Must Travel

Travel Safety Tips

admin — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:10:21 +0000

Anywhere you plan to travel in the world there are common sense safety precautions you should put into practice. In some places more safety awareness is required than in others. Obviously areas with state of war or political upheaval should be avoided at all cost. Generally speaking, regular vacation destinations and tourist areas will have enhanced security as this is a country’s source of revenue that governments are very interested in protecting. In some countries nearly their entire economy is based on tourism. But this in of itself does not guarantee safety.

If you are planning to visit a vacation destination, and especially if you will be traveling outside the resort area, then here are some tips for safe and enjoyable travel:

1. Avoid areas that are known to be dangerous, or areas that are quiet and without people, especially at night.

2. Do not draw attention to yourself by wearing expensive jewelry, carrying and openly using electronic gadgets (i.e. cell phones, tablets, etc.), driving luxury vehicles, or anything else that might attract attention to you as possible robbery target.

3. Do not draw attention to yourself by behaving unwisely. Many people who travel to a foreign country let their morals down feeling that the consequences of their actions will not follow them home. For example, they may abuse alcohol in public or try illegal substances or activities they would never attempt back home. This can easily lead to unwanted and unnecessary confrontations with hooligans and/or criminal elements. This is a false sense of freedom.

4. Respect the local law and culture. Some cultures are very conservative and view people clad in provocative outfits as insulting or worse. Frivolously breaking the law can also put you in conflict with law enforcement that may be corrupt or citizens who are offended by your actions.

5. Treat locals as you want them to treat you. Do not display even an appearance of having the air of superiority. Do not put people down just because they don’t speak your language well. This will only open you up to retaliation by the wrong person. Treat others with respect and you will win their respect.

We should never take safety when traveling for granted, not even in one’s own country. The above 5 safety tips will keep you personally safe on your next vacation. In future articles we will look at other safety tips when traveling with children, food safety, and others.

Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching

admin — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 00:02:28 +0000

There are many tour options available in Puerto Vallarta. But one that you should not miss is whale watching. On our tour we had at least five sightings of whales, as many as three together, and one of dolphins.

The tour guide said that normally you don’t see that many whales in a single tour, so probably you will not see that many but you never know. Below are some images of what you may be able to encounter.

Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching

These are humpback whales. Adults range in length from 12–16 metres (39–52 ft) and weigh approximately 36,000 kilograms (79,000 lb). The humpback whales come to Puerto Vallarta waters from Alaska to breed and give birth. We also saw dolphins:

Puerto Vallarta Whale Watching

The dolphins we saw were bottlenose dolphins. These are the most common and popular members of the dolphin family and recognized as among the most intelligent mammals on earth.

Costa Rica Frogs

admin — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 19:32:29 +0000

If you have seen posters or fliers promoting Costa Rica travel then you have likely seen frogs on many or some of them. This is because frogs are a national symbol of Costa Rica, in particular the Red-eye Tree Frog, seen in one of the photos below. This type of frog is as identifiable with Costa Rica as the maple leaf or beaver in Canada or the eagle in United States. If you are turned of by frogs you have seen in your area or when camping, do not let this prejudice turn you off from seeing these creatures at a wildlife preserve in Costa Rica. You will be surprised, and very likely impressed, by the sheer variety of frogs and how beautiful some of them are.

There are some 175 species of amphibians in Costa Rica, and 85% of them are frogs. You will be amazed at the variety of frogs in Costa Rica. Besides the Red-eye Tree frog, you will find Poisno Dart Frogs, the semitransparent glass frog, the large Smoky Jungle Frog, and many more.

Red-eye Tree Frog of Costa Rica

Foothill Stream Toads of Costa Rica

Leaf frogs mating

Poison Dart frog

Red Poison Arrow

Where to see frogs? You can see many of the variety of frogs in one place at the La Paz wildlife conservatory in the province of Alajuela, Costa Rica.

La Paz Waterfall

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 17:26:48 +0000

La Paz Waterfall, Costa Rica

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La Paz waterfall, or Catarata de La Paz in Spanish, truly lives up to its name. Paz means peace, so it is The Waterfall of Peace. When you see and hear the water cascading forcefully over the cliff with lush tropical vegetation tightly hugging the waterfall it makes you forget the goings on of the modern man-made world with its problems.

La Paz waterfall is located 31 km or 19 miles north of Alajuela. The fall is the end of the journey of the River La Paz which travels for 8 km or 5 miles through volcanic terrain onto through the rainforest on the eastern side of Poas volcano.

Up river from the waterfall is the La Paz Waterfall Gardens, a hotel and wildlife reserve and park.

Getting to La Paz

Getting here is fairly simple. Most hotels in Alajuela either offer a shuttle bus and/or can offer a tour guide to take you directly to La Paz. Note that the road is mountainous and winding so be prepared if you suffer from altitude or motion related illness.

La Paz Waterfall

Arenal Hot Springs

admin — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 04:49:21 +0000

If you are looking to soak in relaxing and therapeutic volcano heated waters, also referred to as “hot springs”, then Arenal and La Fortuna in Costa Rica are one place you definitely should consider checking out.

