Storm Target

Unfortunately, Ro Lagartos lies almost bulls-eye in the center of the path taken by many storms during the Atlantic and Caribbean hurricane season. The reserve has suffered 13 direct hits by hurricanes in the last half-century, the most recent of which edged sufficiently inland to damage many communities in the vicinity of Ro Lagartos, San Felipe, and Las Coloradas. Sadly, there isn’t much that can be done to protect the natural environment from the effects of a hurricane, although better weather radar and hurricane prediction would surely save human lives, and prevent severe damage to the surrounding towns and villages.

Deforestation

One arena in which human intervention could play a pivotal role concerns the health of Ro Lagartos’s tropical forests. Because it is bordered by several large communities, the preserve’s jungles have come under attack from the logging and farming industries, and over 7,000 acres of these verdant, lush environments have been erased, stripped of their valuable wood and converted into farmland for supporting the surrounding human settlements. Even the stately and precious mangrove forests have not been spared from the greedy saws and axes of the lumber mills, which pay little attention to the long-term survival of the preserve’s delicately balanced ecosystem. This is a man-made problem, which could be rectified by placing reasonable constraints on the growth of towns and cities near to the preserve, as well as instituting urban planning to reduce the need for existing communities to sprawl out unimpeded beyond their present boundaries.

Overfishing

Another way that human consumption has negatively impacted Ro Lagartos has to do with activity in the water, where the abundance of beautiful :and delicious :sea life has long been taken for granted. Subsistence farmers and those in dire financial straits have relied more and more on the bounty of the lagoon and its surrounding sea for sustenance in recent years, and as the human population burgeons, this has sorely depleted the numbers of creatures that once swam in huge shoals throughout the preserve’s crystalline waters. Animals like the milk conch, clam, mullet, and octopus have all experienced severe decline in numbers as a result of overfishing and poaching, sometimes even via the use of explosives or dynamite. More rigid enforcement of fishing laws, as well as more officers to supervise the area, might have some effect, but a long-term solution can only include a check on human expansion and an increase in financial solubility for the people living in the region.

Poorly Planned Roads

Yet another method by which man is unwittingly destroying the Ro Lagartos preserve is through his lack of foresight in constructing new roads. This problem dovetails with the deforestation and overfishing issues, as it is a direct result of unchecked expansion and lack of planning. Roads within and near the preserve, especially those on the coast and in the southern regions, are built without proper drainage, instead making use of perpendicular wave-breaks which alters and disrupt the water’s natural pathways through the preserve. This changes the water level in different areas of the preserve, and tips the balance of the salt level within the soil. This in turn puts much of the vegetation, including the mangrove forests, in direct jeopardy. Therefore, when constructing new roads, more attention must be paid heir long-term effects on the ecosystem, and all construction should be planned with a mind towards preserving the natural flow and balance of waterways in the preserve, first and foremost.

The inspiration for this article came from the article What Are Eco Tours? as on 2adventuretravel.com. Read more on Eco Tourism.

The hardest work is to be the leader of the reunion. The whole process of preparation and organization that is involved can be overwhelming. That is why I Came up with a quick list of what you can do to minimize your stress level and enjoy the experience!

1. Find a neutral yet adventure-filled location that will suit everyone!

2. Send out the invites: email (for younger generations), snail mail (for older generations), telephone (for confirmation).

3. Create a family reunion website. Once it’s up and running, make sure to let everyone know (the traditional way) that it exists.

4. Destination reunions are almost like group travel. Make sure you have lots of family time like meals and gatherings together. However, when planning activities have options for different ages and interests. Plus, don’t forget to include independent travel days (usually added at the end of the trip for people to do some traveling alone or with close family members).

5. A great thing to do is to arrange a lot of activities and games during the reunion. Lucky for you, that’s what Travel Experta does and everything will be included in the final price per person, so there are no surprises or hidden costs.

6. You can arrange giving family reunion souvenirs such as T-shirts, mugs, scrapbooks etc.

7. Another great idea is to organize themed reunions.

8. Some people like to organize theme reunions. This can be done regardless where you travel in the world. Almost all hotels will work with you to make sure everything is just right for you and your family.

9. And why not arranging souvenirs for everyone such as: T-shirts, mugs, scrapbooks etc.

10. Always arrange the hotel rooms in the same floor. I highly recommend that families and individuals get their own room, unless they specify that they want shared accommodations.

