lodge is a must if you love to be off the beaten track with deserted beaches and abundant wildlife as it is the closest lodge to Corcovado National Park. There are trails from the lodge that lead deep inside the primary rainforest that you must visit with a tour guide. The trees are very high, acting as a natural umbrella, which is great if it’s raining, or if you want to stay out of the sun’s strong rays.

Corcovado National Park

Corcovado National Park

Situated 3 hours from San Jose on the Pan Pacific highway is La Fortuna, where one of Costa Rica’s active volcanos lies – Arenal. This massive volcano with its picture perfect conical shape, towers over the country’s largest lake, Laguna de Arenal. Being quite a tourist stop there are lots of activities to do around La Fortuna, we took a guided tour around the beautiful trails at the foothills of Arenal, followed by a bit of R&R at the Tabacon Hot Springs. There is free admission for those staying at the luxurious Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort Lodge.

Hot Springs at the Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort Lodge

Tabacon Hot Springs at the foot of Arenal Volcano

One of my biggest highlights was the transfer between Arenal and Monteverde by boat, horse back and minibus. After a short cruise across Laguna de Arenal, where you get spectacular views of Arenal, we were met by our cowboy-come-tour guide and introduced to the horses that would be taking us along the scenic lake trails for the next 2 hours. Being a confident rider, ( I have ridden all my life in many different countries) I have experienced a few interesting – and worrying! –  horses in my time. But I was very impressed with our guide and the horses’ demeanor.

Our horses for our two hour trek to Monteverde

Monteverde is in the cloud forest and probably the best place to get a glimpse of the Resplendent Quetzal as well as hundreds of different bird species and other wildlife. If you want to experience the thrill and adrenaline of zip-lining above the tree tops on a canopy tour, this is the best place to do it. We stayed at Fonda Vela Hotel, which is a cosy and friendly family run hotel, within close proximity to Monteverde National Park. Being so close to the forest means the gardens are teaming with wildlife. We spotted a Sloth from our balcony and Agutti’s lounging on the lawns. The owner is a Canadian artist and his paintings adorn all the rooms in the hotel – you can even buy one.

A sloth in Monteverdi National Park taken at Fonda Vela Hotel

Hummingbird in Monteverde National Park

On my travels through Costa Rica I feel that I have learnt so much about the biodiversity, flora and fauna of this special place – and the efforts of the Costa Ricans to protect their small fortune. In two weeks I have encountered so much wildlife and more species of bird than I have in my whole life. You can appreciate something as small as Leaf Cutting Ants working together like soldiers to get the leaves back to their nest (maybe Costa Rica does have an army after all!), to the Howler Monkeys swinging in the high trees above in their troops. With over hundreds of different species of orchids and exotics flowers in bloom, this just adds to the beauty of this country.

If you are planning a holiday to Costa Rica it would be great to share my love and passion for this country with you, and put together your perfect itinerary.

Nature Based Tourism Part 1, Madagascar

Two of Rainbow Tours travel consultants have worked closely with conservation organisations in Africa and believe that these projects are helping to make a real difference to species survival. At the same time these efforts create jobs for local people, often in remote rural areas, where work is hard to come by. In part one Rachel Dobb tells us about her experience studying in Madagascar.

Rachel Dobb - Madagascar Travel Specialist at Rainbow Tours

Rachel Dobb on MADAGASCAR

“I lived and studied in Andasibe for nine months as part of my degree. I was working with an inspirational NGO (non-governmental organisation) called Mitsinjo, and helped with their conservation work to protect the Greater Bamboo Lemur Prolemur simus), which is found in only two of Madagascar’s national parks – Ranomafana and Andringitra. This species is classified as critically endangered on the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature) red list and it’s estimated that only about 300 mature individuals are left in the wild, with an estimated decline of at least 25% over the next 9 years. These numbers are shockingly low, but we were very excited as there had been sightings in unprotected areas around Torotorofotsy and Mantadia near where Mitsinjo is based.

