Safari Galore!

As people love to explore new places and indulge in various activities, varieties of entertainments and sports are arranged for tourists at many renowned holiday spots. From the regular park safaris to desert safaris or dune bashing, diverse safaris are the current fad.

South Africa is the land of safari adventures and tourists to this country will find different safari packages offered to them. The hub of adventure sports in Africa, the Kruger National Park is located here. A safari at this park is an opportunity to spot the Big Five of animals such as Lion, Rhino, Elephant, Buffalo and Leopard and the Little Five comprising elephant shrew, buffalo weaver, leopard tortoise, ant lion and Rhino beetle along with the Big Six of birds. 

In Spain tourists can enjoy a multitude of safaris. Costa Blanca in Spain has Safari Parks where tourists will find animals roam around freely. There are lots of fresh water lagoons in Costa Blanca thanks to which tourists can go on fishing safari that lasts up to a week. Quad bike safari at Costa del Sol is exciting as it gives tourists the chance to explore the countryside. A trip to Costa de la Luz will be thrilling to kids as they enjoy Dolphin safari offered at this place.

In Mauritius tourists can go for a safari with lions at the Casela Nature & Leisure Park. Known as “Lion Encounter”, this activity is enjoyed by adventure lovers who take pride in enjoying the company of the King of the Jungle.

Monte Gordo, is a fishing town in Portugal, located near the Spanish border. This tourist spot offers jeep safari, wherein visitors can explore the charming Portugal-Spain border. 

The enchanting Krabi, is a great holiday destination in Thailand. Blessed with beaches and pristine islands, Krabi is voted as the most picturesque location in Thailand. At Krabi tourists can enjoy elephant safari, which is also provided by many hotels in this place for its guests.  

Eco safari is an activity enjoyed by tourists in Mexico. Mexico allures its visitors with beaches, spas and golf courses which seep in greenery. The natural wonders and ancient monuments are best explored during the eco safari in Mexico.  

Bird Watching Locations

This new year we received a desktop calendar of WWF from a friend. The beautiful calendar features birds along with scientific names and descriptions of their habitats. After going through it I could identify some of the ‘tiny nameless birds’ that I had mentioned in my earlier writings(http://soniajohn.blogspot.in/2010/12/my-feathered-companions.html). Two days back I was taking a walk on the terrace when a small bird flew across from the thicket. Startled by the unexpected intrusion in its flying space by me the bird chirped, flipped and flew back to perch on a tree. The shiny purple bird provided a picture of stark contrast amongst the tender green leaves. I recognized it as the purple sunbird which, very coincidently, is the bird of March in the calendar. This bird is usually seen during spring season and it feeds on nectar from flowers. In the process these birds help in pollination.

Scientific Name: Cinnyris Asiaticus.

There are many bird watching locations across the world for bird lovers who like to travel any extend to pursue their hobby.  

Mauritius is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Black River Gorge is the largest national park of this island nation. This park houses rare and endangered species of birds. Another place in Mauritius to spot birds is the Casela Bird Park. 

The Big Six of birds, the lappet faced vulture, fishing owl, marital eagle, ground hornbill, kori bustard and saddle-bill stork, are found at the Kruger National Park in South Africa which is a great place for bird watching

The Rio Formosa National Park at Moncarapacho in Portugal is an excellent bird watching location.

In Gulf of Papagayo tourists will find the half moon conure or orange fronted parakeet aplenty along with other exotic birds.

Liberia, an important city of Costa Rica has lots of natural wonders and forests making it great for bird watching.

St. Lucia, an island in the Caribbean Sea is blessed with rain forests where tourists will spot rare tropical birds.

Isla Contoy, located near Cancun is a national park and a bird sanctuary where exotic species of birds are found.

  

Amazing Activities

Tourists on holidays to scenic locations indulge in sports and activities available at these places. Adventure sports, water sports and land sports are the major categories. In mountainous regions mountain biking, hiking, rock climbing etc are the major adventure sports.

Deep water soloing (DWS) or psicobloc is an adventure rock climbing sport where people scale the rock alone. The only protection is the water body present at the base of such steep cliffs. Majorca, the Spanish Balearic Island, is famous for this sport. 
  

Cancun is a renowned holiday destination which has excellent diving spots. Located near Cancun is Isla Mujeres which has a thrilling diving spot called the ’cave of the sleeping sharks.’ This enigmatic cave is the abode of sharks that stay still which are very unlikely of these marine creatures. Divers can get really close to watch these sharks.

