My friend Greg Berry at nuance intelligence asked that I comment on his recent post:  Ethical Travel I’m not sure I offered anything towards the solution of our massive travel footprint but it allowed me a venue to post some thoughts. Thanks Greg.

Meeting new friends in Jordan

Across the globe there are countless initiatives being discussed to address travel, air travel specifically, and climate change. Recent numbers I have read are that tourism trade accounts for 5% of the World’s CO2 Emissions.  If you allow for a second lens, tourism employees 10% of the worlds economy. Tourism infuses money into poor economies. Travel encourages protection of natural environments and finally, travel leads to understanding.

The reality is most travelers fall into two distinct categories. Those traveling for “vacation”-pleasure, education, adventure, experiences etc (we will include travelers taking part in National Geographic Tours private Jet Tours (!?) and those traveling for work.  Both groups are less likely to be focused on this discussion that we “conscious” readers are.

Challenges:
Consumers traveling for vacation purposes are not interested in feeling guilty about their travels. They’re on holiday! They want to enjoy their experience which includes using plush towels and wonderful bath products. It is a luxury they often don’t have at home.  Many argue correctly that the “towel” issues is much more about how the the hotels wash their linens than about how guests use them.  That’s followed by airline and hotel recycling programs etc etc. Good overview of what is all really means here.

Business Travelers are far more interested in convenience. For all of us who travel for a living I think it is safe to say that airline travel has lost any mystery and excitement it may once have had. The very thought of an airport is now worse than the fear of visiting the dentist.  Anything that makes this journey to our destination easier and less unpleasant will be used. Business travelers are focused on getting in and out with as little personal headaches as possible. Public transportation to/from airports is neither convenient nor well communicated.  Trying to negotiate rail and bus options is complicated enough for the budget traveler and even cities such as NY and Chicago have done a poor job.

Positive Steps:
Vacations: Tour Providers/Companies who have taken the initiatives (offsetting the carbon footprint of the ground portion of the tour) take the first step in educating and encouraging travelers to offset their flights.  Many “tour providers” carefully choose locally owned properties and restaurants and hire regional guides, all of which encourage an overall understanding and connection with the destination. I believe that future political and ethical decisions a traveler makes when NOT traveling will be based on these experiences.  Post travel we tend to read, shop, listen to and engage in topics that touch on a destination we have been to very differently than when we merely read about an issue in a far off destination. The Middle East and Africa are good examples.

Corporations who initiate green travel policies and wield enough status to encourage “green” rental fleets and “green” hotels partners are a start.  It will be interesting to see if this can translate into preferred carriers such as Virgin America‘s who’s young fleet of planes are arguably very efficient in both fuel consumption and emissions. Cities focused on ease of public transportation are improving their methods of communication via tools and applications which live on handheld devices.  Yes, booking connecting bus or rail connections when our planes land, knowing when the next local bus is due to arrive and various “share a ride” applications will become increasingly popular and used…once they touch interfaces, specifically mobile phones, and work.

Bottom Line: Meeting and collaborating using technology is effective up to a point in many but not all circumstances.  Face, real face, to face meetings, discussions and SHARED EXPERIENCES are invaluable to many of us.

Beyond reducing your carbon footprint: How about increasing the value of your footprint?

What if we started to think how the travels that we must or choose to make could have a more positive impact? I believe that conference, meeting, corporate travel planners AND individual travelers have a responsibility to make travel worthwhile.  “Offsetting” travel, even an entire conference, is not enough.  I’ve attended far too many conferences held at the Ohare and Orlando airports. I contribute little to nothing to the local economy and leave with little to no understanding of the destination I have just “stepped on”.  Green Conferences are becoming big business for destinations. Moving conferences to smaller venues which represent a destination (like the Chicago Cultural Center at which the GoodandGreen.biz conference is held) Being informed and encouraged to sleep, eat and shop local as well as incorporating these features into the conference venue, and making these choices easier, affordable, and demanded will increase adoption.  Eating room service in front of our computer or the TV is far too common for most business travelers, especially women who may be less inclined to venture out on their own for a meal or a morning run without the information and support of the concierge or hotel staff. Recommending and featuring hotels that embrace local/natural/organic within their walls and even encouraging taking an extra day to experience the destination may not reduce our carbon footprint but may offer some level of a positive exchange. Understanding a destination and the people who make up these communities has the potential for global value.

Would love to hear your thoughts on how to increase the value of our global footprint.

Still traveling, Kathy

Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria

October 6 2008
Ted Turner Announces First-Ever Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria
at World Conservation Congress

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Voluntary standards help travel suppliers around the world meet increasing consumer demand for products and services that will have positive effects on communities and the environment
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October 6, 2008 (Barcelona, Spain) – United Nations Foundation Founder and Chairman Ted Turner joined the Rainforest Alliance, the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) today to announce the first-ever globally relevant sustainable tourism criteria at the IUCN World Conservation Congress. The new criteria – based on thousands of best practices culled from the existing standards currently in use around the world – were developed to offer a common framework to guide the emerging practice of sustainable tourism and to help businesses, consumers, governments, non-governmental organizations and education institutions to ensure that tourism helps, rather than harms, local communities and the environment.

“Sustainability is just like the old business adage: ‘you don’t encroach on the principal, you live off the interest’,” said Turner. “Unfortunately, up to this point, the travel industry and tourists haven’t had a common framework to let them know if they’re really living up to that maxim. But the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) will change that. This is a win-win initiative – good for the environment and good for the world’s tourism industry.”

“Tourism is one of the fastest growing industries and a strong contributor to sustainable development and poverty alleviation,” said Francesco Frangialli, Secretary-General of the United Nations World Tourism Organization. “Over 900 million international tourists travelled last year and UNWTO forecasts 1.6 billion tourists by the year 2020. In order to minimize the negative impacts of this growth, sustainability should translate from words to facts, and be an imperative for all tourism stakeholders. The GSTC initiative will undoubtedly constitute a major reference point for the entire tourism sector and an important step in making sustainability an inherent part of tourism development.”

The criteria were developed by the Partnership for Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC Partnership), a new coalition of 27 organizations that includes tourism leaders from the private, public and not-for-profit sectors. Over the past 15 months, the partnership consulted with sustainability experts and the tourism industry and reviewed more than 60 existing certification and voluntary sets of criteria already being implemented around the globe. In all, more than 4,500 criteria have been analyzed and more than 80,000 people, including conservationists, industry leaders, governmental authorities and UN bodies, have been invited to comment on the resulting criteria.

“Consumers deserve widely accepted standards to distinguish green from greenwashed. These criteria will allow true certification of sustainable practices in hotels and resorts as well as other travel suppliers,” said Jeff Glueck, chief marketing officer of Travelocity/Sabre, a member of the GSTC Partnership. “They will give travelers confidence that they can make choices to help the sustainability cause. They also will help the forward-thinking suppliers who deserve credit for doing things right.”

Available at www.SustainableTourismCriteria.org, the criteria focus on four areas experts recommend as the most critical aspects of sustainable tourism: maximizing tourism’s social and economic benefits to local communities; reducing negative impacts on cultural heritage; reducing harm to local environments; and planning for sustainability. The GSTC Partnership is developing educational materials and technical tools to guide hotels and tour operators in implementing the criteria.

