Epic Encounters with Mexico’s Monarch Butterflies – Piedra Herrada Sanctuary
Piedra Herrada Reserve The Monarch Butterfly Biosphere Reserve is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Mexico’s top ecotourism destinations. There are several sanctuaries open to visitors across two Mexican states – Michoacán and Mexico. Piedra Herrada is the easiest monarch sanctuary to access from Mexico City and only a 2-hr drive from the […]
Whale Watching – Pico Island, Azores
The Azores archipelago is comprised of nine islands lying in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean between the US and Portugal. The Azores rank as one of the world’s top whale and dolphin watching destinations. One third of all cetacean species either inhabit or migrate through Azorean waters. The islands themselves are a nationally protected area […]
New in Peru – 5-Star Sleeper Train Connects Cusco, Puno and Colca Canyon
Belmond’s Andean Explorer connects Cusco, Puno and Colca Canyon via luxury train. The Andean Explorer is the sister train to Belmond’s Hiram Bingham train that takes guests from Cusco to Machu Picchu. As Peru’s first five-star sleeper train with room for up to 48 passengers, the Andean Explorer offers unprecedented levels of comfort and style […]
India Trip Report (October 2016) – Sloth Bear Sightings
The sloth bear is a nocturnal, insect-eating bear native to the Indian subcontinent. Americans may be familiar with this animal from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book, by its real-life Hindi name Baloo (bhalu). We sighted this rare mammal on two separate occasions on a recent trip to Madhya Pradesh, India. One was spotted at Satpura National Park […]
Four Reasons to Visit Canada in 2017
1. Canada is celebrating 150 years as a country in 2017. For their sesquicentennial, Canadians are already planning some of the biggest July 1 celebrations the country has ever seen. 2. Lonely Planet just named Canada the #1 Country to Visit in 2017. “Bolstered by the wave of positivity unleashed by its energetic new leader […]
Trip Recap – Fall Wildlife Expedition to Yellowstone
Last month, we traveled to Yellowstone National Park with a small group from Denver, a trip offered in coordination with Audubon Society of Greater Denver. Dates were chosen to correspond with several fall highlights at Yellowstone including elk rut, bird migration, bear hyperphagy (a state of overeating prior to winter hibernation), cooler temperatures, and smaller […]
Swimming with Whale Sharks 2016 Recap
In 2009, we added Isla Mujeres whale shark trips to our Mexico portfolio. Whale shark season runs from late May to September, but we recommend traveling between mid-July to mid-August if you have flexible travel dates. Those weeks tend to be the best with respect to whale shark aggregations in the Whale Shark Biosphere Reserve. […]
Carara National Park, Costa Rica – Worth the Stop
When driving to Costa Rica’s central and south Pacific coast from Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO), you pass Carara National Park. Located an hour west of SJO and a few km past Rio Tarcoles Bridge and its resident crocodiles below, Carara isn’t typically a stop on standard Costa Rica itineraries. It should be, though. Carara […]
Gray Whale Baby Boom in Baja Sur, Mexico
Recent censuses in Baja Sur, Mexico show that gray whale populations are experiencing a baby boom this year. More than 1000 gray whale babies have been counted in three calving lagoons – Ojo de Liebre, San Ignacio and Magdalena Bay. Gray whale populations crashed due to over hunting in the past. Now, gray whales numbers […]
In Search of Mexico’s Monarch Butterflies – Piedra Herrada
On our recent Monarch Butterfly and Magical Cities trip to Mexico, we visited two reserves in Mexico State. Piedra Herrada Sanctuary was the first and El Capulin the second. Located less than two hours west of Mexico City, Piedra Herrada is easily accessed in a day trip. We left our Santa Fe hotel at 8:15 […]