Role of the Group Leader

1. The main advantage of doing a destination family reunion is that as a group leader, you can work close to a specialist who does the most of the organization and preparation. So the group leader’s role would mainly be to communicate the family’s desires to the agent.

2. Being a group leader means: discounts for making a group travel package for the family! Plus, the group leader gets to enjoy the trip for free.

3. Being a group leader means lots of perks. For one, making a group travel package means big discounts for the family! Plus, the group leader gets to enjoy the trip for free.

What to bring:

1. Cameras

2. Interesting memories to share with the family

3. Family home videos

4. Photo albums of past reunions or special events that took place for everyone to share

5. Games for the family to join in

These family reunions are able to build friendship and relationship bonds that may last lifetimes and generations. It helps providing stability and identity for the children and reaffirming the ones that the adults already have.

Costa Rica is known for its beauty, nature and lots of family activities making it a great option for these kind of travels.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, has been living in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She has traveled here extensively. Now loves organizing vacations to this amazing part of the world, having first hand experience of all the places with her family. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

UNIVERSITIES

It is known as for the bright and also for not-so bright minds that if you are visiting a town where you can find universities, they are definitely worth checking out because. Here are some reasons:

It is a great idea and a great way to learn about local culture to see local students attend school and basically to see how their lives are.

In these places you will always find a lot of advertisement for upcoming events, concerts and fun stuffs. This means you will find out about many interesting events.

If you have a child, they get to run free without worrying about a car running them over! This is because Universities usually have big open areas.

Another great reason is the Cafeteria food! Who can say no to some good cafeteria food? And it is cheap as well!

Each and every educational facility houses beautiful gardens and interesting buildings. These are usually open to general public and can be a wealth of information. It doesn’t matter which language you speak in, the places are written in bold letters.

I guarantee you to have a stimulating day, full of activities and local culture. It doesn’t matter which language you speak in, the places are written in bold letters.

Marina K. Villatoro, the Travel Experta, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. Having first hand experience of all the places with her family, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

Next comes a four-star world class hotel – Aruba Sands, located in the center of Broadbeach. You may have heard about the hustle and bustle of this hotel, yet it is a place on the quiet side of the street. The Oasis Shopping center, Kurrawa Surf Club as well as a patrolled swimming area are just three of the reasons you would want to go there for.

The hotels in Airlie Beach are spacious and provide you with world class dinning facilities. Most hotels in Airlie Beach offer endless recreational activities. Some of the luxury hotels and resorts include Coral Sea Resort, Comfort Resort Club Crocodile, Island Gateway Holiday Park, and Whitsunday Terraces.

You will find a restaurant and bars in almost each and every hotel of the city. Banquet facilities and well resourced conference halls are provided too. Azure Sea Grand Mercury Apartments, Blue Horizon Resort, and Waterfront Whitsunday Apartments have become very popular in recent years.

The above mentioned hotels and resorts are the among the best Queensland has to offer. Since Australia is one of the most popular tourist destinations, there are numerous beautiful places to stay which include Tropical North Queensland, Fraser Coast, Townsville, Mackay and Sunshine Coast which are all top notch Queensland accommodation. Holidays in Queensland are – of course – not restricted to what has been mentioned above. Rather, the areas in and around about Queensland are surrounded by a host of wonderful holiday escape destinations which offer some of the most exotic and intriguing experiences to any adventure seeking tourist.

For reviews of Airlie Beach hotels please click on the link where you can learn more about Airlie Beach Australia.

Although you may not even have known it exists the leatherback sea turtle probably is the most amazing animal on the planet. It is one of only six remaining species of marine turtle, and uncounted eons in the past its forebears walked the earth on four legs. About a hundred ten million years ago, its legs and feet evolved into massive flippers and it began to populate the Seven Seas, or, more accurately, the sea, because the Seven Seas did not exist that long ago.

Mother Earth was a very different place way back then. The Himalayas of Tibet did not exist that long ago. Indeed, there would be no Himalayas for sixty five million more years. Antarctica was joined to Australia when the first leatherbacks took to the sea and would not uncouple from it for about thirty million more generations of these sea animals. South America remained near West Antarctica. Another eighty million years would pass before Antarctica would turn into the frigid continent we see. The South Atlantic Ocean was still forming. Indeed, not only were there no Seven Seas way back then, there were not seven continents, either.

They lived during the Age of Dinosaurs. Actually, they were here millions of years before the first dinosaur left its footprint. They were swimming the oceans 400,000 centuries before the awesome T Rex made its debut. Yes, you read it correctly, 400,000 centuries. This incredible species of animal outlived the dinosaurs and even survived the greatest mass extinction the world has ever experienced.