“The American Society of Travel Agents feels it especially important to be a part of this global partnership that is leading the way in defining once and for all what it means to be a sustainable travel company,” said William Maloney, Chief Operating Officer for ASTA. “As an organization with its own Green Member program, it’s incumbent upon us to ensure that our steps toward a travel retailers’ green initiative were in sync with responsible global developments. The criteria will provide our members with much-needed guidelines for assessing future business partners’ commitment to sustainable tourism while offering consumers clear and reliable information about the travel choices they make.”

“The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria initiative is about steering the industry onto a truly sustainable path — one that echoes to the challenge of our time: namely the fostering and federating of a global Green Economy that thrives on the interest rather than the capital of our economically-important nature-based assets,” said Achim Steiner, United Nations Under-Secretary General and Executive Director, United Nations Environment Programme.

“The Rainforest Alliance celebrates the outcomes of the GSTC Partnership, which we believe will help the tourism industry put itself on a sustainable path,” said Tensie Whelan, Executive Director of the Rainforest Alliance. “The Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria that have been developed will shape the minimum requirements that the Sustainable Tourism Stewardship Council will demand from accredited certification programs and help travelers have the assurance that they are helping, not harming, the environment.”

“The GSTC Partnership is a collaborative effort to provide a much needed common framework and understanding of sustainable tourism practices,” said Janna Morrison, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Choice Hotels International. “Tourism is an important and growing industry that supports sustainability and will clearly benefit from this common framework. Ultimately this effort will result in a positive impact on communities and the environment.”

In 2003, the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) launched its vision statement – the Blueprint for New Tourism. Outlining a multi-stakeholder vision, the Blueprint for New Tourism “looks beyond short-term considerations… and focuses on benefits not only for people who travel, but also for people in the communities they visit, and for their respective natural, social and cultural environments.” One way in which WTTC exemplifies that vision for New Tourism is with the Tourism for Tomorrow Awards.

Destination Stewardship Award

Open to any large company from any sector of Travel & Tourism – cruise lines, hotel groups, airlines, tour operators, etc – with at least 200 full-time employees and operating in more than one country or in more than one destination in a single country, this award recognises best practices in sustainable tourism at a large company level.

Hawaii is a feast for all five senses, intoxicating locals and visitors alike with its perfumed flowers, magnificent tropical scenery, exotic birdsong, fresh Pacific Rim foods and the sun-kissed ocean. Here we feature ten of the finest Hawaiian experiences.

Visit a volcano

There are few places on earth where humans can get a glimpse of what’s inside our planet; Hawaii is such a miraculous place. All of the Hawaiian Islands were created over eons by molten lava bubbling out of the earth’s crust to form pyramids rising from the ocean floor and above the sea when the rock cooled. Since the first tourists arrived soon after the Yankee clipper and whaling ships came in the 19th century, visitors have been mesmerized by the sight of liquid fire pouring down the side of a mountain. Kilauea volcano, on the island of Hawaii – now familiarly known as the Big Island – still offers up oozing lava sliding downward into the sea. Designated a national park in 1916, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park is today the state’s foremost natural attraction, where visitors at a safe distance can watch the earth create itself. Because volcanoes keep their own schedule, sometimes the lava erupts in fiery red streams; sometimes it’s just a trickle of molten rock and a lot of steam. To research the timing of Kilauea’s past eruptions, get a hint of where and when its next one might occur, and find out about other Hawaii volcanoes such as dormant Mauna Kea and Mauna Loa, also on the Big Island, and Maui’s Haleakala volcano, the Hawaiian Volcano Observatory has a new website, http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/update/main.html. Haleakala National Park (www.nps.gov/hale) is the primary natural attraction on Maui, and extends from the summit of “House of the Sun” all the way to ‘Ohe’o gulch, known around the world as the misnomer “Seven Sacred Pools” on the windward side in the Kipahulu district. There are 27 miles of hiking trails in the crater, as well as two camping sites and three rustic cabins that can be reserved (by lottery selection) at least three months in advance. Astronauts train in this moonscape inhabited by rare “nene” flightless geese and home to the elusive silversword plant. There is no comparable experience to watching a sunrise from the summit of Haleakala mountain.

Watch the whales, swim with the dolphins

From December through April, Hawaii is a “nursery” for humpback whales that migrate 3,500 miles from rich summer feeding grounds in arctic Alaska to give birth in warmer waters. All winter, these endangered mammals can be spotted “dancing” on their noses as their tails wave above the ocean, blowing water through their air hole, leaping completely out of the waves, and slapping their flukes on the surface for what looks like the sheer fun of it. Up to 3,000 humpbacks weighing as much as 80,000 pounds apiece cruise around all the islands, preparing their babies for the return trip north. The best whale-viewing is in the Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary created in 1992 around Molokai, Maui and Lanai, but whales can spring to the surface anytime, anywhere, and are visible from all shorelines and beachfront accommodations as well as aboard whale-watching and snorkel cruise boats.

The Pacific Whale Foundation on Maui offers more than a dozen whale-watching trips a day to support its non-profit research. Other species, including pilot, sperm, and false killer whales, cruise island waters year-round. Most of their sightings are along the calmer Kona coast of the Big Island, where 25-year veteran whale researcher Dan McSweeney often drops a microphone over the side of his cruise boat to let his whale-watching clients also hear the leviathans “sing.”

Visitors whale-watching off the coast of Lanai also may get the thrill of swimming with sleek, leaping dolphins that like to “hang out” with snorkelers at Hulopoeo Beach. Judged by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, “Dr. Beach,” as 1997′s best beach in America, the area is included in the protected marine reserve and is one of the few places on Lanai considered generally safe and calm for viewing gaudy tropical fish in shallow tide pools. The only watersports outfitter on Lanai is Trilogy Lanai Ocean Sports. Snorkelers at Hulopoeo often find themselves surrounded by pods of leaping spinner dolphins, which seem as curious about the creatures in masks and fins as we are about the silver-skinned marine mammals famous for their “talking” and rescues.

Kalaupapa

Molokai is the least visited of Hawaii’s main islands, and the least impacted by tourism and commercialism. It also offers one of the state’s most memorable experiences – a visit to the Kalaupapa peninsula, reached via small plane, on foot or by mule ride. Kalaupapa has become synonymous with the leper colony established there in 1866 by King Kamehameha V. Leprosy was greatly feared because at that time it was incurable and was believe to be very contagious, a myth later dispelled when research proved it was spread only by repeated contact. The term “leprosy” was outlawed by the Hawaii Legislature in 1981, when the illness officially became known as “Hansen’s Disease,” to honor Dr. Gerhard Hansen, a Norwegian who, in 1873, discovered the germ that caused it.

Kalaupapa National Historic Park has human relics dating from 1,000 A.D., and is located in one of the most spectacular natural settings in Hawaii. Hiking the nearly three-mile trail down to the peninsula is not for faint hearts; there are 26 switchbacks between the trailhead at 2,000 feet above sea level, and the terminus at Kalaupapa. Descending takes about an hour; climbing back up can be a three-hour effort, and a hiking permit is required. Most visitors arrive either by scheduled light plane flights, or on the backs of sure-footed mules used to traversing the sometimes heart-stopping trail. Upon arrival at Kalaupapa, resident tour guide Richard Marks(See list of tours) who has survived Hansen’s Disease, invites visitors aboard a yellow school bus for an excellent overview of the scenery and history of what was once known as “The Place of the Living Dead.” The tour includes the life story of Roman Catholic priest, Father Joseph de Veuster, best known as Father Damien, who has been nominated for sainthood. Father Damien gave up a privileged life in Belgium to inspire the creation of a clean, united community of new houses, schools and churches. The priest who brought hope to thousands of ailing outcasts died of Hansen’s Disease in 1889, at age 49. Father Damien’s St. Philomena Church, a crafts shop and a museum are open to visitors with official guides. If you have only one day Molokai, visit Kalaupapa on a mule.