Alanya, a costal town in Antalya region of turkey has caves which are supposed to heal certain respiratory diseases. These caves are some of the major tourist attractions of this town. Writing about caves brings to mind the caves of Majorca which are unique with varied formations. Coves del Drac located in Porto Cristo in Majorca has the credit of housing the world’s largest subterranean lake, Lake Martel, in it. 

Interesting Beaches

Global beach holiday destination choices are vast. Thailand, Mauritius, Spain etc are some of the numerous places where tourists can find picturesque beaches.

Playa Conchal located in Costa Rica’s Guanacaste province is supposed to be the most beautiful beach in the country. The pink coloured sand that covers the shore is actually powdered conchas or shells washed ashore from the sea. The beach got its name from the conchas. Located in the Pacific Coastline, Playa Conchal is encircled by nature reserves.

Tamarindo beach in Guanacaste is a place where wild life mingles fearlessly with humans. The abode of endangered leather back turtles, this beach is famous for turtle watching.  

           

The Soufriere Bay, located in Soufriere in St. Lucia is a quiet beach that is ideal for tranquil holidays. Soufriere is a fishing town where tourists will find a drive in volcano which has sulfur springs.

Located along River Maya in Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula is Playa Paraiso beach which is beautiful and has excellent facilities for many water sports.

Mellieha Bay in Malta has the country’s longest beach where shore diving is a major activity. This scenic beach is surrounded by villages which add to its charm.

The Antalya Region in Turkey has some beaches with interesting names. The beaches named Lara, Cleopatra, Kaputas and Belek offer great beach holidays to tourists.

Hua Hin, the oldest beach resort in Thailand has a five mile long beach which is the favourite of the elite of Thailand. Numerous golf courses are located near the beach.

Grand Baie, a former fishing village turned upscale beach resort in Mauritius is famous for the water sports it offers. Sea trek at Grand Baie is a different sport that tourists enjoy here. Glass bottom boat trip in Grand Baie, a usual activity at most beach resorts across the world, is a great way to explore the marine environment.

Volcano Built Islands

Sao Jorge is an island belonging to Portugal’s Azores Archipelago located in Atlantic Ocean. Azores is considered to be the best whale watching destination in the world. The islands of this Archipelago are supposed to be formed by volcanic activities. The Fajas of Sao Jorge are lava built plains where the towns are located. The picturesque Fajas of this island are core to its tourism. A nature park in Sao Jorge features an underground lake and a cave.    

Sao Miguel, another of Azores Islands, known as ‘Green Island’, has lots of unique natural wonders. The interiors of this island being occupied by craters and volcanoes, most of the towns are located near the coast. The most beautiful island of the entire Azores Archipelago, Sao Miguel has a village located inside a crater. Another amazing fact about this island is that it has underground ovens! People cook food in pits which are heated by underground volcanoes.   

Gulf of Papagayo located in the Northwest Pacific Coast abounds in birds. The name itself means gulf of parrots. The Gulf is a part of the volcanic eruption built Papagayo Peninsula. A nature park in this place houses a volcano with steaming craters. This region is a great surfing destination.

A slice of Nature

Bindu, you asked whether there is really a jungle near by my home. Jungle is an exaggeration from my side to describe the slice of nature that we are ensconced in. But as you said this is a luxury that we enjoy right in the middle of a city. Different kinds of trees dot the place. I have mentioned in my earlier writing about the greenery which is a haven of birds, bees, squirrels etc. You have heard of plucking flowers but have you ever seen plucking jackfruits from the tree? This is possible at my place. Remember what a strenuous effort it was and still is, in our village. As a writer who researches mostly on travel, I have come across many exotic bird watching locations. Well, this place can be called a mini bird watching location. I have once spotted a peahen sitting on top of a building next to my home. There is a green but barren field nearby, where I take my kids for a walk at times. While writing about many holiday locations I have come across some interesting facts about certain places which I will share in my next writings.   

A View from the Terrace

Concrete jungle converges in ease with lush greenery; the view from the terrace. It is relaxing and de stressing. Flowered mango trees play harbinger to spring. They seem to be proud as its ilk around are still shedding. The small jungle on one side is a place to spot monkeys, birds, peacocks and not to mention the occasional amygdala stimulating, snakes. The sky is dotted with winged creatures both live and electronic. The jet planes leave silver trails all along. Eagles never seem to cease aviating. Flock of pigeons darts by. The concrete side, occupied by structures of different sizes and colours, stands in sharp contrast. Plastic tanks, cell towers and dish antennas adorn the roof tops. Blasts of horns from the busy roads are complemented by the tweets of birds. It is a blend of many contradictions with a charm of its own.