Greater Bamboo Lemur, Ranomafana National Park

The project obtains behavioural, ecological and genetic data that is used to develop and implement large scale conservation management plans. Often, collecting this data requires long hours in the field, so our team of researchers, students and guides camped inside the National Park for months at a time, working in the early hours when the lemurs are most active. The research looks at issues such as whether unprotected areas need to be protected, what habitat features specific lemurs require and what can be done to stop the destruction of habitats that are essential to a specific lemur species. Data collection methods often rely on the use of expensive equipment like radio-tracking collars.

A stream in the primary rainforest of Ranomafana National Park, eastern Madagascar

Tourism provides vital funds to support the work of Mitsinjo and similar research projects through the entrance fees that are paid to the national parks by each visitor. The president of Mitsinjo allocates the money raised each year to worthy projects and  scientific studies. Most of these projects are locally based. As well as generating hard cash for projects, NGOs like Mitsinjo also provide jobs for local people and give the guides a sense of ownership over their local environment and a duty to protect it. Everyone at Mitsinjo has a job they wouldn’t have without tourism, and the genuine desire to protect the forest and its wildlife is clear.”

See our website for a full range of our responsible Madagascar holidays. Read about the conservation efforts hoping to protect the mountain gorillas of Uganda here.

Best safari moments in Southern Africa

I asked our Africa travel experts to pick out and describe some of their most memorable safari experiences in Southern Africa. This is what they had to say.

Botswana

By Derek Schuurman,  Africa Travel Specialist & wildlife author

One enduring memory of the Okavango Delta is flying very low over the vast swamp, and seeing hippo running under the crystal clear waters of the shallow channels. Another is watching a Pel’s Fishing Owl – like a huge ginger tom cat, it’s the Garfield of the avian world – sitting quite still in a tree for more than 45 minutes.

Pel's fishing owl, picture by Simon Stobbs

See our range of Botswana holidays.

Mozambique

By Kirsten Woolley, Southern Africa Travel Specialist

One thing that makes visiting the vast, newly restored Gorongosa National Park special is that you never run into another vehicle. It’s good for spotting unusual wildlife, such as slender oribi and bushytailed mongoose. However, my highlight was a daytime sighting of a porcupine and her offspring. It had been pouring with rain, but as the sun came out, so did the little baby to dry off.

Oribi, Gorongosa National Park

See our range of Mozambique holidays

South Africa

By Chania Hemsley-Smith, Southern & East Africa Travel Specialist

It was early evening in the Madikwe wildlife reserve, and our guide noticed a pack of wild dogs that were about to start hunting. It was a case of hold on tight as our 4WD went off road, literally through the bushes. Following the pack, we could observe their hunting technique, splitting into a V formation, giving chase, then closing in on their prey – military precision in nature!

African wild dog, Madikwe

See our range of South Africa holidays.

Namibia

By Candice Buchan, Southern Africa Travel Specialist

We’d got up before dawn to see animals arriving for their early morning drink at one of the main waterholes in Etosha National Park. A herd of elephants was already there, and as far as the eye could see there were more elephants, all in an orderly queue. When one herd had quenched their thirst and moved on, the next entered the water, and the queue shuffled up. Amazing to see the cooperation, no pushing or queue jumping, just an occasional trumpet reminding those at the front not to dilly-dally.

Elephants, Etosha National Park

See our range of Namibia holidays.

Zimbabwe

By Lisa Fisher, Africa Product Manager

One evening, returning to our camp by the Zambezi at Mana Pools, our guide spotted a leopard trying to drag its prey up a tree. But a hyena was attempting to take the kill away too. It was a fascinating struggle. At one point, we thought the hyena had given up. But no – the sneaky thing was using our vehicle to hide behind before springing another attack. Eventually, the leopard won and the hyena skulked off to scavenge elsewhere.

Leopard

See our selection of Zimbabwe holidays.

Zambia

By Des Walsh, Rainbow Tours General Manager

Zambia is home of the walking safari and nothing beats the South Luangwa National Park. Being on foot with our experienced armed ranger really let us immerse ourselves in the sounds and smells of the bush. We got up close to herds of antelope, zebra and giraffe and carefully negotiated our way around an elephant herd. I felt so alive and alert, and loved spotting the signs that other animals hadpassed along the same route. This is definitely something I’d recommend to seasoned safari goers.