Waikiki

Waikiki Beach is the gaudy, noisy, crowded, hectic two-mile heart of Honolulu. From ancient times through the days of Hawaiian royalty up until this morning, Waikiki has attracted visitors and locals alike to sun themselves on its world-famous golden sand, frolic in its gentle, lapping waves, and float contentedly in its aquamarine waters. Waikiki attracts five million visitors a year from around the globe, and offers something to delight every one of them: world-class shopping, ethnic foods, five-star hotel rooms that cost as much a night as a down payment on a car, free double-rainbow mornings and pastel sunsets you’d swear were painted on the sky.

Handsome beach boys can teach you to ride a surfboard, paddle an outrigger canoe, sail a boat, and keep you from drowning, all in the same day. Some evenings there are free big-screen movies on the beach, other times some of Hawaii’s finest musicians jam it up on ukulele and guitar. Waikiki is full of surprises: craft fairs, street vendors, outdoor cafes, a reasonably priced trolley car to take you up and down the boulevards.

Patrolled by good-natured Honolulu police on bicycles and horseback, Waikiki Beach is where the action’s at, day or night, for tourists who want to people watch, catch a wave, eat sushi-tacos-saimin-sate-hamburgers, catch a fish, experience a hotel luau, and toast the good life with an exotic cocktail sporting a paper umbrella and an orchid floating on top. Besides boasting one of the most perfect beaches in the world, Waikiki also offers nearly guaranteed year-round sunshine. Don’t miss what all the fuss has been about since Mark Twain sailed into town and pronounced Hawaii the most beautiful necklace of islands “anchored in any ocean….”

Take a hike!

Every island has hiking trails ranging from gentle to straight up, from treeless volcanic rock to tropical rain forests, from easily accessible to nearly impossible. From a remote bamboo forest bordering ‘Ohe’o Gulch in Haleakala National Park’s Kipahulu district, to the accordion-pleated green folds of Kauai’s Na Pali coast, to Diamond Head’s dry brush-covered summit looming above Waikiki, hiking trails offer an intimate look at the islands’ unique flora and fauna while offering unforgettable views not discovered any other way. On Oahu, the Hawaiian Trail and Mountain Club allows visitors to join members on scheduled hikes through wilderness still left on the state’s most populous island. Kauai is a backcountry paradise for experienced outdoors enthusiasts; join the local Sierra Club chapter for group treks ranging from easy to “are you kidding?” in Kokee State Park. The most arduous hike is along the historic Kalalau Trail on the Na Pali coast, a protected state park. The ancient footpath is for experienced hikers only — in some placed it narrows to less than a foot on the side of cliffs more than a thousand feet above the ocean. Slippery in rain and prone to flash floods, many Na Pali coast hikes require permits available only on a limited basis. For casual walkers, there are plenty of opportunities to stretch your legs on public beaches, in state and national parks, and along paved trails such as the three-tenths of a mile blacktop path from the Hotel Hana-Maui parking lot up to a cross raised in memory of the hotel’s founder, Paul Fagan.

“Ono Grinds”

Hawaii’s multi ethnic population makes for a mixed plate of favorite foods; sushi and sashimi from Japan, Portuguese bean soup, pad Thai, Vietnamese pho noodles, Chinese dim sum, and Hawaiian poi are available most everywhere. Good food – “ono grinds” as the locals say – are an important ingredient for a successful Hawaii vacation, and an essential spice for friendship and goodwill among the local population. An unwritten rule in rural Hawaii is that anybody who’s hungry may pick a ripe banana and eat it as they go on their way. Lilly and Chuck Boerner’s Ono Family Farms on Maui is at the forefront of the organic food movement. Lilly conducts tastings and tours of their 50-acre, fourth-generation farm where nearly 100 varieties of GMO-free fruit, coffee, chocolate, and vegetables flourish.

It’s tough to get a bad meal in a place where ahi — yellowfin tuna — goes from the ocean to the plate in the same day, where wild papayas and mangoes simply fall off the trees for critters to eat, where tomatoes, corn, strawberries and salad greens grow year-round. Every culture has its holiday delicacies; the Japanese-American community gives blemish-free persimmons grown in upcountry Maui at Christmas time; haupia, a coconut-cornstarch candy, is a favorite at Hawaiian children’s birthday parties; glutinous rice “mooncakes” are special treats for Chinese New Year. Local weddings and funerals that attract hundreds of guests mean extended families work days to make sure everybody gets plenty to eat and there are leftovers wrapped in tinfoil to send home for those who couldn’t make it.

Whether you’re dining at the most famous and expensive restaurants, such as Mama’s Fish House on Maui or Michel’s on Oahu; Kauai’s favorite burger joint, Duane’s, on the way to the north shore; Grandma’s, a chili-with-rice-and-Spam Maui institution in upcountry Keokea; the Kamoi Snack-N-Go on Molokai, famous for its sweet potato Icee floats, or Nori’s Saimin and Snacks across from the Hilo Lanes bowling alley on the Big Island of Hawaii, there is great food everywhere or you to sniff and sample.

Patriotism

Since December 7, 1941, the waters of Pearl Harbor have been sacred to generations of Americans. On that “day that will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt called it, the harbor has been the resting place of the USS Arizona, which sank in nine minutes after it was bombed in the Japanese attack that brought the United States into World War II. A grave to 1,177 Marines and Navy sailors, the battleship is now a national memorial visited by millions who take free U.S. Navy launches to the site. There is a visitor center jointly manned by National Park Service and naval personnel that includes historic and personal information about the attack, Pearl Harbor, the sunken ship, and those who served and died aboard her.

But perhaps the most moving moments spent at the graceful memorial that spans the Arizona’s sunken hull are those in which visitors silently contemplate the oil bubbles still leaking from the engine room. It is less and less common to see World War II veterans at the memorial, but some still come to pay tribute to fallen friends, and every year on the anniversary of the ship’s loss a few survivors of the Pearl Harbor attack still gather to share their tears. Companion visits to the Arizona are trips to the nearby USS Missouri Memorial and up the hill to the National Cemetery of the Pacific, familiarly known as “the Punchbowl” because it is located inside an old crater. The Missouri came to Pearl Harbor in 1998 to become a historical “bookend” to World War II; the Japanese surrender was signed aboard the battleship.

The USS Bowfin, a World War II submarine nicknamed “the Pearl Harbor Avenger” for its tenacious fight against the Japanese, also is open to the public. The casualties of three wars – World War II, Korea, and Vietnam – are interred in the national cemetery. Among them is war correspondent Ernie Pyle, who was shot by a Japanese sniper on Okinawa in April 1945. At every one of these hallowed sites there are quiet places to stand, reflect and remember the brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country

Party on!

