Travelrific® Travel Journal

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Archive for ecotourism

Birders Love Mindo

By Linda Tancs

Mindo, Ecuador is a birder’s paradise. An easy 2-hour bus ride from Quito, this corner of northwestern Ecuador is home to hundreds of varieties of hummingbirds as well as the cock-of-the-rock, a South American denizen bearing an orange-crested head and brilliant orange, black and white feathers along its back and wings. Budding birders and pros alike will benefit from a guided tour, proceeds of which may likely benefit conservation efforts, depending on the tour company selected.

DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

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The Treasures of Tivoli

By Linda Tancs

Today marks the 168th opening of Copenhagen’s Tivoli Gardens.  Although it’s more than just a garden (consider the bone chilling Demon roller coaster or its stately wooden counterpart built in 1914), the hallmark of this respite in the dead center of the city is its 15 gardens.  Among the Chinese and Japanese inspired gardens are 80,000 tulip bulbs to usher in the season.  The tulips border Tivoli Lake, the end of which presents the Parterre, a beloved garden with a view of the town clock.  All the better to remind you of the time you’ve likely spent getting lost in its charms.

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DISCLOSURE OF NO MATERIAL CONNECTION

 The author has not received any compensation for writing this content and has no material connection to the brands, topics, products and/or services that are mentioned herein.

An Eye in the Sky

By Linda Tancs

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, it’s…an orb.  Swaying in the western rainforest new Qualicom Bay on Vancouver Island are two tree-hewn spheres with circular windows (hence, the eye-like appearance), a grown-up resort meeting a childlike desire to play in a treehouse.  The daring duo are named Eve and Eryn.  The larger of the two, Eryn is less than 11 feet in diameter.  That makes for some cozy living space.  But then again, you’re there to commune with nature, not to hole up reading magazines.  In other words, you’re a free spirit.  Let the wind be your lullaby.

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Earth Music

By Linda Tancs

From 22 to 25 June at Tromøy, the largest island in southern Norway, the organizers of Hove hope their alternative music fest will elevate your eco-mind as well as your rhythm. In fact, the only metal you’ll find at this shindig is in the music. The two-year-old carbon-neutral event rounds out the task with organic food. So pitch a tent at the campgrounds and be at one with the elements.

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Where the Kangaroos Roam

By Linda Tancs

Kangaroos are everywhere in Australia–no less so at Kangaroo Island. But that’s not the only form of abundance waiting for you in this 1700-square-mile piece of paradise just 30 minutes from Adelaide. The place is teeming with wildlife, but what else would you expect on an island that is about one third protected national park land? No worries, there’s more than kangaroos and koalas to see. From spa treatments to sand dunes and cavings to Clifford’s Honey Farm, there’s something for everyone. As English playwright Douglas Jerrold once observed about Australia, “just tickle her with a hoe and she laughs with a harvest.”

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A Head in the Clouds

By Linda Tancs

If you fancy the idea of experiencing life amidst the treetops like Swiss Family Robinson, then a trip to Costa Rica should be on your short list. At Monteverde Cloud Forest, you can commune with nature along the Skywalk, a series of suspension bridges and integrated walking paths atop the forest canopy–that’s in the clouds, of course (hence, the name). Orchid lovers will swoon over nearly 1500 species supplying a great part of the world’s florists. The walk will take about 2 hours. If you’d rather zip along, then you might want to take Sky Trek (a bit of a misnomer if you ask me), a zip line that zig zags through 10 different cables at about 500 feet. The less adventurous would do just as well taking the tram. They say that 90% of all rainforest life is found in the canopy. With all the flora and fauna converging on this ecosystem, it gives new meaning to the phrase “workplace diversity.”

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