Perhaps you learned in science class that whales and dolphins were animals that used to be terrestrial but now are found in the ocean. But, porpoises and whales are mammals (whose closest relative is the hippopotamus) that did not exist until millions of years after the last dinosaur passed away. Sea turtles had already been swimming in the sea for fifty million years before these mighty mammalian leviathans first left land for the water.

Leatherbacks are big turtles weighing as much as a ton. This is not exaggerated because one, captured in Wales tipped the scales at 1,980 pounds. And, despite its size, this great creature survived the extraordinary and terrible mass extinction that brought about the destruction of the dinosaurs. For that reason alone it might be considered the most amazing animal on the globe. But, there is more.

Consider this: the world marveled, and properly so, at Michael Phelps’s 200 meter freestyle world swimming record. But, as fast as he covered that length, a huge leatherback, weighing about as much as the entire offensive line of a professional football team, would swim a thousand meters. In fact, this sea turtle is listed in the 1992 Guinness Book of World Records as the fastest reptile on earth!

This marine speed demon is also a marathoner of epic proportions and may migrate farther than any other creature alive today. One of these turtles was tracked by scientists migrating 13,000 miles.

Are you getting convinced this is the most amazing animal yet? Hold on, there is more. Besides being the world’s fastest reptile and maybe the world’s greatest long-distance marathon swimmer, it regularly does something Man has never accomplished. It can dive nearly 4,000 feet deep in the ocean. At that depth pressure approaches two thousand pounds per square inch. How much pressure is that? Well, it has been estimated that today’s best nuclear attack submarines would crush at about 2,400 feet. Even the world’s best technology and strongest metal and composite materials are no match for the diving ability of a one hundred million year old race of creatures we imagine primitive.

There is also another amazing fact. Except where Man has killed them off, leatherbacks swim all tropical and subtropical waters on earth. But, it is jaw-dropping that they have been seen as far north as the Arctic Circle and as far south as Africa’s Cape of Good Hope and even New Zealand where waters are as cold as 40 degrees fahrenheit. Yet, even though they are like all reptiles, cold blooded, they stay warm and comfortable because they can maintain a body temperature as much as 32 degrees higher than the surrounding water.

Disastrously, in literally the last three decades, this magnificent animal has been decimated in numbers and is in danger of extinction. In 1980, Mexico boasted two-thirds leatherbacks on earth. By 2005, its leatherback population had plummeted 99%, a catastrophe by any measure. In far off Malaysia, on beaches that once had 10,000 leatherback nests a year, there were two nestings in 2008. Never underestimate the power of Man’s stupidity, rapaciousness, and destructiveness. The Angels are surely weeping.

Today, more than 100 countries and hundreds of conservation groups are fighting to stem the decline of this magnificent being but it remains to be seen if this most ancient of all creatures can survive your generation and mine.

If you are considering a Costa Rica vacation, be sure to visit one of its world-famous sea turtle parks or reserves. Tortuguero National Parkis on its Caribbean coast and is home to the largest green sea turtle nesting on earth. Travel Costa Rica west to the Pacific and you’ll see the largest nesting invasion of olive ridley sea turtles on earth. Leatherbacks nest at many Costa Rica beaches.

If you were asked to pick the place with the highest satisfaction of life and happiness, where would you choose? Hint: Disneyworld which brags it is the “happiest place on earth” did not make the finals (or the list for that matter). It is officially tiny Costa Rica, winner of the Happy Planet Index as the most satisfying place to live on the planet.

The Index measures three factors in 143 countries, encompassing 99 percent of the population on the planet: high life expectancy, high life satisfaction, and a low ecological footprint. Costa Rica came out on top by a large margin.

The Happy Planet Index asked three questions: 1. What is a person’s life expectancy ( premise: it is better to live longer than die young)? 2. While alive, how satisfied are people with the quality of their life (premise: living longer but miserably is not very satisfying)? 3. How much does a country cost the planet (premise: sustainable development is better than exhausting resources and has less effect on global warming) ?

Like me, you probably assume that the richest nations will come in towards the top but that is not the case. Despite its wealth and power, the United States sits at number 114. England does better but still only ranks 74th.

The difference between Costa Rica and the USA is striking. Costa Ricans live longer than Americans (health care is nationalized, nearly free, and universal in Costa Rica), report much higher levels of life satisfaction (they are very happy with their life), and yet have a carbon footprint which is less than a quarter the size of the States.