Besides traditional Christmas and Hanukkah celebrations, holidays include Buddha’s birthday (April 8), Girls’ Day (March 3), Boys’ Day (May 5), Samoan Flag Day in August, commemorative days honoring Hawaiian royalty — all sorts of “special” days to throw a party, dance, eat, go to the beach, and “talk story” with family and friends. A gentle climate and outdoor lifestyle means statewide and local festivals that include parades, picnics, athletic events and concerts are held practically every week of the year — see the Go Hawaii calendar. Aloha festivals honoring Hawaiian customs are annually observed on all islands and take up half of September and October. Tickets to the grandmother of all cultural festivals, the five-day Merrie Monarch Hula Festival held the week after Easter every year in Hilo are as scarce as hotel rooms at the same time in the same place. Other festivals salute pineapples, slack key guitars, ukuleles, trees, surfing, coffee, taro, jazz, and even narcissus. Festivals aren’t just an excuse to play hooky from work; they also pay tribute to the people and things that matter to locals. The “May Day is Lei Day” tradition is about the giving, receiving and crafting of flower necklaces as tokens of love and respect; to give and receive a lei helps perpetuate the spirit of aloha.

Hawaii’s host culture: A cultural renaissance builds on a royal heritage

Hawaii’s Polynesian heritage is the underpinning of all human occupation that followed the outrigger canoes carrying the first settlers in the vast triangle between Hawaii, Easter Island and New Zealand. Hawaii’s exact occupation date is not known, but artifacts dating from 400 A.D., have been found. Descendants of the islands’ first occupants established separate kingdoms, lived as hunters and gatherers, and developed strict rules of behavior enforced by warrior kings and legendary queens. When English Capt. James Cook sailed over the horizon by chance in 1778, the Industrial Revolution overwhelmed Hawaii’s Stone Age culture and the islands went on world maps, bringing the first tourists.

Hawaii’s rigid rules system that bound its society together began to crumble with the death of King Kamehameha I in 1819 and the arrival of New England missionaries the following year. Just 73 years later, reigning Queen Liliuokalani was imprisoned by the missionaries’ prosperous descendants who were supported by U.S. marines. The sovereign nation of Hawaii was annexed as an American territory in 1898, an illegal act Hawaiians still mourn and protest.

Cultural and historic sites such as Iolani Palace, Bishop Museum (www.bishopmuseum.org), the Queen Emma Summer Palace, and the Royal Mausoleum are easily accessible on Oahu. Hulihee Palace, as well as Imiloa, a center that explores connections between the science of astronomy and its link to Hawaiian culture, is located on Hawaii Island. Throughout the state, sacred temples and archeological preserves are open to the public, and should be considered sacred sites that must be treated with utmost respect. Today, as Hawaiians aggressively reclaim their rich heritage in a Hawaiian Renaissance of language, art, music, and political activism, visitors who listen closely to the islands’ native people will learn much from their wisdom.

Stop and smell the plumeria

Because flowers bloom on nearly every kind of tree, shrub and hedge, and even sprout from the top of wooden fence posts, wearing and sharing gorgeous blossoms is one of Hawaii’s most delightful customs. Stroll anywhere, day or night, and your olfactory system will be on delicious overload. Local women customarily tuck a fresh flower behind an ear, even if they’re just going to work or to the beach; a bloom behind the right ear signals they’re single, and married if it’s behind the left one. Fresh flowers are de rigueur on any occasion, given to men as well as women. Most Hawaii gardens are created, and certainly augmented, by treasured “cuttings” shared by good friends. Flowers are shipped daily by air from Hawaii to global markets, the biggest share of a multi million-dollar agribusiness that includes culinary, craft and cosmetic applications.

Besides their monetary value, sniffing, wearing and giving flowers is fun. At Ali’i Chang’s Maui lavender farm, wandering around his purple hillside is a perfect morning or afternoon in upcountry Kula. From simple purple blossoms he’s created lavender honey, soap, shampoo, scones, meat seasoning, eye pillows, and anything else he can stuff or infuse. Chang hosts daily farm tours, tea parties, and garden classes beloved by Mauians who consider his Monet-like setting a “must see” for visitors. Commercial farms growing and shipping orchids, tropical flowers such as anthuriums, heliconias and ginger, and exotic palms are found on every island, but to see a wide variety in one place visit any farmer’s market or shop the flower stalls in Honolulu’s Chinatown.

Spotlight on top experiences in China

Trying to pick the Top 10 places to see in China is like tossing a boxful of joss sticks out on the floor and having somebody say “pick out the stick that looks the best.” I’ve been going to China over a 24-year period and I think I’ve just hit a bit of the surface.

But here goes, with apologies to Old China Hands who may disagree and have their own lists, I’m sure, based on personal experiences and emotion.

I’m going to use the categories of Beijing, the Silk Road, Inner Mongolia, the Yangtze River, the Monsoon Jungles, Xian, Mountain People, Food, and Photos & History.

Beijing
I realize all people come to see the Great Wall. The problem is that it is overused, the walkways are crumbling, the traffic’s a mess and if you have a heart attack you’re in a lot of trouble. I’m reminded of the famous network TV executive who was driven the 42 miles to the Wall’s closest gate, put one leg out of the limousine, snapped a photo, and said, “Thanks, now let’s get back to Beijing.” But I guess see it you must, climb it at your peril, and keep in mind that it probably was not to keep barbarians out (they rode around it) but merely to say “Here lies the boundary of emperor Qin Shi Huangdi’s land.”

Similarly, the so-called Forbidden City requires a couple of hours of walking and more steps than seriously arthritic knees can tolerate.

So I’d suggest a leisurely two-day motor tour to see those things but not necessarily perambulate them all. Instead, check out Tiananmen Square, go to a Peking Opera performance, have a lunch at the Dowager Empress’s old cottage, now a restaurant on Beihai Lake, and dinner at an authentic Peking duck restaurant (see below under food.) Try a short trip on the “Underground Dragon”, Beijing’s air-conditioned subway. Many people seem to use the ride to sleep.

And for those interested, get up early, go to any park, and join in those doing tai chi chuan (taijiquan), that Chinese form of exercise and shadow boxing. Maybe attend a mass in the Southern Cathedral. It’s packed on Sundays with Chinese who remain steadfastly Catholic.

Silk Road
People argue whether Marco Polo really traveled the Silk Road or made up his story from tales he heard from travelers while he was in jail. No matter, this ancient trail from India and Persia into China holds a mystical attraction, even today. But you have to decide which part to visit.

Dunhuang is popular. You can see a 2,000 year old watchtower that guarded the Great Wall’s end at the caravan trail to the west into the desert. Buddhism came here early with drawings and sculptures in dark caves. There are nearly 500 caves with maybe 2,000 sculptures. Ten centuries of art. People call this an “archaeological sandbox” where people find ancient coins and pieces of pottery in the dirt.

The Grand Sun and the Silk Road are among the better hotels in Dunhuang and both have helpful travel desks to help you plan trips to the caves.

Urumqi is the central city of the region of the Silk Road, with a heavy Uighur Muslim minority and a history of dissidence and argument with the Han Chinese from Beijing and elsewhere who have flooded the region. It’s the headquarters for planning vehicle trips to see Uighur villages and the hillside yurts of the Kazahk and Tajik sheep herders who welcome tourists for a fee. They’ll kill and boil a sheep for you and suggest that as an honored guest you should eat the eyes.

For those up the journey to the Very End of China, there is Kashgar on the far west border with the 25,000- foot Pamir mountains, nomadic travelers on Bactrian camels, the Id Kah mosque with room for 8,000 worshippers, and all manner of countryside travel easily available through Discover China Tours.