A walking safari in Zambia

See our Zambia holidays.

A celebration of the Panama hat

Our guest blogger Alberto Santin celebrates UNESCO declaring that the art of weaving a Panama hat in Ecuador would be added to their list of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This is a term used for when knowledge, traditions and rituals which make up the everyday life of a community are passed down through generations and form an inherent part of their culture and Individuality. Other forms of cultural expression which have already received this title include Spanish Flamenco and Chinese acupuncture.

Alberto Santin

The sombrero de paja toquilla or ‘Panama hat’ as it’s incorrectly known is in fact an Ecuadorian creation. It was widely worn in the coastal regions of Ecuador but nowadays it’s mainly produced for export. The best hats are made by hand in Montecristi, a fishing village located in Manabi province. The quality of the sombrero is measured by the number of fibres – with more fibres meaning more flexibility. This is why you can roll the hat and put it in your back pocket without damaging it. It also goes without saying that the finest hats can be very expensive and cost up to £1500.

The hat is woven from palm leaves

The hats are made from the leaves of a small palm called Toquilla. This palm grows in abundance around the Ecuadorian coast near rivers and lakes and when the Spanish conquistadores arrived in Ecuador they saw the indigenous wearing head pieces made of this material. These early hats looked like helmets rather than the European appearance we now know and love. The Toquilla hat reached international notoriety when during the construction of the Panama Canal vast numbers were shipped to be worn by the workers and it was there that President Roosevelt was photographed wearing one during a visit to the building site.

The Toquilla plant

From then on the Ecuadorian hat became fashionable. Anyone who was someone wanted to have one and amongst the famous who have being photographed sporting it are: Prince Harry, Prince Charles, Humphrey Bogart, Gary Cooper, Winston Churchill, Barak Obama, Madonna, Daniel Craig and Harry Truman.

Panama hats are sold in markets across Ecuador

On Ecuador holidays you can pick up your own hat and learn more about this countries rich cultural heritage. I personally believe donning blue jeans, a white shirt and an Ecuadorian hat is a timeless look!

Oh Bush Baby, what big eyes you have

Meru National Park is a less well-known reserve in Northern Kenya. Over the past few years the wildlife populations in this area have proliferated dramatically. There are only a few camps in the 870 km² park and visitors should see a variety of game including some unusual species such a Reticulated giraffe and certain rare antelopes. Elsa’s Kopje is one of our favourite camps in Meru. It was brought into the international spotlight when George and Joy Adamson raised the legendary lioness Elsa there and the book was published followed by the film ‘Born Free’.

On a recently trip, as we were making our way back to the lodge, just before the ascent up to the property, our guide ground to a sudden halt at an unassuming thorny bush. To our surprise, he pointed out nocturnal Bush Babies which permanently reside there, but are almost never seen in daytime. It was such an unexpected and memorable find, not least because these adorable creatures are hard to see, even at night. 

Beautiful, arent they?

Bushbaby

Aerial bliss in La Reunion

I wouldn’t have missed the helicopter trip for anything. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the mountain hiking in Reunion, walking across the barren lava fields to the Piton de la Fournaise volcano, snorkelling on the sandy west coast and tucking into plates of delicious Creole curries, but this was really something else.

I felt a heady mix of excitement and fear as I strapped myself into the front seat alongside the pilot and pulled on the headset. The noise from the rotating blades added to the anticipation and only once the female pilot was happy that we were all safely buckled up, did she manoeuvere the controls and we glided forward over the grass and down the gentle incline.

We then banked to the right and rose slowly upwards over the forest-clad slopes of the Cirque de Mafate… at just under 3,000 metres, this is not an inconsiderable height. Lulled by the rhythmic sounds I felt immersed in a living geography lesson, or even better, in my very own natural history programme.

Reunion waterfall

As we reached the rim of the cirque a huge chasm suddenly opened up below us, thousands of feet deep. My stomach lurched and I felt a moment of terror followed by total exhilaration. I felt I was flying. I could see for miles and was utterly entranced.