Costa Rica reached the top of the rankings for many reasons. The country does not just talk about sustainable development, it is committed to it. While the developed world and rising powers of China and India rely upon nonrenewable resources (think oil) for power while contributing to serious global pollution and global warming, an incredible 99% of Costa Rica’s energy is completely renewable and sustainable. As the States and other developed countries dither about how to address power needs, chase more and more resources to use up, and argue about the challenges of global warming, tiny Costa Rica has been taking action. Even as more and more of the world is being deforested, there are 20% more forested areas in Costa Rica than just 20 years ago. And, though there may be large oil deposits off its shores, the country has ignored its Siren Song and refuses to allow oil drilling. Also, it is the first, and so far the only, country to commit to being completely carbon neutral by 2021.

Costa Rica’s per capita income is only a fraction of that of the United States and other western countries but its ranking at number 1 in all the world is a model to emulate.

Outdoor adventure travel services open the door to many opportunities and activities for the adventure-seeking traveler. The good news is that you should have no problem finding these services near you, and you may be surprised to learn that most packages are reasonably priced and fairly affordable. An outdoor adventure travel provider can also provide useful information if you do not know where the best opportunities for adventure are or, at least, some destinations for adventure you would never have thought of on your own.

The Internet is another great source of information to explore where you can find many websites listing outdoor adventure travel service providers. Since adventure travel does not cost as much as you may think, you can enjoy the benefits of many travel specials or deals these providers may offer. You can also learn useful tips for outdoor adventure travel that will be help regardless of where you travel to help you get the most from your adventure.

There are so many activities from which you could choose when it comes to outdoor adventure travels. If you are not sure what you want to do, or just can’t decide, outdoor adventure travel service providers can help you narrow it down whether by activity, budget, interest or geographic location. Good service providers will lead you to find exotic overseas locations or even interesting, not-yet discovered places nearby. You can also receive some good information regarding safety while on adventure travels which is even more important than in conventional traveling because some activities and locations can actually cause harm if you do not know how to protect yourself from it.

Another option the outdoor adventure travel service may suggest is to travel with a group. There are adventure travel groups available which can ensure safety since there will be more travelers wherever the adventuring leads. A good tip to also keep in mind is to drink bottled whatever no matter what place you choose from hiking in Colorado or taking the train from Alicante to Madrid. This way you can be sure you are drinking only clean water, as clean water is not available everywhere and, actually, rarely, on these trips.

These tips can help ensure your outdoor adventure is safe, enjoyable and everything you anticipated. Be sure to contact an outdoor adventure travel service provider and see where your next adventure could take you!

Adventure Travel Requires Extra Planning

You know you want to go on an adventure travel trip, but before you select the tour you will be taking, there are some things you need to know about yourself, and the kind of travel you are considering. First you need to know that there is some risk involved in this kind of travel. Often you will be going off the beaten path and may be far from help, if you need it. This is something that does not sit well with some people. You need to know how to take care of your safety, and about the importance of teamwork since a number of you will be working together on this trip. You also need to know what you’re up for, before you go.

The first thing to do is an honest bodily assessment. How much are you really up to doing when it comes to physical activity on this trip. A lot of people talk big and think they can take on the world, but they may not make it well through a real adventure travel tour. You can see many new places and experience adventure travel with varying levels of physical activity. So, you need to decide what you do and don’t want to do. Do you want to be in a situation where you may have to hike 5 miles or more? How about some rock climbing or kayaking? These are all the kinds of things you have to consider as you decide which adventure travel trip to take.

Have you really considered how much you want to pack into your trip? Do you want to try to see and do everything in the region you are visiting, maybe visiting numerous countries over a few days or would you prefer a more leisurely pace of taking in things as you travel.

Take your budget into account. We do not all have endless pocketbooks that we can pull money from for our trips, so there is a budget you need to think about. When you are looking at your trip options, think of your budget and remember to add in any costs that are not included in the trip package itself, such as getting to the starting destination, or items you will need to take with you on the trip. You do not want to cause yourself stress about the trip you are going to take to relax.

As you consider tour operators for your adventure travel trip, make sure to talk to them about their terms and conditions for the trip. You should ask them to give you a written copy of those terms before you sign anything. If you are looking through a number of companies, you may be able to get them to mail their policies to you, so you can look over them as you narrow down your options.

You also need to make sure you know what their refund policy is. While you are planning on going on the trip, something could come up that keeps you from being able to once the time comes.