Inner Mongolia
They are tearing down most of the old houses in the capital of Hohot, so go while there are still some left to photograph. But the real reason tourists come to this city is to make air or train connections out to the northeast Mongolian grasslands. This once was an outland, but the Chinese government encouraged a flood of immigrants to put a Han stamp on the land and the politics, and now Mongolians are a minority of about 20 percent of total population.

They used to all be farmers and herdsmen (women do house and children) but more and more they are settling into the urban centers. Travel agents such as Discover Mongolia.com arrange for small groups to visit grassland families where you can live in a yurt (they call them gurs) or just stay a while and drink fermented mare’s milk or tea, have someone play the string instrument called a huqin and ask questions about the nomadic life. The nomadic life these days is likely to include a car, or a truck, or at least a motorcycle.

In winter it can get down to minus 30 degrees Fahrenheit at night.

The Yangtze
The Yangtze runs for 3,900 miles so you can’t easily see it all. Yes, you can cruise part of it (see Boats & Cruises). The gateway to it is Shanghai, which is on a tributary called the Huangpu and which is the money center of China, the business powerhouse, polluted beyond belief, but a must-see for foreigners because … well, because it’s Shanghai.

See Shanghai for its architecturally-stunning high rises on the Pudong side of the river as well as the old Bund, the foreign enclave from the Opium War days, on the opposite side. Stay at the old Peace Hotel. See the Shanghai Acrobats perform. Tour the old city, but keep an eye on your flag-carrying guide because it’s easy to get lost in the crowds.
One of the best events is to go a Children’s Palace. Those are old homes that have been turned into after-school classrooms for ambitious (and paying) students in everything from music to computers. They welcome visitors who come on organized tours. One such agency is RegentTour.com.

See if you can arrange a half-day river trip on a junk with a quilted sail, the kind that mainly carry cargo but take some tourists, too. They are called fanchuan and the same kind traded with India six centuries ago. Check with ChinaOdysseyTours.com for all Yangtze outings.

The Monsoon Jungles
Way down south, near Laos, is where China turns jungly and unlike any other part of the country. The area is known as Xishuanbanna and you get there by train or plane from Yunnan. The trip to the main city of Jinghong is well worth your time and the effort and extra fare.

Some years ago it was a risky trip because of malaria. But that’s almost been eradicated and there’s little chance of the carrier mosquito being around Jinghong.

This is the home of the Dai people who look very similar to the people of northern Laos and Vietnam. And yes, it’s jungle. But historical jungle. Shang people were here 4,000 years ago. The first road didn’t come across the mountains from Yunnan until the 1950s. There are elephants and golden monkeys and people adorn themselves with flowers. During an annual spring festival they throw water on anything and anyone that moves.

The food leans toward bean curd, braised fish, water buffalo meat, bean sprouts, chicken and eggs. Hotel facilities have grown quite luxurious as more tourists come every year, especially for the spring Water Festival.

XIAN
Everybody comes to Xian to see the Tang empire tombs with their armies of life-size terra-cotta soldiers. Alas, outside the tombs are the belching smokestacks of the steel, chemical and textile factories. But the Xian digs are something! On the approach to the tombs are sculptures of lions, winged horses and headless generals. That’s tribute to Emperor Qin, popularized in the movie Hero, the man who first unified China.

This is one of China’s most popular tourist spots and you need to make early reservations to get a good room in a top-flight hotel. Luckily, you can now do that easily on the Internet. There are plenty of pictures and descriptions. What the sites don’t tell you is that there usually are two prices, one for Chinese and another for foreigners.

The Mountain People
There are many of them scattered around China but my favorites are the ones of Guizhou Province in the southwest between Yunnan and Sichuan. It’s one of the few places where the central Han Chinese are a minority.

The best way to see Guizhou is to book with a car or bus company that will take you both southwest and southeast in the province. Southwest because you’ll want to see Huangguoshu Falls, the largest cataract in Asia and actually nine falls in a series. You can walk, or for a small fee take an elevator and escalator down to the falls viewing area from the hotel-with-pool topside. Most of the visitors here are Chinese.

On the southeast side is Zhaoxing, the all-wood Dong village that’s just put in a new, modern hotel for foreigners who find Lulu’s Wooden House Inn too primitive.

And all the way along the mountain roads both southeast and southwest of the capital city of Guiyang are the small hillside villages of the Miao, Shui and Buyi minorities.

There are small hotels in every sizeable town along both roads into those areas, so overnight accommodations are not a problem.

Food
Many people come to China for the food. It seems to change dramatically with every hundred miles you travel. Finding news restaurants with new food is definitely worthy of being listed as one of the Top 10 travel events in China. Author K.C. Chang has written that “the overriding idea about food in China is that the kind and amount of food one takes is intimately relevant to one’s health. Food, therefore, is also medicine.”

It’s said that of the 4,000 people who typically ran an emperor’s quarters, 60 percent handled food and wine.

Ah, but where to eat? Shanghai people make no bones about the claim that there is no better food in China. I might have to agree. Hairy crab (Eriocher sinensis) is Shanghai’s #1 dish and pork dumpling is number 2. Old timers say that the Crystal Jade Restaurant has the best of the latter. The upscale Xintiandi restaurant is renowned for its ten-course crab banquet.

In Beijing, the Quanjude Restaurant is my choice for Peking duck. It may be the largest roast duck restaurant in the world, with 41 dining halls, one which can serve 600 diners. It’s commonly known as the Sick Duck restaurant because it’s next door to a major hospital.

As with many other things in China, food comes in two prices. One for Chinese and another for the foreigner, even if you speak fluent Chinese.

Photos and History
These really go together because most of the history you can see is history that you’ll want to preserve for your memory in photographs.

One of your big problems will be lighting. Most of the best historical sights are indoors (that’s why they are preserved) and intentionally not exposed to sunlight or even much artificial light. Using a flash seems to give you a bright spot in a black tunnel.
So one of my Top 10 recommendations is to get a first-rate digital SLR camera, one up there in the $700+ range, that can capture your indoor photos lightless by setting 1600 ASA and using the no-shake function.

For most outdoor shooting in China, I use both a warm-up filter because bright sunlight can be rare due to air pollution. When shooting near water or snowy mountains, I use a polarizing filter.

One of the common mistakes is to shoot too many photos of buildings and not enough of people. When you get home, those buildings won’t all look so special any more. The people shots will evoke many more memories of you times in restaurants, village homes and markets.

And make good use of the Internet before you go. Look up many travel agencies and airlines. Check on hotel deals you can make yourself. Read up on things to do in each town you’ll visit.

You can never be too well prepared when you travel China.

Bio
Bob Jones (Eons member: bj449) was the first television reporter allowed into the western, Muslim province of Xinjiang. He has done five China documentaries and traveled through Yunnan, Inner Mongolia and Guangdong, plus multiple trips to Beijing and Shanghai. He has also taken a group of middle-aged schoolteachers on a China north-to-south train run with many stops en route.

La Bella Italia. According to UNESCO, half of the world’s historic and artistic assets are within her boundaries. And from her sun-drenched beaches to her snow-capped Alps, from the tiniest, remote village to her most cosmopolitan city, Italy pulses with life and an ineffable beauty. Here are some “must savor” experiences selected by Italy travel expert, Kathy McCabe.