From the Cirque de Mafate we passed close to the bare rock of the Piton des Neige, the highest point on the islands at 3071 metres, and on to the Cirque de Salazie. Verdant, almost perpendicular forested slopes were awash with white ribbon waterfalls plunging thousands of feet to the floor of the ancient crater. We hovered in the Iron Hole, a wild canyon with yet more impossibly beautiful waterfalls.

Our return took us over the scenic west coast beaches and then back to the heliport. We’d taken one of the shorter trips- just 25 minutes – but it had felt like an age. Time really did stop still for me and I loved every single minute.

The tour departs from near to Saint-Gilles-les Bains, the cost for adults on the 25 min trip is approximately £170 and for children up to 12 yrs old it is £130, any infants under 2 yrs old are free. I would advise taking the tour early in the morning. Longer and shorter trips are available.

Take a look at this video to get a taste of this thrilling experience, a real highlight of any Reunion holiday.

Clubbing in Colombia

Kukaramakara - image by Kristian Goldring

Ask a local or venture to the following areas in the main cities –  El Centro in Cartagena, Parque Lleras in Medellin and Parque del Perro in Cali.

Some of my favourite party places:

Mango’s in Medellin
Carerra 42 No. 67A-121, Itagui
A great cowboy theme night to watch beautiful people, this is the place to be seen in Medellin!

Mr Babilla’s in Cartagena
Av del Arsenal No 8B-137, Getsemani
A huge club with a great selection of collectibles, popular with both locals and tourists.

Kukaramakara in Cali
Calle 28 Nte. No. 2Bis – 97, Cali
A great place for to class salsa and live music.

The best way to start the next day is of course with a freshly brewed cup of strong Colombian coffee.

Amanda in Colombia

Desperately seeking Chania!

I’ve been called many things – China, Cheddar and Shanya to quote a few  – but being named after a river in Kenya has its upside too; I love to travel and I put my wanderlust down to my parents’ choice of name.

My parents met in Africa, at Thika, about 40 km north east of Nairobi, and here they began a leisurely courtship, oftentimes walking beside the River Chania to the Chania Falls. They never lost their love for East Africa, so when I came along some years later they couldn’t resist calling me after a waterfall… it was either to be Chania or Victoria!

My Dad used to tease me and say I was named after a muddy river. Unimpressed I searched for information about Kenya, and came across the Flame Trees of Thika by Elspbeth Huxley, a novel about an unconventional family who settle in Kenya and start a coffee plantation.

My appetite whetted, I started to plan a journey across Africa with the Chania Falls as my ultimate goal. Eventually I set off on an overland trip from London to Harare via West Africa – many thousands of miles of travel and an experience that would turn out to be wonderful and formative in equal measures.

Six months later I arrived in Harare, Zimbabwe (the end of the line for my overland truck) and began planning the final leg of my quest. My only option was local transport, so I simply got on a bus marked ‘Nairobi’. Many, many stops later, I arrived in the capital and immediately began to search for people to share a taxi ride with me to Thika.

In Kenya a shared taxi means up to 10 people, with their children, babies, chickens and huge bags of produce. Once the taxi was full to the rafters, the driver maneuvered himself in and off we set. Perhaps not the most comfortable journey I have ever taken, but by this point I felt I was with kindred spirits.

Finally we arrived at Thika and now I just needed to locate the river. After several contradictory directions, I finally found my namesake. Not as impressive as Victoria Falls in Zambia I agree, and a little muddy in parts, but I still felt fit to burst with pride that I was named after something real, something that was so much part of the Africa I had come to love deeply over the past months.

I did have a paddle, but my abiding memory is of a delicious cold beer at the Blue Post Inn overlooking the Chania Falls. Why, I wonder, didn’t my Dad tell me about this!

Since this youthful trip, I’ve visited East Africa many times and I now plan holidays in Kenya for other people. There are just so many iconic places to experience like the national parks of Masai Mara, Amboseli and Meru, and the vast sandy beaches on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline. I’ve been luck to see such spectacular scenery, Africa’s Big-Five and to meet so many fascinating people, but I’ll always cherish the memories of tracking down my muddy namesake.