Arenal is an active volcano and is situated by the town of La Fortuna. Both are located in the province of Alajuela and about 2 hours drive from the airport of Juan Santamaria International Airport.

There are a number of hotels in the Arenal area in Costa Rica you can visit and enjoy their hot springs that are well known: Tabacon, Baldi, and Eco Termales. As well, there are smaller lesser known hotels that also offer hot springs to their guests such as Hotel Silencio del Campo.

The benefits of hot springs to the body are well documented. For example, your body temperature gradually increases and kills harmful germs and bacteria, as well as your body metabolism increases, flow of oxygen rich blood increases, and much more.

Arenal Hot Springs

Guanajuato – The Historic Town

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 22:36:27 +0000

Founded by the Spanish in early 16th century, Guanajuato is a beautiful city in central Mexico that is a treasure of history and architecture. The historic town and adjacent mines have been declared by UNESCO a “world heritage site”. The name Guanajuato literally means “hill of the frogs” for a large rock formation that resembles a frog.

Teatro Juarez Guanajuato Teatro (theater) Juarez , pictured above, began construction in 1872 funded by General Florencio Antillón, who contracted the services of engineer José Noriega, and was officially inaugurated in 1903 by General Porfirio Diaz. Its portico is in the Roman Doric style, and among its many charms is an art nouveau foyer.

Guanajuato became the leading silver extraction city of the 18th century. This is evidenced by the subterranean streets that traverse the city.

Open air cafe in Guanajuato, Mexico.

Teatro Juarez in Guanajuato, Mexico.

European-style cafe in Guanajuato, Mexico

Old church in Guanajuato Centro

Gothic-style colonial hotel in Guanajuato

Skyline of Guanajuato, Mexico

If you are looking for a non-traditional vacation spot in Mexico (when I say non-traditional, I mean not at the beach) then Guanajuato is the place you definitely must visit. This was one of the most beautiful cities we’ve visited in Mexico. The tunnel roads, colonial architecture, and the ambiance of the city make you feel you are in one of the great cities in Europe.

You will notice the narrow streets, balconies overhanging, very well preserved colonial architecture and outdoor cafes. Guanajuato indeed is one of Mexico’s best kept secrets.

This is a city where you want to stroll and take in the surroundings. Guanajuato is located essentially in a valley surrounded by the Sierra de Guanajuato mountains. You can travel up a side of a mountain (best to do so in a car) and get a spectacular view of the city, as well as other impressive architecture. Tourist spots are located strategically on the mountain where you can park the car, visit souvenir shops, eat at a restaurant or street vendor, and just relax and enjoy the view.

Platanitos Beach – Mexico’s Hidden Secret

admin — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 14:18:14 +0000

One of the greatest assets of Mexico is the seemingly unending stretch of beaches. Most tourists prefer to go to well trodden and developed areas but if you are like us, then you like to explore the lesser known and developed but equally impressive beaches. Platanitos is one such beach in Riviera Nayarit. It is somewhat awkward to get to but a direct bus from Las Varas will get you there. Platanitos is the last stop of this route. To Las Varas you can easily get from Guayabitos or La Peñita by a taxi van. To Guayabitos or La Peñita, you can take a bus from Puerto Vallarta.

Platanitos beach in Riviera Nayarit

Platanitos beach, Riviera Maya, Mexico.

Boat on Platanitos beach in Riviera Maya

Another view of Platanitos beach

Three sport fishing boats on Platanitos beach

Ocean view from a property at Platanitos beach

Beautiful Vallarta Sunset

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:46:21 +0000

Puerto Vallarta is famous for its pristine and breathtaking sunsets. No matter what time of the year you come to Puerto Vallarta, you are almost guaranteed to have a spectacular sunset each evening. There are restaurants by the beach that offer ideal seating so you can enjoy a freshly caught fish with wine or another beverage as you contemplate one of the most beautiful natural artistic creations, the sunset.

Puerto Vallarta sunset with a pelican flying in front.

Sunset in Puerto Vallarta with reflection on the beach.

Sunset in Puerto Vallarta, sailboat in the horizon.

Sunset in Puerto Vallarta. Pelican flying overhead.

Puerto Vallarta sunset. Sun almost touching horizon.

Puerto Vallarta sunset. Sun halfway down.

Scenes from Arenal

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:31:34 +0000

Arenal volcano is located just outside of the town of La Fortuna. Once you leave the town towards Arenal along a long winding road lined with hotels, resorts and spas, you can see the impressive size of this mighty volcano from almost anywhere. These photos were taken in and around the Arenal National Park.

Birds of Costa Rica: Ochraceous Wren

admin — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 12:43:57 +0000

The Ochraceous Wren, Troglodytes ochraceus, is a small songbird of the wren family. It is an endemic resident breeding species in Costa Rica and eastern Panama. This little guy was photographed in Palmares, Costa Rica, while shielding itself from tropical rain shower.