Regional Cuisine of Italy

Eating is taken very, very seriously in Italy. But what you eat often depends on what region of the country you’re visiting. Here are some of the specialties on the menu in different parts of Italy.
Emilia-Romagna:

• Parma’s claim to fame is prosciutto, that dry-cured, pressed ham that is sliced thin enough to be almost transparent. About one-third of all prosciutto http://www.mmdtkw.org/VProsciutto.html produced in Italy comes from Parma.
• Nearby, Reggio Emilia is the birthplace of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, those giant wheels of cheese that are be aged for a couple of years until the cheese experts of Reggio Emilia decide it’s ready for consumption and shipment around the world. You’re welcome to visit some of the cheese makers.
• The region around the town of Modena is famous for a very special and very expensive balsamic vinegar, Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena. To make this special balsamic vinegar, grape juice is aged for at least 12 years (or, to be labeled extravecchio, 25 years) and carefully fermented in barrels until the vinegar is as thick as maple syrup. I love to tap out a few drops on a single raspberry for a stunning taste. You can find genuine aceto from Italy in gourmet grocery stores in the Unites States, but take note: Small containers can cost more than $100 each.
• In the city of Bologna, The Learned Order of the Tortellini keeps a watchful eye on the naval-shaped pasta that Bologna claims to have invented. The folks in Modena, however, claim tortellini was invented by a local chef who dreamed of Venus rising out of the waves and, glimpsing her perfect naval, recreated it in his kitchen. But don’t try to convince anyone in Bologna of that

Piedmont:

• Among sought-after delicacies, the white truffle (tartufo bianco) of Alba surely ranks near the top of the list. Its nickname, “white diamond,” hints at its price (which this year is about $375 per 100 grams) but not necessarily its appearance, which resembles a lumpy potato. It’s the unique taste–strong, with a hint of garlic–and fragrant aroma that give this truffle high value.
• More than half of the region’s 170,000 acres of vines have earned Italy’s prized D.O.C. (Denominazione di Origine Controllata) label, a guarantee of a place name and production formula awarded by the government. Piedmont also has more D.O.C. zones (50) than any other region in Italy. Some 800 Piedmontese vintners produce Barolo and Barbaresco. Both are made from the highly tannic nebbiolo grape, which reportedly gets its name from the fog (la nebbia) that often covers the local hills.

Veneto:

• Venice: If seafood is your thing, then Venice is the place to go. Don’t miss the zuppa di pesce (fish soup) and succulent scampi. And you’ll see many pasta and risotto dishes flavored with cuttlefish ink. Don’t let the black color turn you off. Properly prepared, cuttlefish is delectable. What you can be sure of: dishes are always made with ingredients in season. Thus, you’ll find pasta e fagiole, a hearty pasta and bean soup, on many restaurants’ winter menus. More Veneto specialties

Tuscany:

• Fans of great steaks can enjoy the regional specialty, Bistecca Fiorentina, or “steak Florentine.” It’s always a t-bone steak grilled over an open fire and accompanied with a dash of local olive oil. That olive oil, by the way, is considered a great condiment to be sprinkled over bread, steaks, and vegetables.
• Don’t be surprised when you taste Tuscan bread; it’s made without salt. Enjoy it with a generous slice of the local pecorino cheese made from sheeps’ milk. Ricotta is the younger version of the cheese; older, more mature pecorino is hard and sharp to the taste. Some locals add a dollop of honey to a snack of Tuscan bread and pecorino.
• Then there are the wines of Tuscany, especially those from the Brunello, made entirely from the Sangiovese grape and aged for at least four years. While there are dozens of wineries in Tuscany, it’s best to make reservations before visiting. One of the best-known names is the Banfi winery, which boasts a first-rate dining room that, of course, serves Banfi wines during lunch. Advance reservations are a must. For more information on the region.

Campania:

The volcanic soils of Campania combine with a perfect climate to grow the best fruits and vegetables in Italy, which combine with the fruits of the sea for delicious fare.

• Naples: “Naples is pizza and pizza is Naples,” say Neopolitans who demand the very best pizzas from classic, wood-fired ovens. The earliest version of pizza may have been invented by the Greeks, but the first pizzeria was opened in 1830 in Naples. And the Via Port’Alta 18 is still in business. The good folks of Naples are probably most famous for inventing pizza margherita (tomato, mozzarella, basil and olive oil) that was named after Italy’s Queen Margherita more than 100 years ago. Naples is also a city that loves its seafood–clams, mussels, and anything else found in the Mediterranean. Thanks to the region’s San Marzano tomatoes, many seafood dishes feature a tomato sauce. More on Campania

Sicily:

• Here in Italy’s boot, you will find pasta with sardines, fresh fish, a classic Sicilian cake (cassata) made with ricotta cheese and cannoli stuffed with ricotta. The Mediterranean diet was practically invented here, and many of Sicily’s most famous dishes use heart-healthy olive oil generously. The varieties of olive oil are as distinctive as vintages of wine. Compare Carolea with Nocellara oil and you’ll be able to taste the difference. The fresh fruit on the island is splendid and the pastries world-famous.

Roman Civilization

The famous quote attributed to author John Heywood, “Rome was not built in one day,” couldn’t be more true. But, boy, look what they built there! The must-see buildings, relics and monuments of ancient Rome are well known and include the Colosseum, the Roman Forum, the Imperial Forum, Trajan’s Column, Circus Maximus, and the Pantheon. But there are hundreds of other breathtaking structures throughout the city and just outside of Rome that many visitors miss. Here are a few.

• Get Out of Rome: A great day trip from the Eternal City is Ostia Antica, the well-excavated remains of ancient Rome’s old port town. Preserved mosaics will tip you off to some of the kinds of businesses that once operated in the structures whose floor plans you can still see. The entire town will give you a great feel for everyday Roman life.
• Hadrian’s Villa: Second-century Roman Emperor Hadrian didn’t much like city life (and didn’t much trust his political enemies in town), so he built a villa and an incredible residential complex in Tivoli, just outside of Rome. Oh, and he brought about 1,499 of his friends and staff. Even all of these years later, the collection of 30 buildings and various gardens remains worthy of royalty and your attention. You can arrange a day-trip visit to the estate through various tour companies.
• Pompeii and Herculaneum: Both these two Roman towns shared the same fate when, in 79 AD, Mount Vesuvius erupted and buried them in lava and ash. Pompeii is the most famous of the two, and excavations give you a true sense of what Roman life was like in the good times as well as the bad times–or time–when terror rained down on the town. Herculaneum has been as well excavated as Pompeii, and the remains that have been found are in better shape. A commuter train to Pompeii from Naples takes less than 30 minutes. Just make sure you get off in old Pompeii, not the modern city by the same name. And if you do spend time in Naples, don’t miss the city’s incredible archaeological museum that houses many artifacts from Pompeii and Herculaneum.

Art and Architecture in Italy

According to UNESCO, half of the world’s historic and artistic assets are within her boundaries. Wherever you go in Italy you will be surrounded by breathtaking art and architecture.

• Florence: No city in the world is more synonymous with art than Firenze where the entire city seems enveloped in Renaissance culture. The Uffizi Gallery and Michelangelo’s David are two top must-sees here. The Uffizi houses works by Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo and Caravaggio as well as German, Dutch and Flemish masters such as Dürer, Rembrandt and Rubens. Plan on spending some time; the Gallery’s 45 rooms contain about 1,700 paintings, 300 sculptures, 46 tapestries and 14 pieces of furniture and ceramics. Museum officials claim that Uffizi, founded in 1591, was the first museum in the world open to the public.
  Buy tickets for the Uffizi and Galleria dell’Academia, where the David is exhibited, online. Admission to both museums is in 15-minute increments.
• Veneto’s Palladian Villas: In the 16th century, wealthy Venetians turned to architect Andrea Palladio to design their country homes. In his designs, Palladio revolutionized architectural principles. Now referred to as the Palladian style, his distinctive designs gave Venice its classical character. Eighteen of his villas remain and are considered as a whole a World Heritage site. Read more for locations and descriptions of the sites.
• Milan: The Last Supper: Da Vinci’s masterpiece is in the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. Due to preservation efforts, entrances are limited, and the increased interest sparked by the book and movie The Da Vinci Code has made it is essential to reserve at least several weeks ahead. Buy your tickets online. Only 20 people can visit the artwork at a time, for a maximum of 15 minutes.

Opera

Italy is the heart and soul of opera.

• Milan’s La Scala: Officially known as Teatro alla Scala, Milan’s opera house is the very center of the opera world. If you’re not an opera fan, you likely will be after seeing a performance here. The audience is a show in and of itself; don’t be surprised to hear the spectators boo if they find a performance lacking. For a schedule of performances and to buy tickets, go to La Scala’s website.
• Arena di Verona: Taking in an opera at Verona’s world-famous Roman amphitheater ranks as a must for any opera lover. The venue, which holds 22,000 people, is the best preserved structure of its kind. Almost every night during the summer, spectators sit under the stars, holding small candles, continuing a tradition started by the ancient Romans. For tickets go to the Arena website.
• Venice’s La Fenice: Over the course of its history, Venice’s Teatro La Fenice (The Phoenix) has certainly earned its name. After sustaining significant damage from several devastating fires, this opera house has risen from the ashes an astounding three times.
• Puccini Festival: For over half-a-century, this opera great has been celebrated with an open-air summer festival on the banks of Lake Massaciuccoli in Torre de Lago, where Puccini once lived.

Special tour: Sicily

J.W. Goethe wrote in Journey to Italy, “To have seen Italy without having seen Sicily is to have not seen Italy at all, for Sicily is the clue to everything.” An island the size of Vermont, Sicily is Italian of course, but that’s only a more recent development. For thousands of years, Sicily was under the domination of outside forces including the Greeks, Arabs, Romans and Normans. Their influences are layered throughout the Sicilian lifestyle – from the architecture to the cuisine – and combine to create a complex and fascinating place, well worth visiting.

• Palermo: Sicily’s capital city is filled with the architecture of its conquerors as well as chapels, churches, palaces and crypts worth visiting. Most noteworthy, the Palantine Chapel, filled with Greek Byzantine mosaics. Just walking around the city and experiencing “the theater” of everyday life is enjoyable in Palermo.
• Agrigento: A visit to this town is a must as it is home to some of the best-preserved Greek temples in the world, including Greece.
• Siracusa: Roman and Greek Ruins
• Taormina: When you’re ready to relax, head to Taormina. This pretty town is best for shopping and sunbathing (head to the beach at nearby Giardini Naxos), but there’s also a Greek amphitheater worth visiting.
• Best Restaurants: Il Mulinazzo, 45 minutes outside Palermo, considered Sicily’s best restaurant, is a destination unto itself. Also of note, Il Duomo in Ragusa. Its young chef has earned two Michelin stars.

Shopping in Italy

The dollar may not be strong against the euro but shopping in Italy is still worthwhile and for the shopaholics among us, downright exhilarating. Because of rising prices, you will have to look harder for bargains than in years past, but isn’t that half the fun? If you are buying items at a market or dealing directly with the owner or manager of a store, don’t be afraid to negotiate for a sconto (discount), especially if you are paying cash. Italy has two official sale periods, one in mid-January and one in mid-July.

• Fashion: Milan remains Italy’s fashion capital and if you are looking for designer duds or just want to window shop, head to the quadrilatero alla moda. Be sure to check out the Armani Superstore which sells everything from clothing to chocolates.
• Ceramics: Two of Italy’s ceramics centers are Deruta in the region of Umbria and Vietri sul Mare on the Amalfi Coast. Walk down the streets of either of these towns to watch artisans at work and compare designs and prices. Definitely plan on shipping your purchases home.
• Leather: Florence is famous for leather goods – shoes, jackets, purses. The best places to buy these items are in the street markets or at Scuola del Cuoio, where a consortium of leather artisans sell their creations.
• Outlets: If you’re visiting Milan, Florence or Rome, you might consider visiting one of the outlet centers outside the city for the best fashion bargains. Outside Milan, visit the Serravalle Outlet Center. From Florence, rent a car or take a day tour to Prada’s outlet (named Space) and The Mall (which has outlets of many designers including Gucci and Armani). The local outlet mall for Rome is McArthur Glen.
  

  Kathy McCabe

  Eons contributor, TravelDragon Friend!

  Kathy McCabe is the founder, editor and publisher of the subscription travel newsletter, Dream of Italy, The Insider’s Guide to Undiscovered Italy. The four-year-old newsletter has been recommended by Rudy Maxa, USA TODAY, National Geographic Traveler, U.S News & World Report, and American Way (American Airlines). Through her newsletter and media appearances, this Italian travel expert has helped thousands of travelers experience authentic Italy

Costa Rica with its carefully preserved rain forests and extraordinary coastlines is a tropical paradise and ecological wonderland. Below are ten of the top travel experiences in the land of Pura Vida.

Whitewater Rafting

Whether you’re a novice or a river rat, whitewater rafting is one of Costa Rica’s most exciting experiences. For those who prefer smooth sailing, try a float trip down Class II rapids on the Reventazón River offered by Rios Tropicales. The two-hour tour, great for paddlers of all ages, will keep you safely in your boat with little oar work necessary. The bird watching alone is worth the price of admission.

High-spirited travelers might want to opt for an all-day adventure on the Pacuare River offered by Aventuras Naturales. The Pacuare, which begins on the Caribbean side of the country and cuts through the rainforest, is an officially designated Wild and Scenic River. Expect to see a variety of vegetation and wildlife including jaguars, ocelots, monkeys and sloths as well as a plethora of birds and butterflies. When I last took this trip it rained all day, yet I still rank it as my favorite adventure trip of all time.

Sport Fishing

Since I’m not a fisherman, I’m not qualified to argue about where to find the biggest, best or most fish in Costa Rica. I can tell you that every flight I take from St. Louis to Costa Rica has a group of guys coming down for a fishing trip. The Caribbean waters off the villages of Barro del Colorado and Tortugero in the northeast part of Costa Rica are reputed to be home to the best snook and tarpon fishing in the world. On the Pacific coast near the town of Quepos, rumor has it that it’s possible to catch up to nine different species of fish in one day. No matter where you choose to drop your hook, the best source of fishing information is Quepos Sailfishing Charters.

Spotting the Elusive Quetzal

Even if you’re not a birdwatcher, there’s no thrill like spotting the nearly extinct Quetzal bird high in Costa Rica’s cloud-forested mountains. The best place to catch a glimpse of one is in the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve run by the Tropical Science Center, the first nonprofit ecological organization in Costa Rica. The iridescent beauty of the Quetzal’s plumage distinguishes it as one of the most beautiful birds in the Americas. Sadly, its natural habitat is being destroyed as land is cleared for agriculture. Costa Rica, however, has a well developed and managed national park system to protect the Quetzal and other wildlife threatened with extinction.

Arenal Volcano

One of my most memorable experiences in Costa Rica was lying in my bed at Los Lagos Resort listening to the rumbling of the Arenal Volcano, which I could’ve sworn was right outside my door. At 5,437 feet, Arenal is the youngest and most active of Costa Rica’s five active volcanoes. Its largest eruption in 1968 wiped out two towns and everything else within 15 kilometers. Three to 20 new eruptions occur daily, so in 2001 the government established a 5.5-kilometer buffer zone around the crater to restrict construction of homes and tourist attractions. While you’re there, take a day to relax at either the Tabacon or Baldi hot springs. My son and his wife honeymooned in Costa Rica and reported their daytrip to Tabacón was the highlight of their trip.

Coffee Plantations

A visit to Costa Rica is not complete without a tour to one of the country’s many coffee plantations. One of the most beautiful scenic drives in Costa Rica is the mountain route from Santa Elena and the Monteverde Cloud Forest to the coffee plantations where the rich earth colors of the soil contrast with the bright green coffee plants. Coffee is one of Costa Rica’s primary exports, but the growers also work hard to protect the environment in the process. Take a day tour from San Jose to the coffee farms of Café Britt or Doka Estate. My favorite coffee is Monteverde Cloud Forest, not only because of its rich taste but also because a portion of every sale goes to support the protection of the fragile ecosystems of the cloud forest.

Rainforest Aerial Tram and Canopy Tour

In 1994, a visionary nature lover opened the Rainforest Aerial Tram to educate tourists about the rainforest and its ecosystems from high above the tree canopy without compromising the fragile ecosystem down below. Hang with the monkeys and your family and friends in a gondola or ride solo on the zip line. Either way, you’ll gather lots of educational information about the rainforest and its inhabitants. Check out other canopy tours at The Original Canopy Tour or Dream Forest Canopy.

Visit the Bri Bri in the Jungle

This is one of the richest cultural experiences in Costa Rica. The Bri Bri indigenous tribe of the village of Yorkin in the south Caribbean rainforest near the Panamanian border welcomes you for a day, a week, or as long as you’d like to stay. Getting there is not easy, but once you’ve arrived, you’ll hear the story of how the women of Yorkin saved their village and their people by creating an eco-tourism business consistent with the culture that has sustained them for thousands of years. The tribe doesn’t have a website, but you can get more information by e-mailing me. Or you can e-mail Marcelo Ruiz at Hotel La Diosa in Cahuita. The Kekoldi tribe in the same general region offer shorter and more easily accessible tours. Visit them at www.kekoldi.org.

Turtle Watching

My daughter worked for a turtle conservation and community development organization in Costa Rica for a year or so, which gave me my first opportunity to see a giant Leatherback sea turtle lay its eggs on the beach. I could write an entire article about that amazing experience. The Leatherback, Hawksbill and Green turtles primarily nest on the beaches around Tortugero in the northeast and Gandoca in the southeast near Panama. The nonprofit association ANAI, which operates a field station in Gandoca, has great information on its website.
More info: Lodging, volunteer opportunities, guides and more in Tortugero

Beaches, Beaches, Beaches

There’s nothing like lying on the beach with a good book, and Costa Rica is the perfect place to do just that. With two coasts, there’s a beach within reach no matter where you are. On the Pacific side, I like Manuel Antonio near the town of Quepos. Although this area is fairly developed, it has managed to keep its beaches pristine. Manuel Antonio National Park runs from the beach to high in the jungle and has a breathtaking lookout. For surfing on the Pacific, try the beaches at Dominical and Jacó. On the Caribbean side, all the beaches south of Limón are exquisite. The beaches at Cahuita National Park, Punta Uva, Playa Cocles and Manzanillo with their white sand and coral reefs rival any in the Caribbean. Both Costa Rica Link and Go Visit Costa Rica provide good information.

Snorkeling and Scuba Diving

The giant barrier reef off the southern Caribbean coast offers some of the best diving and snorkeling in the world. The warm Caribbean waters of Cahuita National Park and Manzanillo Wildlife Refuge provide 150-foot visibility and an abundance of marine life. Aquamor Talamanca Adventures in Manzanillo is the place to go. On the Pacific side, Isla del Cano in the Southern Pacific region and Isla del Coco off the northwest Pacific coast are also noteworthy. Costa Rica Uncovered offers information on the best diving spots along with tour information.

Travel Time: September

Reviewer Background: This was my first visit to Vietnam.

Review:

I spent a week in Northern Vietnam (Hanoi, Sa Pa and Halong Bay) traveling with a guide from HandSpan and checking out the area for a potential tour. The beginning of my trip was an overnight train to to the SaPa region. The train journeys itself was an experience. Fortunately I was moved to the new Tulico Carriage and avoided sharing a small train cabin with 3 men. I guess I’m getting a bit spoiled and prefer some level of privacy or at least to share with people I know or other women . Most higher end western tourist book the Victoria Express (Orient) carriages. However, you need to stay at the Victoria Hotels (the package is for the hotel and the train (and very expensive).

SaPa is a wonderful area though I realize the term “eco-tourism” is used a bit too lightly. There are many issues to consider around homestays and touring local villages to “visit” some of the fifty-four distinct ethnolinguistic minorities recognized in Vietnam. The walks, through local paths used to connect villages and rice fields, are great as long as you jump out of the way of motor-scooters which make their way through even the muddiest of trails and have become the mountain bikes of the hill country.

My homestay experience was good though I am not confident that this is an experience my guests (generally boomers) would enjoy. The family was wonderful (the mayor of the village and his wife hosted me for dinner). The accommodations very basic. What I find lacking is the education around what to expect and what is appropriate behavior while staying at these homes. How to use the bathrooms, eating protocol, greetings etc. The EcoLodge I stayed at for one night was lovely yet had it’s own issues to deal with: how are they really interacting and supporting the local community and the environment? Is building a spa and offering European food (the bread was great!) appropriate?

The people in the area really are lovely….and the further away from the villages you get the more authentic the experience.

The Red Dzao is one of the ethnic groups that live in the north of Vietnam. Their name denotes the use red to decorate their clothing. There are two unique features of this tribe. The first is that you can know how rich a woman is by the size of her hat. The second is that to be beautiful it is thought that women should have as little body hair as possible…thus they often shave their hair and eyebrows.

Black Hmong and Red Dzao live in neighboring villages in this region. An interesting feature of Black Hmong women is to bind the calves with material and leather string to hold it in place. This is thought to prevent this area from growing large and muscular. Small calves (and feet) are a sign of beauty for women. Black Hmong like to wear their hair over the crown of their heads. Often wigs made of horse’s tail are used to add more body to the bun and then wrap it to form a tall “pin box” type hat.

It was told to me that women generally marry around the age of 16, at that time men often “steal” these young women and bring them to their homes. If the woman refuses to eat for three days she is let go to return to her home. Should she take food, she is “accepting” of the man and will likely marry.

This minority group is also said to pick up languages very quickly. Many of the women selling textiles in town have picked up English and possibly French from the tourists and may end up becoming local guides.

I met this woman during a walk to the village of Ta Phin,Ta Phin, a lush valley nine miles out of Sapa near Sapa and spent the morning with she and her friends, visiting one woman’s home and watching the rice harvest.

During the Rice Harvest…I hit it just right!

HandSpanTopaz Eco Lodge

Lodging Details:

In Spa I stayed at Chau Long Hotel (new wing) in Sapa before heading out for my homestay experience in the Tay village. I then on to the Topaz Eco Loge (aprox one hour drive from Sapa).